Story of a Peapod / 豆莢的故事

最近很多人讓我想到這個問題，有一天當你離開台灣時，最想念的會是什麼？我想食物一定會高居排行榜的前幾名，可是生活裡總有一些很微妙的事物，沒有離開之前不會想到，離開之後，卻會在不經意時從我們的回憶裡滾出來，那就是想家的感覺吧！

Lately a lot of people have reminded me of the question—one day when you leave Taiwan, what will you miss most? I bet food will rank high, but there are always some subtle things or experiences we don’t take seriously when they are part of our lives. However, they’ll roll out of our memories when we find ourselves in faraway places from home. It is what we call nostalgia.

我為想家的匈牙利小姐做了一本小書，叫「豆莢的故事」，是說有顆小豆莢因為離家，想家想得要命，最後想著想著就變成人了。因為想念的心情和寂寞的感覺都是人與生俱來的情緒，就是住在家鄉，一定也會想念著另一個地方，既然如此，我們與其想要掙脫，不如接受這是身為人的一部份。

I wrote a story for the homesick Miss Hungary titled Story of a Peapod. It’s about a peapod which is so homesick that in the end the heart-breaking feeling turns her into a human being. I think that nostalgia and loneliness come into existence with our birth. Even when we live in our home countries, we miss somewhere else. Then, instead of struggling against it, we might as well accept the feeling as part of us.

獻給Carol

dedicated to Carol

從前有一顆小豆莢，對於她生活的地方不能更滿意了。

There was once a peapod. She loved everything about the world she lived in.

可是有一天，她因為工作，面臨了搬家的命運。

But one day, she had to leave for a new place because of her job.

新的世界裡，處處都是尖銳的稜角，她覺得自己像個局外人。

It was full of sharp edges. She couldn't fit in.

她的心下起雨來。

It rained in her heart.

她想念著他和她。

She missed him and her.

她想念著他們的空中花園。

She missed their garden in the air.

她想念著用愛調製的精力湯。

She missed the juice made with love.

於是一顆種子在她的心中萌芽。

A seed grew in her heart.

她想念巷口的小狗。

She missed the puppies in the neighborhood.

她想念下午茶的時光。

She missed the afternoon tea time.

她想念早晨的遠足。

She missed the morning outings.

她想念家鄉人們的友善，隨時隨地都有人對她伸出援手。

She missed the hand out there for her, whenever and wherever.

在她的心裡，花兒開始綻放，流水潺潺，天也亮了起來。

The flower bloomed, the river flowed and the sun shone in her heart.

她想著捷運列車劃破黑暗，衝入陽光裡的氣勢。

She missed the metro car breaking out of darkness into daylight.

她想著夏天的濕熱空氣和白亮亮的光線。

She missed the sweaty summer air and glowing sunshine.

她想著垃圾車每晚的優美樂聲。

She missed the melodious tune played every evening by the garbage truck.

她想著家鄉話的甜蜜語調。

She missed the sweetness of her mother tongue.

她想念一切遙遠的美好。

She missed all that was away from her.

在一片眼淚和思念當中，小豆莢發現自己變成了人‧‧‧

It was amid the tears and nostalgia that the peapod found herself transformed into a human.