FILL EACH DAY OF YOUR LIFE WITH COLOR 彩繪日記

FILL EACH DAY OF YOUR LIFE WITH COLOR　彩繪日記
FILL EACH DAY OF YOUR LIFE WITH COLOR　彩繪日記
　作者 羅蘭Lo Lan　譯者 吳敏嘉Michelle Min-chia WU 原載中央日報副刊


　 在這篇散文裡，一個名作家描寫她在台北一天的生活：早晨霏霏細雨中出門，悠閒逛街兼辦事：「把固定變成自在，把實務加入樂趣，減少拘謹和客套，揮灑一片清光。」這篇和日前刊載的齊邦媛的「失散」既對照，又互補：那裡是悼亡，從黃昏到夜晚，大雨滂沱，寸步難行。兩篇都來自「中國民國筆會」本季季刊。　 兩篇譯文都配合原文的辭彙、句型和氣氛。本篇英譯用的都是常見的字，大多只有一、兩個音節，句子也短，和Ha Jin （哈金）的風格相近。哈金的小說 Waiting (《等待》)榮獲美國國家傑出書卷獎，接著的兩本也廣受歡迎，但是他的文字，一般美國人都看得出不是英文母語人士寫的。但是本篇譯者翻譯的《千山有水千家月》（A Thousand Moons on a Thousand Rivers ）則運用道道地地的英文，已由哥大 Columbia University Press 在2000年出版，可供有興趣人士參考比較。　


現在是早上十點多鐘，我剛剛從外面回來。我很快樂，十二月天氣，清涼之中帶著一點怡然的暖意。由於是來回各走了一段路，心情又很晴朗，所以有點熱了，一進門就把上衣脫掉，而且立刻換了一件涼快的襯衫。　
It is now a little past ten o'clock in the morning. I have just gotten home from an outing. I am in a very good mood. It is a beautiful December morning with a slight hint of warmth in the cool, crisp air. I was feeling a bit warm from my brisk walk, as well as from an inner sunshine, so I changed into lighter clothing the minute I got home.　
腦子裡充滿著明亮舒展的念頭，來自一種心境。　 My Head is filled with bright and sunny thoughts originating from a certain state of mind.　
凌晨曾下過一場很大的雨，我出去的時候已經快要停了。只偶然細霏霏地飄一些，不必撐傘也可以。我的頭髮沒有什麼髮型，也不用膠水，淋一點雨也無妨。我穿普通的套裝和走路鞋，這樣就可以顯得人行道也算平坦。我本來也早已習慣在走路時步步為營，何況那些坑坑洞洞遲早會在歷任市長的競賽之下，修得越來越好。「忠孝」這一帶已經有一大段突然出現的加寬人行道，比原來的延展了一倍有餘，而且極其平坦壯觀，那種嶄新的淺灰色，好漂亮！難怪有一部大型車子身旁的廣告上宣傳，說今年流行灰色，其實，這廣告所指的並不是馬路。馬路當然是灰色，只是它忽然真的就顯得「流行」而十分亮眼。　
It had rained heavily earlier in the morning. The rain had almost stopped by the time I went out. There was but a slight drizzle; I didn't even need an umbrella. My hair is not set in any particular style, and I don't use hairspray, so a little rain will do it no harm. I wore casual clothing and flat walking shoes that make the sidewalks feel even smoother than they are. I have always watched my step as I navigated the holes and bumps on the uneven sidewalks. Thanks to the competitive nature of the present and previous mayors of Taipei, the sidewalks have become wider and smoother. The sidewalks in the Chunghsiao region have been repaved and widened. They are now two times wider than before, and paved with light gray bricks, quite pleasing to the eyes! A banner posted on a van by the street claimed that gray is the color in fashion this year. The advertisement is not referring to the color of the sidewalks, of course. Most roads and sidewalks are gray, but all of a sudden, because of the ad, they 　
九點以前的人間總有它另一種朝氣，何況這一段的路面比以前令人愉悅，就更增加了我喜歡走路的心情。本來是要趕個約好的時間，去朋友的辦公室取一份資料。出門之前，臨時想到自己說不定隨時要去別的地方走走，於是打電話請她把要取的東西放在服務台，這樣我的時間就很有彈性，而且由於不必去她的辦公室，也免得我還要特意整飭儀容，而失去了來回各走一段路的自在心情。　 Before nine o'clock, people seem to be charged with energy, and given the improved situation of the sidewalks, my zest for walking was amplified. I was supposed to meet a friend at an arranged time in order to pick up some documents at her office. Just before leaving home, it dawned on me that I might want to stroll around, so I called her and told her to leave the documents at the reception desk. That gave me more flexibility with my allotted time. I didn't have to reach her office at a designated time, nor did I have to pretty myself up for the meeting. I could take a casual and carefree stroll.　
自在的心情總會在隨意散步的時候出現，我喜歡看路上匆匆趕去上班的男男女女，他們一定會使我想到香港和紐約，好像我是在旅行。香港和紐約這兩個繁華大地區，走路的人特別多。（洛杉磯就不行，遙遠的距離，使他們都必須坐車）那些因為要去辦公而穿得特別整齊俐落的職業婦女，最使我覺得親切，好像我也是她們之中的一個。我非常了解去辦公室的心情。也許她們並不像我這麼喜歡辦公室，但她們的整齊俐落，本身就宣告著一種朝氣。使我覺得，如果她們並不喜歡，那就太可惜了！（二之一）　 Carefree moods often emerge during casual strolls. I like to observe the men and women walking in a hurry on their way to work. They remind me of Hong Kong and New York, and I suddenly feel as if I am traveling. Hong Kong and New York are two bustling cities with a large number of pedestrians. (Los Angeles is a different story. The distances there make driving a necessity.) I especially feel an affinity with the career women, immaculately dressed for work, on their way to their offices. I feel as if I am one of them. I fully appreciate their going-to-work mentality. They might not enjoy going to work as much as I, but their professional demeanor is a manifesto of vitality. I feel that it would be such a pity if they didn't really like to go to work.（PartⅠ）

