见信如晤 | My Dear Bessie

A small blue box opened in 2008 revealed a wartime world of love, longing and frustration. Inside were bundles and bundles of letters written neatly in pen, in pencil, on thin blue airmail paper or headed army note paper.

2008年，一个蓝色的盒子被打开，展示了一个充满爱意、渴望与挫折的战时世界。里面有一捆捆的信件，用钢笔、铅笔在淡蓝色的航空信纸或有页眉的军用信纸上书写得整整齐齐。

Envelopes covered in postmarks, redirections, censor’s stamps. A love affair in letters, between two people who barely knew each other,thousands of miles apart, in the middle of a war, with no idea when or whether they will ever see each other again.

信封上覆盖着邮戳、重寄和检查员的邮票。这是两个人之间的一段爱情，他们彼此并不相识，相隔千里，在战争中，不知道什么时候或者是否会再见面。

On September 5th 1943, Chris Barker, a signalman stationed near Tobruk in North Africa, decided to write to a former work colleague, Bessie Moore, a Morse code interpreter at the Foreign Office back in London. The unexpected warmth of Bessie's reply changed their lives forever.

1943年9月5日，驻扎在北非托布鲁克（利比亚港口）附近的一个信号员克里斯-巴克尔决定写信给他以前的同事贝茜-摩尔，一位在伦敦的外交部的莫尔斯代码翻译。贝茜出人意料的热情回复永远地改变了他们的生活。

Chris and Bessie's love letters first appeared in Simon Garfield's book To The Letter.

克里斯和贝茜的情书第一次出现在西蒙·加菲尔德的著作《书信的历史》中。

▲Bessie and Chris Barker

讲稿

My Dear Bessie

By Chris Barker

Narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch

29 January 1945

1945年1月29日

My dearest one,I've just heard the news that all the army men who were held POW are to return to their homes.

我的挚爱，我刚得知一个消息。战俘们就要返乡了。

Because of the shipping situation we may not commence to go before the end of February but can probably count on being in England sometime in March. It may be sooner.

鉴于航运现况，在二月底之前我们或许都上不了船。不过三月有希望能够回到英国了。也许还能更快。

It has made me very warm inside. it's terrific, wonderful,shattering.

想到这，我内心就无比温暖的。夹杂着激动、喜悦、兴奋。

I don't know what to say, and I cannot think. The delay is nothing. The decision is everything.

难以言表，我甚至无法平静思考。延误其实无所谓。只要有指令指示能够回家就够了。

I must spend the first days at home. I must consider giving a party somewhere. Above all, I must be with you. I must warm you, surround you,love you, and be kind to you. I would prefer not to get married, but want you to agree on the point.

刚回去那几天我会先呆家里几天，打算会办个聚会。但我与你在一起的心仍无比坚定。我一定会哄你开心，与你如影随形，宠坏你。我个人是无所谓结婚，但必须先恳请你的意见。

In battle, I was afraid for you, for my mother, for myself. Wait we must. My lover, my darling, let us meet, let us be, let us know, but do not let us now make any mistakes.

在战场上，我非常担心。担心你以及我母亲，当然也包括我自己。我们静候佳音，吾爱宝贝。我们一定会再见，互相了解，不再错过。

How good for us to see each other before I am completely bald. I've some fine little wisps of hair on the top of my head. It's not much good me trying to write about recent experiences now that I know I should be able to tell you everything myself within such a short time.

万幸，在我老去前还能再见到你。我头顶上还有几缕头发。也已没必要再分享最近的日常。因再过不久我便能亲自向你诉说。

What I have my eye on now is the first letter from you saying that you know I am alright, and the next saying you know I am coming to you.Plan a week somewhere, not Boscombe or Bournemouth, and think of being together. The glory of you.

眼下我手边放着你给我的第一封信，关于你已知我平安。及第二封回复你已得知我将归来。我们去那呆一周吧，只要别是Boscombe或Bournemouth即可。试想着，只有我们俩。如此美好如你。

I hoped that you will not start buying any clothes if you have any coupons left, because you think you must look nice for me. Just carry on as near as possible to normal. I shall tell my family I hope to spend a week away with you somewhere during my leave.

愿你别再添购新衣，即使你的折价券尚未使用完，你或许想着用最好的一面迎接我。但我只愿见到日常的你。我会通知家人归家期间我打算与你一起外出一周。

My counsel to you is to tell as few people as possible, to avoid preening yourself, and saying much. That is my advice, not anything but that. I hope you understand. I do not ever want it to be anything but our affair. Do not permit any intrusion.

我希望这件事越少人知道越好。既免去张扬的嫌疑，也免去闲话议论。只是我的希望，也没那么重要。你能理解最好不过。愿这是只属于我们俩的时光。不被打扰。

I don't know how long leave I shall get. I could get as little as 14 days, and I may get as much as a month. I'm wondering how I shall tell you I'm in England. Probably it's still quicker to send a telegram than a letter, and I hope to send you one announcing that I am on the same island. I will send another one. I'm actually soon to get on the London-bound train and you can ring Lee Green 0509 when you think I have arrived there.

不知我将有几日假期，或许仅14天，也或能一个月整。到达英国后我要如何通知你呢？或许电报比寄信快。希望一踏上英国土地我就能发电报告诉你。登上火车前往伦敦之前还会再给你发一封，你觉得快到了就打Lee Green 0905。

It's a strange thing, because I cannot seem to get going and write very freely. All I am thinking about is "I am going home! I am going to see her!" It's a fact, a real thing, an impending event like Shrove Tuesday, Christmas Day, or the Lord Mayor's Banquet.

真奇怪，因为想到要出发，我反而没办法好好写信了。我脑子里想的全是“我要回家了！我要见到她了！”这是事实，千真万确。像是忏悔节、圣诞节或者市长大人的宴会一样近在眼前。

You have to be abroad, you have to be hermetically sealed off from your intimates, from your home to realize what a gift this going home is.The few letters of yours that I had on me I burned, the day previous to our surrender, so no one but myself has read your words.

只有远在海外漂泊，彻底与亲朋挚友切断联系才懂得回家是怎样的幸福。我随身带着你的几封信，但在投降前一天我把它们都烧了。所以你的话语只有我读过。

It's a pity that the winter weather will not be kind to us out of doors, but it will be nice sitting next to you in the pictures, no matter what may be on the screen.

真遗憾，现在是寒冬，在屋外我们得忍受严寒。但只要想到是和你坐在一起，无论在哪都是幸福。

It will be grand to know we have each other's support and sympathy. Won't it be wonderful to be together,really together, in the flesh. Not just to know that a letter is all we can send.

我们彼此支持，相互理解真是三生有幸。能和你在一起是多么美妙，而不是互通书信，是真的和你在一起，肌肤相亲。

I love you,

我爱你。

Chris

克里斯