14. Transient Days 匆匆-朱自清

Swallows may have gone, but there is a time of return;willow trees may have died back, but there is a time of regreening; peachblossoms may have fallen, but they will bloom again. Now, you the wise, tellme, why should our days leave us, never to return? - If they had been stolen bysomeone, who could it be? Where could he hide them? If they had made the escapethemselves, then where could they stay at the moment?

燕子去了，有再来的时候；杨柳枯了，有再青的时候；桃花谢了，有再开的时候。但是，聪明的，你告诉我，我们的日子为什么一去不复返呢？——是有人偷了他们罢：那是谁？又藏在何处呢？是他们自己逃走了罢：现在又到了哪里呢？

I don't know how many days I have been given to spend, butI do feel my hands are getting empty. Taking stock silently, I find that morethan eight thousand days have already slid away from me. Like a drop of waterfrom the point of a needle disappearing into the ocean, my days are drippinginto the stream of time, soundless, traceless. Already sweat is starting on myforehead, and tears welling up in my eyes.

我不知道他们给了我多少日子；但我的手确乎是渐渐空虚了。在默默里算着，八千多日子已经从我手中溜去；像针尖上一滴水滴在大海里，我的日子滴在时间的流里，没有声音，也没有影子。我不禁头涔涔而泪潸潸了。

Those that have gone have gone for good, those to come keepcoming; yet in between, how swift is the shift, in such a rush? When I get upin the morning, the slanting sun marks its presence in my small room in two orthree oblongs. The sun has feet, look, he is treading on, lightly andfurtively; and I am caught, blankly, in his revolution. Thus--the day flowsaway through the sink when I wash my hands, wears off in the bowl when I eat mymeal, and passes away before my day-dreaming gaze as reflect in silence. I canfeel his haste now, so I reach out my hands to hold him back, but he keepsflowing past my withholding hands. In the evening, as I lie in bed, he stridesover my body, glides past my feet, in his agile way. The moment I open my eyesand meet the sun again, one whole day has gone. I bury my face in my hands andheave a sigh. But the new day begins to flash past in the sigh.

去的尽管去了，来的尽管来着；去来的中间，又怎样地匆匆呢？早上我起来的时候，小屋里射进两三方斜斜的太阳。太阳他有脚啊，轻轻悄悄地挪移了；我也茫茫然跟着旋转。于是——洗手的时候，日子从水盆里过去；吃饭的时候，日子从饭碗里过去；默默时，便从凝然的双眼前过去。我觉察他去的匆匆了，伸出手遮挽时，他又从遮挽着的手边过去，天黑时，我躺在床上，他便伶伶俐俐地从我身上跨过，从我脚边飞去了。等我睁开眼和太阳再见，这算又溜走了一日。我掩着面叹息。但是新来的日子的影儿又开始在叹息里闪过了。

What can I do, in this bustling world, with my days flyingin their escape? Nothing but to hesitate, to rush. What have I been doing inthat eight-thousand-day rush, apart from hesitating? Those bygone days havebeen dispersed as smoke by a light wind, or evaporated as mist by the morningsun. What traces have I left behind me? Have I ever left behind any gossamertraces at all? I have come to the world, stark naked; am I to go back, in ablink, in the same stark nakedness? It is not fair though: why should I havemade such a trip for nothing!

在逃去如飞的日子里，在千门万户的世界里的我能做些什么呢？只有徘徊罢了，只有匆匆罢了；在八千多日的匆匆里，除徘徊外，又剩些什么呢？过去的日子如轻烟，被微风吹散了，如薄雾，被初阳蒸融了；我留着些什么痕迹呢？我何曾留着像游丝样的痕迹呢？我赤裸裸来到这世界，转眼间也将赤裸裸的回去罢？但不能平的，为什么偏要白白走这一遭啊？

You the wise, tell me, why should our days leave us, neverto return?

你聪明的，告诉我，我们的日子为什么一去不复返呢？