望云/孟国栋(赵金基译）

程思良

望云/孟国栋
　　
　　茂昌常常仰着脑袋向天空凝望，一望就是半晌儿。起初有人问他：“你在望什么？”
　　那时候茂昌是个小伙子，一本正经地说：“望云。”
　　天上有几朵白云，在悠闲地飘着。问的人也笑着，心想：这人这么有闲心，不干活儿光望着云干什么。
　　后来再有人见他这样，又问：“你在望什么呀？”
　　中年的茂昌一本正经地说：“望云。”
　　天空中只有火辣辣的太阳，没有一丝风，也没有一片云。问他的人就纳闷儿：“哪来的云呀，你眼花了吧？”
　　再后来，茂昌还是那样看着天，越发入神了。路过的人觉得好奇怪，又问道：“大爷，你在望什么？”
　　茂昌还是那句话：“望云。”
　　天正下着大雨，整个天空像个黑锅扣着。那人一甩袖子，嘴里嘟哝了一句：“神经病！”
　　从此，茂昌就成了黄花镇上有名的神经病。
　　茂昌老了，被村里人送到了镇敬老院。到了敬老院，他天天坐在那儿看天，老伙伴们都开他的玩笑：“老茂，你望见什么了？”
　　“望见云了。”
　　“你连路都看不清了，咋能看见天上有云？”
　　“能看见。”老人倔强地说。
　　一个老婆婆走过来说：“你们别逗他了，不知道他新过门的媳妇被两个日本鬼子抓走了，再也没有回来吗？那是60多年前的事了，那新媳妇叫云。”
　　
　　Gazing
　　
　　By Meng Guodong
　　
　　Maochang would be looking up, gazing skyward for half of the day. “What are you gazing at?” Someone would ask at first.
　　“I’m gazing at a cloud.” Seriously Maochang replied. Then he was a young man.
　　In the sky there were several clouds floating leisurely. “What an idle young man, gazing at a cloud instead of doing his job!” The inquirer smiled, thinking.
　　Year in and year out, Maochang would be acting the same way. “What are you gazing at?” Someone would ask again.
　　“I’m gazing at a cloud.” Maochang, a middle-aged man, replied seriously.
　　In the sky there was neither a trace of wind nor a cloud, except for a burning hot sun. “Where’s the cloud? Aren’t you dazzled?” The inquirer was puzzled.
　　Later on, Maochang would be gazing skyward, more ecstatically. “Grandpa, what are you gazing at?” A surprised passer-by would ask.
　　“I’m gazing at a cloud.” Maochang answered as usual.
　　It was raining hard, the sky appearing like an inverted bowl. “A psycho!” The passer-by tossed his sleeves, grunting.
　　From then on Maochang had been known as a psycho in the area of Huanghuazhen.
　　Maochang was so old that the villagers sent him to the nursing home in the town, where he would be gazing skyward day after day. “Lao Mao, what are you gazing at?” All old pals would ask, jokingly.
　　“I’m gazing at a cloud.”
　　“Since you almost fail to see your way, how can you see a cloud?”
　　“I can.” said Maochang, stubbornly.
　　An old woman came over.
　　“Stop kidding him. Haven’t you heard that it was sixty years ago that his newly-married wife was captured by two dirty Japanese soldiers and never came back? She was called by the name of Yun.”
　　
　　Note: “Yun” mostly means “cloud” in Chinese.

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