散文佳作108篇 第46期:我可能是天津人 I Might Have Come from Tianjin

I Might Have Come from Tianjin

侯寶林

Hou Baolin

還是從火車上說起吧!大約在我四歲多的時候，我坐過火車。當時帶我坐車的人，是我的舅舅，叫張全斌。我記得那時我的打扮挺滑稽的，穿著藍布大褂、小坎肩，戴瓜皮小帽。那時候，小孩子打扮成那個樣子，夠不錯了。在我的童年中，也就只：有過這么一次。在火車上，因為小，沒坐過火車，也很少見過家里以外的人，覺得挺新鮮。也許人在幼年時代終歸想要些溫暖吧!那時舅舅抱著我，哄著我，我覺得很溫暖。一路上吃了半斤炒栗子，睡了一會兒覺，就到了北京。根據這個情況，現(xiàn)在估計起來，我可能是從天津來的。我現(xiàn)在對我原來的父母還有個模糊不清的印象，父親、母親的形象還能回憶起一點兒，但很模糊。究竟家里姓什么?哪里人?不知道。我只知道自己的生日和乳名。生日是自己長大以后聽家里大人說的，是農歷十月十五酉時生人。所以我的乳名叫“酉”，北京人愛用兒化韻，前面加個小，后面加“兒”，就叫“小酉兒”。關于我個人的歷史情況，我就知道這一些，再多一點都記不起來了。

Let me begin with my trip on the train. When I was about four years old I had traveled by train.The man I traveled with was my uncle Zhang Quanbin. I still remember how funny I looked theway I was dressed - in a blue cloth gown with a short sleeveless jacket over it and a skull capon the head. In those days it was good enough for small kids to be dressed like that. However,it was my only experience to boast about in my childhood. As I had never traveled by train ormet anyone outside my family before, I felt everything on the train was new to me. Probably inchildhood, one always needs some comfort. Sitting in my uncle's lap, being humored all theway, I was very happy. We ate half a jin of roast chestnuts, had a nap and soon arrived inBeijing. With the hints mentioned above I assume I might have come from Tianjin. Even today Ican recollect what my own parents looked like but, of course, my impression is blurry. As forwhat my family name was and where my parents came from, I really don't know. I onlyremember my birthday and my infant name. I was told about my birthday by my foster-parentswhen I grew up. I was born in the “you" period (between 5-7 p.m.), 15th of the 10th lunarmonth. So I was named You. Prefixed with xiao-young, and suffixed with a diminutive er--anintimate way of addressing young and small things by Beijingers, my name, therefore, becameXiao You'r. This is all I know about my childhood and beyond that I do not remember muchelse.