你用英文写过情书吗？我是这样写的......
刚才看到 Eric 写的一篇关于纳博科夫情书的推文，我想到了自己之前用英文写的那些情书。有一封尤其记忆犹新，是在 2012 年认识当时的女朋友（现在的老婆）不久之后隔着 12 个小时的时差和太平洋写的。
Dear Qianlin,
Good morning!
Although I have already said happy birthday to you and just wrote it on a postcard a few moments ago, I couldn't help writing you an email, letting you know how much I miss you and how much I wish you could be by my side.
Before writing to you, it's hard for me to read Odyssey for the seminar. I just saw the messages you sent me on Weibo. And sometimes I miss your messages sent from QQ as the QQ App on my iPad is very disruptive--it signs in automatically and I only realize later there are some unread messages. Also, I couldn't figure out when you wrote Weibo posts or sent me messages because of the time difference and the difference between 12-hour and 24-hour systems.
So if the train ride gave you an illusion, the time difference makes me even more illusional.
Illusion. That's the word. Only illusion feels real and unsuspicious. We don't question illusion.
Distance is devastating. It disallows touch, intensifies yearning, and worsens pain. But distance is promising too. It encourages hope, fires imagination, and writes a check for the reunion. We could only be more appreciative and contemplative because of distance. Let's celebrate distance.
These are some reflections I have had lately.
“越过荒野去拥抱你。” I love the spontaneous and the poetic urge. I could see you run. I could see you coming nearer. I could hear your lovely giggles. I could smell the scent of your hair. How beautiful you are!
Happy birthday!
慶偉
那段时间也经常听齐秦的《想念》，里面的歌词道出了多少异地恋男女的心声：
我的夜晚是你的白天
当我思念时你正入眠
戴的手表是你的时间
回想着你疼爱我的脸
我的夜晚是你的白天
当你醒时我梦里相见
只为了和你再见一面
我会不分昼夜的想念
2012 年刚到美国时，我去一家大型文具店买贺卡，发现一件特别扫兴的事：贺卡上的祝福语都是打印上去的，连以品质著称的 Hallmark（贺曼）贺卡也不例外。
商家挖空心思优化产品，“提升用户体验”，结果是人们在很多事情上求快，变得越来越懒，在对待亲密关系上越来越敷衍。
现在各种营销手段盛行，加上 AI 可以自己写诗，每到七夕和情人节，朋友圈都会充斥着各种图片，替人们表达他们不知如何表达或没有时间表达的爱意。每当我听到 AI 能够完全取代人类的时候，我总是很不屑：至少 AI 取代不了我自己的声音。
每一个个体都是独特的。他的思想是独特的，语气是独特的，声音也是独特的。
语言应该是有温度，有记忆，有力量的。如果学习语言不能更好地表达我们的所想所思，不能在七夕情人节的时候写几句情话，那还有什么意义？
最后，祝各位七夕快乐！也欢迎在评论区分享你的故事。
孟庆伟 Justin
中英双语写作者
《经济学人》11 年研究者
雅思写作 8 分，口语 8 分
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