Manic Monday

匆匆 Rushing

作者: 朱自清 Zhu Ziqing

Translated:  Yoyo

燕子去了，有再來的時候；

The sparrow leaves, there will be a time when they come again.

 

楊柳枯了，有再青的時候；

Poplars and willows wilt, there will be a time when they will green again.

 

桃花謝了，有再開的時候。

Peach blossoms wither, there will be a time when they open again.

 

但是，聰明的，你告訴我，我們的日子為什麼一去不復返呢？

But, you’re smart, tell me, why do our days go and not return?

 

是有人偷了他們罷：

There must be a person who stole it then

 

那是誰？

so who is it?

 

又藏在何處呢？
where did they hide it?

 

是他們自己逃走了罷：
They must have escaped by themselves,

現在又到了哪裡呢？

where are they now?

 

我不知道他們給了我多少日子；

I don’t know the number of days they gave me,

 

但我的手確乎是漸漸空虛了。

but I know for sure they slowly empty in my hands.

 

在默默裡算著，

In silence I count,

 

八千多日子已經從我手中溜去；

8000 days have already slipped through my hands.

 

像針尖上一滴水滴在大海裡，

Like water dripping from a needle into sea.

 

我的日子滴在時間的流裡，

My days drip in the flow of time,

 

沒有聲音，也沒有影子。

without a sound and without a shadow.

 

我不禁頭涔涔而淚潸潸了。

I cannot help but shed tears.
去的儘管去了，來的儘管來著；

What has left already left, what has come already came.

 

去來的中間，又怎樣地匆匆呢？

Within the coming and going, how did it all rush by?

 

早上我起來的時候，

When I rise in the morning,

 

小屋裡射進兩三方斜斜的太陽。

Sharp rays of the sun enter my house.

 

太陽他有腳啊，輕輕悄悄地挪移了；

The sun has feet, softly and quietly it drifts by.

 

我也茫 茫然跟著旋轉。

I ignorantly follow its orbit.

 

於是——洗手的時候，

Usually, when I wash my hands

 

日子從水盆裡過去；

The day crosses over from the basin

 

吃飯的時候，日子從飯碗裡過去；

While eating, the day crosses over my rice bowl.

 

默默時，便從凝然的雙眼前過去。

Silently, you cross my staring pair of eyes.

 

我覺察他去的匆匆了，伸出手遮挽 時，

I sense it rushing by, I reach my hands to cover it

 

他又從遮挽著的手邊過去，

It still crosses over my hands.

 

天黑時，我躺在床上，他便伶伶俐俐地從我身上跨過，

At night, when I lie on my bed, it wittingly crosses over my body

 

從我腳邊飛去了。

It flys away from my feet.

 

等我睜開眼和太陽再見，這算又溜走了一日。

When I open my eyes, I see the sun again, this counts as another day slipping by.

 

我掩著面嘆 息。

I cover my face and sigh.

 

但是新來的日子的影兒又開始在嘆息裡閃過了。

But the shadow of the new day already dodges my sigh.
在逃去如飛的日子裡，

The fleeing day that flies by,

 

在千門萬戶的世界裡的我能做些什麼呢？

through the numerous doors and windows of the world what am I able to do?

 

只有徘徊罷了，只有匆匆罷了；

I only wait for it to end, only wait for it to rush by.

 

在八千多日的匆匆裡，除徘徊外，又剩些什麼呢？

through the numerous doors and windows, besides waiting for it, what left is there to do?

 

過去的日子如 輕煙，被微風吹散了，

The fleeting day is like light smoke, the gust of wind blows it away.

 

 

如薄霧，被初陽蒸融了；

Like a shallow fog, the early sun burns it away.

 

我留著些什麼痕跡呢？

What mark will I leave behind?

 

 

我何曾留著像游絲樣的痕跡呢？

How do I leave a tiny hairspring mark?

 

我赤裸裸來到這世界，轉眼間也將赤裸裸的回去罷？

I came naked into this world, with the turn of an eye I will return naked?

 

但不能平 的，為什麼偏要白白走這一遭啊？

But this is unfair!  Why must we go through this event in vain?
你聰明的，告訴我，我們的日子為什麼一去不復返呢？

You’re smart, tell me, why do our days go and not return?
March 28^th, 1922

1922年3月28日