The Melting Snow

残雪断想

Cen Sang

岑桑

Unwilling to be driven from the streets, the heavy snow piles sit here and there in the bumpy places, looking stubborn and rough. It is piled so deep and gives off a chilling air that makes people tremble.

残雪不甘沦落，东一堆，西一堆，在那坑坑洼洼的地方，还积得老深，散发出令人战栗的寒气。

Don’t you believe that the cold winter has ended and spring has come?

所以，你还不相信隆冬已尽，春天已经来临了吗？

At that time, as the biting north wind blew, nature appeared to be frozen solid. Buried under the hard crust of snow, the world gasped in exhaustion. The world has dumb and the pleasure of the rich forests had faded. Hope had curled up and hidden away in the depths of the frozen earth to pass its winter in hibernation. The pleasure of life had withered and the songs had died down too, leaving only the sighs, howling wind the cry of jackdaws. Men became heart-broken and their senses dulled. The hope of green life gradually withered away with the dry twigs and brittle leaves. The only fresh colour in the world were the blood stains on the snow-covered field.

那时候，朔风凛冽，周天寒彻，我们这个世界埋在坚冰底下，气息奄奄。人间是喑哑的，欢乐和树林一起凋零了。希望蜷伏在冻土的深处冬眠；生活的光彩都已褪尽，歌声都已隐没，只有叹息，只有风声和寒鸦的啼叫。人们心都碎了，神经都麻木了。绿色的信念随着枯枝败叶慢慢地枯萎，如果说世界还有鲜丽的色彩留存，指的也许就是雪原之上的斑斑血迹了。

It was simply like that the ice age had returned!

那简直是一个漫长的冰川时期呵！

During the long nights, people were used to a hopeless and miserable life. When the warmth of spring finally arrived and snow melted, some people were too numb to believe in the passing of time.

长夜里，人们习惯于在苦寒和无望中生活，以致到了冰消春暖的时光，对于时序的迁流，竟还有人木然不敢置信。

Is it because of winter that you do not believe in spring?

莫非正是因为这样，你才不相信春光就在眼前？

In piles here and there, the snow was stubborn to melt away. And in the corners where the sun spent little or no time, the snow remained thick and threatening.

残雪不甘逝去，这里一摊，那里一摊；在那背着阳光的角落．还积得很厚，发出咄咄逼人的余威。

So, why don’t you believe that the cold winter has passed and spring has arrived?

所以，你还不承认隆冬已尽，春天已经来临了吗？

Then it was a time of a hundred leagues locked in ice and ten thousand leagues of whirling snow. The world was in fact still frozen and silenced by the force of the ice and snow. Man was forced to wait in pain. The eagerness for the coming of spring made them anxious to the point of tearing their chests open.

那时候，千里冰封，万里雪飘，我们这个世界委实凝结得太久太久了。人们屈处于冰雪的淫威之下，痛苦地期待着、期待着。对于春天的渴望，使他们焦灼得快要撕裂自己的胸膛。

Oh, when would the colourful butterflies be whirling about again? When would the orioles be flying around? When would the flowers blossom, the trees turn green, the bee hives overflow wither sweet honey, and the human heart be full of the ties of friendship?...

啊，什么时候，才有彩蝶蹁跹，才见群莺飞舞？什么时候呵，才让繁花竞放，树木葱茏，蜂房酿满蜜汁，人心注满情谊……

Beautiful expectations are dancing in our hearts, for life has been so desolate for so long and nobody can bear it any longer. We sincerely hope that the snow melt overnight, and the flowers and leaves flourish. But the warmth of spring is not yet enough to melt the hard, thick ice. No wonder that even after the swallows are darting about, there are still some people who are not yet convinced that the world is changing. And there are those men who are only satisfied in their eagerness to understand this feeling through touch.

