雙語|現(xiàn)代散文:冰心 春的消息

Tidings of Spring 春的消息

◎ Bing Xin ◎ 冰心

Whenever I looked out of the window sitting at my desk，what struck my eye at once would be a cluster of rectangular dormitory buildings standing side by side without a single tree in-between．The wide open ground beyond my window，which had been for years piled with rusty long steel bars—building materials for some new dormitories to be put up nearby，was a scene of desolation．Disappointed at the drab surroundings，I had to turn to“creating”colour under my roof．I decorated my room with green-coloured window curtains，spread a green cloth on the table，placed on the windowsills some poinsettias and，cyclamens given by a friend and some diaolan planted by my children．A vase filled with roses，chrysanthemums，carnations or multiflora roses was placed before an oil portrait of Zhou Enlai hanging on the wall．These flowers，when in season，were sent me weekly by Northern Rose Company at my request．On the windowsill beside my desk was a potted tender kaffir lily given me by a friend or sometimes a vase of roses．The consolation I derive from things green or from the vague hint of spring，though very small，is better than none.

坐在書桌旁往外看，我的窗外周圍只是一座一座的長長方方的宿舍樓，樓與樓之間沒有一棵樹木！窗前一大片的空地上，歷年來堆放著許多長長的、生了銹的鋼筋——這是為建筑附近幾座新宿舍樓用的——真是一片荒涼沉寂。外邊看不到什么顏色了，我只好在屋子里“創(chuàng)造”些顏色。我在堂屋里掛上綠色的窗簾，鋪上綠色的桌布，窗臺上擺些朋友送的一品紅、仙客來，和孩子們自己種的吊蘭。在墻上掛的總理油畫前，供上一瓶玫瑰花、菊花、石竹花或十姊妹。那是北方玫瑰花公司應我之請，按著時節(jié)，每星期送來的。我的書桌旁邊的窗臺上擺著一盆朋友送的還沒有開過花的君子蘭。有時也放上一瓶玫瑰。這一絲絲的綠意，或說是春意吧，都是“慰情聊勝無”的。

Every year，I remember，when spring came，emerald-green grass would start shooting up from among the steel bars．It grew still faster under the summer rain until it enveloped all the steel bars，which were unable to arrest its exuberance．Now the steel bars have been removed and I hear that the vacant lot will be planted with flowers.

我想起我窗前的那片空地，從前堆放鋼筋的地方，每到春來，從鋼筋的空隙中總會長出十分翠綠的草。夏雨來時，它便怒長起來，蔓延到鋼條周圍。那勃勃的生機，是鋼鐵也壓不住的。如今，這些鋼條都搬走了，又聽說我們樓前這一塊空地將要種上花草。

Several days ago，I was suddenly disturbed by a joyous din from outside the window．Looking out of it，I saw scores of boy and girl students in the middle of tidying up the open ground．The girls were in colourful down jackets or woolen sweaters，and the boys were in green army uniforms or dark-coloured jackets．They worked with hoes or shovels．Some were busy fencing off the land with iron-bar railings．Evidently，they were trying to turn the wide open ground in front of our building into a garden bright with lush green grass and blooming flowers.

前幾天，窗外一陣陣的喧嘩笑語，驚動了我。往外看時，原來是好幾十個男女學生，正在整理這片空地呢！女學生穿的羽絨衣、毛衣，紅紅綠綠的；男學生有的穿綠軍裝，有的穿深色的衣服。他們拿著種種工具，鋤土的鋤土，鏟土的鏟土，安放矮欄的就在場地邊上安插下小鐵欄桿。看來我們樓前這一大片土地，將會被這群青年人整治成一座綠草成茵、繁花似錦的公園……

It became somewhat gloomy，but the young people didn't slack off their efforts．Today I took off my woolen sweater and put on a cotton-padded jacket instead because the central heating in our dormitory buildings had stopped as scheduled．Nevertheless，thanks to the tidings of spring，I'm warm at heart.

窗外是微陰的天，這群年輕人仍在忙忙地勞動著。今天暖氣停了，我脫下毛衣?lián)Q上棉襖，但我的心里卻是暖烘烘的，因為我得到了春的消息！

《春的消息》是冰心1987年3月16日寫于北京中央民族學院一幢深灰色的教師宿舍樓上。從五十年代開始她和吳文藻先生就一直住在該樓。譯者過去曾先后兩次去民族學院登門拜訪這位著名女作家，因而也算是該樓環(huán)境的見證人。