周海祺

科學的界限就像地平線一樣：你越接近它，它挪得越遠。？——？布萊希特

近來中美關(guān)系緊張局勢愈演愈烈，政治編織的無形大網(wǎng)正橫亙在兩國正常的社會、經(jīng)濟、學術(shù)等交流合作之間。楊振寧、饒毅等國際知名科學家先后發(fā)聲，呼吁國與國之間必須保持合作才能共同進步。正如饒毅所說，即使在上世紀“冷戰(zhàn)”最黑暗的日子里，科學家的互動是人類最鼓舞人心的活動之一。

很長一段時間以來，科學界不止在努力打破科學家與科學家之間溝通交流的界限，事實上，交叉學科的興起，科學與藝術(shù)、科學與文學等其他體系頻頻交叉碰撞產(chǎn)生的火花，都證明了科學正前所未有地向人類展示它的寬廣度和融合度。我們期望世界上的每一個人都能成為突破界限的一個小分子。

就像下文的作者，他是一名來自上海復(fù)旦WLSA國際高中12年級的青年學者。他的成長經(jīng)歷注定了他是一名愿意以積極溝通交流的方式來打破界限的倡導(dǎo)者。非常時期，他以中英文的形式，向大家講述了一個被寵壞的孩子，一個理想主義者的父親和一名創(chuàng)傷后應(yīng)激障礙的祖父之間發(fā)生的一系列故事。正如他文章字里行間想要向大眾所傳達的對于打破人與人之間界限的欲望一樣?？谴宋模云谕黄莆覀儌鹘y(tǒng)的認知界限，打破心與心之間的溝通界限。

Neighbors who came across the old colonel lately， on one or several of his many saunters along the banks of the Suzhou river， often described him as drifting in some dreamy trance. Indeed， having devoted his youth to a life， literally， on bullets and knives， it was not in the colonels nature to settle down. In the past， neighbors observed， the colonel had an unspoken habit to never sit during his walks， inching a foot in front another as briskly as a man of his age can， with the help of a crimson spruce walking stick that thuds rhythmically against the ground. But just yesterday afternoon， multiple witnesses reported spotting the colonel rest upon a dilapidated wooden bench facing the river， staring at perhaps the monotonous ripples of water， and seemed not to hear greetings from neighbors for the first ten seconds he was spoken to.

最近，老上校多次在蘇州河岸邊散步，偶然遇到他的鄰居們都說他有點恍恍惚惚的樣子。事實上，上校把他的青春都奉獻給了槍林彈雨，他本來是個不愿意安定下來的人。以往，鄰居們都知道，上校有個不動聲色的習慣，他散步時從不坐下來歇息，只用一根深紅色云杉手杖有節(jié)奏地敲打地面，然后顫巍巍地拖著后面的腳，挪到另外一只腳前面來，就像他這樣年紀的老年人那樣。但就在昨天下午，多名目擊者說，他們看見上校躺在一張破舊的木凳上，面對著那條河，眼睛盯著單調(diào)的水波紋，在鄰居們和他說話的最初十秒鐘里，他都似乎沒有聽到鄰居們的問候。

The neighborhood was small， its residents generally rich， which left them few chores to attend to during the day—two prime components for gossip to spread with range and alacrity. By the time the old colonels son returned from work，rottenly exhausted， he was the last in the household of four—that is， himself， the colonel， his wife， and his son， Yu—to be in on the discovery of the colonels shifting way， save for the colonel himself. Soon as the man trudged over the door， his wife started unleashing all the days accumulated chatter， but the man merely nodded along at random times as she spoke， propped his working bag against the wall， and sank into the sofa， eyes closed.

