作品原文

柯灵 《巷》

巷，是城市建筑艺术中一篇飘逸恬静的散文，一幅古雅冲淡的图画。

这种巷，常在江南的小城市中，有如古代的少女，躲在僻静的深闺，轻易不肯抛头露面。你要在这种城市里住久了，和它真正成了莫逆，你才有机会看见她，接触到她优娴贞静的风度。它不是乡村的陋巷，湫隘破败，泥泞坎坷，杂草乱生，两旁还排列着错落的粪缸。它不是上海的里弄，鳞次栉比的人家，拥挤得喘不过气；小贩憧憧来往，黝暗的小门边，不时走出一些趿着拖鞋的女子，头发乱似临风飞舞的秋蓬，眼睛里网满红丝，脸上残留着不调和的隔夜脂粉，颓然地走到老虎灶上去提水。也不像北地的胡同，满目尘土，风起处刮着弥天的黄沙。

这种小巷，隔绝了市廛的红尘，却又不是乡村的风味。它又深又长，一个人耐心静静走去，要老半天才走完。它又这么曲折，你望前面，好像已经堵塞了，可是走过去，一转弯，依然是巷陌深深，而且更加幽静。那里常是寂寂的，寂寂的，不论什么时候，你向巷中踅去，都如宁静的黄昏，可以清晰地听到自己的足音。不高不矮的围墙挡在两边，斑斑驳驳的苔痕，墙上挂着一串串苍翠欲滴的藤萝，简直像古朴的屏风。墙里常是人家的竹园，修竹森森，天籁细细；春来时还常有几枝娇艳的桃花杏花，娉娉婷婷，从墙头殷勤地摇曳红袖，向行人招手。走过几家墙门，都是紧紧关着，不见一个人影，因为那都是人家的后门。偶然躺着一只狗，但是决不会对你狺狺地狂吠。

小巷的动人处就是它无比的悠闲。无论是谁，只要你到巷里去踯躅一会，你的心情就会如巷尾不波的古井，那是一种和平的静穆，而不是阴森和肃杀。它闹中取静，别有天地，仍是人间。它可能是一条现代的乌衣巷，家家有自己的一本哀乐帐，一部兴衰史，可是重门叠户，讳莫如深，夕阳影里，野花闲草，燕子低飞，寻觅归家。只是一片澄明如水的气氛，净化一切，笼罩一切，使人忘忧。

你是否觉得劳生草草，身心两乏？我劝你工余之暇，常到小巷里走走，那是最好的将息，会使你消除疲劳，紧张的心弦得到调整。你如果有时情绪烦燥，心情悒郁，我劝你到小巷里负手行吟一阵，你一定会豁然开朗，怡然自得，物我两忘。你有爱人吗？我建议不要带了她去什么名园胜景，还是利用晨昏时节，到深巷中散散步。在那里，你们俩可以随便谈谈，心贴得更近，在街上那种贪婪的睨视，恶意的斜觑，巷里是没有的；偶然呀的一声，墙门口显现出一个人影，又往往是深居简出的姑娘，看见你们，会娇羞地返身回避了。

巷，是人海汹汹中的一道避风塘，给人家带来安全感；是城市暄嚣扰攘中的一带洞天幽境，胜似皇家的阁道，便于平常百姓徘徊徜徉。

爱逐臭争利，锱铢必较的，请到长街闹市去；爱轻嘴薄舌的，争是论非的，请到茶馆酒楼去；爱锣鼓钲镗，管弦嗷嘈的，请到歌台剧院去；爱宁静淡泊，沉思默想的，深深的小巷在欢迎你。

英文译文

The Lane
Ke Ling

The lane, in terms of the art of urban architecture, is like a pieceof prose of gentle gracefulness or a painting of classic elegance andsimplicity.

