-
SH01
翻译：边城
(
第一章
:
一至八章
)(
沈从文
)
Translation:
Border-City (Shen Congwen)
(translated
by: alexcwlin; edited by: Adam Lam)
一九三四年四月二十四日记
Diarized on April 24th, 1934
-------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------
一
Chapter One
------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
由四川过湖南去，靠东有一条官路。
On the way from Sichuan going to Hunan,
there was a government-built roadheading towards
the east.
这官路将近湘西边境到了一个地方名为<
/p>
―
茶峒
‖
的小山
城时，
When this road
approached the province boundary line of Xiangxi,
it came to a small mountain city called
―Chadong‖.
有一小溪，溪边有座白色小塔，
Nearby, there was a stream with a white
turret by its side.
塔下住了一户单独的人家。
Inside the turret lived a single
family.
------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
------------
这人家只一个老人，一个女孩子，一只黄狗。
This family consisted only of an old
man, a young girl and a yellow dog.
---
--------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
小溪流下去，绕山岨流，
Circling around the mountain, the
little stream flowed slowly down.
约三里便汇入茶峒的大河。
Approximately three miles
downstream,the creek emptied into a big river at
Chadong.
人若过溪越小山走去，则只一里路就到了茶峒城边。
If a person crossed the stream and went
over a small hill, then he would arrive at the
outskirts (1) of
Chadong City located
approximately one mile away.
溪流如弓背，山路如弓弦，
The
stream shaped like the arch of a bow with the
mountain footpath as the bow-string.
故远近有了小小差异。
There
was a slight difference in distance depending on
which route a person took.
小溪宽约二十丈，
The
stream was approximately twenty
―zhang
s
‖ across in
width.
河床为大片石头作成。
The riverbed was laid with big slaps of
rocks.
静静的水即或深到一篙不能落底，
The tranquil water was so deep that a
barge-pole could not reach its bottom.
却依然清澈透明，河中游鱼来去皆可以计数。
Yet the water was crystal-clear that
you could count the fish swimming in
it.
小溪既为川湘来往孔道，
The small stream was a narrow
passageway traveling between Sichuan and
Chadong.
水常有涨落，
There were high-water and low-water
times.
限于财力不能搭桥，就安排了一只方头渡船。
Due to financial reasons, a bridge was
not built and so a square-head ferryboat was
arranged to facilitate
travelers.
这渡船一次连人带马，约可以载二十位搭客过河，
In each trip, this ferry could carry
twenty passengers and their horses across the
river.
人数多时则反复来去。
If passenger count was high, then the
ferry would make several consecutive
trips.
渡船头竖了一枝小小竹竿，挂着一个可以活动的铁环，
A movable iron ring was hung on a small
bamboo stick erected at the front of the
ferry.
溪岸两端水槽牵了一段废缆，
Linking water troughs at both
riverbanks was a dilapidated cable.
有人过渡时，把铁环挂在废缆上，
When people crossed the river, the iron
ring would be hung on the cable.
船上人就引手攀缘那条缆索，慢慢的牵船过对岸去。
A person on the boat would slowly pull
on the cable and lead the boat across to the
opposite side of the
river.
船将拢岸了，管理这渡船的，一面口中嚷着
―
< br>慢点慢点
‖
，
When the boat approached shore, the
ferry-
caretaker would shout: ―Take it
easy! Slow down!‖
自己霍的跃上了岸，拉着铁环，
Then he would abruptly jump ashore
holding onto the iron ring.
于是人货牛马全上了岸，翻过小山不见了。
Everything on the boat, including
people, goods, cows and horses, would get on
shore, cross the small hill,
and
disappear.
渡头为公家所有，故过渡人不必出钱。
The ferry was a government property,
and as such, there was no charge for people
crossing in the ferry.
有人心中不安，
Some
people felt ill at ease getting a free
ride.
抓了一把钱掷到船板上时，
They
would grab a handful of copper coins and throw
them on the ferry-deck.
管渡船的必为一一拾起，依然塞到那人手心里去，
The caretaker would pick them up one by
one and stuff them back to the palms of the
persons.
俨然吵嘴时的认真神气：
―
我有了口量，三斗米，七百钱，
Then he would put on the same type of
serious expression during argument and say: ―I get
paid enough to
feed myself at three
?dou
s
‘ of rice and seven
hundred copper coins.
够了。谁要这个
!‖
That‘s enough for me and I don‘t need
th
ese
.‖
------------------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------
但不成，
But that
wouldn‘t
work.
凡事求个心安理得，出气力不受酬谁好意思，
People wanted peace of mind and they
would feel uneasy if a person did them a favor and
would not take
their money.
不管如何还是有人把钱的。
Regardless there were still people who
wanted to stuff money into the boatman‘s
pocket.
管船人却情不过，
He obliged because saying ―no‖
persistently could ruin his
rapport
with people.
也为了心安起见，便把这些钱托人到茶峒去买茶叶和草烟，
However, to clear his conscience he
asked people to buy tea and tobacco with that
money in Chadong.
将茶峒出产的上等草烟，一扎一扎挂在自己腰带边，
Then he put Chadong-produced top-grade
tobacco in small bundles and hung them on his
waist band.
过渡的谁需要这东西必慷慨奉赠。
He would generously give away the
tobacco to any ferry-commuter who wanted
it.
有时从神气上估计那远路人对于身边草烟引起了相当的
注意时，便把一小束草烟扎到那人包袱上
去，
Sometimes judging from expression that
a distant traveler was considerably interested in
his tobacco, he
would stick a small
bundle of it in the person‘s cloth
baggage.
一面说，
―
不吸这个吗，
At the same
time he would say: ―Don‘t you smoke
this?
这好的，这妙的，味道蛮好，
This is good, wonderful and great-
tasting.
送人也合式
!‖
It makes for terrific
gift
as well.‖
茶叶则在六月里放进大缸里去，用开水泡好，给过路人解渴。
For those tea-leaves, he would make a
big vat of tea in June for passers-by (2) to
quench thirst.
------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
------------------
管理这渡船的，就是住在塔下的那个老人。
The person who looked after this ferry
was the old man who lived in the
turret.
活了七十年，从二十岁起便守在这小溪边，
He was seventy years old and had been
caretaking this small stream since he was
twenty.
五十年来不知把船来去渡了若干人。
During these fifty years, he had
ferried countless people back and forth the
stream.
年纪虽那么老了。本来应当休息了，但天不许他休息，
Even though he was old and should have
quit working to rest, destiny appeared to get in
the way.
他仿佛便不能够同这一分生活离开。
It seemed he could not be separated
from this part of his life.
他从不思索自己的职务对于本人的意义，只是静静的很忠实的在那里活下去。
He never thought about what work meant
to him, but dutifully lived on at that place
quietly.
代替了天，使他在日头升起时，感到生活的
力量，当日头落下时，又不至于思量与日头同时死去
的，是那个伴在他身旁的女孩子。<
/p>
The little girl by his side
was the equivalent of heaven to him. In her, he
felt the vivaciousness of life at
sunrise and would not think about death
in association at sunset.
他唯
一的朋友为一只渡船与一只黄狗，唯一的亲人便只那个女孩子。
His only friends were the ferry and a
yellow dog; his lone relative was the little girl.
---------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
---
女孩子的母亲，老船夫的独生女，
The little
girl‘s deceased
mother was the old boatman‘s only
daughte
r.
十五年前同一个
茶峒军人，很秘密的背着那忠厚爸爸发生了暧昧关系。
Fifteen years ago, the mother secretly
had an affair with a Chadong soldier behind her
good-natured
father‘s back.
有了小孩子后，这屯戍军士便想约了她一同向下游逃去。
After she was pregnant, the border-
guarding soldier wanted to elope with her by going
downstream of the
river.
--
--------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------
但从逃走的行为上看来，一个违悖了军人的责任，一个却必得离开孤独的父亲。
But an act of running away was seen as
breaching responsibilityof a soldier for one of
them and leaving a
lonesome father
behind for the other.
经过一番考虑
后，军人见她无远走勇气自己也不便毁去作军人的名誉，
After much consideration, the soldier
realized she did not have the courage to run far
away, and it was
inappropriate for him
to ruin the honor of a soldier.
就心想：一同去生既无法聚首，一同去死当无人可以阻拦，
So he thought since they could not be
together alive, then nobody could stop them if
they chose to die
concurrently.
首先服了毒。
He took
the poison first.
女的却关心腹中的一块肉，不忍心，
But the girl was concerned about the
fetus in her womb and did not have the heart to
kill it.
拿不出主张。
As such, she could not take a
stand.
事情业已为作渡船夫的父亲知道，父亲却不加上
一个有分量的字眼儿，
The situation was
found out by the ferry-boatman father and he did
not utter a single harsh word.
只作为并不听到过这事情一样，仍然把日子很平静的过下去。
He simply pretended he never heard of
this matter and continued to live a quiet
life.
女儿一面怀了羞惭一面却怀了怜悯，仍守在父亲身边，
The daughter was both shameful and
sympathetic,
but continued to stay by
her father‘s side.
待到腹中小孩生下后，却到溪边吃了许多冷水死去了。
After the baby was born, she went to
the stream and died from drinking a lot of cold
water.
在一种近于奇迹中，这遗孤居然已长大成人，一
转眼间便十三岁了。
In a development
that approached miracle, the orphan surprisingly
grew up to be thirteen years old in a
flash.
为了住处两山多篁竹，
翠色逼人而来，老船夫随便为这可怜的孤雏拾取了一个近身的名字，叫作
―
翠翠
‖
。
Since there were plenty of bamboo on
the two hills near where they lived and they were
overwhelmed
with the color green, the
old boatman casually gave this piteous orphan a
handy name,
―
Cuicui
‖
(which
meant
―green‖ in Chinese
).
----------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------
翠翠在风日里长养着，
Cuicui
was brought up amidst wind and sun.
把皮肤变得黑黑的，
Her
skin was tanned dark.
触目为青山绿水，一对眸子清明如水晶。
With green mountains and bluish water
everywhere in sight, her eyes were clearas
crystal.
自然既长养她且教育她，
Nature brought her up and educated
her.
