乡村舞会（3）

男人们都围坐在一间间温暖华丽的房间里，一杯接一杯地喝酒。任何一个话题都能到达最热烈的气氛。

The men are gathered in warm and luxurious rooms, drinking one cup after another. Any topic can bring about the most enthusiastic atmosphere.

然后就是唱歌，一个人接一个人地轮流唱，再合唱。有人弹起了双弦琴，他满面红光，神情傲慢。

Then comes the singing, one person after another taking turns to sing, followed by a chorus. Someone started playing the two-stringed instrument, his face flushed and his demeanor arrogant.

拨弄了好一阵子琴弦后，终于和着旋律唱出了第一句——无比骄傲的第一句——口型夸张，上嘴唇与歌声的铿锵一同用力，他的眼神都烧起来了！

After strumming for a while, he finally sang the first line to the melody—an incredibly proud first line—enlarging his mouth in exaggerated fashion, his upper lip forcefully matching the resounding notes, and his eyes blazing with excitement!

他突然扭头向你这边看过来，一下子捕捉到了你，令你浑身透亮，无处躲藏……

He suddenly turned to look at you, catching your gaze suddenly, leaving you exposed and with nowhere to hide…

而所有房间中最华美也最安静的一间里，新娘戴着长长的面纱，深深地坐在小山似的一堆贺礼中间。

And in the most elegant and quiet room among them all, the bride sat deeply amidst a mountain of gifts, her long veil draping around her.

房间四壁长长短短挂满了宾客们赠送的布料，房间中央的地面上摞起了高高的一沓花毡、地毯。更多的花毡则一卷一卷立在墙角。

The walls of the room were lined with fabrics gifted by guests, while in the center of the room, a high stack of floral blankets and carpets was piled on the floor. More floral blankets were rolled up against the corners of the walls.

一桌美食安静绚丽地摆在矮几上，没有动过的痕迹。新娘端正地坐在挂着重重幔帘的雕花木床上，一动不动。床上铺红盖绿，描金绣银。

A table of exquisite food was quietly displayed on a low table, with no signs of being touched. The bride sat upright on an ornate wooden bed with heavy curtains, completely motionless. The bed was decorated with red and green linens, adorned with gold embroidery and silver stitching.

一群小孩子挤在门口探头往里面看，但不被允许进去。我也站在那群孩子后面，远远往里面看。

A group of children squeezed at the doorway, peeking inside but were not allowed to enter. I stood behind those children, looking into the room from afar.

身后突然喧哗混乱起来，光线也更明亮强烈了。回过头来，女人们端着一盘盘炒菜，穿梭走动在一个个房间里、一桌桌宴席间。

Suddenly, there was a commotion behind me, and the light became brighter and more intense. Turning around, the women were carrying plates of stir-fried dishes, weaving in and out of the rooms and tables of the feast.

上热菜了。在每一场乡间拖依上，招待宾客最主要的食物就是大盘子盛放的手抓羊肉（哎，太好吃了……）。

The hot dishes were being served. The main food for the guests at every country banquet is large plates of hand-grabbed lamb (oh, it’s so delicious…).

但上抓肉是十一点半以后的事，在此之前，是没完没了的干奶酪、包尔沙克（油炸的面食）、葡萄干儿、杏干儿、撒子、瓜子、糖果、塔尔靡（半生的拌了羊油和红糖的小米）、馕块……堆满了细长的条桌。

But the hand-grabbed lamb would only be served after eleven-thirty; before that were endless supplies of dry cheese, baursak (fried dough), raisins, apricots, salt seeds, candies, talmi (a mix of millet with lamb fat and brown sugar), and naan chunks… all piled high on slender tables.

一桌大约二十来个人，面对面坐着，一吃就是三四个小时。到了半夜，正餐才开始，首先是凉菜，比如羊肚呀、粉丝呀什么的，还有我最爱的老虎菜——就是把西红柿、辣椒和洋葱切碎了，再拌进醋和盐，就成了。简单又好吃。

Around twenty people sat facing each other at a table, eating for three to four hours straight. By midnight, the main course finally began, starting with cold dishes, such as sheep intestines and vermicelli, and my favorite "tiger salad"—finely chopped tomatoes, peppers, and onions mixed with vinegar and salt, simple but delicious.

