Sender: student
Search: <sps>
Language: Both
User: 
Chapter: 



1: 坐的是長途公共汽車，那破舊的車子，城市裏淘汰下來的，

--> he old bus is <sps> a city reject.



2: 到這座南方山區的小縣城。

--> you arrive <sps> in this mountain county town in the South.



3: 背著旅行袋，手裏拎個挎包，站在滿是冰棍紙和甘蔗屑子的停車場上環顧。

--> n the bus station, which is littered <sps> with ice-block wrappers and sugar cane 
scraps, you stand <sps> with your backpack and a bag and look <sps> around for a while.



4: 空手什麼包袱和籃子也不帶的一幫子年輕人從口袋裏掏出葵花籽，

--> A crowd of youths, unhampered by sacks or baskets, have <sps> their hands free. 
They take <sps>sunflower seeds out of their pockets,



5: 一個接一個扔進嘴裏，又立即用嘴皮子把殼兒吐出來，

--> toss <sps> them one at a time into their mouths and spit <sps> out the shells.



6: 吃得乾淨俐落，還嗶剝作響，

--> ith a loud crack the kernels are <sps> expertly eaten.



7: 分憂閑，那種灑脫，自然是本地作風。

--> To be leisurely and carefree is <sps> endemic to the place.



8: 裏是人家的故鄉，活得沒法不自在，

--> They are <sps> locals and life has made <psp> them like this,



9: 如今，只要還有口氣在，

--> Nowadays, as long as they are <sps> still able to travel,



10: 那怕從太平洋的彼岸，又都紛紛回來了、

--> they flock <sps> back home, even from the other side of the Pacific,



11: 有發財了的，有出了名的，也有什麼都不是，只因為老了，就又都往這裏趕，

--> The rich, the famous and the nothing in particular all hurry <sps> back because they are getting <psc> old.



12: 到頭來，誰又不懷念這片故土？

--> After all, who doesn’t love <sps> the home of their ancestors?



13: 壓根兒也沒有動過念頭死也不離開這片土地的，更理所當然，甩著手臂，

--> hey don’t intend <sps> to stay so they walk <sps> around looking relaxed,



14: 熟人相見，也不學城裏人那套虛禮，點個頭，握個手。

--> When friends meet <sps> they don’t just give <sps> a nod or a handshake in the meaningless ritual of city people,



15: 們不是張口直呼其名，便從背後在對方的肩上猛擊一掌，

--> But rather they shout <sps> the person’s name or thump <sps> him on the back.



16: 還作興往懷裏一摟，不光是女人家同女人家，而女人家倒反不這樣。

--> ugging is <sps> also common, but not for women.



17: 沖洗汽車的水泥槽邊上，就有一對年紀輕輕的女人，她們只手拉著手，嘰嘰喳喳個不停。

--> By the cement trough where the buses are washed <sps>, two young women hold <sps> hands as they chat <sps>.



18: 裏的女人說話就更加細軟，叫你聽了止不住還瞟上一眼，

--> he women here have <sps> lovely voices and you can’t help <m> taking a second look.



19: 頭巾和頭巾的紮法也世代相傳，如今看來，分外別致。

--> This type of scarf, and how it’s tied <sps>, dates <sps> back many generations but is <sps> seldom seen these days.



20: 不覺走了過去，

--> You find <sps> yourself walking towards them.



21: 那頭巾在下巴頦上一系，對角尖尖翹起，

--> The scarf is knotted <sps>under her chin and the two ends point <sps> up.



22: 面孔果真標致。

-->  She has <sps> a beautiful face.



23: 五官也都小巧，恰如那一抹身腰。

-->  Her features are <sps> delicate, so is <sps> her slim body.



24: 你挨近她們身邊走過，

--> You pass <sps> close by them. 



25: 始終絞在一起的那兩雙手都一樣紅，一樣糙，指節也都一樣粗壯。

--> They have been <psp> holding hands all this time, both have <sps> red coarse hands and strong fingers.



26: 她們該是走親友或回娘家的新鮮媳婦，

--> oth are <sps> probably recent brides back seeing relatives and friends, or visiting parents.



27: 可這裏人媳婦專指的是兒子的老婆，

--> Here, the word xifu means <sps> one’s own daughter-in-law



28: 了老婆的女人又把丈夫叫做老公，你的老公，我老公，

--> n the other hand, a married woman calls <sps> her own husband laogong, yet your laogong and my laogong are both used <sps>.



29: 這裏人有這裏人的語調，雖然都是炎黃子孫，同文同種。

--> eople here speak <sps> with a unique intonation even though they are <sps> descendants of the same legendary emperor and are <sps> of the same culture and race.



30: 自己也說不清楚你為什麼到這裏來，

--> ou can’t explain <m> why you’re <sps> here.



31: 只點了點頭，這點頭也可以有兩種解釋：好的，謝謝，或是，噢，這地方，知道。

--> nd gave <sp> an ambiguous nod which could have meant <m> either “I see <sps>, thanks” or “Oh, I know <sps> the place”.



32: “那裏有什麼？看山水？有寺廟？還是有什麼古跡？” 你問得似乎漫不經心。

--> What’s <sps> there? Scenery? Temples? Historic sites?” you asked <sp>, trying to be casual.



33: 那裏一切都是原生態的。”

--> “It’s <sps> all virgin wilderness.”



34: 你是研究生態的？生物學家？古人類學家？考古學家？” 

-->  “Are <sps> you an ecologist? A biologist? An anthropologist? An archaeologist?”



35: 他一一搖頭，只是說：“我對活人更有興趣。”

--> He shook <sp> his head each time then said <sp>, “I’m <sps> more interested in living people.”



36:  “那麼你是搞民俗調查？社會學家？民族學家？人種學家？要不是記者？冒險家？”

-->  “So you’re doing <psc> research on folk customs? You’re <sps> a sociologist? An ethnographer? An ethnologist? A journalist, perhaps? An adventurer?”



37: 都是業餘的。” 你們都笑了。

--> “I’m <sps> an amateur in all of these.” The two of you started <sp> laughing.



38:  “都是玩主！“

--> “I’m <sps> an expert amateur in all of these!”



39: 北方，這季節，已經是深秋。這裏，暑熱卻並未退盡。

--> In the North it is <sps> already late autumn but the summer heat hasn’t completely subsided <psp>.



40: 太陽在落山之前，依然很有熱力，照在身上，脊背也有些冒汗。

--> Before sunset, it is <sps> still quite hot in the sun and sweat starts <sps> running down your back.



41: 你走出車站，環顧了一下，

--> You leave <sps> the station to have a look around.



42: 對面只有一家小客棧，

--> There’s <sps> nothing nearby except for the little inn across the road.



43: 那是種老式的帶一層樓的木板鋪面，

--> It’s <sps> an old-style two-storey building with a wooden shopfront.



44: 在樓上走動樓板便格吱直響，更要命的是那烏黑油亮的枕席。

--> Upstairs the floorboards creak <sps> badly but worse still is <sps> the grime on the pillow and sleeping mat.



45: 那是農村裏出來跑買賣做手藝的落腳的地方。

--> This is <sps> a stopover for the village peddlers and craftsmen.



46: 離天黑還早，完全可以找個乾淨的旅店。

--> It’s <sps> well before dark, so there’s <sps> plenty of time to find somewhere clean.



47: 你背著旅行袋，在街上晃蕩，順便逛逛這座小縣城，

--> You walk <sps> down the road looking around the little town,



48: 那怕是一個名字，也就是說只要能見到靈山這兩個字，

--> or just the name “Lingshan” to tell you you’re <sps> on the right track 



49: 你到處張望，竟然找不到一點跡象。

--> You look <sps> everywhere but don’t <sps> find anything.



50: 當然，你不是那種遊客，只說的是你這一身裝束。

--> Of course you’re <sps> not that sort of tourist, it’s <sps> just what you’re wearing <psc>:



51: 你穿的一雙輕便結實專用于登山的旅遊鞋，肩上掛的是帶背帶的旅行包，這街上往來的也沒有你這種打扮的。

--> strong sensible sports shoes and a backpack with shoulder straps, no-one else is dressed <sps> like you.



52: 這裏自然不是新婚夫婦和退休養老的通常去的旅遊勝地。

--> But this isn’t <sps> one of the tourist spots frequented <sp> by newlyweds and retirees.



53: 那種地方一切都旅遊化了，到處都停的旅遊專車，到處都有導遊圖可賣，

--> Those places have been transformed <psp> by tourism, coaches are  parked <sps> everywhere and tourist maps are <sps> on sale.



54: 所有的小店鋪裏都擺滿了印有字樣的旅遊帽、旅遊汗衫、旅遊背心、旅遊手帕，

--> Tourist hats, tourist T-shirts, tourist singlets and tourist handkerchiefs printed with the name of the place are <sps> in all the little shops and stalls,



55: 連接待外國人專收外匯券的賓館和只憑介紹信接待內賓的招待所和療養院，更別說那些相爭拉客的私人小客店，都以這塊寶地的名字為標榜。

--> and the name of the place is <sps> used in the trade names of all the “foreign exchange currency only” hotels for foreigners, the “locals with references only” hostels and sanatoriums, and of course the small private hotels competing for customers.



56: 你不是到那種地方去湊那分熱鬧，在人看人、人挨著人、人擠人的山陽道上，再拋些瓜果皮、汽水瓶子、

--> You haven’t come <psp> to enjoy yourself in one of those places on the sunny side of a mountain where people congregate <sps> just to look at and jostle one another and to add to the litter of melon rind, fruit peel, soft drink bottles, cans, cartons, 



57: 你總算乘那些鮮豔奪目的亭臺樓閣尚未修建，

--> but you’re <sps> here before they put <sps> up the gaudy pavilions and terraces, 



58: 趕在記者的照相機和名人題字之前，

-->  before the reporters come <sps> with their cameras and before the celebrities come <sps> to put up plaques with their calligraphy.



59: 不免暗自慶倖，同時，又有些疑惑。

--> You can’t help <m> feeling rather pleased with yourself, and yet you’re <sps> anxious.



60: 這街上竟無一點招徠遊客的跡象，會不會以訛傳訛？

--> There’s <sps> no sign of anything here for tourists, have you made <psp> a blunder?



61: 你還無法證實是不是信口開河。

--> How do you know <sps> he wasn’t just making <pc> it all up?



62: 你沒有見到一則確鑿的遊記，連最新出版的旅遊大全也沒有收進這樣的條目。

--> You’ve never seen <psp> the place mentioned in travel accounts and it’s not listed <sps> in the most up-to-date travel guides.



63: 當然，靈台、靈丘、靈岩，乃至於靈山這類地名，你翻閱分省地圖冊的時候，並不難找到。

--> Of course, it isn’t <sps> hard to find places like Lingtai, Lingqiu, Lingyan and even Lingshan on provincial maps



64: 你也還應該知道，那浩瀚的史書典籍中，從遠古巫蔔的《山海經》到古老的地理志《水經注》，這靈山並不是真沒有出處，

--> and you know <sps> very well that in the histories and classics, Lingshan appears <sps> in works dating back to the ancient shamanistic work Classic of the Mountains and Seas and the old geographical gazetteer Annotated Water Classic.



65: 你並非愚鈍之輩，以你的敏慧，

--> You’re <sps> not stupid, so just use your brains,



66: 你得先找到那畫在香煙盒子上的烏伊小鎮，進入這個靈山必經的通道。

--> first find this placeWuyizhen on the cigarette box, for this is <sps> how you’ll get <f> to Lingshan.



67: 你回到車站，進了候車室，

--> You return <sps> to the bus station and go <sps> into the waiting room.



68: 售票處和小件寄存的視窗都被背後的木板堵個嚴實，你再敲打也紋絲不動。

--> The ticket window and the parcel window are boarded <sps> up from the inside so knocking is <sps> useless.



69: 無處可以問訊，你只好仰頭去數售票窗口上方一行行的站名：張村、沙鋪、水泥廠、老窯、金馬、大年、漲水、龍灣、桃花塢……

--> There’s <sps> no-one to ask so you can only go <m> through the lists of stops above the ticket window: Zhang Village, Sandy Flat, Cement Factory, Old Hut, Golden Horse, Good Harvest, Flood Waters, Dragon Bay, Peach Blossom Hollow . . .



70: 越來越加美好，可都不是你要找的地方。

--> the names keep <sps> getting better, but the place you want <sps> isn’t <sps> there.



71: 別看這小小的縣城，線路和班次可真不少。

--> This is <sps> just a small town but there are <sps> several routes and quite a few buses go <sps> through.



72: 有一天多至五、六趟班車的，可去水泥廠絕非旅遊的路線。

--> The busiest route, with five or six buses a day, is <sps> to Cement Factory but that’s <sps> definitely not a tourist route.



73: 最少的則只有一趟班車，想必是最偏僻的去處。

--> The route with the fewest buses, one a day, is <sps> sure to go to the furthest destination



74: 而烏伊居然出現在這路線的終點，

--> and it turns <sps> out that Wuyizhen is <sps> the last stop.



75: 毫不顯眼，像任何一個普通的地名，

--> There’s <sps> nothing special about the name, it’s <sps> just like any other place name



76: 沒有絲毫靈氣。

--> and there’s <sps> nothing magical about it.



77: 可你就像從一團無望解開的亂麻中居然找到了個線頭，

--> Still, you seem <sps> to have found <psp> one end of a hopeless tangle



78: 不說高興得要死，也總算吃了顆定心丸。

--> and while you’re <sps> not ecstatic, you’re <sps> certainly relieved.



79: 經驗告訴你，這種一天只有一趟的山區班車，上車就如同打架一樣，

--> and you know <sps> from experience that with mountain buses like this, which run <sps> once a day, just to get on will be <f> a fight.



80: 你要不準備拼命的話，就得趕早站隊。

--> Unless you’re <sps> prepared to do battle, you’ll just have <f> to queue up early.



81: 此刻，你有的是時間，只不過肩上的旅行袋稍嫌累贅。

--> But, right now, you’ve <sps> lots of time, although your backpack’s <sps> a nuisance.



82: 你信步走著，裝滿木材的卡車連連掀著高音喇叭，從你身邊駛過。

--> As you amble <sps> along the road timber trucks go <sps> by noisily sounding their horns.



83: 你進而注意到穿縣城而過的狹窄的公路上，往來的車輛，帶掛斗的和不帶掛斗的，都一律掀起刺耳的高音喇叭，

--> In the town the noise worsens <sps> as trucks, some with trailers, blast <sps> their horns



84: 而客車上的售票員，還把手伸出窗口，使勁拍打車幫子上的鐵皮，更為熱鬧。也只有這樣，行人才能讓道。

--> and conductors hang <sps> out of windows loudly banging the sides of the buses to hasten the pedestrians off the road.



85: 兩旁貼街的老房子一律是木板的鋪面，

--> The old buildings on both sides stand <sps> flush with the road and all have <sps> wooden shopfronts.



86: 樓下做的生意，

--> The downstairs is <sps> for business



87: 樓上曬著衣服，

--> and upstairs there is <sps> washing hung out to dry –



88: 路旁水泥電線杆子上，齊目高的地方，貼滿了各式各樣的廣告。

--> The concrete telegraph poles along the street are pasted <sps> at eye level with all sorts of posters.



89: 有一張治療狐臭的特別引起你的興趣，

--> One for curing body odour catches <sps> your attention.



90: 並不是因為你有狐臭，

--> This is <sps> not because you’ve got <psp> body odour



91: 狐臭（又名仙人臭）是一種討厭的疾病，其味難聞，令人欲吐。

--> Body odour (known also as scent of the immortals) is <sps> a disgusting condition with an awful, nauseating smell.



92: 為此影響朋友交往耽誤婚姻大事的不乏其人。

--> It often affects <sps> social relationships and can delay <m> life’s major event: marriage.



93: 青年男女還屢屢遭到從業參軍的限制，無限痛苦，不勝煩惱。

--> It disadvantages <sps> young men and women at job interviews or when they try <sps> to enlist, therefore inflicting much suffering and anguish.



94: 為您生活愉快，未來幸福，歡迎前來治療……

--> For joy in life and future happiness, we welcome <sps> you to come and rid yourself of it . . .



95: 之後，你到了一座石橋上， 

--> After that you come <sps> to a stone bridge: 



96: 石橋架在寬闊的河面上，橋上雖然是柏油路面，

--> The bridge spanning the broad river has <sps> a bitumen surface



97: 兩邊斑駁的石柱子上刻的猴子還依稀可辨，肯定很有一番年代了。

--> but the carved monkeys on the worn stone posts testify <sps> to its long history.



98: 你倚著水泥加固了的石檻杆，俯視由石橋連接的這座縣城，

--> You lean <sps> on the concrete railing and survey <sps> the township alongside the bridge.



99: 兩岸都是黑色的瓦頂，鱗次櫛比，讓人總也看不盡望不透。

--> On both banks, black rooftops overlapping like fishscales stretch <sps> endlessly into the distance.



100: 兩山之間，一條展開的河谷，金黃的稻田上方鑲的綠色的竹林。

--> The valley opens <sps> out between two mountains where the upper areas of gold paddy fields are inlaid <sps> with clusters of green bamboos.



101: 河水藍澄澄的，悠悠緩緩，在河床的沙灘間流淌，

--> The river is <sps> blue and clear as it trickles <sps> over the sandy shores,



102: 到了分水的青麻石橋基下，變得墨綠而幽深，

--> but close to the granite pylons dividing the current it becomes <sps> inky green and deep.



