Chapter 16
marcelbdt
April 27, 2008, 07:35 PM posted in General Discussion0001 流苏到了这个地步，反而懊悔她有柳原在身旁，一个人仿佛有了两个身体，
0002 也就蒙了双重危险。一颗子弹打不中她，还许打中他。他若是死了，若是残废了，
0003 她的处境更是不堪设想。她若是受了伤，为了怕拖累他，也只有横了心求死。就
0004 是死了，也没有孤身一个人死得干净爽利。她料着柳原也是这般想。别的她不知
0005 道，在这一刹那，她只有他，他也只有她。
0006
0007 停战了。困在浅水湾饭店的男女们缓缓向城中走去。过了黄土崖，红土崖，
0008 又是红土崖，黄土崖，几乎疑心是走错了道，绕回去了，然而不，先前的路上没
0009 有这炸裂的坑，满坑的石子。柳原与流苏很少说话。从前他们坐一截子汽车，也
0010 有一席话，现在走上几十里的路，反而无话可说了。偶然有一句话，说了一半，
0011 对方每每就知道了下文，没有往下说的必要。柳原道：“你瞧，海滩上。”流苏道：
0012 “是的。”海滩上布满了横七竖八割裂的铁丝网，铁丝网外面，淡白的海水汩汩吞
0013 吐淡黄的沙。冬季的晴天也是淡漠的蓝色。野火花的季节已经过去了。流苏道：
0014 “那堵墙……”柳原道：“也没有去看看。”流苏汉了口气道：“算了罢。”柳原走得热
0015 了起来，把大衣脱下来搁在臂上，臂上也出了汗。流苏道：“你怕热，让我给你拿
0016 着。”若在往日，柳原绝对不肯，可是他现在不那么绅士风了，竟交了给她。再走
0017 了一程子，山渐渐高了起来，不知道是风吹着树呢，还是云影的飘移，青黄的山
0018 麓缓缓地暗了下来。细看时，不是风也不是云，是太阳悠悠地移过山头，半边山
0019 麓埋在巨大的蓝影子里。山上有几座房屋在燃烧，冒着烟－－山阴的烟是白的，
0020 山阳的是黑烟－－然而太阳只是悠悠地移过山头。
0021
0022 到了家，推开了虚掩着的门，拍着翅膀飞出一群鸽子来。穿堂里满积着尘灰
0023 与鸽粪。流苏走到楼梯口，不禁叫了一声“哎呀。”二层楼上歪歪斜斜大张口躺着
0024 她新置的箱笼，也有两只顺着楼梯滚了下来，梯脚便淹没在绫罗绸缎的洪流里。
0025 流苏弯下腰来，捡起一件蜜合色衬绒旗袍，却不是她自己的东西，满是汗垢，香
0026 烟洞与贱价香水气味。她又发现许多陌生女人的用品，破杂志，开了盖的罐头荔
0027 枝，淋淋漓漓流着残汁，混在她的衣服一堆。这屋子里驻过兵么？——带有女人的
0028 英国兵？去得仿佛很仓促。挨户洗劫的本地的贫民，多半没有光顾过，不然，也
0029 不会留下这一切。柳原帮着她大声唤阿栗。末一只灰背鸽，斜刺里穿出来，掠过
0030 门洞子里的黄色的阳光，飞了出去。
0031
0032 阿栗是不知去向了，然而屋子里的主人们，少了她也还得活下去。他们来不
0033 及整顿房屋，先去张罗吃的，费了许多事，用高价买进一袋米。煤气的供给幸而
0034 没有断，自来水却没有。柳原拎了铅桶到山里去汲了一桶泉水，煮起饭来。以后
0035 他们每天只顾忙着吃喝与打扫房间。柳原各样粗活都来得，扫地，拖地板，帮着
0036 流苏拧绞沉重的褥单。流苏初次上灶做菜，居然带点家乡风味。因为柳原忘不了
0037 马来菜，她又学会了作油炸“沙袋”，咖哩鱼。他们对于饭食上虽然感到空前的兴
0038 趣，还是极力的撙节着。柳原身边的港币带得不多，一有了船，他们还得设法回
0039 上海。
0040
0041 在劫后的香港住下去究竟不是长久之计。白天这么忙忙碌碌也就混了过去。
0042 一到了晚上，在那死的城市里，没有灯，没有人声，只有那莽莽的寒风，三个不
0043 同的音阶，“喔……呵……呜……”无穷无尽地叫唤着，这个歇了，那个又渐渐响了，三
0044 条并行的灰色的龙，一直线地往前飞，龙身无限制地延长下去，看不见尾。 “喔
0045 ……呵……呜……”……叫唤到后来，索性连苍龙也没有了，只是三条虚无的气，真空的桥
0046 梁，通入黑暗，通入虚空的虚空。这里是什么都完了。剩下点断墙颓垣，失去记
0047 忆力的文明人在黄昏中跌跌绊绊摸来模去，像是找着点什么，其实是什么都完了。
0048
0049 流苏拥被坐着，听着那悲凉的风。她确实知道浅水湾附近，灰砖砌的那一面
0050 墙，一定还屹然站在那里。风停了下来，像三条灰色的龙，蟠在墙头，月光中闪
0051 着银鳞。她仿佛做梦似的，又来到墙根下，迎面来了柳原。她终于遇见了柳原。
0052 ……在这动荡的世界里，钱财，地产，天长地久的一切，全不可靠了。靠得住的只
0053 有她腔子里的这口气，还有睡在她身边的这个人。她突然爬到柳原身边，隔着他
0054 的棉被，拥抱着他。他从被窝里伸出手来握住她的手。他们把彼此看得透明透亮，
0055 仅仅是一刹那的彻底的谅解，然而这一刹那够他们在一起和谐地活个十年八年。
0056
0057 不过是一个自私的男子，她不过是一个自私的女人。在这兵荒马乱的时代，
0058 个人主义者是无处容身的，可是总有地方容得下一对平凡的夫妻。
liansuo
May 12, 2008, 08:19 AM0003 也只有横了心求死 "violently wish for death"?
