We're side by side, each absorbed in a different world.

我們並肩而坐，各自沉浸一方。

One of us might be in a submarine beneath the arctic ice floe, the other is flitting through the salons of 18th-century Paris.

也許一人正在北極浮冰下的潛艇中，另一人正流連於 18 世紀的巴黎沙龍。

Every so often, our toes touch momentarily but without raising much notice.

腳趾頭幾番不經意地相觸。

We might briefly stretch a hand to touch the nape of the partner's neck before turning a page.

或在翻頁前伸手輕觸伴侶脖子。

We can hear our partner very lightly breathing. There is – blessedly – no need to say anything at all.

耳邊傳來彼此輕微的呼吸聲，一片幸福 — 無需多言，

And so it goes, for what might be an hour or more. It's modest, comfortable and sweet.

就這樣持續了一段時間，可能是一個小時或更久，這段時光典雅、舒適又甜蜜，

And it is, of course, a pleasure that our society is almost congenitally prone not to notice or respect.

這種美好的氛圍幾乎快被社會遺忘、忽視。

When we're invited to picture what a relationship might be for,

被問到一段關係裡可能的樣貌，

we imagine typically colourful scenarios: passionate sex up against a wall, a celebration of a triumph at work,

我們想到的總是豐富多采的畫面：倚著牆的火熱性愛、慶祝工作有成，

heading for the airport for a mini-break, the mutual exploration of one another's souls.

前往機場準備度假、打從靈魂深處認識彼此，

And yet, when the true pleasures of long-term love are assessed, a rather different set of images emerges,

但若評估一段長期穩定的愛情，許多不同的畫面便會浮現，

far less dramatic, but also far more real and in their own way gratifying:

少了點戲劇成份，多了點現實，卻有各自的幸福，

the knowing sideways smile our partner gives us in the presence of a parent who has been tricky with us in the past,

像是伴侶在你面對以前難以應付的父母時，給你會心一笑，

or watching a TV drama episode by episode and bantering about the characters and plotlines,

或者一起追劇，嘲笑劇中的角色和劇情，

or sitting on the floor sorting the socks after the wash,

或坐在地板從洗好的衣物裡挑出襪子，

the chat we have after the friends who came for lunch have departed,

共進午餐的朋友離開後，再一起聊個天，

or assembling a flat pack bookcase and realizing we've both got the instructions entirely wrong and that it's almost rather funny.

或自己組裝書架，但組好後才發現兩人都看錯說明書，這真的非常搞笑 。

It's within such a list of hidden pleasures that we find the joy of reading in bed together.

躺在一起閱讀有種難以言喻的快樂。

It represents in its own way a major psychological skill. There's not really anyone else we could do this with.

這件事以獨特的方式呈現我們的心，再也沒有別人能一起做這件事。

If the world were fairer, we would seek partners not just who can perform spectacular sexual antics and look hot in a bar,

若世界更美好一些，我們可能會找個不僅在酒吧裡情場了得、外表迷人 ，

but also those with whom we could one day turn pages in silence.

還能和我們一起安靜閱讀的伴侶。

To read together is symbolic of being able to share our true selves without shame, embarrassment or the need to perform.

能一起看書代表彼此能呈現自己最真實的一面，不必羞愧、難為情或防衛，。

We are, as we lie in bed together, as we so seldom are in the rest of life, simply accepted.

我們一起躺在床上，生活中很少能這樣單純地接受彼此。

Long-term relationships are, inevitably, deeply complicated enterprises.

一段長期關係不可避免地會發生很多錯縱複雜的事情。

Two ambitious, independent authentic people cannot hope to join their lives together without a huge amount of friction and pain.

兩個有雄心、獨立的個體住在一起一定少不了摩擦與痛苦的時刻。

We tend to be so much aware of the troubles,

有時候我們只關注困難的部分，

we sometimes take the peaceable moments for granted, failing to appreciate their underlying achievement.

將安定生活視為理所當然，卻忘了好好感謝這些看不見的努力 。

It may lack glamour, but being able to read in bed together with someone is a major milestone; and a sign of deep affection.

跟某人躺在床上一起閱讀似乎沒什麼迷人之處，但可以做到這件事是個里程碑，也是深刻愛情的象徵。

We may be doing better than we think.

我們也許做得比自己想的還要好

We hope you enjoyed this film.

希望您喜歡這支影片

For more from The School of Life, you can subscribe to our channel and take a look at our range of products on our website.

想看到更多 The School of Life 的影片，可以訂閱我們的頻道，瀏覽相關系列