103: 一過橋拱，便攪起一片嘩嘩的水聲，湍急的漩渦上飄出白色的泡沫。

--> Just past the hump of the bridge the rushing water churns <sps> loudly and white foam surfaces <sps> from whirlpools.



104: 石條砌的河堤總有上十米高，留著一道道水漬，最新的一層灰黃的印子當是剛過的夏天洪水留下的痕跡。

--> The ten-metre-high stone embankment is stained <sps> with water levels – the new greyish-yellow lines were <sp> probably left by the recent summer floods.



105: 這就是尤水？它的源頭則來之靈山？

--> Can this be <m> the You River? And does it flow <sps> down from Lingshan?



106: 太陽就要落下去了，

--> The sun is <sps> about to set.



107: 橙紅的團團如蓋，通體光明卻不刺眼。

--> The bright orange disc is infused <sps> with light but there’s <sps> no glare.



108: 你眺望兩旁山谷收攏的地方，層巒疊蟑之處，

--> You gaze <sps> into the distance at the hazy layers of jagged peaks where the two sides of the valley join <sps>.



109: 如煙如霧，那虛幻的景象又黑悠悠得真真切切，將那輪通明的像在旋轉的太陽，從下端邊緣一點一點吞食。

--> This ominous black image nibbles <sps> at the lower edges of the glowing sun which seems <sps> to be revolving.



110: 落日就越加殷紅，越加柔和，並且將金爍爍的倒影投射到一灣河水裏，

--> The sun turns <sps> a dark red, gentler, and projects <sps> brilliant gold reflections onto the entire bend of the river:



111: 幽藍的水色同閃爍的日光便連接一起，一氣波動跳躍。

--> the dark blue of the water fusing with the dazzling sunlight throbs <sps> and pulsates <sps>.



112: 坐入山谷的那赤紅的一輪越發安祥，端莊中又帶點嫵媚，還有聲響。

--> As the red sphere seats <sps> itself in the valley it becomes <sps> serene, awesomely beautiful, and there are <sps> sounds.



113: 你就聽見了一種聲音，難以捉摸，

--> You hear <sps> them, elusive,



114: 晚風從你耳邊響了起來，也還有駛過的汽車，照樣不斷掀出刺耳的喇叭聲。

--> An evening wind blows <sps> noisily by your ears and cars drive <sps> past, as usual sounding <psc> their deafening horns.



115: 過了橋，發現橋頭有塊新鑲嵌的石板，用紅漆描在筆劃的刻道裏：

--> You cross <sps> the bridge and see <sps> there a new dedication stone with engraved characters painted <sp> in red:



116: 這該是開始旅遊業的信號。

--> It no doubt marks <sps> the beginning of the tourist industry here.



117: 橋頭擺著兩趟小吃攤子。

--> Two food stalls stand <sps> at the end of the bridge.



118: 你在左邊吃一碗豆腐腦，那種細嫩可口作料齊全

--> In the one on the left you eat <sps> a bowl of bean curd, the smooth and tasty kind with all the right ingredients.



119: 你在右邊又吃了兩個從爐膛裏現夾出來熱呼呼香噴噴的芝麻蔥油燒餅，

--> In the stall on the right you eat <sps> two delicious sesame-coated shallot pancakes, straight off the stove and piping-hot.



120: 你還又在，在哪一邊已經弄不清楚了，吃了一顆顆比珍珠大不了許多甜滋滋的酒釀元宵。

--> Then at one of the stalls, you can’t remember <m> which, you eat <sps> a bowl of sweet yuanxiao dumplings broiled in rice wine. They are <sps> the size of large pearls.



121: 你當然不像游西湖的馬二先生那樣迂腐，

--> Of course, you’re <sps> not as academic about food as Mr Ma the Second who toured <sp> West Lake,



122: 卻也有不壞的胃口。

--> but you do <sps> have a hefty appetite nevertheless.



123: 你品嘗祖先的這些吃食，聽吃主和小販們搭訕，

--> You savour <sps> this food of your ancestors and listen <sps> to customers chatting with the proprietors.



124: 他們大都是本地的熟人，

--> They’re <sps> mostly locals and all know <sps> one another.



125: 你也想用這溫款的鄉音同他們套點近乎，也想同他們融成一片。

--> You try <sps> using the mellifluous local accent to be friendly, you want <sps> to be one of them.



126: 你長久生活在都市里，

--> You’ve lived <psp> in the city for a long time and need <sps> to feel that you have <sps> a hometown.



127: 需要有種故鄉的感覺，你希望有個故鄉，給你點寄託，好回到孩提時代，撿回漫失了的記憶。

--> You want <sps> a hometown so that you’ll be <f> able to return to your childhood to recollect long lost memories.



128: 你終於在橋這邊還鋪著青石板的老街上找到一家旅店，

--> On this side of the bridge you eventually find <sps> an inn on an old cobblestone street.



129: 樓板都拖洗過了，還算乾淨。

--> The wooden floors have been mopped <psp> and it’s <sps> clean enough.



130: 你要了個小單間，裏面放了張鋪板，鋪了一張竹席子。

--> You are given <sps> a small single room which has <sps> a plank bed covered with a bamboo mat.



131: 一床灰棉線毯子，不知是洗不乾淨還就是它本色，

--> The cotton blanket is <sps> a suspicious grey –either it hasn’t been  washed <psp> properly or that’s <sps> the original colour.



132: 你壓在竹席子底下，扔開了油膩的枕頭，好在天熱，你不必鋪蓋。

--> You throw <sps> aside the greasy pillow from under the bamboo mat and luckily it’s <sps> hot so you can do <m> without the bedding.



133: 你此刻需要的是擱下變得沉重的旅行袋，

--> What you need <sps> right now is <sps> to off-load your luggage which has become <psp> quite heavy,



134: 你隔壁在吆三喝四，有人玩牌，摸牌和甩牌都聽得一清二楚。

--> There’s <sps> shouting and yelling next door. They’re gambling <psc> and you can hear <m> them picking up and throwing down the cards.



135: 只一板之隔，

--> A timber partition separates <sps> you



136: 從捅破了的糊牆紙縫裏，可以看見虛虛晃晃幾個赤膊的漢子。

--> and, through the holes poked into the paper covering the cracks, you make <sps> out the blurred figures of some bare-chested men.



137: 你也並不疲倦得就能入睡，

--> You’re <sps> not so tired that you can drop <m> off to sleep just like that.



138: 敲了敲板壁，隔壁卻哄了起來。

--> You tap <sps> on the wall and instantly there’s <sps> loud shouting next door.



139: 有贏家和輸家，總是輸的在賴帳。

--> there are <sps> always winners and losers and it sounds <sps> as though the loser is trying <psc> to get out of paying.



140: 你倒想看看法令在這裏究竟起不起效應。你穿上衣服，到走廊上，敲了敲半掩的房門。

--> You decide <sps> to see if the law works <sps>. You put <sps> on some clothes, go <sps> down the corridor and knock <sps> on the half-closed door.



141: 敲與不敲都一個樣，裏面照樣哈喝，並沒有人答理。

--> Your knocking makes <sps> no difference, they keep <sps> shouting and yelling inside and nobody takes <sps> any notice.



142: 你乾脆推門進去，

--> So you push <sps> open the door and go <sps> in.



143: 圍坐在當中的一塊鋪板上的四條漢子都轉身望你，

--> The four men sitting around the bed in the middle of the room all turn <sps> to look at you.



144: 吃驚的並不是他們，恰恰是你自己。

--> But it’s <sps> you and not they who gets <sps> a rude shock.



145: 四個人四張怪相，臉上都貼的紙條，有橫貼在眉頭上的，也有貼在嘴唇鼻子和面頰上的，

--> The men all have <sps> bits of paper stuck on their faces, on their foreheads, lips, noses and cheeks,



146: 看上去又可惡又可笑。

--> and they look <sps> ugly and ridiculous.



147: 是你打擾了他們，顯然有些惱怒。

--> You’ve butted <psp> in and they’re <sps> clearly annoyed.



148: 他們便繼續甩著牌。

--> They go <sps> on playing.



149: 這是一種長長的紙牌，印著像麻將一樣的紅黑點子，

-->  The long paper cards have <sps> red and black markings like mahjong



150:  還有天門和地牢。

--> and there’s <sps> a Gate of Heaven and a Prison of Hell.



151: 輸的由贏家來罰，撕一角報紙貼在對方指定的部位。

--> The winner penalizes <sps> the loser by tearing off a strip of newspaper and sticking it on a designated spot.



152: 這純粹是一種惡作劇，一種發洩，抑或是輸贏結帳時的記號，賭家約定，

--> Whether this is <sps> a prank, a way of letting off steam, or a tally, is <sps> something agreed upon by the gamblers



153: 外人無從知曉。

--> and there is <sps> no way for outsiders to know what it’s <sps> all about.



154: 你退了出來，回到房裏，重新躺下，望著天花板上電燈泡四周密密麻麻的斑點，

--> You beat <sps> a retreat, go <sps> back to your room, lie <sps> down again, and see <sps> a thick mass of black specks around the light globe.



155: 你趕緊放下蚊帳，網羅在窄小的圓錘形的空間裏，頂上有一個竹蔑做的蚊帳圈。

--> ou quickly let <sps> down the net and are enclosed <sps> in a narrow conical space, at the top of which is <sps> a bamboo hoop.



156: 該見識的你都一一領教了，

--> You’ve learnt <psp> through experience everything you need <sps> to know.



157: 我是在青藏高原和四川盆地的過渡地帶，邛崍山的中段羌族地區，見到了對火的崇拜，人類原始的文明的遺存。

--> It is <sps> in the Qiang region halfway up Qionglai Mountain, in the border areas of the Qinghai-Tibetan highlands and the Sichuan basin, that I witness <sps> a vestige of early human civilization – the worship of fire.



158: 它是神聖的。

--> It is <sps> sacred.



159: 進嘴之前，先要用手指沾了沾碗裏的酒，對著炭火彈動手指，那炭火便噗哧噗哧作響，冒起藍色的火苗。

--> Before each sip he puts <sps> a finger into it and flicks <sps> some on the charcoals which splutter <sps> noisily and send <sps> out blue sparks.



160: 我也才覺得我是真實的。

--> It is <sps> only then that I perceive <sps> that I too am <sps> real.



161: “敬灶神爺呢，

--> “That’s <sps> for the God of the Cooking Stove,



162: 多虧的他，我們才有得吃喝，”    

--> it’s <sps> thanks to him that we can eat <m> and drink <m>,” 



163: 跳動的火光映照著他削瘦的面頰，

--> The dancing light of the fire shines <sps> on his thin cheeks,



164: 他說他是羌族人，底下耿達鄉的人。

--> He tells <sps> me he is <sps> of the Qiang nationality and that he’s <sps> from Gengda village down the mountain.



165: 只是說我來瞭解這山裏的民歌。

--> so I tell <sps> him I’m <sps> here to do some research on the folk songs of the mountain.



166: 這山裏還有沒有跳歌莊的？

--> Do traditional song masters and dancers still exist <sps> here?



167: 他說他就會跳，

--> He says <sps> he’s <sps> one of them.



168: 我明知故問，

-->  I know <sps> quite well but I ask <sps>.



169: 說是歌詞不健康，

--> They said <sp> the songs were <sps> dirty



170: 我故意還問，

--> I persist <sps> in asking.



171: “後來就沒人唱了。

--> No-one sings <sps> those anymore.



172: 我請他做個示範，

--> I ask <sps> him for a demonstration.



173: 他毫不遲疑，立刻站起來，前一腳後一腳踏著步子唱了起來。

--> Without any hesitation, he instantly gets <sps> to his feet and proceeds <sps> to dance and sing.



174: 他聲音低沉而渾厚，

--> His voice is <sps> low and rich,



175: 我確信他是羌族人，可這裏管戶口的民警就懷疑，

--> I’m <sps> sure he’s <sps> Qiang even if the police in charge of the population register insist <sps> that he isn’t <sps>.



176: 認為申報為藏族或羌族的都是為了逃避計劃生育，\

--> They think <sps> anyone claiming to be Tibetan or Qiang is trying <psc> to evade birth restrictions



177: 他唱了一段又一段。

--> He sings <sps> song after song.



178: 他說他是個好玩的人，

--> He says <sps> he’s <sps> a fun-loving person,



179: 這我也信。

--> and I believe <sps> him.



180: 一個山裏好熱鬧的老頭子，可惜過了風流的年紀。

--> an old mountain man who likes <sps> good fun, though unfortunately   is <sps> past the age for romance.



181: 能念好多咒語，是獵人進山時使的法術，

--> He also knows <sps> incantations, the kind hunters employ <sps> when they go <sps> into the mountains.



182: 叫黑山法，或是叫邪術。他並不回避，

--> They are <sps> called mountain blackmagic or hexes and he has <sps> no qualms about using them.



183: 他確信這種咒語能把野獸趕進設下的陷阱，或是讓它踏上安的套子。

--> He really believes <sps> they can drive <m> wild animals into pits or get <m> them to step into snares.



184: 這使邪術的又不光是人對野獸，

--> They aren’t used <sps> only on animals,



185: 人與人之間也用來報復。

--> they’re also used <sps> against other human beings for revenge.



186: 這就像我小時候聽說過的鬼打牆，

--> They are <sps> like the “demon walls” I heard <sp> about as a child:



187: 人在山裏走夜路，走著走著，眼面前會出現一道牆，一座峭壁，或是一條深深的河，

--> when a person has been traveling <pspc> for some time at night in the mountains, a wall, a cliff or a deep river appears <sps> right in front of him,



188: 破不了這法，腳就是邁不出這一步，

--> If the spell isn’t <sps> broken the person’s feet don’t <sps> move forward



189: 就不斷走回頭路。

--> and even if he keeps <sps> walking, he stays <sps> exactly where he started <sp> off.



190: 於是，到天亮才發現不過在原地轉圈。

--> Only at daybreak does <sps> he discover that he has been <psp> going around in circles.



191: 這還算好的，

--> That’s <sps> not so bad,



192: 更糟的還能把人引向絕境，

--> the worst is <sps> when a person is led <sps> into a blind alley –



193: 那就是死亡。

--> that means <sps> death.



194: 他念著一串又一串咒語，

--> He intones <sps> strings of incantations.



195: 不像他唱歌時那樣悠緩從容，

--> It’s <sps> not slow and relaxed like when he is singing <psc>,



196: 這種魔怪森然的氣息就彌漫在被煙子熏得烏黑的屋子裏。

--> and a demonic, powerful atmosphere instantly permeates <sps> the room, the inside of which is <sps> black from smoke.



197: 火舌粘著燉羊肉的鐵鍋，將他那雙眼睛映得一閃一閃，

--> The glow of the flames licking the iron pot of mutton stew makes <sps> his eyes glint.



198: 這都真真切切。

--> This is <sps> all starkly real.



199: 你找尋去靈山的路的同時，我正沿長江漫遊，就找尋這種真實。

--> While you search <sps> for the route to Lingshan, I wander <sps> along the Yangtze River looking for this sort of reality.



200: 生命之於我重又變得這樣新鮮。

--> Life for me once again has <sps> a wonderful freshness.



201: 而生活的真實則不等於生活的表像，

--> Life is <sps> not the same as manifestations of life.



202: 我不知道我此刻是否走上了正道，

--> I don’t know <sps> whether I’m <sps> now on the right track



203: 我相信科學，

--> I believe <sps> in science



204: 也相信命運。

--> but I also believe <sps> in fate.



205: 我問這位退休鄉長，現在還有沒有這種保護神，

--> I ask <sps> the Qiang retired village head whether such talismans are <sps> still around.



206: 他說這叫做“老根”。

--> He tells <sps> me these are called <sps> “old root”.



207: 這木偶得同新生兒共生死，

--> This wooden idol has <sps> to accompany the newborn from birth to death.



208: 人死後，也同屍體一起送出家門，

--> At death it accompanies <sps> the corpse from the house



209: 死人埋葬了，它便擱在山野裏，讓靈魂也回歸自然。

--> and after the burial it is placed <sps> in the wilderness to allow the spirit to return to nature.



210: 我問他能不能替我找到一件，

--> I ask <sps> him if he can get <m> me one



211: 說這是獵人上山揣在懷裏辟邪的，

--> and says <sps> these are <sps> what hunters tuck <sps> into their shirts to ward off evil spirits,



212: “能不能找到一位懂得這種邪術的老獵人，跟他一起去打獵？” 

--> “Is <sps> there an old hunter who knows <sps> about this sort of magic and can take <m> me hunting with him?” 



213: 他想了想，說。 

--> he says <sps> after thinking about it.



214: 我立刻問。

--> I ask <sps> right away.



215: “他在石老爺屋。”

--> “He’s <sps> in Grandpa Stone’s Hut.”



216: “這石老爺屋在哪里？”

--> “Where’s <sps> this Grandpa Stone’s Hut?”



217: “這是個地名，

--> “Is <sps> that the name of the place



218:  還就是他石老爺的屋？”

--> or do <sps> you mean the hut of Grandpa Stone?”



219: 他說是個地名，

--> He says <sps> it’s <sps> the name of the place,



220: 也真有一間石屋，

--> that there’s <sps> in fact a stone hut,



221: 石老爺就住在裏面。 

--> and that Grandpa Stone lives <sps> there.



