骑单车的童年

       It’s wonderful to be back in my boyhood hometown again to visit with my now elderly mother. It seems like centuries ago when I was growing up here. Back then, this small town was just a backdrop that formed the unremarkable environment in which I lived my everyday life.

与年迈的母亲一起重游童年的故乡，是一件很美妙的事情。我在这里的成长像是几个世纪前发生的事情一样。回想当初，这个小镇只是我童年生活一个丝毫不起眼的背景。

Mom’s doing great for her age, but she’s moving slower these days. After a lengthy but heartwarming talk in the den about my wife, the kids and how well work is going back in the big city far from here, we have reached the point of being all talked out for now.

照她的年龄来说，母亲的身体还很好，但这些天行动迟缓了一些。我们在书房里进行了一次温馨的长谈，说到我的妻子，孩子，以及离这里很遥远的大城市里工作的事情。我们把现在所有的一切都说了个遍。

What a perfect time to go for a walk and get some fresh air. The outside loudly calls for a look around the neighborhood to see how things have changed, and how things have stayed the same. As I walk down the street, it’s like I’m on my trusted bicycle riding around as a young boy. I’m on yet another grand mission on my bike again. Oh, the places my bike could take me, and did.

这可是出门散步，呼吸新鲜空气的完美时刻。整个世界都在呼唤着我，要我看看周遭的一切，看世事如何变迁又如何保持原样。我走过街道，像是又骑上了我心爱的单车，回到了我的少年时代。我又要开始单车上的庄严旅程了。啊，那些单车带我去过的地方！

There’s the small corner store, just a quick bike ride down one street and up another, where I can get an ice-cold soda in a glass bottle with the red metal cap. Inside is the long candy aisle where I must carefully consider my choices; will it be a candy bar, or pack of football cards with the bonus flat piece of bubble gum, or a handful of fireball jawbreakers?  … The freedom to decide continues unabated? only the stakes are higher with time, requiring proportionally greater wisdom.

在那街角有一间小小的商店，就在骑车从一条街转进另一条街的地方。在那儿可以买到一瓶冰冻汽水，玻璃瓶，红色的金属盖子。商店里面是条长长的糖果长廊，我得认真考虑我的选择：是买一个糖果块、一套附赠口香糖的足球卡、还是一把火球样的硬球糖？自由决定的权利从未消减，只是随着时间的推移，这其中的利害关系越来越复杂，需要更多适度调配的智慧。

There’s the bridge over the lazy river where I love to park my bike, and just sit on the tall ledge to think penetrating thoughts, as I look down the river into the expansive horizon. How far does this river go, and what is beyond the river, and even what is beyond that? Maybe someday I can travel to experience it on my own when I get older … Many are the places I’ve since traveled, only to enlarge my curiosity further, as my awareness of the unknown has grown.

我经常把单车停在悠悠的河边，坐在高高的桥上，眺望宽广无尽的地平线，思考着我那些奇异的想法。这条河会流到哪里呢？河的前面是什么？前面的前面呢？也许当我长大了，我可以独自去探索……我去过很多很多地方，都只是为了扩大我的好奇心，因为越来越意识到我对这世界的无知。

It’s only a quick ride to reach the old retired doctor’s house, whose lawn I mow weekly. He pays me a modest wage to help maintain his large yard. We always enjoy talking as we work together. I don’t remember exactly all that we talked about, but I do remember that he always listened and I felt appreciated. He sure did know a lot about what life has in store that is common to every man … His example of deliberate kindness and thoughtful wisdom showed me how to pass on the same to others younger than myself, many times over the years.

骑车到那个退休的老医生家里只要很短的时间，我每个星期都去给他修剪草坪。他给我微薄的报酬，让我帮忙打理他的大庭院。我们很享受工作时一起聊天的时光。我已经不能确切地记得我们到底说了些什么，但我记得他总是在聆听，这让我觉得自己很受尊重。他当然知道对每个普通人来说，生活将会是什么样子。很多年以来，他传递善意与智慧的榜样一直激励着我，让我把这些继续传递给比我年轻的人。