0945翻譯：挖薺菜(張潔)
0945翻譯：挖薺菜（張潔）
Translation： Digging up Shepherd’s
Purse Vegetable （Zhang Jie）
（translated by： alexcwlin； edited by： Adam Lam）
我對薺菜，有著一種特殊的感情……
My feeling towards Shepherd‘s Purse Vegetable is rather special。
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小的時候，我是那麼饞！
When I was little， I had a
penchant for eating。
剛抽出嫩條還沒打花苞的薔薇枝，把皮一剝，我就能吃下去；
I would peel off bark of new
rose twigs （before flower buds came out） and ate them。
剛割下來的蜂蜜，我會連蜂房一起放進嘴巴里；
Also I would put newly
harvested honey with its beehives into my mouth。
更別說什麼青玉米棒子、青棗、青豌豆羅。
Needless to say I ate
unripe corn， jujubes， and pea-pods as well。
所以，只要我一出門兒，碰上財主家的胖兒子，
Sometimes when I was
outside of our house， I could run into the chubby son of a rich family。
他就總要跟在我身後，拍著手、跳著腳地叫著：“饞丫頭！饞丫頭！”
In following behind me， he
clapped and jumped while he was shouting： “Glutton little girl！ Glutton little girl！”
羞得我連頭也不敢回。
I was so embarrassed I didn’t turn my head around to look。
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我感到又羞惱，又冤屈！
I was irritably ashamed and indignant。
七八歲的姑娘家，誰願意落下這麼個名聲？
Which little girl seven to eight years of age would enjoy this sort of reputation？
可是有什麼辦法呢？
But then what else could I do？
我餓啊！
I was indeed hungry！
我真不記得什麼時候，那種飢餓的感覺曾經離開過我，
I forgot if that feeling of hunger ever left me。
就是現在，每當我回憶起那個時候的情景，留在我記憶裡最鮮明的感覺，也還是一片飢餓……
Even to this date when I recall the situation at that time， a vivid sensation in my memory is still
hunger。
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吃那些沒收進主人家倉房裡的東西，我還一次也沒有被人家抓到過。
I did not get caught even
once for eating things which owners did not put back into storage rooms。
倒不是因為我的運氣格外好，而是人們多半並不想認真地懲罰一個飢餓的孩子。
It was not because I was
exceptionally lucky， but because most of them did not really want to punish a
hungry child。
可有一次，我在財主家的地裡掰玉米棒子，被他的大管家發現了，
But there was one time I
broke off ears of corn from the field of a wealthy person’s family and it was
spotted by the head housekeeper。
他立刻拿著一根又粗又直的木頭棒子，毫不留情地緊緊向我追來。
He relentlessly chased
close behind me holding a straight， thick stick in his hand。
我沒命地逃著。我想我一定跑得飛快，因為風在我的耳朵旁邊呼呼直響。
I ran as if my life
depended on it， and I had to be practically in flight because wind swished by
my ears。
不知是我被嚇昏了，還是平時很熟悉的那些田間小路有意捉弄我，為什麼面前偏偏橫著一條小河？
I wouldn’t know whether I
lost my mind in fear or those normally familiar footpaths in the field played a
trick on me， but in any event why would a river purposely lie squarely across
my path？
追趕我的人越來越近了。我害怕到了極點，便不顧一切地縱身跳進那條河。
When the chaser was fast
approaching， I was scared out of my wits and jumped straight into the river
without thinking of the consequences。
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河水並不很深，但是足以沒過我那矮小的身子。
Water in the river was not
too deep but more than enough to submerge the entire height of my short
physique。
我一聲不響地掙扎著，撲騰著，
Without uttering a word I
was struggling and flapping my arms。
身子失去了平衡。冰涼的河水嗆得我好難受，
My body lost its balance
and ice-cold water was agonizingly choking me。
我幾乎背過氣去，而河水卻依舊在我身邊不停地流著，流著……
I almost passed out， but
water just kept flowing by my side。
在由於恐怖而變得混亂的意識裡，卻出奇清晰地反映出岸上那個追趕我的人的殘酷笑聲。
Even though my mind was all
confused from horror， yet I was surprisingly conscious of the callous laughter
of the person onshore pursuing me。
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我簡直不知道我是怎麼樣才爬上對岸的。
I simply was unaware how I
managed to climb up to the opposite riverbank。
更使我喪氣的是腳上的鞋子不知什麼時候掉了一隻。
A real letdown was I did
not know when I lost a shoe on my foot。
我實在沒有勇氣重新回頭去找那隻丟失了的鞋子，
I did not have the nerve to