這個社區(qū)很小，居民們都很富裕，他們在一天中幾乎沒有什么家務(wù)事可做，這個原因使得八卦總能大范圍快速傳播。當老上校的兒子下班回來的時候，疲憊不堪的他，成了家里四個人中最后一個發(fā)現(xiàn)上校轉(zhuǎn)變的人，當然這不包括上校本人。這個家庭有四個人，他自己、上校、他的妻子和他的兒子小于。當這個男人拖著疲憊的步伐走到家門口時，他的妻子便開始滔滔不絕地講起了她一整天累積的喋喋不休的話語。當她說話時，這個男人只是隨便點了點頭，把他的工作包靠在墻上，然后閉上眼睛坐在沙發(fā)上。

Son of a prominent colonel， the pervasive hardships of the Republics early days were often knowledge derived from lore of less fortunate contemporaries. Like the river that constantly to his four-story mansion， like the vrooming vehicles streaming down the adjacent highway， adversity， in the shape of grievous struggle， had never slowed his life.

作為一個聲名顯赫的上校的兒子，共和國早期普遍存在的困難往往來自于同時代不那么幸運的人的說法。就像那條不斷涌向他四層豪宅的河流，就像呼嘯而過的汽車在附近的公路上川流不息，以痛苦掙扎的形式出現(xiàn)的逆境從來沒有妨礙過他的生活。

Despite his fortune， he was cultivated not as a flimsy flower in the greenhouse， but rather raised going through artificial ordeals， like a rose tended by a malicious gardener， sometimes receiving too much water， sometimes too little. His colonel father， during the liberation war， had seen the worst of it， had been through living hell. The colonel was privy to the ingredients that mold a man， the conditions suitable for the forging of will and soul. So he permitted no academic failings of any kind， sent his son to military training camps in the rare free times during summer， and made sure his son completed all capable tasks on his own， which finally， as he saw in earnest， earned his son a rise to the top.

盡管他很有錢，但他并不是作為溫室里的一朵脆弱的花朵一樣被栽培的，而是在考驗下被養(yǎng)大。就像被有惡意的園丁照料的玫瑰，有時澆水太多，有時澆水又太少。他的上校父親，在解放戰(zhàn)爭期間，見多了最糟糕的場面，也經(jīng)歷過人間地獄。上校了解培養(yǎng)成才的要素，以及塑造意志和靈魂的必備條件。因此，他不允許任何形式的掛科，在夏季難得的空閑時間把兒子送到軍訓(xùn)營，并確保兒子獨立完成所有應(yīng)該完成的任務(wù)。最終，正如他熱切期待的那樣，為兒子贏得了晉升到頂尖崗位的機會。

* * *

The wife wanted to talk. She was a kettle that just started to boil. Hows your day， she said. I bought some grapes for all of us. Some mangoes， too. You heard about Grandpa？ Thought hed never get old. So many battles， and still cant fight time， can he.

妻子還想繼續(xù)嘮叨。她像是一個剛開始沸騰的水壺?！敖裉爝^得怎么樣”，她說?！拔医o家里買了一些葡萄，還有芒果。你聽說爺爺?shù)氖铝税?？我還以為他永遠不會變老。歷經(jīng)這么多的戰(zhàn)爭，卻仍然不能戰(zhàn)勝歲月，是吧。”

The man kept his eyelids shut. Of course the Colonel was getting old. No need to fuss about that. But the stream of mouse clicks and keyboard hits that have been flowing from Yus room for a while now—that was what impeded the mans work and troubled his sleep.

男人閉上了眼皮。上校當然是老了。沒有必要為此大驚小怪。但現(xiàn)在，從小于的房間里傳來的持續(xù)不斷的鼠標點擊和鍵盤敲擊的聲音，不僅妨礙了他的工作，也影響了他的睡眠。

For the greater number of Yus eleven years he had led an unrestrained life， largely due to a grandfather who commanded far less authority than his former title indicated and a father busier than the president， a circumstance eliciting envy from the bulk of Yus overworked peers. Other than the plethora of video games that he engages himself with， which for him usually ended in more defeats than victory， he had， in a large measure， obtained what he wanted from the world—unnecessarily pricey skateboards （not that he actually skates）， desktops too advanced for his age， a pure and adorable ragdoll cat， amid other things of the sort. He was not so much spoiled as he was oblivious to the other walks of life， and as a result of perpetual contentment， knew life to hold no grander purpose. So when Yu was told of holiday plans to go mountain climbing， he was not quite sure if he had heard right.

