空山靈雨 Empty Mountain, Spiritual Rain36 / 45

疲倦的母親 The Weary Mother

疲倦的母親The Weary Mother

疲倦的母亲

那邊一個孩子靠近車窗坐着：遠山，近水，一幅一幅，次第嵌入窗戶，射到他底眼Over there, a child sat close to the train window: distant hills, nearby waters, scene after scene, fitted one by one into the window frame, shining into his

那边一个孩子靠近车窗坐着：远山，近水，一幅一幅，次第嵌入窗户，射到他底眼

中．他手畫着，口中還咿咿啞啞地唱些沒字曲．eyes. His hand traced shapes in the air, and his mouth hummed some wordless tune.

中．他手画着，口中还咿咿哑哑地唱些没字曲．

在他身邊坐着一個中年婦人，去着頭瞌睡．孩子轉過臉來，搖了她幾下，說，『媽Beside him sat a middle-aged woman, her head bowed, dozing off. The child turned his face toward her, shook her a few times, and said, 'Ma-

在他身边坐着一个中年妇人，去着头瞌睡．孩子转过脸来，摇了她几下，说，『妈

媽，你看看，外面那座山很像我家門前底呢．』ma, look, that mountain outside looks just like the one in front of our house.'

妈，你看看，外面那座山很像我家门前底呢．』

母親舉起頭來，把眼略睜一睜；The mother raised her head and opened her eyes just a little;沒有出聲，又支着頤睡去．without making a sound, she propped her chin again and went back to sleep.

母亲举起头来，把眼略睁一睁；没有出声，又支着颐睡去．

過一會，孩子又搖她，說，『媽媽，「不要睡罷，看睡出病來了．」你且睜一睜眼看After a while, the child shook her again and said, 'Mama, "Don't sleep so much, or you'll sleep yourself sick." Open your eyes for a moment and look

过一会，孩子又摇她，说，『妈妈，「不要睡罢，看睡出病来了．」你且睁一睁眼看

看外面八哥和牛打架呢．』look, outside a myna bird and a water buffalo are fighting.'

母親把眼略略睜開，輕輕打了孩子一下；The mother opened her eyes just slightly and gently swatted the child once;沒有做聲，又支着頭睡去．without saying anything, she propped her head again and went back to sleep.

母亲把眼略略睁开，轻轻打了孩子一下；没有做声，又支着头睡去．

孩子鼓着腮，很不高興．但過一會，他又唱起來了．The child puffed out his cheeks, quite displeased. But after a while, he began singing again.

孩子鼓着腮，很不高兴．但过一会，他又唱起来了．

『媽媽，聽我唱歌罷．』孩子對着她說了，又搖她幾下．'Mama, listen to me sing,' the child said to her, shaking her again a few times.

『妈妈，听我唱歌罢．』孩子对着她说了，又摇她几下．

母親帶着不喜歡的樣子說，『你鬧什麽？The mother said with an air of displeasure, 'What are you making such a fuss about?我都見過，都聽過，都知道了，你不知道I've seen it all, heard it all, know it all already — don't you know

母亲带着不喜欢的样子说，『你闹什么？我都见过，都听过，都知道了，你不知道

我很疲乏，不容我歇一下麽？』that I'm very tired, and won't let me rest a while?'

我很疲乏，不容我歇一下么？』

孩子說：『我們是一起出來底：怎麽我還頂精神，你就疲乏起來？The child said, 'We set out together — how is it that I'm still full of energy, while you've grown so tired?難道大人不如Could it be that grown-ups are not as good as

孩子说：『我们是一起出来底：怎么我还顶精神，你就疲乏起来？难道大人不如

孩子麽？』children?'

孩子么？』

車還在深林平疇之間穿行着．車中底人，除那孩子和一二個旅客以外，少有不The train was still threading its way between deep woods and level fields. Of the people in the car, apart from that child and one or two travelers, few were not

车还在深林平畴之间穿行着．车中底人，除那孩子和一二个旅客以外，少有不

像他母親那麽鼾睡底．snoring away like his mother.

像他母亲那么鼾睡底．

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What it’s about

On a train, a child watches mountains and water frame themselves in the window, draws with his hand and sings wordless songs. His mother nods beside him. He repeatedly wakes her to compare a mountain with home, warn that sleep may make her ill, point out a myna fighting an ox and invite her to hear him sing. She barely opens her eyes, lightly strikes him and returns to sleep.

Finally she says she has seen, heard and known all these things and asks why he will not let her rest. He cannot understand how they began the journey together yet he remains energetic while an adult is exhausted. The train continues through forest and level fields; nearly every passenger sleeps except the child and one or two others. Nothing explains the mother's weariness. The miniature sets a child's inexhaustible first seeing beside adult knowledge that has become fatigue, without declaring either state wiser.

When it was written 背景

Rail travel, a recurring emblem of modern speed, becomes a chamber where generations experience the same landscape at different tempos. The window turns nature into successive pictures for the child, while the mother's claim 我都見過，都聽過，都知道了 suggests that familiarity itself can weigh down attention. Xu withholds social biography, so her tiredness may be bodily, domestic or existential. Learners can use the repeated 又搖她 and 又睡去 to hear the comic irritation, then notice how the final view of a sleeping carriage broadens one family exchange into a quiet parable of adulthood.

Words in this chapter 生词