为人天真活泼，
Her demeanor was innocent and
lively.
处处俨然如一只小兽物。
She
starkly resembled a little wild animal from top to
bottom.
人又那么乖，如山头黄麂一样，
Like a mountain deer, she was very
well-behaved.
从不想到残忍事情，从不发愁，从不动气。
In her personality, she never had cruel
thoughts, became sad, or got angry.
平时在渡船上遇陌生人对她有所注意时，便把光光的眼睛瞅着那陌生人，
Normally in the ferry when she ran
into a stranger who paid attention to her, she
would gaze back at him
with her bright
eyes.
作成随时皆可举步逃入深山的神气，
Concurrently, she would put on a manner
as if she would take off and run deep into the
mountain any
time.
但明白了人无机心后，就又从从容容的在水边玩耍了。
But once she understood the person had
no ill intention, she would then put down her
guard and play
leisurely beside the
water.
--------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
----------
老船夫不论晴雨，必守在船头。
Rain or shine, the old boatman would
always stand by at the front of the
boat.
有人过渡时，便略弯着腰，两手缘引了竹缆，把船横渡过小溪。
When someone wanted to cross the stream
using the ferry, he would bend down slightly and
use both
hands to guide the boat across
the stream along the bamboo-strip rope.
有时疲倦了，躺在临溪大石上睡着了，
Sometimes when he got tired, he would
lie down on the big rock beside the stream to take
a nap.
人在隔岸招手喊过渡，翠翠不让祖父起身，
When people on the opposite shore waved
and shouted to indicate they needed to get across,
Cuicui
would not allow Grandpa to get
up.
就跳下船去，很敏捷的替祖父把路人渡过溪，
She would jump down the boat and
swiftly got the travelers across the
stream.
一切皆溜刷在行，从不误事。
Everything proceeded proficiently
without ever missing a beat.
有时又和祖父黄狗一同在船上，
At
times, she and the dog would keep Grandpa company
on the ferry.
过渡时和祖父一同动手，
She
would help Grandpa with the manual work in
operating the ferry.
船将近岸边，祖
父正向客人招呼：
―
慢点，慢点
‖
时，
When the ferry
was getting close to shore, Grandpa would caution
the passengers in saying: ―Slowly!
Take
it easy!‖
那只黄狗便口衔绳子，最先一跃而上，且
俨然懂得如何方为尽职似的，把船绳紧衔着拖船拢岸。
The
dog would carry the rope in its mouth,lead the way
to jump on land and haul the boat along shore
looking like it knew exactly how to do
its job.
------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
------------
风日清和的天气，无人过渡，镇日长闲，
On a beautiful day under gentle breeze
and lovely sunshinewith nobody using the ferry, it
would then be a
whole day in
relaxation.
祖父同翠翠便坐在门前大岩石上晒太阳。
Grandpa and Cuicui would sunbathwhile
sitting on a big rock a few steps away from the
front door.
或把一段木头从高处向水中抛去，
At times, they would throw a piece of
wood from an elevated spot into the
water.
嗾使身边黄狗自岩石高处跃下，把木头衔回来。
They then egged the dog on to jump down
from high up on the rock to retrieve the wood in
its mouth.
或翠翠与黄狗皆张着耳朵，听祖父说些
城中多年以前的战争故事。
Other
times,Cuicui and the dog would listen to Grandpa
telling war stories which happened in the city
many years ago.
或
祖父同翠翠两人，各把小竹作成的竖笛，逗在嘴边吹着迎亲送女的曲子。
Some other times, Grandpa and Cuicui
would put bamboo-clarinets in their mouths and
play wedding
ceremony music in sending
off or welcoming a bride.
过渡人来了，老船夫放下了竹管，独自跟到船边去，横溪渡人，
When a traveler came, the old boatman
would put down the bamboo pipe and go to the boat
alone to ferry
the person
across.
在岩上的一个，见船开动时，于是锐声喊着：
The little girl sitting on the rock
inwatching the boat take off would shout with a
resounding voice:
---------------------
--------------------------------------------------
---------------------
―
爷爷，爷爷
，你听我吹，你唱
!‖
―Grandpa, listen to me play while you
sing.‖
---------------------
--------------------------------------------------
---------------------
爷爷到溪中央便很快乐的唱起来，
When Grandpa got to the center of the
stream, he would start singing
joyously.
哑哑的声音同竹管声振荡在寂静空气里，
The mix of grated voice and clarinet
music vibrated in thepeaceful air.
溪中仿佛也热闹了一些。
(
实则歌声的来复，反
而使一切更寂静一些了。
)
Seemingly, the
stream became a bit livelier. (Actually with the
singing bouncing back and forth,
everything turned more tranquil.)
-------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
有时过渡的是从川东过茶峒的小牛，是羊群，是新娘子的花轿，翠翠必争看作渡船夫，<
/p>
Sometimes when calves,
goats, or bridal-sedan-chair party from Eastern
Sichuan coming through
Chadong rode on
the ferry, Cuicui would eagerly assume the
boatperson role in order to take a closer
look.
站在船头，懒懒的攀引缆索，让船缓缓的过去。
She would stand at the bow and
slothfully pull the rope to lead the boat across
slowly.
牛羊花轿上岸后，翠翠必跟着走，站到小山头，
Once the calves, goats or bridal-sedan-
chair party got on shore, Cuicui always would
follow them from
behind right up to the
top of the small hill.
目送这些东西走去很远了，方回转船上，
Then she would stand there and watch
until they had gone a good distance before she
turned back to the
boat.
把船牵靠近家的岸边。且独自低低的学小羊叫着，学母牛叫着，
After she hauled the boat alongshore,
she would quietly imitate baaing of littlegoat or
mooing ofcow by
herself
alone.
或采一把野花缚在头上，独自装扮新娘子。
Sometimes, she would mimic a bridge and
tie a bunch of wild-flowers on her head.
------------------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------
茶峒山城只隔渡头一里路，买油买盐时，
A mile away from the ferry landing was
the mountain-city of Chadong where daily supplies
such as
cooking oil and salt could be
purchased.
逢年过节祖父得喝一杯酒时，祖父不上城，
InChinese New Year or a festival after
Grandpa had a drink of wine, he would skip the
regular trip to the
city.
黄狗就伴同翠翠入城里去备办东西。
Then the yellow dog would keep Cuicui
companyintraveling to town for household supply
purchases.
到了卖杂货的铺子里，有大把的粉条，
大缸的白糖，有炮仗，有红蜡烛，
In arriving
at a variety store, available for sale in display
were noodles in bundles, white-sugar in vat,
firecrackers, red candles,
etc.
莫不给翠翠很深的印象，
All ofthem impressed Cuicui
greatly.
回到祖父身边，总把这些东西说个半天。
When she got back to Grandpa, she
always talked about those things she saw for a
good half day.
那里河边还有许多上行船，百十船夫忙着起卸百货。
Over in town, there were many upstream-
travelingboats, and hundreds of boatmen were busy
loading and
unloading goods on and off
the boatsm.
这种船只比起渡船来全大得多，有趣味得多，
This type of boat was much bigger and
more interesting than
Cuicui‘s
family
ferry.
翠翠也不容易忘记。
Those
were things which Cuicui would not easily forget.
---------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
---
附注：
(1)
―Outskirts‖
or ―Outskirt‖
There is no
such word as ―outskirt‖, and
―outskirts‖—
a plural noun, is the
correct spelling. It means
the edge of
town/city.
(2)
―Passer
s-
by‖ or
―Passer
-
bys‖
Pay attention that the plural form of
―passer
-
by‖ (meaning
somebody going past) is
―passers
-
by‖
and
not
―passer
-
bys‖.
------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
二
Chapter Two
------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
茶峒地方凭水依山筑城，
Chadong built its city bymountain-side
and beside the water.
近山的一面，城墙如一条长蛇，缘山爬去。
On the side near the mountain, there
was a long snake-like city wall which crawled
along the mountain.
临水一面则在城外河边留出余地设码头，湾泊小小篷船。
Outside of the city along the river, a
section was set aside to build piers where small
awning-boats
moored.
船下行时运桐油青盐，染色的棓子。
Boats going downstream would be
transporting tung-oil, lake salt and gallnuts (a
color-dying ingredient).
------------
--------------------------------------------------
------------------------------
上行则运棉花棉纱以及布匹杂货同海味。
Boats going upstream would be carrying
raw cotton, cotton-yarn, cloth, groceries, and
seafood-products.
贯串各个码头有一条河街，
Linking all the piers was a riverside
street.
人家房子多一半着陆，一半在水，
Many residents‘ houses were half on
land and half in water.
因为余地有限，那些房子莫不设有吊脚楼。
Because available land was limited,
sections of those houses were on
stilts.
河中涨了春水，到水逐渐进街后，
During high-water in spring, some of
the water would progressively overflow onto the
street.
河街上人家，便各用长长的梯子，一端搭在屋
檐口，一端搭在城墙上，
Families living
along River Street would rest one side of long
ladders on roof-eaves and the other side on
the city-wall.
人人皆骂着嚷着，带了包袱、铺盖、米缸，从梯子上进城里去，
While swearing and screaming, they
would bring along their luggage, bedding, rice-
vats etc. and climbup
the ladders into
the city.
水退时方又从城门口出城。
After water retreated, they would exit
the city through the gate.
某
一年水若来得特别猛一些，沿河吊脚楼必有一处两处为大水冲去，
In a certain year when flow of water
was particularly strong, one or two locations of
the stilt-houses along
the river could
be washed away.
大家皆在城上头呆望。受损
失的也同样呆望着，对于所受的损失仿佛无话可说，
All
the people watched helplessly from the top of the
city wall, including those victims who were
stunned
speechless in witnessing
damages being done to their property.
与在自然安排下，眼见其他无可挽救的不幸来时相似。
Their situationsweremuch like other
unfortunate souls who were powerless to do
anything when
overwhelming natural
disaster struck.
涨水时在城上还可望着骤然展宽的河面，流水浩浩荡荡，
When water rose, those standing on top
of the city could see the suddenly broadening
river surface and
torrential water-
flow.
