河對岸

薛濤

1

一頭老熊醒了。他睡了大半個冬天，忘記一些事情。冬天漫長，他把記憶睡丟了。

“我在哪兒？”“樹洞。”

他身邊蜷著一頭小熊。

“你是誰？”

“不知道。我知道你，你好像是我爸爸……”

“那么，你是我兒子。對嗎？”

“對吧？誰知道……”

小熊對很多事情卻了如指掌。冬天寒冷，他的記憶不敢模糊。

“不錯！你是一個驚喜?！?/p>

老熊說完，又睡著了。小熊靠得更近了。

An old bear wakes up. He has hibernated for more than half the winter to take his mind off some things.

Consequently， he loses most of his memories—the winter is too long.

“Where am I？” “In a tree hole...”

Says a little bear， snuggling up to him.

“And who are you then？”

“I dont know， but I know you， you seem to be my daddy...”

“So you are my son， right？”

“Maybe...Im not sure...”

In fact， this little bear has a thorough knowledge of many things.

In this freezing winter， he can never let his own memories turn blurred.

“Good！ Youre a surprise for me.” With these words， old bear goes to sleep again. Little bear moves himself even closer to him.

2

過一會兒，老熊把眼睛睜開一道縫兒，朝洞外望去。

洞外，是一條雪白的冰河，彎彎曲曲，爬進茫茫林區。

A moment later， old bear slightly opens his eyes and looks outside the tree hole.

There is a river covered with snowy ice not far away， winding its way into the vast forest area.

“一條冰河。”

“一條冰河?！?/p>

“對岸，好像有一片栗子樹?！?/p>

“是栗子樹。你的眼力比記憶力好?！?/p>

“樹下也許有秋天掉下的栗子。”

“是吧？”

小熊昏昏沉沉，沒有全醒。

“你是我兒子，據說。”

“我想是的?！?/p>

“那么，乖兒子，給爸爸找幾顆栗子吃。一顆也好?！?/p>

“A frozen river...”

“Yeah...frozen...”

“There seems to be a tract of chestnut trees across the river...”

“Youre right. Surely your eyesight is better than your memory.”

“And there may be some chestnuts under those trees， fallen last fall.”

“Perhaps...”

Feeling drowsy， little bear is still half awake.

“Its said that youre my son.”

“I suppose so.”

“Then， my dear， go fetch some chestnuts for daddy...just one would be fine.”

3

小熊沒說什么，伸了一個懶腰，出了樹洞。

小熊禁不住打了一個寒戰。

“別怕冷……報答他是應該的……”

小熊一瘸一拐過了冰河。冬眠，醫治不了腿傷，他還需要時間。

在第七棵樹下，小熊找到一顆栗子。只一顆。

吃了栗子，也許腿傷就好了。

小熊看見冰河對面的樹洞，知道老熊在等栗子。

小熊過了冰河，帶回栗子。

Little bear stretches himself and steps out of the tree hole silently.

He cant help trembling with cold.

“Dont fear cold...He deserves a reward from me...”

Little bear limps across the frozen river. Hibernation cant heal the wound in his leg， and what he needs is more time.endprint

Little bear finds a chestnut under the seventh tree—only one.

His wound may be cured if he eats it. At this moment， little bear takes a look at the tree hole across the river—hes fully aware that the old bear is waiting for it.

Little bear comes back with the only chestnut.

4

老熊吃了栗子，繼續睡覺。一來一去，小熊很累，也睡著了。

老熊再醒來，是第五天。老熊發覺嘴邊有栗子香。

Old bear eats it and keeps on sleeping.

Little bear is exhausted. Soon， he also falls asleep.

When old bear wakes up， its the fifth day already. He smells the aroma of chestnut around his mouth.

“你是我的乖兒子，對吧？”

“是……的……”小熊打了一個呵欠。他不能否認這個事實。

“我看見一條冰河，還看見……”

“冰河對面有一片栗子樹。爸爸，你等著?！?/p>

小熊慢騰騰過了冰河。

他太困了，甚至臥在冰河上打了一個盹兒。

要不是一個護林員提醒他這樣會著涼，他這要睡到春暖花開的。

在第七棵樹下，小熊又找到一個栗子。老熊嚼著栗子，滿意地睡著了。

一來一去，小熊很辛苦。

一來一去，腿不疼了。

生命在于運動，小熊想。

“Youre my dear son， is that true？”

“Y...e...a...h...” Little bear yawns. He cant deny the fact now.

“I see a frozen river and...”

“Theres a chestnut tree forest across the river. Daddy， wait here.”

Little bear walks across the frozen river slowly.

He is so sleepy that he even takes a nap on the ice.

If the ranger doesnt wake him up and tell him that he could catch cold this way， he would sleep there till spring comes.

Just like yesterday， little bear finds a chestnut again under the seventh tree， and after snacking on that chestnut，old bear sleeps with complete fulfillment.

For little bear， the “round trips” are strenuous. However， he cant feel the pain in his leg any more.

Little bear considers it as a proof of the saying， “life lies in motion”.

5

天暖了，花開了。

老熊伸了一個懶腰，他模糊記得冰河、兒子、栗子、栗子樹。

可是，它們都不見了。只有嘴邊留著淡淡的栗子香。

老熊出了樹洞，眼前是一條流動的河。河對岸，有一片栗子樹。

The weather is getting warmer. Flowers begin to bloom one after another.

Old bear stretches himself. He still has the dim memories of the frozen river， his son， the chestnut trees and their tasty fruits.

But now theyre all gone. Only the faint aroma of chestnut lingers in his mouth.

Old bear comes out of the tree hole. What he sees is a river with flowing water， which has taken the place of the frozen one.

There are many chestnut trees along the other side of the river.

“看見我兒子了嗎？我好像有個乖兒子，大冬天給我找栗子吃。”

老熊向早起的護林員打聽。

“你是問一頭小熊吧？”

“是的，小熊。”

“我知道。他的腿被夾子打傷，不能回家了，就在你的樹洞躲了一個冬天。他的腿傷好了，三天前走的。”

“Have you seen my boy？ I remember I have a good son， seeking chestnuts for me in the bitterly cold winter.” Old bear asks the ranger.

“Youre looking for a little bear， arent you？”

“Yes， little bear...indeed.”

“I know him. Once a trap injured his leg， and he was unable to go home， so he stayed in your tree hole for the whole winter. He left three days ago after his wound had healed.”

6

“他說過他去哪兒了嗎？”

“回家了。他媽媽在另外一個樹洞里等他，在河對岸，很遙遠。”

老熊站立起來，望著河對岸茫茫的林區。

“Did he mention where he went？”

“He went home. His mommy is waiting for him in another tree hole across the river， really far from here.”

Old bear stands up， gazing at that immense forest in the distance.endprint