第28章 晚夏（1 / 1）

latersummer

晚夏

ernesthemingway/欧纳斯特·海明威

inthelatesummerofthatyearwelivedinahouseinavillagethatlookedacrosstheriverandtheplaintothemountains.inthebedoftherivertherewerepebblesandboulders，dryandwhiteinthesun，andthewaterwasclearandswiftlymovingandblueinthechannels.troopswentbythehouseanddowntheroadandthedusttheyraisedpowderedtheleavesofthetrees.thetrunksofthetreestooweredustyandtheleavesfellearlythatyearandwesawthetroopsmarchingalongtheroadandthedustrisingandleaves，stirredbythebreeze，fallingandthesoldiersmarchingfindafterwardtheroadbareandwhiteexceptfortheleaves.

那年晚夏，我们住在乡间的一栋房子里，隔着河流和平原可以望见高山。河床里的鹅卵石和圆石，在阳光的照耀下干燥白皙，清澈的河水湍急地流过，河道里一汪蔚蓝。部队沿着房子向大路挺进，扬起滚滚尘土，覆盖了树叶和枝干。树叶那年落得早，我们看着部队行进在路上，所过之处，尘土飞扬。微风吹得树叶纷然而落，士兵们踏过的路上只剩下哗哗的落叶，一眼望去白晃晃、空荡荡的。

theplainwasrichwithcrops；thereweremanyorchardsoffruittreesandbeyondtheplainthemountainswerebrownandbare.therewasfightinginthemountainsandatnightwecouldseetheflashesfromtheartillery.inthedarkitwaslikesummerlightning，butthenightswerecoolandtherewasnotthefeelingofastormcoming.

平原上的庄稼长势良好，有许多果园，而平原外的山峦，则是满目褐黄，光秃一片。山谷里战斗正打得紧，夜里我们还能看到炮火的闪现。黑暗中，这番情景酷似夏季的闪电，只是现在夜里凉快些，人们觉察不到夏天暴风雨来临前的那种闷热罢了。

sometimesinthedarkweheardthetroopsmarchingunderthewindowandgunsgoingpastpulledbymotortractors.therewasmuchtrafficatnightandmanymulesontheroadswithboxesofammunitiononeachsideoftheirpacksaddlesandgraymotortrucksthatcarriedmen，andothertruckswithloadscoveredwithcanvasthatmovedslowerinthetraffic.therewerebiggunstoothatpassedinthedaydrawnbytractors，thelongbarrelsofthegunscoveredwithgreenbranchesandgreenleafybranchesandvineslaidoverthetractors.tothenorthwecouldlookacrossavalleyandseeaforestofchestnuttreesandbehinditanothermountainonthissideoftheriver.therewasfightingforthatmountaintoo，butitwasnotsuccessful，andinthefallwhentherainscametheleavesallfellfromthechestnuttreesandthebrancheswerebareandthetrunksblackwithrain.thevineyardswerethinandbarebranchedtooandalhecountrywetandbrownanddeadwiththeautumn.thereweremistsovertheriverandcloudsonthemountainandtruckssplashedmudontheroadandthetroopsweremuddyandwetintheircapes；theirrifleswerewetandundertheircapesthetwoleathercartridgeboxesonthefrontofbes，grayleatherboxesheavywiththepacksofclipsofthin，long6.5mm.cartridges，bulgedforwardunderthecapessothatthemen，passingontheroad，marchedasthoughtheyweresixmonthsgonewithchild.