222: “已經死啦。

-->  He’s <sps> dead.



223: 也有說一百好幾十，

--> some even say <sps> well over a hundred.



224: 總歸，沒有人說得清他的歲數。

--> ”In any case, nobody’s <sps> sure about his age.”



225: “那他後人還在嗎？”我少不得又問。    

--> “Are <sps> any of his descendants still alive?”



226: 我問他這話什麼意思。 

--> I ask <sps> him what he’s trying <psc> to tell me



227: 他說這是一個好獵手，

--> He says <sps> Grandpa Stone was <sp> a great hunter,



228: 現今是找不到這樣的獵手了。

--> There are <sps> no hunters like that these days.



229: 人都知道他屋裏還掛著他那杆槍，

--> Everyone knows <sps> that his rifle is hanging <psc> in the hut,



230: 百發百中，

--> that it never misses <sps> its target,



231: 就是沒有人敢去取。

--> but nobody dares <sps> to go and take it.



232: ”我更不明白了。

--> I’m <sps> even more puzzled



233: “再也進不去了？”

--> “There’s <sps> no way through?”



234: 我越發想打聽個究竟。

--> I become <sps> even more intrigued.



235: 總歸不好進去。”

--> anyway it’s <sps> hard to get there.”



236: 他不想領我進去，

--> He doesn’t <sps> want to take me there,



237: 不想介紹個獵人才這樣唬弄我，

--> nor does he want <sps> to find a hunter for me, so that’s <sps> why he’s leading <pc> me on like this,



238: “那怎麼知道槍還掛在牆上？”

--> “Then how do you know <sps> the rifle’s still hanging <pc> on the wall?”



239: “都這麼說，

--> That’s <sps> what everyone says <sps>,



240: 都說這石老爺也真怪，

--> They all say <sps> that Grandpa Stone is <sps> incredible,



241: 屍首都不爛也沒有野物敢碰它，

--> his corpse hasn’t rotted <psp> and wild animals don’t <sps> dare to go near.



242: 直挺挺躺在鋪上，乾瘦乾瘦的，

--> He just lies <sps> there all stiff and emaciated,



243: “不曉得，

--> “I don’t <sps> know.



244: 他不以為然，照樣講他的。

--> He refuses <sps> to give in and sticks <sps> to his story.



245: 火光在他眼睛裏跳動，

--> The light of the fire dances <sps> in his eyes



246: 透出一層狡猾，我以為。

--> and I seem <sps> to detect a cunning streak in them.



247: “有人見過的講，他就像睡著了一樣，乾瘦乾瘦的，頭前牆上就掛著的他那杆槍，” 

--> “People who have seen <psp> him say <sps> that he seems <sps> to be asleep, that he’s emaciated <psp>, and that the rifle is hanging <pc> there on the wall above his head,”



248: 不要說沒有人敢去偷他那杯槍，

--> It’s <sps> not just that people don’t <sps> dare go there to steal his rifle,



249: 野物都不敢沾邊。”

--> even animals don’t <sps> dare to go near.”



250: 這獵手已經被神化了。

--> The hunter is <sps> already myth.



251: 歷史同傳說混為一談，一篇民間故事就這樣誕生的。

--> To talk about a mixture of history and legend is <sps> how folk stories are <sps> born.



252: 真實只存在於經驗之中，

--> Reality exists <sps> only through experience,



253: 然而，那怕是自身的經驗，一經轉述，依然成了故事。

--> However, once related <sp>, even personal experience becomes <sps> a narrative.



254: 真實是無法論證的，也毋須去論證，

--> Reality can’t be <m> verified and doesn’t <sps> need to be,



255: 要緊的是生活。

--> What is <sps> important is <sps> life.



256: 真實的只是我坐在這火塘邊上，在這被油煙熏得烏黑的屋子裏，

--> Reality is <sps> simply that I am sitting <psc> by the fire in this room which is <sps> black with grime and smoke



257: 看到的他眼睛裏跳動的火光，

--> and that I see <sps> the light of the fire dancing in his eyes.



258: 真實的只是我自己，

--> Reality is <sps> myself,



259: 真實的只是這瞬間的感受，

--> reality is <sps> only the perception of this instant



260: 那門外雲霧籠罩下，青山隱約，

--> All that needs <sps> to be said is <sps> that outside, a mist is enclosing <psc> the green-blue mountain in a haze



261: 你於是來到了這烏伊鎮，一條鋪著青石板的長長的小街，

-->  So you arrive <sps> in Wuyizhen, on a long and narrow street inlaid with black cobblestones,



262: 你就走在印著一道深深的獨輪車轍的石板路上，一下子便走進了你的童年，

--> and walking along this cobblestone street with its deep single-wheel rut, you suddenly enter <sps> your childhood,



263: 你童年似乎待過的同樣古舊的山鄉小鎮。

--> you seem <sps> to have spent <psp> your childhood in an old mountain town like this.



264: 代替那抹上豆油的棗木軸的吱呀聲是滿街直響的自行車鈴聲。

--> and instead of the creak of jujube axles greased with bean oil, the streets are <sps> filled with the din of bicycle bell.



265: 這裏騎自行車得有耍雜技的本事，

--> Cyclists here need <sps> the skills of an acrobat.



266: 車座上掛著沉甸甸的麻袋，在往來的行人，挑的擔子，拉的板車和屋簷下的攤販間搖晃穿行，少不了惹來叫罵， 

--> With heavy hessian bags slung across the saddle, they cause <sps> loud swearing as they weave <sps> through people with carrying poles or pulling wooden carts and the hawkers under the awnings.



267: 而叫罵在這一片叫賣討價調笑聲中倒也顯得生機勃勃。

--> It is <sps> loud, colourful swearing which mingles <sps> with the general din of the hawkers’ calls, bargaining, joking and laughing.



268: 你吸著醬菜，豬下水，生皮子，松油柴，稻草和石灰混雜的氣息，兩邊的小鋪面南貨，

--> You breathe <sps> in the smell of soya sauce pickles, boiled pork, raw hide, pine wood, dried rice stalks and lime as your eyes busily take <sps> in the narrow shopfronts lining the street with products of the South.



269: 醬園，油坊，米店，中西藥鋪，綢布莊，鞋攤，茶館，肉案，裁縫店，開水爐子，草繩瓷器，香燭紙錢的雜貨鋪子，

--> There are <sps> soya bean shops, oil shops, rice shops, Chinese and Western medicine shops, silk and cotton shops, shoe shops, tea shops, butcher stalls, tailor shops, and shops selling stoves, rope, pottery, incense, candles and paper money.



270: 讓你目不暇顧，一家緊挨一家，從前清以來就未曾有過多大變化。

--> The shops, squashed <sp> up one against the other, are <sps> virtually unchanged from Qing Dynasty times.



271: 總敲著煎鍋貼的平底鍋的老正興也恢復了被砸了的字型大小，

--> The smashed signboard of the Ever Prosperous Restaurant has been <psp> repaired and one of the flat-bottomed pans used for frying its speciality guotie dumplings is <sps> beaten like a gong to announce it is <sps> back in business.



272: 最氣派的當然還數國營的百貨公司，新翻蓋的三層水泥樓房，

--> The most imposing structure is <sps> the state-run department store, a newly renovated three-storey concrete building.



273: 一面玻璃櫥窗就頂得上一家老的鋪面，只是櫥窗裏的灰塵總也不見打掃。

--> A single display window is <sps> the size of one of the old shops but the insides of the glass windows look <sps> as if they have never been <psp> cleaned.



274: 比較顯眼的再就是照相館了，掛滿了搔首弄姿或戲裝打扮的姑娘，

--> The photographer’s shop is <sps> eye-catching: photos of women in coquettish poses and wearing awful dresses are <sps> on display.



275: 都是當地有名有姓的美女，不像電影招貼畫上的那些明星遠在天邊。

--> They are <sps> all local beauties and not movie poster film stars from some place at the other end of the earth.



276: 這地方還真出美人，一個個如花似玉，

--> This place really produces <sps> goodlooking women, every one of them is <sps> stunning.



277: 托著香腮，做著眉眼，

--> They have their beautiful cheeks cupped <psp> in their hands and their eyes have <sps> alluring looks.



278: 都經過攝影師精心擺佈，只是著的顏色紅的過紅，綠的太綠。

--> They’ve been <psp> carefully coached by the photographer but they are <sps> garishly dressed.



279: 彩色擴印當然也有了，貼著告示，二十天取像，

--> Enlargements and colour prints are <sps> available and there’s <sps> a sign saying photos can be <m> collected in twenty days,



280: 顯然少說也得拿到縣城裏去沖洗。

--> apparently they have <sps> to be developed in the city.



281: 趕緊走開，免得人以為你相中了哪位，無端的想入非非。

--> and quickly move <sps> off in case people imagine <sps> you’ve taken <psc> a fancy to one of the women and start <sps> getting the wrong idea.



282: 你還就有那麼多遐想，

--> And yet it is <sps> you who are carried <sps> away by your imagination.



283: 望著店面上的那些閣樓，掛著窗簾，擺著盆景或花，

--> As you look <sps> up at the balconies above the shops with their curtained windows and pots of miniature trees and flowers,



284: 不由得想知道這裏的人過的什麼樣的生活？

--> you can’t help <m> wondering about the people who live <sps> here.



285: 有一幢門上掛著鐵鎖的危樓，

--> There’s <sps> a big apartment with an iron padlock on the door –



286: 朽了的雕花的椽頭和欄杆都說明當年的氣派，

--> but the carved eaves and railings which have fallen <psp> into disrepair indicate <sps> how imposing the place was <sp> at one time.



287: 這房主和他後代的命運就耐人尋思。

--> The fates of its owners and their descendants fill <sps> you with curiosity.



288: 旁邊的一家店面裏則賣的港式衣衫和牛仔褲，

--> The shop at the side sells <sps> Hong Kong style dresses and jeans,



289: 還吊著長統絲襪，貼著外國女人露出大腿的商標。

--> and the stockings on show have <sps> a Western woman showing off her legs on the packaging.



290: 門前又掛了塊明晃晃的金字招牌，“新新技術開發公司”，

--> At the front door there’s <sps> a gold-plated sign, “Ever New Technical 
Development Company”,



291: 也不知開發的是哪門技術。

--> but it’s <sps> not clear what sort of technical development it is <sps>.



292: 再往前，有一家堆滿生石灰的鋪面，

--> Further on is <sps> a shop with heaps of unprocessed lime,



293: 前面大概是一家米粉廠，一塊空場子上釘著樁子，拉著鐵絲，掛滿了米粉。

--> and further on still is <sps> probably a miller’s and next to that a vacant allotment where rice noodles are drying <psc> on wires strung between posts



294: 你折回頭，從茶水爐子邊上的一條小巷進去，

--> You turn <sps> back and go <sps> into a small lane next to the hot water urn of the tea stall,



295: 拐了一個彎之後，便又迷失在回憶裏。

--> then turning a corner you are again lost <sps> in memories.



296: 一扇半掩著的門裏一個潮濕的天井。一個荒蕪的庭院，空寂無人，牆角堆著瓦礫。

--> Within a half-closed door is <sps> a damp courtyard, overgrown with weeds, desolate and lonely, with piles of rubble in the corners.



297: 你記得你小時候你家邊上那個圍牆倒塌的後院讓你畏懼還又嚮往，故事裏講的狐仙你覺得就從那裏來的。

--> You recall <sps> the back courtyard with the crumbling wall of your childhood home. You were <sp> afraid but it had <sp> a fascination for you, for the fox fairies of story books came <sp> from there.



298: 那裏有個斷裂的石凳，

--> There is <sps> an old stone bench riddled with cracks



299:  一口也許乾枯了的井。

--> and a well which is <sps> probably dry.



300: 深秋時分，風吹著桔黃的瓦楞草，陽光十分明朗。

--> The mid-autumn wind blows <sps> through the dry yellow weeds in the rubble and the sun is <sps> very bright.



301: 這些院門緊閉的人家都有他們的歷史，這一切都像陳舊的事故。

--> These homes with their courtyard doors shut tight all have <sps> their histories which are <sps> all like ancient stories.



302: 騎馬燒香，

--> I ride <sps> out to burn incense



303: 屋頂上的瓦楞草，乾枯的和新生的，細白的和蔥綠的，在風中都輕微抖動，

--> Pale withered weeds and lush green new sprouts in the roof-tiles quiver <sps> in the wind.



304: 有多少年沒見過瓦楞草了？

--> How long is <sps> it since you’ve seen <psp> grass growing in roof-tiles? 



305: 你赤腳在印著深深的獨輪車轍的青石板上僻僻叭叭拍打著，

--> Your bare feet patter <sps> on the black cobblestone street with its deep single-wheel rut, 



306: 那一雙光腳板，汙黑的光腳板，就在你面前拍打，

--> The bare feet, the dirty black feet, patter <sps> right there in front of your eyes.



307: 你拍打過沒拍打過光腳板這並不重要，

--> It doesn’t <sps> matter if you’ve never run <psp> barefoot,



308: 你需要的是這種心象。

--> what is <sps> crucial is <sps> this image in your mind.



309: 你在這些小巷子裏總算繞出來了，

--> After a while you find <sps> your way out of the little lanes



310: 到了公路上，

--> and make <sps> it back on the highway.



311: 從縣城來的班車就在這裏掉頭，當即再回轉去。

--> This is <sps> where the bus from the county town turns <sps> around to go back.



312: 路邊上是汽車站，裏面有一個買票的視窗和幾條長凳，

--> There’s <sps> a bus station by the road with a ticket window and some benches inside,



313: 你剛才就在這裏下的車。

--> this is <sps> where you got <sp> off the bus earlier on.



314: 斜對面有一家旅店一趟平房，

--> Diagonally across the road is <sps> an inn – a row of single-storey rooms –



315: 磚牆上刷的石灰，上面寫著“內有雅室”，

--> and the whitewashed brick wall has <sps> a sign “Good Rooms Within”.



316: 看上去倒也乾淨，你好歹也得找地方住下，

--> It looks <sps> clean and you have <sps> to find somewhere to stay,



317: 便走了進去。

--> so you go <sps> in.



318: 一位上了年紀的女服務員在掃走廊，你問她有房間嗎？

--> An old attendant is sweeping <psc> the corridor and you ask <sps> her if there’s <sps> a room.



319: 她只說有。

--> She says <sps> yes.



320: 你問她這離靈山還有多遠？

--> You ask <sps> her how much further is <sps> it to Lingshan.



321: 她白了你一眼，

--> She gives <sps> you a cold look,



322: 這就是說是公家開的旅店，

--> this is <sps> a state-run inn,



323: 她按月拿的是國家的工資，沒有多餘的話。

--> she’s <sps> on a monthly state award wage and isn’t <sps> generous with words.    



324: 她用掃帚的把手指了指開著的房門。

--> she says <sps> pointing with the broom handle to a room with the door open.



325: 你拎著旅行包進去，裏面有兩個鋪位。

--> You take <sps> your luggage in and notice <sps> there are <sps> two beds.



326: 一張床上繞腿躺著個人，抱了本《飛狐外傳》，

--> On one there’s <sps> someone lying on his back, one leg crossed <sp> over the other, with a copy of Unofficial Record of the Flying Fox in his hands.



327: 書名寫在包著封面的牛皮紙上，顯然是書攤上租來的。

--> The title is written <sps> on the brown paper cover of the book, apparently on loan from a bookstall.



328: 你同他打個招呼，他也放下書沖你點頭。

--> You greet <sps> him and he puts <sps> down the book to give a friendly nod. 



329: “抽根煙。”他甩根煙給你。

--> “Have a cigarette.” He tosses <sps> you a cigarette.



330: “多謝，”你在他對面的空床上坐下。

--> “Thanks.” You sit <sps> on the empty bed opposite.



331: 他也正需要有個人談談。

--> It happens <sps> that he wants <sps> to chat.



332: 他坐起來，給自己點上一支煙。

--> He sits <sps> up and lights <sps> himself a cigarette



333: “弄木材。”

--> “I’m <sps> here for timber.”



334: “這裏木材好弄嗎？”

--> “Is <sps> it easy getting timber here?”



335:  他反問你，滿有興趣。

--> he asks <sps> instead, starting to become interested.



336: “那不好辦。”

--> “Then it’s <sps> not easy to get.”



337: 他重又躺下。

--> He lies <sps> down again.



338: “這林區木材也短缺？”

--> “Is <sps> there a timber shortage even in this forest region?”



339: “木頭倒是有，

--> “There’s <sps> timber around



340: 價格不一樣。”

--> but prices are <sps> different.”



341: 看出你是個老外。

--> he can tell <m> you’re <sps> not in the game.



342: “晦，”他漫聲應答了一下，便抄起書看。

--> “Yes,” he responds <sps> indifferently, taking up his book again to read.



343: “你們跑採購的見多識廣呀，”

--> “You stock buyers really get <sps> to know about a lot of things.”



344: 你還得奉承他兩句，好向他打聽。

--> You have <sps> to flatter him so that you can ask <m> him some questions



345: 他謙虛了。

--> He becomes <sps> modest.



346: “這靈山怎麼去法？”

--> “The place Lingshan, do you know <sps> how to get there?”



347: “河邊上有個涼亭，

--> “There’s <sps> a pavilion by the river.