随同山水从上流浮沉而来的有房子、牛、羊、大树。
Bobbing in mountain water were houses,
cows, goats and big trees.
于是在水势较缓处，税关趸船前面，便常常有人驾了小舢板，
In front of the customhouse, pontoons,
and places where water-current slowed down, often
there were
people in sampans circling
around.
一见河心浮沉而来的是一匹牲畜，一段小木，
或一只空船，船上有一个妇人或一个小孩哭喊的声
音，便急急的把船桨去，
In seeing floating in water was
livestock, or wood-block/empty-boat with a voice
of woman/child coming
from it, they
would quickly paddle over to help.
在下游一些迎着了那个目的物，把它用长绳系定，再向岸边桨去。
Downstream, people in boats would
approach objects in water, tie them with long
ropes and tow them
towards shore.
-------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
这些诚实勇敢的人，也爱利，也仗义，同一般当地人相似。
These honest and courageous people were
helpful and righteous, and their behaviors were
typical of those
of local
residents.
不拘救人救物，却同样在一种愉快冒险
行为中，做得十分敏捷勇敢，
In selflessly
rescuing people and animals, they were quick and
brave in carrying out those adventurous
deeds with pleasure.
使人见及不能不为之喝彩。
People catching sight of such
actionscould not help butapplaud.
-----
--------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------
那条河水便是历史上知名的酉水，新名字叫作白河。
The river was the historically famous
Youshui River, and its new name is Baihe
River.
白河下游到辰州与沅水汇流后，便略显浑浊，有
出山泉水的意思。
Downstream, Baihe
River arrived at Chenzhou. Once it joined Yuan
River, the water looked muddy,
which
seemed to reflect the saying that ―spring water
can no longer stay pure once it exits the
mountain‖
(Note: This saying is used to
insinuate that a person can no longer remain
righteous once he becomes a
government
official.)
若溯流而上，则三丈五丈的深潭皆清澈见底。
If someone goes upstream, then pools
three to five ―zhangs‖ deep were so
crystal
-clear thathe could see
the bottom.
深潭为白日
所映照，河底小小白石子，有花纹的玛瑙石子，全看得明明白白。
Under light of the bright sun, he could
distinctly see the little white pebbles, which
included agate-stones,
at river bottom.
---------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
---
水中游鱼来去，全如浮在空气里。
Those fish swimming in limpid water
seemed to be floating on air.
两岸多高山，
High
mountains were standing on both shores of the
river.
山中多可以造纸的细竹，
Growing in mountains were slender
bamboo plants which could be used to make
paper.
长年作深翠颜色，逼人眼目。
Such bamboo,which was dark green all
year round, was dazzling to the eyes.
近水人家多在桃杏花里，
Most
people living near the water over there built
their homes amid peach and apricot
flowers.
春天时只需注意，凡有桃花处必有人家，凡有人家处必可沽酒。
In spring, you would notice there were
families where there were flowers, and there were
wine-vendors
where there were
families.
夏天则晒晾在日光下耀目的紫花布衣裤，
可以作为人家所在的旗帜。
In summer,
glaring purple clothes hanging to dry under the
sun would be banners identifying where
families were.
秋冬来时，房屋在悬崖上的，滨水的，无不朗然入目。
When fall and winter came, houses on
cliffs and waterfronts were clearly
noticeable.
黄泥的墙，乌黑的瓦，位置则永远那
么妥贴，且与四围环境极其调和，
Yellow-earth
walls and dark-black tiles of these houses were
always positioned fittingly and harmonized
with the environments
around.
使人迎面得到的印象，实在非常愉快。
Such sceneries projected pleasing
impressions on people coming straight towards
them.
一个对于诗歌图画稍有兴味的旅客，在这小河中，
蜷伏于一只小船上，作三十天的旅行，必不至
于感到厌烦，
A traveler who was somewhat interested
in poems, songs, and pictures would not find it
boring while
curling up in a small boat
for a thirty-day trip.
正因为处处有奇迹，自然的大胆处与精巧处，
It was because everywhere there were
wonders as well as bold and exquisite creations of
nature.
无一处不使人神往倾心。
Every
bit of these marvels was captivating and
heartfelt.
----------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
--------------
白河的源流，从四川边境而来，
Baihe River originated from the border
of Sichuan.
从白河上行的小船，春水发时可以直达川属的秀山。
A little boat on Baihe River during
spring‘s high water could sail all the way to
Xiushan Mountain of
Sichuan
District.
但属于湖南境界的，则茶峒为最后一个水码头。
But within the boundary of Hunan,
Chadong was the last waterway pier.
这条河水的河面，在茶峒时虽宽约半里，
The width of the river surface was
approximately half-a-mile at Chadong.
<
/p>
当秋冬之际水落时，河床流水处还不到二十丈，其余只是一滩青石。
However, during low water season in
autumn/winter, water dropped to less than
twenty ―zhangs‖
at
riverbed and the rest was a stretch of
blue stones.
-------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
-----------------
小船到此后，既无从上行，
When
a small boat reached this spot, it could not
continue to travel upstream.
故凡川东的进出口货物，皆由这地方落水起岸。
Therefore, all the import/export goods
in and out of Eastern Sichuan had to be unloaded
from boats in
water and re-routed
through land.
出口货物俱由脚夫用杉木扁担压
在肩膊上挑抬而来，入口货物也莫不从这地方成束成担的用人力
搬去。
< br>
All export-goods were carried by
fir-poles on porte
rs‘
shoulders
, and import-goods were also
manually
moved in bundles at this
location.
-----------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
-------------
这地方城中只驻扎一营由昔年绿营屯丁改编而成的戍兵，
及五百家左右的住户。
Inside the city
at this place was a battalion of border-guard
soldiers (which was reassigned from
green-
camp locally-based troop) and
approximately five-hundred households.
--------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------
(
这些住户中，除了一部分拥有了些山田同油坊，
(Among these households, some were
owners of hillside-plots and oil-mills.
或放账屯油、屯米、屯棉纱的小资本家外，
Others were small capitalists selling
oil, rice or cotton-yarn by extending
credit.
其余多数皆为当年屯戍来此有军籍的人家。
)
Most others were families with military
status who were linked to soldiers stationed at
that place some
years back.)
地方还有个厘金局，办事机关在城外河街下面小庙里，
This place had a Tax Collection
Department, and its administration office was
located outside of the city
in the
little temple on a riverside street.
经常挂着一面长长的幡信。
Hanging over the Department was a long
banner with the
department‘s symbol on
it.
局长则住在城中。
The director of the department lived
inside the city.
一营兵士驻扎老参将衙门，
A
battalion of soldiers was stationed inside the
garrison office.
除了号兵每天上城吹号玩
，使人知道这里还驻有军队以外，其余兵士皆仿佛并不存在。
Everyday other thanthe appearance of a
bugler blowing horn up on top of the city wall to
remind people
that there was still a
garrison stationed locally, it seemed all the
other soldiers were non-existent.
冬天的白日里，到城里去，便只见各处人家门前皆晾晒有衣服同青菜。
During
winter‘s
daytime inside the city, everywhere
clothes and green-vegetables were hung outside of
houses to be sun-dried.
红薯多带藤悬挂在屋檐下。用棕衣作成的口袋，装满了栗子榛子和其他硬壳果，也多悬挂在屋檐<
/p>
下。
Dangling
underneath house-eaveswere sweet potatoes with
vines attached as well as brown bags(made
from clothes) filled with chestnuts,
hazelnuts, and other hard-shell fruits.
屋角隅各处有大小鸡叫着玩着。
At
various house corners, chickens of all sizes were
chirping and frolicking.
间或有什么男子，占据在自己屋前门限上锯木，
Occasionally a man could be sawing wood
over thethreshold in front of his
house.
或用斧头劈树，把劈好的柴堆到敞坪里去一座一座如宝塔。
Or he could be chopping down a tree
with ax and organizing the chopped up wood into a
pagoda-shaped
pile on a spacious
yard.
又或可以见到几个中年妇人，穿了浆洗得极硬的蓝
布衣裳，胸前挂有白布扣花围裙，
Several
middle-aged women could be seen wearing starched-
stiff blue-color clothes with floral-pattern
aprons hanging in front of their
chests.
躬着腰在日光下一面说话一面作事。
They were bending down to work while
chatting at the same time.
一切总永远那么静寂，
Everything was always so
tranquil.
所有人民每个日子皆在这种单纯寂寞里过去。
All residents went through every day in
such monotonous and lonesome manners.
<
/p>
一分安静增加了人对于
―
人事
‖
的思索力，增加了梦。
Each bit of peacefulness enhanced these
people‘s
thoughts on worldly
matters and increased their
fantasies.
在这小城中生
存的，各人也一定皆各在分定一份日子里，怀了对于人事爱憎必然的期待。
For those people livingin this small
city, each one of them had certain expectations on
their likes and
dislikes among things
around them in the days ahead.
但这些人想些什么
?
But
what actually were these people thinking
about?
谁知道。
Nobody would know.
住在城中较高处，门前一站便可以眺望对河以及河中的景致，
Someone living at an higher location of
the city could step out of his front door and view
sceneries on the
opposite shore and at
mid-river.
船来时，远远的就从对河滩上看着无数纤夫。
When a boat arrived, numerous boat-
towers on the other shore of the river could be
seen coming from a
faraway
distance.
那些纤夫也有从下游地方，带了细点心洋糖之类，
Some towers from downstream brought
along small snacks, imported candies and similar
sort of things.
拢岸时却拿进城中来换钱的。
When the boat drew alongshore, those
towers would take those things to the city in
exchange for cash.
船来时，小孩子的想象，当在那些拉船人一方面。
So when a boat approached, little
children
‘s
fancies would be
centered on those boat-towers.
< br>大人呢，孵一巢小鸡，养两只猪，托下行船夫打副金耳环，带两丈官青布或一坛好酱油、一个双
< p>料的美孚灯罩回来，便占去了大部分作主妇的心了。
In the case of an adult, hatching a
nest of little chicks, raising a couple of pigs,
asking a downstream-
heading boatmanto
bring, as a favor, things such as a pair of
custom-fashioned gold-earrings,
two
―zhangs‖
of blue-cloth, a jar of good
soy-sauce, or a dual-material Mobil kerosene-
lampshade, would occupy the
mind.