有时在夜色中，我们能听见部队从窗下走过，摩托牵引机拖着大炮发出的声响也声声入耳。夜里的交通颇为繁忙，路上有很多驮着弹药箱的骡子，运送士兵的灰色卡车，还有一种开得稍略缓慢的卡车，运载的东西被帆布盖着。白天也有用牵引车运送的重炮，翠绿的树枝遮盖着长长的炮管，郁郁葱葱、繁茂的枝条和葡萄藤把整个车身都覆盖了。朝北望是片山谷，山谷后面有一片栗树树林，林子后面，也就是在河的这一边，又有一座高山。在这座高山里也曾经发生过交战，只是没有成功。一到秋天，雨水就连绵而至，山上栗树的叶子掉得精光，只剩下赤裸的树枝，还有那被雨打得漆黑的树干。葡萄园中也是枯枝败叶，稀疏光秃；乡里的每一样东西都是湿润的，触目所至，一片萧瑟的秋意。雾气弥漫着河流，浮云在山涧萦绕，路上卡车驶过处泥浆飞溅，士兵们顶着湿漉漉的披肩，浑身都是烂泥；他们的来福枪也被淋湿了，每个人身前的皮带都挂着两个灰皮子弹盒，里面排满了又长又窄的六点五毫米口径的子弹，鼓鼓囊囊地盖在披肩下，他们走在路上，猛地一看，就像是一群怀胎六月的妇人。

thereweresmallgraymotorcarsthatpassedgoingveryfast；usuallytherewasanofficerontheseatwiththedriverandmoreofficersinthebackseat.theysplashedmoremudthanthecamionseven...

我看到一辆小型的灰色摩托车飞快地驶过；就像通常那样，摩托车手负责驾驶，军官坐在车子的后座上。摩托车驶过时，比军用卡车驶过时溅起的泥点子还要多……河之歌thesongoftheriver河之歌williamsomersetmaugham/威廉·萨默塞特·毛姆youhearitallalongtheriver.youhearit，loudandstrong，fromtherowersastheyurgethejunkwithitshighstem，themastlashedalongside，downtheswiftrunningstream.youhearitfromthetrackers，amorebreathlesschant，astheypulldesperatelyagainstthecurrent，halfadozenofthemperhapsiftheyaretakingupasampan，acoupleofhundrediftheyarehaulingasplendidjunk，itssquaresailset，overarapid.onthejunkamanstandsamidshipsbeatingadrumincessantlytoguidetheirefforts，andtheypullwithalheirstrength，likemenpossessed，bentdouble；andsometimesintheextremityoftheirtravaiheycrawlontheground，onallfours，likethebeastsofthefield.theystrain，strainfiercely，againstthepitilessmightofthestream.theleadergoesupanddownthelineandwhenheseesonewhoisnotputtingallhiswillintothetaskhebringsdownhissplitbam-booonthenakedback.eachonemustdohisutmostorthelabourofallisvain.andstilheysingavehement，eagerchant，thechantoftheturbulentwaters.idonotknowhowwordscandescribewhatthereisinitofeffort.itservestoexpressthestrainingheart，thebreakingmuscles，andatthesametimetheindomitablespiritofmanwhichovercomesthepitilessforceofnature.thoughtheropemaypartandthegreatjunkswingback，intheendtherapidwillbepassed；andatthecloseofthewearydaythereistheheartymeal...

lifeistoohard，toocruel，andthisisfinaldespairingprotest.thatisthesongoftheriver.

沿着整条河都可以听见歌声。它洪亮而有力度，那是船夫，他们划着木船顺流而下，船尾翘得很高，船边系着桅杆。这也许是比较急促的号子。那些纤夫拉着纤逆流而上，如果拉的是小木船，也许只要五六个人，如果拉的是要过急滩、扬着横帆的大船，就要二百多人。一个汉子站在船中央不停地击鼓助威，让他们加劲。于是他们用尽全身的力量，像着了魔似的，腰弯成两折，有时力量要全部用完了就全身趴在地上匍匐前进，就像田里的牲口。他们用力，拼命用力，对抗着水流无情的磅礴之力。领头的在纤绳前后不停地奔跑，见到有人没有用尽全力，就用竹板打他的光背。每个人都必须竭尽全力，否则就要前功尽弃。就这样他们还是唱着激昂热烈的号子，那汹涌澎湃的河水号子。我不知道用怎样的词语才能描写出这其中的拼搏，它体现除了紧绷的心弦，几乎要断裂的筋肉，同时也体现了人类以顽强的精神克服着无情的自然力。虽然绳子可能扯断，大船可能倒退，但险滩最终能通过，在结束筋疲力尽的一天之后，可以痛快地吃上一顿饱饭……生活如此艰难、如此残酷，这喊声正是最后的绝望的抗议。这就是河之歌。（未完待续）