我与地坛（四）

现在让我想想，十五年中坚持到这园子来的人都是谁呢？好像只剩了我和一对老人。

Now let me think, who are the ones that have persisted in coming to this garden for the past fifteen years? It seems that only I and a pair of elderly people remain.

十五年前，这对老人还只能算是中年夫妇，我则货真价实还是个青年。

Fifteen years ago, this couple could still be considered middle-aged, while I was indeed still a youth.

他们总是在薄暮时分来园中散步，我不大弄得清他们是从哪边的园门进来，一般来说他们是逆时针绕这园子走。

They always come to the garden for a walk at dusk; I can hardly tell which gate they enter the garden from, but generally, they walk counterclockwise around the garden.

男人个子很高，肩宽腿长，走起路来目不斜视，胯以上直至脖颈挺直不动，他的妻子攀了他一条胳膊走，也不能使他的上身稍有松懈。

The man is very tall, broad-shouldered and long-legged. He walks with his eyes fixed straight ahead, and his body remains stiff from the hips up to his neck. His wife clings to one of his arms, yet even this does not cause him to relax the slightest bit.

女人个子却矮，也不算漂亮，我无端地相信她必出身于家道中衰的名门富族；

The woman, on the other hand, is short and not particularly beautiful. For no reason, I have come to believe she must have come from a once-prominent family that has fallen on hard times.

她攀在丈夫胳膊上像个娇弱的孩子，她向四周观望似总含着恐惧，她轻声与丈夫谈话，见有人走近就立刻怯怯地收住话头。

Clinging to her husband's arm like a fragile child, she seems to look around with an air of fear. She whispers to her husband, and when she sees someone approaching, she immediately retracts her voice timidly.

我有时因为他们而想起冉阿让与柯赛特，但这想法并不巩固，他们一望即知是老夫老妻。

Sometimes I think of Jean Valjean and Cosette because of them, but the thought is not firm; it is evident that they are an old married couple.

两个人的穿着都算得上考究，但由于时代的演进，他们的服饰又可以称为古朴了。

Their attire is considered to be rather elegant, but due to the passage of time, their clothing can also be called archaic.

他们和我一样，到这园子里来几乎是风雨无阻，不过他们比我守时。

Like me, they come to this garden almost regardless of the weather, though they are more punctual than I am.

我什么时间都可能来，他们则一定是在暮色初临的时候。

I can come at any time, but they certainly arrive at the onset of twilight.

刮风时他们穿了米色风衣，下雨时他们打了黑色的雨伞，夏天他们的衬衫是白色的裤子是黑色的或米色的，冬天他们的呢子大衣又都是黑色的，想必他们只喜欢这三种颜色。

When the wind blows, they wear beige windbreakers; in the rain, they carry black umbrellas. In summer, their shirts are white, and their pants are black or beige. In winter, their wool coats are all black, suggesting they only favor these three colors.

他们逆时针绕这园子一周，然后离去。

They make a counterclockwise round of the garden and then leave.

他们走过我身旁时只有男人的脚步响，女人像是贴在高大的丈夫身上跟着漂移。

As they pass by me, only the man's footsteps can be heard; the woman seems to drift along, glued to her tall husband.

我相信他们一定对我有印象，但是我们没有说过话，我们互相都没有想要接近的表示。

I believe they must have an impression of me, but we have never spoken to each other, and neither of us has shown a desire to approach the other.

十五年中，他们或许注意到一个小伙子进入了中年，我则看着一对令人羡慕的中年情侣不觉中成了两个老人。

Over the course of fifteen years, perhaps they have noticed a young man entering middle age, while I have unconsciously watched an enviable middle-aged couple evolve into two old people.

曾有过一个热爱唱歌的小伙子，他也是每天都到这园中来，来唱歌，唱了好多年，后来不见了。

Once there was a young man who loved to sing; he also came to this garden every day to sing, for many years, but he later vanished.

他的年纪与我相仿，他多半是早晨来，唱半小时或整整唱一个上午，估计在另外的时间里他还得上班。

He was about my age, and he mostly came in the mornings, singing for half an hour or for an entire morning. I estimate he must have had to work at another time.

我们经常在祭坛东侧的小路上相遇，我知道他是到东南角的高墙下去唱歌，他一定猜想我去东北角的树林里做什么。

We often met on the small path on the east side of the altar. I knew he went to sing under the high wall in the southeast corner, and he must have guessed what I was doing in the woods in the northeast corner.