-------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------ < /p>
这小城里虽那么安静和平但地方既为川东商业交易接头处，因此城外小小河街，情形却不同
了一
点。
This small
city was quiet and peaceful by itself. But since
it was a place where businesses in eastern
Sichuan connected, the situation was
slightly different on the small River Street
outside of the city.
也有商人落脚的客店，
There
were inns where merchants checked in.
坐镇不动的理发馆。
The
barbershop always stayed put at the same
location.
此外饭店、杂货铺、油行、盐栈、花衣庄
，莫不各有一种地位，装点了这条河街。
Besides,
each restaurant, variety store, oil vendor, salt
shop, and floral-clothing store played a role in
adorning this River Street.
还有卖船上用的檀木活车、竹缆与罐锅铺子，
In addition, there was a store which
sold sandalwood trolleys, bamboo-fiber ropes and
earthen-pots used
on boats.
介绍水手职业吃码头饭的人家。
There was family which made a living
off the pier as employment agent for
sailors.
小饭店门前长案上，常有煎得焦黄的鲤鱼豆
腐，身上装饰了红辣椒丝，卧在浅口钵头里，
On the
long table in front of a small restaurant, often
there were shallow-bowls of pan-fried crispy carp
and red-pepper-shred-decorated bean-
curd.
钵旁大竹筒中插着大把红筷子，
Inside a wide-mouth bamboo tube beside
the bowls were plenty of red
chopsticks.
不拘谁个愿意花点钱，这人就可以傍
了门前长案坐下来，抽出一双筷子到手上，
Anyone
who was willing to spend some money would be able
to sit down beside the long table by the
door and take out a pair of chopsticks
in his hand.
那边一个眉毛扯得极细脸上擦了白
粉的妇人就走过来问：
―
大哥，副爷，要甜酒
< br>?
要烧酒
?‖
A woman with plucked-to-a-small-line
eyebrows and powdered-white cheeks would come over
and ask,
―Boss, do you want sweet wine
or
rice-wine
?‖
男子火焰高一点的，谐趣的，对内掌柜有点意思的，必装成生气似的说：
―
吃甜酒
?
A man who
was haughty, humorous and somewhat interested in
the shopkeeper would feign to be
offended in saying, ―Are you suggesting
I should
drink sweet wine?
又不是小孩，
I am not a
child.
还问人吃甜酒
!‖
How could you ask me to drink sweet
wine?‖
那么，酽冽的烧酒，从大瓮里用竹筒舀出，倒进土碗里，
Then a strong rice-wine would be
scooped out with bamboo tube from a big jug and
poured into an
earthen bowl.
即刻就来到身边案桌上了。
The
bowl was quickly delivered to the table beside the
customer.
杂货铺卖美孚油及点美孚油的洋灯，与香烛纸张。
The variety store sold Mobil kerosene,
kerosene lamps, and joss
sticks/candles/papers.
油行屯桐油。
The oil
vendor stocked Chinese wood oil.
盐栈堆火井出的青盐。
The
salt shop stored lake-salt produced from gas
well.
花衣庄则有白棉纱、大布、棉花以及包头的黑绉绸出卖。
The floral clothing store had white
cotton yarn, coarse hemp cloth, cotton, and crepe
head-wraps available
for
sale.
卖船上用物的，百物罗列，无所不备，
The boat supplies store had merchandise
of all shapes, sizes and varieties.
且间或有重至百斤以外的铁锚搁在门外路旁，等候主顾问价的。
Occasionally,
an iron anchor
over a hundred ―jins‖ in weight could be laid by
the side of the road outside
of the
door waiting for a customer to ask about the
price.
专以介绍水手为事业，吃水码头饭的，则在河
街的家中，终日大门敞开着，
The business
which lived off the pier and specialized as
employment agent for sailors operated out of a
home on River Street with the door
wide-open throughout the day.
常有穿青羽缎马褂的船主与毛手毛脚的水手进出，
Regularly green-camlet-jacket-donned
boat-owners and clumsy-looking sailors frequented
this place.
地方象茶馆却不卖茶，
The
place looked like a teahouse but it did not sell
tea.
不是烟馆又可以抽烟。
However, people could smoke inside
despite it was not a smoking-house.
来到这里的，虽说所谈的是船上生意经，然而船只的上下，划船拉纤人大都有一定规矩，不必作
数目上的讨论。
Even
though people who came here were supposed to talk
about businesses on boats, yet boat-workers of
all ranks, including rowers and towers,
observed set rules not to discuss numerical
matters here.
他们来到这里大多数倒是在
―
联欢
‖
。
They came here mostly for
getting together.
以
―
龙头管事
‖
作中心，谈论点本地
时事，两省商务上情形，以及下游的
―
新事
‖
。
The
participants gathered around the head steward to
discuss local current affairs, business situations
of
the two provinces, and the latest
news downstream.
邀会的，集款时大多数皆在此地，
Most co-op fund-raising lenders and
borrowers gathered at this place as
well.
扒骰子看点数多少轮作会首时，也常常在此举行。
Also selection of association-president
through roll-of-the-dice process often was held
here.
常常成为他们生意经的，有两件事：买卖船只，买卖媳妇。
Frequently two things were on
people‘s
business
agenda:buying/selling of boats and brides.
----------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------
大都市随了商务发达而产生的某种寄食者，
Following development of commercial
activities in big city, certain parasites
emerged.
因为商人的需要，水手的需要，这小小边城
的河街，也居然有那么一群人，聚集在一些有吊脚楼
的人家。
To satisfy the physical needs of
merchants and sailors, unexpectedly a group of
such people came to
River Street of
this little border town and settled in homes of
stilted buildings.
这种妇人不是从附近
乡下弄来，便是随同川军来湘流落后的妇人，
These
women were either recruits from villages nearby,
or they came to Henan with Sichuan army and
somehow became rovers
afterwards.
穿了假洋绸的衣服，印花标布的裤子，
They wore imitation silk clothesand
floral pattern pants.
把眉毛扯得成一条细线，
Each
of their eyebrows had been plucked to the size of
a thin line.
大大的发髻上敷了香味极浓俗的油类。
Applied to their big hair-buns was a
sort of strong and repulsive fragrant
oil.
白日里无事，就坐在门口做鞋子，
When they had nothing to do during
daytime, they would hand-make shoes at door
fronts.
在鞋尖上用红绿丝线挑绣双凤，或为情人水手挑绣花抱兜，
They embroidered red/green double-
phoenixes on shoe-tips or various patterns on wide
floral waist
money-belts for their
sailor lovers.
一面看过往行人，消磨长日。
At
the same time, they would watch passers-by to kill
time of a long day.
或靠在临河窗口上看水手铺货，听水手爬桅子唱歌。
Or they leaned against windows
overlooking the river to watch sailors loading
merchandise or singing
while climbing
up on masts.
到了晚间，则轮流的接待商人同水
手，切切实实尽一个妓女应尽的义务。
At night
they took turns catering to needs of
merchants/sailors and performing duties of
prostitutes
diligently.
---
--------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
由于边地的风俗淳朴，
Customarily people at border area were
honorable and austere.
便是作妓女，也永远那么浑厚，
Even prostitutes would always be
equally decent.
遇不相熟的人，做生意时得先交钱，再关门撒野，
When they deal with unfamiliar faces,
they would ask for payment upfront before they
closed doors to
perform indecent
acts.
人既相熟后，钱便在可有可无之间了。
Once they became acquainted with
certain individuals, then money could become
optional.
妓女多靠四川商人维持生活，但恩情所结，则多在水手方面。
Prostitutes mostly relied on Sichuan
merchants for financial supports, but emotionally
they often fell for
sailors.
感情好的，互相咬着嘴唇咬着颈脖发了誓，
When a prostitute and a sailor became
romantically involved, they would mutually bite
lips and give
neck-hickeys to pledge
vows to each other.
约好了
―
分手后各人皆不许胡闹
‖
，
At the same time, they
would promise
―no
t to
foolaround when they were temporarily separated at
different
places
‖.
四十天或五十天，
在船上浮着的那一个，同留在岸上的这一个，便皆呆着打发这一堆日子，尽把
自己的心紧
紧缚定远远的一个人。
During a period
of forty to fifty days, both the one on boat and
the one on shore would stay clear of dating
other people and try hard to tie their
hearts to each other atlong distance
apart.
尤其是妇人感情真挚，痴到无可形容，
In particular, the woman usually was
genuine in her feelings and herobsession with the
lover was beyond
words.
男子过了约定时间不回来，做梦时，就总常常梦船拢了岸，
When the man did not return after the
scheduled date, she would often dream about a boat
pulling along
shore.
一个人摇摇荡荡的从船跳板到了岸上，直向身边跑来。
Then a man would stagger over a
drawbridge towards land and run to her
side.
或日中有了疑心，则梦里必见男子在桅上向另一方
面唱歌，却不理会自己。
Or if she became
suspicious something was going on during the day,
she would dream about the man high
up
on a mast singing to another girl and ignoring
her.
性格弱一点儿的，接着就在梦里投河吞鸦片烟，
A weak-minded girl would dream about
jumping into river or swallowing opium.
性格强一点儿的便手执菜刀，直向那水手奔去。
A strong-minded girl would fantasize
running towards the sailor with a cleaver in hand.
---------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
---
他们生活虽那么同一般社会疏远，
Lives of those prostitute women were
somehow segregated from others in normal
society.
但是眼泪与欢乐，在一种爱憎得失间，揉进
了这些人生活里时，也便同另外一片土地另外一些年
轻生命相似，
But when those lives were sprinkled
with tears, joys, love, hate, triumphs and
blunders, they become
similar to many
young lives in other parts of the
country.
全个身心为那点爱憎所浸透，
All
their physical and emotional selveswere dominated
by love-hate contradictions.
见寒作热，忘了一切。
They
turned finicky and ignored everything else around
them.
若有多少不同处，不过是这些人更真切一点，也更
近于糊涂一点罢了。
If there were
differences between these two groups, it was only
that the ladies of the night were more
matter-of-fact yet muddling in what
they experienced.