turn back and find the missing shoe。
可我也不敢回家，我怕媽媽知道。
But I did not have the
courage to return home either because I was afraid my mother would find out。
不，我並不是怕她打我。
No， I was not fearful she
would beat me up。
我是怕看見她那雙被貧困的生活折磨得失去了光彩的、哀愁的眼睛。那雙眼睛，會因為我丟失了鞋子而更加暗淡。
I was concerned I had to
look at her poverty-stricken， lackluster and sorrowful eyes which would be made
dimmer at the loss of my shoe。
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我獨自一人遊蕩在田野裡。
I wandered aimlessly in the wilderness。
太陽落山了，琥珀色的晚霞漸漸地從天邊退去。
The sun had set and amber evening glow had faded from edge of sky。
遠處，廟裡的鐘聲在薄幕中響起來。
Sounds from striking
gigantic bell in a temple afar could be heard。
羊兒咋咋地叫著，由放羊的孩子趕著迴圈了；
Goats bleated as they were being herded back to pens by child-shepherds。
烏鴉也派派地叫著回巢去了。
Crows cawed as they were
returning to their nests。
夜色越來越濃了，村落啦，樹林子啦，坑窪啦，溝渠啦，好像一下子全都掉進了神秘的沉寂 裡。
As it was getting deeper
into the night， it seemed villages， woodlands， hollows and ditches plunged
mysteriously into dead silence all of a sudden。
我聽見媽媽在村口焦急地呼喚著我的名字，只是不敢答應。
I heard the anxious call of
my name from my mother at the outer edge of the village， but I did not have the
courage to answer。
一種比飢餓更可怕的東西平生頭一次潛入了我那童稚的心……
For the first time in my
life， something which was more terrifying than hunger found its way stealthily into
my innocent mind。
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說過了這些，人們也許會理解我為什麼對芥菜有著那麼特殊的感情。
After I have said all
these， maybe people could understand why I feel special for Shepherd’s Purse
Vegetable。
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經過一個沒有什麼吃食可以尋覓、因而顯得更加飢餓的冬天，大地春回、萬物復甦的日子重新來臨了！
After a winter which seemed
more hunger-stricken when nothing edible could be found in wilderness， the days
had returned with descent of spring on earth and revival of living things in tens
of thousands。
田野里長滿了各種野菜：雪蒿、馬齒莧、灰灰菜、野蔥……
Wild vegetables flourished
everywhere in open country including snow-Artemisia， little hogweed， goosefoot，
and wild green-onion。
最好吃的是養菜。
The best tasting one would
be Shepherd’s Purse Vegetable。
把它下在玉米糊糊裡，再放上點鹽花，真是無上的美味啊！
It would be absolutely
delicious when you put them in cornmeal mush and sprinkle some fine salt on
top。
而挖薺菜時的那種坦然的心情，更可以稱得上是一種享受：提著籃子，邁著輕捷的步子，向廣闊無垠的田野裡奔去。
Moreover， in a trip to dig
them up， I would carry a basket， move in light-footed stride and run toward the
vast open country。 Such a worry-free mode could be considered an enjoyment all by
itself。
嫩生生的養菜，在微風中揮動它們綠色的手掌，招呼我，歡迎我。
Tender growths of the
vegetable would be waving their green palms in greeting and welcoming me。
我再也不必擔心有誰會拿著大棒子凶神惡煞似地追趕我，
I no longer had to fret
about a certain ferocious looking individual chasing after me with a big stick
in his hand。
我甚至可以不時地抬頭看看天上吱吱喳喳飛過去的小鳥，樹上綻開的花兒和藍天上白色的雲朵。
From time to time I could
even look at chirping birds flying by in the sky， blooming flowers on trees and
white clouds in blue sky。
那時，我的心裡便會不由地升起一個熱切的願望：巴不得這個世界上的一切，都像薺菜一樣是屬於我們每一個人的。
At the time， I couldn’t
help but have the earnest wish that everything in this world would belong to
each of us like Shepherd’s Purse Vegetable。
解放以後，我進了城。
After liberation I moved
into the city。
偶然，在大菜場裡，也可以看到人工培植的薺菜出售。
Occasionally in big
vegetable market I would see farm-grown Shepherd’s Purse Vegetable on sale。
長得肥肥大大的，總有半尺來長，洗得乾乾淨淨，水靈靈的。
They were good-sized （about
half a foot long）， cleanly washed and well-moist。
一小扎，一小扎，碼得整整齊齊地擺在菜攤子上，價錢也不貴。
Being piled up neatly in
small bundles on vegetable stands， their prices were not expensive。
可我，總還是懷念那長在野地裡的薺菜，就像懷念那些與自己共過患難的老朋友一樣。
But I still think of the
