玛丽和马克思 Mary and Max 2009｜你是我最好的朋友，你是我唯一的朋友

Dear Mary,

亲爱的玛丽，

Please find enclosed my entire Noblet collection as a sign that I forgive you.

When I received your book, the emotions inside my brain felt like they were in a tumble dryer, smashing into each other. The hurt felt like when I accidentally stapled my lips together. The reason I forgive you is because you are not perfect. You are imperfect, and so am I. All humans are imperfect, even the man outside my apartment who litters.
请接受我搜集的全部诺布莱，作为我原谅你的信号。当我收到你的信时，我内心的感情，就像在甩干桶里一样，都被打碎了。痛苦如同我的嘴被订书器突然订上了。我原谅你是因为你不是完人，你并不是完美无瑕，我也是，人无完人。即便是那些在我门外乱扔杂物的人。

When I was young, I wanted to be anybody but myself. He said I would have to accept myself, my warts and all and that we don’t get to choose our warts. They are a part of us and we have to live with them.

当我年轻的时候，我想变成任何一个人，除了我自己。他说我必须要接受我自己，我的缺点和全部。我们无法选择我们的缺点，它们也是我们的一部分，然而我们必须适应它们。

We can, however, choose our friends and I am glad I have chosen you. Dr Bernard Hazelhof also said that everyone’s lives are like a very long sidewalk. Some are well paved. Others, like mine, have cracks, banana skins and cigarette butts.

然而，我们能选择我们的朋友。我很高兴选择了你。伯纳德医生还说，每个人的生命就像很长的人行道，有些很整洁，还有的像我一样，有裂缝、香蕉皮和烟头。

Your sidewalk is like mine but probably not as many cracks. Hopefully, one day our sidewalks will meet and we can share a can of condensed milk.
你的人行道像我一样，但是大概没有我这么多裂缝。令人欣慰的是有朝一日我们的人行道会相交，我们可以分享同一罐炼乳。

You are my best friend. You are my only friend.
你是我最好的朋友，也是我唯一的朋友。

Your American penpal, Max Jerry Horowitz
你的美国朋友，马克思.杰瑞.霍洛沃兹

Ps. I have recently found a perfect job with a survey company. All I have to do is eat things and tick boxes.
附注：最近我在一家调研公司找到了一份完美的工作，我只要吃吃东西，再填填表格就可以了。