《爱在午夜降临前》：不浪漫的爱情真谛.

　　《爱在午夜降临前》是一部精彩绝伦的影片，而这么讲的理由却非一目了然。一如理查德·林克莱特的三部曲中的前两部——《爱在黎明破晓前》与《爱在日落黄昏时》，这其实只是一部关于夫妇间对白的电影。他们时常散步，有时驾车，有时栖坐。偶尔，他们也会目视影片背景地——欧洲某处如画的景点。下面我们看一下这部影片中的一些经典台词。

　　But mostly they talk.

　　但大多数情况下他们是在交谈。

　　And we listen.

　　而我们，则是听众。

　　How does that happen? Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy are both fine actors, but you’d be hard pressed to sit engrossed in a conversation between any actors that goes on for more than a couple of minutes. Usually. But not here.

　　这是怎样的情形?伊桑·霍克和朱丽·德尔皮都是演技出色的演员，但你还是要被迫坐下来，全神贯注地于这二人的对白，时间会超过几分钟。这是常有的事，但眼下不是。

　　Hawke and Delpy have written the last two films with Linklater (and mainstay Kim Krizan), and their investment in their characters is complete. That helps, of course. So does the unique chemistry between the actors. But that doesn’t fully explain why these movies are so watchable.

　　霍克和德尔皮与林克莱特(及主要编剧金·克里桑)一同谱写了上两部电影，而且他们对角色的投入相当彻底。当然，这对影片大有裨益。而演员之间的独特关系亦起到一定作用。但这不能完全解释为何这几部影片如此值得一看。

　　Not that it really matters. What does is how it all comes together so beautifully. And though everyone is older this time around, and the themes are darker, harder to enjoy, the conversation is just as engrossing2. So is the film.

　　不过这也无关紧要。关键是这一切是如何完美地契合到一起的。虽然到拍摄第三部时，剧组人马都年岁见长，而影片主题也更黯淡、更压抑，让人难享其中，但对白却一如既往地引人入胜，亦如影片本身。

　　Jesse (Hawke) and Celine (Delpy), having met on a train in Vienna in Bore Sunris and then finding each other in Paris nine years later in Bore Sunset, are now a couple, with twin daughters. Nine years later, they live in Paris, where Jesse continues to be a successful novelist and Celine a political activist.

　　我们的主角杰西(霍克饰)与塞利娜(德尔皮饰)在《爱在黎明破晓前》一片中维也纳的列车上邂逅，9年后又在《爱在日落黄昏时》中的巴黎找到彼此，而今，他们已结为连理，有一对双胞胎女儿。重逢后又过了9年。他们在巴黎安了家，杰西不断努力，最终成为一名成功的小说家，而塞利娜则成为一名政治活动家。

　　The film begins with the end of a summer long visit in Greece from Jesse’s son Hank (Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick). Hank has to return to Chicago, where he lives with his mother, Jesse’s ex-wife, who harbors a lingering3, powerful hate for Jesse and Celine. The distance and infrequent visits trouble Jesse, who sees his son’s childhood slipping away.

　　影片一开头，杰西的儿子汉克(谢默斯·戴维-菲茨帕特里克饰)结束了在希腊一夏天的旅游，要返回芝加哥——他和母亲，即杰斯的前妻住在那里。后者对杰西和塞利娜夫妇怀有挥之不去的强烈憎恶。这种疏离和少来往困扰着杰西，他眼见儿子的童年就这样流逝。