雙語 ● Christmas Day in the Morning　圣誕節(jié)的早晨

Christmas Day in the Morning　圣誕節(jié)的早晨

◎ Pearl S. Buck

He woke suddenly and completely. It was four o’clock, the hour at which his father had always called him to get up and help with the milking. Strange how the habits of his youth clung to him still! His father had been dead for thirty years, but, this morning it was Christmas, he did not try to sleep.

他猛地一下醒來，就再也睡不著了。現(xiàn)在是凌晨四點鐘，正是以前父親叫他起床幫忙擠奶的時間。奇怪的是，他年輕時養(yǎng)成的早醒習慣還一直保持著！他的父親已經(jīng)去世30年了，他仍舊一到4點鐘就會醒。可今天是圣誕節(jié)的早晨，所以他不想再接著睡了。

Yet what was the magic of Christmas now? His childhood and youth were long past, and his own children had grown up and gone.

可現(xiàn)在的圣誕節(jié)對他來說又有什么樣的魔力呢？他的童年和青春已然離他遠去，他的兒女也已經(jīng)長大成人、各奔前程去了。

Yesterday his wife had said, it isn’t worthwhile, perhaps—And he had said, “Oh, yes, Alice, even if there are only the two for us, let’s have a Christmas of our own.”

昨天，他的妻子說，也許現(xiàn)在不用過什么圣誕節(jié)了——可他卻十分肯定地說：“不！愛麗絲，即使現(xiàn)在就剩下我們兩個人，那也得過一個屬于自己的圣誕節(jié)。”

Then she had said, “Let’s not trim the tree until tomorrow, Robert. I’m tired.”

妻子接著說：“羅伯特，我們明天再裝飾圣誕樹吧！我有點累了。”

He had agreed, and the tree was still out by the back door.

他同意了。于是，那棵圣誕樹就被原封不動地放在后門那兒。

He lay in his bed in his room. The door to her room was shut because she was a light sleeper. Years ago they had decided to use separate rooms. Neither of them slept as well as they once had. They had been married so long that nothing could separate them, actually.

他在自己的臥室里睡下了，而妻子睡得淺，所以連接兩個房間的門總是關著的。分房睡是夫妻倆多年前作出的決定?？蓮哪侵笏麄兙驮僖膊幌褚郧八媚敲聪懔恕．吘顾麄円黄鹕盍撕芫?，已經(jīng)沒有什么能把他們分開。

Why did he feel so awake tonight? For it was still night, a clear and starry night. No moon, of course, but the stars were extraordinary! Now that he thought of it, the stars seemed always large and clear before the dawn of Christmas day.

為何今夜他久久不能入眠？因為今晚是一個萬里無云、滿天星斗的夜晚。雖不見月亮，但繁星閃爍。每當他回憶起這件往事時，特別是在圣誕節(jié)的黎明之前想起它，星星就好像顯得特別大，特別亮。

He slipped back in time, as he did so easily nowadays. He was fifteen years old and still on his father’s farm. He loved his father. He had not known it until one day a few days before Christmas, when he had overheard what his father was saying to his mother.

這些年以來，他總是不由自主地回憶起那些舊事來。那時的他才15歲，就住在父親的農(nóng)場里。他深愛著他的父親?？伤辉煊X到父親也是那樣地愛著他，直到圣誕節(jié)前的某一天，他無意中聽到父母的談話。

“Mary, I hate to call Rob in the mornings. He’s growing so fast and he needs his sleep. If you could see how he sleeps when I go in to wake him up! I wish I could manage alone.”

“瑪麗，我實在不愿意那么早就把羅布叫醒。他正在長身體，需要睡眠?？吹剿鞘焖臉幼?，我都不忍心叫醒他。我真想一個人就把活全都干了?！?

“Well, you can’t Adam.” His mother’s voice as brisk, “Besides, he isn’t a child anymore. It’s time he took his turn.”