348: 你寒暄道。

--> you say <sps> for want of something to say.



349: 你留下旅行袋，找服務員登了個記，便出了旅店。

--> You leave <sps> your bags, find <sps> the attendant to register and set <sps> off.



350: 公路的盡頭是河邊的渡口。

--> The wharf is <sps> at the end of the highway.



351: 石條砌的臺階陡直下去，

--> The steps, made <sp> of long slabs of rock, go <sps> down steeply



352: 河面並不寬但河床開闊，

--> The river isn’t <sps> wide but the riverbed is <sps>,



353: 顯然還不到漲水季節。

--> clearly it’s <sps> not the rainy season.



354: 對面河灘邊上有一隻渡船，

--> There is <sps> a boat on the opposite bank



355: 碼頭上方，堤岸上，還真有個飛簷跳角的涼亭。

--> Up from the wharf, on the embankment, there is <sps> a pavilion with upturned eaves and curling corners.



356: 他們大聲聒噪，粗粗聽去，頗像宋人話本中的語言。

--> They are talking <psc> loudly and it sounds <sps> like the language used in the short stories of the Song Dynasty.



357: 正面兩根柱子上一副對聯：

--> and the two principal columns at the front are inscribed <sps> with the couplet:



358: 你再轉到背面，看那兩根柱子，

--> You go <sps> around to look at the two columns at the back



359: 竟然寫道：

--> These words are <sps> written there:



360: 你立刻有了興致。

--> You’re <sps> intrigued.



361: 渡船大概是過來了， 

--> The boat is <sps> probably about to arrive 



362: 只有一位老人還坐在涼亭裏。

--> Only an old man is left <sps> sitting in the pavilion.



363: 老者糾正道。

--> the old man corrects <sps> me.



364: 你問得更加恭敬。“

--> you say <sps> with added reverence.



365: 他張開口，露出幾顆稀疏的黑牙，一板一眼，咬字分明。

--> His mouth opens <sps> wide, revealing sparse black teeth, as he enunciates <sps> each of the words with great precision.



366: “沒聽說過，”

-->  “I don’t <sps> know of him.”



367:  “這位先生在哪個大學裏任教？”

--> “At which university does <sps> this gentleman teach?”



368: 老人不勝鄙夷。

--> The old man is <sps> contemptuous.



369: 他指著亭子的斗拱說。

--> he says <sps> pointing up to the beam at the top of the columns.



370: 你抬頭看見那未曾著色的一道橫樑上，果真用朱筆寫著：

--> You look <sps> up and see <sps> on the beam which hasn’t been repainted<psp>, these words written in vermilion:



371: 我從自然保護區的招待所出來，

--> I set <sps> out from the hostel of the nature reserve and go



372: 我已經去過三次，

--> This is <sps> the third time I’ve been <psp> back



373: 再也沒有碰上他。

--> but again he’s <sps> not there.



374: 這扇可以為我打開通往那個神秘世界的門對我已經關上了，我想。

--> It seems <sps> that this door which can lead <m> me into that mystical world has closed <psp> for me.



375: 我信步走去，細雨迷蒙。

--> I wander <sps> on in fine drizzling rain.



376: 我好久沒有在這種霧雨中漫步，經過路邊上的臥龍鄉衛生院，也清寂無人的樣子，

--> I pass <sps> by the Sleeping Dragon Village Hospital, it looks <sps> deserted.



377: 林子裏非常寂靜，

--> The forest is <sps> quiet



378: 只有溪水總不遠不近在什麼地方嘩嘩流淌。

--> but there is <sps> always a stream somewhere not too far away, for I can hear <m> the sound of trickling water.



379: 不必再想什麼，

--> I don’t have <sps> to think about anything



380: 讓思緒漫遊開去。

--> and I let <sps> my thoughts ramble.



381: 公路上沒有一個人影，

--> There’s <sps> no one on the highway,



382: 沒有一部車輛，

--> and no vehicles are <sps> in sight. 



383: 滿目蒼翠，

--> As far as the eye can see <m> it is <sps> a luxuriant green.



384: 正是春天。

--> It is <sps> the middle of spring.



385: 路邊有一座空寂的大房子，該是昨晚保護區的幹事講的土匪頭子宋國泰的巢穴吧？

--> The big deserted compound on the side of the road is <sps> probably the headquarters of the bandit chief Song Guotai mentioned <sp> by the reserve warden last night.



386: 這是一座全部木結構的老房子，

--> It is <sps> an old timber compound.



387: 兩扇高大笨重的大門敞開，

--> The two big heavy wooden gates are <sps> wide open



388: 裏面有個被樓房環抱荒蕪了的大院子，容得下整個馬邦數十頭牲口。

--> and inside, surrounded on three sides by two-storey buildings, is <sps> an overgrown courtyard big enough for a caravan of thirty or forty horses.



389: 有兩處樓梯，也都在院子裏。

--> There are <sps> two sets of stairs in the courtyard.



390: 我走上去，

--> I go <sps> up.



391: 樓板格支格支直響。

--> The floorboards creak <sps> noisily



392: 我越加大步走著，故意表明有人來了。

--> and I deliberately tread <sps> heavily to show my presence.



393: 但這樓上也空寂無人，

--> However the upstairs is <sps> deserted.



394: 推開一個又一個空蕩蕩的房間，一股塵土和霉味。

--> One after another I push <sps> open the doors to empty rooms smelling of dust and mildew.



395: 只有掛在鐵絲上的一條灰白的毛巾和一隻破鞋表明這裏竟有人住過，也該是幾年前的事了。

--> Only a dirty grey towel hanging on a wire and an old worn shoe show <sps> that the place has been <psp> lived in, but probably some years ago.



396: 自從這裏建立自然保護區，集中在這所大房子裏的供銷社，土產收購站，糧油站，獸醫站以及一個山鄉的全部機構和人員便都遷到保護區管理處修建的那條一百米長的小街上去了，聚集在這樓上宋國泰手下那一百來條漢子和一百來條槍當然更留不下一點蹤影。

--> (2)and the personnel were <sp> all relocated in the narrow hundred metres of street built by the reserve administration where there is <sps> not a trace of Song Guotai’s hundred or so men and their hundred or so rifles once housed <sp> in this compound.



397: 他是搞政治工作的，

--> The warden of the reserve does <sps> political work



398: 說起話來，振振有詞，

--> and he is <sps> eloquent and convincing.



399: 他說他給來這裏實習的大學生們做報告，從保護大熊貓講到愛國主義， 

--> He says <sps> his lectures to university students here for practical work range from protection of the giant panda to patriotism



400: 他說被土匪搶來的女人中還有個紅軍女戰士，

--> He says <sps> that amongst the women the bandits abducted <sp> there was <sp> even a soldier of the Red Army.



401: 現今就住在這附近的一個山沖裏。她還能報出來她當年屬於幾支隊幾分隊幾連的連指導員的姓名，

--> She lives <sps> in a nearby mountain flatland and can still recite <m> the name of her battalion, regiment and company, as well as the name of her commanding officer



402: 人如今可是當了大官，

--> who is <sps> now an important official.



403: 他很有番感慨。他說他當然不能給學生們講這些，

--> He’s <sps> quite excited and says <sps> of course he can’t talk <m> about all these things to the students,



404: 便又回到這匪首宋國泰身上來。

--> then goes <sps> back to talking about the bandit chief Song Guotai.



405: 現今都長成了雜樹林子。

--> and is <sps> now a mass of trees and shrubs.



406:  一手抓過那匪首擱在桌上的快慢機，說時遲，那時快，一槍一個，連同老大，當即撂倒了，

--> In one swift action, faster than it takes <sps> to tell this, he snatched <sp> the rival bandit chief ’s machine gun from the table and one bullet each sent <sp> the pair sprawling, Big Brother included.



407: 便問：還有哪個不服的沒有？

--> Then he asked <sp>: Anyone who doesn’t <sps> want to surrender?



408: 他說得這般有聲有色，

--> He tells <sps> all this with great drama,



409: 做報告能把女學生都說哭了，並非吹牛。

--> he isn’t boasting <psc> when he says <sps> he has <sps> the women students in tears.



410: 他還說五○年進山剿匪，

--> He goes <sps> on to say that in 1950 they came <sp> into the mountains to exterminate the bandits.



411: 好像他就親自參加了戰鬥。

--> It’s <sps> as if he’d taken <pp> part in the battle himself.



412: 如今，都四十多年了，有說他還活著，

--> It’s <sps> over forty years now, some say <sps> he’s <sps> still alive



413: 有說他死了，

--> and others say <sps> he’s <sps> dead



414: 都沒有確鑿的證據，只是種分析。” 

--> but there’s <sps> no real evidence, only theories.”



415: 他靠在藤圈椅上，捏著扶圈的手指彈動著，

--> He sits <sps> back into the round cane chair and tapping his fingers on the edge where his hands are resting <psc>,



416: 分析道：“關於他的下落，有三種說法。“

--> he begins <sps> to analyse these theories. There are <sps> three theories about what happened <sp> to him.



417: 一說他逃走了，流竄在外地，在哪里隱姓埋名，落下腳來，種田當了農民。

--> One is <sps> that after escaping he fled <sp> to another area, changed <sp> his name, and settled <sp> somewhere to work in the fields as a peasant.



418: 土匪有土匪的規矩，

--> Bandits have <sps> their own set of rules –



419: 他們有他們的道德，江湖義氣，

--> They have <sps> their own ethics, a code of bandit chivalry if you like <sps>,



420: 另一方又手狠心毒，

--> and yet on the other hand they are <sps> cruel and wicked.



421: 土匪也有他們的兩面性。

--> Bandits have <sps> two sides to them.



422: 他搖搖頭，不是不理解，而是感慨人世之複雜，我想。

--> He is shaking <psc> his head not because he finds <sps> it incomprehensible but because he is <sps> moved by the complexity of the human world, it seems <sps>. 



423: ”也有迷失在這山裏就死在裏面的？”我問。

--> “Do people <sps> get lost on the mountain and die <sps> there?” I ask <sps>.



424: 別說外地進來挖藥材的農民，就是本地的獵人也有困死在山裏的。” 

--> and not just the peasants from elsewhere who come <sps> to dig for medicinal herbs. There are <sps> even local hunters who have died <psp>“



425: “哦？” 我對這更有興趣。

--> “Oh?” This is <sps> even more intriguing.



426: 保護區裏禁止狩獵的。

--> and hunting’s prohibited <sps> in the reserve.



427: 這麼大的山，我們哪看得過來？

--> It’s <sps> impossible for us to supervise an area of this size.



428: 都貪心著呢，

--> They’re <sps> all so greedy,



429: 沒有辦法。

--> it’s <sps> hopeless.



430: 我從這空蕩蕩的樓上下來，在那容得下一個馬幫的院子裏站了一會，走到公路上來。

--> I leave <sps> the empty upstairs and stand <sps> for a while in the courtyard big enough for a whole caravan of horses, then head <sps> back to the highway.



431: 路上也還是沒有人，沒有車輛。

--> There still is <sps> no sign of people or vehicles.



432: 我望著對面的霧雨迷蒙中蒼綠的山上，

--> I look <sps> at the dark green mountain enveloped in a haze of rain and mist on the opposite side.



433: 有一條灰白的放木材的陡直的滑道，

--> A steep greyish-white logging chute is <sps> over there



434: 我總想到這山顛背後的原始森林裏去，我說不出為什麼那總吸引著我。

--> I am becoming <psc> obsessed with getting to the primeval forest at the back of the mountain and find <sps> myself drawn to it by some inexplicable force.



435: 細雨不斷，而且越加集密了，成為一層薄幕，把山梁都籠罩住，山谷和溝壑就更加朦朧。

--> The light drizzle gets <sps> heavier and turns <sps> into a thin film which 
completely enshrouds <sps> the ridge, obscuring the mountain and gully even more.



436: 雷聲滾動，在山背後，沉悶，隱隱約約。

-->  There is <sps> the rumble of thunder behind the mountain, muffled and indistinct.



437: 我突然發覺更為喧響的還是來自公路下方的河水，總也不停息，

--> Suddenly, I realize <sps> that the noise of the river below the highway is <sps> much louder,



438: 總在咆哮，總這樣充沛的流量，從雪山下來注入氓江的這皮條河，流得這樣的急促，

--> there is <sps> a perpetual roar as it charges <sps> endlessly at great speed from the snow clad mountains to pour into the Min River.



439: 你就在這涼亭邊上碰上了她，

--> It is <sps> by the pavilion that you encounter <sps> her.



440: 是一種說不分明的期待，一種隱約的願望，

--> It is <sps> an undefinable longing, a vague hope, 



441: 一次邂逅，一次奇遇。

--> it is <sps> a chance meeting, a wonderful meeting.



442: 你黃昏又來到河邊，

--> You come <sps> again at dusk to the riverside,



443: 麻條石級下，棒槌清脆的擣衣聲在河面上飄蕩。

--> the pounding of clothes being washed reverberates <sps> from the bottom of the pitted stone steps.



444: 這山鄉小鎮上，她那麼出眾，

--> She stands <sps> out in this small mountain village.



445: 你走了開去，

--> You walk <sps> away



446: 心裏卻惦記著，

--> but she lingers <sps> in your mind



447: 等你再轉回到涼亭前，她已經不在了，

--> and when you return <sps> to the pavilion she is <sps> no longer there.



448: 夜色已暗，

--> It is <sps> already dark



449: 涼亭裏亮著兩點煙火，明明暗暗，

--> and in the pavilion a couple of cigarettes glow <sps> from time to time as they are <sps> smoked,



450: 但從聲音上大致可以辨出是兩男兩女，

--> but from their voices you guess <sps> that there are <sps> probably two men and two women.



451: 也不像是本地人，他們無論調情還是發狠，都嗓門響亮。

--> They don’t  seem <sps> to be locals, who always talk <sps> loudly whether they’re flirting <psc> or being <psc> aggressive.



452: 進而細聽，

--> You go <sps> up and eavesdrop.



453: 這兩對青年男女講的好像是各自的把戲，怎麼瞞過父母，哄騙他們工作單位的頭兒，找種種藉口溜出來逍遙。

--> It seems <sps> they are talking <psc> about what they have had <psp> to do to get away on this excursion: deceive <sps> their parents, lie <sps> to the head of the work unit, and think <sps> up all sorts of stories.



454: 講得那麼得意，還止不住格格直笑。

--> Talking about it is <sps> such fun they can’t stop <m> cackling with laughter.



455: 你已經過了這年紀，用不著受誰的約束，

--> You’ve already passed <psp> that age and don’t <sps> have to be supervised by anyone,



456: 他們興許是乘下午的車剛到，可你記得從縣城裏來只有早上的一趟班車，

--> They probably arrived <sp> in the afternoon, but as you recall <sps> there’s <sps> only the one morning bus from the county town.



457: 總歸他們有他們的辦法。

--> Anyway they probably have <sps> their own ways and means.



458: 她似乎並不在他們之中，也不像他們這樣快活。

--> She doesn’t <sps> seem to be among them and didn’t <sp> seem to be as cheerful as this crowd.



459: 你離開涼亭，沿著河岸，徑直走下去。

--> You leave <sps> the pavilion and walk <sps> straight down along the river-bank.



460: 你已經用不著辨認，

--> You no longer need <sps> to think about finding your way.



461: 這河岸上幾十戶家門，

--> There are <sps> several dozen houses by the river



462: 只最後一家開著賣煙酒手紙的半爿店面，

--> but only the last one, which sells <sps> cigarettes, liquor and toilet paper, has <sps> the half door-flap of the shop open.



463: 石板路便折向鎮裏，然後是高的院牆，

--> The cobblestone road swerves <sps> back towards the town and then there’s <sps> a high wall.



464: 右手昏黃的路燈下，漆黑的門洞裏便是鄉政府。

--> In the weak yellow streetlight on the right, through the dark doorway, is <sps>  the village administrative office.



465: 再過去，一片用殘磚圍住的菜園子，

--> Further on is <sps> a vegetable plot fenced off with broken bricks



466: 菜地對面有一個醫院。

--> and opposite is <sps> a hospital.



467: 隔一條小巷，便是近年來才蓋的影劇院，正放映一部武打功夫片。

--> Two lanes up is <sps> a cinema, built  just a few years back, and now showing  a martial arts movie.



468: 連晚場電影開演的時間你都不用湊近去看。

--> so you don’t <sps> need to go to see what time the evening session starts <sps>.



469: 從醫院邊上的小巷子裏可以穿插到正街上，一出巷口，便面對龐大的百貨公司，

--> The lane at the side of the hospital cuts <sps> through to the main street and comes <sps> out right opposite the big department store.



470: 這你都清清楚楚，

--> You know <sps> all this perfectly,



471: 仿佛這鎮上的老住戶。

--> as if you’re <sps> an old resident of the town.



472: 而你自己尤其需要同人交談。

--> and you desperately need <sps> to talk with someone.



473: 只有百貨公司鐵門緊閉，玻璃櫥窗前的鐵柵欄也都拉起上了鎖。

--> Only the department store has <sps> the iron door shut  and the grill up and  <psp> padlocked in front of the windows.



474: 別的店鋪大都照舊開著，

--> Most of the shops are <sps> still open



475: 當街吃飯，當街搭訕，或是望著鋪子裏的電視，邊吃邊看邊聊天，樓上的窗簾則映著活動的人影。

--> People are <sps> out on the street eating and chatting, inside the shops watching television as they eat <sps> and chat <sps>,	and silhouetted on the curtains of upstairs windows moving about.



