我坐了木船-叶圣陶
（张培基英译散文选的一篇，我翻译的初稿）
从重庆到汉口，我坐了木船。
From Chongqing to Hankou, I took a wooden boat.
木船危险，当然知道。
Of course, I knew that to travel by wooden boat was dangerous.
一路上数不清的滩，礁石随处都是，要出事，随时可以出。
The course is full of shoals and rocks(reefs). Accidents can happen at any time.
还有盗匪——实在是最可怜的同胞，他们种地没得吃，有力气没处出卖，当了兵经常饿肚皮，无可奈何只好出此下策。
There are also bandits who are the poorest fellows as they cannot farm to feed themselves, cannot find a manual job and have to suffer hunger joining the army, having no way but to rob.
——假如遇见了，把铺盖或者身上衣服带下去，也是异常难处的事儿
If someone meets them, they would depriverob him of everything including his wearings. It would be a big trouble.
但是，回转来想，从前没有轮船，没有飞机，历来走川江的人都坐木船。
But in old days, there was no steamboat nor airplane. Every traveller had to take a wooden boat up and down the Chuan River.
就是如今，上上下下的还有许多人在那里坐木船，如果统计起来，人数该比坐轮船坐飞机的多。
Now, many people are still taking the wooden boat. The number would be larger than the number of people by steamboat and plane.
人家可以坐，我就不能坐吗？
Why can’t I take a wooden boat while others can?
我又不比人家高贵。
I am not nobler than others.
至于危险，不考虑也罢。
As for the danger, I think I can just dismiss it.
轮船飞机就不危险吗？
Are steamboats and planes not dangerous?
安步当车似乎最稳妥了，可是人家屋檐边也可以掉下一张瓦片来。
It seems that walking is the safest. But it is possible that a piece of tile falls on a passer-by off the eaves of someone’s house.
要绝对避免危险就莫要做人。
There is no absolute safety being a person.
要坐轮船坐飞机，自然也有办法。
Steamboats and planes can be accessible,
只要往各方去请托，找关系，或者干脆买张黑票。
as long as you beg relevant people, use some connections or just buy a ticket from scalpers.
先说黑票，且不谈付出超过定额的钱，力有不及，心有不甘，单单一个“黑”字，就叫你不愿领教。
Let’s first talk about the “illegal” ticket. I will not spend extra money on it as I don’t have much money and I am not willing to pay for it let alone it is illegal.
“黑”字表示作弊，表示越出常轨。
Illegality means cheating and overpassing rules’ restraints.
你买黑票，无异同作弊，赞助越出常轨。
If you buy such a ticket, it is the same as cheating and sponsoring illegal behaviors.
一个人既不能独立转移风气，也该在消极方面有所自守，邦同作弊，赞助越出常轨的事儿，总可以免了吧，——这自然是书生之见，不免通达的人一笑。
I cannot improve the social ethos but at least, I should not make negative contirbutions. I can avoid doing illegal things. Of course, this is my personalpedantic view as a Chinese scholar. Sophisticated people can just laugh at me.
再说请托找关系，听人家说他们的经验，简直与谋差使一样的麻烦。
Then, let’s talk about connections. Listening to Others talking about say that their experience is as troubling as finding a job.
在传达室恭候，在会客室恭候，幸而见了那要见的人，他听说你要设法买船票，或是飞机票，爱理不理的答复你说，“困难呢……
Ather waiting at the lodge and at the reception room for a long time, you will meet that man you want to meet. After Hearing that you want to buy a steamboat ticket or a plane ticket, he just replied in a cold manner,”It’s not easy.
下个星期再来打听吧……”
Ask me next week…”
于是你觉得好像有一线希望，又好像毫无把握，只得挨到下星期再去。
Then, seeing a sliver of hope while not confident, you wait until the next week and go there again.
跑了不知多少趟，总算有眉目了，又得往这一处签字，那一处盖章，看种种的脸色，候种种的传唤，为的是得一份充分的证据，可以去换张票子。
After visiting for many times, you are supposed to get a ticket. But you still have to sign at some place and stamp at another place, putting up with all kinds of faces and orders, all for a piece of evidence to exchange for a ticket.
