Love Is Not Blind
New York—love is not blind，at least when it comes to facial plastic surgery.Of people who are dating or married，59percent of women and 54percent of men would like to change at least one feature on their partner’s face，according to an American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery survey released on Monday.
It found that men were most likely to take suggestions about plastic surgery as an insult.Women，in contrast，were more likely than men to take suggestions as gestures of love and，if a sweetheart offered to pay，were twice as likely to go ahead with plastic surgery.“This survey shows that love is not blind and，in fact，has an eye for improvement，”academy president Dr Keith LaFerrire said in a statement.
The academy sponsored the telephone survey on December 5th-7th of 1，000adults across the US，including 738who were dating or married.It had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2percent.Respondents said they would change their lover’s hair （24percent women，17percent men），wrinkles （9percent women，11percent men），nose （11percent women，9percent men），mouth （6percent each），eyes （5percent each）or ears （4percent each）.
爱情不应该是盲目的
纽约：爱情不是盲目的，至少当爱情涉及面部整容的时候。在正在谈恋爱或已婚的人当中，59%的女性与54%的男性希望对方的面部至少能改变一处，这一结论根据的是美国整容与再造手术协会于周一发布的调查结果。
调查结果发现，男人往往把对方提出要自己整容的建议视为对自己的污辱，反之，女人则把对方提出的这一建议看成是爱的表示，如果心爱的人提供整容费用，女性愿去做整容的可能性也是男人的两倍。“这一调查表明爱不是盲目的，事实上，爱是很留意容貌变化的。”协会主席基思·拉非列尔博士在一份声明中说道。
该协会于去年12月5日至7日赞助了对全美1000个成年人进行的电话调查，其中包括了738个正在恋爱或已婚的人，其误差率在正负3.2%。接受调查的人说他们会改变爱人的头发（24%的女性，17%的男性）、皱纹（9%的女性，11%的男性）、鼻子（11%的女性，9%的男性）、嘴（男女都是6%）、眼睛（男女都是5%）和耳朵（男女都是4%）。
Love Is Inside
Sometimes I really doubt whether there is love between my parents.Every day they are very busy trying to earn money in order to pay the high tuition for my brother and me.They don’t act in the romantic ways that I read in books or I see on TV.In their opinion，“I love you”is too luxurious for them to say.Sending flowers to each other on Valentine’s Day is even more out of the question.Finally my father has a bad temper.When he’s very tired from the hard work，it is easy for him to lose his temper.
One day，my mother was sewing a quilt.I silently sat down beside her and looked at her.
“Mom，I have a question to ask you.”I said after a while.
“What？”she replied，still doing her work.
“Is there love between you and Dad？”I asked her in a very low voice.
My mother stopped her work and raised her head with surprise in her eyes.She didn’t answer immediately.Then she bowed her head and continued to sew the quilt.
I was very worried because I thought I had hurt her.I was in a great embarrassment and I didn’t know what I should do.But at last I heard my mother say the following words：
“Susan，”she said thoughtfully，“Look at this thread.Sometimes it appears，but most of it disappears in the quilt.The thread really makes the quilt strong and durable.If life is a quilt，then love should be a thread.It can hardly be seen anywhere or anytime，but it’s really there.Love is inside.”
I listened carefully but I couldn’t understand her until the next spring.At that time，my father suddenly got sick seriously.My mother had to stay with him in the hospital for a month.When they returned from the hospital，they both looked very pale.It seemed both of them had had a serious illness.
After they were back，every day in the morning and dusk，my mother helped my father walk slowly on the country road.My father had never been so gentle.It seemed they were the most harmonious couple.Along the country road，there were many beautiful flowers，green grass and trees.The sun gently glistened through the leaves.All of these made up the most beautiful picture in the world.
The doctor had said my father would recover in two months.But after two months he still couldn’t walk by himself.All of us were worried about him.
“Dad，how are you feeling now？”I asked him one day.
“Susan，don’t worry about me.”he said gently.“To tell you the truth，I just like walking with your mom.I like this kind of life.”Reading his eyes，I know he loves my mother deeply.
Once I thought love meant flowers，gifts and sweet kisses.But from this experience，I understand that love is just a thread in the quilt of our life.Love is inside，making life strong and warm.
爱在心中埋
有时候，我真的怀疑父母之间是否有真爱。他们天天忙于赚钱，为我和弟弟支付学费。他们从未像我在书中读到，或在电视中看到的那样互诉衷肠。他们认为“我爱你”太奢侈，很难说出口。更不用说在情人节送花这样的事了。我父亲的脾气非常坏。经过一天的劳累之后，他经常会发脾气。
一天，母亲正在缝被子，我静静地坐在她旁边看着她。
过了一会，我说：“妈妈，我想问你一个问题。”
“什么问题？”她一边继续缝着，一边回答道。
我低声地问道：“你和爸爸之间有没有爱情啊？”
母亲突然停下了手中的活，满眼诧异地抬起头。她没有立即作答。然后低下头，继续缝被子。
我担心伤害了她。我非常尴尬，不知道该怎么办。不过，后来我听见母亲说：
“苏珊，看看这些线。有时候，你能看得见，但是大多数都隐藏在被子里。这些线使被子坚固耐用。如果生活就像一床被子，那么爱就是其中的线。你不可能随时随地看到它，但是它却实实在在地存在着。爱是内在的。”
我仔细地听着，却无法明白她的话，直到来年的春天。那时候，我父亲得了重病。母亲在医院里待了一个月。当他们从医院回来的时候，都显得非常苍白。就像他们都得了一场重病一样。
他们回来之后，每天的清晨或黄昏，母亲都会搀扶着父亲在乡村的小路上漫步。父亲从未如此温和过。他们就像是天作之合。在小路旁边，有许多美丽的野花、绿草和树木。阳光穿过树叶的缝隙，温柔地照射在地面上。这一切形成了一幅世间最美好的画面。
医生说父亲将在两个月后康复。但是两个月之后，他仍然无法独立行走。我们都很为他担心。
有一天，我问他：“爸爸，你感觉怎么样？”
他温和地说：“苏珊，不用为我担心。跟你说吧，我喜欢与你妈妈一块散步的感觉。我喜欢这种生活。”从他的眼神里，我看得出他对母亲的爱之深刻。
我曾经认为爱情就是鲜花、礼物和甜蜜的亲吻。但是从那一刻起，我明白了，爱情就像是生活中被子里的一根线。爱情就在里面，使生活变得坚固而温暖。
The Girl with the Rose
John Blanchard stood up from the bench，straightened his Army uniform，and studied the crowd of people making their way through Grand Central Station.He looked for the girl whose heart he knew，but whose face he didn’t，the girl with the rose.
His interest in her had begun thirteen months before in a Florida library.Taking a book off the shelf he found himself intrigued，not with the words of the book，but with the notes penciled in the margin.The soft handwriting reflected a thoughtful soul and insightful mind.In the front of the book，he discovered the previous owner’s name，Miss Hollis Mays.
With time and effort he located her address.She lived in New York City.He wrote her a letter introducing himself and inviting her to correspond.The next day he was shipped overseas for service in World War II.During the next year and one month the two grew to know each other through the mail.Each letter was a seed falling on a fertile heart.A romance was budding.Blanchard requested a photograph，but she refused.She felt that if he really cared，it wouldn’t matter what she looked like.