接着上热菜，热气腾腾的炒菜。每桌各有两色共四盘子，被一桌子食物花团锦簇地围绕着，十来双筷子一起下，三四个回合就只剩一桌空盘子。

Then came the hot dishes, steaming stir-fried food. Each table had two colors totaling four plates surrounded by a feast of food, with a dozen pairs of chopsticks diving in, and in three or four rounds, only empty plates remained.

只好接着再吃那些奶酪、包尔沙克、葡萄干儿、杏干儿、撒子、瓜子、糖果、塔尔靡、馕块儿……一吃又是一个两个小时。好了，等十一点半的时候（也就是当你吃得撑得实在是没办法的时候），终于在欢呼声中，抓肉一盘一盘端上来了。

We had no choice but to continue eating those cheeses, baursak, raisins, apricots, salt seeds, candies, talmi, naan chunks… eating for another one or two hours. Finally, when eleven-thirty came (when you felt you couldn’t eat another bite), the hand-grabbed lamb was finally served plate by plate amidst cheers.

今夜晚宴的第一个高潮圆满抵至。火炉里的热气，话语中的热气，每一个人眼睛里的热气，当然，最主要的是抓肉蒸腾的热气——所有这些，一波一波熏得满室黏稠，令这方有限的空间里空气都泛白了，令对面坐着的那个兴高采烈的人的面孔都模糊了。

The first climax of the evening banquet was entirely achieved. The heat from the stove, the heat in the conversation, the heat in everyone's eyes—most importantly, the steam from the hand-grabbed lamb—all of these created waves of thick warmth, making the air in this confined space pale in color and clouding the face of the excited person sitting across from you.

众人祈祷完毕，两个男人从皮带上解下刀子，飞快地从骨头上拆肉。肉片一小片一小片地从骨头上均匀脱落，铺在抓肉盘子四周。

After the crowd finished their prayers, two men quickly unfastened their knives from their belts and swiftly cut the meat from the bones. The meat slices fell evenly from the bones, spreading around the hand-grabbed lamb plate.

抓肉盘子直径两尺长，盘底铺着厚厚的一层金黄色的手抓饭。有时肉骨头上会淋着拌了碎洋葱的肉汤和又筋又滑的面片。

The hand-grabbed lamb plate had a diameter of two feet and was laid with a thick layer of golden hand-grabbed rice. Sometimes the meat bones would be drizzled with meat broth mixed with minced onions and smooth noodles.

肉是当年出栏的羊羔肉，又嫩又香。虽然除了盐以外，再没有放别的调味品，但那样的美味，实在不是调一调就能够调出来的。

The meat was young lamb from that year, tender and fragrant. Although no other seasoning was used besides salt, such deliciousness truly couldn’t be replicated.

房间里又闷又潮，香气腾腾。每一个人的眼睛和十指尖都闪闪发光。

The room was both stuffy and humid, filled with intoxicating aromas. Every person’s eyes and fingertips gleamed brightly.

突然，电子琴尖锐明亮的试音从屋外院子一长串地传了进来！宴席上的年轻人全站了起来，舞会开始了！

Suddenly, the sharp and bright sound of the electronic piano resonated from outside the yard! The young people at the banquet all stood up; the dance party began!

我们纷纷去洗手，披上外套出门。院子里，摆放在空地四周的条凳很快全坐满了。

We all rushed to wash our hands, putting on our coats as we headed outside. In the yard, the benches placed around the open space quickly filled up.

没抢到位置的人爬到院墙边的柴禾堆上，还有的坐到门口的台阶上。更多的人站着。

Those who couldn’t grab a seat climbed onto the woodpile by the courtyard wall, while others sat on the stairs at the door. More people stood around.

所有人围出一片圆形的空地。第一支舞曲开始了，音乐弹奏了好一会儿，新娘子这才缓缓出场。

Everyone formed a circular empty space. The first dance tune started; the music played for a while before the bride slowly made her entrance.

