A Trip to Yan’an (I)延安之行（上）

In the summer of 1957 I decided to do my trip differently. I would travel as economically as possible. No VIP treatment1， no set schedules. Only a general destination of Yan’an， the “cradle of the revolution，” visiting ancient Xi’an on the way up2 and historic Luoyang on the way back. There would be no formal lectures. I would just meet people and chat.

1957年夏天，我決定來一場不同往常的旅行，盡可能少花錢，不要特殊待遇，也不事先安排日程，只有一個大致的目的地——“革命搖籃”延安，北上途中順便游覽一番古城西安，回程逛逛歷史名城洛陽。我不做正式演講，就是見見人，聊聊天。

Before the Long March culminated here， it had been a small ancient walled city on the banks of the Yanhe River with a population of 3，400. The wide river valley was surrounded by hills of yellow soil， cut by gullies and gorges. In 1937， when the Red Army， which had come to Yan’an at the conclusion of the Long March， went off to fight the Japanese， the people’s militia forces became primarily responsible for the defense of the Yan’an Prefecture.

紅軍長征會師延安前，這兒只是一座圍有城墻的小古城，依延河而建，人口3400左右，寬闊的河谷兩邊是黃土丘陵，溝壑縱橫。1937年，紅軍長征結束后進駐延安，以此為根據地抗擊日寇，地方武裝基本擔任了延安地區的保衛工作。

As the headquarters for the Chinese Communist Party， Yan’an grew rapidly. Intellectuals flocked to it from all over the country. The population of the prefecture soared to 100，000 by 1939. The Nationalists， more afraid of the people than of the foreign invader， avoided clashes with the Japanese and imposed a blockade3 against the prefecture. Yan’an met the challenge by setting up home industries which turned out most of their daily necessities.

延安作為中共中央駐地，發展迅速，知識分子從全國各地蜂擁而來。到1939年，延安人口猛增至10萬。相比于日本侵略者，國民黨反動派更害怕解放區軍民；他們消極抗日，對延安實行經濟封鎖。為應對困難，延安建立起家庭作坊，實現了大多數生活必需品的自給自足。

On the food front4 every student， cadre and Party leader guaranteed to produce 90 catties （about 100 pounds） of millet per year. In the Nanniwan5 sector outside Yan’an an Eighth Route Army brigade， composed mostly of southerners， hacked paddy fields out of the wilderness and planted rice， a crop the area had never known. They performed prodigious feats of production. Some of the men were jokingly known as qi si niu—“ox infuriators” because they could pull a plow through more acreage in a day than the average draft animal—which naturally aroused the jealousy and fury of the ox. The need for and feasibility of self-reliance became permanently impressed on communist thinking.

在糧食生產戰線，無論學生、干部還是黨的領導，都必須每年生產90斤小米。在延安城外的南泥灣，南方人居多的八路軍某旅開荒種地，種上了當地聞所未聞的水稻。他們的生產創舉令人驚嘆，有的戰士得了綽號“氣死牛”，因為他們平均每天的開荒面積比耕牛開荒的還要多，牛自然也就會羨慕嫉妒恨了。必須自力更生而且完全可以自力更生，最終成為不可磨滅的共產主義思想。

Yan’an was the center of political and military leadership， the school in which cadres for these fields were trained. Tens of thousands passed through Yan’an for short-term courses. In Yan’an Mao wrote many of the profound articles which were to shape the destiny of China and influence the course of world history. Arts of and for the people got their start in Yan’an.6 It became the beacon， the inspiration， for millions of Chinese.

延安是政治、軍事領導中心，是培養政治和軍事干部的大課堂，成千上萬人奔赴延安參加短期培訓。毛澤東在這里撰寫了很多思想深刻、決定中國命運、影響世界歷史進程的文章。文藝屬于人民、文藝為了人民的方針就是在延安提出的。延安，成了千百萬中國人民前進的燈塔和指路明燈。

Despite the Kuomintang blockade， its fame continued to spread across China， around the world. Canadian surgeon Norman Bethune， who had served in Spain， came to serve and die in the Chinese revolution. Young American journalist Edgar Snow came to observe and talk with Mao， and ended by writing the classic Red Star Over China. Young American doctor George Hatem （Ma Haide） arrived in Yan’an and remained in China for half a century until his death， creating miracles of public health and nearly wiping out venereal disease and leprosy. Yan’an also drew American military observers， for it symbolized Chinese resistance against the common enemy.

盡管有國民黨反動派的封鎖，延安還是聲遍全國，名揚海外。參加過西班牙反法西斯戰爭的加拿大外科醫生白求恩到中國投身抗日革命，最終犧牲在中國。年輕的美國記者埃德加·斯諾來延安考察并與毛澤東會談，寫出了經典著作《紅星照耀中國》。年輕的美國醫生馬海德來到延安，此后在中國生活了半個世紀，直至去世。他創造了中國公共衛生的奇跡，基本消滅了性病和麻風病。延安還吸引了美軍觀察團，因為延安是中國抗擊兩國共同的敵人日本侵略者的象征。

When we arrived the city was still in the early stages of its growth， but the old Yan’an spirit was going full blast. They had great plans： In the next five years the population would expand from 30，000 to 100，000. They would need that many for all their new projects. Irrigated land would grow from 10，000 to 50，000 acres. They would raise a lot more grain. While implementing water and soil conservation measures， they would move farming down from the hillsides to the valley floors and devote the slopes to grazing and orchards.

