相知相識A time to say hello

　　The year began softly. The weather in Southern China was warm and so were the students. The unexpected events of the year to come began to unfold, much too soon to become only an innocent treasured memory. Something precious should be held tight and not let it go. It was to be a year of surprises and a year of love. The Chinese have an expression for it, Yuan fen. A westerner would only question why and how. With your permission let us share the experience together.

　　這一年悄然開始了。在中國的南方，氣候溫暖宜人，學(xué)生們熱情有加。來年中那些意想不到的事情開始展現(xiàn)出來，很快，又會變成清純美好的回憶。應(yīng)當(dāng)把握真情，不言放棄。那是一年的驚喜，一年的愛意。對此，漢語里有個說法叫做緣分。西方人可能只會問為什么，怎么了。要是你愿意的話，那么就請與我一起來分享這段經(jīng)歷吧。

　　He sat at the front of the classroom looking anxious but attentive. In those first few days, his eyes bright with anticipation sought approval from me, his teacher. He claims now that he understood very little content in the lessons of the first few weeks. However, he successfully managed to give the appropriate illusion of understanding well. He made me laugh and his peering was also delighted in his sense of humor. He dressed with attention to detail, and his neat appearance, whether in jeans or current fashion, was distinct, a cool guy! There was always something enchanting in his smile, he was charming and handsome and he knew it! Moreover, he was a gentleman. His eyes revealed so much when they crinkled with laughter, the mask removed, or conversely remained inscrutable like still pools of liquid chocolate, containing only a hint of belief.

　　他坐在教室的前面，看起來有些焦急憂慮，但很專心。最初的那幾天，他那明亮的眼睛里，充滿了得到我這個老師認(rèn)同的渴望。現(xiàn)在，他承認(rèn)，對于頭幾個星期的課程，他幾乎沒聽懂。然而，他卻設(shè)法裝成了理解得差不多的樣子。我禁不住感到好笑，他那很有幽默感的凝視也顯露出高興的樣子。他的穿著很注意細(xì)節(jié)，外表整潔，不管是牛仔褲還是時裝都別具一格，簡直酷極了。他的微笑總是那么迷人。他英俊瀟灑，討人喜歡，他自己也深知這一點。而且，他也是紳士。他有時瞇著眼笑的時候，就拋掉了所有的掩飾，有時又故作神秘，像一杯平靜的熱巧克力，叫價難以捉摸。不管怎樣，他的眼睛都流露出他的紳士風(fēng)范。

　　His first writing assignment revealed the fact that he liked me and that he hoped we could be friends, very good friends. At that time neither of us suspected just how true that prophecy would eventually become. Inwardly, I just laughed. This was the first of several laughs that showed how little I understood. His presence permeated my classroom and my world.

　　他第一次寫作業(yè)，就表露出他喜歡我，并希望我們成為朋友，非常好的朋友。那時，我們都沒想到這個預(yù)言最終會變成現(xiàn)實。我只在心里笑了笑。那是表露我毫不知情的幾次笑聲中的第一次。從此，他出現(xiàn)在我的課堂和我的生活里。

　　About a month later our lives began to intertwine and the delicately woven pattern of our lives began to become more intricate in the coming year. Relationships occur on many levels. Layer upon layer must separate in order for us to speak of inner feelings. It is up to the individual to analyze the variety of feelings at each level.

　　大約一個月后，我們的交往變得密切起來。這種精心培植的生活模式，在新的一年中變得更加微妙。關(guān)系涉及到諸多層次，只有把各個層次分開，我們才能說出內(nèi)心感受。我們必須按各自的觀點去分析在每個層次的不同感受。

　　As time passed, we shared our viewpoints and feelings through conversation while chatting over tea and coffee, arousing the emotion deep in our hearts.

　　隨著時間的流逝，我們快樂地在一起交談，一邊品茶、飲咖啡，一邊聊天，述說自己的觀點和感受，在我們內(nèi)心深處涌動著熱烈的情誼。

　　One day flowed smoothly into another. Familiar experience for me proved to be exciting and stimulating for him. Western festival celebrations like Halloween, Christmas and Valentines Day provided an avenue to celebrate together, to share warmth and good times. Traveling to new places introduce me to an enticing new world.

