第9章 The Little Boat That Sailed Through Time——Arnold Berwick

内容导读

文章里的小船见证了祖孙间真挚淳朴的美好感情，它承载的是童年的美好回忆，是父辈传授的人生哲理，是慢慢远去的古朴生活理念。亲情犹如那根冥冥之中无形的线，牵扯着人生之船不断向前，驶过悠悠岁月。

英文正文

I spent the tenth summer of my childhood,the most memorable months of my life,in western Norway at the mountain farm where my mother was born.What remains most vivid in my mind are the times Ishared with my Grandfather Jorgen.

As an American,I always thought people simply bought whatever they needed.Whether Grandfather knew this,I don't know.But it seems he wanted to teach me something,because one day he said,“Come.I have something for you.”

I followed him into the basement,where he led me to aworkbench by awindow.“You should have atoy boat.You can sail it at Storvassdal,”he said,referring to asmall lake afew miles from the house.

Swell,I thought,looking around for the boat.But there was none.

Grandfather picked up ablock of wood,about18inches long.“The boat is in there,”he said.“You can bring it out.”Then he handed me arazor-sharp ax.

I wasn't sure what to do,so Grandfather showed me how to handle the tool.I started to chop away to shape the bow.Later,after he taught me the proper use of hammer and chisel,I began to hollow out the hull.

“It'll be afine boat,and you'll be making it all with your own hands,”he said.“No one can give you what you do for yourself.”The words rang in my head as Iworked.

Finally Ifinished the hull and made amast and sail.The boat wasn't much to look at,but Iwas proud of what Ihad built.

I launched my boat and daydreamed while aslight breeze carried the little craft to an opposite shore.The air was crisp and clean.There was no sound but the occasional warble of abird.

A crisis developed when we were ready to return to America.“You cannot bring that boat home with you,”my mother said.We already had too much baggage.

With saddened heart,I went to Storvassdal for the last time,found alarge boulder,placed my boat in ahollow space under its base,piled stones to hide it and resolved to return one day to recover my treasure.

In the summer of1964,I went to Norway with my parents and my wife and children.I shall never forget that moment.As Icradled the boat,I felt my grandfather's presence.He had died22years before,and yet he was there.We three were together again—Grandfather and me and little boat.

My last trip to Storvassdal was in1991.This time Ibrought two of my granddaughters from America:Catherine,13,and Claire,12.As we climbed the mountain,I thought of my grandfather and compared his life with that of my granddaughters.My grandfather seemed to have so little to work with,while my granddaughters have so much.

Usually the things we dream of,then work and struggle for,are what we value most.Have my granddaughters,blessed with abundance,been denied life's real pleasures?

Working tirelessly on that isolated farm,my grandfather taught me that we should accept and be grateful for what we have—whether it be much or little.We must bear the burdens and relish the joys.There is so much we cannot control,but we must try to make things better when we are able.We must depend upon ourselves to make our own way as best we can.

Growing up in acomfortable suburban home,my granddaughters have been presented with adifferent situation.But Ihope—I believe—they will in their own way be able to cope as well as my grandfather coped,and learn the lesson my grandfather taught me all those years ago.On the day Itook them to Storvassdal,I hoped they would somehow understand the importance of the little boat and its simple message of self-reliance.

High in the mountain,I hesitated to speak lest Idisturb our tranquility.Then Claire looked up and broke my reverie as she said softly,“Grandpa,someday I'll comeback.”She paused.“And I'll bring my children.”