11歲的小于在大部分時間里，都過著無拘無束的生活，這主要是因為他的祖父不再有像他以前頭銜所附帶的權(quán)威，而他的父親比國家主席還要忙，這讓小于那些過度勞累的同齡人羨慕不已。除了在他癡迷的電子游戲上，他也常常負多勝少。在很大程度上，他得到了他想要的所有東西：昂貴的滑板（實際上他也很少玩兒）；對于他的年齡來說太高配的臺式電腦；一只純種可愛的布偶貓，和其他類似的很多東西。他并不是被寵壞了，而是對社會的方面都一無所知。由于他總是在物質(zhì)上得到滿足，因此對于生活失去了大的目標。當小于被告知假期計劃去爬山時，他當然不太確定自己是否聽錯了。

Mountain climbing？ said Yu， even looking away from the flashing screen for a second， to locate the origin of this absurd suggestion， his voice a mix of incredulity and sarcasm. The virtual figure on his screen that was expecting orders went stiff for a split second and， after a wave of remorseless enemy fire， dissolved into darkness. The once color-filled screen entered a depressing state of black and white.

“爬山嗎？”小于說，他甚至把目光從閃爍的屏幕上挪開了一秒鐘，想看看是誰提出這個荒謬的提議，他的聲音混雜著懷疑和譏諷。他屏幕上期待著指令的虛擬人物在一瞬間變得僵硬，終于在敵人一波無情的炮火之后，消失在黑暗中，而剛才彩色的游戲畫面也進入了沉悶的黑白狀態(tài)。

Yes， mountain climbing， the father replied. His son could take some time away from his video games， he himself could use some rest before more work， and the colonel could get some more exercise in now that such opportunities dwindle with his time.

“是的，爬山。”父親回答。他的兒子可以暫時不玩電子游戲，他自己也可以在繼續(xù)工作之前休息一下，上校也可以多做些鍛煉，畢竟對于老上校來說這樣的機會隨著時間的流逝會越來越少。

Attributing the source of stupor entirely to Yus inertia would be a great injustice， for the usual destination of his travels were among the likes of Disneyland and Universal Studio， places that guaranteed iced shakes every ten steps and airconditioned chambers every five more. Even then the day ran the possibility of falling short， for Yus unrefined legs， after extended periods of labor， had the tendency to sink into the ground like melted cheese. On such occasions the family had to unavoidably accommodate Yus need for a proper resting of feet. It follows that the prospect of mountain climbing posed both a psychological nuisance and a physical impossibility.

把小于的麻木完全歸咎于他的惰性是極不公平的，因為他通常旅行的目的地都是迪斯尼樂園和環(huán)球影城這樣的地方，這些地方保證每十步就會有冰奶昔，每五步就會有裝有空調(diào)的室內(nèi)活動空間。即便如此，這些出游也有可能隨時結(jié)束。因為小于缺少鍛煉的雙腿，經(jīng)過長時間的勞作后，有可能會坐地不起，就像融化的奶酪一樣沉入地下。在這種情況下，家里就不得不出于照顧小于的雙腳需要，時不時歇息一下了。因此，這個登山的提法不僅造成了心理上的困擾，從小于的體能方面來看也幾乎是不大可行。

Yet there was a tone of finality in his fathers voice， a swift determinant of fate that made Yu relinquish all rehearsed tantrums that he would usually throw. The wife was adamant about staying behind. Said she couldnt bear leaving their adorable ragdoll cat alone at home. The father grudgingly agreed， realizing that the cat， over the years， had risen to become her major company. The departing train arrived half past eight on a Saturday； normally， Yu would have still been in his Victorian bed， hardly out of his sleep. But today the father had been determined， and insisted the three appear well-packed and ready to go， and wait on the platform for the bullet train to show up. In fact， the father had deliberately chosen a train over a plane， the latter being their usual mode of transportation. He recently read a report detailing the number of citizens who never enjoyed the privilege of being on a plane in his country， a shocking statistic which tapped directly upon his pool of impersonal sympathy. It was only after Yu boarded the train， and sought， to no avail， a designated seat for luggage and seating， did he hesitantly confront his father regarding this inexplicable mystery.