我們來到延安時，這里仍處于發展的初級階段，但昔日的延安精神正在發揚光大。延安人制定了宏偉的計劃：在下一個5年里，人口要從3萬增加到10萬，他們需要更多的人投入新建工程項目；土地灌溉面積要從6萬畝增加到30萬畝，以收獲更多的糧食；在實施水土保持措施的同時，把農田從山坡地轉移到谷地，把山坡用于放牧和果木種植。

What we were looking for were cave dwellings. Friends like Dr. George Hatem who had lived here in the old days had recommended them highly. Our hosts laughed and showed us a row of caves near the top of the bluff. Hollowed out of the yellow earth in vaulted arches fronted with a wooden frame which held a door and paper-paned windows， they were clean and surprisingly bright.7 The whitewashing probably helped. Furnishings were simple. An electric light bulb， a few wooden beds， a couple of tables and some wooden chairs.

我們想住的是窯洞，曾在這里生活過的馬海德醫生和其他朋友都對窯洞贊不絕口。招待人員一聽就笑了，領我們去看靠近土崖頂部的一排窯洞。窯洞的建法是掏土成洞，洞頂呈拱形，洞口安木框門窗，窗上糊紙，里面干干凈凈，在白墻的映襯下，亮亮堂堂。洞內陳設簡單，一個電燈泡、幾張木床、兩張桌子，還有幾把木頭椅子。

When we said these would be fine， our hosts looked startled. Only our earnest protests stopped them from carrying up spring mattresses and a few sofas. We liked the caves very much， and the location was ideal. There was a broad terrace in front of the caves shaded by several large trees. You could see for miles—the Yanhe River， the Tang pagoda on the hill on the other side， the large valley and the mountains beyond.

聽我們說這些陳設就挺不錯，招待人員一臉驚奇。他們要去搬彈簧床墊和沙發，因為我們誠心推拒，這才作罷。我們非常喜歡這些窯洞，而且它們位置也很理想。窯洞前有幾棵大樹，樹蔭下是塊寬闊的臺地，從這里可以看到好幾公里外的延河、對面山上的唐代寶塔和遠處的群山巨谷。

After supper that night， Comrade Huang gave us more background information8. He had been one of the local guerrillas and still walked with a limp from arthritis contracted hiding in damp gullies. Like all the old cadres we met in this area he spoke with infectious enthusiasm. He said in the days when Yan’an was the heart of the revolution， life was hard but everyone was cheerful. Wherever you went you heard singing. That buoyancy remained. The mountains were vast， the air was clear. The people were big， rugged， outspoken，9 and confident in their future.

晚飯后，老黃給我們講了些過去的事兒。他在延安參加過游擊隊，因為老貓在潮濕的山溝里，得了關節炎，至今走路仍一瘸一拐。他和我們在陜北遇到的所有老干部一樣，講起話來特有感染力。他說，當初延安是中國革命的中心，生活雖然艱難，但每個人都充滿激情，走到哪里都能聽見歌聲，這種樂觀情緒一直延續到現在。這里群山巍峨，空氣清新，老百姓為人寬厚實在，做事不拘小節，說話坦率，對未來充滿信心。

The next day we visited the cave dwellings where Chairman Mao lived and worked during his stay in Yan’an. They were simple and austere. We spoke with old peasants who knew him. They said Mao was always friendly and relaxed， just one of the people. He refused to accept any special treatment. While directing the course of the revolution and writing his famous articles， Mao tended his own vegetable patch10 and wore old clothes. Hearing that we were from Beijing， the peasants asked us to send him their regards. We could only smile and nod.

第二天我們參觀了毛主席在延安時期居住和工作的窯洞，里面簡單而樸素。我們和見過毛主席的老農們聊了聊，他們說毛主席總是平易近人，和老百姓打成一片。他拒絕接受任何特殊待遇，一邊領導革命事業、撰寫宏篇大論，一邊打理自己的菜地，穿的都是舊衣服。老農們聽說我們打北京來，就托我們向毛主席問好。我們只好笑著點頭，答應下來。

Yan’an natives were a colorful lot. The men turbanned their heads in small towels， knotted in front. （Towel turbans were worn in many parts of northern China， but in most places they were knotted in the back.） The towels were a protection against the dust and handy for wiping sweat. Tunics， padded or lined with sheepskin， were held in place by a sash， often with a brass-bowled long-stemmed pipe tucked beneath it like a dagger. Baggy trousers were lined or unlined according to season. Feet were shod with the ubiquitous cloth shoes， by far the most comfortable of footwear. Black cloth made the uppers. The shoes were light， they could “breathe.” “Athlete’s foot” among Chinese was virtually unknown.