她穿着一身雪白的塔裙，重重叠叠的裙裾膨松地垂着。外面套着枣红色的半袖小坎肩，手上捏着小手绢。

She wore a snow-white outfit, the layers of the skirt puffing down around her. She was dressed in a maroon half-sleeved vest, clutching a small handkerchief.

长长的白色婚纱上插着几簇鹰翎毛，婚纱从绣着珠花的尖顶小帽上拖下来，几乎快要垂着地面。

The long white wedding dress was adorned with clusters of eagle feathers, flowing down from a small cap embroidered with beads until it almost touched the ground.

大家一起欢呼，男人们争先恐后地迎上去。但是新娘低着头，谁也不看，回转身子，踩出了舞步。

Everyone cheered, and the men rushed forward. But the bride lowered her head, not looking at anyone, turning to step into the dance.

她对面的一个男人立刻跟上步子，成为邀请新娘跳第一支舞曲的幸运者。很快，剩下的男人也陆续从人群中拉出舞伴。

A man across from her immediately followed her lead and became the lucky one to invite the bride to dance to the first tune. Soon, the remaining men started to pull partners from the crowd one by one.

那是黑走马。那旋律和节奏让人兴奋。跳舞是本能——掌控自己的身体，展示自己想要的美，熟悉自己，了解自己，发现自己——跳舞是发现自己的行为呀。

That was the Black Horse dance. Its melody and rhythm filled with excitement. Dancing is instinct—controlling one’s body, displaying the beauty one wants, familiarizing oneself, understanding oneself, discovering oneself—dancing is the act of discovering oneself.

跳舞是身体发现了音乐……新娘婆家的妇人们穿梭在舞蹈的人群中，给舞会的前几支舞曲上最先受到邀请的姑娘、媳妇们赠送手绢。

Dancing is when the body finds the music… The women from the bride's family move gracefully through the dancing crowd, gifting handkerchiefs to the girls and brides who are the first to be invited to dance.

这样，得到手绢最多的姑娘是最骄傲的。一个秋天下来会攒下多少啊！虽然这种手绢只是很普通的那种小小的方块印花布而已，几毛钱一方。

Thus, the girl who receives the most handkerchiefs is the proudest. Just think how many she would accumulate over a fall season! Even though these handkerchiefs are just ordinary little square pieces of printed cloth worth a few dimes.

在最早的时候，手绢都是女人们自己做的，用彩色的细线在一方方明亮华丽的绸缎四周细致地钩织出花边。

Originally, the handkerchiefs were handmade by women, beautifully crocheting lace around the bright and luxurious satin with colorful threads.

有的还会在手绢一角绣上年月日等内容。曾经有个女孩子就用了一块这样的旧手绢包了几块干奶酪给我。

Some would even embroider dates and memories on a corner of the handkerchief. Once, a girl wrapped a few pieces of dry cheese in such an old handkerchief for me.

奶酪吃完了，手绢留下了，随便撂在窗台上，脏兮兮地揉作一团，几乎谁也看不出来它到底是个什么东西。只有我记得它上面那些久远时间里的美好痕迹。

Once the cheese was gone, the handkerchief was left behind, haphazardly tossed on the windowsill, dirty and crumpled, nearly unrecognizable. Only I remember the beautiful traces of time it once held.

那些曾经手执这手绢柔软一角的女人，害羞而无限喜悦地和另一人对舞……那时她还年轻，并且心怀美梦。

The women who once held the soft corners of this handkerchief danced with another, shy yet full of joy… She was young then, with beautiful dreams in her heart.

我爱舞蹈，常常久久地注视着起舞的一个美丽女子。她四肢窈窕，面庞惊喜，她一定是不平凡的！

I love dancing and often gaze longingly at a beautiful woman dancing. Her limbs are graceful, her face full of surprise; she must be extraordinary!

她是最幸运的一个，她美梦成真了。音乐进入了她的身体，从天空无限高远的地方到地底深处的万物都在看着她，以她为中心四下展开眼下的世界。

She is the luckiest; her dreams have come true. The music enters her body, and everything from the infinitely high sky to the deep earth is watching her, unfolding the world around her centered on her.

