第一次世界大战期间，回国度假的陆军中尉罗伊（罗伯特·泰勒）在滑铁卢桥上邂逅了舞蹈演员玛拉（费雯·丽），两人彼此倾心，爱情迅速升温。就在两人决定结婚之时，罗伊应招回营地，两人被迫分离。由于错过剧团演出，玛拉被开除，只能和好友相依为命。 
　　不久玛拉得知罗伊阵亡的消息，几欲崩溃，备受打击。失去爱情的玛拉感到一切都失去了意义，为了生存，她和好友不得不沦为妓女。然而命运弄人，就在此时玛拉竟然再次遇到了罗伊。虽然为罗伊的生还兴奋不已，玛拉却因自己的失身陷入痛苦之中。 
　　感到一切难以挽回的玛拉潸然离开，独自来到两人最初相遇的地点——滑铁卢桥上…

Myra: Hello.
Roy: Oh, hello. l'm delighted. I was afraid KittY had directed you to the wrong place.
Myra: Oh, no. but your note was read out before the whole crowd.
Roy: VVere you embarrassed ?
Myra: Yes, and so would you have been.
Roy: I dare say. l'm afraid I'Ve made it difficutt for you.
Myra: Well, you gave up the colonec, so f expect I made it difficuli for you too.
Roy: Yes, you did, but I have mY reward. It was wonderfut of you to have come. Shall we go in ?
Myra: Allright.
They go into the club, choose a table, then sit down.
Roy: How nice you look.
Myra: Thankyou.
Roy: What do dancers eat ?
Myra: Oh, dull things mostly. Nutritious yet not fattenrng.
Roy: Oh, no~ not tonight. ( To waiter) What coutd you sugges' that would be particutarfy rich and indigestible ?
Waiter: The crepes is very nice, sir.
Roy: And wine. It isn't against the rules for a dancer to drrnk a littlt light wine, is it ?
Myra: well, tonight...
Roy: Good, Number Forry please.
Waiter: Number Forty.
Roy: The ballet was beautiful.
Myra: Madame didn 't think so.
Roy: Well, experts never know, it takes outsiders to know, and I
weII you it was beautiful.
Myra: That certainly proves you 're an outsider.
Roy: Are you.gIad to see me again ?
Myra: Yes.
Roy: I sense a reservation.
Myra: well, I suppose there is one.
Roy: What ?Why ?
Myra: What's the good of it ?
Roy: You're a strange girl, aren't you ? What's the good of anything ? What's the good of living ?
Myra: That's a question, too.
Roy: Oh, now wait a minute nowl l'm not going to let you get away with that. The wonderfcjI thing about ti\ting is that this sort of thing can happen. In the shadow of a death raid, I can meet you and feel more intenseiy alive than walking around in peacetime and taking my fife for granted.
Myra: It 's a hjgh price to pay for it.
Roy: I don 't think so.
Myra: I do, Do people have to kill each other to give them a heightened sense of life ?
Roy: That's got nothing to do with people killing each other. Either you're excited about life or you're not. You know l've never been able to wait for the future. When I was very young, a child in fact, climbed to the top branch of a high tall, stood like a diver, and announced to my horrified governess, now t shall take a leap into the future, and jumped. I was in the hospital for two months.
Myra: You should Jet the future catch up with you more slowly.
Roy: Oh, no, no, never. Temperament. l can't help it. Look here, if we'd met in ordinary times in an ordinary way, we'd just about be telling each other what schools we went to. We ' re much further along, don't you think ?
Myra: Are we ?
Roy: You know we are. Now, l'm too excited to eat, tet's dance.
Myra: Allright.
They dance, looking into the eyes of each other. Minutes later,
they are back to their seats, Roy raises his cup.
Roy: Toyou.
Myra: Thankyou.
Roy: To us. I still don 't get it, not quite.
Myra: What?
Roy: Your face. lt's all youth, al[ beauty.
Myra: VVhat is it you still don 't get ?
Roy: You know when i left you this aft ernoon I couldn't remember what you tooked tike, not for the life of me. I thought, was she pretty ? Was she ugly ? What was she like, I couldn't remember. I simply had to get to that theater tonight to see what you looked like。
Myra: And do you think you 'II remember me now ?
Roy: I think so. I think so. for the rest of my life.
Myra: But, what is it about me you still don 't get ?
Man: Ladies and gentlemen, we now come to the faSt dance of the evening. I hope you will enjoy "The Farewell Waltz. "
Roy: l'II tell you later. Let's dance now.
The candles go out one by one. Their whole world is surrounded by
the softness of music.
Myra: What does it mean~ these candles ?
Roy: You 'II find out.
Now the night is late, they are on the way back to Myra's residence.
Roy:I'II write you. Will you answer ?
Myra:Of course.
Roy: Wonderful evening, wasn't it ?
Myra: Yes, thank you very much.
Roy: When I come back, we 'll go there again.
Myra: Yes.
Roy: lt'II be our pface. That's where we'II always recapture this evening, Do you think we 'II ever see each other ag8in ?
Myra: I think it's doubtful, don 't you ?
Roy: Yas, lsuppose it is.
Myra: What was it that you startad to tell me in the restaurant that you didn't understand about me ?
Roy: No use going into it now.
Myra: No, idut, tell me please, I'd like to know.
Roy: Well, it struck me as curious ever since } met you, you know,from that very early moment ages ago... that you're so young, so lovely and... defeatist... I mean you, You don't seem to expect much from life
Myra: Well, aren'tl, right ? For instance I met you, I liked you, and now so soon we have to part, and, perhaps we will never see each other again.
Roy: You can concaive that than, our never seeing each other again ?
Myra: Yes, I can.
Roy: This where you live ?
Myra: Yes.
Roy: Nothing to do about it, is there ?
