等一個人的送別

等一個人的送別

“我希望每一個遠行的人在回歸時都能發現有人在等候著他們。我也希望他們在離開前都會有人為他們送行。”

by anonymous

翻譯：寒星

文字難度·

I am sitting at an airport watching people in the final moments before their loved ones arrive or leave. They are1）pacing， nervous， looking at one another， touching and not touching.

A woman， speaking Spanish， is running in circles trying to gather family members together for a goodbye. When the final moment comes before2）boarding， she3）wraps her arms around her son， giving him a powerful hug that should protect him until he returns.

1） pace ［pe?s］ v. 踱步 2） board ［b??d］ v. 上（飛機、船等） 3） wrap ［r?p］ v. 纏繞

A grandmother and grandson stand at the4）rail where I am waiting； the people who are supposed to pick them up are late. Two ladies， next to them but5）unrelated， look up and down the6）corridor as if7）scanning an open sea. A mother holds a baby as she kisses her husband. Tears flows down her cheeks. The moment is8）charged.

At Gate 13， the arrivals are just coming in. “I see her. There she is.” Just as touching， the arrivals fold into the mix of people as if they have been the missing9）ingredient. There are tears and smiles，pure happiness ringing in the laughter of seeing someone who has been gone.

I sit，10）glancing at my book， waiting for my turn to leave， alone because the ones I love have a different11）schedule from mine， and the one I am going to see， my daughter， is at the other end of my journey.

Today my flight is two hours late. The book I am reading is not as interesting as the people leaving and coming， coming and leaving. A little boy about five is meeting his grandfather for the first time. He looks up and down at the face of a man who is not that tall， except to a child. Joy shines down and up， and I am wondering how one would12）capture this moment in words or on film.

When my flight is finally called， I gather my books and13）carry-on. Since there is no one to see me off， I do not look back to see where I have come from. Instead，I think of my husband at work wondering if I have left yet， and my daughter at the other end wondering the same thing. As I head toward the plane， I find myself remembering yet another arrival and departure. When I was a14）newlywed， my 91-year-old grandfather died. We had been very close， and one evening， returning from his15）funeral， I arrived at the airport crying. My husband of only a year was waiting at the gate to take me in his arms. Because of my tears， everyone was looking at us， but I didn’t care.

Life needs to be this important all the time. I wish all the people who went on a journey could come back to find someone waiting for them. I also wish they could leave with someone to see them off. I think of my grandfather and realize that if dying is like this， a passage， then I am unafraid.

4） rail ［re?l］ n. 圍欄

5） unrelated ［?nr?'le?t?d］ adj. 無關的

6） corridor ［'k?r?d??］ n. 走廊，通道

7） scan ［sk?n］ v. 細看，掃描

8） charged ［'t?ɑ?d?d］ adj. 充滿感情的

9） ingredient ［?n'gri?d??nt］ n. 成分，因素

10） glance ［glɑ?ns］ v. 掃視，匆匆一看

11） schedule ［'skedju?l］ n. 時間表，日程安排

12） capture ［'k?pt??］ v. 捕獲，記錄

13） carry-on 手提行李，隨身行李

14） newlywed ［'nj?l?wed］ n. 新婚的人，新婚夫婦

15） funeral ［'fju?n?r?l］ n. 葬禮

參考譯文

我正坐在機場里，看著人們等待所愛的人抵達或者離去。這是重逢或離別前的最后時刻了。他們來回踱步，緊張不安，相對而望，間或觸摸一下對方。

一個說西班牙語的女人正一圈圈地跑著，試圖讓家人們圍到一起道別。登機前的最后一刻來臨時，她伸出雙臂環抱她的兒子，給了他一個強有力的擁抱，足以守護他直到他回歸。

一對祖孫站在我正在候機的圍欄邊，本該來接他們的人遲到了。兩位與他們素不相識的女士站在他們旁邊，朝通道那邊上下張望，仿佛在掃視一片空曠的大海。一位母親手里抱著寶寶與丈夫吻別，淚珠從她的兩頰滑落。這一刻，情感滿溢。

13號閘門迎來了剛抵達的乘客。“我看到她了。她在那兒。”同樣令人觸動的是，抵達的乘客融入到了等候的人群中，仿佛他們就是人群中缺少的一部分一樣。這里有熱淚，也有歡聲笑語，久別重逢的笑聲中回響著純粹的快樂。

我安坐著，瞟了一眼手里的書，等待著送我離開的航班。我獨自一人，是因為我和我所愛的人有不一樣的時間安排。而我正要去見的人—我的女兒，正在旅程的終點等著我。

今天，我的航班延誤了兩個小時。我所看的書不及來來往往的人們有趣。一個約五歲大的小男孩第一次與他的祖父見面。男孩上下打量著祖父的臉，這個男人并不高，但對于小孩而言已經足夠高大了。四周閃耀著喜悅的光芒，我猜想著人們會如何用文字或者影像來記錄下這一幕。

廣播終于播報了我的航班，我收拾好書籍和隨身行李。因為沒有人來送行，我并沒有回頭看我進來的方向。相反，我想到了正在工作的丈夫是不是在想我出發了沒，而另一邊的女兒是否也在想著同樣的事情。當我走向飛機時，我回想起另一次重逢和離別的場景。在我新婚時，91歲的祖父去世了。我們十分親密，從他的葬禮回來的那一晚，我是哭著抵達機場的。與我結婚剛滿一年的丈夫在閘門口等著給我擁抱。我當時淚流滿面，大家都在看著我們，可是我一點兒都不在乎。

人生總是需要這般舉足輕重的時刻。我希望每一個遠行的人在回歸時都能發現有人在等候著他們。我也希望他們在離開前都會有人為他們送行。我憶起我的祖父，領悟到如果死亡也是如此，就像走入一條過道，那么我也就不會害怕了。

離別祝福

● With best wishes for your safe arrival！

祝你一路平安！

● Wish you a pleasant journey！

祝你旅途愉快！

● All my best wishes for a nice voyage！

祝你一帆風順！

● May you have the best of luck in San Francisco.

愿你在舊金山會有好運。

● Wish you the happiest journey and we look forward to your return in the near future.

祝你旅途愉快，盼望在不久的將來你能再回來。

● I hope everything goes well with you！

愿你一切順利！

Someone Waiting