ELISA ENGLISH's Blog 英語園地

A hired-gun

I can’t remember the entire story and where I read it.  What I remember is the plot that the protagonist asked his best friend to write love letters to his girlfriend on his behalf.  His best friend was also in love with that girl.  The girl was deeply touched by the love, so boldly declared in the notes.  I always wonder why some people would ask others even strangers to write love letters or love notes to their love ones.  Wouldn’t that be cheating?  Is that true love?  How strong is their love?  Why couldn’t they express their love to the ones they love so dearly?

I am dumbfounded when a total stranger from the internet asked me to write love notes for her boyfriend.  I don’t know her, let alone her boyfriend.  I don’t know how deeply in love they are.  They are complete strangers to me.  How much love does she truly have for him to have to resort to a hired-gun?  What’s wrong with writing love notes in Chinese using her own words to her boyfriend?  She didn’t even try to come up with Chinese love notes to ask for my translation.  She simply asked me to write her boyfriend some love notes in English.  Am I now a hired-gun for writing love notes? 

What did I tell her?  My response to her was that if she wanted to express her love to him, the words needed to come from her and from her heart.  I don’t believe that her boyfriend would appreciate receiving love notes from a total stranger if they are truly in love. 

What’s wrong with expressing your true feeling in Chinese to your boyfriend who is a native speaker of Chinese?  English is neither his or your forte.  If you truly love him dearly, just tell him so.  I am not the one dating him. 

Written by Elisa English, 版權所有

On 10/29/10 in Minneapolis