476: 還有小孩哭鬧，

--> and there are <sps> small children crying and yelling –



477:  人就坐在自家門口，隔著街同對面交談。

--> People sit <sps> in their doorways chatting with people across the street



478: 已婚的婦女這時候也就只穿著背心和短褲，跟著塑膠拖鞋，端著澡盆，把髒水潑到街心。

-->  and it is <sps> at this time that married women in singlet and shorts and plastic slippers take <sps> tubs of dirty bath water to pour into the street.



479: 那半大不小的小子則成群結夥，滿街亂竄。朝手勾著手的小丫頭們擦肩而過。

--> Gangs of adolescent boys are <sps> everywhere, deliberately brushing against the young girls strolling hand in hand.



480: 而你，突然，又看見了她，在一個水果攤子前。

--> Suddenly, you see <sps> her again, in front of a fruit stall. 



481: 你加快腳步，

--> You walk <sps> more quickly,



482: 你便湊上前，也去問價。

--> You push <sps> in front and ask <sps> how much they cost <sps>.



483: 她手摸了一下那透青的滾圓的柚子，走了。

--> She touches <sps> the round unripe pomelo and walks <sps> off.



484: 你也就說，是的，太生。

--> You say <sps>, that’s <sps> right, they’re <sps> not ripe.



485: 你跟上她，來玩兒的？

--> You catch <sps> up to her. Like <sps> to join me?



486: 你似乎就聽見她悟了一聲，

--> You seem <sps> to hear her agree,



487: 還點了點頭，她頭髮也跟著抖動了一下。

--> she even gives <sps> a nod which makes <sps> her hair shake.



488: 跟上她的步子。

--> and you keep <sps> pace with her.



489: 你也為靈山而來？

--> Are <sps> you also here because of Lingshan?



490: 她頭髮又抖動了一下，這樣，就有了共同的語言。

--> Her hair shakes <sps> again, then you  begin <sps> to chat.



491: 在裝有日光燈的理髮鋪子前，

--> The front of the hairdresser’s shop is  fitted <sps> with neon lights



492: 你於是看到了她的臉，

--> and you see <sps> her face.



493: 年紀輕輕，卻有點憔悴，倒更顯得楚楚動人。

--> It’s <sps> youthful and that slight weariness is <sps> distinctly attractive.



494: 你望著套上電吹風頭罩燙髮的女人，說現代化就數這最快。

--> You look <sps> at the women with their heads under the dryers and getting their hair done and say <sps> that modernization has been <psp> most rapid in this.



495: 她眼睛動了一下，笑了，

--> She looks <sps> away, laughs <sps>,



496: 你也跟著就笑。

--> and you laugh <sps> with her.



497: 她頭發散披在肩上，烏黑光亮，

--> Her hair covers <sps> her shoulders and is <sps> black and shiny.



498: 你想說你頭髮真好，又覺得有點過分，

--> You want <sps> to say, you have <sps> lovely hair, but think <sps> it would be <m> going a bit too far,



499: 沒有出口。

--> so you don’t <sps> say it.



500: 你同她一起走著，再沒說什麼。

-->  You walk <sps> along with her, and don’t <sps> say anything else.



501: 不是你不想同她親近，

--> It’s <sps> not that you don’t <sps> want to get on closer terms with her



502: 你不免尷尬，想儘快擺脫這種窘境

--> You can’t help <m> feeling embarrassed and want <sps> to get out of this dilemma as quickly as possible.



503: 我可以陪你走走嗎？這話又說得太笨。

--> May I walk <m> with you? Again, this is <sps> really a stupid thing to say.



504: 你這人真有意思。你仿佛聽見她在嘟嚷，

--> You’re <sps> really a funny person, you seem <sps> to hear her mumbling.



505: 又像是責怪，又像是允諾。

--> She looks <sps> reproachful and yet approving.



506: 她畢竟不是孩子，

--> She’s <sps> not a child



507: 你也不是毛頭小夥，

--> and you’re <sps> no teenager,



508: 你想試著招惹她。

--> you try <sps> flirting with her.



509: 我可以當你的嚮導，你說，這是明代的建築，至今少說有五百年的歷史，

--> I can be <m> your guide, you say <sps>, this was <sp> built in the Ming Dynasty and goes <sps> back at least five hundred years,



510: 那山牆上的飛簷，黑暗中襯著星光翹起的一角。

--> one of the flying eaves of the gable curls <sps> upwards out of the darkness into the star-lit sky.



511: 今晚沒有月亮。

--> There’s <sps> no moon tonight.



512: 不只幾十年，只是幾十步，你就回到了那古老的時代。

--> You don’t  even <sps> have to go back a few decades, just take <c1b> twenty or thirty paces and you’ll be <c1b> back in those ancient times.



513: 說著，你們便走到了一品香茶館門前，牆角和門口站了好些人，大人小孩都有。

--> While chatting you come <sps> to the front of the First Class Fragrance Teahouse where there are <sps> adults and children standing along the wall.



514: 踮腳朝裏一望，你們也都站住了。

--> You stand <sps> on tiptoes to look inside and stay <sps> there as well.



515: 門面狹窄進深很長的茶館裏，一張張方桌都收了起來。

--> The narrow door leads <sps> into the long teahouse where all the square tables have been <psp> put away.



516: 橫擺著的條凳上伸著一顆顆腦袋，

--> On the rows of benches are <sps> the backs of craning heads



517: 正中只一張方桌，從桌面上垂掛下一塊鑲了黃邊的紅布， 

--> and right in the middle is <sps> a square table draped with a yellow-bordered red cloth:



518: 桌後高腳凳上，坐的一位穿著寬袖長衫的說書人。

--> a storyteller in a robe with wide sleeves is seated  <sps> on a high stool behind it.



519: “太陽西下，

--> “The sun goes <sps> down,



520: 濃雲遮月，

--> thick clouds hide <sps> the moon,



521: 那蛇公蛇婆率領眾妖照例來到了藍廣殿，

--> and as usual the Snake Lord and his wife lead <sps> their pack of demons back to the Palace of Blue Vastness.



522: 看到童男童女，肥胖雪白，豬牛羊擺滿兩旁，心中大喜。

--> On seeing the plump fair-skinned boys and girls and the lavish banquet of pork, beef and lamb, they are <sps> delighted.



523: 蛇公對蛇婆說：托賢妻的福，

--> The Snake Lord says <sps> to his wife: This good fortune is <sps> due to you.



524: 今天這份壽禮，甚是豐厚。

--> Today’s birthday celebration is <sps> magnificent.



525: 那邊道：今天是太夫人大春，理該少不了管弦樂器，還需洞主操心。” 

--> One of the demons says <sps>: Today being her Ladyship’s birthday requires <sps> wind and string music and the Master of the Grotto has had <psp> to busy himself with these.”



526: 拍的一響！他手上的醒堂木拍在桌子上，

--> Bang! He slams <sps> his wooden clapper on the table, 



527: “真是謀高主意多！” 

-->  “Indeed, lofty aspirations produce <sps> ideas!”



528: 他放下醒堂木，拿起鼓錘，在一面松了的鼓皮上悶聲敲了幾下，

--> He puts <sps> aside the clapper and taking the drum stick strikes  <sps> a few dull beats on the slack drum skin.



529: 另一隻手又拿起個穿了些鐵片的鈴圈，緩緩晃了晃，錚錚的響，

--> In his other hand he takes <sps> up a tambourine threaded with metal bits which he slowly shakes <sps> so that it tinkles <sps>.



530: 那老腔啞嗓子便交代道：

--> Then in his old rasping voice he begins <sps> to explain:



531: “當下蛇公吩咐，

--> “The Snake Lord gives <sps> instructions



532: 各方操辦，不一會，把個藍廣殿打扮得花花綠綠，管弦齊奏。”

--> and in all four quarters are <sps> activities which immediately transform <sps> the Palace of Blue Vastness with colourful decorations and a medley of wind and string instruments.”



533: 他故意來了句電視裏演員的朗誦腔調，惹得聽眾哄的一陣笑。

--> He deliberately imitates <sps> the recitation style used by TV performers and makes <sps> the audience roar with laughter.



534: 你望了她一下，

--> You look <sps> at her



535: 你期待的正是這笑容。

--> This is <sps> the happy face you’ve been  hoping <pspc> for.



536: 進去坐坐？

--> Shall we go <m> in and sit <sps> down?



537: 你便領著她，繞過板凳和人腳，揀了張沒坐滿的條凳，擠著坐下。

--> You lead <sps> her past wooden benches and peoples’ legs, find <sps> a bench which isn’t <sps> full and squeeze <sps> in.



538: 就看這說書人耍得好生熱鬧，

--> Just look <sps> at the storyteller trying to get the audience worked  up.



539: 他哈依依哎呀呀，左轉身拱手作拜壽狀，右轉身擺擺手，做老妖精唱道：

--> he gaily hums <sps> as he turns <sps> to the left performing the actions of bowing with hands cupped  together in salutation, then turns <sps> to the right to wave his hands and sing <sps> in the voice of the old seductress, 



540: 這故事講了一千年了，你在她耳邊說。

--> They’ve been <psp> telling this story for a thousand years, you say <sps> close to her ear.



541: 還會講下去，她像是你的回聲。

--> And they’ll still go <f> on telling it. She seems <sps> to be your echo.



542: 你非常開心。

--> You feel <sps> very happy.



543: 本來七七四十九天的路程，他三天就趕到了這東公山腳下，碰上了王道士，

--> He makes<sps> it to the foot of Donggong Mountain in three days, a journey normally taking seven times seven equals  forty-nine days, where he encounters <sps> the Daoist Wang.



544: 法通頂禮道：賢師有請。

--> Fatong bows <sps> in salutation and says <sps>: I have <sps> a request of the Venerable Master.



545: 那王道上答禮，客官有請。請問這藍廣殿在何處？

--> The Daoist Wang responds <sps> with a salutation and Fatong asks <sps>: May I ask where the Palace of Blue Vastness can be  found <m> ?



546: 那裏出了妖精，可厲害呢，誰敢去呀？

--> The demons there are <sps> really fierce. Who would dare <m> go there?



547: 在下姓陳，字法通，

--> My surname is <sps> Chen and my name, Fatong, means <sps> ‘comprehending Buddha’s laws’.



548: 那道士歎了口氣說，童男童女今天剛送去，\

--> The Daoist Master heaves <sps> a sigh and says <sps>, young boys and girls have just been sent <psp> there today,



549: 啪的一聲，只見這說書人右手舉起鼓錘，左手搖著鈴圈，

--> Bang! You see <sps> the storyteller raising his drum stick in his right hand and rattling the tambourine in his left hand.



550: 翻起白眼，口中念念有詞，渾身抖索起來……

--> His eyes open <sps> wide until they show <sps> the whites and as he recites <sps> a chant his whole body begins <sps> to shake . . .



551: 你聞到一種氣味，濃烈的煙草和汗珠中的一絲幽香，

--> You smell <sps> something, a subtle fragrance in the midst of the strong smell of tobacco and sweat,



552: 還有僻僻剝剝吃瓜子的聲音，那吃瓜子的也目不轉睛盯著罩上了法衣的說書人。

--> There is <sps> the cracking of melon seeds as people eat <sps> the seeds with their eyes fixed on the storyteller, who has donned <psp> a monk’s robe.



553: “三下靈牌打打打三道催兵符盡收廬山茅山龍虎山三山神兵神將頃刻之間哦呀呀啊哈哈達古隆冬倉嗯呀呀呀嗚呼，

--> “Laying down three times the magic tablet, one-two-three, three troop-summoning amulets instantly muster <sps> the divine troops and the generals of Lu Mountain, Mao Mountain and Longhu Mountain, o-yaya a-ha-ha da-gu-long-dong cang-ng-ya–ya–ya–wu-hu.



554: 天皇皇地皇皇吾乃真君大帝敕賜弟子軌邪除妖手持通靈寶劍腳踏風火輪左旋右轉。”

--> Emperor of Heaven,Emperor of Earth,I am<sps>the younger brother sent <sp> by the True Lord Emperor to exterminate demons.Holding the precious magical sword and treading on the wheel of wind and fire I wheel <sps> to the right and whee<sps>l to the left-”



555: 她轉身站起，

--> She turns <sps> and stands <sps> up,



556: 你跟著也邁過人腿，

--> you follow <sps> after her, stepping over people’s legs.



557: 人們都轉而對你們怒目而視。

--> They all glare <sps> at you.



558: 你們身後哄的一陣笑聲。

--> A roar of laughter follows <sps> the two of you.



559: 你怎麼了？

--> What’s <sps>  the matter?



560: 你不舒服？

--> You’re <sps> sick?



561: 不，好些了，裏面空氣不好。

--> No, I feel <sps> better now, it’s <sp> stuffy inside.



562: 你們走在街上，

--> You walk <sps> outside



563: 街旁閑坐聊天的人都朝你們望著。

--> and the people sitting on the street chatting look <sps> up at the two of you.



564: 你領她拐進個小巷，

--> You lead <sps> her around a corner into a small lane,



565: 街上的人聲和燈光落在身後，

--> the sound of people and the lights of the street fall <sps> behind you.



566: 小巷裏沒路燈，

--> There are <sps> no streetlights in the lane,



567: 她放慢了腳步，你想起剛才的情景。

--> She slows <sps> down and you think <sps> back to what has just happened <psp>.



568: 你不覺得你我就像被驅趕的妖精？ 

--> Don’t  you think <sps> you and I are <sps> like the demons being pursued?



569: 她也笑得都彎下了腰。

--> She laughs <sps> so much that she doubles <sps> over.



570: 她皮鞋敲在青石板上格外的響。

--> Her heels clatter <sps> noisily on the cobblestones.



571: 出了小巷，

--> You emerge <sps> from the lane



572: 前面一片水田，泛著微光，

--> and before you are <sps> paddy fields bathed in faint glimmering light.



573: 遠處模模糊糊有幾幢房舍，

--> In the hazy distance are <sps> a few buildings,



574: 知道那是這市鎮唯一的中學，

--> you know <sps> it’s <sps> the one middle school in town.



575: 再遠處隆起的是山崗，鋪伏在灰濛濛的夜空下，星光隱約。

--> A little further off are <sps> sprawling hills beneath the grey star-lit night sky.



576: 起風了，吹來清涼的氣息，喚起一種悸動，又潛藏在這稻穀的清香裏。

--> A breeze starts <sps> up, bringing ripples of cool air which sink <sps> into the clean fragrance of the paddy rice.



577: 你挨到她的臂膀，

--> You draw <sps> close to her shoulder,



578: 她沒有挪開。

--> and she doesn’t <sps> move away.



579: 你們便再沒有說什麼，順著腳下灰白的田埂，向前走去。

--> Neither of you say <sps> anything but go <sps> wherever your feet take <sps> you along the greyish paths between the fields.



580: 你不覺得神奇？

--> Don’t  you think <sps>  it’s <sps> wonderful?



581: 不知道，

--> I don’t <sps> know,



582: 你別問我。

--> don’t <sps> ask me.



583: 你挨緊她的手臂，

--> You lean <sps> against her arm



584: 她也挨緊你，

--> and she leans <sps> towards you,



585: 你低頭看她，

--> you look <sps> down to her,



586: 只覺得她鼻尖細小，你聞到了那已經熟悉了的溫暖的氣息。

--> but you sense <sps> her small nose and you again smell <sps> that familiar warmth.



587: 她突然站住了。

--> Suddenly she comes <sps> to a halt.



588: 我應該休息。

--> I have <sps> to get some rest.



589: 我不想有人陪著。

--> I don’t <sps> want anyone with me.



590: 她變得固執了。

--> She is <sps> quite adamant.



591: 你這裏有親友？

--> Do  you have <sps> relatives or friends here?



592: 還是專門來玩的？

--> Or are <sps> you here on your own?



593: 她概不回答。

--> She doesn’t <sps> answer.



594: 你不知道她從哪里來，又回哪里去。

--> You don’t <sps> know where she’s <sps> from nor where she’s going <psc> back to.



595: 你還是送她到了街上，

--> Still, you escort <sps> her to the main street



596: 她徑自走了，消失在小街的盡頭，像一則故事，又像是夢。

--> and she walks <sps> off on her own, vanishing at the end of the street, as if in a story, as if in a dream.




597: 在海拔兩千五百公尺觀察大熊貓的營地，到處在滴水，

--> In the 2500-metre giant panda observation compound at Haiba, water drips <sps> everywhere



598: 被褥都是潮濕的。

--> and my bedding is <sps> damp. 



599: 白天穿著這營地裏的羽絨衣，身上也總潮呼呼的。

--> During the daytime I wear <sps> the padded clothes issued <sp> by
the camp but still feel <sps> perpetually damp.



600: 最舒服的時候，是在火堆前吃飯，喝著熱湯。

--> The most comfortable time is <sps> in front of the fire drinking hot soup and eating.



601: 一口大鋁鍋用鐵絲吊在伙房棚子的橫樑上，

--> A big aluminum pot hangs <sps> on a metal wire from a rafter in the kitchen shed



602: 底下架著的樹幹不用鋸斷，架起在灰燼上順著燒，火苗冒起足有一兩尺高，又可以照明。

--> and the log in the stove isn’t <sps> cut into sections but just burns <sps> its way down, sending up sparks two feet into the air and providing light.



