寂寞敲門聲Lonely Knocks

劉小鴿

我家的對門住著一位獨居的老人，她的孩子都在外地2上班，工作都很忙，過年才回來一趟3。老人不愛說話，獨來獨往，跟樓上樓下的鄰居也很少說話。4

那天，我下樓剛好碰到5她買菜回來，就和她打了個招呼，她很是意外，高興地拉著我的手6，告訴我她買的菜很便宜，又很新鮮。以后，我們再見面，她總是和我有說不完的話。其實，我知道，老人長期獨居，內心一定很寂寞，她是很想和人說話的，只是擔心自己老了，頭腦糊涂，說話容易顛三倒四，遭人嫌棄。這時的我，無論多忙都會停下來和她交談一會。老人的身體還可以，只是聽力不好，和她說話的時候，一定要放大嗓門。

那天，我正在家里上網，老人來敲我家的門，在這里住了這么長時間，老人還是第一次來我家串門。老人說，好幾天沒見我，想和我說會兒話。我干脆關了電腦7陪著老人在客廳里交談起來，東南西北，閑扯起來，她不時哈哈地笑，高興得像個孩子。

我喜歡安靜，平時就是在家里上上網，看看電影，聊聊天，聽聽歌。自打上次造訪之后，我的生活就經常被老人“打斷”8，打斷我聽音樂，打斷我看電影。隔幾天，見不到我她就會來敲門，然后，在我家里聊天。老人每次來，總是尋找各種各樣的借口，告訴我商場里什么東西打折了，雞蛋便宜了，大米降價了。她說的地方離我家很遠，我也沒時間擠公交車跑那么遠的路，盡管每次我都不會照她的意思去買，但我一定會把她想說的話聽完，看她高興，也愿意被她打擾。和老人聊天已經成了我的習慣，她像我的親人，幾天見不到她，心里不免有一種牽掛。

和老人聊天的時間長了，我發現我的性格也在悄悄改變，由年輕人的爭強好勝，做事急躁變得更加穩重，考慮得也更加周全。她教會了我許多生活的小竅門和為人處事的方法。我們的周圍像這樣的老人會越來越多。敲門的老人9就像一本厚重的歷史書，她的身上總是有許多東西值得我去學習。每個人都會老，給寂寞的老人一點兒時間，陪她說說話、聊聊天，雖然會耽誤你的時間，卻能從她的身上吸取到寶貴的人生經驗。

In the apartment across from mine lives an old lady by herself， whose children are busy with their work in other cities and join her only for the Spring Festival. A solitary figure， the lady has few words and seems to be a stranger to the residents living in the same apartment building.

One day I came across her coming back from the vegetable market on my way out， and then， I greeted her. Much surprised by my greeting， she gripped my hands and showed me the fresh and cheap vegetables she got. She seemed to be talkative every time we met since then. I knew she must be lonely for living alone so long and dying for talks with people， but she has never done so before for fear that she may incur their aversion as a nagging and muddleheaded old woman. Seeing through her mind， I would like to stop and talk to her. Actually， the old lady is quite robust except her poor hearing. I have to raise my voice when we talk.

The other day when I was surfing the Internet， she knocked at my door for the first time since I moved here. She explained that she was missing our chat so much since she did not see me for days. Then， I unplugged my computer to have a talk with her in the living room. We talked as much as we could， and she enjoyed it so much that she burst into laughter from time to time like a merry child.

I used to live a peaceful life， enjoying Internet， and watching movies， chatting and listening to music online. But it has been interrupted on a regular basis since the old lady’s first visit. It seems that I have said “see you” to my music and my movies as she will drop in on time for a chat if she didn’t see me for a couple of days. Every time she comes with a cause， such as sales promotion in the supermarket or price concession for eggs or rice. Although the supermarket she mentioned is far away from where I live， and I shall not bother myself to go there for shopping by bus， I cannot allow myself to interrupt her. I just open my arms to that kind of interruption because I know she really enjoys it. Talking with her has become part of my life， and in my eyes， she has been a member of my family， and I will miss her if I cannot see her for a while.

I have found myself blessed by such talks we hold. I am not such a person who was contentious and reckless any more. I have become trustworthy and considerate. She did teach me many useful life skills and how to get along with others. It is true that we are surrounded by more and more such lonely old people. An old lady who is forced to knock at the door of her neighbor is like a profound history book worth my time to read. Aging is a natural process of life， and that’s why we shall not leave the elderly alone but cherish them dearly in our life. Having a talk with these lonely old people may cost your time but will teach you meaningful life lessons for sure.

1文章題目采用擬人的修辭手法，用“寂寞”一詞修飾“敲門聲”，生動形象，抓人眼球，奠定了全文的感情基調。譯文選擇了lonely一詞，該詞強調感情上的孤獨，準確地傳達了原文作者和主人公的情感傾向。? 2“外地”是指獨居老人所住的城市以外的地方，“外地”譯為in other cities。? 3“才”反映了當今社會留守老人的孤獨和子女忙于工作而難以與父母團聚的窘境，only置于for the Spring Festival之前，可以再現這種一年僅此一次的家庭團圓之必需和無奈。? 4原文中“不愛說話”是生活語言，“獨來獨往”是藝術語言，“樓上樓下”表面是具化表達實則是模糊語言。三個語言風格不同的四字格交替使用，形成了獨特的輕松明快的風格。譯文將“不愛說話”翻譯成英文中常見并且較為正式的表達sb has few words;“獨來獨往”并非實義動詞，而是獨居老人給作者乃至鄰居的印象，翻譯成名詞a solitary figure頗有英國浪漫主義詩人華茲華斯（William Wordsworth， 1770—1850）《孤獨的刈麥女》（A Solitary Reaper）之“孤”和唐代詩人柳宗元的《江雪》“獨釣寒江雪”之“獨”;“樓上樓下”則具化為in the same apartment building，準確而凝煉。短語seem to的增添把作者觀察和猜測的過程做了“顯化”處理，不僅合乎英語表達習慣，自然、流暢，而且文脈邏輯更加清晰，使得“獨居老人”的境遇和形象躍然紙上。? 5“剛好碰到”一詞非常口語化，說明事情的發生具有偶然性，而英語里也有常見的對應表達，即詞組come across，它是指機緣巧合下，某件事情發生或者某樣東西被發現，這種譯法再現了原文作者和主人公相遇的場景，也有助于英文受眾理解原文作者的本意。

6“拉著我的手”不僅描述了“手牽手”這一動作，更是傳達出“親密”的感覺，作者主動打招呼的舉動讓老人震驚之余又十分開心。譯文選擇了grip一詞，意為“緊握、抓牢”，表達了此時此刻老人內心的高興，但也從一定程度上反映了她的孤獨。? 7 unplug一詞是“拔出插銷”的意思，該詞既翻譯出了關電腦的動作，又表現出原文作者關電腦的“干脆”，完整地傳達出作者的本意和原文的內含，如用close一詞則不夠生動形象。? 8原文“打斷”一詞加了雙引號，言下之意是，對于老人的打擾，作者非但不懊惱，反而很期待。譯文中，“打斷我聽音樂，打斷我看電影”中的“打斷”翻譯成了see you，并添加了雙引號，意思是作者要和聽音樂、看電影說“再見”了，這種譯法風趣、幽默，準確傳達了原文作者的本意。

9譯者采用增譯法，將“敲門的老人”翻譯成“An old lady who is forced to knock at the door of her neighbors.”，be forced to說明老人是不得已才敲開了鄰居的門，表達了獨居帶給老人的孤獨程度之深。