读者文摘:婚姻超过25年的唐氏综合征夫妇(1)

For years, Kris Scharoun-DeForge had a Valentine's Day routine she celebrated¹ like clockwork with her husband, Paul Scharoun-DeForge.

多年来，克里斯·沙鲁恩·狄芙格和她的丈夫保罗·沙鲁恩·狄芙格有一个情人节的惯例，她和丈夫像时钟一样准时地庆祝。

She would always have a card—one of the elaborate ones she prefers to make by hand for those she loves—waiting for him when he came home from work.

她总是拿着一张卡片-那是她为爱的人亲手做的一些精致的卡片之一-等着丈夫下班回家。

Kris, 58, enjoys cooking. Paul loves just about everything she makes.

克里斯现年58岁，喜欢烹饪。保罗喜欢她做的一切食物。

Yet on Valentine's Day, they would go out to eat, maybe at Red Lobster² or Olive Garden, maybe someplace as basic and comfortable as their beloved Subway.

然而在情人节，他们会去外面吃，可能是在红龙虾餐厅或橄榄园餐厅，或者是跟他们喜欢的地铁一样简单舒适的地方。

They were celebrating each other." He opened up my world," Kris said, her arm resting on Paul's.

他们在互相庆祝。克里斯说，“他打开了我的世界。”她的胳膊搭在保罗的胳膊上。

But this year's Valentine's Day may be the most eventful one yet.

但是今年的情人节可能是最重要的一个。

That's because it is their 25th as husband and wife, a landmark³ that would be noteworthy for most couples but is extraordinary for the Scharoun-DeForges.

因为今年是他们结婚25周年，这对大多数夫妇来说都是重要的里程碑，但是对沙鲁恩·狄芙格夫妇来说尤其特别。

They were both born with Down syndrome⁴ and are believed to be the longest-married couple with the condition in the country.

他们都患有唐氏综合征，据说他们是患唐氏综合征夫妇中结婚时间最长的一对。

At the time of their wedding, some folks believed that people with Down syndrome didn't have the emotional maturity⁵ to be married.

在他们婚礼的时候，一些人认为，患唐氏综合征的人不具备结婚所需的心理成熟。

Kris, who as a girl used to cut wedding photos from magazines and hang them on her wall, knew better.

克里斯是个小女孩的时候，常常把杂志里的结婚照片剪下来挂到她的房间里，她更懂得这件事情。

"I looked into his eyes and saw my future," Kris said about falling in love with Paul when they first met at a dance 30 years ago.

克里斯说到她和保罗在30年前的一个舞会上一见钟情的情形，“我看着他的眼睛，看到了我的未来。”

To prove her point, when they got married, they decided⁶ to blend their last names into one.

为了证明她的观点，在他们结婚的时候，他们决定将他们的姓氏合二为一。

Still, they've had their struggles, and the most recent one may be the most monumental.

他们仍然有他们的困难，最近的这次可能是最艰难的。

This year's Valentine's Day is the first on which they won't be living together.

今年的情人节是第一次他们没有住在一起。

Paul, 54, is coping with early-stage dementia, an illness that affects many with his condition at a relatively⁷ young age.

54岁的保罗在应对早期痴呆症，很多患唐氏综合征的人会在相对较年轻的时候受到早期痴呆症的影响。

Several months ago, the state moved him into a community residence with intensive nursing care.

几个月前，州政府把他搬进了一所社区住宅，并对他进行了重症护理。

"When they told me, I started to cry," said Kris, who still lives in their cozy⁸ apartment in Liverpool, New York, a suburb of Syracuse.

克里斯说，“当他们告诉我的时候，我就哭了出来。”她仍然住在他们位于纽约锡拉丘兹郊区利物浦的温馨的公寓里。

"He's my life. I don't want to be without him."

“他就是我的生命。我不想失去他。”

1 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

2 lobster   

n.龙虾，龙虾肉

参考例句：

• The lobster is a shellfish.龙虾是水生贝壳动物。
• I like lobster but it does not like me.我喜欢吃龙虾，但它不适宜于我的健康。

3 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

4 syndrome   

n.综合病症；并存特性

参考例句：

• The Institute says that an unidentified virus is to blame for the syndrome. 该研究所表示,引起这种综合症的是一种尚未确认的病毒。
• Results indicated that 11 fetuses had Down syndrome. 结果表明有11个胎儿患有唐氏综合征。

5 maturity   

n.成熟；完成；(支票、债券等)到期

参考例句：

• These plants ought to reach maturity after five years.这些植物五年后就该长成了。
• This is the period at which the body attains maturity.这是身体发育成熟的时期。

6 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

7 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

8 cozy   

adj.亲如手足的，密切的，暖和舒服的

参考例句：

• I like blankets because they are cozy.我喜欢毛毯，因为他们是舒适的。
• We spent a cozy evening chatting by the fire.我们在炉火旁聊天度过了一个舒适的晚上。