FILL EACH DAY OF YOUR LIFE WITH COLOR　彩繪日記 Part II


I like it when people walk fast. I’m a fast walker myself. Slow movement can make one lethargic and drowsy, even sad. Walking fast can really boost one’s mind. Moving in a fast tempo is refreshing. One should speed up, not to enhance one’s efficiency or competitiveness, but to feel more energetic, interested, and capable of overcoming any predicament. One gets momentum from speed, and one’s eyes, ears and mind become more eager to perceive. Not only do you perceive more, you also do so faster. Speed is more than a manifestation of vitality; it is a source of vitality. Some terms that we use in daily life, I find to be quite philosophical. People use terms such as “happy,” “upbeat,” “lighthearted,” and “spirited” … they all impart a feeling of tempo and rhythm. If I were to drag my footsteps one day, it would be because I am depressed and moody….the heavier my footsteps, the deeper my depression.


Of course, I can’t be happy every single movement, but I know that “vitality” comes from happiness and that it also brings about happiness. It may be for this very reason that I try to schedule most of my activities in the morning. I do my best to postpone lunch until two o’clock in the afternoon, preferring to go hungry for a while. In so doing, my mornings run from six o’clock till two o’clock. Eight-hour mornings are quite a luxury for me.


That’s how it was for me this morning. I walked briskly down the road, contemplating when I should hail a cab. My destination was not within walking distance, but if I were to catch a ride, I wanted to make the car trip worthwhile. That is to say, if the road conditions were not ideal, or if the scenery along the way did not appeal to me, then I would rather escape the unpleasant part of my journey by breezing past it in a car.


Good for me, I did not hail a cab too soon. As I walked past a row of one-story shops, I came across a tiny flower shop. The cheerful visage of the fresh flowers smiled at me behind the display window. I admired the flowers for a while, and it suddenly occurred to me that since I wasn’t going to bother my friend at her office, and I could leave a bouquet of flowers for her and share with her a taste of this beautiful, carefree winter morning.


So I asked the florist to help me pick a few bunches of my favorite balloon flowers in deep purple, powder pink and pure white. The soft colors of the petals were very pleasing. I said to the young florist, “Balloon flowers are really elegant.” She smiled in agreement.


I hopped into the cab with flowers in my arms. The driver kept looking back at the flowers, exclaiming, “Are you visiting a friend? The flowers are beautiful!” And so my conversation with the driver centered around the flowers in Taiwan and the rain this morning.


Some things do “blossom into flowers.” They start as simple or even monotonous “things to do.” You can approach these things with a business attitude by setting up an appointment, getting dressed for the occasion, and arriving on time to accomplish the task. This is, of course, the easiest way to get things done. Yet you can also do what I did, and transform a fixed routine into a carefree trip. Add a bit of joy into practical matters, lessen reservation and formality, and allow the sunshine to brighten your mood. These little deviations will not knock you off the normal track. Applying this carefree attitude to business and interpersonal relations will not be a waste of precious time. So what if you “float” away from your tracks for a while? It is liking adding music to a cinematic plot. Allowing your emotions to work will not disturb the plot. On the contrary, emotions liven up the plot. Isn’t this a happy happening?


I gave the bouquet of flowers to the handsome security guard at the reception desk, and I got my documents. With carefree steps, I walked down the well-paved stretch of road that once carried my youthful dreams and aspirations. Illuminated by a frisky and bright feeling, I sensed that adopting a creative attitude towards life is like infusing one’s action with the raindrops and fragrant blossoms of mother nature, and writing one’s diary in color. The creation is then transformed into three dimensions. When one is in a lighthearted mood, music streams in from all over, filling the most mundane everyday activities with buoyancy and joy.
”
On my way home, I walked part of the way and took a cab part of the way. When walking, I talked to myself in the drizzling rain. When riding in the cab, I exchange my views on life with the driver who was wise in the ways of the world. A simple mission filled my day with color and music, giving me an upbeat mood.


A happy rhythm and a heart open to joy can make monotonous matters “blossom into flowers.” The flowers that bloomed for me today are elegant and serene balloon flowers.