603: 每當圍著火堆吃飯，有一隻松鼠總來，蹲在棚子邊上，滾圓的眼睛直轉。

--> When we’re sitting <psc> around the fire a squirrel always comes <sps>  and sits <sps> by the shed rotating its round eyes.



604: 也只有在吃晚飯的時候，人才聚齊。

--> It’s <sps> only at night that everyone gathers <sps> around



605: 幾句玩笑。

--> and there’s <sps> a bit of joking.



606: 吃完晚飯，天也就全黑了，

--> By the end of the meal it’s <sps> completely dark,



607: 營地被魁黑的森林包圍著，

--> the camp is <sps> surrounded by the pitch-black forest,



608: 人都鑽進棚子裏，在煤油燈下做自己的事情。

--> everyone retreats <sps> into the shed and in the light of kerosene lamps is <sps> preoccupied with his own business.



609: 他們長年在深山裏，該說的都已說完，

--> They’ve been <psp> deep in the mountain all year and have said <psp> all they have <sps> to say,



610: 沒有新聞。

--> and there’s <sps> no news.



611: 只有一位雇的羌族山民，從海拔兩千一百公尺的臥龍關，進山后最後的一個村落，每隔兩天，用背簍背來些新鮮的蔬菜和整片的羊肉或豬肉。

--> They hire <sps> a Qiang from Sleeping Dragon Pass, 2100 metres from Haiba and the last village after entering the mountain, to come every couple of days with a basket on his back filled with fresh vegetables and slabs of mutton or pork.



612: 保護區管理處離村子也還遠。

--> The ranger station is <sps> even further off than the village.



613: 他們只有一個月或幾個月才輪流下山休息一兩天，去管理處理髮、洗澡，改善一下伙食。

--> They only take <sps> turns to go down the mountain for a couple of days’ leave every month or every few months, to go to the ranger station for a haircut, a bath and a good meal. 



614: 到時候乘保護區的車子到成都去看女朋友，或是回到其他城市他們自己的家，

--> and when the time comes <sps> they take <sps> the reserve car to Chengdu to see their girlfriends or go back to their homes in other cities.



615: 對他們來說，那才是生活。

--> For them this is <sps> the way to live.



616: 他們沒有報紙，也不收聽廣播，

--> They don’t <sps> have newspapers and don’t <sps> listen to radio broadcasts.



617: 那個喧囂的世界都留給了城市，

--> that noisy world is <sps> left to the cities,



618: 對他們來說這都太遙遠了。

--> for them it’s <sps> all too far away.



619: 只有一位去年才分配來這裏工作的大學畢業生總戴著耳機。

--> However, a university graduate sent here to work just last year always has <sps> headphones on.



620: 再有一位在油燈下看書的青年人，

--> And there’s <sps> also a young man who <sps> reads by the kerosene lamp.



621: 還有一位，把白天接收到的無線電訊號，按測定的方位，一一畫在一張航空測繪的座標圖上，

--> There’s <sps> another man here who picks <sps> up wireless signals, locates <sps> and plots <sps> them onto an air navigation tracking chart.



622: 這些訊號是由被誘捕套上無線電頸圈再放回到林海中去的大熊貓身上發射出來的。

--> These are <sps> signals transmitted from giant pandas which have been captured <psp>, tagged <psp> with wireless neckbands and then returned <psp> to the forest.



623: 同我一起進山在這山裏連續轉了兩天的那位老植物學家早已躺下不知是否睡著了，

--> The old botanist with me has already spent <psp> two days wandering
around in the mountains; he’s been <psp> in bed for some time but I can’t tell <m> whether or not he’s <sps> asleep.



624: 和衣躺著，連腦子也好像凍僵了，

--> and lying here fully clothed even my brain seems <sps> to have frozen ,



625: 而山外正是陽春五月。

--> yet down the mountain it’s <sps> May and the middle of spring.



626: 我摸到了一隻草蚤，盯在我大腿內側，

--> My hand comes <sps> upon a tick which has lodged <psp> itself on the inner part of my thigh.



627: 有小指甲這麼大，硬得像塊傷疤。

--> It’s <sps> the size of my little fingernail and as hard as a scab.



628: 我按住使勁揉搓，也還拔不出來。

--> I hold <sps> onto it and rub <sps> myself but can’t pull <m> it out.



629: 我知道再使勁就會拔斷，它那緊緊咬住的頭嘴就只能長久長在我皮肉裏。

--> I know <sps>  if I pull <c1a> any harder it will break <c1b> off and the head with the mouth which has <sps> a good bite on me will remain <c1b> embedded and grow <c1b> into my flesh.



630: 我只好向我旁邊鋪位上的營地的一位工作人員求援，

--> I get <sps> help from the camp worker in the bed next to me.



631: 他讓我脫光了，在我大腿上猛一巴掌，就手把這吸血鬼擰了出來。

--> He gets <sps> me to strip, gives <sps> my thigh a hard slap and squeezes <sps> out the blood-sucking little bastard.



632: 扔進燈罩裏，冒出一股肉餡餅的氣味。

--> Tossed  into the kerosene lamp it smells <sps> like the meat stuffing in a pancake.



633: 他答應明天給我找一副綁腿。

--> He promises <sps> to get me a bandage in the morning.



634: 棚子裏十分安靜，

--> It’s <sps> quiet both inside and outside the shed,



635: 聽得見棚子外、林子裏，到處都在滴水。

--> but everywhere in the forest there is <sps> the sound of water dripping.



636: 山風由遠及近，並不到跟前來，就又退了回去，只在幽遠的山谷裏喧嘩。

--> A mountain wind blows <sps> from afar but doesn’t <sps> reach the mountain and instead recedes <sps> and lingers <sps> noisily in faraway valleys.



637: 後來，我頭頂上的板壁也開始滴水了，好像就湧在被子上。

--> Afterwards the planks above me also start <sps> dripping and seem <sps> to drip right onto my quilt.



638: 我無意起身，裏外反正都一樣潮濕，

--> Mindlessly, I get <sps> up. It’s <sps> as damp inside as it is <sps> outside.



639: 後來，聽見了砰地一聲，

--> Later on, I hear <sps> a rifle discharge .



640: 清晰又沉悶，在山谷裏回蕩。

--> It’s <sps> clear but muffled and reverberates <sps> in the valley.



641: 人都醒了，或者說，就都沒睡著。

--> Everyone is <sps> awake, or it might have been <m> that no-one had been <pp> asleep.



642: 就再沒有人說話，

--> Then nobody says <sps> anything.



643: 似乎等著槍聲再響。

--> It’s <sps> as if they’re waiting <psc> for another shot,



644: 而槍聲也就不再響。

--> but there isn’t <sps> one.



645: 這種破碎了又懸置的沉寂中，只有椰子外的滴水聲和抑鬱在山谷裏的風潮。

--> n the shattered yet suspended silence, there’s <sps> only the dripping of water outside the shed and the reverberation of the wind imprisoned  in the valleys.



646: 你就似乎聽見了野獸的蹤跡。

--> Then you seem <sps> to hear wild animals.



647: 這本是野獸的世界，

--> This world belongs <sps> to wild animals



648: 人居然還不放過它們。

--> but human beings persist <sps> in interfering with it.



649: 四下的黑暗中都潛伏著騷亂和躁動，

--> The enclosing darkness hides <sps> anxiety and restlessness,



650: 這夜顯得更加險峻，也就喚醒了你總有的那種被窺探，被跟蹤，被伏擊的不安，

--> and this night seems <sps> to be even more perilous, awakening your phobia that you are being spied <psc> upon, stalked<psc>, about to be ambushed.



651: 你依然得不到靈魂中渴求的那分寧靜……

--> You can’t get <m> the spiritual tranquillity you crave <sps> . . .



652: “來了！”

--> “Beibei’s <sps> here!”



653: 棚子裏一片忙亂，

--> It’s <sps> total chaos in the shed



654: 大家都起來了，跳下了床。

--> and everyone’s <sps> up and out of bed.



655: 棚子外面呼味呼味噴著鼻息，

--> There’s <sps> a loud snorting and grunting outside.



656: 這就是他們援救過的，產後病了的，饑餓的，來找尋食物的熊貓！

--> It’s <sps> the baby panda they saved <sp> when it came <sp> fossicking for food, sick and starving!



657: 而它就來了，他們的寵兒，他們的寶貝，用爪子扒搔著板壁。

--> And here is <sps> their pet, their treasure, clawing on the timber walls.



658: 有人先開了一線門縫，拎著一桶玉米粥閃了出去，

--> Someone opens <sps> the door a crack and slips <sps>out with a bucket of corn mush



659: 大家跟著都跑出去了。

--> and the rest quickly troop <sps> out after him.



660: 朦朧的夜色中，一隻灰黑的大傢伙正一搖一擺，走動著。

--> In the murky night this huge dark grey thing lumbers <sps> about.



661: 那人將玉米粥立刻倒在盆裏，它跟上前去，呼哧呼哧著粗氣，

--> Corn mush is <sps> quickly poured into a dish and this thing comes <sps> up to it, snorting and grunting noisily.



662: 手電筒光全落到這黑腰圍黑眼睛身軀灰白的野獸身上。

--> The torches are <sps> all trained on this animal with black semicircles around its black eyes.



663: 它也不理會，只顧著吃，頭都不抬一下。

--> This doesn’t  worry <sps> it at all, it’s  completely engrossed <sps> in eating and doesn’t  look <sps> up even once.



664: 閃光燈直亮，

--> so there’s <sps> a constant glare of flashlights,



665: 大家輪流湊近它身旁，叫它，逗它，摸一下它那硬得像豬棕樣的皮毛。

--> and everyone takes <sps> a turn to go up to it, to call it, to tease it, and to touch its fur which is <sps> as hard as pig bristle.



666: 它抬起頭來，

--> It looks <sps> up



667: 人又都匆忙逃開，鑽進棚裏。

--> and everyone runs <sps> to take refuge back inside the shed.



668: 畢竟是野獸，

--> It is <sps> after all a wild animal



669: 它終於吃完了，抓了根甘蔗，咬著，搖晃肥大的尾巴，鑽進營地邊上的冷箭竹和灌叢中去了。

--> It eventually finishes <sps> eating and, grabbing a piece of sugar cane and chewing on it, saunters <sps> off towards the clumps of Cold Arrow Bamboos and bushes at the edge of the camp.



670:  “它多半是這時候來，總在二點到三點之間。”

--> “It mostly comes <sps> at this time, round about two or three.”



671: “它知道討吃了，這壞東西！”

--> “It’s <sps> good at begging for food, the cheeky devil.”



672: “它胖了些，我摸的。”

--> “It’s <sps> fatter. I touched <sp> it.”



673: 他們談論得這樣熱情，講述每一個細節，

--> They are <sps> very excited and go <sps> into minute details –



674: 誰又說它在玉米粥裏還放了糖，它也喜歡吃甜的！

--> Someone even said <sp> he’d put <pp> sugar into the corn mush and that it likes <sps> eating sweet things!



675: 他們平時都很少交談，

--> Normally they scarcely speak <sps> to one another



676: 可談起這貝貝，就像是大家的情人。

--> but here they are talking <psc> about Beibei as if it’s <sps> everyone’s sweetheart.



677: 我看了看表，

--> I look <sps> at my watch,



678: 可不，

--> That’s <sps>  just the way it is <sps>,



679: 山上這單調寂寞的生活，

--> life is <sps> monotonous and lonely on the mountain



680: 就靠這點安慰。

--> and one needs <sps> this bit of comfort.



681: 他們從貝貝又講到了憨憨。

--> From Beibei they go <sps> on to talking about Hanhan.



682: 又帶著豬犬跟蹤搜索，找到了這冷治忠的家和吊在屋簷下卷起的皮子。

--> They organized <sp> a search with tracker dogs and got <sps> to this Leng Zhizhong’s house where they found <sp> the rolled up skin hanging under the eaves.



683: 天將亮時分，又聽見兩聲槍響，來自營地下方，

--> Close to daybreak two shots sound <sps> from the lower part of the
compound.



684: 都很沉悶，迴響在山谷裏拖得很長。就像退膛時搶膛裏的煙子，迴旋著不肯消散。

--> Their muffled echoes reverberate <sps> in the valley for a long
time, stubbornly lingering like smoke in the barrel of a rifle that’s been <psp>
fired.




685: 你後悔你沒同她約定再見，

--> You regret <sps> not fixing a time to see her again,



686: 你後悔你沒有跟蹤她，

--> you regret <sps> not chasing after her,



687: 你後悔你沒有勇氣，

--> you regret <sps> your lack of courage,



688: 總之，你後悔你的失誤，

--> To sum up, you regret <sps> losing the opportunity.



689: 你難得失眠，

--> You don’t <sps> suffer from insomnia



690: 但你竟然一夜沒有睡好。

--> but you sleep <sps> badly the whole night.



691: 早起，你又覺得荒唐，

--> You’re <sps> up early, think <sps> it’s all ridiculous



692: 那種唐突有損你的自尊，

--> That sort of rash behaviour damages <sps> one’s self-esteem.



693: 可你又討厭你過於清醒。

--> But then you detest <sps> yourself for being too rational.



694: 你都不會去愛，

--> You don’t <sps> even know how to go about starting a romance,



695: 軟弱得失去了男子的氣概，

--> you’re <sps> so weak you’ve lost <psp> your manliness,



696: 後來，你還是決定，到河邊去，去試試運氣。

--> Afterwards, however, you decide <sps> to go to the riverside to try your luck.



697: 早起，渡口十分繁忙。

--> From early morning it’s <sps> busy at the crossing.



698: 船上擠滿了人，吃水線到了船邦子邊上。

--> The water level goes <sps> right up the sides of the ferry as people cram into it.



699: 船剛靠碼頭，纜繩還沒有拴住，人都搶著上岸，

--> As it docks <sps>, even before the ropes are <sps> tied, people fight <sps> to get ashore.



700: 挑的籮筐和推著的自行車碰碰撞撞，人們叫罵著，擁向市鎮。

--> People with big baskets on carrying poles and people pushing bicycles jostle <sps> one another, all shouting and swearing as they surge <sps>towards the town.



701: 渡船來來回回，終於把對岸沙灘上候船的人都載了過來，

--> The ferry shuttles <sps> back and forth and eventually brings <sps> across all the people from the other shore.



702: 渡口這邊也才清靜。

--> This side of the crossing also turns <sps> quiet.



703: 只有你還坐在涼亭裏，像一個傻瓜，煞有介事，等一個沒有約定的約會，一個來無蹤去無影的女人，

--> Only you are left  <sps> sitting in the pavilion, like an idiot, pretending to wait for an appointment which wasn’t made  <sp>, with a woman who came <sp> and vanished <sp>,



704: 你無非是活得無聊，

--> Could it be <m> that you’re <sps> bored, 



705: 你那平庸的生活，沒有火花，沒有激情，都煩膩造了，

--> that you’re fed <sps> up with your monotonous life devoid of passion and excitement



706: 還又想重新開始生活，去再經歷再體驗一回？

--> and that you want <sps> to live again, to experience life again?



707: 河邊不知何時又熱鬧起來了，這回都是女人。

--> The river-bank is <sps> suddenly bustling with activity, this time they’re <sps> all women.



708: 一個挨著一個，都在貼水邊的石階上，不是洗衣服就是洗菜淘米。

--> They crowd <sps> onto the stone steps by the water –some washing clothes and others washing vegetables and rice.



709: 站在船頭撐篙的漢子沖石階上的女人叫喊。

--> and the fellow standing at the  row with the punt-pole shouts <sps> at the women.



710: 女人們嘰嘰喳喳也都不讓，

--> The women shout <sps> back



711: 你於是竟又見到了她的身影，

--> Just then you see <sps> her again.



712: 你說你想她會來的，會再來這涼亭邊上，

--> You say <sps> you thought <sp> she’d come <m>, that she’d return <m> to the pavilion



713: 你說是一位老人告訴你的，他當時也坐在這涼亭裏，

--> You say <sps> an old man sitting in the pavilion told <sp> you about it.



714: 她說她害怕幽靈，

--> She says <sps> she’s <sps> terrified of demons



715: 那便不如說嗚嗚的像高壓線上吹過的風。

--> so you say <sps> that his rasping voice was <sp> like the wind blowing onto high-voltage wires.



716: 你說這鎮子《史記》裏早有記載，而眼前的渡口早年間叫做禹渡，

--> You say <sps> there are <sps> town records dating back to the Historical Records and that in early times this crossing used <sp> to be called Yu Crossing.



717: 傳說大禹治水就從這裏經過。

--> Legend has <sps>  it that when Yu the Great quelled <sp> the floods, he crossed <sp> here.



718: 你讓她看這廊柱上的格聯，都出於宋代名士之手，

--> You show <sps> her the couplet written by the famous Song Dynasty scholar.



719: 你來找尋的靈山，古人早已指明。

--> The Lingshan you seek <sps> was <sp> known to men of ancient times,



720: 世世代代生活在這裏的鄉里人卻不知道這裏的歷史，他們甚至都不知道他們自己。

--> however the generations of villagers who have lived <psp> here since don’t <sps> know the history of the place, don’t <sps> know about themselves. 



721: 你問她相信不相信？

--> You ask <sps> if she believes <sps> you.



