Decoding Love Letter：
字裡行間娓娓細訴每一段扣人心弦的愛情，情書即是「我愛你」的代名詞。

帶領風雨飄搖的英國渡過第二次世界大戰、倫敦大轟炸等嚴峻時刻，邱吉爾（Winston Churchill）被冠上「戰爭終結者」的稱號。這位傑出演說家（儘管他的聲音語調不太動聽）、獲諾貝爾文學獎的作家，還有2002年榮登最偉大的英國人之首的英國首相，在愛情的世界裏，卻也不過是個浪漫深情的男人。

他的情書，洋溢著對夫人克萊門汀（Clementine Churchill）濃濃的愛意。

在電影《黑暗對峙》（Darkest Hour）中，正當邱吉爾面對三十萬英國遠征軍在鄧寇克面對納粹鐵蹄四面圍攻、英國人民憂心虛怯，內心掙扎不已、自我不斷懷疑之際，這樣的一幕讓筆者的印象極為深刻──克萊門汀向他說了這一席話：

你的強大是因為你的不完美；你的智慧來自你的懷疑。
（譯：You are strong because you are imperfect. You are wise because you have doubts.）

她的鼓勵或多或少讓邱吉爾振奮不已，勇敢戰勝自己的憂慮與絕望，讓一道曙光照進心坎，才有了之後振奮人心的誓言，才有了之後奇蹟般的「鄧寇克之戰」，「我們絕不投降」（We shall never surrender）一句彷佛在耳畔不斷迴響。

克萊門汀在電影中擔當著賢內助的角色──在邱吉爾迷惘時激勵他、在邱吉爾發怒暴躁時安撫他，還有在政治上給予建議和協助等。這麼一個無畏無懼、能幹得體的形象與歷史上的她十分貼近，幫助邱吉爾化解不少政治危機、陪伴身患躁鬱症的他渡過第二次世界大戰等艱鉅時刻──邱吉爾形容，她讓他的人生與工作從不可能變成可能（She had made my life & any work I have done possible）。

在政治上、興趣上都非常投契的二人事實上在認識不久後就馬上陷入熱戀，繼而携手步入禮堂。從邱吉爾寫給克萊門汀的書信裏，都可見他對她的愛是綿密恆久的。

Transcript:
[12 August 1908] Blenheim Palace
My dearest,

How are you? I send you my best love to salute you: & I am getting up at once in order if you like to walk to the rose garden after breakfast & pick a bunch before you start. You will have to leave here about 10:30 & I will come with you to Oxford.

Shall I not give you a letter for your Mother?

Always
W.

求婚後的早上，邱吉爾邀請他美麗的未婚妻在早餐後到玫瑰園散步，再稍吃點東西後一同回到牛津──克萊門汀居住的地方，還詢問是否該寫一封正式的求婚書信予克萊門汀的母親以示禮節。像一個剛表白成功的年輕伙子一樣，這封信洋溢著新婚的喜悅，那遮掩不住的愛意，還有細心呵護的浪漫舉動令人難以將在演講台上說話擲地有聲、信口開河的那個英氣勃勃的身影重疊起來。

Transcript:
15 September 1909 Kronprinz Hotel

Wurzburg

My darling, We have been out all day watching these great manoeuvres….

I have a very nice horse from the Emperor’s stable, & am able to ride about wherever I chose with a suitable retinue. As I am supposed to be an ‘Excellency’ I get a vy good place. Freddie on the other hand is ill-used. These people are so amazingly routinière that anything the least out of the ordinary – anything they have not considered officially & for months–upsets them dreadfully…I saw the Emperor today & had a few mintues’ talk with him. He is vy sallow–but otherwise looks quite well…….

We have had a banquet tonight at the Bavarian palace. A crowd of princes & princelets & the foreign officers of various countries. It began at 6 p.m. & was extremely dull…..

This army is a terrible engine. It marches sometimes 35 miles in a day. It is in number as the sands of the sea & with all the modern conveniences. There is a complete divorce between the two sides of German life-the Imperialists & Socialist. Nothing unites them. They are two different nations. With us there are so many shades. Here it is all black & white (the Prussian colours). I think another 50 years will see a wiser & gentler world. But we shall not be spectators of it. Only the P.K. will glitter in a happier scene. How easily men could make things much better than they are-if only all tried together! Much as was attracts me & fascinates my mind with its tremendous situation-I feel more deeply every year & can measure the feeling here in the midst of arms-what vile & wicked folly & barbarism it all is.

