紙筆傳情 英國評選世界最偉大的情書
A heartfelt birthday message from Johnny Cash to his beloved wife June has been voted the greatest love letter of all time。
美國鄉村音樂歌手約翰尼-卡什在愛妻生日時寫下的一封情書被評選爲史上最偉大的情書。In the simple, but plainly expressed missive the singer dubbed the Man in Black writes 'you're the object of my desire, the #1 Earthly reason for my existence'。
在這封簡短但表達真摯的情書中，綽號爲“黑衣人”的約翰尼-卡什寫道：“你是我渴望的對象，是我生存於世的唯一理由。”
Written in 1994, the letter beat notes by Keats, Churchill, Jimi Hendrix and the great Hollywood lovers Richard Burton and Liz Taylor。
這封情書寫於1994年，它在評選中打敗了濟慈、丘吉爾、吉米-亨德里克斯以及好萊塢最著名的戀人理查德-伯頓和麗茲-泰勒，榮登榜首。
In the Valentine's Day poll, the country music legend Johnny Cash's letter in which he writes to 'the greatest woman I ever met' on his wife June Carter's 65th birthday was regarded as the most moving。
在這項爲慶祝即將到來的情人節的評選中，鄉村音樂傳奇歌手約翰尼-卡什在妻子瓊-卡特65歲的生日上寫給這位“他見過的最偉大的女人”的情書被認爲是最感人的。In it he wrote, 'We got old and got used to each other. We think alike. We read each others [sic] minds. We know what the other wants without asking. Sometimes we irritate each other a little bit. Maybe sometimes we take each other for granted。
約翰尼-卡什寫道：“我們漸漸變老，也早已習慣了彼此。我們想法一致、靈魂互通。無需詢問我們便知道對方想要什麼。偶爾我們也會惹對方不高興，但那或許是因爲我們真正把對方視作了理所當然的伴侶。”'But once in a while, like today, I meditate on it and realize how lucky I am to share my life with the greatest woman I ever met。
“有時候比如今天，我沉思之後意識到，能夠與你這樣一個我所見過的最偉大的女人共度餘生，我是多麼的幸運。”'You still fascinate and inspire me. You influence me for the better. You're the object of my desire, the #1 Earthly reason for my existence. I love you very much.'
“你令我着迷，給我靈感。你讓我變得更加美好。你是我永遠渴望的對象，是我生存於世的唯一理由。我愛你。”Winston Churchill's words of undying love to his 'darling Clemmie' in 1935 came second。
溫斯頓-丘吉爾1935年寫給他永遠摯愛的“親愛的克萊米”的情書排在第二位。Despite his many wives King Henry VIII makes an appearance in the list confessing his love to his second wife Anne Boleyn in 1527.
亨利八世雖然妻子衆多，但他在1527年寫給第二任妻子安妮-博林的情書讓他榜上有名。Poet John Keats may be famous for his odes but he only manages third place on the table despite his way with words telling his next door neighbour Fanny Brawne that he can not live without her in 1819.
著名詩人約翰-濟慈因擅長頌詩而聞名於世，但是他只排名第三。這封情書是1819年濟慈寫給他的鄰居芬妮-布朗的，他要告訴她如果沒有她他沒法活下去。Jimi Hendrix's letter to his 'little girl' comes in at tenth as he encourages her to 'spread her wings'. The recipient of the letter is unclear but still earns itself a place in the top spot。
吉米-亨德里克斯寫給他的“小女孩”的情書排在了第十位，信中他鼓勵她“展翅飛翔”。雖然這封情書的收信人不詳，但這並不影響它在前十名中佔得一席之地。The poll to discover our favourite romantic message was commissioned by British life insurance company Beagle Street to encourage Brits to be more romantic on February 14.
這項評選由英國保險公司比格街發起，目的是尋找最喜愛的浪漫情書，並以此鼓勵英國人在即將到來的情人節裏能更加浪漫。In the battle of the sexes, it was men who came out on top in the romance stakes with nearly one in four (24 per cent) saying they have sent a love letter within the last year。
調查發現，男性在戀愛關係中處於主動地位，24%的受調查男性表示過去一年中曾向心儀的女孩寫過情書。But after 38 per cent of women admitted that they had never written a love letter, 46 percent declared the tradition outdated。
而38%的受訪女性則表示她們從未寫過情書，46%的女性表示情書這種傳統已經過時了。Londoners proved the most romantic in the country with 74 percent claiming to have penned a love note, while in the North East it was just 55 percent。
調查顯示倫敦人是全英最浪漫的人，有74%的受訪者表示曾寫過情書，而在西北部這個比例只有55%。Beagle Street's managing director Matthew Gledhill says that a hand-written note is still appreciated even in the modern age。
比格街的總經理馬修-格萊德希爾認爲一封手寫的情書即使在現代社會也依然令人欣賞。'A well-written love letter can stand the test of time and be a permanent record of affection so it is important the tradition doesn't die out。
“一封表達真摯的手寫情書能夠經得起時間的檢驗，而且能成爲愛情的永恆記錄，所以這項重要傳統不會滅絕。”'We hope our research inspires people who have never written a love letter to take some time out and write down and share exactly how they feel with a loved one.'
“我們希望我們的調查能夠啓示那些從未寫過情書的人們，花點時間坐下來寫下你對戀人的愛、分享你的感情。”
