He met her at a party. She was outstanding and there were many guys chasing after her, while he was average-looking, shy and awkward.
他在一个派对上遇见了她。她很出色，身边不乏追求者，而他外表普通、性格腼腆、还有些笨手笨脚。
At the end of the party, he finally summoned all his courage and invited the girl to have coffee with him. She was surprised, but out of politeness, she accepted his invitation to go on a date.
派对结束的时候，他终于鼓足勇气，邀请女孩和他一起喝杯咖啡。这让她很惊讶，但出于礼貌，还是接受了他的邀请。
They both sat in a nice coffee shop. He was too nervous to say anything, and she felt uncomfortable, waiting for coffee. With him being so shy and awkward around her, it seemed like the conversation between them would never start.
他们坐在一家优雅的咖啡厅里。他紧张得说不出话来，她也感到有些拘谨，他们就这样等待着服务员上咖啡。他在她身边如此害羞和尴尬，似乎他们之间的交谈永远不会开始。
The coffee was brought and suddenly, he asked the waiter: "Could you please get me some salt? I'd like to put it in my coffee!" Everyone at the cafe stared at him with a strange look! His face turned red, but still he put the salt in his coffee and drank it.
咖啡端了上来，他突然问服务员：“能给我点盐吗？我要在咖啡里加点盐！”咖啡厅里的每个人都用奇怪的眼神盯着他。他的脸变得通红，但还是把盐放在自己的咖啡里喝了。

She asked him curiously, "Why this unusual habit?" He took a couple of sips and replied, "When I was a little boy, I lived near the sea. I liked playing in the sea, I could feel the taste of the sea, just like the taste of salty coffee. Now every time I drink salty coffee, I think of my childhood, I think of my hometown. I miss my hometown so much; I miss my parents who are still living there." While saying that, tears filled his eyes.
她好奇地问他：“为什么会有这个不寻常的习惯？”他抿了几口咖啡，回答说：“我小时候住在海边。那时候，我喜欢在海水里玩耍。玩耍时，我可以感受到大海的味道，就像加盐咖啡的味道一样。现在，每次喝到加盐的咖啡，都会使我想起我的童年，想起我的故乡。我非常想念我的故乡，想念我仍然住在那里的父母。”说着说着，泪水充满了他的双眼。
She was deeply touched. This was his true feeling, from the bottom of his heart. She figured that a man who talks this openly about his homesickness, must be a man who loves his home, cares about his home and has realized his responsibilities towards his family... So she also started talking about her childhood, her faraway hometown, and her family.
她被深深地感动了。这是他内心深处的真实感受。她认为一个能够在公开场合谈论自己思乡之情的男人，必定是一个爱家、顾家的人，并意识到他是一个有家庭责任感的人……于是，她也开始谈起自己的童年、遥远的故乡和家人。
It was a really nice talk, and also a beautiful beginning of their love story. They continued to date. She found out that actually, he was a man who met all her demands; he had tolerance, was kind-hearted, warm, careful. He was such a good man and had it not been for the salt in the coffee, she would never really have known him!
他们聊得非常愉快，他们的爱情故事也就此拉开了美丽的帷幕。此后，他们经常约会。她发现他实际上满足了她对另一半的所有要求；他宽容、善良、热情、细心。他是一个好男人，要不是那杯加盐的咖啡，她可能就错过了他！
The rest of the story was just like any other beautiful love story: they finally got married, and they lived a very happy married life. And sure! every time she made coffee for him, she put some salt in the coffee, just the way he liked it! After 40 years of marital bliss, he died after a short illness.
此后的故事情节就像所有其他美丽的爱情故事一样：他们最后结了婚，过着非常幸福的婚姻生活。当然！每次她为他煮咖啡时，都会在咖啡里放一些盐，就像他喜欢的那样！经历了40年幸福美满的婚姻生活后，他得了一场病，不久便离开了人世。
One day, she found a letter he had left for her which said:
一天，她发现了他留给她的一封信，信的内容是这样的：
"My dearest, please forgive me, forgive my whole life's lie. This is the only lie I ever told you, it's about the salty coffee. Remember the first time we dated? I was so nervous at that time that actually, I wanted some sugar, but I said salt. It was hard for me to change what I said so I just went ahead. I never thought that could be the start of our communication!
“我最亲爱的，请原谅我，有一个谎言我对你隐瞒了一生。这是我对你说过的唯一谎言，就是关于加盐咖啡的。还记得我们第一次约会吗？那时候我非常紧张，实际上我想要一些糖，但我说成了盐。再改过来很难，我只好将错就错了。我没想到这会是我们交往的开始！
I tried to tell you the truth many times in my life, but I was too afraid to do that, as I have promised not to lie to you about anything...Now I'm dying, so I tell you the truth. I don't like salty coffee, what a strange bad taste...But I have had the salty coffee for my whole life!
许多次，我都想把实情告诉你，但我又害怕你会生气，因为我保证过不对你说谎……现在，我时日不多了，所以我决定告诉你真相。我不喜欢喝加盐咖啡，那味道太奇怪、太难喝了......但是我一生都在喝加盐咖啡！
Since I know you, I never feel sorry for anything I do for you. Having you with me is the biggest happiness of my entire life. If I can live for the second time, I still want to know you and have you with me for my whole life, even though I have to drink salty coffee again.
认识你以来，我从来没有因为自己为你做过的任何事情感到过遗憾。和你在一起是我一生最大的幸福。如果我可以再活一次的话，我还想与你相识并与你共伴一生，即使我还得再喝一辈子加盐咖啡，我也心甘情愿。
Please forgive me, darling...for lying to you first in that coffee shop and then not telling you the truth every time you made coffee for me! I am not lying now when I say that I wouldn't want to have that coffee any other way!—I am still madly in love with you"
请原谅我，亲爱的......我不应该在那家咖啡厅对你说谎，也不应该在你每次为我煮咖啡时不告诉你真相！不过，这次我没有在说谎，我现在只喜欢喝加盐的咖啡！——我仍然疯狂地爱着你！”
Tears fell down her cheeks as she finished reading the letter.
读完这封信，她的泪水从脸颊上掉了下来。
If anybody asked her: "How did that salted coffee taste?" "It's sweet." She always replied.
当有人问她：“加盐咖啡味道如何？”“很甜”她总是这样回答。