Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Traveling with MY class IV / 我和二善的旅行 (四)








同伴 / Travel Companions

季節先生抱著病體出發,卻老是擔心女孩太晚睡、沒吹頭髮會感冒、身邊有為女孩準備的好幾噸糧食,因為易碎,三包泡麵還用紙盒裝起來,我常常偷聽季節先生和女孩的談話,然後我會問自己,為什麼我都沒想到要關心這些細節,季節先生的大嗓門下藏著溫柔的靈魂。

Mr. Season left for Hualien with a cold and a rash, but he cared more about the girls than himself. He worried that they would come down with flu if they went to bed too late without drying their hair. He prepared two kilos of chocolate and well-protected instant noodles. I often eavesdropped Mr. Season’s dialogues with the girls. Afterwards, I would ask myself how come it had never occurred to me to pay attention to these details. Beneath Mr. Season’s thunderous voice dwells a super tender soul.

出發之前,潘蜜拉問,季節太太是怎麼樣的人,我從過去模糊的印象,大約為她勾勒出季節太太的樣子。當她出現在月台上時,季節先生的線條變柔軟,我們感受到兩個人之間的暖流,淡淡地。

Before we embarked on the train, Pamela wondered what kind of person Mrs. Season is. I gave her a quick sketch based on my past knowledge. When she actually appeared on the platform, Mr. Season’s face softened. We felt a warm current flowing between the couple.

雖然我見過季節太太兩次,這次才直接感受她的體貼。季節太太是不加太多鹽的蛋花湯,沒有任何俏麗的包裝,卻令人很窩心,從她大方地分享和季節先生的認識,擔心季節先生感冒更嚴重,連續兩天冒著被先生責備的風險,默默地想要為他舖墊子,深夜不睡等著為女孩吹頭髮,到最後一晚我爬上閣樓,發現我的睡袋已經打開雙臂等著我,季節太太說,我幫你舖好了,季節太太和季節先生有著同樣細膩的神經。

I had met Mrs. Season twice before, but I didn’t get to see how considerate she is until this time. Mrs. Season is like chicken soup. She is far away from the most dazzling star in a group of people, but she has a certain charm that warms my heart. For instance, knowing that Mr. Season would scold her, she still took the risk to lay the mats for him out of the concern that his cold might worsen. She attempted the loving act for two consecutive days, after being caught in the act by him the first time. Also, she waited into midnight with Mr. Season for the girls who took late showers to dry their hair for them. On the last night, when I crawled up to the attic in the dark, my sleeping bag was already there, all ready for me. Mr. and Mrs. Season have the same fine nerves and always put themselves in others’ shoes.

魔羯小姐一直很低調,可是我們談到她和先生相遇之際,她的臉上有著喜悅的美麗。人和人相遇的故事,即使是六十年後再回顧,時間都抹不掉敘述那一刻的光芒。我們談的是我不認識的人,卻讓我看見魔羯小姐的美麗。

Ms. Capricorn is one of the most low-profile colleagues I have had. However, one evening when she mentioned the first encounter with her husband, her face beamed with light. I can’t help thinking, when we look back on our encounters with people even sixty years later, the dust accumulated with time can’t take away our glow. I don’t know Mr. Capricorn personally, but their story reflects Ms. Capricorn’s beauty.

這次旅行裡我找到我的反社會雙人組同伴,我們常常是漂浮的狀態,別人開心照相時,我們就在旁邊的角落塗塗抹抹,可是我們在群體中又有種安心的依靠感,所以當該做一些符合社會期待的事時,我們也能妥協。

On this trip, I found my partner, who is as anti-social as me. We drifted at our own pace, in our own space. When others took self-portraits happily, we would doodle in the corners. However, we felt so comforted and at ease in a crowd. That explains for our silent cooperation when we were demanded to live up to others’ expectations.

這件事不是新聞了,可是我很得意,被我發現最俊帥的小男生居然在一年之後性格有了大改變,去年在大家入睡之後還執意在操場前沉思的男孩,今年臉上洋溢著開心,還在大家面前唱歌,可見人很有潛力和改變空間,是甚麼讓他改變了呢?

Well, this is no big news, but I am too proud to let this go without being noticed. The youngest and cutest guy at school underwent obvious change in personalities, and it was me that declared the discovery in front of everyone. The boy that mused all alone after everyone had gone to sleep last winter wasn’t afraid to sing in front of the public this year. Shouldn’t I believe that everyone has great potential?

I do want to know, what made him change?

法國小姐一開始顯露的是她緊張求好心切的個性,不過到了第三天,她的熱情讓我終於肯面對收睡袋這個非常艱難的任務,有她的協助,我一點都不擔心了。第四天早上,法國小姐起床的第一句話是,我要回家了!我不解地問:你真的是在法國住過五年的人嗎?她說:就是因為住了五年,才知道家的好,現在我再也不要離開家了!

唸法文的不一定都很不食人間煙火!