Shepherd’s Purse Vegetable grown in wilderness， just like I remember those old
friends who weathered through hard times with me by my side。
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多少年來，每到春天，我總要挑個風和日麗的日子，帶上孩子們到郊區的野地裡去挖薺菜。
For many years when spring
came， I would pick a bright sunny day and bring my children to wilderness in
countryside to dig for Shepherd’s Purse Vegetable。
我明白，孩子們之所以在我的身旁跳著，跑著，尖聲地打著唿哨，多半因為這對他們來說，是一種有趣的遊戲
I could understand children’s
hopping， running， screaming and whistling by my side was likely because it was
a fun game from their perspective。
——和煦的陽光，綠色的田野，就像一幅優美的風景畫似的展現在他們面前，使他們的身心全都感到愉快。
The warm sun and green
field were like scene in a beautiful landscape-painting displayed in their
plain view which made them happy all over。
他們長大一些之後，陪同我去挖薺菜，似乎就變成了對我的一種遷就了，
Once they grew older，
keeping me company to dig for Shepherd’s Purse Vegetable would become an
indulgence。
正像那些恭順的年輕人，遷就他們那些因為上了年紀而變得有點怪癖的長輩一樣。
It was much like those
obedient and respectful young individuals who would pamper their quirky aging
elders。
這時，我深感遺憾：他們多半不能體會我當年挖薺菜的心情！
At this moment， I feel very
sorry that unlikely they can appreciate how I felt when I dug for Shepherd’s
Purse Vegetable in those old days。
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等到我把一盤用精鹽、麻油、味精、白糖精心調配好的薺菜放到餐桌上去的時候（小的時候，我可是做夢也沒有想到我那可愛的薺菜會享受到今天這樣的“榮華富貴”），
I would carefully season a
tray of Shepherd’s Purse Vegetable with fine salt， sesame oil， MSG and white
sugar。 Than I would put it on the dinner table （Note： When I was small， I never
dreamed that my beloved Shepherd’s Purse Vegetable would enjoy today’s VIP
treatment。）
他們也還是帶著那種遷就的微笑，漫不經心地用筷子挑上幾根薺菜……。
My children would still be wearing that accommodating smile， and they would casually
pick up a few strands of the vegetable with their chopsticks。
看著他們那雙懶洋洋的筷子，我的心裡就像翻倒了五味瓶，什麼滋味都有。
In seeing their listless
chopsticks， I had mixed feelings in my mind。
因為我知道，這種賞光似的遷就，並不只是表現在對挖薺菜這一樁事情上，它還表現在對我們這一代人的一些見解和行為上。
It was because I knew this
sort of obliging accommodation was not a reflection on the matter of digging
for Shepherd’s Purse Vegetable only， but a manifestation of certain views and
behaviors of this generation。
在他們看來，我們的有些見解和行為，都像陳列在博物館裡的出土文物——離他們的現實生活太遠了，不頂用了。
From their perspectives， our
views and behaviors were much like unearthed cultural artifacts on display in
museums that had become antiquated from modern day lives to be of any practical
application。
自然，我也並不認為我們的見解和行為就完全正確。
Of course I did not think
our views and behaviors were all completely proper。
只要他們不覺得厭煩，我甚至願意跟他們談談我們在探索人生方面曾經走過的彎路，以便他們少付出一些不必要的代價。
If only they did not feel
it was a nuisance， I would be willing to discuss the winding paths that we had
experienced in lives just to spare them of some unnecessary prices they might
have to pay for mistakes。
我真希望我們之間不要成為隔膜很深的兩代人，而是心動相通的朋友。
I truly hoped we would not
become two distinctly different generations devoid of communication but would
be close friends with great mutual understanding。
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孩子，讓我們多談談心吧，讓媽媽多講講當“饞丫頭”時的故事給你們聽吧。
Children， let us have a
heart-to-heart talk and allow your mother to tell you the story on “Glutton
little girl”。
想想你們媽媽當年挖薺萊的情景，你們就會珍愛薺菜，珍愛生活。
When you ponder over the scenery
where your mother dug up Shepherd’s Purse Vegetable in those days， then you
would cherish the vegetable and life。
你們就會懂得什麼是幸福，怎樣才會得到幸福。
And then you would
understand what happiness is all about and how to acquire happiness。
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