0807翻译台阶李森祥.docx

0807翻译台阶李森祥.docx

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0807翻译台阶李森祥

0807翻译：

台阶（李森祥）

Translation:

Doorsteps（LiSenxiang）

（translatedby:

alexcwlin;editedby:

AdamLam）

父亲总觉得我们家的台阶低。

Dadalwaysthoughtthedoorstepsofourhouseweretoolow.

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我们家的台阶有三级，用三块青石板铺成。

Wehadthreedoorstepsinourhouseconstructedbylayingdownthreelimestoneslabs.

那石板多年前由父亲从山上背下来，

ThesestoneslabswerecarrieddownbyDadfromthehillonhisbackmanyyearsago.

每块大约有三百来斤重。

Eachslabweighedaboutthreehundredjins.

那个石匠笑着为父亲托在肩膀上，说是能一口气背到家，不收石料钱。

ThemasonjokinglysaidifDadcouldcarryoneallthewayhomeonhisshoulderwithouttakingabreak,hewouldnotchargehimforthestonematerial.

结果父亲一下子背了三趟，还没觉得花了太大的力气。

Intheend,Dadtookthreetripsinoneshotanddidn’tfeelhehaduseduptoomuchenergy.

只是那一来一去的许多山路，磨破了他一双麻筋草鞋，父亲感到太可惜。

ButgoingbackandforthforagooddistanceonallthosemountainpathsworeoutthesolesofhishempsandalsandDadfeltitwasapity.

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那石板没经石匠光面，就铺在家门口。

Theslabswerelaidinfrontofthehousewithoutanymasonrypolishing.

多年来，风吹雨淋，人踩牛踏，终于光滑了些，

Aftermanyyearsofweatheringandhuman/cattletreading,intheendtheslabsweresmoothedoutsomewhat.

但磨不平那一颗颗硬币大的小凹凼。

Thereweresomeroughspotsonthoseslabswithholeswhichwerethesizesofcoins.

台阶上积了水时，从堂里望出去，有许多小亮点。

Whenthoseholeswerefilledwithwater,theywereliketinysparklingdotswhenwelookedoutfromthehallofourhouse.

天若放晴，穿堂风一吹，青石板比泥地干得快，

Ifitwasabrightsunnydaywithgustingwinds,limestoneslabswoulddryfasterthandirtground.

父亲又用竹丝扫把扫了，石板上青幽幽的，宽敞阴凉，

Afterasweepwithbamboo-filamentbroombyDad,theslabslookedspacious,cool,andfreshasdarkish-greenlawn.

由不得人不去坐一坐，躺一躺。

Theybecameirresistibleindrawingpeopleovertositorliedownonthem.

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母亲坐在门槛上干活，我就被安置在青石板上。

WhenMomwasdoingchoressittingonthefront-doorthresholdatthetimewhenIwasababy,Iwouldbeplacedonthoseslabs.

母亲说我那时好乖，

MomsaidIwaswell-behaved.

我乖得坐坐就知道趴下来，

IwassogoodthatshortlyafterIsatdown,Iknewtoliedownflatonmybellywithoutbeingasked.

用手指抓青石板，划出细细的沙沙声，

ThenIwouldmakesoftscratchingsoundsbyclawingattheslabwithmyfingers.

我就痴痴地笑。

我流着一大串涎水，

AlsoIwouldmakesillygigglesanddripsalivaeverywhere.

张嘴在青石板上啃，结果啃了一嘴泥沫子。

Afterwards,Iwouldopenmymouth,nibbleattheslabandendupwithamouthfulofsoil.

再大些，我就喜欢站在那条青石门槛上往台阶上跳。

OnceIgrewolder,Ilovedtostandonthelimestonethresholdandjumponthedoorsteps.

先是跳一级台阶，蹦、蹦、蹦！

AtfirstIjumpedonestepatatime—“thump-thump-thump”.

后来，我就跳二级台阶，蹦、蹦！

ThenIjumpedtwosteps—“thump-thump”.

再后来，我跳三级台阶，蹦！

AndfinallyIjumpedallthreesteps—“thump”.

