结婚记（2）

荷西一听很急，他擦了一下汗，结结巴巴的对秘书先生说：“请您帮忙，不能快些么？我想越快结婚越好，我们不能等——。”

Hosea felt anxious as soon as he heard this. He wiped his sweat and stammered to the secretary, “Please help us. Can’t you hurry? The sooner we get married the better; we can’t wait—.”

这时秘书先生将书往架子上一放，一面飞快的瞄了我的腰部一眼。

At this moment, the secretary placed the book on the shelf and quickly glanced at my waist.

我很敏感，马上知道他误会荷西的话了，赶快说：“秘书先生，我快慢都不要紧，有问题的是他。”

I was sensitive and immediately realized he had misunderstood Hosea's words, so I quickly said, “Secretary, whether I’m fast or slow doesn’t matter. The issue lies with him.”

一讲完发觉这话更不伦不类，赶快住口。

As soon as I finished speaking, I realized that my words were even more absurd, so I hurriedly stopped.

荷西用力扭我的手指，一面对秘书先生说：“谢谢，谢谢，我们这就去办，再见，再见。”

Hosea tightly twisted my finger and said to the secretary, “Thank you, thank you. We’ll take care of it right away. Goodbye, goodbye.”

讲完了，拉着我飞云似的奔下法院三楼，我一面跑一面咯咯笑个不停，到了法院外面我们才停住不跑了。

After saying this, he pulled me and we dashed down the third floor of the courthouse. I ran while giggling nonstop, and we only stopped running once we were outside the courthouse.

“什么我有问题，你讲什么嘛！难道我怀孕了。”

“What do you mean I have a problem? What are you talking about? Am I pregnant or something?”

荷西气得大叫。我笑得不能回答他。

Hosea shouted angrily. I was laughing so hard that I couldn’t answer him.

三个月很快的过去了。

Three months passed quickly.

荷西在这段时间内努力赚钱，同时动手做家具，另外将他的东西每天搬一些来我的住处。

During this time, Hosea worked hard to make money, built furniture, and moved his things to my place little by little every day.

我则背了背包和相机，跑了许多游牧民族的帐篷，看了许多不同而多彩的奇异风俗，写下了笔记，整理了幻灯片，也交了许多沙哈拉威朋友，甚至开始学阿拉伯文。

I carried my backpack and camera, ran through many nomadic tents, witnessed countless diverse and colorful customs, took notes, organized slides, made many Sahrawi friends, and even started learning Arabic.

日子过得有收获而愉快。

Life was fruitful and joyful.

当然，我们最积极的是在申请一张张结婚需要的文件，这件事最烦人，现在回想起来都要发高烧。

Of course, we were most actively applying for one document after another required for marriage. This was the most tedious task, and looking back now, I could break into a fever.

天热了，我因为住的地方没有门牌，所以在邮局租了一个信箱，每天都要走一小时左右去镇上看信。

When it got hot, I had no street number at my place, so I rented a mailbox at the post office and had to walk about an hour to town daily to check my mail.

来了三个月，这个小镇上的人大半都认识了，尤其是邮局和法院，因为我天天去跑，都成朋友了。

Having been here for three months, I knew most of the people in this little town, especially those at the post office and the courthouse, as I visited them every day, and we became friends.

那天我又坐在法院里面，天热得像火烧似的令人受不了。

That day, I was sitting in the courthouse, and the heat was unbearable.

秘书先生对我说：“好，最后马德里公告也结束了，你们可以结婚了。”

The secretary said to me, “Alright, the final announcement from Madrid is over. You can get married now.”

“真的？”我简直不能相信这场文件大战已结束了。

“Really?” I could hardly believe that this document battle was finally over.

“我替你们安排好了日子。”秘书笑眯眯的说。

“I’ve arranged a date for you,” the secretary said with a smile.

“什么时候？”我赶紧问他。

“When?” I quickly asked him.

“明天下午六点钟。”

“Tomorrow afternoon at six o'clock.”

“明天？你说明天？”我口气好似不太相信，也不开心。

“Tomorrow? You mean tomorrow?” I sounded somewhat incredulous and unhappy.

秘书老先生有点生气，好似我是个不知感激的人一样。他说：：“荷西当初不是说要快，要快？”

The old secretary seemed a bit angry, as if I were ungrateful. He said, “Didn’t Hosea say he wanted it done quickly?”

“是的，谢谢你，明天我们来。”我梦游似的走下楼，坐在楼下邮局的石阶上，望着沙漠发呆。

“Yes, thank you. We’ll come tomorrow.” I walked down the stairs in a daze, sitting on the stone steps of the post office, staring blankly at the desert.