我找到我的地方，抽几口烟，便听见他谨慎地整理歌喉了。他反反复复唱那么几首歌。

I found my place, took a few puffs on my cigarette, and listened as he cautiously warmed up his voice. He would repeatedly sing a few songs.

“文化革命”没过去的时候，他唱“蓝蓝的天上白云飘，白云下面马儿跑……”我老也记不住这歌的名字。

Before the "Cultural Revolution," he sang, “The blue sky has white clouds drifting, beneath the white clouds the horses run…” I can't even remember the name of that song now.

“文革”后，他唱《货郎与小姐》中那首最为流传的咏叹调。“卖布——卖布嘞，卖布——卖布嘞！”

After the "Cultural Revolution," he sang the most famous aria from "The Peddler and the Miss": “Selling cloth—selling cloth, selling cloth—selling cloth!”

我记得这开头的一句他唱得很有声势，在早晨清澈的空气中，货郎跑遍园中的每一个角落去恭维小姐。

I remember he sang that opening line with a great vigor; in the morning's clear air, the peddler runs around every corner of the garden to compliment the young lady.

“我交了好运气，我交了好运气，我为幸福唱歌曲……”然后他就一遍一遍地唱，不让货郎的激情稍减。

“I have encountered good fortune, I have encountered good fortune, I sing songs of happiness…” Then he would sing it over and over, not allowing the peddler's passion to wane.

依我听来，他的技术不算精到，在关键的地方常出差错，但他的嗓子是相当不坏的，而且唱一个上午也听不出一点儿疲惫。

To my ear, his technique was not particularly refined, often faltering at crucial points, but his voice was quite good, and singing for an entire morning showed no signs of fatigue.

太阳也不疲惫，把大树的影子缩小成一团，把疏忽大意的蚯蚓晒干在小路上。

The sun, too, was tireless, shrinking the shadows of the trees into small clumps and drying careless earthworms on the paths.

将近中午，我们又在祭坛东侧相遇，他看一看我，我看一看他，他往北去，我往南去。

Around noon, we met again on the east side of the altar. He glanced at me, I glanced at him; he headed north while I went south.

日子久了，我感到我们都有结识的愿望，但似乎都不知如何开口，于是互相注视一下终又都移开目光擦身而过；这样的次数一多，便更不知如何开口了。

As the days passed, I felt that we both had a desire to become acquainted, but it seemed we didn’t know how to start; thus, we would exchange glances and then turn away, passing by each other. After a while, it became even harder to know how to begin.

终于有一天——一个丝毫没有特点的日子，我们互相点了一下头，他说：“你好。”

Finally, one day—on a day that was utterly unremarkable—we nodded at each other. He said, “Hello.”

我说：“你好。”

I said, “Hello.”

他说：“回去啦？”

He asked, “Heading back?”

我说：“是，你呢？”

I replied, “Yes, and you?”

他说：“我也该回去了。”

He said, “I’m heading back too.”

我们都放慢脚步（其实我是放慢车速），想再多说几句，但仍然是不知从何说起，这样我们就都走过了对方，又都扭转身子面向对方。

We both slowed our pace (actually, I slowed my speed), hoping to say a few more words, but still, we didn’t know how to begin, so we passed each other again and turned to face one another.

他说：“那就再见吧。”

He said, “Then see you later.”

我说：“好，再见。”

I replied, “Alright, see you.”

便互相笑笑各走各的路了。

We smiled at each other and went our separate ways.

但是我们没有再见，那以后，园中再没了他的歌声，我才想到，那天他或许是有意与我道别的，也许他考上了哪家专业的文工团或歌舞团了吧？

But we never met again. After that day, his singing was no longer heard in the garden. It struck me that he might have intentionally bid me farewell that day; perhaps he had been accepted into a professional arts troupe or dance company?

真希望他如他歌里所唱的那样，交了好运气。

I truly hope he, as he sang in his song, encountered good fortune.

还有一些人，我还能想起一些常到这园子里来的人。

And there are others; I can still remember some regulars who used to come to this garden.

有一个老头，算得一个真正的饮者；他在腰间挂一个扁瓷瓶，瓶里当然装满了酒，常来这园中消磨午后的时光。

There is an old man, truly a drinker; he hangs a flat ceramic flask at his waist, which is surely filled with wine, often spending his afternoons in the garden.