他的母親毫不猶豫地說：“噢！亞當，你這么想就不對了。他已經(jīng)長大了，是時候幫家里做點事了。”

“Yes,” his father said slowly. “But I sure do hate to wake him.”

“話是沒錯，”他的父親緩緩地說道，“但我真的不忍心吵醒他?！?

When he heard these words, something in him spoke: his father loved him! He had never thought of that before, taking for granted the tie of their blood. Neither his father nor his mother talked about loving their children—they had no time for such things. There was always so much to do on the farm. Now that he knew his father loved him there would be no more loitering in the mornings and having to be called again. He got up after hat, stumbling blind with sleep and pulled on his clothes.

聽到父母的這些話后，他從心底明白了父親對他的愛。這是他以前從未想到的，他以前只是想當然地以為血緣關系應該就是那樣了吧！他的父母都不會把對孩子的愛掛在嘴上——他們也沒有時間那樣做。農(nóng)場里總是有太多事要忙?，F(xiàn)在他明白父親是愛他的，所以早晨他再也不想賴床，再也不用父親把他叫醒了。這時，他揉著惺忪睡眼，磕磕絆絆地從床上爬起來，把衣服穿上。

And then on the night before Christmas, that year when he was fifteen, he lay for a few minutes thinking about the next day. They were poor, and most of the excitement was in the turkey they had raised themselves and mince pies his mother made. His sisters sewed presents and his mother and father always bought something he needed, not only a warm jacket, maybe, but something more, such as a book. And he saved and bought them each something, too.

還記得，那是他15歲那年的圣誕節(jié)前夕，他躺在床上想著第二天要干的事。他家里窮，圣誕節(jié)最激動人心的時刻就是吃自家養(yǎng)的火雞和媽媽親手做的餡餅。他的姐姐會親手縫制禮物，而父母會買一些他需要的東西，可能是一件暖和的夾克，也可能是書本那些東西。當然，他也會用自己省下的零花錢給家人買些禮物。

He wished, that Christmas when he was fifteen, he had a better present for his father instead of the usual tie from the ten-cent store. He lay on his side and looked out of his attic window.

他希望在自己15歲的這個圣誕節(jié)給父親買一份好點的禮物，而不像過去那樣，只是到10美分店鋪里買一條普通的領帶。他側躺著，透過閣樓的那個窗戶向外望去。

“Dad,” he had once asked when he was a little boy, “What is a stable?”

“爸爸，”他年幼時曾經(jīng)問過父親，“馬廄是什么？”

“It’s just a barn,” his father had replied, “l(fā)ike ours.”

“它就是個養(yǎng)牲口的地方，”他的父親回答道，“就像我們家里的牲口棚一樣?！?

Then Jesus had been born in a barn, and to a barn the shepherds and the Wise Men had come, bringing their Christmas gifts!

耶穌就是在馬廄里出生的，而牧師和智者也會在馬廄里分發(fā)圣誕禮物！

The thought struck him like a silver dagger. Why should he not give his father a special gift too, out there in the barn? He could get up early, earlier than four o’clock, and he could creep into the barn and get all the milking done. He’d do it alone, milk and clean up, and then when his father went in to start the milking he’d see it all done.

突然他的腦海里閃過一絲念頭：我為什么不能在牲口棚里給爸爸送一份特別的禮物呢？我可以在凌晨四點之前起來，這樣就能比父親起得早。接著我就偷偷溜進牲口棚把擠奶、清洗牲口棚的活都干完。這樣，當父親進入牲口棚準備開始干活時，就能看到自己所做的一切。

He laughed to himself as he gazed at the stars. It was what he would do, and he mustn’t sleep too sound.

他凝望著夜空中的繁星，安靜地想著，不知不覺得意地笑了。他決定了，就那么做。所以，今晚他不能睡得太沉。

He must have waked twenty times, scratching a match each time to look at his old watch—midnight, and half past one, and then two o’clock.