Myra: Nothing, except to saY goodbye.
Roy: I suppose so.
Myra: Goodbye.
Roy: Goodbye, Myra dear
Myra: Goodbye, Roy.
Roy: Keep well.
Myra: Yes, you too, keep well.
Roy: Nothing can happen to me. Your lucky charm will see to that.
Myra: I hope it will, I pray it will. Goodbye.
Roy: Goodbye. Please leave me first.
Myra: Allright.

迈拉：你好！
罗伊：噢，你好！我很高兴，我还担心凯蒂给你指错地方了呢。
迈拉：噢，没有，不过你的纸条让我在大家面前念了出来。
罗伊：你很尴尬吧？
迈拉：是的，如果是你也会尴尬的。
罗伊：可能是吧，恐怕我让你为难了。
迈拉：噢，你放弃了上校，因此我想我也让你为难了。
罗伊：是的，但我得到了奖赏。你来了真好，我们进去吧7
迈拉：好的。
他们走进俱乐部，选了一张桌子，然后坐下。
罗伊：你真美。
迈拉：谢谢。
罗伊：舞蹈演员吃什么7
迈拉：噢，大多是一些没有味道、营养丰富、却不会让人发胖的
东西。
罗伊：噢，不，今晚不行。（面对侍者）你能推荐一种特别美味、不易消化的食品吗？
侍者：薄煎饼非常不错，先生。
罗伊：再来点儿酒，喝点低度酒不违反舞蹈演员的戒律吧？
迈拉：噢，今晚…．．
罗伊：好的，40号。
侍者：40号。
罗伊：刚才的芭蕾舞真美。
迈拉：夫人可不这样想。
罗伊：噢，行家永远不懂，外行才懂。我告诉你刚才的芭蕾舞很美。
迈拉：那就正好证明你是外行。
罗伊：你……再次见到我高兴吗？
迈拉：是的。
罗伊：我感觉你有点儿保留。
迈拉：噢，我想是有点儿。
罗伊：什么？为什么？
迈拉：这有什么好处？
罗伊：你是一个奇特的女孩，不是吗？一切有什么好处？活着有什么好处？
迈拉：那也是一个问题。
罗伊：噢，等一下，在这一点上我是不会放过你的。生活的美好
就在于会发生这种事：在死亡空袭的阴影下我能遇到你，这比在和平时期到处漠然闲逛更能让我强烈地感受到生命。
迈拉：为此付出的代价很高。
罗伊：我不这样认为。
迈拉：我就是这么认为的。难道人们必须自相残杀才能强烈感受到生活吗？
罗伊：这和人们相互残杀无关。你要么对生活感到激动，要么不。
你要知道，我从来等不及未来。小时候，实际上还是一个小孩子，我爬上一棵大树的最高枝上，像潜水员一样站着，对吓坏了的女如果我们在平常时期以平常方式相遇。只会跟对方说上过什么学校。我们现在说的要远得多，你不这样认为吗7
迈拉：是吗？
罗伊：你知道是这样。好了，我太高兴了，吃不下，我们跳舞吧。
迈拉：好吧。
他们注视着对方的眼睛，翩翩起舞。几分钟后，他们回到座位上，罗伊举杯。
罗伊：为你干杯。
迈拉：谢谢。
罗伊：为我们干杯。我还不懂，不很懂。
迈拉：什么7
罗伊：你的脸：真年轻，真漂亮。
迈拉：你还不懂什么？
罗伊：你知道，今天下午我要离开你时，我怎么也记不清你长什么模样，无论如何也想不起来。我就想，她很美吗，7她很丑吗?她长什么样子，我就是想不起来。我只好今晚去剧院看看你的长相。
迈拉：你认为你现在会记住我了吗？
罗伊：我想是的。我想是的，终生难忘。
迈拉：可是，你对我还有什么不懂7
男人：女士们、先生们，现在是今晚最后一曲。我希望你们会喜欢<告别华尔兹舞曲>。
罗伊：我过会儿告诉你，现在跳舞吧。
烛光相继熄灭，整个世界都沉寂在柔和的音乐之中。
迈拉：这些烛光是什么意思？
罗伊：你会明白的。
夜已经深了，他们一起走在回迈拉住处的路上。
罗伊：我会给你写信的，你会回信吗？
迈拉：当然会。
罗伊：真是个美妙的夜晚，是吗？
迈拉：是的，非常感谢你。
罗伊：等我回来，我们再去那里。
迈拉：好的。
罗伊：那将是我们的地方，我们将在那里重温今夜。你认为我们会再见吗？
迈拉：我想不一定，你说呢？
罗伊：是的，我想也是。
迈拉：刚才在饭店里，你开始说你不懂我什么？
罗伊：现在不用说了。
迈拉：不，请告诉我，我想知道。
罗伊：好吧，一见到你，你知道，从仿佛数年前的那一刻起，我就觉得你很奇特……你非常年轻，非常可爱，而且……像一个失败主义者……我是说，你似乎对生活期望不多。
迈拉：噢，是的，难道不对吗？比如，我碰见了你，我喜欢你，很快我们就必须分开，而且，也许我们永远不会再相见。
罗伊：除了我们不再相见，你就不能想点别的吗？
迈拉：不，我能。
罗伊：你就住在这里吗？
迈拉：是的。
罗伊：不能再做什么了，是吗7
迈拉：是的，除了说再见。
罗伊：我想是这样。
迈拉：再见。
罗伊：再见，亲爱的迈拉。
迈拉：再见，罗伊。
罗伊：保重。
迈拉：嗯，你也保重。
罗伊：我不会有事，你的幸运符会保佑我。
迈拉：我希望它会，我祈祷它会，再见。
罗伊：再见，你先走吧。
迈拉：好的。