“父親已經(jīng)上了六十歲了，還想做一點(diǎn)事業(yè)，積一點(diǎn)錢，給我造起屋子來(lái)?！币粋€(gè)朋友從北方來(lái)，告訴我這樣的話。

“Fatherisnowoversixty,buthestillwantstoworktosaveupforahousetobebuiltforme,”afriendofminefromNorthChinatoldme.他的話使我想起了我的父親。我的父親正是和他的父親完全一樣的。Thatputmeinmindofmyfather.Myfatherwasverymuchlikehis.我的父親曾經(jīng)為我苦了一生，把我養(yǎng)大，送我進(jìn)學(xué)校，為我造了屋子，買了幾畝田地。六十歲那一年，還到漢口去做生意，怕人家嫌他年老，只說(shuō)五十幾歲。大家都勸他不要再出門，他偏背著包裹走了。

Fatherwentthroughuntoldhardshipsformeallhislife.Hebroughtmeup,sentmetoschool,hadahousebuiltformeandboughtmeafew

mu

ofland.HewenttoHankoutoengageintradetheyearwhenhewasalreadysixty.Andhetriedtomakeoutthathewasstillinhisfiftieslestpeopleshouldconsiderhimtoooldtobeofmuchuse.WehadalltriedtodissuadehimfromgoingouttoHankou,buthesimplywouldn’tlistenandlefthomecarryingtheluggageonhisback.“讓我再幫兒子幾年！”他只是這樣說(shuō)。

“Letmetoilafewmoreyearsformyson’ssake!”Thatwaswhathesaid.后來(lái)屋子被火燒掉了，他還想再做生意，把屋子重造起來(lái)。我安慰他說(shuō)，三年后我自己就可積起錢造屋了，還是等一等吧。他答應(yīng)了。他給我留下許多造屋的材料，告訴我這樣可以做什么那樣可以做什么。他死的前不久，還對(duì)我說(shuō)：“早一點(diǎn)造起來(lái)吧，我可以給你監(jiān)工?！?/p>

Ithappenedafterwardsthatthehousewasburneddown.Andhewantedtogobacktohisbusinessinordertohavethehouserebuilt.Itriedtoconsolehim,sayingthattherewasnoneedforhimtodoitbecauseinthreeyears’timeImyselfwouldhavelaidbyenoughmoneyforanewhouse.Heagreed.Thenhegavemealotofbuildingmaterialsandtoldmewhattodowiththem.Shortlybeforehisdeath,heurgedme,

“You’dbettergetstartedrightawaysothatIcanwatchtoseethateverythingisdoneproperly.”但是他終于沒(méi)有看見(jiàn)屋子重造起來(lái)就死了。他彌留的時(shí)候?qū)ξ艺f(shuō)，一切都滿足了。但是我知道他倘能再活幾年，我把屋子造起來(lái)，是他所最心愿的。我聽(tīng)到他彌留時(shí)的呻吟和嘆息，我相信那不是病的痛苦呻吟和嘆息。我知道他還想再活幾年，幫我造起屋子來(lái)。

Unfortunately,hedidn’tlivelongenoughtoseethenewhouse.Hetoldmeonhisdeathbedthathehadnothingtofeelsorryabout.ButIknewhewouldbemuchhappierifhecouldliveafewmoreyearsjusttoseethenewhouseputup.WhenIheardhisdyinggroansandsighs,Ibelievedtheywerecausednotbyphysicalpain,butbyregretfornotbeingabletoliveafewmoreyearstohelpmewiththenewhouse.現(xiàn)在我自己已是幾個(gè)孩子的父親了。我愛(ài)孩子，但是我沒(méi)有前一輩父親的想法，幫孩子一直幫到老，幫到死還不足。我贊美前一輩父親的美德，而自己卻不能跟著他們的步伐走去。Now,Imyselfamafatherofseveralchildren.ThoughIlovemykids,Idonotsharetheideaoffatherandpeopleofhistimethatonecanneverdotoomuchinhislifetimetohelphischildren.MuchasIadmirefatherandpeopleofhistimefortheirmoralexcellence,Icanneverfollowintheirfootsteps.我覺(jué)得我的孩子累我，使我受到極大的束縛。我沒(méi)有對(duì)他們的永久的計(jì)劃，甚至連最短促的也沒(méi)有。Ithinkofmychildrenasanencumbrancetome.Ihaven’tworkedoutalong-termplanforthem,nay,notevenashort-termone.“倘使有人要，我愿意把他們送給人家！”我常常這樣說(shuō)，當(dāng)我厭煩孩子的時(shí)候?！癐’dliketogiveawaymykidstoanyonewho’swillingtotakethem!”That’swhatIsaywheneverIamfedupwiththem.唉，和前一輩的做父親的一比，我覺(jué)得我們這一輩生命力薄弱得可憐，我們二三十歲的人比不上六七十歲的前輩，他們雖然老的老死的死了，但是他們才是真正活著到現(xiàn)在到將來(lái)。Alas,comparedwithfatherandpeopleofhistime,thepresentgeneration,Ithink,haspitifullylowvitality.Weinourtwentiesorthirtiescannotcomparewithoureldersintheirsixtiesorseventies.Today,theym