短期的包定，长期的嫁
娶，一时间的关门，这些关于一个女人身体上的交易，
Dealings involving their bodies
included short-term rentals, long-term marital
commitments, and one-
time behind-the-
door transactions.
由于民情的淳朴，身当其事的不觉得如何下流可耻，
Because customarily local people were
down-to-earth, those women at issue did not feel
trashy or
shameful.
旁观者也就从不用读书人的观念，加以指摘与轻视。
Even bystanders never reproached or
despised these women from the perspective of
moral-abiding
scholars.
这些人既重义轻利，又能守信自约，
In the main, such women were staunch,
non-materialistic, honorable, and self-
disciplined.
即便是娼妓，也常常较之讲道德知羞耻的城市中人还更可信任。
Despite their profession as sex-
workers, often they were more trustworthy than
those city people who
claimed to
maintain high standards of morality and self-
respect.
-----------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
-------------
掌水码头的名叫顺顺，
The person in-charge of the pier was
called Shunshun.
一个前清时便在营伍中混过日子来的人物，
He was a character who had been making
his living in the army since the Dynasty of
Qing.
革命时在著名的陆军四十九标做个什长。
During the revolution, he was squad
leader in a ten-man detachment of the famous
Forty-Ninth Battalion.
同样做什长的，有因革命成了伟人名人的，
Some ten-man-team leaders became heroes
and celebrities in the uprising.
有杀头碎尸的，
Others
died tragically in battle with their body parts
cut up and scattered all over.
他却带少年喜事得来的脚疯痛，回到了家乡，
In contracting gout from binge drinking
and eating in festivities during his youthful
days, he was excused
from the army and
sent back to his hometown.
把所积蓄的一点钱，买了一条六桨白木船，
He spent his small savings in buying a
six-oar, white wooden-boat.
租给一个穷船主，代人装货在茶峒与辰州之间来往。
Afterwards, he leased it to a poor
boat-owner who was engaged in transportation of
goods for others
between Chadong and
Chenzhou.
气运好，半年之内船不坏事，
He
got lucky and nothing went wrong with his boat for
halfayear.
于是他从所赚的钱上，又讨了一个略有产业的白脸黑发小寡妇。
So he spent some of his earned money to
marry a fair-skin, dark-hair widow who owned some
property.
数年后，在这条河上，他就有了大小四只
船，一个铺子，两个儿子了。
In a few
years‘ time, he had four boats of various sizes, a
store and two sons.
-------
--------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------
但这个大方洒脱的人，事业虽十分顺手，
Business operations of Shunshun,a
generous and easy-going person, went very
smoothly.
却因欢喜交朋结友，慷慨而又能济人之急
，便不能同贩油商人一样大大发作起来。
However,
for being indiscriminate in making friends and
openhanded in helping needy people, he was not
able to grow his business in a big way
like the oil merchant.
自己既在粮
子里混过日子，明白出门人的甘苦，理解失意人的心情，
As
an army veteran, he could appreciate the ups and
downs experienced by perennial travelers as well
as
the feelings of frustrated
individuals.
故凡因船只失事破产的船家，过路
的退伍兵士，游学文墨人，凡到了这个地方闻名求助的，
Therefore through word of mouth,
bankrupted boatmen(from waterway accident),
veteran-soldiers and
scholars often
cameto this placefor help.
莫不尽力帮助。
In all
such cases, Shunshun would lend a helping hand
where possible.
一面从水上赚来钱，一面就这样洒脱散去。
All the money which he made from his
business on water was disbursed freely just like
that.
这人虽然脚上有点小毛病，还能泅水
;
Even though his legs had minor physical
problems, he could still swim well.
走路难得其平，为人却那么公正无私。
While he limped along unevenly when he
walked, he was unbiased in handling
matters.
水面上各事原本极其简单，一切皆为一个习惯所支配，
To start out, activities on waterway
were very straightforward, and things were handled
customarily.
谁个船碰了头，谁个船妨害了别一
个人别一只船的利益，皆照例有习惯方法来解决。
Whenever boats crashed into each other
or one boat infringed on the interest of another,
it would be
resolved according to
established practices.
惟运用这种
习惯规矩排调一切的，必需一个高年硕德的中心人物。
However, arbitrating through provisions
of such practices required an old-aged
andrespected center-figure.
某年秋天，那原来执事人死去了，顺顺作了这样一个代替者。
In one autumn, the in-charge person
passed away and Shunshun stepped in as a
substitute.
那时他还只五十岁，
At that
time, he was only fifty years old.
为人既明事明理，正直和平又不爱财，故无人对他年龄怀疑。
However, since he was rational-minded,
righteous, peace-oriented, and non-tightfisted,
nobody raised
issue on his age.
----------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------
到如今，他的儿子大的已十八岁，小的已十六岁。
By now, his older son was eighteenyears
old and the younger one was sixteen.
两个年青人皆结实如小公牛，
Both young men were strong as
ox.
能驾船，能泅水，能走长路。
They could operate boats, swim and walk
for long-distance.
凡从小乡城里出身的
年青人所能够作的事，他们无一不作，作去无一不精。
Not
only could they do all the things which a regular
young man from a small city was able to do, but
they were able to do them
well.
年纪较长的，如他们爸爸一样，豪放豁达，不拘常套小节。
Like his father, the older boy was non-
petty, magnanimous andfree-spirited.
--
--------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------
年幼的则气质近于那个白脸黑发的母亲，
The temperament of the younger boy
resembled that of her fair-skinned, dark-hair
mother.
不爱说话，眼眉却秀拔出群，
He
was taciturn and exceptionally
handsome.
一望即知其为人聪明而又富于感情。
One look at him, and people could tell
he was intelligent and sentimental.
---
--------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
两兄弟既年已长大，必需在各种生活上来训练他们，
As the two brothers were getting older,
they needed to be trained under various conditions
in life.
作父亲的就轮流派遣两个小孩子各处旅行。
The father arranged for the two
children to take turns traveling to various
places.
向下行船时，多随了自己的船只充伙计，甘苦与人相共。
When they sailed downstream, they would
travel in a family boat as workers and tough it
out like the rest
of the
crew.
荡桨时选最重的一把，
In rowing boat, they would choose the
heaviest oars.
背纤时拉头纤二纤，
And in
towing boat, they would go first and second in the
towing lineup.
吃的是干鱼，辣子，臭酸菜，
They ate dried-fish, red-peppers, and
rotten sauerkraut.
睡的是硬帮帮的舱板。
The
hard deck was where they slept.
向上行从旱路走去，则跟了川东客货，
In going upstream, they traveled on
land with Eastern Sichuan cargo
shipments.
过秀山、龙潭，酉阳作生意，
They conducted businesses in passing
through Xiu Shan, Long Tan and You
Yang.
不论寒暑雨雪，必穿了草鞋按站赶路。
No matter it was winter, summer, rain
or snow, they always wore straw sandals and
covered the distance
by going from
station by station.
且佩了短刀，
They armed
themselves with daggers.
遇不得
已必需动手，便霍的把刀抽出，站到空阔处去，等候对面的一个，
If one of them ran into a situation
where he had to resort to a fight in
settlingmatter, he would draw out
his
knife, stand at an open area, and waited for the
opponent to come forward.
接着就同这个人用肉搏来解决。
Then he would engage in hand-to-hand
combat to sort things out.
帮
里的风气，既为
―
对付仇敌必需用刀，联结朋友也必需用刀
‖
，
Their
organization‘s common practice was to ―use knife
both to fight
enemies and
make friends‖.
故需要刀时，他们也就从不让它失去那点机会。
If they had to use knives, they would
never allow themselves to miss those
opportunities.
学贸易，学应酬，学习到一个
新地方去生活，且学习用刀保护身体同名誉，
They
learned about conducting business, socializing,
living in new environments, and protecting
themselves as well as their honor with
knives.
教育的目的，似乎在使两个孩子学得做人的勇气与义气。
Seemingly the training was a process in
preparation of the children to be dauntless in
confronting
problems and staunch in
dealing with friends.
一分教育的结
果，弄得两个人皆结实如老虎，却又和气亲人，不骄惰，不浮华，不倚势凌人，
As a result of educating themselves,
the two boys were as strong as oxen, and yet they
were peaceful,
approachable, humble,
down-to-earth, and not bullying.
故父子三人在茶峒边境上为人所提及时，人人对这个名姓无不加以一种尊敬。
As such, when the names of these sons
and father were mentioned in the border area of
Chadong,
everyone showed a certain
level of respect.
---------------------
--------------------------------------------------
---------------------
作父亲的当两个儿子很小时，就明白大儿子一切与自己相似，
Since these two children were little,
the father had been wellaware that the elder son
was a chip off the
old
block.
却稍稍见得溺爱那第二个儿子。
However, he was more doting towards the
second son.
由于这点不自觉的私心，他把长子取名天保，次子取名傩送。
With this subconscious bias in mind, he
gave the name Tianbao (meaning
―Heaven
-
blessed‖ in English)
to the older son and Nuosong (meaning
―delivered here by deity‖ in English) to the
second son.
意思是天保佑的在人事上或不免有龃龉处，
What that meant was for Tianbao, a
person who had to rely on the blessing of Heaven
would unavoidably
run into discord in
dealing with other people.
至于傩神所送来的，照当地习气，人便不能稍加轻视了。
As for Nuosong who was sent here by
supernatural beings, people could not snub
himaccording to local
custom.
傩送美丽得很，
Nuosong
was very handsome-looking.
茶峒船家人拙于赞扬这种美丽，
Chadong boat-people were unimaginative
in praising this sort of beauty.
只知道为他取出一个诨名为
―
岳云
< br>‖
。
They only
k
new to coin him a nickname
―Yueyun‖.
虽无什么人亲眼看到过岳云，
Nobody had seen the real celebrity
Yueyun personally.
一般的印象，却从戏台上小生岳云，得来一个相近的神气。
However, the general impression was
Nuosong had similar demeanor asthe famous Yueyun
playing
young-man role on stage.
