boys / 男孩們

這個星期和學校簽約的健康診所來宿舍幫大家登記健康保險，護理人員說明各種基本服務，說到避孕這一塊時，很仔細地講解性行為過後的避孕丸使用方式，的確啦，現在我窗外的風景不只團體聚會，有一晚想問人交通問題，一打開窗戶，外面的兩個孩子已經親吻起來，我只好識相地關起窗。因為主講的先生說得很詳細，他一邊告訴大家第一天使用避孕丸的成效是多少，講到第五天，我很哀怨地環視交誼廳裡的男孩們，年齡幾乎是我的一半，還不包括性向考量，心想，為什麼要和我說這種話題，這裡沒有一個可以讓我覺得可能談戀愛的人，這真是歐巴桑的哀歌。

This week the GP health people came to Brooke Hall to register for students. The medical staff explained all kinds of basic service provided. When it comes to contraception, the speaker focused on morning-after pills. There is indeed the necessity for him to do so because now more and more stories are going on outside my window. There are not just group gatherings. One night when I would like to ask someone about transportation, I saw two kids kissing happily after opening the window. The only way for me to exit was to close the window again, quietly. The speaker explained in detail the effects of taking the pills on the first, second until fifth day after having sex. While he rambled on, I looked around the room with sadness because the boys in my sight are almost half my age, and I didn't take into account their preferred gender yet. I couldn't help sighing in my heart wondering the use of telling me about this subject. There is literally no one I can fall in love with here. 

昨晚回到家，眼前又是坐成一大圈的睡前趴，孩子們邊抽煙，腳邊放了稀稀落落的幾瓶啤酒，看來青春的人比我還要苦悶。安蒂吃完宵夜之後，我們試圖預估這場派對何時會結束，才剛把窗簾拉開，同一層的純情少男小查比手勢叫我們加入，我和小查只是點頭微笑的關係，我猜他一定是喝了酒。他目光瞥到桌上吃完的牛肉洋蔥派，居然整個嘴唇貼到窗戶上，留了個大唇印，我很確定他喝酒了，連第一次見到他的安蒂都說這孩子一看就知道是那種很害羞敏感脆弱的男孩。接著喬伊也滾到我的窗前，和我炫耀自己剪的新髮型。孩子們可能有得到歐巴桑的暗示，很識相地把派對移師到庭院的遠處。

Upon coming home last night, I was confronted with another huge circle of party in front of my window. Kids smoked, with a few bottles of beer scattered around. Andie and I had the feeling that these youngsters are much more bored than me. After Andie finished her midnight snacks, we attempted to estimate when this party would draw to an end. No sooner had I pulled open the curtains than Charles, a very pure-looking boy who lives on my floor, gestured for us to join them. In fact, we are on a nodding and smiling term, no more than that, so I guessed he had drunk. When he glimpsed the emptied tray of beef and opinion pie, he glued his lips to my window, leaving a very passionate lip print on it. I was deadly sure that he had drunk because even Andie, who saw him for the first time last night, could tell that he is a shy, sensitive and maybe fragile boy. Next, Joey, who was playing with someone else, came to my window to show me his new haircut. Kids might have got the hint of the two middle-aged women, so they moved to the far end of the courtyard to continue their party. 

晚上要入睡前，我和安蒂很無聊地閒扯，如果是小查那種男孩適不適合談戀愛，安蒂說她會考慮那樣的男孩，我說他的愛可能很沉重，接著我就天馬行空地編故事，小查和住在他旁邊的愛德華很要好，但也許有一天酷哥阿華愛上別人，傷心的小查會不會來敲我窗戶說要和我談談，安蒂說應該不會，他可能會坐在窗前哭，是我會打開窗問他要不要進來喝一杯茶，然後我們就變成好朋友等等。（我在光天化日之下打這個白癡的故事時，小查和一位稍年長的金髮女士在我眼前緊緊擁抱，好像是後者要走了。）

Before going to bed, Andie and I gossiped out of boredom. We talked about whether we'd consider falling in love with someone like Charles. Andie said she'd give it a thought. I then reminded her, "His love might be heavy..." Then I went on to make up silly stories. Based on my observation, Charles is quite close to his neighbor Edward, but one day when the latter falls in love with someone else, heartbroken Charles might come knock on my window asking if I could talk to him. Andie said he would probably sit in front of my window weeping and that I would open the window to invite him in for a cup of tea. I carried on to suggest that we we might become buddies etc. (While I am typing this terribly stupid story, Charles is hugging tightly a slightly older blonde lady right in front of my eyes. Looks like the woman is leaving.) 

雖然Brooke Hall裡沒有人可以談戀愛，男孩們愛吸煙，晚上還每天在我窗前聊到半夜，入睡前想到這些半熟不熟的孩子們，突然也有種依靠的感覺，並且暗自高興我不是住在充斥著和我年齡一樣的博士生宿舍。再怎麼樣男孩們也是我這一年的重要風景啊！

Though there is no one for me to love in Brooke Hall and the boys can't live without cigarettes and they chat like mad until midnight in front of my window almost every day, I feel that they can be my shoulders as well upon thinking of these kids whom I don't know well. I am secretly happy that it's not a dorm full of really dull PhD men who are of my age that I live in. Whatever happens, boys will form part of the tableau of my year in London!