他在园中四处游逛，如果你不注意你会以为园中有好几个这样的老头，等你看过了他卓尔不群的饮酒情状，你就会相信这是个独一无二的老头。

He wanders around the park, and if you’re not careful, you might think there are several old men like him; but after you have observed his unique drinking habits, you will believe he is one of a kind.

他的衣着过分随便，走路的姿态也不慎重，走上五六十米路便选定一处地方，一只脚踏在石凳上或土埂上或树墩上，解下腰间的酒瓶，解酒瓶的当儿眯起眼睛把一百八十度视角内的景物细细看一遭，然后以迅雷不及掩耳之势倒一大口酒入肚，把酒瓶摇一摇再挂向腰间，平心静气地想一会儿什么，便走下一个五六十米去。

His attire is overly casual, and his walking posture is careless; after walking fifty or sixty meters, he chooses a spot, resting one foot on a stone bench, an earth embankment, or a tree stump. He unfastens his flask at his waist, squints his eyes to carefully observe the surroundings within a hundred and eighty-degree view, and then pours a large gulp of wine down his throat in a flash, shakes the flask, reattaches it to his waist, thinks peacefully for a moment, and then walks another fifty or sixty meters.

还有一个捕鸟的汉子，那岁月园中人少，鸟却多，他在西北角的树丛中拉一张网，鸟撞在上面，羽毛戗在网眼里便不能自拔。

There’s also a bird-catcher. In the earlier days when the garden was less populated, but the birds were many, he would set a net in the thicket of the northwest corner. Birds would fly into it, their feathers caught in the netting and unable to escape.

他单等一种过去很多而现在非常罕见的鸟，其他的鸟撞在网上他就把它们摘下来放掉，他说已经有好多年没等到那种罕见的鸟了，他说他再等一年看看到底还有没有那种鸟，结果他又等了好多年。

He waits for one specific bird that was common in the past but is now extremely rare. When other birds get caught in the net, he simply takes them down and releases them. He has said he hasn’t seen that rare bird for many years but intends to wait another year to see if it still exists. As a result, he has been waiting for many more years.

早晨和傍晚，在这园子里可以看见一个中年女工程师，早晨她从北向南穿过这园子去上班，傍晚她从南向北穿过这园子回家，事实上我并不了解她的职业或者学历，但我以为她必是学理工的知识分子，别样的人很难有她那般的素朴并优雅。

In the mornings and evenings, one can see a middle-aged female engineer in this garden. In the morning, she walks from north to south through the garden to go to work; in the evening, she walks back from south to north. In fact, I do not know her profession or educational background, but I assume she must be an intellectual with a background in science or engineering; it seems unlikely that anyone else could possess her simplicity and grace.

当她在园子穿行的时刻，四周的树林也仿佛更加幽静，清淡的日光中竟似有悠远的琴声，比如说是那曲《献给艾丽丝》才好。

When she walks through the garden, the surrounding trees seem to become even quieter, as if there is an ethereal sound of a harp in the gentle sunlight, perhaps that particular piece “Für Elise” would be suitable.

我没有见过她的丈夫，没有见过那个幸运的男人是什么样子，我想像过却想像不出，后来忽然懂了想像不出才好，那个男人最好不要出现。

I have never seen her husband; I have never laid eyes on that fortunate man, and though I have imagined him, I can’t quite picture him. Later, I suddenly realized it would be better not to be able to picture him; it is best that man should not appear.

她走出北门回家去，我竟有点儿担心，担心她会落入厨房，不过，也许她在厨房里劳作的情景更有另外的美吧，当然不能再是《献给艾丽丝》，是个什么曲子呢？

As she walks out through the north gate to return home, I find myself a little worried, concerned she may end up in the kitchen. However, perhaps the scene of her laboring in the kitchen holds a different kind of beauty; it certainly cannot be “Für Elise” then, but what could it be?

还有一个人，是我的朋友，他是个最有天赋的长跑家，但他被埋没了。

There is another person, a friend of mine; he is the most talented long-distance runner but has been overlooked.

