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1、【MeiWei81-优质实用版文档】WhereasYouWereanInsensitiveFool.Thesimpletruthisthatifyouwanttobeheardbyyourhusband,youmustspeakalanguageheunderstands.如果你想你丈夫听你的,你就必须说他能听懂的语言,这是一个简单的事实。AneGample:Afriendofmineismarriedtoawealthymoneywaster(spendthrift)whousedtodrivelikeamaniac(madman)tailgating,speeding,weavingbet
2、weenlanes.MyfriendrepeatedlyeGpressedherfearabouthisdangeroushabitsbuthedidntmodifyhisbehavior;moneywasthelanguagehespoke.Shegavehimonefinalwarning:slowdownorelse.Hedidnt,sowithoutanyfanfare,shewithdrew$40,000fromtheirbankaccountsandboughtherselfaluGuryconvertible.Ihearhesaprettysafedrivernow.举个例子:我
3、的一个朋友,她的丈夫很有钱,爱挥霍,开起车子来像个疯子:追逼前车、超速、随意变道。我的朋友不止一次对她丈夫表示这种危险的驾车习惯让人害怕,但他不曾有任何改变;钱是他能听懂的语言。我朋友给了最后通牒:开慢点,否则他当然没有听进去,于是我朋友从他们的银行账户里取了40000美元给自己买了辆豪华敞篷跑车,当然这样做并不是为了炫耀。我听说她丈夫现在开车非常小心。Myhusbandisalawyer,sonaturallythelanguagehebestunderstandsisthatofthelegalprofession.Formorethantwodecadeswehaveenjoyedape
4、acefulrelationshipoflove,respectanddecency.我的丈夫是一名律师,自然法律行业的语言是他最能理解的。在过去的20多年里我们一直互敬互爱,相处融洽。UntilsiGweeksago,thatis,whenIstumbledoffacurbonthefirstdayofalong-awaitedvacationabroad,breakingmyfootandthusendingthetripbeforeitreallybegan.Thatswhenmymild-mannered,gentlehusband,withwhomIveraisedtwochildr
5、en,themanItrulyloveandrelyon,becamesomeoneIdidntknow:resentful,insensitive,uncaring.Andhishideousbehaviorlastedlongbeyondtheaccidentanditsimmediateaftermath;indeed,itcontinueduntilIfiguredouthowtogethisattention.6周前,在我们期待已久的境外游的第一天,我被台阶绊倒,摔下来伤了脚,因此不得不结束还未真正开始的假期。就是那时,那个温和的、绅士的、与我共同抚育了两个孩子的丈夫,我真心爱着和依
6、赖的爱人变得陌生起来:愤怒、麻木、没有同情心。他糟糕的表现一直持续着,直到我想出法子引起他的注意。Neithermysilentseethingnormyopenangerwouldreachhim.SoI,LisaK.Friedman,beingofsoundmindandbrokenfoot,turnedtothelanguagehespoke:Iservedhimwithamockcomplaint,claimingBreachofContract(ourmarriagecontract).Idrafteditmyself,usingallthestandardconventions,a
7、sIhavewatchedhimdomanytimes.ThenIhiredalegalcouriertodeliverittomyhusbandsoffice,identifyhimandconcludewiththestandardassertion:“Youhavebeenserved.”不管我生闷气还是大发雷霆都不能触动他。我LisaKFriedman,虽然摔坏了脚,但是脑子还是好使的,所以我用他的语言跟他沟通:我自己起草了一份模拟诉状,声称他违反合约。然后我雇人将诉状递到了我丈夫的办公室。Whathesawwhenheopenedtheenvelopewentsomethinglik
8、ethis:当他打开信封时,他看到的内容如下:Complaint诉状COMESNOW,Plaintiff,LisaK.Friedman,andforhercomplaintagainsttheDefendant,herhusband,statesasfollows:原告:LisaKFriedman。起诉被告即原告丈夫。陈述如下:TheParties当事人1.ThePlaintiffisahousewifewhoseprincipalroleincludesgeneralhouseholdmaintenance,foodservice,transportationandmanagementoft
9、hedomicilesharedbythem,theirtwochildrenandonedog.原告系一名家庭主妇,其主要指责包括:负责一家人的生活,准备一日三餐,接送小孩,打扫一家四口和一条狗居住的家。2.Herhusband,theDefendant,isanattorneyinWashington,D.C.JurisdictionandVenue被告,其夫系一名华盛顿特区的律师。3.TheCircuitCourtforMontgomeryCounty,Md.,handlesmajorcriminalandcivilcasesincludingmaritalbreachofcontrac
10、tcomplaintsfiledbyanyandalloutragedwiveswho,aftersufferingvacation-endinginjuries,arecruellyblamedandmistreatedbytheirhusbands.BackgroundFacts4.OnJune29,1986,LisaK.Friedman,heretoforeknownas“thePlaintiff”andherhusbandsignedaContractofMarriage(the“Contract”).5.TheContractcontemplated,amongmanyclauses
11、,thatthepartieswill“loveandcomfort,insicknessandinhealth”foranestimatedlengthoftimedescribedintheContractas“aslongastheybothshalllive.”CountOneBreachofContract6.TheDefendantbreachedtheContractbyfailingandrefusingtoofferaidandcomforttothePlaintiffaftershestumbledoffacurbinfrontofthehotelwherethecoupl
12、eintendedtoenjoyaromanticandrestfulthreenightsbeforebeginningtheirhighlyanticipated,hugelyeGpensiveandmeticulouslyplannedarchaeologicalhikingtourofremotehistoricalsitesinIsraelandJordan.Thefallfracturedthefifthmetatarsalboneofherrightfoot.ItisnotrelevanttothecomplaintthatneitherthePlaintiffnortheDef
13、endantimmediatelyknewthatthefootwasbroken,despitethePlaintiffsreportthatshehearda“snappingsound”whenshestumbledandfell.TheDefendantdismissedthisevidenceofabrokenbone,contending,ridiculously,thatitmusthavebeenthestraponhersandalsnapping.ThePlaintiffdidnotfeelthebonesnapbecauseshewasconsumedatthetimeb
14、yawhitelightofpain,sointensethatitblottedoutallotherphysicalsensation.Therefore,theydidnotfindoutthefootwasbrokenuntildayslater,whentheywerebackintheUnitedStates,becausenomedicalcarewassoughtforthePlaintiffinIsraeleventhoughtheneGtmorningherfootwassoswollenshecouldhardlydistinguishhertoes,andtheenti
15、retyofherfootresembledaneGoticpurplevegetableorgourd.7.TheDefendantbreachedtheContractbybehavinginanastyanddemeaningwaytowardthePlaintiffintheimmediateaftermathoftheaccident,includingbutnotlimitedtotersecomments,ridicule,eyerollingandignoringoftheinjuredPlaintiff.Heseemed,atonepoint,tobe“almosthavin
16、gastroke”(thePlaintiffscharacterization)ashecontemplatedthemyriaddisappointmentsassociatedwiththeuntimelydemiseoftheirdreamvacation.AndeventhoughtheDefendantseemedtosensethathisbehaviortowardthePlaintiffwastrulyawfulandunforgivable,hesimplycouldntcontrolitduetothemountingdispleasureandinconveniencecausedbyheruntimelystumble.ThisinconvenienceincludedbutwasnotlimitedtotheDefendantsresentment-filledtwo-hoursearchforcrut