On the first day, Miss France impressed me as a tense young lady. Yet on the third day, the same intensity moved me. Because of her enthusiasm, I was finally willing to face the challenging task of squeezing the fluffy blanket into the sleeping bag. On the fourth day, the first remark Miss France made when she woke up was, “Hurray, I am going home!” I couldn’t help but ask, “Didn’t you spend five years in Paris?” Going away must be as breezy as a piece of cake for her. She replied, “It’s right because I lived away from home that I want to be nowhere but home now!”

French majors aren’t necessarily adventurous or unworldly souls!

那一天我們在山裡頭用雙腳繞來繞去,小情人和她的情人講著電話,一個在深山裡,一個在城市裡。學期中和小情人說話時,看到的是她緊繃低落的心情,在山裡,小情人輕身細語地安慰著遠方的戀人,感覺是個大大人,有顆寬容的心。

That afternoon when we went on a relaxing hike on the winding roads in the mountains, Miss Love was conversing with her lover on the cell phone. She was in the wild while he was in the city. When I talked to Miss Love during the semester, she was frustrated with work. One month later, away from the crowd, Miss Love whispered loving words to “him” like a mature adult with a big heart.

在天祥的郵筒前有位年紀略長的外國旅人,他反覆地閱讀即將寄出的明信片,我站在他背後,隱隱約約看到密密麻麻的字跡。多希望我是那個收到明信片的人。

In front of the mailbox in Tien-shian stood an elderly foreign traveler. He perused the two postcards about to be sent out repeatedly. Standing behind him, my heart throbbed when I glimpsed at the ant-like words. How I wished I were the one to receive his mail from the mountains.

小黑 / Blackie

山裡頭的狗有情有義,認識才不過一天,我們去探險時,跛腳的小黑和一群同夥表明了要為我們開路,還不時回頭點人數,半路闖入其他狗的領土時,也不後退。連一隻狗都盛情款待城市來的訪客。

The dogs in the mountains are especially friendly. We were merely one-day acquaintances, but on our adventure, Blackie with a lame foot and his jackals volunteered to lead. As a leader, Blackie involuntarily turned back to check if everyone caught up. Upon intruding other dogs’ territories, Blackie barked back at them and even bared his teeth to bite the hostile one. Even a dog showed his hospitality to visitors from the big city.

小朋友 / Children

第一天的晚上吃完飯,我覺得好可愛的周伸權對我說:「好吃吧!」我只有對某件非常引以為傲的事物才能如此和別人分享,希望他這一輩子都不要失去這樣的驕傲。

After dinner on the first evening, the cute little guy said to me, “Isn’t it yummy!” I use that tone only when I want to share with others what I consider precious. I hope he’ll never lose that kind of pride in his whole life.

某天的午餐飯都沒了,momo使力地要把飯鍋上的飯摳下來,台北人走進廚房說,再來點飯吧,為甚麼飯煮得那麼少呢?momo的老師說,你再試試看,那些摳下來的還可以吃‧‧‧

One noon we ran out of rice. Momo spared no effort to collect the remaining rice stuck on the inside of the cooker. The visitors from Taipei walked into the kitchen, asking for more rice. Momo’s teacher said, “If you try harder, you’ll collect a bowl of rice from a seemingly-empty cooker.”

團體裡總有一些獨者,初看之下好像是他們自己的選擇,但是要當獨行俠,需要令人想像不到的勇氣,所以很多時候走上孤獨的路不是出於自願,是因為在團體裡找不到自己的位置。

There are always some loners in a group. At first sight, running away from others appears to be of their own choosing. The truth is, it takes tremendous courage to be a loner. The truth is, those who make such a choice can’t find their own niches in a crowd.

楚林說,他的名字裡有四個木,因為他屬馬,所以需要用木頭綑住他;他的心願是變成老爺爺,可以當老大,這樣就可以用電腦。

Trudy said, his animal zodiac is horse, so his parents gave him a name full of “wood” in meaning to tie him down. His wish is to become the grandpa of the family so that he can use the computer freely.

我問自己,我憑甚麼如此搖擺走入別人的生活,無交換條件接受他們如此坦誠的對待,如果是我,明知道要分離,也會在兩三天之內毫無保留,伸出雙臂擁抱剛認識的朋友嗎?

謝謝你們那些無價的天真。

I ask myself, what rights do I have to walk into others’ life to be treated so sincerely without having to give anything in return? If I knew that we would eventually say goodbye within two or three days, would I hold out my arms for those I’ve just met?

Thank you for your priceless innocence.

5 comments:

潘蜜拉 said...

好吧原來這就是大姊和大哥(= = )之間的小
祕密= )
看起來頗甜蜜頗相敬如賓兼舉案齊眉:目

"在團體裡面找不到位置"聽起來總是讓人讓麼鼻酸,所以我也奉獻了我一滴珍貴的淚水: )
回歸到bushiban的生活還真難熬,我想如果在有一個晚上睡很臭的房間,我也願意

Bean said...

哈, 現在可以打中文!
我好喜歡你這一篇

Weichuen You said...

Pamela: 小潘潘是補全科班嗎? 有空的時候去戶外走走,不然假期很快就結束啦!

Bean: 我們有最佳獻禮要給你,你等著!

Unknown said...

我也好喜歡妳描述的這些感動,很有畫面,很棒!

Weichuen You said...

每個人都自成一幅畫!