生死相随 美百岁夫妇2天内相继离世

海伦·奥尔和乔·奥尔携手走过七十多年从未分开过，连死神都没能把这对生死相伴的伴侣分开。

Helen Auer, from Cincinnati, Ohio, passed away peacefully at home last Wednesday at age 94.

妻子海伦来自美国俄亥俄州的辛辛那提市，上周三在家中去世，享年94岁。

On the night of her death, Joe entered her room, gave her one final kiss goodbye and whispered to her, 'Helen, call me home.'

海伦去世的当天晚上，丈夫乔走进她的房间，给了她最后的道别之吻并轻声对她说：“海伦，喊我一起回家。”

And just 28 hours later, Helen did call him to her.

28小时候之后，海伦的确喊乔一起“回家”了。

Joe Auer died last Friday, five months after celebrating his 100th birthday. The couple's nine surviving children knew their dad could not make it without their mom for more than a night, reported the Cincinnati Enquirer¹.

乔·奥尔于上周五去世，五个月之前他度过了100岁的生日。奥尔夫妇的孩子们都知道，他们的父亲无法离开母亲，连一个晚上都不行。

The Auers married at St. Lawrence Church in Cincinnati in 1941.

海伦和乔1941年在辛辛那提市的圣劳伦斯教堂喜结连理。

On Wednesday, the couple who survived the Great Depression, lived through World War II, raised 10 children and witnessed the births of their 16 grandchildren, 29 great-grandkids and one great-great grandchild, will be back in front of the same alter where they had exchanged their vows² 73 years earlier, only this time for a funeral Mass.

奥尔夫妇都是生长在美国经济大萧条时期，两人一同经历了二战，养育有10个孩子，有16个孙辈，29个重孙辈和1个重重孙辈，本周三奥尔夫妇将重回到到两人73年前许下誓言的地方，只是这次是来举办葬礼。

Helen Auer, had her first baby, Barry, soon after the wedding and was pregnant with their second child, Judy, by the time Joe shipped out to fight the Nazis³ in faraway Europe.

海伦结婚后不久生下了第一个孩子巴里，之后又怀了第二个孩子朱迪，此时乔正在去遥远的欧洲战场抵抗纳粹的路上。

Eager to have Joe see their new baby, Helen sent him a photo of herself with their two young children.

乔非常想见孩子，于是海伦寄了一张她自己和两个孩子的照片给乔。

Joe Auer had that precious black-and-white picture tucked in his pocket when he landed at Utah Beach on D-Day, and it did not leave his side for the remainder of the war - and for the rest of his life.

在预定日期登录犹他海滩之后，乔把这张珍贵的黑白照片放在衣服口袋里，从此以后这张照片就没再离开过他。

Jerry Auer, the couple's 10th and final child, told the Cincinnati Enquirer that the threadbare, yellowed photograph was still in his father's wallet when he drew his last breath last week.

奥尔夫妇的第十个孩子杰瑞·奥尔说直到上周父亲去世这张陈旧的、发黄的照片还放在父亲的钱包里。

Helen Auer was described by her children as the outgoing and spirited one in the family - a woman who loved keeping busy and spending time with loved ones.

海伦的孩子们称海伦在家里很有活力、很外向友好，她总是忙忙碌碌的，把所有时间都花在她爱的人身上。

By contrast, their daughter Mary Joe Reiners described her father as a stern and serious man – the disciplinarian in the family - who was guided by his Christian⁴ faith and his profound sense of responsibility.

而他们的女儿玛丽称父亲是一个严厉、严谨的人，是家里的纪律执行者，这种性格与他的基督教信仰还有责任心有关。

After serving his country in Europe for three years during the war, Auer returned home to Helen and found work as an engraver⁵.

在欧洲战场上服役三年之后，奥尔返回了家里，做起了一份雕刻师的工作。

With their family growing from one year to the next money was always tight but the Auers, frugal⁶, humble⁷ and hardworking, always managed somehow.

随着家庭成员不断的增加，家里的开支也越来越大，但节俭、谦逊、努力的奥尔夫妇把这个大家庭打理得井井有条。

After sending off their youngest child to third grade, Helen joined the workforce⁸ to help Joe out.

最小的孩子上三年级之后，海伦也开始工作，和乔一起养家。

In photos of Helen and Joe shared by their family on the website of Meyer Funeral Home, the two appear deeply in love, dancing at family celebrations, posing side by side for pictures, or kissing on the couch like a pair of love-sick teens.

通过家人上传的奥尔夫妇的照片上，可以看出两人非常相爱。照片上，两人在家庭聚会上一起跳舞、为拍照摆各种造型，或是像孩子一样在沙发上接吻。

'They were simple, humble people. They wanted nothing and got everything in return,' Jerry Auer, 52, told the paper of his late parents.

“他们都是很简单、谦逊的人。他们无欲无求，却得到了所有。”52岁的杰瑞说。

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