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! x, s% w9 V- Y( U4 k2 w+ ~# g胡思 | Random Thoughts 一说到清明节,便会想起那首妇孺皆知的歌谣:“清明时节雨纷纷,路上行人欲断魂,借
0 m& {' e# e3 p问酒家何处有,牧童遥指杏花村。”9 Y+ G9 W- U" p! i" J
For many people, at the mention of Qingming Day (Tomb-Sweeping Day), the following popular- F& t& y/ o& R X" }) g
song inevitably comes to mind:
& s( m$ n# U' [( i0 \/ U( k, }It is drizzling and showering on spring memorial day,
* {* D# I4 c1 Y5 g( ?+ kThe mourners travel with hearts lost in sadness.
+ D9 G5 t4 U, K5 }& b9 _When asked where to find a tavern to stop by,; s, c1 P$ _* f9 M( f) e' \) Y
A shepherd boy points at an apricot blossom village far away.0 X6 q( W" v1 a8 A1 M' |
今天是清明节,是汉族传统祭拜祖先,抚慰英烈的日子。街上的人们手捧鲜花,携家带口
8 H% R& K: a7 \7 D,络绎不绝地出城为祖先和先烈扫墓。! t- {6 ]/ ^! E7 }( G* c
It is Qingming Day, the traditional “Memorial Day” in Han China designated for paying homage to
+ z" p/ s1 y! j6 `9 o* B4 }2 V* Fancestors and fallen heroes. On the street, many families head to the outskirts of the city in a
/ w9 B2 n2 y3 w. r h1 |steady stream; with fresh flowers in hand; they are ready to sweep the tombs of their
' }5 T" o4 z4 \/ {3 }' }3 A# hpredecessors and martyrs.1 p8 X8 J/ y5 O r. [# C
而我却独自一人,在医院排队等候检查身体。无情的病魔侵扰着我,在我不堪一击的体内
$ N+ y D; n7 T, @: @7 H( m2 n) C大行烧杀掳掠之恶行,令我焦急难耐。但无论是谁,得病也只能自己承受,别人是代替不
! l( y5 c( b* s2 k d" [了的。没生病的时候没有切身的体会,生了病方知生老病死的苦楚。
7 x K" N& k' F$ `% yYet I found myself all alone queuing for physical exams in a hospital. The demons of disease have, n; ^0 o* ~8 b( C8 B
been raging horrendous wars in my feeble body, leaving me anxious and helpless. But whoever- f. @: L2 s' _% x$ l( o6 t( |
we may be, we have to bear the miseries of illness all alone. It is only in illness that we: \: A7 I- O, P7 l+ w$ v
experience firsthand the sufferings of birth, sickness, aging, and death, which otherwise seem& _, j( C7 r1 I4 M+ p
elusive when we are healthy.
- v3 a" _, p- I5 m" O; S* T) }. Q1 e在缴费处熬了一个多小时,终于轮到我了。单验血一项就需260元,看着周围很多衣衫破旧' Z! c, P% c- E
的人,心想:他们如何负担得起这些昂贵的医疗费用啊!难怪西方有一种说法:“是穷人1 r! b& V" L* @! T
就不要生病,否则医院的门槛是很高的。”没钱治病,只能眼睁睁地等死。唉!这些可怜
, e, S; l0 N: u- Q8 v9 m- d9 y1 N1 [的众生。
+ ]: K+ A- E( q) K! F7 w9 |Finally it’s my turn after waiting for more than an hour at the billing department. It cost 260 yuan
2 {. ?8 ]+ F, T0 D# p* rfor a blood test alone. Seeing many patients wearing ragged clothes, I wondered how they could
' p* K: S5 k) k; g7 {* v) m/ Umanage to pay such high fees for medical care! No wonder it is said in the West: “If you are poor,' y0 F9 A, g6 }4 }$ _, p; J
try not to get sick. The threshold of the hospital is too high to cross.” For people unable to pay/ ~0 e, G) x# a
medical bills, the only alternative is to wait to die helplessly. How miserable are they!2 f# N7 Z3 G* ~' P) O
为了等待检查结果,我坐在一棵据说有150年树龄的榕树下休憩。实在难以想象,它的年龄
' N7 p4 y, J6 m3 E居然超过了我的高祖父。但高祖父早已弃我们而去,而这棵树却巍然依旧。人的寿命竟然& h. x% A$ {2 x0 M1 G6 M- r
不如一棵树,即使没病也活不了多久,无常真是可怕啊!) m0 f3 s1 l0 ^; f" `! ?( W! Z/ r
As I had to wait for the lab report, I rested under a ficus tree reputed to be 150 years old, an age
; [6 m. C5 C7 A- nthat beats my great grandfather’s. How amazing. My great grandfather has been long gone while, d3 c. _( L: I. c7 j
this tree still towers majestically. We humans are just no match to trees in terms of
, j9 i- H$ v- F) Z, B' i5 k& \+ }lifespan—even if we manage to be disease-free, our days are numbered. Impermanence is) v% i& j. h; b
indeed frightening!0 ^6 t% X4 {2 ^& v
得到检查结果,坐车回家的路上,看见一座巨大的建筑物,听说其产权归属于一耋耄之年- t" W h3 O: h# ]& g8 c
的老人。想到不久于人世的老人,与坚固依然的大楼,实在为那些作着长期打算的人们痛8 |- i+ r0 c6 ^" L/ v
心。
% ]" s, o$ ^' }& M1 N1 S$ jOn the ride home after getting my report, I saw a huge building supposedly owned by someone2 `: D3 f+ x% p. r
quite advanced in age. Musing over the old man toward the end of his life and the big building2 \0 y1 S, L8 b( C: \& F& z
that would remain strong, I felt sorry for those who’re still making long-term plans.+ w7 i. N) [# Q! M+ D
整整一个上午,就这样胡思乱想。既未看书,也没念经。1 P6 b0 W: Z8 p
All morning, I was preoccupied with these random thoughts, having neither read books nor: x4 I' u* _3 }
recited scriptures.
' H" s0 F# M0 G% |- r" i——清明午时于阳台
: P- ~4 @2 w* V( I壬午年二月二十三日
?" D, X' b9 r2002年4月5日
9 ` \( C& B& ]) OOn the balcony, at noon on Qingming Day
: }9 f$ Z: H1 O* P; U, D0 w, F) v8 B23rd February, Year of RenWu' [8 `1 R# Z) ^1 U% r
April 5, 2002/ }9 J, m3 }) W& ^3 L
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