票子到手，身分可以改变了，什么机关的部属，什么长的秘书，什么人的本人或是父亲，或者姓名仍旧，或者必须改名换姓，总之要与你自己暂时脱离关系。
The ticket is finally got. But the identity should be changed to some institution’s staff or some chairman’s secretary or somebody or somebody’s father. You can keep your name or you must change your name. Anyway, you have to disown yourself for a while.
最有味的是冒充什么部的士兵，非但改名换姓，还得穿上灰布棉军服，腰间束条皮带。
The most interesting is that if you are going to pretend to be a soilder, you not only have to change your name, but also have to wear grey cotton uniforms with a leather belt around your waist.
我听了这些，就死了请托找关系的念头。
Having heard these, I decided not to use connections.
即使饿得要死，也不定要去奉承颜色谋差使，为了一张票子去求教人家，不说我自己犯不着，人家也太费心。
Even if I starve to death, I don’t have to flatter and beg others for a job, let alone a ticket. I don’t have to do this and they can also be free from trouble.
重庆的路又那么难走，公共汽车站排队往往等上一个半钟头，天天为了票子去跑，实在吃不消。
Chongqin’s road is hard to walk whlle lining up for a bus takes an hour and a half. I don’t have the energy to go there back and forth every day.
再说与自己暂时脱离关系，换上他人的身分，虽然人家不大爱惜名气，我可不愿滥用那些名气。
As for pretending to be others, although they don’t cherish their reputation, I don’t want to overuse it.
我不是部属，不是秘书，不是某人，不是某人的父亲，我是我。
I am not some institution’s staff, nor a secrertary nor somebody else nor somebody else’s father. I am I.
我毫无成就，样样不长进，我可不愿与任何人易地而处，无论长期的或是暂时的。
I have few achievements and not good at anything. I do not want to exchange my identity with any other people, no matter it is long-term or short-term.
为了走一趟路，必须易地而处，在我总觉着像被剥夺了什么似的。
For taking a trip, I have to change my identity. I will feel that I am deprived of something.
至于穿灰布棉衣更为难了，为了走一趟路才穿上那套衣服，岂不亵渎了那套衣服？
Wearing a grey cotton uniform just for a trip is more difficult for me. It profanes the uniform.
亵渎的人固然不少，我可总不忍——这一套又是书生之见。
There are a number of people profaning the uniform. But I cannot do it. This is also my view as a scholar.
抱着书生之见，我决定坐木船。
Holding this view, I decided to take a wooden boat.
木船比不上轮船，更比不上飞机，千真万确。
Wooden boats cannot be compared with steamboats, let alone airplanes, absolutely.
可是绝对不用找关系，也无所谓黑票。
But you absolutely don’t have to use connections or an illegal ticket.
你要船，找运输行，或者自己到码头上去找，找着了，言明价钱，多少钱坐到汉口，每块钱花得明明白白。
If you want to take a boat, just go to the transport agency or directly go to the dock. You find a boat and make a deal on the price. You know how much it costs form Chongqin to Hankou and the money is spent in a legal way.
在这一点上，我觉得木船好极了，我可以不说一句讨情的话，不看一副难看的嘴脸，堂堂正正的凭我的身分东西归。
I think a wooden boat is excellent on this point/in this respect. I don’t have to flatter others and see other’s disgusting face. I take my trip with my own legal identity and properties.
这是大多数坐轮船坐飞机的朋友办不到的，我可有这种骄傲。
Most of these friends taking the steamboat and the plane cannot do this. But I have such a pride.
决定了之后，有两位朋友特来劝阻，一位从李家沱，一位从柏滨，不怕水程跋涉，为的是关爱我，瞧得起我。
After I decided, two friends came to dissuade me. One was from Lijiatuo and another was from Baibin. Despite the hard trek, they came to show their concerns for me. They think highly of me.
他们说了种种理由，预想了种种可能的障害，结末说，还是再考虑一下的好。
They said all kinds of reasons and imagined all kinds of possible dangers and said it was better to think it over in the end.
我真感谢他们，当然不敢说不必再行考虑，只好带玩笑的说，“吉人天相，”安慰他们激动的心情。
I did thank them. I am not dare to refuse their suggestion vehemently, and I said in jest, “God will bless me.”, to relieve them.
现在，他们接到我平安到达的消息了，他们也真的安慰了。
Now, as they have received the news that I have arrived safely, they can truly be in a relief.