722: 佈滿折皺的臉皮像購了的蘿蔔，

--> and her wrinkled face is <sps> like a salted turnip.



723: 活脫一具木乃伊，

--> She’s <sps> like a mummy,



724: 只有深陷的眼窩裏兩點散漫無光的眼珠還會動彈。

--> there’s <sps> no movement except in her dull, lustreless, sunken eyes.



725: 不管是他本家弟兄中他排行老二，還是金蘭結義，換貼拜的把子，

--> Whether he came <sp> second amongst his siblings or was honoured with <sp> the nickname to get on good terms with him is <sps> of little consequence,



726: 別看她坐的門檻裏天井不大，

--> The courtyard beyond the doorsill she’s <sps> sitting on isn’t <sps> huge



727: 可一進院子套著一進，

--> but there are <sps> a series of courtyards.



728: 連兔子也懂得不吃窩邊草。

--> Well, even rabbits don’t  eat <sps> the grass growing close to the burrow.



729: 要狠，男人狠不過女人。

--> men are <sps> no match for women when it comes <sps> to being cruel.



730: 旅遊辦的主任是吳老師侄媳婦的娘舅，要不這差事也落不到他頭上。

--> The director of the tourist office is <sps> the uncle of the wife of Wu’s nephew, otherwise he wouldn’t have got  <m> the job.



731: 凡土生土長的肚子裏都有些掌故，

--> People born  and brought up in the locality all have <sps> stories to tell



732: 能寫文章的這鎮上也不只他一個。

--> and he’s <sps> not the only one in town who can write <m>.



733: 誰又不想青史留名？更何況還可以預支些不叫稿費叫加班費作為報酬。

--> Who doesn’t want  <sps> to go down in the annals of history and moreover be able to draw advance overtime payments as well as a writer’s fee?



734: 再說，這吳老師也是本地世家，

--> Wu is <sps> a local from a family which has been <psp> influential for generations.



735: 現今的汽車站就在正街的盡頭龍王廟的舊址。

--> The present bus station is  located <sps> at the end of the main street, on the old site of the Dragon King Temple.



736: 鑼鼓齊嗚，滿街上人頭跟著攢動。

--> At the sound of the gongs and drums, the heads in the crowd thronging the streets begin <sps> to move to the beat. 



737: 沿岸的店鋪，家家門口都撐出竹竿，掛的紅包，或多或少都包幾個賞錢，

--> The shops along the river all have <sps> their bamboo poles out with red packets of cash dangling from them,



738: 一年的生意誰又不圖個吉慶。

--> everyone wants <sps> good business during the year.



739: 通常，總是龍王廟斜對面米行錢老闆的紅包最大，

--> The red packets of old man Qian in the rice shop diagonally opposite the Dragon King Temple are <sps> the most  ucrative



740: 雙股五百響的炮仗從樓上一直掛下來。

--> and two strings of five hundred crackers hang <sps> from his upstairs window.



741: 耍燈的就在這僻僻叭叭火光四濺中大顯身手，

--> It’s <sps> among exploding crackers and in a sea of light that the lantern performers demonstrate <sps> their prowess.



742: 一條條龍燈舞得在地上轉著打滾，

--> One after the other, the dragons wheel <sps> and somersault <sps>:



743: 挑頭耍繡球的則最賣氣力。

--> it’s <sps> hardest for the performers manipulating the dragon’s head or holding the embroidered ball.



744: 說著就來了兩條，

--> And while I’m telling <psc> you this, two dragons appear <sps> –



745: 你還是說下去。說這條青龍？說這耍青龍的吳貴子是這鎮上盡人皆知的一把好手？

--> But you do <sps>, and go <sps> on to tell about the black dragon and about Wu Guizi, the great performer everyone in town knows <sps>.



746: 年輕風流的媳婦們見了沒有不眼熱的，不是叫貴子，喝口茶吧，就是給他揣一碗米酒。

--> The young women are <sps> all besotted with him and if they see <c1a> him they call <c1b> out, Guizi, come in for some tea, or they bring <sps> him a bowl of liquor.



747: 什麼？你說你的。

--> What? You go <sps> on with your story.



748: 這吳貴子引著青龍一路耍來，

--> Wu Guizi, performing in the lead, approaches <sps> with the black dragon.



749: 渾身早已熱氣蒸騰，到了龍王廟前，索性把布搭子也解了，就手扔給街上看熱鬧的熟人，

--> He’s covered <sps>  in sweat and in front of the Dragon King Temple unbuttons <sps> his vest and tosses <sps> it to someone he knows <sps> in the crowd.



750: 他胸脯上就刺的青龍一條，

--> There’s <sps> a black dragon tattoo on his chest



751: 兩旁的小子們不由得一陣子叫好。

--> and the youngsters on the street shout <sps> their approval.



752: 這時，穀來村的赤龍也從下街頭到了。

--> At this point, the red dragon from Gulaicun comes <sps> onto the scene from the other end of the street.



753: 都要了起來。

--> and both begin <sps> to perform at the same time.



754: 這一青一赤兩條龍燈裏都點的蠟燭，

--> The red and the black dragons are <sps> lanterns lit  by candles



755: 就見兩條火龍在人頭腳底滾動，說昂首都昂首，說擺尾都擺尾，

--> and two fiery dragons are seen <sps> prancing amongst the heads and feet of the crowd, suddenly rearing their heads and wagging their tails.



756: 那赤龍也不含糊，

--> The red dragon also puts <sps> on a good performance –



757: 緊緊盯住繡球，往來穿梭，像一條咬住了活物的大蜈蚣。

--> following the embroidered ball closely, it thrusts <sps> forward and back like a centipede biting into some living thing.



758: 雙股五百響的鞭炮剛放完，又有夥計炸了幾個天地響。

--> Just as the two strings of five hundred small crackers finish<sps>, the employees let <sps> off a few bungers.



759: 兩隊人馬，氣喘吁吁，汗津津都像剛出水的泥鰍，一起擁到櫃檯邊上來搶挑在竹竿上的紅包，

--> The two teams of contestants, panting and dripping with sweat like eels coming out of water, charge <sps> up to grab the red packet hanging from the pole next to the counter.



760: 竟被穀來村一個小子躍起一把抓在手心。

--> In one bound, it is  seized <sps> by a youth from Gulaicun.



761: 當下雙方的叫罵便代替了鞭炮，

--> Loud swearing between the two teams replaces <sps> the sound of crackers



762: 進而這一青一赤兩條龍便糾纏在一起，難解難分。

--> and then the black and red dragons are embroiled  <sps>  in a fight.



763: 驚叫的照例是小孩和婦人家，

--> As usual the children and women start <sps> screaming



764: 站在門口凳子上看熱鬧的女人抱了孩子，躲進門裏，

--> and women who had been standing <pspc> on stools at doorways to watch the fun grab <sps> their children and retreat <sps> indoors.



765: 留下的板凳便成了相互格鬥的兇器。

--> The stools they leave <sps> behind turn <sps> into vicious weapons for both sides.



766: 這鎮公所裏倒有一名巡警，

--> The town does <sps> have a policeman



767: 維持治安，總不能白幹。

--> preserving public order isn’t <sps> free of charge after all.



768: 這一類民事糾紛又不吃官司，

--> Civil disturbances of this nature don’t <sps> involve the law.



769: 武鬥的結果，青龍隊死了一個，赤龍隊死了兩個，

--> The fight results <sps> in one death in the black dragon team and two in the red dragon team,



770: 幸虧貼了掛紅燈籠的喜春堂隔壁唐麻子祖傳的狗皮膏藥，才揀回來一條性命。

--> Luckily, they managed <sp> to save his life by using dogskin plaster, a family prescription from Pockmark Tang’s which is <sps> next door to Joy of Spring Hall, the brothel with the red lanterns hanging outside.



771: 可也算是故事，也還可以再講下去。人不要聽。

--> and it’s <sps> a story you could go <m> on telling, except that she doesn’t want <sps>  to listen.




772: 同我一起上山來的那位老植物學家，發現了一棵巨大的水青樹，

--> the old botanist who came <sp> with me onto the mountain discovers <sps> a giant metasequoia.



773: 一百萬年前冰川時代了遍植物的活化石，有四十多公尺高。

--> It is <sps> a living fern fossil more than forty metres high, a solitary remnant of the ice age a million years ago,



774: 樹幹上有個大洞，可以做熊的巢穴。

--> There’s <sps> a huge cavernous hole in the trunk which could be <m> a panda’s den.



775: 他讓我爬過去看看，說是有熊的話，也只冬天才待在裏面。

--> He tells <sps> me to climb in and have <sps> a look, saying that if it did <c2a> belong to a panda it would only be <c2b> inside during winter.



776: 我鑽進去了，

--> I do <sps> as he says <sps>.



777: 洞壁裏面也長滿了苔蘚。

--> The walls are <sps> covered in moss.



778: 這大樹裏外都毛 茸茸的，

--> The inside and outside of this huge tree has <sps> a green fuzz growing on it



779: 那盤根錯節，龍蛇一般，爬行在周圍一大片草木和灌叢中。

--> and the gnarled roots are <sps> like dragons and snakes crawling everywhere over a large area of shrubs and bushes.



780: “這才是原始生態，年輕人，”他用登山鎬敲著水青樹幹說，

--> “Now here’s <sps> primitive ecology for you, young man,” he says <sps> striking his mountaineering pick on the trunk of the metasequoia.



781: 他在營地裏把所有的人都叫做年輕人。

--> He calls <sps> everyone in the camp young man.



782: 他少說也六十出頭了，身體很好，拄著這把登山搞作為拐杖，也還能滿山跑。

--> He’s <sps> at least sixty, in excellent health, and gets <sps> around everywhere on the mountain using his mountaineering pick as a walking stick.



783: 這裏已經沒有嚴格意義上的原始森林，

--> Strictly speaking, there are <sps> no primary forests here.



784: 他來採集大熊貓的食物冷箭竹的標本的。

--> He’s <sps> here collecting specimens of Cold Arrow Bamboo, the food of the giant panda.



785: 我陪他鑽進一人多高枯死的冷箭竹叢中，

--> I go <sps> with him into a clump of dead Cold Arrow Bamboos which are <sps> the height of a man,



786: 沒有找到一棵活的竹子。

--> but there isn’t <sps> a single live bamboo plant to be found.



787: 他說這冷箭竹從開花到結籽枯死到種子再發芽成長再到開花，整整六十年，

--> He says <sps> it takes <sps> a full sixty years for the Cold Arrow Bamboo to go through the cycle of flowering, seeding, dying and for the seeds to sprout, grow, and flower.



788: “人法地，地法天、無法道，道法自然，”他大聲說道，

--> “Man follows <sps> earth, earth follows <sps> sky, sky follows <sps> the way, the way follows <sps> nature,” he proclaims <sps> loudly. 



789: “不要去做違反自然本性的事情，不要去做那不可為的事情。”

--> “Don’t   commit actions which go <sps> against the basic character of nature, don’t commit acts which should not be <m> committed.”



790: “那麼這搶救熊貓有什麼科學上的價值？”我問。

-->  “Then what scientific value is <sps> there in saving the giant panda?” I ask <sps>. 



791: “不過是這個象徵，一種安慰，人需要自己欺騙自己，

--> “It’s <sps> symbolic, it’s <sps> a sort of reassurance – people need <sps>  to deceive themselves.



792: 一方面 去搶救一個已經失去生存能力的物種，

--> We’re <sps> preoccupied with saving a species which no longer has <sps> the capacity for survival



793: 更別說長江。

--> but the Yangtze is <sps> much worse



794: 異想天開，當然很浪漫。

--> Of course it’s <sps> romantic to indulge in wild fantasy



795: 這地質上的斷層，歷史上就有過許多崩塌的紀錄，

--> but the place lies <sps> on a geological fault and has <sps> many documented records of landslides throughout its history.



796: 人這樣掠奪自然，自然總要報復的！” 

--> but when people assault <sps> nature like this nature inevitably takes <sps> revenge!”



797: 我們在林子裏穿行，周圍是齊腰深的貫眾，

--> I go <sps>  with him through the forest, surrounded  by waist-high cyrtomiums



798: 一圈圈輪生的葉子像巨大的漏斗。

--> – their leaves grow <sps> out in circles and they look <sps> like huge funnels.



799: 更為碧綠的則是七片葉子輪生的鬼燈擎，

--> Of an even deeper green is <sps> the edible tulip, which has <sps> seven leaves growing out in a circle.



800: 到處都一片陰濕的氣息。

--> There’s <sps> an all-pervading dampness everywhere.



801: “這草莽中有蛇嗎？”我不禁問。

--> I can’t help <m> asking, “Are <sps> there snakes in the undergrowth?”



802: “還不到季節，

--> “It’s <sps> not the season yet,



803: 初夏的時候，天暖和了，它們才兇猛。” 

--> it’s <sps> only in early summer when it gets <sps> warmer that they’re <sps> quite vicious.”



804:  “可怕的不是野獸，可怕的是人！”

--> “It’s <sps> people and not animals that are <sps> frightening!”



805: 他說他年輕的時候，曾經一天中碰到三隻虎，

--> He tells <sps> me that as a young man he encountered <sp> three tigers on the same day.



806: “虎一般不襲擊人，

--> “Tigers generally don’t  attack <sps> people



807: 華南虎都已經絕跡了。

--> In South China tigers are <sps> already extinct.



808: 你現在要碰到老虎還真算你運氣。”他嘲笑道。

--> If you come <c1a> upon a tiger nowadays you can count <c1b> yourself  lucky,” he says <sps> sardonically.



809: “假的！連博物館都收不到老虎的標本，

--> “It’s <sps> fake! Even museums can’t get <m> hold of tiger bones,



810: 他哈哈大笑，喘著氣，靠在登山鎬上歇了一會，

--> He roars <sps> with laughter and has <sps> to lean on his mountaineering pick to catch his breath.



811: 年輕人，自然並不可怕，

--> Young man, nature is <sps> not frightening,



812: 可怕的是人！

--> it’s <sps> people who are <sps> frightening!



813: 可人這東西，當然聰明，

--> This creature known as man is <sps> of course highly intelligent,



814: 什麼不可以製造出來？從謠言到試管嬰兒，

--> he’s <sps> capable of manufacturing almost anything from rumours to test-tube babies



815: 另一方面卻在每天消滅兩到三個物種，

--> and yet he destroys <sps> two to three species every day.



816: 這就是人的虛妄。” 

--> This is <sps> the absurdity of man.”



817: 這營地裏我只有他是可以交談的，

--> He’s <sps> the only person in the camp I can have <m> a conversation with,



818: 也許因為畢竟都從那個繁華的世界來的，

--> maybe it’s<sps> because we’re <sps> both from the world of hustle and bustle.



819: 其他人長年在這山裏，

--> The others are <sps> in the mountains all year long,



820: 我為我無法同他們交流有些苦惱。

--> It’s <sps> frustrating not being able to engage the others in conversation.



821: 我當然也知道我在他們眼裏不過是個好奇的旅遊者。

--> I know <sps> that they only think <sps> of me as an inquisitive tourist.



822: 是體驗一下這種科學考察營地的生活？

--> Is <sps> it to experience life in a scientific research camp such as this?



823: 如果僅僅為了逃避我遇到的困境，也還可以有更輕鬆的辦法。

--> If it’s <sps> just to get away from the problems I was experiencing <pc>, there are <sps> easier ways.



824: 那麼，也許是想找尋另一種生活？

--> Then maybe it’s <sps> to find another sort of life.



825: 不知道找尋什麼才是真正的苦惱。

--> Not knowing what one is looking <psc> for is <sps> pure agony.



826: 生活本身並無邏輯可言，又為什麼要用邏輯來演繹意義？

--> Life has <sps> no logic, so why does <sps> there have to be logic to explain what it means <sps>?



827: 再說，那邏輯又是什麼？

--> Also, what is <sps> logic?



828: 我想，我需要從思辨中解脫出來，

--> I think <sps> I need <sps> to break away from analytical thinking,



829: 這才是我的病痛。

--> this is  <sps> the cause of all my anxieties. 



830: 我問替我抓草蚤的老吳這裏還有沒有原始森林？

--> I ask <sps> Wu (the one who removed <sp> the tick for me) if there are <sps> other ancient forests in the vicinity.



831: 他說這周圍早先都是。

--> He says <sps> they used <sp> to be all around.



832: 我說那當然，問題是現在哪里還能找到？

--> I say <sps> this is <sps> indeed so but I want <sps> to know where I’ll now be <f> able to find one.



833: 我問是木是營地下方，有一條通往一個峽谷的小路， 

--> I ask <sps> if it’s <sps> the track in the lower part of the camp leading into a valley.



834: 峽谷上方，一塊裸露的岩壁，

--> The upper part of the valley is <sps> a bare cliff



835: 遠看像蒼莽的林海中冒出來的一塊白石頭。

--> and from a distance it looks <sps> like a white rock sticking out of a green sea of forest.



836: 他點頭說是。

--> He nods <sps> to say yes.



837: 林相要森嚴得多，

--> The forest looks <sps> quite forbidding



838: 可山澗裏也還倒著未被山水沖下去的一棵棵巨樹烏黑的軀幹。

--> and the creek is <sps> full of huge black trunks which the current didn’t <sp> carry down.



839: “這保護區裏究竟還有沒有人工痕跡的原始森林？”

--> “But does the reserve have  <sps> ancient forests which haven’t been desecrated <psp> by workers?”