---------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------
三
Chapter Three <
/p>
----------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
--
两省接壤处，十余年来主持地方军事的，注重在安辑保守，
At the border area where the two
provinces met, the local military authority
stressed peace-maintenance
and
safeguarding in the last ten odd years.
处置还得法，并无变故发生。
Orders were handled properly and no
major mishap had occurred.
水陆商务既不至于受战争停顿，也不至于为土匪影响，
Businesses over water and on land were
not interrupted by wars or bandits.
一切莫不极有秩序，
Things
were conducted in orderly fashion.
人民也莫不安分乐生。
People
lived in contentment and happiness.
这些人，除了家中死了牛，翻了船，或发生别的死亡大变，为一种不幸所绊倒觉得十分伤心外，
As far as these folks were
concerned, they were saddened only in personal
cases of misfortune such as
death of a
family cow, boat overturned accident, other deaths
ormajor catastrophes.
中国其他地方
正在如何不幸挣扎中的情形，似乎就永远不会为这边城人民所感到。
Struggles experienced in other places
of China seemingly had never been felt by people
in this border city.
------------------
--------------------------------------------------
------------------------
边城所在一年中最热闹的日子，是端午，中秋和过年。
In this border city, the most
exhilarating days of the year were Dragon Boat
Festival, Mid-Autumn
Festival and
Chinese New Year.
三个节日过去三五十年
前如何兴奋了这地方人，直到现在，还毫无什么变化，
How
these three festivals had excited the lives of
local people in the last thirty to fifty years
remained just
the same in the present
days.
仍能成为那地方居民最有意义的几个日子。
They continued to be the most
meaningful days of the year to these people.
------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
端午日，当地妇女小孩子，莫不穿了新衣，额角上用雄黄蘸酒画了个王字。
On Dragon Boat Festival Day,
local women and children would wear new clothes
and write the Chinese
character
―
王
‖ (Chinese word meaning
―king‖)
on their foreheads with realgar
dipped in wine.
任何人家到了这天必可以吃鱼吃肉。
Also on this day, all families would
feast on fish and meat.
大约上午十一点钟左右，全茶峒人就吃了午饭，
Around eleven o‘clock in the
morning
, all Chadong people would have
lunch.
把饭吃过后，在城里住家的，莫不倒锁了门，全
家出城到河边看划船。
After lunch,
families living in metropolitan area would lock
their front doors and go out of the city to
watch boat rowingat
riverside.
河街有熟人的，可到河街吊脚楼门口边看，
If they had acquaintances living on
River Street, they would watch beside front-doors
of stilted houses.
不然就站在税关门口与各个码头上看。
Others would stand at front-door of
thecustomhouseor different piers to watch.
河中龙船以长潭某处作起点，税关前作终点。
All dragon boats on river started at a
certain spot of Long Pond and finished in front of
the customhouse.
作比赛竞争。
They raced
in competition with one another.
因为这一天军官税官以及当地有身分的人，莫不在税关前看热闹。
On this day, all army officers,
customhouse officials, and local celebrities
watched this exciting event in
front of
the customhouse.
划船的事各人在数天以前就早有了准备，
In preparation for the boat-rowing,
various people involved would get ready a few days
ahead of the event.
分组分帮各自选出
了若干身体结实手脚伶俐的小伙子，在潭中练习进退。
Each of the separate groups and gangs
would select a certain number of stout and nimble
young men who
would practice
maneuvering dragon boats forward and backward in
the pond.
船只的形式，与平常木船大不相同，
Structures of these boats were
distinctly different from ordinary wooden
boats.
形体一律又长又狭，
Their shapes were uniformly long and
narrow.
两头高高翘起，
Both ends of each of them were curled
up very high.
船身绘着朱红颜色长线，
Long
deep-red lines were drawn on their
sides.
平常时节多搁在河边干燥洞穴里，
On ordinary days, they would be left
lying in dry caves beside the river.
要用它时，拖下水去。
When
they were about to be used, then they would be
hauled into the river.
每只船可坐
十二个到十八个桨手，一个带头的，一个鼓手，一个锣手。
Each boat could sit twelve to eighteen
oarsmen, a coxswain, a drummer, and a gong-
hand.
桨手每人持一支短桨，随了鼓声缓促为节拍，把船向前划去。
Each oarsman would hold a short paddle
in hand and row the boat forward in a rhythm
following the
speed of
drumbeats.
坐在船头上，头上缠裹着红布包头，
The coxswain sat at the front of the
boat and wore a red bandanna on his
head.
手上拿两支小令旗，左右挥动，指挥船只的进退。
He held two small signal-flags in his
hands and waved them left and right to direct
movements of the boat.
擂鼓打锣的，多坐在船只的中部，
Most of the times, the drummer and
gong-hand would sit in the middle.
船一划动便即刻蓬蓬镗镗把锣鼓很单纯的敲打起来，为划桨水手调理下桨节拍。
< br>
Once the boat got rowing, thosetwo
crew members would start striking their drum/gong
in simple beats to
regulate rhythm of
rowers‘
paddling.
一船快慢既不得不靠鼓声，
The
velocity of a dragon boat had to be directed by
drumming.
故每当两船竞赛到剧烈时，鼓声如雷鸣，
加上两岸人呐喊助威，便使人想起梁红玉老鹳河时水战
擂鼓，牛皋水擒杨幺时也是水战擂
鼓。
In the heat of
competition between two racing boats under
thunderous drumbeats and cheering spectators
on both riverbanks, people‘s memories
would be brought back to the drumming
of historical naval battles,
like when Liang Hongyu battled enemies
at Laoguan River or Niu Gao captured Yang
Yao.
凡把船划到前面一点的，必可在税关前领赏，一匹红
，一块小银牌，
Each crew in a
dragon boat who came ahead of others would be
awardedwith the prize of a roll of red
cloth or a small silver medal in front
of the customhouse.
不拘缠挂到船上某一个人头上去，
It did not matter on whose neck the
prize was hung.
皆显出这一船合作的光荣。
Thetrophy represented the honor of the
entire boat-crew in collaboration.
好事的军人，且当每次某一只船胜利时，必在水边放些表示胜利庆祝的五百响鞭炮。
When a certain boat was declareda
winner, some busybody soldiers would light 500
firecrackers in
celebration along
riverside.
-----------------
--------------------------------------------------
-------------------------
赛船过后，城中的戍军长官，为了与民同乐，
After the boat-races were over,
city‘s border
-guard senior-
officers wanted to get involved in fun of
ordinary people.
增加这节日的愉快起见，便把三十只绿头长颈大雄鸭，颈膊上缚了红布条子，
To enhance the excitement of this
festivity, the officers tied red cloth-strips to
the necks of thirty green-
head, long-
neck huge drakes.
放入河中，
Then these
male ducks were put into the river.
尽善于泅水的军民人等，下水追赶鸭子。
Many soldiers and people who were good
swimmers dived into the water to chase after these
birds.
不拘谁把鸭子捉到，谁就成为这鸭子的主人。
Whoever caught a drake became the new
owner of this fowl.
于是长潭换了新的
花样，水面各处是鸭子，各处有追赶鸭子的人。
Therefore, Long Pond had a new scene
with ducks and duck-chasers everywhere.
-------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------
船与船的竞赛，人与鸭子的竞赛，直到天晚方能完事。
The races of boats versus boats as well
as humans versus ducks lasted until dark before
they were all over.
-------------------
--------------------------------------------------
-----------------------
掌水码头的龙头大哥顺顺，年青时节便是一个泅水的高手，
Shunshun, the boss-man in charge of the
pier, was a good swimmer since he was
young.
入水中去追逐鸭子，在任何情形下总不落空。
In going into the water to chase ducks,
he never disappointed himself under any set of
circumstances.
但一到次子傩送年过十二岁时，已能入水闭铺氽着到鸭子身边，
His second son Nuosong, when he just
passed the age of twelve, could already hold his
breath and swim
to the side a duck
under water.
再忽然从水中冒水而出，把鸭子捉到，
Then he would emerge out of water with
the duck caught in his hand.
这作爸爸的便解嘲似的说：
―
好，这种事有你们来作，
As if the father was trying to
explain why he wormed out of the tough undertaking
of duck-chasing, he
said,
―Good,
you kids go and do these
things.
我不必再下水了。
‖
I don‘t need to plunge into the water
anymore.‖
于是当真就不下水与人来竞争捉鸭子。
True to his words, the father did not
get into the water to compete for catching ducks
with other people
thenceforth.
但下水救人呢，当作别论。
But
diving into water to save people was a different
story.
凡帮助人远离患难，便是入火，人到八十岁，也
还是成为这个人一种不可逃避的责任
!
To bail
people out of troublehad become an obligatory
responsibility which he imposed upon himself
–
evenif it meant he had to
walk into fire or he were eightyyears old.
---------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------
天保傩送两人皆是当地泅水划船好选手。
Both Tianbao and Nuosong were good
swimming and rowing competitors in local circuit.
---------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
---
端午又快来了，
One
year, the Dragon Boat Festival was fast
approaching.
初五划船，
The boat-
rowing competitions were scheduled to be held on
the 5th of the month.
河街上初一开会，就决定了属于河街的那只船当天入水。
In a meeting held on River Street on
the 1st of the New Lunar Year, it was decided that
the boat which
belonged to River Street
would be put into water on that same
day.
天保恰好在那天应向上行，随了陆路商人过川东龙潭送节货，
Coincidentally, Tianbao was traveling
upstream on that day in following overland
merchants to deliver
festival goods to
Longtan in the eastern part of Sichuan.
故参加的就只傩送。
Therefore, only Nuosong took part in
the competition.
十六个结实如牛犊的小伙
子，带了香烛、鞭炮、同一个用生牛皮蒙好绘有朱红太极图的高脚鼓，
Sixteen strong-as-ox young men brought
along joss sticks/candles, firecrackers, and a
tall-leg cowhide-
drum (with a bright-
red Taiji diagram painted on the
surface).
到了搁船的河上游山洞边，烧了香烛，把船拖入水后，
When they arrived beside the cave
upstream where the boat was laid, they lit up some
joss sticks/candles
customarily and
hauled the boat into the water.
各人上了船，燃着鞭炮，擂着鼓，
Once everybody got into the boat, they
set off firecrackers and struck the
drum.