这时我看到荷西公司的司机正开吉普车经过，我赶快跑上去叫住他：“穆罕默德沙里，你去公司吗？替我带口信给荷西，请告诉他，他明天跟我结婚，叫他下了班来镇上。”

At that moment, I saw Hosea's company driver passing by in a jeep. I quickly ran up to stop him, “Mohammed Sharif, are you going to the company? Please give a message to Hosea. Tell him he’s getting married to me tomorrow and ask him to come to town after work.”

穆罕默德沙里抓抓头，奇怪的问我：“难道荷西先生今天不知道明天自己要结婚吗？”

Mohammed Sharif scratched his head and asked me with a puzzled look, “Doesn’t Mr. Hosea know he’s getting married tomorrow?”

我大声回答他：“他不知道，我也不知道。”

I replied loudly, “He doesn’t know, and I don’t know either.”

司机听了看着我，露出好怕的样子，将车子歪歪扭扭的开走了。

The driver looked at me with a scared expression and drove away erratically.

我才发觉又讲错话了，他一定以为我等结婚等疯了。

I suddenly realized I had said something wrong again; he must have thought I was going crazy waiting for the wedding.

荷西没有等下班，他一下就飞车来了。

Hosea didn’t wait until after work; he sped over in no time.

“真的是明天？”他不相信，一面进门一面问。

“Is it really tomorrow?” he asked incredulously as he entered.

“是真的，走，我们去打电报回家。”我拉了他又出门去。

“It’s true. Let’s go send a telegram home.” I pulled him out again.

“对不起，临时通知你们，我们事先也不知道明天结婚，请原谅——。”荷西的电报长得像写信。

“Sorry for the late notice. We also didn’t know we were getting married tomorrow, please forgive us—.” Hosea's telegram read more like a letter.

我呢，用父亲的电报挂号，再写：“明天结婚三毛。”才几个字。

As for me, I used my father's telegram registered, and wrote, “Marrying tomorrow, Sanmao.” Just a few words.

我知道父母收到电报不知要多么安慰和高兴，多年来令他们受苦受难的就是我这个浪子。我是很对不起他们的。

I knew my parents would be so comforted and happy to receive the telegram after all the suffering they’d endured because of me, this prodigal son. I felt very sorry for them.

“喂，明天你穿什么？”荷西问我。

“Hey, what are you wearing tomorrow?” Hosea asked me.

“还不知道，随便穿穿。”我仍在想。

“I don’t know yet, just something casual,” I replied still lost in thought.

“我忘了请假，明天还得上班。”荷西口气有点懊恼。

“I forgot to take a day off; I still have to work tomorrow,” Hosea said somewhat regretfully.

“去嘛，反正下午六点才结婚，你早下班一小时正好赶回来。”我想当天结婚的人也可以去上班嘛。

“Just go. Anyway, the wedding is at six in the afternoon. You can leave an hour early and come back just in time,” I thought that those getting married could still go to work.

“现在我们做什么，电报已经发了。”他那天显得呆呆的。

“What do we do now? The telegram has already been sent,” he appeared a bit dazed.

“回去做家具，桌子还没钉好。我的窗帘也还差一半。”我真想不出荷西为什么好似有点失常。

“Let’s go back and make furniture; the table is still not finished. My curtains are only halfway done,” I really couldn’t understand why Hosea seemed a bit off.

“结婚前一晚还要做工吗？”看情形他想提早庆祝，偷懒嘛。

“Do we have to work the night before the wedding?” It seemed like he wanted to celebrate early and slack off.

“那你想做什么？”我问他。

“What do you want to do?” I asked him.

“想带你去看电影，明天你就不是我女朋友了。” 于是我们跑去唯一的一家五流沙漠电影院看了一场好片子《希腊左巴》，算做跟单身的日子告别。

“I want to take you to watch a movie; tomorrow you won’t be my girlfriend anymore.”

第二天荷西来敲门时我正在睡午觉，因为来回提了一大桶淡水，累得很。

So we ran to the only fifth-rate cinema in the desert to watch a great movie, “Greek Zorba,” as a farewell to our single life.

已经五点半了。他进门就大叫：“快起来，我有东西送给你。”

The next day when Hosea knocked on the door, I was taking a nap because I had exhausted myself hauling a huge bucket of fresh water back and forth.

口气兴奋得很，手中抱着一个大盒子。

It was already five-thirty. He burst in shouting, “Get up quickly! I have something for you.”

我光脚跳起来，赶快去抢盒子，一面叫着：“一定是花。”“沙漠里哪里变得出花来嘛！真的。”

He sounded very excited, holding a large box in his arms.

他有点失望我猜不中。

I jumped up barefoot, rushed over to grab the box, and shouted, “It must be flowers!” “Where can flowers come from in the desert! Really.”