【时间旅行者的妻子】76

Headlights appear in the distance. Clare turns her lights on and we are rushing along again, perfectly¹ aligned² between the yellow stripes in the middle of the road and the edge of the highway. It’s 11:38.

　Clare is expressionless in the reflected dashboard lights. “Why did you do that?” I ask her, my voice shaking.

　“Why not?” Clare’s voice is calm as a summer pond.

　“Because we could have both died in a fiery³ wreck⁴?”

　Clare slows and turns onto Blue Star Highway. “But that’s not what happens” she says. “I grow up and meet you and we get married and here you are.”

　“For all you know you crashed the car just then and we both spent a year in traction⁵.”

　“But then you would have warned me not to do it,” says Clare.

　“I tried, but you yelled at me—”

　“I mean, an older you would have told a younger me not to crash the car.”

　“Well, by then it would have already happened.”

　We have reached Meagram Lane, and Clare turns onto it. This is the private road that leads to her house. “Pull over, Clare, okay? Please?” Clare drives onto the grass, stops, cuts the engine and the lights. It’s completely dark again, and I can hear a million cicadas singing. I reach over and pull Clare close to me, put my arm around her. She is tense and unpliant.

　“Promise me something.”

　“What?” Clare asks.

　“Promise you won’t do anything like that again. I mean not just with the car, but anything dangerous. Because you don’t know. The future is weird⁶, and you can’t go around behaving like you’re invincible—”

　“But if you’ve seen me in the future—”

　“Trust me. Just trust me.”

　Clare laughs. “Why would I want to do that?”

　“I dunno. Because I love you?”

　Clare turns her head so quickly that she hits me in the jaw⁷,

　“Ouch.”

　“Sorry.” I can barely see the outline of her profile. “You love me?” she asks.

　“Yes.”

　“Right now?”

　“Yes.”

　“But you’re not my boyfriend.”

　Oh. That’s what’s bugging⁸ her. “Well, technically⁹ speaking, I’m your husband. 

1 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

2 aligned   

adj.对齐的，均衡的

参考例句：

• Make sure the shelf is aligned with the top of the cupboard.务必使搁架与橱柜顶端对齐。

3 fiery   

adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的

参考例句：

• She has fiery red hair.她有一头火红的头发。
• His fiery speech agitated the crowd.他热情洋溢的讲话激动了群众。

4 wreck   

n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难

参考例句：

• Weather may have been a factor in the wreck.天气可能是造成这次失事的原因之一。
• No one can wreck the friendship between us.没有人能够破坏我们之间的友谊。

5 traction   

n.牵引；附着摩擦力

参考例句：

• I'll show you how the traction is applied.我会让你看如何做这种牵引。
• She's injured her back and is in traction for a month.她背部受伤，正在作一个月的牵引治疗。

6 weird   

adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的

参考例句：

• From his weird behaviour,he seems a bit of an oddity.从他不寻常的行为看来，他好像有点怪。
• His weird clothes really gas me.他的怪衣裳简直笑死人。

7 jaw   

n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训

参考例句：

• He delivered a right hook to his opponent's jaw.他给了对方下巴一记右钩拳。
• A strong square jaw is a sign of firm character.强健的方下巴是刚毅性格的标志。

8 bugging   

[法] 窃听

参考例句：

• Okay, then let's get the show on the road and I'll stop bugging you. 好，那么让我们开始动起来，我将不再惹你生气。 来自辞典例句
• Go fly a kite and stop bugging me. 走开，别烦我。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 口语

9 technically   

adv.专门地，技术上地

参考例句：

• Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。
• The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。