长篇励志小说《漂泊》(中英双语版)
Drift (bilingual novel)
作者：陈胜良（湖南省作家协会会员,双语作家）
By Chen Shengliang,member of Hunan Writers’ Association and bilingual writer
第三章
Chapter Three
暗暗跟踪
Secretly Follow the Traces of Niuya
该问的地方问了，该找的地方也找了，可是有根叔还是不见牛伢的影子。时间如渠底的那股溪流，哗啦哗啦地流走了，很快就是午夜时分。他只晓得干着急，在渠道路上瞎转。不过，他默了一会神，干脆决定回家等，兴许那样还好一点，说不定牛伢自己会回来的。于是，他从渠道路上跌路，抄着兰益马路往回家的方向摸着走去。
Uncle Yougen inquired about Niuya’s whereabouts in any possible place that he could inquire about and he searched for Niuya anywhere he could search.Nevertheless,Niuya was nowhere to be found.Time was slipping away as the water went gurgling on along the bed of the irrigation channel.It was already midnight before he realized it.He walked about on the dyke of the channel out of worry,but his worry was futile.He pondered the matter over in his mind for a while and he thought that it was preferable to go back to wait for Niuya and chances were that he would go home before him,so he changed his route from the dyke of the irrigation channel and groped his way home along the Lanxi_Yiyang highway.
乡下的冬夜寂静封音，路上听不到田野里的夏夜喧嚣，也听不到树梢上的秋虫夜叫，只听到风吹着路旁的枯叶而发出的沙沙声，还有远处村子里传来喔喔的狗叫声。茫茫的夜空，竟然看不到一颗闪烁的星。天，黑得伸手不见五指，黑得让行人有喘不过气来的感觉。有根叔摸着路往前走着，高一脚低一脚，跌跌撞撞的，时不时撞着路旁的电线柱。他好不容易摸到了离家不远的地方。然而，那是一片墓地，阴森凄凉的感觉，让很多走夜路的行人望而却步。可是，那是他回家的必经之路，他不得不闯过去。在墓地里，一座座坟墓，就象一座座小山丘，道路凹凸不平，坑坑洼洼。他像盲人一样，一脚一脚地探路前行。在前面不远处，突然闪现一个黑影。黑影时隐时现，在路的拐弯处打了个趔车，“哎哟”一声滑倒下来。起先，有根叔以为是鬼影，不敢走近，但听到哎哟声，便知道是牛伢。
Now it was in the still of the winter night in the countryside,so you could hear no more of the noises coming from the fields in the summer nights or of the insects' chirping on the top of the trees in the autumn nights except the fallen leaves rustling in the breeze and the dogs barking in the distance.To think that you couldn’t see a single star twinling in the vast stretch of the sky.Uncle Yougen was shrouded in so thick darkness that he felt as if to lose his breath.He still groped his way forward,staggering along the path and running into wire poles from time to time.He had a hard time coming to a place in the vicinity of his home.However,that was a stretch of cemeteries.The sight of it would send a basin of cold water into many passers_by's spinal columns.Nevertheless,it was his only way home,so he had to force his way forward.The tombs were just like mountains.The road was full of bumps and hollows,so he felt his way forward in a blind way.He suddenly saw a figure appearing ahead of of him.It had a stumble with a cry of ow at the turn of the road.Before he heard the cry,he mistook the it as a ghost,daring not getting close to it,but when he heard the cry,he got to know that it was Niuya.
“前面绊一跤的是牛伢啵？”黑影很快听出了问话声，便呻吟道：
“哎哟，是的咧，耶耶，你到哦海来咯？”有根叔快点走拢来扶牛伢说：
“我呀，到外边四海找你，哎呀，影子都找不到你的，你到哦海去了咯？”
“耶耶，我听灵格风去了。”有根叔并不晓得灵格风是谁，但他晓得肯定是一个妹子，要不，牛伢怎么迷得老往外跑呢？哎，孩子大了，该有自己的空间了，他要找对象的话，爱找谁就找谁吧。做耶娘的还是遮一只眼闭一只眼为好。他没有追问灵格风的事，只是发怨气地说：
“牛伢子，今后不管你到哦海去，你出门前，要给家里打个招呼，免得耶娘着急，提心吊胆嘞。”一路上，有根叔跟在牛伢背后走，嘴巴忍不住地数落着，而牛伢像一只迷途的羔羊，低着头走着，没有回话，父子两好不容易回到了家。
"Was it Niuya that had a stumble ahead?"Having recognized the voice,the figure answered quickly:
"Ow,dad,I am.Where have you been?"Uncle Yougen came close to help him to his feet while saying:
"Oh,I have been looking for you everywhere,but you were nowhere to be seen.Where on earth have you been?"
