APhilosopher’sCourtship 　　ManyyearsagointhecityofHamburg,thesaintlyphilosopherMosesMendelssohnfellinlovewithacharmingwomannamedFruntje.Heapproachedherfather,Guggenheim,toinformhimofhisloveforher.Guggenheim,referringtoMendelssohn’shunchback,theresultofacurvatureofthespine,replied“Well,youarephilosopherandawiseman,soyouwillnottakeamiss.Thegirlsaidshebecamefrightenedwhenshesawyoubecauseofyourappearance.” 　　ThisdidnotsurpriseMendelssohn,andheimmediatelyaskedtospeakwithFruntje.Althoughsheavoidedlookingathimthroughouttheconversation,Mendelssohnwasabletoleadtheconversationtothesubjectthatwasonhismind.Timidly,Fruntjeaskedifhetoo,believedinmarriagesthatweremadeinheaven.Mendelssohnsaidthatyeshedid,andthenwentontorelateanunusualstory:“Asyouknow,theycalloutinHeavenatthebirthofaboy,‘Thisonewillgetthatgirlforawife.’WhenIwasborn,myfuturewifewasalsothusannounced,butitwasadded,‘Shewill,alas,haveaterriblebump.’Ishouted,‘Oh,Lord,agirlwhoishumpbackedwillveryeasilybecomebitterandhard.Agirlshouldbebeautiful.GoodLord,givethehumptome,andletherbehandsomeandwellformed!” 　　FruntjeimmediatelyacceptedhisproposalandsoonbecamethefaithfulanddevotedwifeofMendelssohn. 　　哲学家求婚 　　许多年以前,在汉堡,神学哲学家摩西.孟德尔松爱上了一个名叫弗伦姬的妩媚女子.他拜见了对方的父亲古根海姆,倾诉了对他女儿的爱意.古根海姆看着孟德尔松由脊椎弯曲造成的驼背,回答说：“呃,您是哲学家,聪明人,您不会误解.我的女孩说过,她看到您的外貌就害怕.” 　　孟德尔松对此并不惊讶.他马上提出要和弗伦姬谈谈.弗伦姬在交谈时目光始终没有落在孟德尔松身上,然而孟德尔松却把谈话引到了心里要说的话题.弗伦姬问他是否相信婚姻天缔,孟德尔松说他相信,接着又说了一个离奇的故事：“你知道,男孩出生时,天上会有人高声说,‘这个男孩要娶那个女孩为妻.’在我出生时,他们也这样宣布我的未婚妻,但是还加了一句,‘唉,她的背驼得厉害.’我叫了起来,‘啊,主呀,女孩驼背生活自然痛苦艰难.女孩可应当漂漂亮亮.善良的主呀,就让我驼背,让她美丽出众、身材匀称吧!” 　　弗伦姬立刻接受了求婚,不久就成了孟德尔松的忠实尽心的妻子.