Céline: Before we go anywhere, I have to ask you...

 

Jesse: Sure. What?

 

Céline: Did you show up in Vienna that December?

 

Jesse: Did you?

 

Céline: No, I couldn't. But did you? I need to know. It's important to me.

 

Jesse: Why, if you didn't?

 

Céline: Well, did you?

 

Jesse: No.

 

Céline: Thank God you didn't.

 

Jesse: Oh, my God.

 

Céline: Thank God you didn't.

 

Jesse: Thank God I didn't and you didn't. If one of us had showed up alone...that would have sucked.

 

Céline: I was so concerned. I felt horrible about not being there, but I couldn't. My grandma died...and she was buried that day, December 6th.

 

Jesse: The one in Budapest?

 

Céline: Yes. You remember that?

 

Jesse: I remember everything.

 

Céline: Of course, it was in your book. But anyway, I was about to fly to Vienna, you know...and we heard the news about her, and of course I had to go to the funeral.

 

Jesse: Yeah, I'm sorry to hear that.

 

Céline: I know. But you weren't there anyway. Wait. Why weren't you there? I would have been there if I could have. I made plans...You better have a good reason. What? Oh, no. No, you were there, weren't you? Oh, no, that's terrible! I'm laughing, but I don't mean it. Did you hate me? You must've hated me. Have you been hating me all this time?

 

Jesse: No.

 

Céline: Yes, you have.

 

Jesse: No.

 

Céline: But you can't hate me now, right? I mean, my grandma...

 

Jesse: I don't hate you. It's no big deal. I flew all the way over there, you blew the thing off. My life's been a big nosedive since, but it's not a problem. No, I'm kidding.

 

Céline: Don't say that. I can't believe it. You must have been so angry with me. I'm so sorry. I wanted to be there, more than anything in the world. Honestly, I swear... You can't be angry, my grandmother...

 

Jesse: I know. I honestly thought that something like that might have happened. I was definitely¹ bummed², but...Mostly I was mad we hadn't exchanged any phone numbers or any information.

 

Céline: That was so stupid. No way to get in touch.

 

Jesse: Nothing to go on.

 

Céline: I didn't know your last name.

 

Jesse: Remember, we were both afraid if we started writing and calling...that it would slowly fade out.

 

Céline: It definitely wasn't a slow fade.

 

Jesse: No, it sure wasn't.

 

Céline: We wanted to pick up where we left off.

 

Jesse: Which would have been fine if it had worked. Oh, well.

 

Céline: So...How long were you in Vienna, then?

 

Jesse: Just a couple days.

 

Céline: Did you meet another girl?

 

Jesse: Yeah, her name was Gretchen and she was amazing.

 

Céline:: You did?

 

Jesse: The book's really a composite³ of the two of you.

 

Céline: Really? Oh no.

 

Jesse: No, I'm kidding. You wouldn't believe...I even went back to the train station. I put up signs of my number in the hotel in case you'd been delayed. I was a total dork.

 

Céline: Let's go this way. Did you get any calls?

 

Jesse: Just a couple hookers looking for a gig. No, it was awful, I mean, what do you want me to say?

 

Céline: It's so sad. I'm so sorry.

 

Jesse: I walked around for a couple days. Eventually, I flew home. I owed my dad 2000 bucks⁴...who had warned me about French chicks.

 

Céline: What did he tell you about French women?

 

Jesse: Nothing. He's never met any French women. He's never been east of the Mississippi.

 

Céline: Why didn't you put, "Six months later, the French bitch didn't show up"?

 

Jesse: No, but I did, I did.

 

Céline: You did?

 

Jesse: Yeah. No. I made it more hopeful. I wrote this fictional⁵ version⁶ where you do show up.

 

Céline: Oh, what happens?

 

Jesse: Well...

 

Céline: What?

 

Jesse: We make love for about 10 days straight, that's one part of it.

 

Céline: Interesting. So the French slut, right?

 

Jesse: Yeah, exactly. It's just then they get to know each other better...and realize they don't get along at all.

 

Céline: I like that. It's more real.

 

Jesse: My editor didn't think that way.

 

Céline: Everyone wants to believe in love. It sells.

 

Jesse: Yeah, exactly, so...

 

Céline: So things are going well for you, right? I mean...

 

 

1. show up: 露面，出现

 

2. no big deal: 没什么大不了

 

3. blow the thing off: 这里是说塞琳娜爽约没去，放了他的鸽子。

 

4. nosedive: 暴跌，跌落，突然变坏。杰西在这里的意思是：于是我的人生自此一蹶不振。

 

It is said by the specialists that the Japanese yen⁷ would nosedive further.（据专家分析说，今后日元还将持续暴跌。）

 

5. fade out: 淡出，渐弱

 

6. dork: <俚语>，呆子，笨蛋

 

7. hooker: 妓女

 

He was surprised to see hookers move into the next apartment.（他看到妓女搬入隔壁公寓时，吓了一跳。）

 

8. It sells: 畅销

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