"I was listening to Linguaphone." The word Linguaphone sounded like a Chinese girl's name Ling Gefeng,so Uncle Yougen thought that Niuya was appointing with a girl somewhere,no wonder he has an itch to go out shortly after supper.Hm,he is a grown_up now,so I should let him be responsible for himself in choosing his girl friend.I should let go of him.As dad and mom,we should pretend not to have seen what has happened if he falls in love with a girl like Linguaphone.At this thought,he he didn't ask about Linguaphone ,but he just grumbled at him :
"Hello,Niuya,let us know beforehand whenever you are going from now on for fear that we are worried about you.",but Niuya was walking quietly hanging his head just like a lamb going astray.They had a hard time coming home.
谢天谢地，牛伢总算回来了。一家人的生活又恢复了往日的平静，然而，平静不下来的还是牛伢。以后的日子里，他还是往外跑，深夜才归，三十夜里打彪腔，成了老疾。好在耶娘不再担惊受吓了，不过，他们觉得有点困惑：哎，哪个灵家的妹子给这傻伢子喝了迷魂汤咯？有根婶想摸清底细，便叫有根叔去暗暗私访。
Thank goodness, Niuya was back at last.Everything returned to normal again at home.However,Niuya was still in the habit of going out shortly after supper and staying out till deep at night.Dad and mom were no more worried about his safety for all this habit.Nevertheless,they were at a loss about his behavior:which Lings' daughter has ensnared him to get so swollen_headed?Aunt Yougen wanted to know what on earth was the matter with Niuya,so she asked Uncle Yougen to make a secret investigation.
过了几天，有根叔如往常一样，吃过晚饭，抽了一壶烟。隔不好久，天麻麻黑了，他就暗地里去了邻队百胜家。百胜是牛伢的同学，算得上亲兄热弟，好得砍掉脑壳共得疤。牛伢找没有找妹子，别人不知道，可百胜是心中有数的。有根叔提着烟竿，咳了声嗽，用手推开了百胜家的门，门是半掩着的。百胜闲在家里看书，一盏昏暗的油灯，搁在桌上，黄豆那么小的光源，闪闪烁烁。
Several days passed and Uncle Yougen was still in the habit of smoking a pipe after supper.Shortly after,it was getting dark,so he went to Baisheng's home secretly.Baisheng and Niuya were classmates but they were as dear to each other as brothers.They were really on intimate terms.Baisheng had a pretty clear idea of whether Niuya had a partner in marriage even others didn't know.Long_stemmed smoking pipe in hand,Uncle Yougen had a cough and pushed Baisheng's door which was ajar.Baisheng happened to be idling at home reading in a dim light twinkling like a small soybean on the table.
“啊，叔来了！您是从不来的稀客，请坐，您今天来有什么事吧？”
“百胜伢子啊，你叔是无事不登三宝殿的，我今天呀找你想打听个事。”
“哦，叔，什么好事呀？您问吧，只要我晓得的，我都知无不言。”百胜边给有根叔端来一大碗茶边这么干脆地说，而有根叔不急不缓地装了一壶子烟，划了根火柴，吧了口烟，然后微微眯着眼，慢慢地说：
“我们家牛伢子呀这段时间老是往外跑，着了魔似的，我默了默神：也许他在外面搞对象了。可是，这伢子嘴紧，回到家里总是少言寡语，有时寂静封音。哦，百胜呀，我晓得，你和牛伢好，象是他肚子里的围虫，你不会不晓得他找没找对象吧？”听了有根叔的问话，百胜好象掉进了竹桶里，懵了。他深知，学英语上大学的理想，日夜浮现在牛伢的梦里，流淌在牛伢的血液里。在学校的英语学习园地里，牛伢一枝独秀，但他不显山不露水，从容淡定。他志存高远，可现在他身处逆境而壮志未酬，他怎么会谈情说爱呢？不会的，绝对不会的，再说，也没听他本人说起过这事呀。百胜这么想，也这么告诉有根叔：
“叔，牛伢是个有理想的人，但他的理想八字还没有一撇，九字还没有一勾，他怎么会搞对象来拖累自己呢？”
"Hello,Uncle!You seldom come to our home.Take a seat,please!Anything that I can do for you?"
