生命喜欢对视。

Life appreciates company.

 

世界的每一个角落

世界的每一个角落

都有日升、日落、雨打芭蕉。

世界的每一个角落

都可以是家。

张开的双臂

静静的陪伴

细心的呵护。

当心灵关闭

世界的每一个角落

也可以是所有美好事物的诅咒。

世界的每一个角落

都在呢喃

一个故事。

 

Every Corner of the World

Every corner of the world

Sees the sun rise and set

Rain drop on Musa basjoo.

Every corner of the world

Becomes home

When arms open to embrace

And there is company without a word

And tender care.

When the heart shuts,

Every corner of the world

Turns into a curse to all the beauty and nobility

That were had and imagined.

Every corner of the world

Is whispering a story.

 

 

Shortly after That

          A boy asked his mother (or father), “What is COVID-19? Why don’t people like to talk about it?” His mother (or father) touched his large eyes and said, “It’s a blessing. You were born shortly after COVID-19 started.”

          A girl asked her father (or mother), “What is war? Why don’t people like to talk about it?” Her father (or mother) touched her deep dimples and said, “It’s a blessing. You were born shortly after the war started.”

          Crime, misfortune, and so on…

不久之后

           一个小男孩问他的母亲（或父亲）：“什么是新冠疫情？为什么没人喜欢谈它？”他的母亲（或父亲）抚了下他大大的眼睛说：“新冠是赐福。它开始后不久你就出生了。”

          一个小女孩问她的父亲（或母亲）：“什么是战争？为什么没人喜欢谈它？”她的父亲（或母亲）抚了下她深深的酒窝说：“战争是赐福。它开始后不久你就出生了。”

          遭遇罪行、不幸，等等…

 

满月

一轮橙黄的满月升上树梢，在水源和船的反衬下格外大。

Full Moon

An orange full moon ascended in the sky. It appeared so large above trees and over the lake full of boats. 

 

保护家园

          天有些阴，大海退潮。漫步在海滩上，一个六七岁的小女孩表情严肃地从我面前跑过，蹲到地上。一看，原来是她在沙上砌了小房子：石基，木棒搭的房架，里面两个巴掌大小的小人。小女孩嘴里念念有词，安慰两个小人。

          退潮后的沙滩上水草很多，有人在悠闲地沿着海岸线走。成群的海鸥、乌鸦在觅食。一只灰鹤贴着地面飞翔，另几只灰鹤优雅地踱步。两个穿碎花的男子在电动脚踏车上开过鲜花小屋，相映成趣。是一个美丽的清晨。

         

Guarding Home

          On a cloudy day, the tide ebbed. I strode on the beach when a girl around 6 or 7 years old rushed by me. With serious expression on her face, she then squatted on the beach. It seemed that she had built a house there with a pebble base and wood stick frame. Two dolls about the size of a palm sat in the house. The little girl comforted the two dolls in soft voice for prevented possible disruption from my blindness of their location.

          There was so much sea weed on the beach. A man walked along the edge of the sea with measured steps in leisure. Flocks of seagull and crow were chasing their food. A blue heron flew over, almost touching the ocean. Several other blue herons walked around casually and elegantly. Two men passed by on scooters. Their shirts in floral patterns were almost indistinguishable from the houses covered by flowers. It was a beautiful morning.

 

四分之一个世纪

          在高等教育工作四分之一个世纪了。上大学前我曾经对母亲说一不当老师，二不教英语。母亲是中学英文教师。我的第一份工作是在高校教英语（做研究）。想来母亲的榜样作用在于她一以贯之的行动。对工作的投入，教育在那个时代遭遇的前所未有的挑战，她个人所战胜的几乎不可逾越的鸿沟。勤工俭学、开阔眼界也很重要。

          母亲去世后我不必飞过半个地球去看她。对我而言，所有的美好风景和事物都有她的影子。

 

A Quarter of a Century

          I have been working in higher education for a quarter of a century. Before I went to college, I told Mother that I would not become a teacher, not mention an English teacher. Mother was a high school English teacher. It turned out my first job was teaching English (and doing research) in a Chinese college. It seems that Mother’s influence is in her action: she was dedicated to her career, when education was faced with unprecedented challenge in that historical period, and she had to defeat the seemingly invincible obstacles in her life. Part-time jobs that broadened horizon were also important.

          I don’t have to fly half a globe to visit Mother since her passing. For me, she is in all the beautiful scenery and occurrences.