两只海贝/王中鉴(赵金基译）

程思良

两只海贝/王中鉴
　　
　　海潮过后，沙滩上一汪海水里，撇下了一只圆海贝和一只长海贝。
　　长海贝说：“伙计，咱命休矣！”
　　圆海贝说：“只要还有一线生机，我们就不能坐以待毙。“
　　长海贝说：“那怎么办呢？”
　　圆海贝说：“你开槽，我灌水，咱们开条小沟滑到海里去。”
　　太阳炽烈地烤着，海风呼呼地刮着，那汪海水在一点一点减少。
　　长海贝说：“我累坏了，下场雨该多好啊！”
　　圆海贝说：“想活得靠自己，等到下雨时，我们早被开肠破肚了。”
　　继续挖槽，继续灌水，离大海只有一米了。圆海贝把最后一勺水舀入水槽，一个鲤鱼跳龙门动作，就身在槽里了。它胖它喘，它不肯停歇。
　　长海贝累晕了，停在离海水半米处，水也干涸了。
　　圆海贝挤出身体的汁液，使劲一碰，它们都滑入海里。那里湛蓝阔达温暖，浪涛澎湃。
　　
　　Two Cowries
　　
　　By Wang Zhongjian
　　
　　When tides receded, a round cowry and a long cowry were left behind in a small patch of salty water on the beach.
　　“Buddie, we are doomed!” said the long cowry.
　　“So long as there is a slight chance of life, we won’t wait to die.” said the round cowry.
　　“What shall we do then?” said the long cowry.
　　“You dig a ditch and I pour in water; there’ll be a groove for us to slide into the sea.” said the round cowry.
　　The sun was burning hot. The wind was blowing loudly. The patch of salty water was shrinking.
　　“I’m exhausted. If only it should rain!” said the long cowry.
　　“We have to depend on ourselves to live; should it rain, we’d be long dead.” said the round cowry.
　　Digging continued. Pouring continued. It was one metre from the sea. With the last spoon of water into the ditch, the round cowry jumped into the groove like a carp leaping the dragon gate. Though being fat and breathing heavily, the round cowry would never stop sliding.
　　Faint with fatigue, the long cowry stopped half a metre from the sea; all water dried up.
　　Squeezing out its fluid, the round cowry made an effort to push the long cowry; then they both slid into the sea, where it was blue, wide and warm, waves surging.
　　

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