最亲爱的：

    我怀着沉重的心情写这封信，但我心里明白，我非写不可。过去几个月，事情变得越来越明显：你们需要我远胜于我需要你们。在我们其中之一或者双方都受到伤害之前，事情必须做个了断。不，千万别哭！这样对我们都有利。我得说实话，一旦摆脱了对我的这种迷恋，你尽管肯定会满腹委屈，但你会重获自由，去爱其他人。

    我理解你的感受。3月份，我买了部新的RAV4，那一刻，我们双方都狂喜不已，那份感受我会铭记终生。我还清楚地记得，我走进展厅看到这辆车，一眼便认出它正是我需要的。它是那么的光芒四射！而且，其可选配件也堪称无与伦比。我也记得，她的玻璃天窗轻柔地滑动时那可爱的模样，让我得以从车内一瞥早春那澄澈如洗的碧空。我更记得，借助她的六汽缸，刚一启动，转瞬间，速度就飙到了60迈。那次试车会永远铭刻在我心里。

    而且，千万别以为我会忘记，你们如何轻易地就让我签了购买合同，并迅速地“将我扫地出门”。买辆车可是件大事。但跟你们打交道，这件事却变得如此易如反掌：你们向我演示了需要了解的每个细节，并且详细地制定了保养日程表，你们让我觉得自己像个国王，亲爱的！与你们相比，我之前看过的其他所有车都显得如此廉价、俗气、轻薄。非常感谢！我发自内心的这么想！

    但是，自此以后，事情就开始变得不对劲儿了。也许，我们双方对于彼此之间的关系有着截然不同的理解，仅此而已。于我而言，我们的交易漂亮且热烈，双方互惠互利。很显然，对你们来说，我们的交易只是个开端，接下来应该发展出一段深入且深远的关系，而且这段关系需要不断更新。我有自己的生活，亲爱的。我经常出差。我根本没时间对你所希望的那类紧密联系做出反应。

    现在，当我写这封信时，我的案头上码着一摞打印出来的电子邮件，足足有半英寸高。那是在不到6周的时间里，你们写给我的！太多了！我的收件箱都被你们的迫切请求、产品和服务介绍以及确认请求给阻塞了。罢手吧！求求你们了！

    起初，一切看起来顺理成章。贵公司的总经理祝贺我购买了丰田汽车。我很高兴收到她的来信，尽管她的腔调让人有点不祥的预感。“我们非常关心你是否满意，这不过刚刚开始。”她写道：“我们期望，双方的合作关系能够持续下去，我们诚挚地希望，自始至终你对我们的服务感到百分百的满意。”这句话让我有一丁点儿不舒服。生活中，有谁能让另一个人百分之百的满意？

    接下来，我又收到了卖车给我的销售代表内德的私人邮件。“由于你的信任，”他写道：“丰田的每名员工都认识到，你的满意度对我们的未来至关重要。”真的吗？我可不想承担这么重大的责任！

    再接下来，我还收到了你们提出寄送各类小装饰品、纪念品以及其他激励性物品的信件，需要我回复，与你们会晤，按以前的速度和热情维持我们之间的关系。我被告知，我已经注册，可以使用你们提供的在线服务调度解决方案。你们甚至给我指定了用户名和密码，密码保密性真高，我还得将之藏在“安全的地方”，以防他人窃取。再下一步你们又会干些什么？有个针对少年及其父母的安全驾驶计划。不胜感谢！接着，要求我提供反馈意见的邮件，如涓涓细流源源不断地涌入。头一回接到你们的请求时，我确实回复了。然后收到了越来越多的请求。我没能回复第二封邮件请求，然后第三封和第四封请求邮件就接踵而至，你们就不理解沉默的含意吗？增加你们的安全感可不是我的份内之事，我亲爱的。我深知，2010年你们举步维艰。但靠我个人的微薄力量，也无能为力呀。所以，对于购买零配件给予15%折扣的好意，我心领了。谢谢！但是，这一切必须到此为止，马上结束。

    结束了。也许我们会在路上相遇，我的车还能跑近6万英里。如果你们愿意，需要时我会去找你们的，我亲爱的。到那时再见吧！

    译者：大海

    Dearest,

    I write this with a heavy heart, but in the knowledge that it must be done. It's become clear over the last months that I am simply more important to you than you are to me. This must end before one or both of us gets hurt. No, don't cry! It's for the best. Once free of this -- I must call it what it is! -- this obsession you have with me, you will grieve, to be sure, but then you will be free to love others.

    I understand the way you feel. The intense moments of pleasure that we both experienced when I purchased my new RAV4 in March were feelings that I will remember for the rest of my life. I remember walking into that showroom and seeing the vehicle that was the object of my quest. So shiny! And the options -- incomparable. I recall the lovely smooth glide of her moon roof as it slid back to reveal the crisp sky of early spring, and the way her six cylinders moved me from 0 to 60 in just a hair over six seconds. Nothing can take that first test drive away from us.

    And don't think I will ever forget the ease with which you got my paperwork finished and whisked me out the door. Buying a car is a pretty big deal. You made it look easy. Showed me everything I needed to know. Set up my schedule of maintenance visits. You made me feel like a king, dear. You made all others who came before seem cheap, tawdry, and shallow. So thanks. I mean that from the bottom of my crankshaft.

    But after that things started to go wrong. Maybe we just have a different idea of what a relationship like ours should be. To me, the two of us had a beautiful, intense transaction that was good for us both. For you, it's obvious, what we did together was meant to be the beginning of something deep and profound that had to be renewed again and again. I have a life, dear. I travel a lot. I just don't have time for the kind of intense connection that it's clear you have in mind.

    I have on my desk as I write this a stack of e-mail printouts half an inch high, and that's from less than six weeks! It's too much! My in-box is clogged with your importunings, offerings, and requests for validation. Stop! I beg you!

    They began reasonably enough. Your General Manager congratulated me on my purchase. I was happy to hear from her, though her tone was a little ominous. "Our interest in your satisfaction is just the beginning," she wrote. "We look forward to a continuing relationship, and it is our sincere desire that you remain completely satisfied." This made me a tiny bit uneasy. Who can offer complete satisfaction to another in this life?

    Next came the personal e-mail from Ned, my sales-person. "Since you've placed your confidence with us," he wrote, "everyone here at Toyota realizes that your satisfaction is the key to our future." Really? I don't want that kind of responsibility!

    Then came the offers of toys, keepsakes, and inducements for me to return, to see you, to keep up the pace and tenor of our former association. I was informed that I had been registered to use your online service scheduling solution. You even issued me a user name and a password so secret it had to be hidden in a "safe place" lest someone purloin it. What was next? There was a safe-driving program for teens and parents. Several more notes of thanks. And then began the steady drip, drip, drip of requests for feedback on my experience with you. I did the first you asked for. Then there were more. When I failed to answer the second, then the third and fourth such request, couldn't you take a hint? It's not my role in life to deal with your insecurities, my love. I know you had a bad 2010. I can't solve that single-handedly. So thanks for the offer of 15% off on parts and accessories. But let it end, here and now.

    It's over. Perhaps we'll see each other down the road, in about 60,000 miles. I'll be there if you will, my love. Until then, sayonara!