雙語|現(xiàn)代散文:夏衍 無題

No Title 無題

◎ Xia Yan ◎ 夏衍

Often，in my calm moment of contemplation，I find it amazing that a man like me who was born of a poor family and has suffered a lifetime of frustrations should have lived to the age of 92.

靜下來想想，我這樣一個出身貧寒，經(jīng)歷坎坷的人，居然能活到92歲，實在有點奇怪。

When I was in my eighties，people often asked me for advice on how to keep in good health．But the fact is，instead of a recipe for healthy living，I have some very bad habits.

過了80歲，經(jīng)常有人問我，有什么養(yǎng)生之道。我不僅不懂得養(yǎng)生，而且還有一些不好的習(xí)慣。

I'm impetuous and tend to rush all things．I walk quickly，I write quickly，I eat even more quickly or，so to speak，just wolf down my food．As a result I became ill with duodenitis．The doctor at last cured me of my stomach trouble，but not of my bad habit of eating quickly.

我性急圖快，走路快，下筆快，吃飯更快，簡直是狼吞虎咽，因此，得了胃病、十二指腸潰瘍。醫(yī)生治好了我的病，但沒有治好我的習(xí)慣。

I'm a picky eater．Prior to the outbreak of the 10-year domestic political turmoil in 1966，I refused to eat melon，and seldom took vegetables and fruit．During the seventies，when I was confined in jail in Qincheng，my daily three meals consisted of nothing but corn buns plus turnip and Chinese cabbage．That，however，cured me of my being choosy about food．But，once out of prison，I slipped back to my old self，taking little vegetable and fruit．

我偏食。“史無前例”的那十年之前，我不吃瓜，很少吃蔬菜和水果。70年代進了秦城監(jiān)獄，天天窩窩頭，頓頓蘿卜白菜，這樣才勉強改造過來，但一旦出獄，依舊我行我素，少吃菜果如故。

I'm a teetotaler，but I began to smoke at the age of 30．At first I did it only occasionally，but later I became addicted to it．During the ten years when I was with the Ministry of Culture，I used to consume two packs a day，containing 40 cigarettes，till my fingers were yellowed and my lips and tongue parched．But I still couldn't get out of the tobacco habit．Smoking was banned in prison，but as soon as I was released the first thing I did was to ask my folks for a cigarette．Once，by way of testing my willpower，I stopped smoking for several months，but only to end up in a relapse．Some people dwelled on the harmfulness of smoking in articles published in newspapers or magazines．To me，however，they were exaggerating things just to scare people and sort of manifesting a rebellious mentality．I reasoned lamely that decades of heavy smoking hadn't shortened my life at all．Strange to say，early on a certain morning two years ago，my first cigarette of the day happened to be so sickening that I stubbed it out immediately and from then on smoked no more．That marked the beginning of my clean break with cigarettes.

我不喝酒，但從30歲那年開始抽煙，先是偶爾為之，后來上了癮。在文化部工作那十年，每天兩包，連手指也熏黃了，到晚上唇干舌燥，也毫無戒意。當然，這中間也有曲折，進秦城之后，被強制戒了，但回家后，第一件事就是向家人要煙。為了檢驗自己的意志力，主動戒了幾個月，沒有事，又抽上了。有人在報刊上寫文章講吸煙有害，我認為，這是危言聳聽，有逆反心理。歪道理的理由是，我煙齡幾十年還活到這把年紀。奇怪的是，兩年前的一個早上，點上第一支煙，覺得不是滋味，掐滅了，從此，不戒自戒。在我的吸煙史上畫了一個句號。

Three things，however，have much to do with one's health，namely，physiology，psychology and adaptability．That I've lived to this age is probably due to my effort to sum up my personal experience of the past decades and draw a lesson from it．I've never been weighed down by cares．I never get angry or become pessimistic．Another strong point of mine is that I'm always thirsting for knowledge and have many-sided interests．My interests range over a wide field，from major events at home and abroad to plants and trees，and fish and worms．I used to raise birds and dogs，and now I keep cats．I was once crazy about philately and collecting books and paintings．I watch TV or listen in to the radio，not only for news but mainly for ball games，soccer in particular．I watch each and every Italian Serie A Match without fail．Only，due to my eagerness for national honor，it always makes me mad to see the Chinese Team lose out in international matches.

話說回來，一個人的健康，要從生理、心理、適應(yīng)能力這三方面來決定。我能活到現(xiàn)在，大概是總結(jié)了過去幾十年的經(jīng)驗教訓(xùn)，卸下了思想包袱，不生氣、不悲觀。我這個人還有一個好處，就是求知欲強，趣味廣泛。上至天下大事，小至草木魚蟲，我都有興趣愛好。我養(yǎng)過鳥，養(yǎng)過狗，現(xiàn)在還養(yǎng)貓；集郵、搜集書畫我都著過迷；看電視、聽廣播，除新聞之外，主要是看球，特別是足球。意大利甲級聯(lián)賽的錄像，我每場必看，只是我好勝心強，中國隊在國際比賽中受挫，我就生氣。

In recent years，when friends write or call on me，they have often greeted me by saying，“May you have good health and a long life！”Well，I think life shouldn't be excessively long．Some come into this world while some depart from it，that's the way of all flesh．What if everybody should live an undying life？What would become of this world if Confucius，Qinshihuang[1]，Yuan Shikai[2] and Chiang Kai-shek were still alive today！

近年來，朋友寫信和來訪總要說“祝你健康長壽”。我說：壽不能太長，有生有死，這是常道，人人長壽，生而不死，試想，孔老夫子、秦始皇、袁世凱、蔣介石都還活著，這將是怎樣一個世界！

In this human world，things all go by certain rules．Only by grasping these rules can we make reforms and create．I think habits do not come under the category of ideology，but have something to do with inertia．That's why the ancients say，“Old habits die hard.”Nevertheless，it doesn't mean that habits are impossible of being broken．With strong resolution and perseverance，we can certainly break ourselves of old habits.

人世間，萬物萬事，都有一定的規(guī)律，掌握了這個規(guī)律，才能夠改革和創(chuàng)造。我認為，習(xí)慣不屬于意識形態(tài)范圍，它有一種“慣性”。所以，古人說：習(xí)之難改也甚矣。當然，這是說難改，不是說不能改。只要下了決心，持之以恒，習(xí)慣也還是可以改的。

夏衍，浙江杭州人，散文家、劇作家，寫過膾炙人口的報告文學(xué)《包身工》和劇本《秋瑾傳》、《上海屋檐下》等等，也寫過大量很出色的雜文、隨筆，內(nèi)容廣泛，文字樸實平易，不落俗套。《無題》是他寫于1992年4月的一篇小品。