当她踮起足尖，微微扬起下巴，整个世界，又以她为中心徐徐收拢……

As she raises her toes slightly and tilts her chin, the entire world gradually converges around her…

我说着舞蹈，和这世间舞蹈着的一切。那些美的形体，若非有着美的想法，怎么会如此美得令人心生悲伤？

I speak of dance, and dance with everything in this world. Those beautiful forms, if not born from beautiful thoughts, how could they be so movingly beautiful that they provoke sadness?

那些睡着了的身体，那些木然行走着的身体，或是激动地说着话的身体，轻易地从高处跌落的身体——都在世界之外。

Those sleeping bodies, those mechanically walking bodies, or those filled with excitement and speech—easily falling from heights—are all outside the world.

他们创造着世界之外的事物，不停积累，离世界越来越远。于是我们看到那些身体一日日衰老下去，到了最后也与这个世界无关。

They create things beyond the world, continuously accumulating, growing further away from it. Thus, we see those bodies aging day by day, eventually becoming irrelevant to this world.

只有舞蹈着的身子，才是世界的谐调圆满的一部分吧？……只有美才能与万物通灵，丝丝缕缕吸吮吐纳。只有美才是最真实不过的自然。

Only the dancing bodies are perhaps part of the harmonious perfection of the world?… Only beauty can connect with all things, intertwining and breathing. Only beauty is the most real nature.

我还是在想：我爱舞蹈，我爱的也许只是我身体里没有的东西。我总是那么贪心，总是想得到的更多，想知道得更多。

I am still thinking: I love dance; perhaps I love only what is absent in my body. I am always so greedy, wanting more and wanting to know more.

越多越好。我站在场外，看着他们如此欢乐而难过不已。但我也是欢乐的吧？只要在我跳舞的时候，同样也会什么都能得到。

The more, the better. I stand on the edge, watching them so joyous yet painfully. But am I not joyous too? As long as I dance, I can achieve anything.

我和比加玛丽约好，晚上一起去跳舞。因为我们没有像别人那样给主人家送贺礼，甚至连扯块布，包块方糖饼什么的都没准备。

I made an agreement with Bigamari to go dancing together at night. Since we didn’t bring gifts to the host, not even a piece of cloth or a sugar cake, it's certainly awkward to partake in their hand-grabbed lamb.

当然也就不好意思去吃人家的抓肉。每次总是等到晚宴散尽了，才挤进院子里的人群中，找个地方坐下来，等着舞曲奏响。

So we always wait until the banquet ends before squeezing into the crowd in the yard, looking for a place to sit and waiting for the music to play.

比加玛丽是结过婚的妇人，仍像小姑娘一样活泼得要死。也不知道一天到晚怎么就那么能闹笑话。

Bigamari is a married woman but still lively as a young girl. I don’t know how she always manages to create amusing situations all day.

走到这里，“哈哈哈！”走到那里，“哈哈哈！”只要有她经过的地上，一路上准热闹非凡，不断有人在她后面嚷嚷：“这个比加玛丽呀！脑子出问题了……”偏她嗓门又尖又亮。

“Ha ha ha!” here and “Ha ha ha!” there; wherever she goes, the ground is full of excitement, with people behind her yelling, “That Bigamari! She must be out of her mind…” With her sharp and bright voice.

她要是突然在某个地方“啊——”地惊叫起来，半个村子的人都全知道了：“今天晚上嘛，又有拖依了……”

If she suddenly screams, “Ah—,” half the village would know, “Tonight, there’s another banquet…”

比加玛丽结过婚的，而我是个汉族姑娘，我俩都不太好在舞会上搭理小伙子。于是我俩是较为固定的舞伴。

Bigamari is married, whereas I am a Han girl; it's not easy for us to socialize with young men at the dance party. So the two of us are more like fixed dance partners.

在一起的时候，总是由她领着我跳，我就跟着她瞎转。她高高地扬起下巴，骄傲地、有力地拧动着长而柔曼的双臂。

When we are together, she always leads me in dance, and I just follow her randomly. She lifts her chin high, proudly and powerfully twisting her long and graceful arms.