又觉得从上往下跳没意思，便调了个头，从下往上跳，啪、啪、啪！

后来，又跳二级，啪、啪！

再后来，又跳三级，啪！

AfterwardsIfeltjumpingdownwasnofunandturnedaroundtojumpupward.StartedwithonestepIwent“thud-thud-thud”;thenIjumpeduptwostepsandwent“thud-thud”;laterIjumpedupallthreestepsandwent“thud”.

我想一步跳到门槛上，但摔了一大跤。

Iwantedtojumpallthewayuptothethresholdinonefellswoopbuttrippedandfell.

父亲拍拍我后脑勺说，这样是会吃苦头的！

DadpattedmeonthebackofmyheadandsaidIwasaskingforit.

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父亲的个子高，他觉得坐在台阶上很舒服。

Dadwastallandsohefeltsittingonthedoorstepswasreallycomfortable.

父亲把屁股坐在最高的一级上，两只脚板就搁在最低的一级。

Hewouldsitonthetopstepandputhisfeetontheloweststep.

他的脚板宽大，裂着许多干沟，沟里嵌着沙子和泥土。

Dadhadhugefeet,andthesoleswerefullofgully-likecrackslodgedwithsand/gravel.

父亲的这双脚是洗不干净的，

Dad’sfeetcouldneverbewashedthoroughlyclean.

他一般都去凼里洗，拖着一双湿了的草鞋唿嗒唿嗒地走回来。

Usuallyhewashedtheminwaterholeandthencamebackdragginghiswetstrawshoeswithsloshysounds.

大概到了过年，父亲才在家里洗一次脚。

OnlyaroundChineseNewYearthatDadwouldwashhisfeetonceathome.

那天，母亲就特别高兴，

ThatdayMomwouldbeelated.

亲自为他端了一大木盆水。

盆水冒着热气，父亲就坐在台阶上很耐心地洗。

ShewouldpersonallybringoutabigwoodentubofsteaminghotwaterandDadwouldcarefullywashhisfeetsittingonthedoorsteps.

因为沙子多的缘故，父亲要了个板刷刷拉刷拉地刷。

Becausetherewastoomuchsand,Dadhadtoscourthefeetbackandforthwithascrubbingbrush.

后来父亲的脚终于洗好了，终于洗出了脚的本色，却也是黄几几的，是泥土的颜色。

Whenthewashingwasfinallyover,thenaturalskincolorofthefeetwouldberevealedanditwasyellowlikethecolorofsoil.

我为他倒水，倒出的是一盆泥浆，木盆底上还积了一层沙。

ThewaterIdumpedoutforhimwasslurryandalayerofsandsedimentwasleftbehindinthetub.

父亲说洗了一次干净的脚，觉得这脚轻飘飘的没着落，

Dadsaidafteragoodwashthefeetfeltlightasiftheyweresteppingonair.

踏在最硬实的青石板上也像踩在棉花上似的。

Evenwhenhewassteppingonsolid-hardlimestoneslab,hefeltasifheweresteppingonfluffycotton.

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我们家的台阶低！

“Ourflightofdoorstepsislow!

”

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父亲又像是对我，又像是自言自语地感叹。

Dadseeminglywassayingthattome,orhewasmerelymumblingtohimselfwithasigh.

这句话他不知说了多少遍。

Ilostcountofhowmanytimeshehadsaidthat.

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在我们家乡，住家门口总有台阶，高低不尽相同，从二三级到十几级的都有。

Inourhometown,everyhouseholdwouldhavedoorstepsofvariousheights—fromtwo/threetotenplussteps.

家乡地势低，

Theareawassituatedatlowaltitudefromsealevel.

屋基做高些，不大容易进水。

Higherhousefoundationmeantitwouldbeharderforwatertogoinside.

另外还有一说，台阶高，屋主人的地位就相应高。

Peoplealsosaidhigherdoorstepswouldaccordinglymeanhighersocialstatusofthehouse-owner.

乡邻们在一起常常戏称：

你们家的台阶高！

Neighboringacquaintancesalwaysjoked:

“Yourfamilyhashighdoorsteps!

”

言外之意，就是你们家有地位啊。

Implicitlyitmeantyourfamilywasonahigherrungofthesocialscale.

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父亲老实厚道低眉顺眼累了一辈子，没人说过他有地位，

Dadtoiledallhislifewithasincere,forgiving,generousandobedientdemeanor,butnooneevermentionedhebelongedtoanelevatedsocialstatusgroup.