延安人穿著打扮很有特色。男人布巾纏頭，額前打結，華北許多地方也戴頭巾，但大都腦后打結。頭巾可以防塵，也便于擦汗。上衣絮棉花或襯羊皮，用一根腰帶系著，腰間像插匕首一樣，別一根長柄銅鍋煙袋。褲子肥大，加不加襯里視季節而定。腳上穿的是隨處可見的布鞋，這是那個年代最舒服的鞋子，黑布鞋面輕便 “透氣”，難怪中國人幾乎不知道何為“腳氣”。

Everybody sang， men and women， young and old. The northern part of Shaanxi Province was famous for it. There were plaintive shepherd songs， sometimes to the accompaniment of a flute. And there were the duets—between boy and girl， husband and wife—tender， funny， broad， as the case might be. China’s first revolutionary opera， later a ballet， the White-Haired Girl， composed in Yan’an， was based on north Shaanxi folk songs. Singing seems to come naturally to hill dwellers.

這兒的人男女老少都會唱歌，陜北也以此聞名。他們唱多愁善感的牧羊曲，有時還有笛子伴奏。還能二人對唱，有少男少女對唱，還有夫妻對唱，或輕柔、或詼諧、或通俗，因演唱形式而異。中國第一部革命歌劇，后改編成芭蕾舞劇的《白毛女》，就是在延安以陜北民歌為基礎創作而成的。唱歌似乎是山里人與生俱來的本能。

This being Saturday， the hostel threw a dance for us. American doctor George Hatem， who had been there in the early 1940s told me the Saturday night dance was a regular feature of life in Yan’an， a scratchy phonograph or a small pick-up band providing the music. Our dance was a bit more elegant. We had the orchestra from the local operetta company. The singers and dancers also came， as well as doctors and nurses from the hospital and cadres from half a dozen government units.

因為是星期六，招待所為我們搞了場舞會。1940年代初來過延安的美國醫生馬海德跟我講過，星期六晚上的定期舞會是延安生活的一大特色，伴奏的是一臺嘶嘶作響的留聲機或一支臨時拼湊的小樂隊。我們這場舞會更高雅一些，請來了當地歌劇團的管弦樂隊，歌唱演員和舞蹈演員也來了，還有縣醫院的醫生護士和六七個政府單位的干部。

There was lots of dancing， with the girls inviting Singh and me in relays. Only when we pleaded the need to catch our breaths were we allowed to sit a number out. We slept well that night.

當晚可跳了不少舞，姑娘們輪番請辛格和我跳。只有我們提出歇口氣兒時，才撈著坐下歇上一曲。那天晚上睡得可香。

1沙博理1983年當選為第六屆全國政協委員，一直連任到第十二屆，他始終重視參政議政，經常到全國各地考察。政協委員履職活動是法定職責，調研考察中正常的活動費用由財政負擔，但沙博理的西北之旅并非政協考察，而是個人行程，因此不希望享受政協委員的特殊待遇。 2 the way up指去延安的途中，考慮到延安在西安的北方，此處譯文具體化為“北上”。

3國民黨反動派對延安的封鎖主要在經濟層面，不僅停發八路軍薪餉、彈藥和被服等物資，而且動用幾十萬軍隊在陜甘寧邊區禁止糧食、棉花、鐵、布匹、食鹽等必需品的貿易，扣押、處罰運貨商民。結合史實，此處增譯為“經濟封鎖”。 4 1941年，由于日本侵略軍的瘋狂進攻和“掃蕩”，國民黨反動派的軍事包圍和經濟封鎖，解放區的財政經濟產生了極為嚴重的困難。為了戰勝困難、堅持抗戰，黨中央號召解放區軍民自力更生，開展大生產運動。黨中央領導人以身作則，與人民群眾一起艱苦奮斗，延安各大中學校也紛紛召開生產勞動動員會，制定本學校年度生產勞動計劃。 5南泥灣是延安縣金盆區的一個鄉，曾有可耕地面積100多萬畝，但到抗戰時期多為荒地。1941年，八路軍第120師359旅開赴南泥灣地區，在隨時保持戰斗準備的情況下，以南泥灣為中心墾荒屯田，發展生產。

6中共中央于1942年5月2日至23日在延安楊家嶺召集文藝工作者舉行座談會，史稱延安文藝座談會。毛澤東在講話中明確提出了文藝為人民大眾首先是為工農服務的方向，確立了黨領導文藝工作的根本方針，直到今天仍然具有重要的指導意義。

7將英語的分詞結構和從句分解為漢語短句，使用四字格，力求簡潔明快，描寫有空間感。

8結合下文可知，老黃講的既有個人經歷，也有延安歷史和延安人民的精神特質，是幾人之間的閑聊，因此譯文也遵循輕松隨意的風格，將background information譯為“過去的事兒”，而非“背景信息”。 9譯文將英語中的三個形容詞進一步明晰化，點明了在“為人”“做事”“講話”三個方面，延安老百姓的性格特點。

10 1938年11月至1947年3月，毛澤東等中央領導和中共中央機關在楊家嶺窯洞中居住。在大生產運動中毛澤東以身作則、起帶頭作用，楊家嶺窯洞下開墾了一塊菜地，親自打理。