　　不知不覺中，日子一天一天地過去了。我所熟悉的那些感覺竟然也使他興奮、激動。像萬圣節(jié)前夕、圣誕節(jié)和情人節(jié)這些西方的喜慶節(jié)日，為我們提供了在一起慶祝的機(jī)會，共享溫馨美好的時光。我們還到一些新的地方旅游，把我?guī)胍粋€迷人的新世界。

　　Every day there was laughter and underlying cares that carried both of us along to some degree of happiness. We learned together English and learned about life that year. Strangely the gap in our ages did not create any barrier for our friendship, he young and vital, and I was feeling young again.

　　每天的笑聲和深情的關(guān)懷，使我們總是生活在幸福之中。這一年，我們一起學(xué)習(xí)英語，也學(xué)習(xí)如何生活。很奇怪，我們的年齡代溝沒有給我們的友誼帶來一點障礙。他年輕，充滿活力。我也感覺自己年輕了。

　　He offered his assistance, whenever I needed it. He offered his company for comfort, when death visited my door. What did he drive from this agenda, but a few paltry words in a foreign language? May be it was all worthwhile, maybe it will open a window wide and provide a pass port to a new world for his future.

　　無論我何時需要，他都能提供幫助。當(dāng)死神光顧我的時候，他陪伴我，給我安慰。從這些事情中，他得到了什么呢?僅僅為了幾個微不足道的外語單詞?也許那就足夠了，或許會為他的將來打開一扇窗戶，為他提供一種通往一個新世界的手段。

　　Time continues to slip by as a rushing river. You no longer inhabit my daily world, only my memory. From a distance your voice informs me that you are continuing to learn, you are growing. Some days you are happy, others not quite so much.

　　時間像奔流的江水，不停地逝去。你不再出現(xiàn)在我每天的世界里，只留在了我的記憶中。 從你遠(yuǎn)方傳來的聲音里，我知道了你在繼續(xù)學(xué)習(xí)，不斷成長，有時快樂，有時也并不如意。

　　However, here around me, there is nothing and yet there is everything. My mind remains idle, with only fragments of images drifting in and out. I can no longer be absolutely certain whether this was only a dream.

　　然而現(xiàn)在，我身邊空無一物，只有一個夢幻般的身影從你的窗戶里翩然而至，還有那每當(dāng)我站在你的新課桌旁時那熟悉的氣息。一無所有，但又擁有一切。我頭腦空空如也，進(jìn)進(jìn)出出的都是那些映像的片斷。我再也無法肯定這是否只是一場夢幻。

　　We no longer occupy the same space, but I remind myself that we still occupy the same world. When we chance to meet, hands reach out; hearts embrace, and once again confirm the same magic feeling. Such friendships come rarely in a lifetime. Thereby, I feel blessed and lucky.

　　我們不再擁有同一片空間，但我清楚，我們依然擁有同一個世界。倘若還有機(jī)會相遇，我們會伸出雙手，真心擁抱，再次重溫這奇妙的感覺。真誠友誼，終生難求。對此，我覺得很幸福，很幸運。

　　謀殺端倪A preface to murder

　　Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. Sometimes life deals a bad hand. Sometimes it is hard to go on. Sometimes evil triumphs over good.

　　有時， 事實比小說還離奇。生活有時候使人無助，有時又讓人難以為繼。有時，邪惡還戰(zhàn)勝了正義。

　　Nancy sighed heavily as she pulled her daughters diary from the drawer. She leaned forward to examine the familiar writing. A postcard with a colored sketch fell onto the floor from the book the drawing was a picture of a long curved sandy beach on a tropical island; of course it would be Montserrat. She felt clumsy as she knelt to retrieve the picture. Under no circumstances could she forgive or forget the criminals who tortured her beautiful Megan. It was difficult not to feel bitter about the events of the preceding year. She had shed so many tears in the past year since her daughters murder. Nancy recognized that she was suffering from psychological problems and had really become indifferent to the events in her daily life. She began to shake and then to weep. When would there be an answer to this damn nightmare?

