作品原文

彭飞 《重逢》

晚霞染红半边天，陋巷里也镀上一层金光，有个西装笔挺的老人提着皮箱焦急的扫视着两边破落的灰墙。迎面走来了个老妇人，一身蓝得发亮的网状旗袍，她手上也提着个皮箱。
老人客气而急促的叫住老妇人，说"请问这是不是水车巷？"
"是的。"老妇人的眼光向手腕一扫。
老人如释重负的吁了一口气说："有没有一间门牌172号的屋子？"
"一直向前走，巷口旁边那坐两层楼的老屋就是，楼下是咖啡屋，很容易找的。"老妇人又有意无意的看望着腕表。
老人几乎是高兴的叫起来："真多谢你。唉，这里什么都变了。你住在这里的吧，认识一个叫阿翠，噢，不，是叫蔡玉翠的吗？"
老妇人刚跨出脚步，却又止步，脸色一窒，疑惑的问道："你找她？"
"恩，已经三十几年未见面了，前些日子有朋友稍信来，说她住在这里。我们约好今天在机场见面的，可是班机却提前了两小时到达，我就先来了。"
老妇人眼里蒙上了一层雾。
"几十年没回来，一切都变了。我离开时，阿翠只有十八岁，不知现在……，噢，你还没告诉我阿翠是住这里的吗？"
老妇人眼里的饿雾更浓了，低声说："她就住在咖啡店楼上，你可以从旁边的楼梯走上去，问一问房东就知道。"
"谢谢，谢谢你，再见。"老人感激的躬腰致谢，不曾发觉雾以浓得化成露珠，在斜晖里闪烁着晶光。
老人依照指示找到咖啡店，爬上阴暗的楼梯，敲开陈旧的门扉。有个身材瘦削，脸色阴沉的中年女人出来应门，望了望他手中的皮箱，勉强自嘴角拉开一丝笑意说："想租房间？有个可房刚搬走，你想看看吗？"
"不是，我来找蔡玉翠。"
"蔡玉翠？"房东的眼里尽是惊疑的神色，说："就是她刚搬走，离开还不到半小时。"
"刚搬走！"老人的眼里一黯一亮，几乎是喃喃自语地问道："是不是穿兰色旗袍的的那一个？"
"是啊，她在这里住了十多年，从来没见过她穿得那么整齐……"
老人呆了半响，默默走下楼。陋巷留不住霞光，暮色已朦胧，老人回头望望在苍茫里隐没的老屋，忽地掏出珍藏的信，一把撕成粉碎，在飞舞的纸屑里驼着背走出巷子。

作品译文

Reunion
Peng Fei

The evening hue reddened half of the sky and gilded the shabby lane with its golden light. Along the lane, there came an old man in a well-ironed suit. He glanced anxiously at the walls on both sides, which were worn-out and peeling off constantly. At this time, he saw an old woman on the opposite. In a blue shinny cheongsam with the pattern of checks, she was hurrying on her way, holding a leather suitcase in hand.
The old man quickly stopped her and asked her in a very polite manner, "Excuse me, is it the Waterwheel Lane?"
"Yes, it is." The old woman answered, glancing at her watch.
The old man sighed with relief, "Is the house with the doorplate of No. 172 here?"
"Go ahead. The old two-story house at the end of the lane. There is a coffee-shop downstairs. You can't miss it." The old woman looked at her watch consciously or unconsciously.
Feeling happy and excited, the old man almost shouted, "Thanks a lot! Ah, everything has changed here. Do you live here? Do you know a girl named a Cui? Oh, no, her name actually is Cai Yucui."
She was just about to move, but hearing his words she suddenly stopped. Her face turned pale. She asked him with a doubtful tone, "You are looking for her?"
"Yes, we haven't seen each other for thirty years. Several days ago, one of my friends wrote me a letter and told me she is living here. We made an appointment of meeting each other at the airport, but the plane arrived half an hour earlier, so I come here in advance."
The old woman's eyes were covered with a layer of mist.
"It has been tens of years. Everything has changed. Cui was only 18 when I left, and I don't know how she … Oh, you didn't tell me whether she is living here."
The mist in her eyes became denser. She lowered her voice and said, "She lives on the upper floor of the coffee shop. You can go upstairs via the steps beside, and ask the landlord about it."
"Thanks. Thank you very much. See you." The old made a bow to her in gratitude. He didn't notice the mist in her eyes had turned into dewdrops, sparking in the evening glow.
In light of her direction, he found the coffee shop. He went upstairs in darkness, and knocked at the old and shabby door. The door opened and a middle-aged woman, lean and bloomy, looked at his suitcase and smiled reluctantly to him, "You want to rent the house? A tenant just left. Would you like to have a look at it?"
"No, I am here to look for a woman named Cai Yucui."
"Cai Yucui?" The landlady felt surprised and suspicious, "It is she who just left no more than half an hour ago."
"Just left!" The old man's eyes turned dim and then bright. He murmured to himself, "Is she in a blue cheongsam?"
"Yes, she has been living here for more than ten years, and I've never seen her dress herself up so brightly like that."
The old man stood there in a daze. After a while, he walked downstairs slowly. No evening hues were left in the lane and everything became dim and dark. The old man turned his head and looked at the old house. All of a sudden, he took out that letter, which he cherished so much, and tore it into pieces. He shuffled out of the lane, hunchbacked, in the fluttering pieces of paper.