上校把頭靠在窗玻璃上，窗上雖能感受到?jīng)鲆?，但卻能提神，就像一劑暫時的解藥，緩解他那開始遲鈍的頭腦，他的頭腦似乎一天比一天混沌了。火車向北飛馳，掠過密集的建筑和居住在這些建筑中熙熙攘攘的人。沙丘的土壤，棕色，綠色，有時是金色，構(gòu)成了外面的景色。一群牛羊不時引起旅客們一陣驚叫，他們從來沒有見過真正的有骨有肉的牲畜，但是動物們自己并沒有意識到他們已經(jīng)成為了大家關(guān)注的中心。他們繼續(xù)嚼著青草，空氣中彌漫著糞便的惡臭，一時間污染了火車車廂，引起了人們的皺眉和抱怨。然而，就在幾秒鐘后，它們就從人們的視線中消失了，永遠從那些驚呼的旁觀者的生活中消失了。

* * *

The family felt， rather saw， the looming presence of Mount Hua. The father was driving a Volkswagen Touareg rented after they got off the train， and as they closed in on their destination， a never-ending trickle of local merchants endeavored to tout them poorly manufactured binoculars and fridge magnets portraying famous local attractions， but the father was dubious if they could actually stick. Others tried to sell sugar-coated haws that had remained unsold for a century. The vendors waited by the roadsides， scouting tourists， like vultures biding their time to feed. They latched onto any unsuspecting cars， stopped them in their paths， then dove into a lengthy prattle on the divine worthiness of their identical products. The father soon became irritated， started telling them to go away and jammed the accelerator so he no longer posed an easy target. Yu， however， sitting in the back seat， didnt mind that their trip was being slowed down. The two prolonged hours of standing on the train had been no fond experience， and of all people， he could use some time to breath before the start of another treacherous journey.

這家人感覺到了，更確切地說是看到了隱現(xiàn)的華山。父親駕駛著一輛他們下車后租賃的大眾途銳，當他們快抵達目的地時，不斷有當?shù)厣特溝蛩麄兌凳哿淤|(zhì)的望遠鏡和冰箱貼，冰箱貼正面是當?shù)氐闹包c，但是父親卻懷疑那些冰箱貼是否真的能貼在冰箱上。還有其他小販則試圖兜售一個世紀都未賣出去的糖葫蘆。小販們在路邊等待著，搜尋著游客，就像禿鷲等待時機進食一樣。他們緊緊靠近任何一輛毫無防備的汽車，把他們攔在路上，然后就開始喋喋不休地談?wù)撍麄兊漠a(chǎn)品的神圣價值。這位父親很快就被激怒了，他開始讓他們走開，并猛踩油門，這樣他就不會再成為容易攻擊的目標。然而，坐在后座的小于并不介意他們的行程被放慢。在火車上站了兩個小時可不是什么愉快的經(jīng)歷。在這些商販的騷擾中，他可以喘口氣，然后再開始另一段危險的旅程。

The colonel had been very much awake and aware on the train—a rare glimpse of land and livestock beyond city limits was not to be missed. A reminder of the Republic when it was first being built. But as the limousine traveled on， his eyelids drooped， eventually succumbing to a dreamy slumber. He was twenty-five， give or take a few years. The rifle in his hands weighed more than it should. He wrapped his fingers around the trigger， the other hand clutching the guns extending front overly tight. Bullets zizzed past his head； shouts exploded from all directions. He wasnt sure which was louder， the nonstop firing or the deafening vibration of his screaming heart. His unit lured the enemy up a steep mountain passage， a holdout which they were determined to defend. He didnt flinch when the bodies of comrades went limp beside him， all life sucked out， nor did he wince at the wails of agony， the aftermath of landed projectiles. His mind was purged of all thoughts， other than the one singular， remaining faith： Hold the enemy back at all cost.