My dix gives : 横心 „to find it in oneself, to will oneself (with an effort)“, and wenlin says „to steel oneself“. In order not to be a burden to him she would find it in herself even to wish for/seek death. What kind of death? Suicide ... just wishing for it? Asking someone for a mercy killing?
But I am also bothered by the following
就 0004 是死了，也没有孤身一个人死得干净爽利.? But even if she died, she would no longer die all by herself, cleanly and briskly... All to say that dying has become more difficult since they are two now?
0014 流苏汉了口气道 Here I wondered about the "汉了".
Typo: 嘆
0025 香 0026 烟洞 Penetrating stench of smoke.
I make this : it smelled of an opium den and cheap perfume.
0028 多半没有光顾过 ?
Maybe : the poor people of the neighborhood, who went from door to door looting, had most likely not come to „play customers“ here – since they would not have left all that stuff behind--- this train of thought to confirm the assumption that soldiers had used the place
0029 斜刺里 "cutting diagonally through"
Diagonal!! Great! I could not find this translation anywhere, but of course it is what we need.
0036 I have 褥单 =bedsheet , but those won't be very 沉重 ? Maybe 褥单 is just a matress, but why would you "wring" them?
They have to do some very primitive washing here and a man comes in handy when you are lifting and wringing a dripping wet bed-sheet! He is a decent guy, isn’t he – doing laundry is really very lowly work for a Chinese gentleman.
0037 “沙袋” = "sandbag" hopefully tastes better than it sounds.
I am not sure whether you are just joking or whether you would not mind an explanation. In case it is the latter: sate/satay is the Malaysian/Indonesian way of broiling meat-cubes on a bamboo skewer – and yes, it tastes very nice.
0043 “喔……呵……呜……” What does she mean by the three dragons??? Why three?
Probably just because of those three sounds of the wind ooow – uuuuh ---ooooooh which she is describing. There must be some dragon lore in the area– think of Kowloon （九龍)
marcelbdt
May 15, 2008, 04:21 PMBut I am also bothered by the following 就 0004 是死了，也没有孤身一个人死得干净爽利.? But even if she died, she would no longer die all by herself, cleanly and briskly... All to say that dying has become more difficult since they are two now?
I think so... Each of them has to stay alive because of the other.
0025 香 0026 烟洞 Penetrating stench of smoke.
I make this : it smelled of an opium den and cheap perfume.
Yeah, I was thinking ordinary tobaccho, but opium does sound more likely here.
0028 多半没有光顾过 ?
Maybe : the poor people of the neighborhood, who went from door to door looting, had most likely not come to „play customers“ here – since they would not have left all that stuff behind--- this train of thought to confirm the assumption that soldiers had used the place
That sounds right, even if the use of 光顾 surprises me. This reminds me of the cartoon "the Simpsons", which you probably don't know well. One of the recurring characters is the Indian shopkeeper Apu Nahasapeemapetilon of "Kwick-e-mart". He tells every leaving customer "Thank you, come again!" - also when they just have robbed him.
0043 “喔……呵……呜……” What does she mean by the three dragons??? Why three?
Probably just because of those three sounds of the wind ooow – uuuuh ---ooooooh which she is describing. There must be some dragon lore in the area– think of Kowloon （九龍)
Yes, I did make out the three sounds..:) but that number is so arbitrary? Mmm.. dragon lore sounds good. I have read that the nine dragons are the 8 hills of Kowloon, with a visiting emperor thrown in as the ninth dragon. But that is probably not relevant at all.
Besides, I always though that Chinese dragons were nice, but these dragons seem a bit scary.
marcelbdt
May 09, 2008, 11:17 PM0003 也只有横了心求死 "violently wish for death"?
0008 绕回去了，然而不 Another of them evil 不, but I feel confortable with them now, it is just short for 然而不绕回去了.
0014 流苏汉了口气道 Here I wondered about the "汉了".
0025 香 0026 烟洞 Penetrating stench of smoke.
0028 多半没有光顾过 ?
0029 斜刺里 "cutting diagonally through"
0036 I have 褥单 =bedsheet , but those won't be very 沉重 ? Maybe 褥单 is just a matress, but why would you "wring" them?
0037 “沙袋” = "sandbag" hopefully tastes better than it sounds.
0043 “喔……呵……呜……” What does she mean by the three dragons??? Why three?
0046 通入虚空的虚空 Rather emphatic.