春

Spring

　Zhu Ziqing

　　盼望着，盼望着，东风来了，春天的脚步近了。

　　Oh, the waiting, the waiting! Finally the east winds begin to blow, and spring is just around the corner.

　　一切都像刚睡醒的样子，欣欣然张开了眼。山朗润起来了，水长起来了，太阳的脸红起来了。

　　The world seems to have awakened from its slumber as, excitedly, it opens its eyes. The mountains take on a luster, the waters start to rise, and there is a blush on the face of the sun.

　　小草偷偷地从土里钻出来，嫩嫩的，绿绿的。园子里，田野里，瞧去，一大片一大片满是的。坐着，躺着，打两个滚，踢几脚球，赛几趟跑，捉几回迷藏。风轻悄悄的，草绵软软的。

　　In the gardens and in the countryside new grass, tender and green, secretly threads its way up through the earth; everywhere you look, the ground is covered with it. Some people are seated, some are lying down, and others are turning somersaults; then there are games of ball, footraces, and hide-and-seek. The breezes are gentle; the grass, soft as cotton.

　　桃树、杏树、梨树，你不让我，我不让你，都开满了花赶趟儿。红的像火，粉的像霞，白的像雪。花里带着甜味，闭了眼，树上仿佛已经满是桃儿、杏儿、梨儿!花下成千成百的蜜蜂嗡嗡地闹着，大小的蝴蝶飞来飞去。野花遍地是：杂样儿，有名字的，没名字的，散在草丛里，像眼睛，像星星，还眨呀眨的。

　　Peach trees, apricot trees, and pear trees jostle each other, all of them in magnificent bloom, each trying to outdo the other. There are fiery reds, pinks like the sunset, and snowy whites –and always the abounding fragrance of flowers. Close your eyes, and the trees seem already heavily laden with peaches and apricots and pears. Beneath the flowers a teeming host of bees fills the air with the sound of their buzzing, as butterflies, large and small, flit to and fro. Everywhere there are wildflowers of many kinds, those with names and those without, scattered throughout the thickets and looking like countless eyes or like stars, here and there winking at you.

　　“吹面不寒杨柳风”，不错的，像母亲的手抚摸着你。风里带来些新翻的泥土的气息，混着青草味，还有各种花的香，都在微微润湿的空气里酝酿。鸟儿将窠巢安在繁花嫩叶当中，高兴起来了，呼朋引伴地卖弄清脆的喉咙，唱出宛转的曲子，与轻风流水应和着。牛背上牧童的短笛，这时候也成天在嘹亮地响。

　　“When the willows are green, the winds that touch your face carry no chill.” Oh, how true! They are like the caress of your mother’s hand. And the winds bring an aroma of freshly-turned earth mixed with the scent of new grass and the bouquet of myriad flowers, all blended together in the slightly moistened air. Birds make their nests among the luxuriant flowers and tender leaves, and in delight they blend their voices; from their throats come the crisp, boastful strains of their songs of enchantment, which merge with the sounds of gentle breezes and flowing water. Then you can also hear a lilting tune from a shepherd boy’s flute, played the day long as he sits astride his bullock.

　　雨是最寻常的，一下就是三两天。可别恼。看，像牛毛，像花针，像细丝，密密地斜织着，人家屋顶上全笼着一层薄烟。树叶子却绿得发亮，小草也青得逼你的眼。傍晚时候，上灯了，一点点黄晕的光，烘托出一片这安静而和平的夜。乡下去，小路上，石桥边，撑起伞慢慢走着的人;还有地里工作的农夫，披着蓑，戴着笠的。他们的屋，稀稀疏疏的在雨里静默着。

　　Most prevalent are the rains; a single rainfall can last two or three days. But don’t be distressed! Just look – it is like the fine hair of a bullock, like delicate embroidery needles, or fine silk, densely slanting downward as woven strands, covering the roofs of houses with a blanket of fine mist. The leaves of the trees are so green they sparkle, and the grass is so green it hurts your eyes. Toward evening the lamps are lit, giving off a pale yellow glow that accentuates a night of tranquility and peace. Off in the countryside, on the small paths and at the sides of stone bridges, people stroll leisurely under their raised umbrellas. Then there are the farmers who work the soil clad in their grass cloaks and hats, and whose grass huts are scattered around the countryside, standing silently in the rain.

　　天上风筝渐渐多了，地上孩子也多了。城里乡下，家家户户，老老小小，他们也赶趟儿似的，一个个都出来了。舒活舒活筋骨，抖擞抖擞精神，各做各的一份事去，“一年之计在于春”，刚起头儿，有的是工夫，有的是希望。

　　In the sky the number of kites slowly increases as the number of children on the ground grows. In the city and in the countryside the populace seems to come to life; the old and the young emerge in spirited animation, flexing their muscles and stirring up their spirits, each occupying himself in his own pursuits. Spring is the time when plans for the year ahead must be made; when starting out, there is an abundance of time, and everywhere there is hope.

　　春天像刚落地的娃娃，从头到脚都是新的，它生长着。

　　Spring is like a newborn child, brand-new from head to toe, starting out in life.

　　春天像小姑娘，花枝招展的，笑着，走着。

　　Spring is like a blossoming and graceful maiden, laughing and then walking on.

　　春天像健壮的青年，有铁一般的胳膊和腰脚，他领着我们上前去。

　　Spring is like a robust youth with limbs of iron, leading us on the road ahead.