——这哪里是个妇人？分明也是个青春遥遥无期的小姑娘呀。我有时候跳着跳着停下来，站在一边看她跳，看她眼睛发光、面孔发光、辫梢发光、舞姿发光，整个人光芒四射。

—What a woman! She clearly seems like a young girl with endless youth. Sometimes, while dancing, I stop, standing aside to watch her dance, her eyes shining, her face glowing, the tips of her braids sparkling, her dance radiating light.

突然又想起比加玛丽还是个做过母亲的人呢。但是她的小宝宝太倒霉了，摊到一个这么笨的妈妈——孩子都两岁多了，被妈妈一不留神烫死了，当时她失手摔了一只开水瓶……

Suddenly, I remember Bigamari is also a mother. But her poor baby was unfortunate to have such a foolish mother—her child, over two years old, died from boiling water when she accidentally dropped a kettle…

后来又有了一个宝宝，却又在不满周岁时在被窝里给捂死了。我到她家去玩，她就把她夭折的孩子的相框从墙上摘下来给我看，还很得意地说：“怎么样，漂亮得很吧？她长得白白的……”一点儿也没有悲伤的意思。

Later, she had another baby, but this time the child suffocated in the blankets before turning one year old. When I visited her, she took the frame of her deceased child off the wall to show me, proudly saying, “Look how pretty she was! She was so fair…” without a hint of sadness.

我想她也没必要太悲伤。她本人也是个孩子呢，她的人生也才刚刚开始。对她来说，似乎无论什么时候开始都不算太晚，无论开始了多少次都同第一次开始一样。

I guess she doesn’t need to be too sad. She herself is still a child, and her life has only just begun. For her, it seems that starting again at any time doesn’t feel too late, and no matter how many times she starts, it feels just like the first time.

——嗯，后来会有的事情全都应该是快乐的事情。比如说，后来她肯定还会再有许多漂亮平安的小宝宝的。

—Well, everything that will happen later should be joyful. For instance, she will surely have many beautiful and healthy babies later.

——可是，现在都凌晨一点了！舞曲从拖依上远远地传过来，都已经跳过三支曲子了，我还在家里坐着等那个笨女人！真是急死人……

—But now it’s already one in the morning! The music has drifted from the banquet, and three tunes have already played, yet I’m still sitting at home waiting for that foolish woman! It’s frustrating…

这时，第四支曲子开始了，正是我最喜欢的舞步！哪还能等下去啊！便起身往她家摸黑而去。

At that moment, the fourth tune began, which is exactly my favorite dance step! How could I keep waiting? I stood up and headed toward her house, moving through the dark.

到了地方，趴在她家窗台上一看，这个家伙居然端端正正坐在炕上织毛衣！真是气坏了，我大力擂打玻璃。

When I arrived, I peered at her window, and to my shock, that silly woman was sitting properly on the couch knitting a sweater! This made me furious, and I knocked on the glass hard.

听到动静，比加玛丽忙扭过头来，还朝我一个劲地摆手。我绕到院门走进去，比加玛丽已经等在门口了。

Hearing the noise, Bigamari quickly turned her head and waved at me. I went around to the yard door, and Bigamari was already waiting at the entrance.

“喂喂喂，你干吗呢，你忘掉了是不是？都几点了？……”

“Hey hey hey, what are you doing? Have you forgotten? What time is it?…”

她连忙拉着我，用汉话说：“小声点嘛，老公回来了！”真是让人想不通，这个笨女人，怎么就像怕爸爸一样地怕老公。

She hurriedly pulled me in and spoke in Han language, “Be quiet; my husband is back!” How puzzling. This foolish woman is so afraid of her husband as if he were her father.

这有什么好怕的嘛。我牵了她的手，把她拽进房子，一直走到她丈夫面前，大声说：“你看你都把你媳妇吓成这样了！大家都是年轻人，出去玩一玩嘛，有什么不愿意的？”

What’s there to be afraid of? I took her hand and pulled her into the house, walking straight up to her husband, and said loudly, “Look at what you’ve done to your wife! We’re all young people; let’s go out and have some fun, what’s wrong with that?”