NATASHA: I need to tell you. He proposed to me.
ERIC: You're kidding. Really? What are you going to do?
NATASHA: I don't know. I'm going crazy. It's really too fast.I told him I couldn't decide yet.
ERIC: Well, what do you think?
NATASHA: I know it would make my life easier here.But I would never marry someone just to get lower tuition or a green card.
ERIC: I know. You are not that kind of person.
NATASHA: But we are really good together.And I know he really loves me. And I love him too.Still... I just don't know. What is it like being married?
ERIC: I think it is different for every couple.When you think about marrying him, you have to ask yourself a few questions.
NATASHA: Like what?
ERIC: Well, first you have to be confident you and he can be friends. That's important.Now you are boyfriend and girlfriend. But can you be best friends too?Can you be together every day and really feel like comrades?
NATASHA: I don't know. We don't live together now.
ERIC: It's an important question.Because after you're married awhile, your relationship will change.You and he need to be able to get along in a lot of different ways.
NATASHA: We have a lot in common, he and I. So maybe we can.
ERIC: And another thing too. You both should have similar ideas about life.About the future, I mean. Do you both want to live in New York?
NATASHA: Well, maybe not New York. But we want to stay in the States.
ERIC: And what about kids and careers?Does he want you to have babies right away?
NATASHA: Oh, no. I would never want that.He's not looking for a housewife.He wants us both to study, and then find jobs together.
ERIC: I don't know what to tell you, Natasha. It's up to you, of course.You're a strong woman, and I think you know how to decide things. Probably...
NATASHA: What?
ERIC: Probably you made the right decision not to answer yet.Getting married is a serious thing. I have a lot of friends who are divorced now.And it's because they didn't take marriage seriously.So you need to be sure. And him too. He should be sure in his mind.Before you say yes, make sure he really understands what he wants.
NATASHA: That's a good idea. I shouldn't think only about me.I should try to think about why he really wants to get married.
ERIC: That's right. That's an important question.Because a lot of times people have expectations that aren't realistic.
娜坦莎:我要跟你說,他向我求婚了。
艾瑞克:開玩笑,真的啊?你會怎么做呢?
娜坦莎:我不知道。我快瘋了,他真的太快了。我跟他說還無法決定。
艾瑞克:那你怎么想?
娜坦莎:我知道那會讓我在這兒的生活容易些。但是我絕不會為了學(xué)費較低或綠卡而嫁人的。
艾瑞克:我了解,你不是那種人。
娜坦莎:但是我們真的很要好。他真的愛我,而我也愛他。我只是不知道結(jié)了婚會如何。
艾瑞克:對每對夫婦來說都很不一樣。當(dāng)你考慮要嫁給他時,你必須問自己一些問題。
娜坦莎:比如什么?
艾瑞克:首先你必須有信心你們可以成為朋友,那很重要的?,F(xiàn)在你們是男女朋友,但是也能成為最好的朋友嗎?你們能每天在一起并且覺得是好伙伴嗎?
娜坦莎:我不知道。我們現(xiàn)在沒住在一起。
艾瑞克:這是很重要的問題。因為當(dāng)你結(jié)婚一段時間后,關(guān)系會改變。你和他在很多不同方面要能夠相處。
娜坦莎:他和我有很多共同點,也許我們可以。
艾瑞克:還有一點,你們兩個要有相似的生活理念。我是指關(guān)于未來,你們兩個都想住在紐約嗎?
娜坦莎:也許不會在紐約,不過我們想待在美國。
艾瑞克:那么孩子和工作呢?他想要你馬上生孩子嗎?
娜坦莎:不會,我絕對不想。他不是在找家庭主婦,他要我們一起念書,然后一起找工作。
艾瑞克:我不知道該說什么,娜坦莎。這當(dāng)然要看你自己。你是個堅強的女性,知道該如何決定。也許……
娜坦莎:怎么樣?
艾瑞克:也許你還沒答復(fù)是對的。結(jié)婚是件嚴(yán)肅的事,我很多朋友現(xiàn)在都離婚了。因為他們沒有嚴(yán)肅地看待婚姻。所以你要很確定,他也是,他應(yīng)該確定自己的心意。在你同意之前,最好確定他是否知道自己要的是什么。
娜坦莎:好主意。我不應(yīng)該只考慮到自己。我應(yīng)該試著想想為何他真的想結(jié)婚。
艾瑞克:沒錯,那是很重要的問題。因為人們所預(yù)期的通常并不實際。