Love is not a feeling to pass away,
Like the balmy breath of a summer day;
It is not-it cannot-laid aside;
It is not a thing to forget or hide.
It clings to the heart, ah, woe is me!
As the ivy clings to the old oak tree.
Love is not a passion of earthly mould,
As a thirst for honor or flame, or gold;
For when all these wishes have died away,
The deep strong love of a brighter day,
Though nourished in heart, consumes themore,
As the slow rust eats to the iron’s core.
-Charles Dickens
愛
愛情不像夏日芬芳的氣息，
愛情不是可以驅散的情感，
愛情不容排遣，也不能排遣，
不容你忘記，也不容你隱藏。
它爬上心頭，咳！我就糟糕！
因為它像常春藤纏住了老橡樹。
它也不像對榮譽、美名、和黃金的渴望，
愛情不是一種世俗的熱情；
因為在對名利等的渴望消失以後，
我們仍深深盼望愛情有開朗的一天，
雖然只是在暗中滋長，卻更損人。
因為愛情就像鐵鏽，慢慢腐蝕著內心。
英國小說家查爾斯·狄更斯