那一夜，他醒了不下20次，每次都要擦根火柴，借著火光看他那只舊懷表。時間一分一秒地過去：1點半，2點……

At a quarter to three he got up and put on his clothes. He crept downstairs, careful of the creaky boards, and let himself out. The cows looked at him, sleepy and surprised. It was early for them too.

還沒到3點，他就起床穿好了衣服。他躡手捏腳地走下樓，生怕弄出聲音吵醒父母。牲口棚里，一頭奶牛睡眼惺忪地看著他，仿佛正為他這么早來擠奶而感到奇怪。

But they accepted him placidly and he fetched some hay for each cow and then got the milking pail and the big milk cans.

但是它們還是乖乖地順從了他。他給奶牛添了一些干草，然后將擠奶用的桶和奶罐擺放整齊。

He had never milked all alone before, but it seemed almost easy. He smiled and milked steadily, two strong streams rusing into the pail, frothing and fragrant. The cows were behaving well, as though they knew it was Christmas.

他以前從來沒有單獨擠過奶，這件事情對他來說好像也不是很容易。他笑著，不慌不忙地干了起來。他看著不斷涌出的牛奶流進奶桶里，散發(fā)著一股醉人的奶香味。奶牛很聽話，好像它們知道今天是圣誕節(jié)似的。

The task went more easily than he had ever known it to go before. Milking for once was not a chore. It was something else, a gift to his father who loved him. He finished, the two milk cans were full, and he covered them and closed the milk-house door carefully, making sure of the latch. He put the stool in its place by the door and hung up the clean milk pail. Then he went out of the barn and barred the door behind him.

任務完成得比他想象的要順利很多。擠一次奶對他來說算不上什么繁雜的事情，而是給深愛他的父親準備的一份特別禮物。他擠的奶裝滿了兩大奶罐。他蓋上蓋子，小心翼翼地把牛棚的大門關上，反復確認是否上了門閂。他把凳子放回門邊，把清洗奶桶的刷子掛回門后。然后，他關上身后的門離開牛棚。

Back in his room he had only a minute to pull off his clothes in the darkness and jump into bed, for he heard his father up. He put the covers over his head to silence his quick breathing. The door opened.

回到房間后，他只有1分鐘的時間摸黑脫掉自己的衣服，然后爬進被窩里。因為他聽到了父親起床的聲音。他用被子把頭蒙住，好讓狂跳不止的心盡快平靜下來。這時，門開了。

“Rob!” His father called. “We have to get up, son, even if it is Christmas.”

“羅布,”他的父親叫著他的名字，“孩子，即使今天是圣誕節(jié)我們也得早起呀！”

“Aw-right,” he said sleepily.

“好的，爸爸。”他裝出一副還沒睡醒的樣子答道。

“I’ll go on out,” his father said. “I’ll get things started.”

“那我先去了，”父親說，“我得把事情先干起來?！?

The door closed and he lay still, laughing to himself. In just a few minutes his father would know. His dancing heart was ready to jump from his body.

門關上了，他仍舊躺在床上，自己傻笑著。幾分鐘之后，父親就會看到自己所做的一切。他的心跳加速，那顆心好像時刻準備著逃出他的身體。

The minutes were endless—ten, fifteen, he did not know how many—and he heard his father’s footsteps again. The door opened and he lay still.

等待總是漫長的——10分鐘過去了，15分鐘過去了，他甚至不知道究竟過去了多長時間。然后他聽見父親的腳步聲再一次響起。門開了，他仍舊躺在床上。

“Rob!”

“羅布！”

“Yes, Dad—”

“我在呢，爸爸?！?

“You son of a—” His father was laughing, a queer sobbing sort of laugh.

“你小子……”他的父親笑了，哽咽道。

“Thought you’d fool me, did you?” His father was standing by his bed, feeling for him, pulling away the cover.

“你小子騙了我，是不是？”父親就站在他的床邊，掀開蒙著他的被子。父親感動極了！

“It’s for Christmas, Dad!”

“那是我為你準備的圣誕禮物，爸爸！”

He found his father had clutched him in a great hug. He felt his father’s arms go around him. It was dark and they could not see each other’s faces.