这船便如一枝箭似的，很迅速的向下游长潭射去。
Then, like an arrow, the boat shot
towards downstream with amazing speed.
------------------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------
那时节还是上午，
The time
was still before noon when those things
happened.
到了午后，对河渔人的龙船也下了水，
After noon, the dragon boat of
fishermen on the opposite shore also went into
water.
两只龙船就开始预习种种竞赛的方法。
Then the two dragon boats started
making preparations through various mock races
against each other.
水面上第一次听到了鼓声，
For
the first time this year, drumbeats were heard on
water surface.
许多人从这鼓声中，感到了节日临近的欢悦。
The drumming auspiciously brought about
joy associated with festivity.
< br>住临河吊脚楼对远方人有所等待有所盼望的，也莫不因鼓声想到远人。
Some residents of riverside stilted
houses who were waiting or longing for distant
loved one would be
reminded of them at
hearing sounds of these drums.
< br>在这个节日里，必然有许多船只可以赶回，也有许多船只只合在半路过节，
On this festival, many boats returning
could get home on time while others had to spend
the day on the
road.
这之间，便有些眼目所难见的人事哀乐，在这小山城河街间，
Consequently, rarely-seen human
disappointments and glees popped up on River
Street of this small
mountain
city.
让一些人铺事，也让一些人皱眉。
It was an eventful day for some and a
distressing day for others.
----------
--------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
蓬蓬鼓声掠水
越山到了渡船头那里时，最先注意到的是那只黄狗。
When
booming sounds of drums traveled across water and
mountains to reach the ferry-boat landing, the
yellow dog was the first one to notice
them.
那黄狗汪汪的吠着，受了惊似的绕屋乱走，
It started to bark and run around the
house as if it were alarmed.
有人过渡时，便随船渡过河东岸去，
When someone used the ferry to get
across the river, it jumped on board to cross to
the east shore.
且跑到那小山头向城里一方面大吠。
Then it ran up the small hill and
barked towards the direction of the city.
< br>----------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------
翠翠正坐在门外大石上用棕叶编蚱蜢蜈蚣玩，
Cuicui was sitting on a large rock
outside the house‘s front door. She was
making grasshopper and
centipede
arrangements with palm leaves.
见黄狗先在太阳下睡着，
She
saw the yellow dog taking a nap under the
sun.
忽然醒来便发疯似的乱跑，
Suddenly, it woke up and ran around
like crazy.
过了河又回来，
It
crossed the river and then came back.
就问它骂它：
So she
scolded it by saying,
-----------------
--------------------------------------------------
-------------------------
―
狗，狗，你做什么
!
―Doggie, what are you doing?
不许这样子
!‖
Stop doing
that.‖
---------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
---
可是一会儿那声音被她发现了，她于是也绕屋跑着，
But a little while later when the
festivity sounds were detected by her, she also
ran round and round the
house.
且同黄狗一块儿渡过了小溪，站在小山头听了许久，
As well she crossed the little stream
with the dog and stood on top of the little hill
to listen for a long time.
让那点迷人的鼓声，把自己带到一个过去的节日里去。
In doing so, she let the mesmerizing
drumbeats bring her back to a festival day in the
past.
----------------------
--------------------------------------------------
--------------------
四
Chapter Four
---------------
--------------------------------------------------
---------------------------
还是两年前的事。
It
happened two years ago.
五月端阳，
It was
Dragon Boat Festival Day in May.
渡船头祖父找人作了代替，
Grandpa found a stand-in to work in his
place at the ferryboat crossing.
便带了黄狗同翠翠进城，过大河边去看划船。
Then he took Cuicui and the dog along
to go inside the city to the big riverbank to
watch boat-rowing.
河边站满了人，
People
packed the riversides.
四只朱色长船在潭中滑着，
Four
red long boats were gliding across the
pond.
龙船水刚刚涨过，河中水皆豆绿，
It was high tide in the dragon-boat
river and the water was pea-green.
天气又那么明朗，
The sky
was bright and clear.
鼓声蓬蓬响着，
Drumbeats
were rolling loud.
翠翠抿着嘴一句话不说，心中充满了不可言说的快乐。
Cuicui tightened her lips and did not
make a peep, but her heart was filled with
unspeakable joy.
河边人太多了一点，各人皆尽张着眼睛望河中，
The riverside was too crowded and
everybody was straining their eyes to look towards
the center of the
river.
不多久，黄狗还在身边，祖父却挤得不见了。
Before long, while the dog was still
staying by the side of Cuicui, Grandpa was
missing.
------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
------------
翠翠一面注意划船，一面心想
―<
/p>
过不久祖父总会找来的
‖
。
Cuicui was paying attention to
the rowing boats and she tho
ught,
―Grandpa
will come back to look for me
very soon.‖
但过了许久，祖父还不来，
But
after a long while, Grandpa did not show
up.
翠翠便稍稍有点儿着慌了。
She was somewhat getting
worried.
先是两人同黄狗进城前一天，祖父就问翠翠
：
―
明天城里划船，
On the previous day before the two of
them came to town with the dog, Grandpa asked
Cuicui,
―Tomorrow there is going to be
boat
-rowing in the city.
倘若一个人去看，人多怕不怕
?‖
If you go alone to watch, would you be
afraid since
the place is crowded with
people?‖
翠翠就说：
―
人多我不怕，但自己只是一个人可不好玩。
‖
Cuicui said, ―I‘m not afraid of the
crowd, but it won‘t be much fun if I‘m going
alone.‖
于是祖父想了半天，方想起一个住在城中的老熟人，
So Grandpa thought for a good half-day
before he remembered there was an old acquaintance
living in
the city.
赶夜里到城里去商量，
So he
went to pay him a visit during the dark hours for
a chat.
请那老人来看一天渡船，自己却陪翠翠进城玩一天。
He asked the old fellow to come for a
day to take care of the ferry operation so that he
could accompany
Cuicui to the city for
a day‘s worth of fun.
且因为那人比渡船老人更孤单，身边无一个亲人，也无一只狗，
That old man was more lonesome than
Grandpa of the ferry-crossing since he had no
relative or a dog.
因此便约好了那人早上过家中来吃饭，喝一杯雄黄酒。
So they agreed that the old man would
come in the morning for something to eat and a cup
of realgar
wine.
第二天那人来了，
On the
next day, the man came.
吃了饭，把职务委托那人以后，翠翠等便进了城。
After eating and transferring job
duties to the man, Grandpa and Cuicui along with
the dog headed for the
city.
到路上时，祖父想起什么似的，又问翠翠，
―
< br>翠翠，翠翠，人那么多，好热闹，
On the
way, it seemed Grandpa thought of something and he
asked Cuicui, ―Cuicui, this place is crowded
and lively.
你一个人敢到河边看龙船吗
?‖
Would you be gutsy enough to go alone
and watch dragon boat
s at the
riverbank?‖
翠翠说：
―
怎么不敢
?
Cuicui
said, ―Why wouldn‘t I have enough guts?
可是一个人有什么意思。
‖
But then what‘s the sense if I go
alone?‖
到了河边后，长潭里的四只红船，把翠翠的注意力完全占去了，
Once they arrived a
t the
side of the river, the four red boats on Long Pond
completely captivated Cuicui‘s
attention.
身边祖父似乎也可有可无了。
The
presence of Grandpa at Cuicui‘s side became
redundant.
祖父心想：
―
时间还早，
Grandpa
thought, ―It is still early.
到收场时，至少还得三个时刻。
There are at least three more hours
before the event is over.
溪边的那个朋友，也应当来看看年青人的热闹，
My friend at the side of the stream
should come and watch the excitements of these
young people.
回去一趟，换换地位还赶得及。
‖
There is time for me to make a trip
back home and switch place with him.‖
<
/p>
----------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
--
因此就问翠翠，
―
人太多了，<
/p>
Therefore he asked Cuicui,
―
There are too many people
around.
站在这里看，
Stand here and watch.
不要动，
Don‘t go
anywhere.
我到别处去有事情，
I have
things to do somewhere else.
无论如何总赶得回来伴你回家。
‖
But I will come back to walk you home
no matter what happens.‖
翠翠正为两只竞速并进的船迷着，
Cuicui was totally absorbed in two
racing boats going neck-to-neck.
祖父说的话毫不思索就答应了。
She nodded to what Grandpa said without
much thought.
祖父知道黄狗在翠翠身边，也许比他自己在她身边还稳当，
Grandpa knew Cuicui was in company of
the dog, and it would do a better job to protect
her than him on
her side.
于是便回家看船去了。
So he
went home to check out his boat.
------
--------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------
祖父
到了那渡船处时，见代替他的老朋文，正站在白塔下注意听远处鼓声。
When Grandpa reached the ferry landing,
he saw his stand-in old friend was standing
underneath the
white turret and
listening attentively to the distant drumbeats.
---------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
---
祖父喊他，请他把船拉过来
.
Grandpa called out to him and asked him
to pull the boat over to the other
side.
两人渡过小溪仍然站到白塔下去。
The two of them crossed the stream and
remained standing under the white
tower.
那人问老船夫为什么又跑回来，
The man asked Grandpa why he came
back.
祖父就说想替他一会儿故把翠翠留在河边，
Grandpa said he wanted to take a shift
for him at work and so he intentionally left
Cuicui by the riverside.
自己赶回来，好让他也过河边去看看热闹，
He rushed back so that his friend could
get over to the riverside to watch all the
excitements.
且说，
―
看得好，就不必再回来，
Grandpa also said, ―If you
ha
ve
fun watching, then you
don‘t need to come back.
只须见了翠翠问她一声，
The
only thing you need to do is when you see Cuicui,
tell her what is going on.
翠翠到时自会回家的。
When
it‘s time, Cuicui will come home by
herself.
小丫头不敢回家，你就伴她走走
!‖
If that little girl is afraid to
come home alone, you keep her company
to walk a bit.‖
但那替手对于看龙船已无什么兴味，
But the stand-in was no longer
interested in watching dragon boats.
却愿意同老船夫在这溪边大石上各自再喝两杯烧酒。
However, he was more than willing to
drink a couple cups of rice-wine with Grandpa at
the big rock
beside the
stream.
