它是一次单身巡游但它又不是单身巡游：

It was a singles cruise but it wasn’t a singles cruise:

每一个参加者都装作了无牵挂但其实

each participant simulated detachment but none

没有一个人真正单身。有一些，比如最近丧偶的，

was actually single. Some, like the recently widowed,

还跟鬼魂形影相随。另外一些则在法律上

were attached to ghosts. Others were legally attached

和一个他们曾经爱过但已经不爱的牵连在一起。

to a living person they once but no longer loved.

数目惊人的成员深爱着他们的伴侣

A surprising number loved their partners profoundly

但却恐惧说出他们的伴侣属于

while fearing said partners inhabited the category

那个不再爱他们的人类集合。还有那些

of those who loved them no longer. These participants,

或者已经发现，或者还未发现他们的恐惧的参与者，

whose fears may or may not have been founded,

只是出于自我保护的目的说他们“单身”。

attempted to self-protect by labeling themselves single.

很快有一种模式出现：那些害怕被抛弃的人

Soon a pattern emerged: those who feared abandonment

在他们的“地球轨道”上放满“卫星”，

developed around them a planetary-like orbit

那些“卫星”是新的潜在伴侣但这些潜在伴侣

of potential new partners to whom they could not attach

不可能真的被他们牵挂，因为他们其实还有别的牵挂。

because they were already attached. Such orbits lasted,

这些“卫星”有时会持续运转好几年。“卫星”们会去求助自助团体

sometimes, for years. The orbiters went to self-help groups

或者分析师或者给专栏作家写信。因为他们

and/or analysts and/or wrote letters to advice columnists.

无法对自己的单恋对象了无牵挂，于是

Because they could not detach from their objects of unrequited

他们成为未来的单身巡游的主要客户群，单方面支撑着

affection, they became the predominant clientele for future

单身巡游生意的运转。

singles cruises, unilaterally sustaining the singles cruise business.

Kathryn Maris