上校在火車上很清醒——難得看到城市以外的風景和牲畜，這是不容錯過的。這些讓人想起剛成立時的共和國。但隨著轎車繼續(xù)行駛，他的眼皮耷拉下來，最終進入了夢幻般的睡眠。他回到了25歲，前后差不了幾年。他手中的步槍感覺出奇的重。他的手指扣在扳機上，另一只手緊緊握著槍身。子彈從他頭上呼嘯而過；喊聲從四面八方爆發(fā)出來。他不確定到底是不停的槍聲響，還是他劇烈心跳更加讓他振聾發(fā)聵。他的隊伍引誘敵人爬上一條陡峭的山道，這是他們必守的一個陣地。當戰(zhàn)友們的尸體在他身旁歪歪扭扭地倒下，面對生命被吞噬，他沒有退縮；當炮彈落地時，他也沒有在戰(zhàn)友們痛苦的哀號中退縮。他的頭腦里一片空白，除了一個唯一的信念：不惜一切代價打退敵人。

The colonel woke to an indistinct humming of scattered conversations. For a moment， he wondered where he was and why he was there. Instinctively， his fingers reached for the pistol， which still leaned placidly on his belt. Its metallic texture never failed to soothe his nerves in times of agitation. They had reached an open field at the bottom of the mountain， where visitors parked their cars and proceeded toward the entrance of the scenic trails. Stepping down from the automobile with help from his son， a part of him still lingered in that recurring trance. Ever since he surpassed sixty years of age， nights and naps were whiled away in an unremembering darkness. No dreams had invigorated his sleep for years， save for that scene of battle on a mountain， which was a genuine memory he could recall， a fragment of time from the prime of his life. If his mind was a depleting lake， with all other memories fading like water being drained， that replay of his youth was the sedimentary fossil unearthed from the riverbed， growing clearer as it gradually surfaced behind all the fluids.

上校醒來時聽到零星的嗡嗡的談話聲。有那么一會兒，他都不知道自己在哪里，為什么會在這里。他的手指本能地伸向手槍，手槍仍然平靜地靠在腰帶上。在他激動的時候，它的金屬質(zhì)感總是能撫慰他的神經(jīng)。他們來到了山腳下的一塊空地，游客們把車停在那里，朝風景優(yōu)美的小徑的入口處走去。在兒子的幫助下，他從汽車里走下來，但身體的一部分仍然徘徊在那種反復(fù)出現(xiàn)的恍惚狀態(tài)中。自從他六十多歲以后，夜晚和瞌睡就在令人忘記的黑暗中消逝了。多年來，除了那山頭上的戰(zhàn)斗場面，沒有一個夢能使他的睡眠充滿活力，那是他能回憶起的真實的記憶，是他生命黃金時期的片段。如果說他的頭腦是一個逐漸枯竭的湖泊，所有的記憶都像水被抽干一樣漸漸消逝，那么他的青春回放就是從河床上挖出來的沉積化石，隨著它逐漸浮出水面，變得越來越清晰。

The father， mumbling some folksong， offered to purchase tickets. Yu quietly thanked the weather goddess for infecting his father with such cordial mood， that he did not object when Yu declined the invitation to purchase together， for Yu intended to busy himself with a mobile electronic battle game that hed been itching to play all along. The momentary absence of his father unlocked his long suppressed urge. Under his command， a young soldier dexterously switched back and forth between shot guns， grenades， knives， rifles， dodging attacks of all kinds like an immaterial shadow. Yus fingers danced across the narrow phone screen， his eyes consumed by a remorseless determination to terminate all enemies. The number of opponents dwindled as the Rolex watch on his wrist ticked on， until he saw the approaching figure of his father return out of the corner of his eyes. No time to finish now， Yu thought， as he stuffed his phone back to his pocket to avoid a potential scolding， finally bringing down his puppet in the game， now immobile and at the mercy of all.

父親低聲唱著民歌，提出要去買景區(qū)門票。小于悄悄感謝天氣女神讓他的父親感染了如此有親和力的心情，以至于當小于拒絕了父親一起去買票的要求，父親并沒有反對，因為小于本來是想忙著玩一款一直想玩的手機電子對戰(zhàn)游戲。他父親短暫的離開，釋放了他長期壓抑的欲望。在他的指揮下，一個年輕的士兵靈巧地在槍炮、手榴彈、刀、步槍之間來回切換，像一個無形的影子一樣躲避各種攻擊。小于的手指在狹窄的手機屏幕上舞動，他的眼睛里充滿了消滅所有敵人的決心。隨著他手腕上的勞力士手表滴答滴答地走著，敵人的數(shù)量逐漸減少，直到他從眼角的余光中看到父親漸漸走近的身影。沒時間接著打完這場游戲了，小于暗自思索著同時把手機揣進口袋，以免被罵，這一舉動最終導(dǎo)致他操作的人物長時間AFK（掛機），現(xiàn)在因為被掛機，將任由敵人擺布。