"Oh,Baisheng you kid,I would not come to your home if I had nothing to ask you.Now I'd like to ask you about something."
"Oh,Uncle,anything that I can tell you?I will tell you all that I know."Baisheng frankly told Uncle Yougen as he was serving him a bowl of tea while Uncle Yougen filled his pipe bowl with tobacco without haste,struck a match and began to draw on his pipe and then said slowly with his eyes slightly narrowed :
"My son Niuya has recently always been hanging about outside as if he is enchanted with something.I guess that he has fallen in love with a girl.Nevertheless, he is tight_mouthed at home and keeps it a secret from parents.Oh,Baisheng,as I know,you two are on good terms and you know him inside out,so you should have known his love affairs,I think."Baisheng was completely being muddleheaded at these words.As he knew,Niuya's ambition to go to university to learn English always suggests itself to his mind and circulates round his body just like his blood.He shone as a student of English in the school but he was never conceited but calm and modest.He has a soaring aspiration but his dream is still in the air because he was in the adversity.How come he has fallen in love with a girl now?No,absolutely not!What's more,he himself never mentioned it to me before.Baisheng told what he thought about Niuya to Uncle Yougen:
"Niuya is an aspirant.How can he find a girl friend as a burden on his shoulder before he realizes his dream?"
百胜这么反问一句，倒提醒了有根叔：牛伢确实不可能在搞对象呀。有根叔又吧了几口烟，用手捋了捋胡须，眼珠子转了转，默了默神：那么，这伢子在搞什么名堂呢？在昏暗的灯光下，烟葫芦脑壳里的火星在一闪一烁，恍如有根叔转动着的眼珠子，眼光忽明忽暗，他越发感到迷惑了。回到家里，他想改变一下暗访的方式，干脆跟踪调查。
又过了几天，牛伢依旧往外跑，风雨无阻，冰雪无间。耶娘心里结着的疙瘩，总想解开。那天晚饭后，牛伢刚一挪脚，耶耶仿若螳螂捕蝉，偷偷跟在后面。要知道，平日里，牛伢有心事，不愿说给耶娘听，宁愿沤在肚子里。要是他发现被跟踪，那他会缴着耶娘吵翻天。
Baisheng's rhetorical question actually called Uncle Yougen to the fact that Niuya wasn't in love with a girl.Pulling at his pipe several times.stroking his beards and turning his eyeballs,he was pondering the question:what's the kid up to now?The s parks in the bowl of his long_stemmed pipe were twinkling in the dim light as if Uncle Yougen's eyeballs kept flickering in his eyes.Now he was even more puzzled.When he got home,he was pondering the way of the investigation in his mind and he thought it was preferable to secretly follow the traces of Niuya .
Several days passed but Niuya was still in the habit of hanging about outside,rain or shine.Dad and mom wanted to get rid of their own hang_out.That day,after supper,shortly after Niuya started out,Dad began to follow him secretly as if a mantis was stalking a cicada.It is worth mentioning that Niuya always keeps his personal affairs secret from his parents.Now if he found himself shadowed by dad,he would have big quarrel with them.
牛伢上马路时，时而回眸环视。马路上人来人往，熙熙攘攘，所以他没有看到尾随在后躲躲闪闪的耶耶。他这才甩开手一直往前赶。赶了一段路，牛伢跌了路。那一段路，行人稀少。为了不让牛伢察觉，有根叔只好与牛伢保持很远的距离。走到朱溪桥上，有根叔抬头看了看天空，只见一抹残霞，渐渐消失在遥远的天际，前面的牛伢也渐行渐远了，快要消失在朦胧的黄昏里，所以他又加快了脚步。他们走大路，跌小路，左一拐右一弯，走街穿巷。走了四里多路，有根叔突然发现来到了牛伢的初中母校----赫山庙中学。莫该这所学校里有牛伢的秘密？
Niuya looked behind from time to time when he began to walk on the path .There were people bustling about on the path,so he didn't see his father following him.He didn't swing his arms to hurry on with his journey until he was sure that nobody was spying on him.After a short journey ,he changed his route .There were few people coming and going on the road.Uncle Yougen kept a distance from Niuya so as not to be found by him.When he got to Zhuxi Bridge,he looked up at the sky and saw the remains of rosy sunset clouds gradually disappearing in the faraway horizon .Niuya was going farther and farther almost lost in the dim dusk,so Uncle Yougen quickened his steps to catch up with him.They took the main road, then changed for small path and passed streets and lanes in a roundabout way.Having covering the distance of more than 4 li,Uncle Yougen found themselves at Niuya's Alma mater-------Heshanmiao Junior Middle School.Can there be Niuya's secret in this school?