840: 全都是地形複雜的大峽谷！

--> it’s <sps> a huge gully with very difficult terrain!



841: 周圍是五千到六千多公尺的大雪山。”

--> And there are <sps> 5000- to 6000-metre snowclad mountains all around.”



842: 他說去年有兩位新分配來工作的大學畢業生，拿了包餅乾，帶著羅盤，以為沒事，

--> He says <sps> last year two university graduates who’d just been  assigned <pp> to work here set <sp> off with a bag of biscuits and a compass thinking they’d have <m> no problems.



843: 他告誡我一個人絕不能走遠，我實在想要進原始森林看看的話，只有等他們有人去十一M十二M作業，收集大熊貓活動信號的時候。

--> He warns <sps> that I absolutely must not go <m> off too far on my own and that if I really want <c1a> to go and have a look at the forest I’ll have <c1b> to wait until someone goes <sps> to 11M 12M to collect the signals on giant panda activity.




844: 你有心事？你說，逗著她玩。

--> Are <sps> you in some sort of trouble? you say <sps>, teasing her.



845: 你怎麼看得出來？

--> What makes <sps> you say that?



846: 這明擺著，一個女孩子獨自跑到這種地方來。

--> It’s <sps> obvious, a young woman coming to a place like this on her own.



847: 你不也一個人？

--> Aren’t <sps> you also on your own?



848: 這是我的嗜好，

--> This is <sps> a habit of mine,



849: 我喜一個人遊蕩，

--> I like <sps> wandering around on my own,



850: 可以沉思冥想。

--> it lets <sps> me think about lots of things.



851: 得了吧，不只是你們男人才有思想。

--> Come on, it’s <sps> not just you men who think <sps>.



852: 恰恰是有的男人並沒有思想！

--> Actually, some men don’t  think <sps> at all!



853: 看來你遇到了困難。

--> You seem <sps> to be in some sort of trouble.



854: 並不非要有困難。

--> but that doesn’t  necessarily mean <sps> they’re <sps> in trouble.



855:  等我需要的時候。

--> Wait until I need <sps> it.



856: 你現在沒有這種需要？

--> Don’t you need <sps> it now?



857: 我只需要一個人，誰也別來打擾我。

--> I just need <sps> to be alone, I don’t  want <sps> anyone upsetting me.



858: 那你承認你有煩惱。

--> Then you admit <sps> something is worrying <psc> you.



859: 煩惱人人都有。

--> Everyone has <sps> worries.



860: 為什麼？

--> What makes <sps> you say that?



861: 這不需要很多學問。

--> It doesn’t <sps> take a great deal of education.



862: 你這人真油。

--> You’re <sps> so glib.



863: 如果還不至於討厭的話。

--> As long as it doesn’t  offend <sps> you.



864: 並不等於喜歡。

--> That’s <sps> not the same as liking it.



865: 可也不拒絕，一起沿河岸走走？

--> Nevertheless, she doesn’t  refuse <sps> your suggestion to go for a stroll along the river.



866: 你需要證明你還有吸引姑娘的能力。

--> You need <sps> to prove you are <sps> still attractive to women.



867: 她居然隨同你，沿著堤岸，向上游走去。

--> She goes <sps> with you along the embankment, upstream.



868: 你需要找尋快樂，

--> You need <sps> to search for happiness



869: 她需要找尋痛苦。

--> and she needs <sps> to search for suffering.



870: 她說她不敢朝下望，

--> She says <sps> she doesn’t <sps> dare look down.



871: 你說你就知道她害怕。

--> You say <sps> you know <sps> she’s <sps> afraid.



872:  她哈哈笑了起來，

-->  She starts <sps> laughing loudly



873: 你就不敢跳下去，你說著便故意貼著堤岸走，

--> But you don’t <sps> dare jump, you say <sps>, deliberately going to the edge.



874: 陡直的堤岸下，河水滾滾。

--> Below the steep embankment is <sps> the surging river.



875: 我跟著就跳下去救你。

--> I’ll jump <f> in and save <sps> you.



876: 你知道這樣能博得她的歡心。

-->  You know <sps> if you say <c1a> this you’ll make <c1b> her happy.



877: 她說她有點暈眩，又說那是很容易跳下去的，

--> She says <sps> she feels <sps> dizzy, that it’d be <m> easy to jump.



878: 你說這河裏就跳下過一位同她一樣從城市裏來的姑娘，

--> You say <sps> a young woman just like her from the city jumped <sp> into the river.



879: 你不是說她就怎麼複雜，

--> You’re not saying <psc> she’s <sps> complicated,



880: 你是說今天的人較之昨天也聰明不了許多，

--> just that people today aren’t <sps> significantly more intelligent than they were <sp> yesterday



881: 而昨天就在你我面前。

--> and yesterday is <sps> right there in front of you and me.



882: 你說那是個沒有月亮的夜晚，

--> You say <sps> it was <sp> a moonless night



883: 旅遊的都將爬到那石頭上拍照，

--> and the tourists all climb <sps> on it to have their photos taken <psp>.



884: 留念的又只是這後來的題字，

--> It’s <sps> only the inscription that remains <sps>



885: 說下去，她輕聲答道。

--> Go on, she replies <sps> softly.



886: 屈死的總歸是女人。

--> Those forced into taking their own lives are <sps> always women –



887: 也還有人講，子夜時分，總看見穿白衣服的女鬼在那裏出現，

--> Some say <sps> at midnight the ghost of a woman in white always appears <sps>.



888: 唱著一支總也聽不清唱詞的歌謠，有點像鄉里的兒歌，又像是要飯花子的花鼓調。

--> She is always singing <psc> a song they can’t identify <m> but which sounds <sps> something like a village children’s song or a beggar girl’s flower-drum song.



889: 這當然都是迷信，人往往自已被自己講的嚇著了。

--> Of course, this is <sps> all superstition, people often frighten <sps> themselves with what they say <sps>.



890: 可這地方，確有一種水鳥，當地人叫做青頭，讀書人說是青鳥，

--> In fact there’s <sps> an aquatic bird here which the locals call <sps> a blue head and the academics call <sps> a blue bird,



891: 這青頭拖著長長的頭髮，自然也是鄉里人的說法。

--> Blue heads have <sps> long flowing hair according to the villagers.



892: 個兒不大，錠藍的身子，頭頂有兩根碧藍的翎毛，

--> they’re <sps> not very big and have <sps> a silver-blue body and two long dark blue plumes on the head.



893: 長相精神，靈巧至極，非常耐看。

--> They’re <sps> alert, agile, and lovely to look at.



894: 她總歇在堤岸下的陰涼裏，或是在水邊長著茂密的竹林子邊上，左顧右盼，從容自在。

--> She always rests <sps> in the shade under the embankment or by the thick bamboos near the bank of the river, and looks <sps> about nonchalantly.



895: 《山海經》裏講的給西王母啄食的青鳥是一種神鳥，同這鄉里的青頭不是一回事，

--> The blue head in this village is <sps> not the mythological blue bird which took <sp> food to the Queen Mother of  the West as mentioned in the Classic of the Mountains and Seas,



896: 可也都充滿靈氣。

--> but it does  have <sps> an aura of magic nonetheless.



897: 你對她說這青鳥就像是女人，

--> You tell <sps> her that this blue bird is <sps> like a woman,



898: 愚蠢的女人自然也有，

--> of course there are <sps> also stupid women



899: 女子鍾情又難得有好下場，

--> Women who fall <sps> deeply in love really suffer –



900: 同為男人要女人是尋快活，

--> men want <sps> women for pleasure,



901: 丈夫要妻子是持家做飯， 

--> husbands want <sps> their wives to manage the home and cook,



902: 老人要兒媳為傳宗接代，

--> and parents want <sps> the son’s wife to continue the family line.



903: 都不為的愛情。

--> None of these are <sps> for love.



904: 這你就講到了麼妹，

--> Then you start <sps> talking about Mamei.



905: 她專心聽著。

--> She listens <sps> intently.



906: 你說麼妹就屈死在這河裏，人都這麼說，

--> You say <sps> Mamei was <sp> driven to suicide in this river, this is <sps> what people say <sps>.



907: 她也跟著點頭，就這麼傻聽著，傻得讓你覺得可愛。

--> She nods <sps> and listens <sps> child-like, so beautifully child-like.



908: 你說這麼妹也許給了人家，

--> You say <sps> Mamei was <sp> betrothed



909: 當然也還要沒有天災，沒有兵禍，

--> Of course that’s <sps> as long as there are <sps> no natural disasters and no rampaging soldiers,



910: 要都趕上了，一村子死他十之八九，也不是不曾有過。

--> when these occur <sps> it’s <sps> not unknown for eighty to ninety per cent of the villagers to die.



911: 買姑娘的這主就住在水卷，現今的照相館後面，

--> The person who paid <sp> this price lived <sp> in Shuigang, behind what is <sps> now the photographer’s shop.



912: 這真是個繁忙的渡口，要不大禹也不會從這裏過渡，

--> This is <sps> really a bustling crossing, otherwise Yu the Great wouldn’t have <m> decided to make his crossing here.



913: 聽見老鴉叫總是不祥的徵兆，

--> It’s <sps> a bad omen to hear a crow cawing.



914: 人要死未死之前先發出死亡的氣息，

--> When people are <sps> about to die, before they actually die <sps>, they give <sps> off an aura of death.



915: 這如同晦氣，你看不見，聞不到，全憑感覺。

--> It’s <sps> something like an aura of bad luck which can’t be detected  <m>  by the eyes and ears, and can only be <m> sensed.



916: 我帶著晦氣？她問。

--> Do I have  <sps> an aura of bad luck? she asks <sps>.



917: 你不過自己同自己過不去，

--> You just make <sps> it hard for yourself,



918: 你有種自殘的傾向。

--> you have <sps> a masochistic streak.



919: 才不是呢，生活就充滿痛苦！

--> Hardly, living is <sps> such agony!



920: 你也就聽見她叫喚。

--> You then hear <sps> her screaming again.




921: 落在臉上，掉進脖子裏，冰涼冰涼的。

--> slowly drip <sps> onto my face, down my neck, icy cold.



922: 腳下踩著厚厚的綿軟的毛茸茸的苔蘚，一層又一層，重重疊疊。

--> I tread <sps> on thick, soft, downy moss, layer upon layer of it.



923: 寄生在縱橫倒伏的巨樹的軀幹上，生生死死，死死生生，

-->  It grows <sps> parasitically on the dead trunks of huge fallen trees, grows <sps> and dies <sps>, dies <sps> and grows <sps>,



924: 帽子頭髮羽絨衣褲子全都濕淋淋的，

--> My hat, hair, down-lined jacket and trousers are <sps> wet through,



925: 內衣又被汗水濕透了，貼在身上，

--> my singlet is soaked <sps> in sweat and clings <sps> to me.



926: 只有小腹還感到有點熱氣。

-->  Only my belly feels <sps> slightly warm.



927: 他在我上方站住，並不回頭，

--> He has stopped <psp> just up ahead but doesn’t <sps> turn around,



928: 等我從橫七豎八倒伏的樹幹上爬過去，快到他跟前，還沒喘過氣來，他就又走了。

--> As soon as I clamber <sps> over a mass of fallen trees and get <sps> close, he takes <sps> off again before I have <sps> time to catch my breath.



929: 他個子不高，人又精瘦得像只靈巧的猴子，

--> He is <sps> not tall and is <sps> lean and agile like a monkey.



930: 連走點曲折的之字形都嫌費事，不加選擇，一個勁往山上直竄，

--> He thinks <sps> it’s <sps> too much trouble to zigzag and I have <sps> no choice but to make my way straight up the mountain.



931: 我想他也許用這種辦法來擺脫我，讓我知難而退。

--> It seems <sps> he’s using <psc> this strategy to put me off, thinking I’ll find <f> it’s <sps> too hard and turn <f> back.



932: 我拼命尾隨他，距離卻越拉越大了，

--> I struggle <sps> desperately to follow close behind but the distance between us keeps <sps> widening,



933: 他這才時不時站住等我一下，

--> so from time to time he stops <sps> and waits <sps> for me.



934: 乘我喘息的時候，打開天線，戴上耳機，找尋著信號，在小本子上記上一筆。

--> While I catch <sps> my breath he puts <sps> up the aerial, dons <sps> his earphones,  tracks <sps> the signals and makes <sps> a record in his notebook.



935: 他查看作些記錄，順便告訴我，空氣的濕度已經飽和了，

--> He inspects <sps> it, takes <sps> notes, and tells <sps> me the humidity is <sps> already at saturation point.



936: 這是他一路上同我說過的第一句話，算是友好的表示。

--> These are <sps> his first words to me all this time and may count <m> as a sign of friendship.



937: 前去不久，他又向我招手，讓我跟他拐進一片枯死的冷箭竹叢，

--> A little further on he beckons <sps> me to follow him into a clump of dead Cold Arrow Bamboos.



938: 那裏立著個用圓木釘的大囚籠，一人多高，

--> Standing there is <sps> a big pen fenced with round wooden stakes taller than a man.



939: 閘門洞開，裏面的弓子沒有安上。

--> The bolt isn’t <sps> in place and the gate is <sps> open.



940: 他們就是用這種囚籠誘捕熊貓，然後打上麻醉槍，套一個發射無線電訊號的頸圈，再放回森林裏去。

--> The pen is <sps> for trapping the pandas which are shot <sps> with an anaesthetic rifle, tagged <sps> with a transmitter neckband, and then released <sps>.



941: 他指著我胸前的照相機，

--> He points <sps> to the camera I’ve got <psp> hanging on my neck.



942: 我遞給他，他為我拍了一張在囚籠前的照片，幸好不在囚寵裏面。

--> I hand <sps> it to him and he takes <sps> a photo of me outside the pen, thankfully not inside it.



943: 山雀總在附近的花揪灌叢中（左口右去）呤（左口右去）呤叫著，並不感到寂寞。

--> mountain birds trill <sps>  in the nearby flowering catalpa bushes so there’s <sps> no sense of loneliness.



944: 等爬到二千七、八百公尺高度進入針葉林帶，

--> Then at an altitude of two thousand seven or eight hundred metres we come <sps> into a conifer belt –



945: 林相逐漸疏朗，黑體鋒的巨大的鐵杉聳立，

--> patches of scattered light gradually appear <sps> and giant black hemlocks soar <sps> up,



946: 灰褐的雲杉在三、四十公尺的高度再超越一層，高達五、六十公尺，長著灰綠新葉的尖挺的樹冠越發顯得俊秀。

--> However, at a height of thirty or forty metres they are surpassed  <sps> by grey -brown dragon spruce which soar <sps> to heights of fifty or sixty metres and are <sps> majestic with their peaked crowns of grey-green new leaves.



947: 林子裏不再有灌叢，

--> There is <sps> no longer any undergrowth



948: 可以看得很遠，

--> and it’s <sps> possible to see quite a distance.



949: 杉樹粗壯的軀幹間，幾株團團的高山杜鵑足有四米多高，上下全開著一蓬蓬水紅的花，

--> In between the thick spruce and hemlock trunks are <sps> some round alpine azaleas. They are <sps> about four metres high and covered in masses of moist red flowers.



950: 低垂的枝丫仿佛承受不了這豐盛的美，將碩大的花瓣撒遍樹下，就這樣靜悄悄展現它凋謝不盡的美色。

--> The branches bow <sps> with the weight and, as if unable to cope with this abundance of beauty, scatter <sps> huge flowers beneath to quietly display  their enduring beauty.



951: 這大自然毫不掩飾的華麗令我又有一種說不清的惋惜。

--> This unadorned splendour and beauty in nature fills <sps> me with another sort of indescribable sadness.



952: 而這惋惜純然是我自己的，並非自然本身的屬性。

--> It is <sps> a sadness which is <sps> purely mine and not something inherent in nature.



953: 前前後後，有一些枯死了又被風雪攔腰折斷的巨樹，

--> Up ahead and down below are <sps> huge dead trees which have been snapped  <psp>  by the assault of the elements.



954: 從這些斷殘的依然矗立的龐大的軀幹下經過，逼迫我內心也沈默，

--> To pass by these towering crippled remains reduces <sps> me to an inner silence



955: 那點還折磨我想要表述的欲望，在這巨大的莊嚴面前，都失去了言辭。

--> and the lust to express which keeps <sps> tormenting me, in the presence of this awesome splendour, is <sps> stripped of words.



956: 時而在上方，時而在下方。時而在左邊，時而到了右邊，

--> – it’s <sps> further up then down below, to the left then to the right.



957: 不知怎麼的總圍著轉，像要把人引入迷途，而且好像就在叫喚：

--> It somehow keeps <sps> circling around me, as if it’s trying <psc> to make me lose my bearings, and seems <sps> to be calling out:



958: 哥哥等我！哥哥等我！

--> Brother wait <sps> for me! Brother wait <sps> for me!



959: 我禁不住想起兄弟倆去森林裏點種芝麻的那個故事，

--> This brings <sps> to my mind the story of the two brothers who went <sp> into the forest to sow sesame seeds.



960: 我又想起迷失在這森林裏的兩位大學生，

--> I also think <sps> of the two university graduates who got <sp> lost.



961: 有種無法抑制的不安。

--> A feeling of disquiet grips <sps> me.



962: 他在前面突然站住，舉手向我示意，