* * *

The trail， initially consisting of rows of flat wooden planks， wide and welcoming， grew increasingly narrow as it gained in elevation. Stairs， made of blocks of unpolished， moss-plagued granite， silently endured the weight of a thinning horde of travelers. The atmosphere reeked a blended scent of photosynthesis and decaying wood.

這條小徑最初是由一排排平坦的木板搭成的，寬大而舒適，隨著地勢的升高，逐漸變得狹窄。樓梯是用未打磨的長滿苔蘚的花崗巖砌成的，靜靜地承受著越走人越少的旅行者的重量?？諝庵袕浡夂献饔煤透癄€木材的混合氣味。

The father was in a great spirit to hike， strides sound， breathing rhythmic. His job， regardless of all the perks that came with it， rarely allowed the time for a brush with nature， or a rite of familial outing. He was the kind of person that maintained an applaudable level of fitness， despite a sedentary agenda which exercises were not a part of. Yu tagged along， not far behind his father. During the past hour he had asked for three water breaks and complained twice why it still wasnt time to stop and turn back， but a mixture of pep talks， commands， and disguised coercion by his father prolonged his struggle. What intrigued him was the odd outburst of vigor his grandpa had begun to demonstrate. The colonels frail body frame had been emitting a disproportionate amount of energy ever since they entered the mountain trail. He showed no signs of weariness as the hour dragged on， was instead leading several turns ahead， almost out of vision.

父親興致勃勃地徒步走著，步態(tài)沉穩(wěn)，呼吸有節(jié)奏。在他的工作中，不管有多少福利，他都很少有時間與大自然親密接觸，或者家庭郊游。他是那種保持著令人稱贊的健康水平的人，盡管工作日程安排讓他久坐不動，沒有任何的鍛煉時間。小于跟在父親的后面不遠。在過去的一個小時里，他曾三次要求喝水休息，兩次抱怨為什么還不停下來回返，但他父親的鼓勵、命令和變相的脅迫使得他不得不繼續(xù)前行。讓他感興趣的是他爺爺開始表現(xiàn)出的那種奇怪的爆發(fā)的活力。自從他們進入山路后，上校虛弱的身體就釋放出了不成比例的能量。時間一小時一小時過去，他一點也不疲倦，反而在前面轉(zhuǎn)了幾個彎，幾乎看不見了。

It was one of the rare occasions where Yu got close to the truth. The colonel had noticed a faint surge of familiarity swell up， not long after they began to hike along the trail， and as he trudged on the feeling was only magnified. Of course， certain constructions of the trail were additions of a later time. That he knew. Yet the position of twists and turns—he recalled them when the path was still a muddy mess—the combination of trees， reflected something eerily recognizable from a past he remembered only too well. There！ Half a tree trunk， entirely charred， laid horizontally on the forest ground， obstructing the right side of the walkway. The colonel recalled passing by a burnt tree trunk some forty years ago， one possibly struck by lightning. Surely it had fallen， after all these years standing erect， while dying slowing on the inside. No longer did he hold more doubts. It was the exact place he fought till the end as a private， the very mountain that haunted him through all the rewinding nights.