他因为在“文革”中出言不慎而坐了几年牢，出来后好不容易找了个拉板车的工作，样样待遇都不能与别人平等，苦闷极了便练习长跑。

He served a few years in prison during the "Cultural Revolution" due to an indiscreet remark. After he was released, he struggled to find work pulling a cart, with no benefits equal to others, and in great despair, he began practicing long-distance running.

那时他总来这园子里跑，我用手表为他计时，他每跑一圈向我招一下手，我就记下一个时间。

At that time, he often came to the garden to run, and I would time him with my watch. Every time he completed a lap, he would wave to me, and I would record the time.

每次他要环绕这园子跑二十圈，大约两万米。

He would circle the garden twenty times, approximately twenty kilometers.

他盼望以他的长跑成绩来获得政治上真正的解放，他以为记者的镜头和文字可以帮他做到这一点。

He hoped that his long-distance running results could lead to true political liberation; he believed that the cameras and words of the reporters could help him achieve that.

第一年他在春节环城赛上跑了第十五名，他看见前十名的照片都挂在了长安街的新闻橱窗里，于是有了信心。

In the first year, he placed fifteenth at the Spring Festival city race. He noticed that the photos of the top ten were displayed in the newsstands along Chang'an Avenue, which gave him confidence.

第二年他跑了第四名，可是新闻橱窗里只挂了前三名的照片，他没灰心。

The next year he placed fourth, but only the top three photos appeared in the newsstands, and he remained undeterred.

第三年他跑了第七名，橱窗里挂前六名的照片，他有点儿怨自己。第四年他跑了第三名，橱窗里却只挂了第一名的照片。

In the third year, he placed seventh, and only the top six were showcased. He began to blame himself a bit. In the fourth year, he came third, but only the first place photo was hung in the newsstand.

第五年他跑了第一名——他几乎绝望了，橱窗里只有一幅环城赛群众场面的照片。

In the fifth year, he took first place—he was nearly in despair when only a photo of the crowd at the city race appeared in the newsstand.

那些年我们俩常一起在这园子里待到天黑，开怀痛骂，骂完沉默着回家，分手时再互相叮嘱：先别去死，再试着活一活看。

Those years, we often stayed in this garden until dark, releasing our frustrations, cursing loudly, and after venting, we would leave in silence, reminding each other as we parted: don’t die just yet, try living a little longer.

现在他已经不跑了，年岁太大了，跑不了那么快了。

Now he no longer runs; he is too old and cannot run that fast anymore.

最后一次参加环城赛，他以三十八岁之龄又得了第一名并破了纪录，有一位专业队的教练对他说：“我要是十年前发现你就好了。”

In his last participation in the city race, he was thirty-eight years old and won first place, breaking the record. A coach from a professional team told him, “I wish I had discovered you ten years ago.”

他苦笑一下什么也没说，只在傍晚又来这园中找到我，把这事平静地向我叙说一遍。

He smiled wryly but said nothing, just returned to the garden in the evening to find me and calmly recount the event.

不见他已有好几年了，现在他和妻子和儿子住在很远的地方。

It has been several years since I have seen him; now he lives far away with his wife and son.

这些人现在都不到园子里来了，园子里差不多完全换了一批新人。

These people no longer come to the garden, and almost the entire batch of newcomers have replaced the old ones.

十五年前的旧人，现在就剩我和那对老夫老妻了。

Of the old folks from fifteen years ago, only I and that elderly couple are left.

有那么一段时间，这老夫老妻中的一个也忽然不来，薄暮时分惟男人独自来散步，步态也明显迟缓了许多，我悬心了很久，怕是那女人出了什么事。

For a while, one of this elderly couple suddenly stopped coming, and in the dusks, only the man walked alone; his gait noticeably slowed. I was anxious for a long time, fearing something had happened to that woman.

幸好过了一个冬天那女人又来了，两个人仍是逆时针绕着园子走，一长一短两个身影恰似钟表的两支指针；女人的头发白了许多，但依旧攀着丈夫的胳膊走得像个孩子。

Fortunately, after a winter, the woman returned. They still walked counterclockwise around the garden, their long and short figures resembling the two hands of a clock; the woman’s hair had turned quite grey, yet she still clung to her husband’s arm as if she were a child.

“攀”这个字用得不恰当了，或许可以用“搀”吧，不知有没有兼具这两个意思的字。

"Cling" may not be the right word; perhaps "support" is more appropriate. I wonder if there is a word that carries both meanings.