父亲也从没觉得自己有地位。

Dadneverfelthehadhighsocialstatuseither.

但他日夜盼着，准备着要造一栋有高台阶的新屋。

Butalldayandnighthewishedandplannedtobuildanewhousewithhighdoorsteps.

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父亲的准备是十分漫长的。

Dad’shouse-buildingplanwasaverylongprocess.

他今天从地里捡回一块砖，

Todayhewouldpickupabrick.

明天可能又捡进一片瓦，

Tomorrowhewouldgatheratile.

再就是往一个黑瓦罐里塞角票。

Thenhewouldstufften-centbillsintoablackpotteryjar.

虽然这些都很微不足道，但他做得很认真。

Eventhoughthesethingswereinsignificant,yethewasveryseriousaboutcarryingthemout.

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于是，一年中他七个月种田，四个月去山里砍柴，半个月在大溪滩上捡屋基卵石，剩下半个月用来过年、编草鞋。

Soinonetypicalyear,hewouldspendsevenmonthsinthefield,fourmonthschoppingfirewoodinthemountain,half-a-monthcollectinghouse-foundationpebblesfromDaXiBeach,andthebalanceofhalf-a-monthinentertainingNewYearfestivitiesaswellasknittingstraw-shoes.

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大热天父亲挑一担谷子回来，身上淌着一片大汗，

Onaswelteringhotday,Dadwouldcarrybackaloadofgrainbalancedonbamboopolewhilehewasdrippinginsweat.

顾不得揩一把，就往门口的台阶上一坐。

他开始“磨刀”。

“磨刀”就是过烟痛。

Beforeheevenbotheredtowipethesweatoff,hewouldsitonthedoorstepsandstartto“sharpenknife”—whichwasthelocalslangforgettinghisnicotinefix.

烟吃饱了，“刀”快，活做得去。

Afterhehadhisfilloftobaccosmoking,orso-called“knifesharpened”,hewouldgetonwithhischores.

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台阶旁栽着一棵桃树，桃树为台阶遮出一片绿阴。

Apeachtreestoodbesidethedoorstepsandprovidedashadeoverthem.

父亲坐在绿阴里，能看见别人家高高的台阶，

Dadwouldsitunderthegreenshadewherehecouldseethehighdoorstepsofotherhouseholds.

那里栽着几棵柳树，

Severalwillowswereplantedoverthere.

柳树枝老是摇来摇去，却摇不散父亲那专注的目光。

TheirbrancheswereswayingfromsidetosidebutthemotionwouldnotdistractDad’sfocusedgaze.

这时，一片片旱烟雾在父亲头上飘来飘去。

Atthesametime,hazeofpipe-smokecouldbeseendriftingaroundaboveDad’shead.

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父亲磨好了“刀”。

去烟灰时，把烟枪的铜盏对着青石板嘎嘎地敲一敲，就匆忙地下田去。

OnceDadfinishedsharpening“knife”,hewouldgetridoftheashbytappingthecopperbowlofthetobaccopipeonthelimestoneslabonce,andthenhurrybacktothefield.

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冬天，晚稻收仓了，春花也种下地，父亲穿着草鞋去山里砍柴。

Inwinterafterlatecropofricehadbeenstoredawayinbarnandspringflowershadbeensowninsoil,Dadwouldgoupthemountaintochopfirewoodinhisstrawshoes.

他砍柴一为家烧，二为卖钱，

Theprimarypurposeofthefirewoodwasforhomeuse,andthesecondarypurposewasformoney-making.

一元一担。

Aloadcouldbesoldforonedollar.

父亲一天砍一担半，得一元五角。

Dadcouldmakeone-dollar-and-fifty-centsadaybychoppingone-and-a-halfload.

那时我不知道山有多远，

AtthattimeIdidnotknowhowfarwewereawayfromthemountain.

只知道鸡叫三遍时父亲出发，黄昏贴近家门口时归来，

IonlyknewDadleftwhenroostercrowedthreetimesandreturnedwhennightfellbyourdoorway.

把柴靠在墙根上，很疲倦地坐在台阶上，

Hewouldleanthefirewoodbythefootofthewallandsatdownonthedoorstepsinexhaustion.

把已经磨穿了底的草鞋脱下来，垒在门墙边。

Hetookoffthestraw