Often tucked away in a small town south of the Yangtse River, thelane, like a maiden of ancient times hidden away in a secluded boudoir, isreluctant to make its appearance in public. You’ll never have an opportunity tosee it and savour its gentle poise until you have become truly attached to thesmall town after living there for a long time. The lane has nothing in commonwith the mean rural alleys, which are narrow and low-lying, muddy and bumpy,overgrown with wild weeds and lined here and there with manure vats. Nor has itanything in common with linong (meaning alleys) in Shanghai, which areliterally packed with dwellings and their residents. Over there, you’ll seevendors hawking their wares here and there. From time to time, women are seenemerging from inside some dingy small gates and shuffling languidly in theirslippers towards a laohuzao, the shop specializing in selling boiled water,their hair disheveled like wind-blown withered grass in autumn, their eyesblood-shot, their faces betraying traces of overnight make-up. Nor has the laneanything in common with hutong (also meaning alleys) in north China, which aredusty on every side, especially when a wind rises.

The lane, though cut off from the hustle and bustle of busy cities,does not taste of the countryside at all. It is long and deep, so it will takeyou a long while to walk patiently and quietly through it from end to end. Itis also so winding that it seems to be a blind alley when you look far ahead,but if you keep walking until you take a turning, you’ll find it again lyingendless and still more quiet. There is nothing but stillness there. At any hourof day, you can even distinctly hear in the dusk-like quiet your own footsteps.On either side of the lane stand enclosing walls of medium height, which,moss-covered and hung with clusters of fresh green wisteria, look almost likescreens of primitive simplicity. Inside the walls are residents’ gardens withdense groves of tall bamboos as well as soft sounds of nature. In spring,beautiful peach and apricot blossoms atop the walls, like graceful girls wavingtheir red sleeves, will sway hospitably to beckon the pedestrians. You’ll findthe doors in the walls close shut without a soul in sight because they are backdoors to some households. Occasionally, you may come upon a dog lying there,which, however, never gives a bark at you.

The charm of the lane lies in its absolute serenity. No matter whoyou are, if you loiter around in the lane for a while, your mind will become asunruffled as the ancient well at the end of the lane. There you will experiencea kind of peaceful calmness rather than gloomy sternness. There reigns peaceand quiet in the midst of noisy bustle. It is a world of its own on earth. Itmay be a modern version of Wu Yi Xiang, a special residential area of nobilityin the Jin Dynasty southeast of today’s Nanjing, where each family, secludedbehind closed doors, has its own covered-up story of joys and sorrows, and riseand decline. When the sun is setting, swallows will fly low over wild flowersand grass on their way to their nests. The all-pervading and all-purifyingatmosphere of water-like placidness makes one forget all cares and worries.

Aren’t you weighed down with cares in this life of hard toil andexhausted physically and mentally? I would like to advise you often to take awalk in the lane in your off-duty hours. That is the best way to take a rest.It will dissipate your fatigue and relieve your nervous tension. When you arefidgety or depressed, go to the lane and wander around reciting or composingpoems with your hands crossed behind your back. You will then suddenly fallinto a bright mood and enjoy inner peace, forgetting both yourself and theexternal world. Don’t you have a sweetheart? Let me suggest that, instead ofaccompanying her on a visit to famous park or scenic spot, you take her with youfor a stroll in the lane at dawn or dusk. Over there, you two can chat freelyand with even deeper affection, free from greedy sidelong glances or malicioussquints such as you often meet with in busy streets. Suddenly, at a creakingsound, there may appear a figure by a door—usually an unsophisticated younggirl. She will, at the sight of you, withdraw coyly into the house.

The lane is a safe haven for those struggling in the turbulent seaof humans to enjoy a sense of security. It is a heavenly abode in the midst ofconfusion. Unlike the erstwhile plank-paved path used exclusively by theimperial family for their vehicles to move on smoothly, the lane is place forthe common people to roam about leisurely.

Those who strive after fame and gain, and haggle over every penny,please go to the downtown area! Those who are sharp-tongued and quarrelsome,please go to the teahouse or restaurant! Those who love deafening gongs anddrums as well as noisy wind and string instruments, please go to the operahouse or theatre! Those who are given to profound meditation and a quiet lifewithout worldly desires, welcome to the lane!