這是小于難得的接近真相的機會。他們沿著小路走了不久，上校就注意到一種輕微的熟悉感涌上心頭，當他在路上跋涉前行時，這種感覺更加強烈了。當然，這條小徑的某些設(shè)施是后來的產(chǎn)物。這個他知道。然而，那些彎彎曲曲的地方——當他回想起當時的道路還是一片泥濘時——那些林木的組合，反映出某種他記憶中非常清楚的、令他毛骨悚然的東西。在那里！半根燒焦的樹干橫躺在森林的地面上，擋住了走道的右側(cè)。上?；貞浧穑蠹s四十年前，他路過一棵可能被閃電擊中燒焦的樹干。它肯定是倒下了，在挺立了這么多年之后，從內(nèi)部慢慢地死去。他不再懷疑了。這正是他作為一個列兵戰(zhàn)斗到最后的地方，也是在整個倒轉(zhuǎn)的夜晚縈繞著他的那片山地。

With each step the Colonel was recharged with an electrifying confidence. He could feel that long-absent adrenaline coursing through his veins， propelling his heart to crash against the ribcage， pounding to escape. When he was rescued by the main army， he never imagined returning， though the martyred bodies of his comrades were long branded into his soul. Fate was leading him back to the graveyard of a battlefield， he was sure of it； it had always been his duty to send his fellow soldiers to an eternally peaceful rest.

上校每前行一步，都充滿了激動人心的信心。他能感覺到那消失已久的腎上腺素在他的血管里流動，推動著他的心臟撞向胸腔，并砰砰地跳動著想要跳出胸腔。當他后來被主力部隊救起后，他從來沒有想過會回去，盡管戰(zhàn)友犧牲的尸體早已烙在他的靈魂里。他確信，命運正把他帶回戰(zhàn)場的那片墓地，他的職責就是讓他的戰(zhàn)友們得到永久的安息。

* * *

The mountain sky usually kept a stash of masks at her disposal， childishly switching one for another whenever she felt like it. What started as a gentle breeze soon transformed into a razor gale， swaying the trees， rocking their vociferous branches and leaves. The sun retired for the day and left the stage to adjoining gray clouds that covered the firmament. A drizzle， a shower， a downpour—rains evolution took no time at all and permitted no time to react. Within seconds the father and Yu were soaked， T-shirts adhering to their skin like swimming suits. The colonel was ahead of them， at the maximum range of sight and sound.

山區(qū)的天氣通常似有一堆面具，只要它想，就會孩子氣地換一個。一開始是一陣微風，但很快就變成了狂風，搖晃著樹木，搖動著它們吵鬧的樹木枝葉。白天的太陽漸漸退去，把舞臺留給了周圍覆蓋著蒼穹的灰色云彩。一場毛毛雨，一場陣雨，一場傾盆大雨的演變不需要任何準備，也不留任何給人反應(yīng)的時間。只幾秒鐘后，父親和小于就渾身濕透了，T恤像泳衣一樣粘在皮膚上。上校走在他們前面，在聲音和視線可見的最大范圍內(nèi)。

The father shouted to get his attention. Bellowed， waved like a clown. Even Yu chimed in，“Grandpa，Come back. Grandpa，Time to go. Come back，Back. ”

父親大聲喊叫以期引起他的注意。他咆哮著，像小丑一樣揮舞著手臂。就連小于也加入了進來，“爺爺，回來了。爺爺，該返回了?；貋戆桑貋?。”

Hearing sounds， but not words， the colonel turned. He saw two figures through the rain， the taller brandishing his gun， the shorter stood to the side， howling taunts. Enemies were cunning， cold-blooded fiends， and they were upon him. Further down track were more sinister shadows， obscure but advancing amid the shaded mist.

上校聽到了聲音，但沒聽清在喊啥，他回過身來。他在雨中看見兩個人影，個子高的揮舞著槍，個子矮的站在一邊，大聲辱罵著。敵人都是狡猾、冷血的惡魔，他們向他逼近。再往前，是一些更險惡的陰影，雖然看不清，但在朦朧的霧中向他移動。

Behind him dwelt the spirits of blood-bonded comrades， bracing for a deathly skirmish. Behind him the sacred land of the republic stretched， demanding from him a final stand. No time to lose now—the colonel， trembling， reached for his pistol， and after taking aim， pulled the trigger， sensing the shot.

在他身后，安置著戰(zhàn)友們的靈魂，準備迎接一場殊死的戰(zhàn)斗。在他身后，共和國神圣的土地伸展開來，要求他做最后的搏斗。沒時間了，上校顫抖著摸出手槍，瞄準，扣動扳機，感覺到子彈出膛的后坐力。