Sweet cat-I kiss your vision as it rises before my mind. Your dear heard throbs often in my own. God bless you darling keep you safe & sound.

Kiss the P.K. for me all over

With fondest love

W.

[drawing]

This is the galloping pug–for European travel.

婚後，在二人偶爾分開的日子裏，他也愛寫信給她，細說生活中的大小事。甜蜜的二人甚至彼此形容為對方的小寵物：邱吉爾是克萊門汀的「小狗」，而克萊門汀則是「小貓」。這樣如蜜糖罐般甜膩得讓人甚至有點吃不消，但戀人甚至夫婦之間恆久的相處之道，也許恰恰在於二人親暱膩人的小舉動之間滲透出對對方的用心與著緊，感情因而歷久彌新。

Transcript:

Do not grieve for me too much. I am a spirit confident of my rights. Death is only an incident & not the most important which happens to us in this state of being. On the whole, especially since I met you my darling I have been happy, & you have taught me how noble a woman’s heart can be. If there is anywhere else I shall be on the lookout for you. Meanwhile look forward, feel free, rejoice in life, cherish the children, guard my memory. God bless you.

Good bye.

W.

邱吉爾有過不少人生低潮，像第一次世界大戰中付出了沈重代價的達達尼爾海峽海軍計劃後，決策失敗後的他仕途失意，毅然辭去了公爵郡大臣一職，自願遠赴法國西部前線佛蘭德斯（Flanders）參與戰事。離開之前，他向克萊門汀寫了這麼一封訣別信，讓人悲慟不已。視死如歸般的他將所有身後財產囑咐給她，在信中他更用溫柔的文字安慰：「別為我的離去悲痛不已──死亡不過是我們現在身處這個時代裏一件偶然的事，並非最重要的事情。」（Do not grieve for me too much. I am a spirit confident of my rights. Death is only an incident & not the most important which happens to us in this state of being.），他形容，遇見克萊門汀後，他的世界像燃起了燈火般明亮起來。她讓他明白女性的心靈那樣高貴。

往往在最險峻危急的時候，所流露出的情感都是最真摯的。在動盪不安的時代裏，邱吉爾沒有自艾自憐，反而向夫人表達最深刻真實的愛意，也有條不紊地安頓好一切身後事，他們之間的愛情，能征服一切苦難。

儘管婚後多年，二人歷盡多少辛酸、危機與起伏，感情卻沒有因而丟淡淡忘。在這封書信裏，分隔二地的他們甜蜜不減，收起躁動怒氣的邱吉爾，向克萊門汀寫出如詩般動人心弦的情書：

「我無法形容這份喜悅，如果愛情如帳戶般可以量化，我總是陷入你的債務之中無法自拔。這些年來你的陪伴與愛無法用言語形容。」
（I cannot tell you what pleasure this gave me, because I always feel so overwhelmingly in your debt, if there can be accounts in love…What it has been to me to live all these years in your heart and companionship no phrases can convey.）

永垂不朽的愛情，任誰都渴望擁有。在愛情中，我們也希望對方能像邱吉爾與克萊門汀般歷久常新、甜蜜依舊。經營一段感情從來不易，克萊門汀放棄當政治家以成就邱吉爾的偉業，而邱吉爾也努力對抗躁鬱症與按捺脾氣去珍惜克萊門汀。在關鍵的時刻陪伴在對方身邊，不惜一切支持對方、或建議與幫忙，互相尊重和扶持。還有在平凡的日子裏不忘時常向對方表達愛意──不必是大灑金錢買來些飾品禮物──不過是一紙溢滿情意的文字，經已能讓對方感受到你對他的關懷。

也許愛情本該如此簡單，從邱吉爾身上，我們學會用文字大膽說出愛。

Reference：
First Lady: The Life and Wars of Clementine Churchill by Sonia Purnell
Winston and Clementine: The Personal Letters of the Churchills by Mary Soames
《告訴你一個邱吉爾的故事》王志豔
History.com

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