這時，只見父親給了他一個大大的擁抱。他感覺到父親的雙臂正環(huán)繞著自己，即使在這個漆黑的看不到彼此的房間里。

“Son, I thank you. Nobody ever did a nicer thing—”

“孩子，謝謝你。這是我收過的最好的禮物?！?

“Oh, Dad, I want you to know—I do want to be good!” The words broke from him of their own will. He did not know what to say. His heart was bursting with love.

“噢，爸爸！我想讓你知道——我能做得很好！”這些話仿佛自發(fā)地從他嘴里冒出來。他不知該說些什么。此刻他的心中滿滿的都是愛。

He got up and pulled on his clothes again and they went down to the Christmas tree. Oh what a Christmas, and how his heart had nearly burst again with shyness and pride as his father told his mother and made the younger children listen about how he, Rob, had got up all by himself.

他再一次起床穿上衣服，然后和父親一起走到圣誕樹旁。多美好的圣誕節(jié)?。√貏e是當他聽到父親對母親說他現(xiàn)在不用別人叫就知道自己起床的時候，他感到有點害羞，但更多的是自豪。

“The best Christmas gift I ever had, and I’ll remember it, son every year on Christmas morning, so long as I live.”

“這是我收到的最好的圣誕禮物。孩子，只要我活著，每年圣誕節(jié)的早晨我都會想起它。”

They had both remembered it, and now that his father was dead, he remembered it alone: that blessed Christmas dawn when, alone with the cows in the barn; he had made his first gift of true love.

父子倆都會記住它?，F(xiàn)如今，他的父親去世了，只有他獨自一人回憶著：在那個美好的圣誕節(jié)早晨，他獨自一人在牛棚里制作了一份充滿愛的禮物。

Outside the window now the stars slowly faded. He got out of bed and put on his slippers and bathrobe and went softly downstairs. He brought in the tree, and carefully began to trim it. It was done very soon. He then went to his library and fetched the little box that contained his special gift to his wife a diamond brooch, not large but dainty in design. But he was not satisfied. He wanted to tell her—to tell her how much he loved her.

窗外，繁星那閃爍的光環(huán)漸漸褪去。他起床穿上拖鞋、睡袍，輕輕地走下樓。他悄悄地把圣誕樹搬進屋中，小心翼翼地開始裝扮起來。不一會兒，圣誕樹就完成了裝扮。接著他到書房取來一個小盒子，里面裝著他為妻子準備的特殊禮物——一枚不大但設計精美的鉆石胸針。然而，他卻仍舊不滿意這份禮物。他想告訴她——自己是多么愛她。

How fortunate that he had been able to love! Ah, that was the true joy of life, the ability to love! For he was quite sure that some people were genuinely unable to love anyone. But love was alive in him. It still was.

他暗自慶幸自己還能愛。這正是生活的真正樂趣所在——能夠愛。因為他深知一些人的的確確不會去愛任何人。但是，愛卻能在他的身體里生根發(fā)芽。愛一直都在！

It occurred to him suddenly that it was alive because long ago it had been born in him when he knew his father loved him. That was it: Love alone could awaken love. And he could give the gift again and again.

他忽然明白，自從知道父親深愛著自己后，愛就久久地活在他心中。那就是：獨自去愛也能喚醒愛。更重要的是，他還能一次又一次將禮物送給摯愛。

This morning, this blessed Christmas morning, he would give it to his beloved wife. He could write it down in a letter for her to read and keep forever. He went to his desk and began his love letter to his wife: My dearest love...

這個早晨，這個美好的圣誕節(jié)早晨，他將把愛送給心愛的妻子。他將把愛寫進一封信里，讓妻子看后能將愛永遠地保存下來。他走到書桌旁坐下，開始了他那封寫給摯愛的情書：我最親愛的愛人……

Such a happy, happy, Christmas!

多么美好、多么幸福的圣誕節(jié)??！

超多雙語閱讀，盡在聽力課堂