Dear Mary,
Please find enclosed my entire Noblet collection as a sign that I forgive you. When I received your book, the emotions inside my brain felt like they were in a trumble dryer, smashing into each other. The hurt felt like when I accidentally stapled my lips together, the reason I forgive you is because you are not perfect. You are imperfect, and so am I. All humans are imperfect, even the man outside my apartment who litters.
When I was young, I wanted to be anybody but myself. Dr Bernard Hazelhof said I was on a desert island then I would have to get used to my own company, just me and the coconuts. He said I would have to accept myself, my warts and all, and that we don’t get to choose our warts. They are a part of us and we have to live with them.
We can, however, choose our friends and I am glad I have chosen you. Dr Bernard also said, that everyone’s lives are like a very long sidewalk. Some are well paved, others, like mine, have cracks, banana skins and cigarette butts. Your sidewalk is like mine but probably not as many cracks. Hopefully, one day our sidewalks will meet and we can share a can of condensed milk.
You are my best friend. You are my only friend.
Your American penpal, Max Jerry Horowitz.
P.S. I have recently found the perfect job with a survey company. All I have to do is eat things and tick boxes.
——《Mary and Max》
译
亲爱的玛丽，请接受我搜集的全部诺布莱作为我原谅你的信号。当我收到你的书时，我内心的感情就像在甩干桶里一样都被打碎了。痛苦得如同我的嘴被订书器突然订上了。我原谅你是因为你并不完美，你并非完美无瑕，我也一样，人类都是不完美的，那些在我门外乱扔杂物的人也一样。
当我年轻的时候，我想成为任何人，除了我自己。伯纳德医生说如果我在一个孤岛上，那么我就要适应一个人生活，只有我和椰子。他说我必须要接受我自己，我的缺点和全部。我们无法选择我们的缺点，它们也是我们的一部分，然而我们必须适应它们。
然而，我们能选择我们的朋友。我很高兴选择了你。伯纳德医生还说，每个人的生命就像很长的路，有些很整洁，还有的像我一样，有裂缝、香蕉皮和烟头。你的路像我一样，但是大概没有我这么多的裂缝。令人欣慰的是有朝一日我们的路会相交，我们可以分享同一罐炼乳。
你是我最好的朋友，也是我唯一的朋友。
你的美国朋友，马克思·杰瑞·霍洛沃兹
附注：最近我在一家调研公司找到了一份完美的工作，我只要吃吃东西，再填填表格就可以了。
——《玛丽和马克思》