　　南希深深地嘆了口氣，從抽屜里取出女兒的日記。她身體前傾，仔細(xì)地看著那熟悉的筆跡。一張彩色素描明信片從杯子里掉落下來。畫面上是一個熱帶島嶼上一處蜿蜒的沙灘美景。自然，那就是蒙特塞拉特島。在她屈膝去揀明信片時，她感到手腳有些不聽使喚了。她決不會饒恕或忘記那些殘害她美麗的梅根的兇手。一想到一年前發(fā)生的不幸，南希就禁不住感到痛苦。她抓起一張面巾紙，擦去眼中的淚水。女兒被害后的這一年中，她不知道流了多少眼淚。南希知道自己患上了心理障礙，她確實變得對日常生活中的事情漠不關(guān)心了。她身體開始顫抖，接著抽泣起來。這該死的噩夢何時才會一個答案呢?

　　Megan had attended secondary school at a private girls school five hundred kilometers from home. In junior school she had been a straight A student. Now in high school she continued to study hard, play sports, join the school orchestra, plus a variety of school clubs. As a joke, her friends labeled her a genius, often just to make her angry. As well as being a high academic achiever she had a great capacity for fun. She thrived on an active social life. Slender, pretty and vivacious, she was the apple of her parents eye.

　　梅根在離家500公里的一所私立學(xué)校上中學(xué)。她讀小學(xué)時就一直是最優(yōu)秀的學(xué)生。現(xiàn)在進(jìn)了中學(xué)，她還是繼續(xù)努力學(xué)習(xí)，熱愛運動，參加學(xué)校的管弦樂隊，還加入了學(xué)校的各種俱樂部。朋友們在開玩笑時稱她為天才，這常常只會使她生氣。她不但學(xué)習(xí)成績好，也很有情趣。她在豐富的社會活動中茁壯成長。她苗條美麗、活潑大方，是父母的掌上明珠。

　　Every year in accordance with school policy, a student candidate was chosen to travel and live in another commonwealth country for six months. As Megan had an interest in a diplomatic career after completing university, she figure she would be considered a prime applicant if she applied for the position. A detailed essay was necessary to provide the committee with a clear idea of her intention. The selection committee would spend a fortnight reviewing the applications in an attempt to identify the ideal student. Megan also needed to undergo a rigorous personal interview, which would validate her academic background and evaluate her general behavior.

　　按照學(xué)校的規(guī)定，每年要挑選一名學(xué)生到另一個英聯(lián)邦國家去旅行和生活六個月。因為梅根的計劃是在讀完她上的大學(xué)后從事外交工作，她認(rèn)為如果提出申請，自己將是被考慮的一個主要人選。這需要向委員會提交一篇文章，明確闡明她的意圖。選拔委員會要花兩個星期對申請人進(jìn)行評定，以確定人選。梅根還要接受嚴(yán)格的單獨面試，以驗證她的學(xué)業(yè)水平并評估她的綜合素質(zhì)。

　　The interview preceded well, Megan taking the initiative to underline her strengths. After school some of her friends gathered for coffee in the caf near the school. They confessed to Megan that they were rather envious of the opportunity she might have to live in another country. They enquired about the details of the interview. Two weeks later Megan received a phone call notifying her of the successful results of the interview.

　　面試進(jìn)行得很順利，梅根積極主動地展示了她的實力。放學(xué)后，她與一些朋友聚在學(xué)校附近的咖啡館一塊喝咖啡。她們對梅根很坦承對她要在另一個國家生活相當(dāng)嫉妒。她們還詢問了面試的細(xì)節(jié)。兩個星期后，梅根接到電話，通知她成功地通過了面試。

　　Her parents were slightly nervous experiencing some negative feelings about Megan leaving the safety of home to live in another country. They knew the experience would broaden her horizons however, her destination, Montserrat, within the past year had a huge volcano erupt, disrupting peoples lives. Unstable conditions, loss of homes and fear of more eruptions all tended to breed trouble among the poor of the island. Her parents concerns were for Megans safety.

　　對于梅根要離開安全的家到另一個國家去生活，她的父母略感不安，有一些不祥的感覺。不過，他們知道，這次經(jīng)歷將會拓寬她的視野。她的目的地蒙特塞拉特，去年發(fā)生了一次巨大的火山爆發(fā)，使人民的生活陷于混亂之中。局勢動蕩、無家可歸和對火山再次爆發(fā)的恐懼都在困擾這個島國的窮人。她父母擔(dān)心梅根的安全。

　　Departure day dawned clear and bright. Farewells were made to family and friends and she was off for the adventure of a lifetime.