老船夫十分高兴，
Grandpa was very pleased.
把葫葫芦取出，推给城中来的那一个。
He took out the gourd-container and
passed it to the city-man.
两人一面谈些端午旧事，一面喝酒，
They drank wine as they were talking
about things in the old days during Dragon Boat
Festival.
不到一会，那人却在岩石上为烧酒醉倒了。
Within a short period of time, the man
passed out on the rock from all theliquor.
---------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------
人既醉倒了，无从入城，祖父为了责任又不便与渡船离开，
Since the man was out cold, Grandpa
could no longer getto the city because he was
duty-bound and could
not leave the
ferry unattended.
留在河边的翠翠便不能不着急了。
Cuicui, who was left behind by the side
of the river, became very anxious.
---
--------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
河中划船的决了最后胜负后，城里军官已派人驾小船在潭中放了一群鸭子，
Oncethe final winner was declared in
the boat-rowing competitions, the army officer in
the city
dispatched someone to release
a flock of ducks from a boat.
祖父还不见来。
As yet
Grandpa had not shown up.
翠翠恐怕祖父也正在什么地方等着她，
Cuicui was concerned Grandpa could be
waiting for her somewhere else.
因此带了黄狗各处人丛中挤着去找寻祖父，
So she brought along the yellow dog and
squeezed their way through different crowds to
find Grandpa.
结果还是不得祖父的踪迹。
And
yet there was no trace of Grandpa.
后来看看天快要黑了，军人扛了长凳出城看热闹的，皆已陆续扛了那凳子回家。
< br>
Later when it was getting dark,
soldiers who carried benches with them outside of
the city to watch the
fun were taking
the benches home one after another.
潭中的鸭子只剩下三五只，捉鸭人也渐渐的少了。
Only three to five ducks were left in
the pond, and duck-catchers were thinning
out.
落日向上游翠翠家中那一方落去，
The sun was setting in the direction
where Cuicui‘s home was.
黄昏把河面装饰了一层薄雾。
The
evening adorned river surface with a layer of thin
mist.
翠翠望到这个景致，忽然起了一个怕人的想头，她
想：
―
假若爷爷死了
?‖
In seeing this scenery, a
horrible thought popped up in Cuicui‘s mind, ―What
if Grandpa is dead?‖
------
--------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------
她记起祖父嘱咐她不要离开原来地方那一句话，
Cuicui recalled Grandpa instructed her
to stay put where she was.
便又为自己解释这想头的错误，
In
her mind she tried to find a logical explanation
to dispel the notion that Grandpa could be
dead.
以为祖父不来必是进城去或到什么熟人处去，
She figured Grandpa‘s
failure to show up was because he had
gone into the city or to visit an
acquaintance.
被人拉着喝酒，故一时不能来的。
Someone had asked him to stay for a
drink, and therefore he could not come right
away.
正因为这也是可能的事，她又不愿在天未断黑以前
，同黄狗赶回家去，只好站在那石码头边等候
祖父。
Because such was a possibility, she did
not want to hurry home with the dog before dark
and simply stood
beside the stone-pier
waiting for Grandpa.
----------------
--------------------------------------------------
--------------------------
再过一会，对河那两只长船已泊到对河小溪里去不见了，
A while later, the two long boats had
moored in a small stream at the opposite side of
the river and went
out of
sight.
看龙船的人也差不多全散了。
Dragon-boat spectators had more or less
disappeared.
吊脚楼有娼妓的人家，已上了灯，
且有人敲小斑鼓弹月琴唱曲子。
Households in
stilted buildings who were prostitutes had hung
lighted (1) lanterns outside, and music
from little drums, moon-shaped Chinese
guitars and singing could be heard.
另外一些人家，又有划拳行酒的吵嚷声音。
Boisterous noises from playing guess-
finger-drinking games came out from some other
families.
同时停泊在吊脚楼下的一些船只，上面也有人在摆酒炒菜，
On some boats moored below stilted
buildings, dishes were being prepared and cups of
wine were set for
banquets.
把青菜萝卜之类，倒进滚热油锅里去时发出唦
——
的声音。
Green vegetables,
turnips, etc. fried in hot oil were making
sizzling noises.
河面已朦朦胧胧，看去好象只有一只白在潭中浮着，
River surface was getting hazy, and it
appeared only one duck was left floating around in
the pond.
也只剩一个人追着这只鸭子。
A
single person was chasing after it.
---
--------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
翠翠还是不离开码头，
Cuicui
was still waiting at the pier.
总相信祖父会来找她，同她一起回家。
She believed eventually Grandpa would
come to find her and they would go home together.
---------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
---
吊脚楼上唱曲子声音热闹了一些，
Singing up at stilted buildings was
getting livelier.
只听到下面船上有人说话，
People down at a boat were heard
talking.
一个水手说：
―<
/p>
金亭，你听你那铺子陪川东庄客喝酒唱曲子，
One sailor said:
―Jin Ting,
listen to the singing voice
in the shop
from the womanwho is keeping the
traveling salesmen from Eastern Sichuan
company in drinking.
我赌个手指，说这是她的声音
!‖
I bet you a finger this is her
voice.‖
--------------------
--------------------------------------------------
----------------------
另一个水手就说：
< br>―
她陪他们喝酒唱曲子，心里可想我。
Another sailor said, ―
But I
know she is thinking about me while she is
accompanying them in singing and
drinking.
她知道我在船上
!‖
She knows I am in the boat.‖
先前那一个又说：
―
身体让别人玩着，
心还想着你
;
The
previous person said, ―Her body is
being fondled by other people
, and how
could she be thinking
about
you.
你有什么凭据
?‖
What proof do you have?‖
另一个说：
―
有凭据。
‖
The other one said, ―Let
me
give
you
proof.‖
于是这水手吹着唿哨，作出一个古怪的记号，
So the sailor whistled out a peculiar
signal.
一会儿，楼上歌声便停止了。
Shortly, the singing up at the building
stopped.
------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
------------
歌声停止后，两个水手皆笑了。
After the singing had stopped, both
sailors laughed.
两人接着便说了些关于那个女人的一切，使用了不少粗鄙字眼，
The two of them talked something about
the woman and used quite a few vulgar
words.
翠翠很不习惯把这种话听下去，但又不能走开。
Cuicui was not used to that kind of
language, but she could not go
elsewhere.
且听水手之一说，楼上妇人的爸爸是在
棉花坡被人杀死的，一共杀了十七刀。
She heard
one sailor mention the father of the woman
upstairs was murdered by someone at Cotton Slope,
and he was stabbed seventeen
times.
翠翠心中那个古怪的想头，
―
爷爷死了呢
?‖
便仍然占据到心
里有一忽儿。
So
Cuicui‘s
strange thought on
―What if Grandpa is dead?‖still
lingered in her mind for a little
while.
---------------------
--------------------------------------------------
---------------------
两个水手还正在谈话，潭中那只白鸭慢
慢的向翠翠所在的码头边游来，
While the two
sailors were still talking, the white duck in the
pond swam slowly towards the pier where
Cuicui was hanging around.
--------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------
翠翠想：
―
再过来些我就捉住你
!‖
Cuicui
thought:
―If you come any closer, I am
going to catch you.‖
于是静静的等着，
So she
waited quietly.
但那鸭子将近岸边三丈远近时，却有个人笑着，喊那船上水手。
But when the duck
was three
―zhangs‖ away from shore, someone laughed and
called out to the sailor on
the
boat.
原来水中还有个人，
It turned out a person was in the
water.
那人已把鸭子捉到手，却慢慢的
―
踹水
‖
游近岸边的。
He had caught the duck and was
treading water towards shore.
船上人听到水面的喊声，在隐约里也喊道：
―
二老，二老，
你真干，
The person on the boat
heard the voice from water surface and shouted to
him in an indistinct voice,
―Little
Brother, you‘re fantastic.
你今天得了五只吧。
‖
You caught five of them
today.‖
那水上人说：
―
这家伙狡猾得很，现在可归我了。
‖
The person in the water said, ―This
fellow is tricky, but now it is mine.‖
---------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
---
―
你这时捉鸭子，
―You are catching ducks now.
将来捉女人，一定有同样的本领。
‖
I bet in the future you can catch
wome
n just as well.‖
水上那一个不再说什么，
The
person in the water did not say
anything.
手脚并用的拍着水傍了码头。湿淋淋的爬上岸时，
In splashing water with hands and feet,
he swam close to the pier and then climbed ashore
dripping wet.
翠翠身旁的黄狗，仿佛警问水中人似的，汪汪的叫了几声，
The dog beside Cuicui barked a few
times seemingly to give a warning to the
individual in the water.
那人方注意到翠翠。
The
person noticed Cuicui.
码头上已无别的人，那人问：
There was no one else at the pier and
he asked,
----------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
--------------
―
是谁
?‖
―Who‘s there?‖
--
--------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------
―
是翠翠
!‖
―It‘s Cuicui!‖
--
--------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------
―
翠翠又是谁
?‖
―Who is Cuicui?‖
--------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------
―
是碧溪岨撑渡船的孙女。
‖
―I‘m the granddaughter of the ferry
operator at
Green Creek
Pass
.‖
----------
--------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
―
你在这儿做什么
?‖
―What are you doing here?‖
<
/p>
----------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
--
―
我等我爷爷。
―I‘m waiting for Grandpa.
我等他来好回家去。
‖
I wait for him to come so that we can
go home together.‖
---------
--------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------
―
等他来他可不会来，
―You could wait all you want but likely
your grandfather is not going to show
up.
你爷爷一定到城里军营里喝了酒，醉倒后被人抬回去了
!‖
He could have
gone drinking inside the barracks in the city and
was carried back home by someone after
he was drunk.‖
--------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------
―
他不会。
―He won‘t
do such a
thing.
他答应来，他就一定会来的。
‖
Hehas promised and
he will
come.‖
---------------------
--------------------------------------------------
---------------------
―
这里等也不成。
―You should not be waiting here like
this.
到我家里去，
Go to my home.
到那边点了灯的楼上去，
It‘s
upstairs
in the building over there
with lights.
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