【边走边看】何家弘：重返北大荒（中英文对照之四）第105期
今年是“文化革命”爆发五十周年。英国翻译家艾茉莉·琼斯女士把我数年前写的一篇文章译成英文，发表在《纸共和》（PaperRepublic，又译为“纸托邦”）上。...
【小编的话】在过去的三期里，我们跟随着何老师动情而优美的文字一起重返北大荒，感受那段刻骨铭心的回忆。今天，重返北大荒已渐入尾声，在这一系列的回忆之后，何老师将有着怎样的所思所想与人生感悟呢？一起来看看吧！
（今日小编：矾星）
离开赵光镇之后，我们驱车经海伦和绥化赶回哈尔滨。一路上，我的心情很轻松，仿佛刚刚完成了一篇耗费心血的论文，或者刚刚结束了一场尽心竭力的讲演。虽然内心还有些残余的兴奋，但是思想已经带着疲劳和倦意松弛下来。坐在疾驶的越野车里，我时而把目光漫无目标地投向广阔的原野，时而让思想无拘无束地驰骋在无边的意境。然而，我的眼前一次又一次地浮现出两个字，我的思想也一次又一次地凝聚成一个词，那就是——人生！
人生犹如一次旅行。在这个每人只有一次机会的旅行中，你无法选择起点，甚至也无法选择终点，唯一可以选择的就是速度和路径，而这也就使得人生的旅途呈现出各不相同的特征。有些人根本不知道选择，盲目无求却也无怨无悔地走完旅程；有些人自愿放弃选择，随缘顺流但也自得其乐地度过一生；有些人不断地选择，在不断变换不断更新的同时往往也留下了各种各样的遗憾；有些人始终如一地选择，在执著的求索中用痛苦去换取欢乐。其实，任何一种人生旅途都具有两面性：既有明媚的阳光，也有狂暴的风雨；既有欢乐的体验，也有痛苦的磨炼；既有坎坷的路段，也有平坦的里程；既有辉煌的时刻，也有平淡的岁月。一帆风顺只是美好的愿望，一路平安就是令人羡慕的人生旅程。
人生就像一个故事。每当一个生命诞生的时候，一个人生的故事就开始了。然后，随着年龄的增长，那故事也不断地发展演变，直到生命终结的那一天。很多人都认为自己的故事是非常独特的，是与众不同的，但事实上，每个人的故事都在很大程度上重复着前人的故事。虽然每个故事中的主人公各不相同，虽然每个故事发生的时间地点各不相同，虽然每个人似乎都在以自己的方式演绎着故事的情节，但是千百年来，人们的故事都在讲述着一个相同的主题：那就是生命的过程。诚然，有些人的故事很精彩，有些人的故事很平淡；有些人的故事是喜剧，有些人的故事是悲剧。但是，故事就是故事，归根结底都是人编造出来的，尽管有些故事编造得很滑稽甚至很无聊。如果一个人的故事能够得到他人的关注乃至传诵，那就是人生中最大的幸福。
Four.
After we left Zhaoguang, our car passed through Hailun and Suihua onits way back to Harbin. I felt lighter, as if I had finished writing a paperwhich had required a lot of care and trouble, or as if I had ended a lecture Ihad poured my heart and soul into. Although still excited, my thoughts hadalready been mellowed by fatigue and drowsiness. From the back of the swiftfour-wheel drive, I glanced occasionally out across the endless countryside,and from time to time let my thoughts roam free. But two characters appeared inmy thoughts over and over, eventually coming together to form the wordsheng-huo, life.Life is a journey that each of us can only make once. We cannotchoose either our start point or our destination. The only choice we have isover the speed we travel at and the direction we take. And it is this decisionwhich establishes the different paths our lives take. Some people, unaware theyhave a choice, make their journey blindly; they may have no aspirations butthey live without regret. Some voluntarily renounce their right to choose,content instead to go with the flow. Others constantly change their decisions,and as they do so they are left filled with regret. Still others stick to theirchoices, and in their consistency exchange pain for joy. There are two sides toevery journey through life: bright sunlight and stormy rain, happy experiencestempered by suffering, smooth miles and bumpy roads, moments of brilliance andyears of tedium. Plain sailing is a fine aspiration; a safe trip is a life journeyto be envied.
Life is a river. At the start, a trickling stream that flows withmerry leaps through the valley, that reaches curiously to the plants that linethe banks. Later, water and energy accumulate and the river grows larger, withtempestuous rapids and surging waves, pouring forwards at speed day in and dayout, so it has no time to appreciate the beautiful scenery around it. Laterstill, as the bank broadens and the terrain eases off, the current slowly losesspeed and once more there is time to enjoy the view. But by this point even themost beautiful landscape will fail to make an impression on old eyes. When theriver finally melts noiselessly into these a it leaves no more than the tiniestof sprays. Some rivers in fact run dry before they are even able to join theopen sea: one of life’s real tragedies.
And life is a story. A story that starts when a life comes intobeing. With the passing of years, the story develops and changes right up untilthe day when life ends. Many people believe that their story is different toeveryone else’s, is unique. But all our stories are, mostly, variations onthose that came before. Although each protagonist has nothing in common withthe next, although the setting each story is different, although everyone seemsto interpret plot in their own way, for thousands of years our stories havetold the same tale: the process of life. Some people really do have brillianttales, in contrast to the colourless stories of others. Some have comedies,others tragedies. But a story remains a story. No matter how dull, or amusing,it is invented by someone. It is the greatest joy if one’s story can attractthe interest and acclaim of others.
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