似水柔情

　　Hearts in Touch

　　一

　　I

　　 夏日的一个周末，到朋友土人家做客。走进后院，想用凉水冲洗双脚。刚打开水龙头，土人看见了，走过来把水管关住。说：对不起，不是我家交不起水费，而是因为澳洲是缺水的国家。

　　On a summer weekend, I was invited to my friend, a native’s house. Because of the hot weather, I wandered into the backyard and wanted to rinse my legs with cool water, just as I turned on the tap, the host saw and came to turn off the tap, saying: sorry, I have to turn it off, it is not because that I couldn’t afford the water expense, but that Australia is a water-short country.

　　二

　　II

　　 在墨尔本城里打工，每天为许多顾客推拿按摩，人来人往，我基本上记不住他们。唯有一位西人男子，我一直记得他。那天他找我按摩，认真地指着后腰上纹着的一条虫，对我说：请不要按摩这儿。它是活的，它怕痛。

　　Working as a massage therapist in Melbourne, I do massage to many customers every day, but I can hardly remember them as individuals, except for one man of western background. That day, he came to have a massage. He seriously pointed at the tattoo patterned a worm on his waist and said: “Please don’t massage here, it’s alive, it will be fear of pain.”

　　一个长得英武气概的男子汉，却有着孩子般的童心。这样富有人情味的男子，我见了就记住啦。

　　Such a guy with manly appearance, but a child-like enthusiasm! Such a humane man, Once you met him, you will never forget.

　　 三

　　III

　　 坐地铁上班。那天，车廂的乘客不多，有几个讲普通话的中国老太太在聊天。望着她们，忽然想起我去世了的妈妈。一阵伤感。若妈妈仍健在，我一定把她接来澳洲，在墨尔本与我同住。心里的悲伤写在了脸上。

　　I always took the train to work. That day, only a few passengers were in the carriage, and several old Mandarin-speaking Chinese women were chatting. Gazing at them, I suddenly thought of my mother who passed away many years ago. Sadness was irresistible to surge in my heart, and I sighed sadly: if my mother was still alive, I would have brought her to Australia to live with me. Sadness in the heart was showing on my face.

　　到站，跨出车门的瞬间，一位老太太追出车廂，紧跑两步，对我说：“孩子，不要不高兴，一切都会好的。”然后她又回到车廂。门关上，车子开走了。

　　When I arrived at the station, at the moment of getting out of the train door, an old lady chased me several steps out of the carriage, and said to me: don’t be sad, my baby! Everything is going to be all right; then, she was back to the carriage. A moment later, the door was closed and the train was driven away.

　　原来，她出来就是为了对我说这两句话。

　　I see, she came out just to tell me these words

　　四

　　Ⅳ

　　 独自一人过生日，忽然接到西人朋友R·B的电话，说他已经从吉朗赶到墨尔本。他送我一束花，又带我去吃饭。最后，他把我送到家门口，陪我过了红绿灯人行道。然后告别，匆匆赶回吉朗。

　　I was alone on my birthday, feeling lonely. Suddenly, I received a call from my friend R·B, who told me he come to Melbourne from Geelong. He sent me a bunch of flowers and took me out to dinner; later, he walked me to my house, and crossed the sidewalk with me; then, he said goodbye to me and hurried to Geelong.

　　 看见R·B在等绿灯过马路的时候，弯腰把路边的拉圾和纸张一一捡起，放回垃圾箱里，然后盖上盖子。

　　When R·B was waiting at the traffice lights, he stooped down to pick up the garbage and papers, and put them into the rubbish bin, then closed the lid.

　　 五

　　Ⅴ

　　一起打工的小王，看到报纸上炒我、骂我，怕我受不了。对我说：“我的朋友都是你的读者。他们要我转告你，请坚持你的风格，敞开心胸来写。”

　　My colleague Xiao Wang read some articles hyping for or abusing me on the newspapers, he was afraid I couldn’t stand this, thus, he said to me: all of my friends are your readers, they ask me to tell you: please stick to what you have, and open your heart to write.

　　 当他知道我打工挣钱，为了将来出一本中英文书，就说，咱们打工都很累，写书更累。今天，我就把加班的钱给你，作为预定。说完，硬塞给我20元澳币。

　　When he realized that the purpose of may working was to earn enough money to publish my future book, he said that it wasn’t easy to make money, but writing was even harder. By saying so he gave me his, overtime payment as a book subscription. $20 was in my hand.

　　六

　　Ⅵ

　　墨尔本的阿木，那天见面，送给我一包东西。他说：梅，这些东西不值钱，但都是没有用过的，如果需要你就拿去用。刚来的移民都有一段艰苦的过程。还说，感谢别人帮助的最好方式，就是用同样的方法去帮助别的需要帮助的人。

　　Amu in Melbourne, on the day that we met, gave me a package. He said: Mei, these things are worthless, but have not been used; you can get it if needed. New immigrant always has a hard time; in addition, he also said: the best way to thank for one’s help is to help others in the same way.

　　 打开包一看，有毛巾、香皂、洗发剂、签字笔、旅行袋……

　　Opening the packet, there were towels, soaps, shampoo, sign pens and travelling bag, etc.

　　七

　　Ⅶ

　　 文友兼长辈艾米，到我上班的地方来看我。我正忙着工作，没法和她打招呼。艾米悄悄放下一本她翻译的作品，留下一张纸条，走了。等我追出店门，艾米的背影已在人群中渐渐远去。只见她银白色的头发，微胖的身体，已在墨尔本的日光下成为定格，留在了我的记忆之中。

　　Amy, a literary friend and seniority, came to my working place to visit me. I was busy and unable to say hello to her. Amy silently put down a book translated by her and left a note to me, then, she was away. When I chased her out of the shop, Amy’s back was going farther and father away in the crowd. In the sunlight of Melbourne, her gray hairs and plump body had been fixed in my mind forever.

