比方过去那一些他常讲的故事,现在讲起来,讲了 一半下一半他就说:"我记不得了。
For example, in telling a story that he had often used to tell, he would give up halfway and sigh, "I've forgotten the rest of it." One night, he fell ill again.
"他叫我写信给我已经死去 五年的姑母。
After recovering, he said to me, "Write to your third aunt and tell her to come see me.
Haven't seen her for four or five years, have I?" But the aunt he meant had died five years before.
那次离家是很痛苦的。
It gave me much pain this time to leave home.
学校来了开学通知信,祖父又一天一天地 变样起来。
Grandpa's condition was going from bad to worse when I received a notice a from my school informing me of the beginning of the new semester.
祖父睡着的时候,我就躺在他的旁边哭,好像祖父已经离开我死 去似的,一面哭着一面抬头看他凹陷的嘴唇。
When he was sound asleep, I lay beside him sobbing bitterly as if he had already passed away.
我若死掉祖父,就死 掉我一生最重要的一个人,好像他死了就把人间一切"爱"和"温暖" 带得空空虚虚。
His death would mean the death of a person most important to me all my life.
我联想到母亲死的时候。
Then I remembered how, after mother's death, father had remarried and often beat me.
这个母亲很客气,不打我,就是骂,也是指着桌子或椅子 来骂我。
Even when she cursed me, she would do it in a roundabout way by referring to something else, Say, a chair or table.
"一个黄金色的桔子落到我的手中。
What's this?" He thrust a golden orange into my hand.
夜间不敢到茅厕去,我说:"妈妈同我到茅厕去趟吧。
At night, being afraid to g0 to the latrine, I asked my stepmother, 217 'Mom.
Will you accompany me to the latrine? "No, 1 won't." 'I'm afraid." •"What! "What!
"父亲也说话了,把眼睛从眼镜上面看着 冬天,祖父已经睡下,赤着脚,开着纽扣跟我到外面茅厕去。
Afraid of ghosts and spirits?" father cut in, his eyes shooting me an icy stare over his glasses.
It was a cold winter night.
三月里,我又回家一次,正在外面叫 门,里面小弟弟嚷着:"姐姐回来了!
In March, I returned home for a short visit.
姐姐回来了!
Here comes sister!!
"大门开时,我 就远远注意着祖父住着的那间房子。
The moment the gate was opened, I directed my eyes far ahead straight towards the room where grandpa lived.
果然祖父的面孔和胡子闪现在玻 璃窗里。
Sure I enough, I saw the glimpse of his face and beard behind the window panes.
我跳着笑着跑进屋去。
I dashed into his room beaming delightedly.
但不是高兴,只是心酸,祖父的脸色 更惨淡更白了。
But sorrow, instead of joy, came over me when I saw an even more sickly pallor on hiis 1 face.
等屋子里一个人没有时,他流着泪,他慌慌忙忙的一 边用袖口擦着眼泪,一边抖动着嘴唇说:"爷爷不行了,不知早晚⋯• 前些日子好险没跌⋯⋯跌死。
When I was left alone with him.
He quickly wiped away his tears with his sleeve and said with his lips quivering, "Grandpa is dying.
还没到后门口,腿颤,心跳,眼前发花了一阵就倒 下去。
Hardly had I reached the door when my legs began to tremble, my heart beat hard and T felt dizzy and fell.
" 我走的那天也是和我回来那天一样,白色的脸的轮廓闪现在玻璃 窗里。
I saw the same silhouette of a pale face moving behind the window panes as upon my arrival.
Tt Icould still see it when I looked back from the centre of the courtyard.
从这一次祖父就与我永远隔绝了。
Then it was completely shut out of view as soon as I stepped out of the gate.
A As a matter of fact, I parted from grandpa this time never to meet again.
虽然那次和祖父告别,并没说 出一个永别的字。
Of course, I said nothing to that effect when bidding him farewell.
我回来看祖父,这回门前吹着喇叭",幡杆挑得比 房头更高,马车离家很远的时候,我已看到高高的白色幡杆了,吹鼓 發 手们的喇叭怆凉的在悲号。
On my next retumn home, I found musicians blowing the suona hor at the gate and funeral streamers hanging high above the housetop --- SO high that I had seen it from afar when I was arriving in the carriage.
马车停在喇叭声中,大门前的白幡、白对 214 联、院心的灵棚、闹嚷嚷许多人,吹鼓手们响起乌乌的哀号。
There were white streamers, white scrolls inscribed with couplets in commemoration of the deceased.
The mourning shed in the centre of the courtyard and noisy crowds of people.