眼看断黑了，矗立在少年山上的赫山庙，在暮色苍茫中，俨若硝烟弥漫的碉堡。不过，周围没有横飞的战火，也没有厮杀的喊声，只有肃立挺拔的树木，还有路旁风中摇曳的灯光和灯光下幢幢的树影。在静谧的夜幕里，校门口没有了来往的人群，进校门是很容易被人注意的，所以，有根叔先找了个隐蔽的地方躲了起来，伺机而动。等牛伢进去了大约半小时，他才溜进去。可是，他进去后，仿佛掉进了一个黑咕隆咚的山洞里。教室里，楼道里，到处黑灯瞎火，只有那栋教师宿舍楼的二楼，有几个房间的窗户纸上闪动着微弱的灯光。有根叔便摸上楼，踮着脚，走到北端第三间房，听到里面有动静。于是，他把耳朵贴着门听，里面有一男一女在交谈。哦，男的正是牛伢，女的好象是个姑娘，甜甜的声音，温柔的语调，似潺潺流过的山泉水，清脆悦耳，又似高雅的小姐在闺中弹奏的琴声，娓娓动听。那一刹那，有根叔豁然开朗：难怪牛伢如此着迷，原来他在和一位倾心的姑娘幽会哟。真看不出来，这伢子还有这等本领，博得人家姑娘的欢心。啊，百胜不是说他没有找对象吗？原来他也蒙在鼓里呀！
Soon it was getting dark.Located on top of Shaonian Mountain ,the school immersed in the dusk of the evening looked like a blockhouse enveloped in smoke of gunpowder.Much it looked like,you could hear no more of the cries of the fight at close quarters nor could you see any more of the flames of the wars but you can see the tall and straight trees and the lights flickering in the wind as well as the shadows of the trees moving about in the dim light.In the quiet dusk,there were no people coming and going in groups,so it was easy to be recognized if you entered the gate.Uncle Yougen took cover in a hiding place beforehand,waiting for the chance to go into the gate,He didn't slip into the school till Niuya was there for half an hour.However,when he went in ,he felt as if he had dropped into a pitch_dark hole.It was dark in the classrooms,in the passageways and everywhere in the school.But,he still saw some dim light flickering on the paper over the windows of several bedrooms on the second floor of the teachers' dormitory,so he groped his way up the stairs in the dark and tiptoed to the third room in the north end of the building.Standing by the door,he overheard something stirring in the room,so he kept his ear to the door and heard a talk between a male's voice and a female's voice.The male's voice turned out to be no other than Niuya and the female's voice was a girl who had a sweet voice and beautiful intonation .They were clear and melodious like a murmuring stream .Uncle Yougen felt as if he were listening to a noble young lady gently playing the musical instrument in the quiet and tastefully laden_out environment.Just at that moment,it suddenly dawned on Uncle Yougen that Niuya was having a secret meeting of his sweet_heart,no wonder he was so spellbound in hanging about outside!Imagine that silly that he is,he has such ability to win a girl's favor!Oh,didn't Baisheng say that he didn't find a girl friend?He turned out to be also fooled.
唉，这可怜的有根叔，哪里会晓得，萧瑟在寒冷冬日里的牛伢，并没有畏缩消沉下去而是在顽强地恪守着孤独和冷落的迷惘，走过迷茫岁月，度过春寒料峭，他是在为迎接着他的桃花盛开春光明媚的春天呀。
Well,how could poor Uncle Yougen know that though Niuya was desolated in the cold winter days,he was never dejected.On the contrary,he patiently endured the loneliness and perplexity.Having gone through years of perplexity and the chill in the air in the early spring,he was forging ahead to greet his peach_blossoming spring!