　　八

　　Ⅷ

　　 打电话向文友雨萌诉苦：生活不如意，日复一日的生活，简单枯燥，心情压郁。以前在国内过小资的日子，现在想起来，有些怀念。

　　I called to my literary friend Yumeng, and complain: I am living in an uncomfortable life, in my day-to-day simple and boring life, I feel gloomy and disconsolate. Now, I really do miss the petty life at home.

　　 雨萌说：来吧，到我们家来。好好聊聊，让你过一天小资生活。享受一下，恢复自信。

　　Yumeng said: baby, come to my home. We can have a good chat; and you can enjoy your petty life one day in my house to reaffirm your confidence.

　　 放下电话，心情变得愉快起来。

　　Hanging up the phone, I became more pleasure.

　　 九

　　Ⅸ

　　 朋友土人带给我几根细细的竹笋。“梅，尝尝澳洲的竹笋。”他说：这不是买的，是野生的，西人不吃这东西，我挖来给你尝尝。说完，用刀把竹笋一根根剥开，把硬壳去掉。

　　My friend, a native, brought me several thin bamboo shoots. “Mei, taste the bamboo shoots of Australia”, he said: “these are not bought from the market, but wilding, western people don’t like to eat it, I dug some for you. Then, he peeled off the bamboo shoots one by one, and removed the hard covers.

　　 看着细细的竹笋，想到家乡的那一片竹海。吃着鲜嫩、略带苦涩的笋尖，忘不了土人那双粗糙的手，和他剥笋笨拙的模样。

　　Staring at the thin bamboo shoots, I suddenly thought of the sea of bamboos in my hometown. Tasting the slightly-bitter tender tips of bamboo shoots, I would never forget my friend’s rough hands and the scene he awkwardly peeled the bamboo shoots.

　　 十

　　Ⅹ

　　 隔壁小黄，吸尘器用了不放回原处，水龙头老是不拧紧，粗话不断，出口成“脏”。很不讨人喜欢。有一天心情不好，我对着电话吼叫，又气得哭了。小黄敲开我的门，说：“姐，你就别发火啦。有谁欺负你，告诉我。出门在外都不容易。你看得上小弟，就让我来照顾你。哪天你老了，还一个人在澳洲，就跟着我。我把你当自己的姐姐待……”

　　Xiao Huang, my neighbor, always forgot to put the vacuum cleaner back or shut off the tap after use, and liked to speak foul language, thus, he was rather an unpleasant person. One day, I was in bad mood, shouting at the phone and weeping with anger. Xiao Huang knocked on my door, and said: sister, don’t take offense, if someone hurts you, tell me; we are not easy to be outside, if you trust me, let me look after you; even if one day, you are old and still live alone in Australia, follow me, I will treat you as my own sister.

　　茫茫人海中，能成为邻居，也是一种缘。于是，一改平日对他没好脸色的样子，笑着看他。

　　In this boundless crowd, it was a fate to become neighbors. So, I looked at him with a smile, instead of bad complexion in past days.

　　 十一

　　Ⅺ

　　 上海人小刘，离异，自己经营一家小加工厂。初来墨尔本时，开车到机场接过我，偶尔有电话联系。

　　Xiu Liu, divorced, operated a small processing plant in Melbourne. When I first arrived in Melbourne, he picked me up at the airport, and then, we would keep in touch through phone calls occasionally.

　　 春节的那天晚上，小刘来电话，祝节日快乐。又说：如果有空，就到我这里来吃饭。咱们俩，都是单身过日子。唉，孤男寡女的，来吧，咱们一起喝上一杯。过年啦……

　　In the evening before the Spring Festival, Xiu Liu made a telephone call to me to wish a happy holiday; and said: if you have time, come to my house and have a meal with me, both of us are living alone. Alas, come here, let’s have a drink together. After all, a new year will be dawning.

　　 转眼又到春节，不知小刘现在可好？

　　It seems that Spring Festival time is here once again, and how is Xiu Liu now?

　　十二

　　Ⅻ

　　 和土人去旅行。走近悬崖看大海，被他喝令止步，怕我掉进海里。随后他自己走过去，趴下，把头伸出去向下张望。我走到他身后，伸出手去，抓住他的腰带。

　　I had a journey with my friend, a native. When I went close to the edge of the cliff to look at the sea, he screamed at me to stop, he was afraid I would fall into the sea. But then, he went up to the edge of the cliff, lied down, got his head out and looked down. I approached him behind, and held out my hands to grasp his belt.

　　 往回走的时候，土人问：为什么抓住我的皮带？我说：怕你掉下去。又如实招来：如果这时候，悬崖突然发生塌方，你掉下去了，我是没有勇气跟着跳下去的。抓住你，你就会把我一起带下去。

　　As we were walking back, my friend asked me: why did you grasp my belt? I said: I’m afraid of your falling, and then I also honestly said: at that moment, if the cliff collapsed and you fell into the sea, I have no courage to follow you. Catch you, you will get me with you.

　　 土人大受感动，为我这真实坦率的回答。

　　My friend was greatly touched, for my frank answer.

　　如水的情谊，点点滴滴的感动，看起来微不足道，却时时让我回味良久，人生因此而变得美好。

　　Water-like friendly feelings and piecemeal touching seemed to be insignificant, but I would remember for a long time. For this, life would be more beautiful.

　　2006年12月 North Richmond