　　出發(fā)的那天清早，天氣晴朗。在與家人和朋友們告別后，她踏上了她的冒險旅途。

　　Megans arrival on Montserrat was both welcoming and initially uneventful. The island family where she was to live for the next six months, made her feels right at home. As the pace of life on the island was more relaxed that at home, she was very happy. Her new schoolmates included her in their lives and she adapted quickly. Swimming in the warm ocean water, and sitting underneath wavin palm trees in a mild climate, was a pleasant change from the cold northern winters.

　　梅根到蒙特塞拉特后受到歡迎，最初也平安無事。她要在島上住六個月的那個家庭，讓她覺得就像在自己家一樣。島上的生活節(jié)奏比在家里更輕松，她感到很高興。她的新同學(xué)們接納了她，把她當(dāng)作他們當(dāng)中的一員，她很快便適應(yīng)了。能夠在溫暖的海水里暢游，在生長于溫和氣候帶、搖曳的棕櫚樹下閑坐，與寒冷的北方冬天相比，這種改變令人心曠神怡。

　　One Saturday evening a gang of kids piled into a taxi, heading off for a barbecue on the beach. Some of the girls decided to walk along the beach. Megan joined them, lagging slightly behind. She knew she ought to hurry to catch up but the moist sand felt good under her feet. Water lapped at her toes; the tide was coming in. the violet light of dusk began to darken the sky.

　　一個星期六的晚上，一幫孩子們擠進(jìn)一輛出租車，前往海灘吃燒烤野餐。幾個女孩子決定沿海灘漫步。梅根也加入進(jìn)來，跟在后面慢慢地走著。她知道她應(yīng)該快一點趕上她們，但腳下濕潤的沙子讓她覺得很舒適。潮水涌來，海水拍打著她的腳趾。紫羅蘭色的黃昏降臨，天空開始暗下來。

　　In the growing darkness a van pulled alongside her,stopping with a squeal of brakes.Before she kewn what was happening two masked men leapt out of the car and began to chase her,grabbing her and finally throwing her to the ground.The gross attack that followed was brutal and unexplainable.Initially Megan tried to fight off her attackers by clawing at their faces with her nails.Using a coil of rope to bind her hands,the men were free to proceed.First a fist broke her upper jaw leaving her unconscions.Then the hoodlums used a metal rod to crush Megans skull and finally a knife blade penetrated her neck piercing an artery.After the crude act was completed her body was bundled into the back of a cab and discarded in a ditch in an isolated district far from the beach.

　　在越來越暗的夜色里，一輛貨車向她身邊駛來，在尖銳的剎車聲中突然停下。沒等她明白過來是怎么回事，兩個戴面罩的男人從車上跳出來追上她，抓住她，最后把她摔倒在地。接下來就是不分青紅皂白的粗暴毆打。起初，梅根設(shè)法反抗襲擊者，用指甲抓他們的臉。可他們用一卷繩子綁住她的雙手后，他們開始為所欲為。他們先是一拳打破她的上頜，使她昏了過去。然后，這幫流氓用一根金屬棒敲碎了梅根的顱骨，最后用刀片扎進(jìn)她的脖子，刺穿了動脈。暴行結(jié)束后，他們把她的尸體捆起來，放到車子后面，再丟棄在遠(yuǎn)離沙灘的一個偏僻小區(qū)的溝里。

　　Realizing that Megan had disappeared, her friends dialed an emergency number, notifying the authorities of the situation. Once Megans body was discovered, a warrant was issued for the immediate arrest of the two wanted men. Megans parents were notified by the embassy. They in turn retained legal counsel and an intense inquiry began into the case. Those officials with an intimate knowledge of the island felt that the mugging was a case of mistaken identification and a complete misunderstanding, a misguided outlet for mounting frustrations on the island.

　　得知梅根失蹤后，她的朋友們撥打了緊急電話，把情況報告給當(dāng)局。梅根的尸體被發(fā)現(xiàn)后，馬上發(fā)出了立即捉拿那兩名兇犯的通緝令。大使館通知了梅根的父母。他們聘請了法律顧問，并開始緊張地調(diào)查此案。非常熟悉這個島嶼的那些官員們認(rèn)為，這次行兇是一起認(rèn)錯對象的事件，完全是一個誤會，罪犯被帶錯路后錯誤地登上了這個島。