中文译文

悠悠岁月小船情

阿诺德·贝里克

我童年的第10个夏天是在挪威西部我妈妈出生的那个山区农场里度过的。那段时光我终生难忘，印象最深的是同外公乔根在一起的时候。

我是美国人，总认为人们需要什么去买就得了。外公是否知道我的这种看法，我不得而知。不过，看来他好像要教我点什么，因为有一天他对我说：“来，我有东西给你。”

我随外公进了地下室。他领我走到窗子旁的工作台前。“你该有条玩具船。你可以去斯托瓦斯代尔放船。”他说的是离家几英里远的一个小湖。

太好啦，我想，四处看船在哪里，可是什么也没有。

外公拾起一截木头，约18英寸长。“船就在这里，”他说，“你可以造出来。”接着他递给我一把像剃刀一般锋利的斧子。

我不知道该干什么，外公就教我如何使用斧头。我开始砍削木头，制成船首。后来，外公教我正确使用钉锤和凿子的方法，我又开始凿出船身。

“这只船肯定不错，而且是你亲手造的，”外公说。“自己动手，比谁都强。”我干活的时候，这话就在我头脑中回响。

我终于凿完了船身，还做了一根桅杆挂起了帆。船并不怎么中看，可我对自己的作品感到自豪。

我把小船放进湖里。微风吹拂，将小船送到对岸，我不禁悠然神往。空气清新洁净。四周静悄悄的，偶尔有一两声鸟鸣。

我们准备回美国的时候，出现了危机。“你不能把那只船带回去，”妈妈说。我们的行李太多了。

我怀着悲伤的心情，最后去了一次斯托瓦斯代尔湖。我找到一块大圆石，把小船放到石头下面凹进去的地方，外面堆上石块把船藏好。我下决心有一天要回来找回我的珍宝。

1964年夏天，我同父母、妻子、孩子去挪威。我永远也忘不了那一刻。我抱着小船，觉得外公就在身旁。他22年前就已经去世，然而他还在我身旁。我们3个又相聚了——外公、我还有小船。

我最近一次去斯托瓦斯代尔湖是在1991年。这次我从美国带了两个孙女去：13岁的凯瑟琳和12岁的克莱尔。爬山的时候，我想起了外公，把他的一生同我的孙女作了比较。外公手里的东西似乎太少了，而我的孙女东西又太多。

我们梦寐以求以及后来又为之努力奋斗的东西，往往正是我们最珍视的。我的两个孙女有幸过上了丰裕的生活，但她们是否没享受到生活的真正乐趣呢？

外公在那个偏僻的农场孜孜不倦地干活，他教导我应该随遇而安，知足常乐——不论是多是少。我们必须吃苦耐劳，乐观快活。许多事我们都无法把握，不过我们必须尽力改善一切。一定要依靠自己竭尽全力走自己的路。

我的两个孙女是在市郊的舒适住宅里长大的，她们面临一个迥然不同的环境。不过我希望——我相信——她们能够像我外公一样以自己的方式应付一切，而且领会到多年前外公对我的教益。那天我带她们去斯托瓦斯代尔湖，就是希望她们会悟出小船的重要性以及它所表达的简明道理：自力更生。

在高高的山上，我迟迟不说话，唯恐搅乱了我们的宁静。后来，克莱尔抬起头来打断了我的沉思，她轻轻地说：“爷爷，总有一天我要回来。”她顿了顿又说：“我还要带上我的孩子。”

（金微 译）

词汇速记

razor-sharp adj. 非常锋利的

chisel n. 凿子

crisp adj. 脆的；新鲜的；易碎的

warble n. 鸟鸣

boulder n. 巨型原石

tranquility n. 宁静，安静

美句欣赏

① No one can give you what you do for yourself.自己动手，比谁都强。

② I launched my boat and daydreamed while aslight breeze carried the little craft to an opposite shore.The air was crisp and clean.There was no sound but the occasional warble of abird.我把小船放进湖里。微风吹拂，将小船送到对岸，我不禁悠然神往。空气清新洁净。四周静悄悄的，偶尔有一两声鸟鸣。

③ Working tirelessly on that isolated farm,my grandfather taught me that we should accept and be grateful for what we have—whether it be much or little.We must bear the burdens and relish the joys.外公在那个偏僻的农场孜孜不倦地干活，他教导我应该随遇而安，知足常乐——不论是多是少。我们必须吃苦耐劳，乐观快活。