美丽的期待，在人们心怀里跳荡不安；因为生活荒凉已久，谁也难以继续忍受了。人们祈求一夜之间冰化雪消，花繁叶茂；而坚冰毕竟太厚，最初的春色毕竟还不够浓艳。现实并无点化而成的奇迹，得以满足人们可以理解的迫切心愿，以致到了飞燕衔泥的时光，竟还有人感觉不到如今已是换了人间。

Is it just because of this that you don’t believe spring is before your eyes?

莫非正是由于这样，你才不承认春光就在眼前？

The sun’s reflection of the melting snow is blinding our eyes. However, it is slowly melthing and no longer can you build a snowman with it.

残雪以它白皑皑的回光，刺痛我们的眼睛；然而它正在崩溃，再也堆不起几个雪罗汉了。

With a chilly gesture, the melting snow still settles in this corner and that corner, trying its best to keep a foothold to life. However, the melting weather is too warm for the snow, so it finally surrendered to spring.

残雪以它冷冰冰的神态，傲然盘踞在依旧可容立足的东边一角、西边一隅；然而它正在没落，再也不能无休无止地扼杀大地的生机了。

The remainder of snow, you are a proof of the ugly force that desperately attempts to force itself upon the earth when it should retreat. You are also a symbol of the impossible escape from its doomed fate. You belong to winter with your cold-blooded and untamed character. However, you are also a proof in the triumph of spring with your dissolving appearance. We can see the real spring atmosphere through your chilly, bleak light.

残雪呵，你是丑恶势力绝不甘心退隐的明证；也是它摆脱不掉败亡命运的象征。你是属于冬天的，有着冷酷而凌厉的秉性；然而你以自身残缺的形象，反证了春的胜利，我们因之得以透过你的寒光，探寻到切切实实的春意。

The cold winter has retreated, and the melting snow is its real guard.

隆冬溃退了，残雪是为它殿后的。

Time is ruthless yet full of feeling. Those which must die, die; and those which should live, live. It curses those which should be cursed and turns green those which be praised.

时间无情，却也深情，它让该死的死，该生的生；让该诅咒的归于毁灭，该赞美的郁郁葱葱。

Spring drifts in lightly from beyond the sky in the form of gentle breeze and skylarks.

春天从天外轻盈地飞了回来，化作柔风和云雀。

Spring silently oozes from under the earth in the form of grass, leaves and fresh shoots.

春天从地里悄悄地冒了出来，化作草叶和芽苗。

Spring rushes up from mountain valleys, in the form of streams, riverbeds and lakes with shining ripples.

春天从山间喧闹地奔了过来，化作溪流、河川和波光潋滟的湖泊。

Spring changes into countless life forms, into songs, smiles and warm and beautiful colours…

春天化作一千一万种生命的形式；还化作歌声，还化作微笑，还化作温暖和美丽的色彩……

We have been longing for you, spring. You are that wonderful season when life beings. Today, we put on spring couplets, hang up lanterns and colourful decorations over gateways, light the ever-burning lamps to usher you in! The children light their firecrackers and fireworks, and girls put on their butterfly hair ties and wear their colourful dresses to cheerfully usher you in with complete happiness.

久违了，春天，你这生机萌发的美妙时节！今天我们贴起挥春，挂起灯笼，架起高矗的彩楼，点起不眠的灯火；孩子们还烧起他们的爆竹和烟花，姑娘们还戴起她们的蝴蝶结，穿起她们的花衣裳，高高兴兴，衷心把你欢迎。

Oh, spring, you are the best season and are beyond words to describe. You are so wonderful that even when our exciting affection towards you is put together, it still amounts to so little.

哈哈，春天，唱不尽的大好时光！比起我们对你如此激动的情怀，这一切加起来又算得上什么？

It’s better to greet you with our hope which has just been recovered!

我想最好还是用我们刚刚苏醒过来的希望，来把你欢迎吧！

It’s better to greet you with our will which has just sprung up!

我想最好还是用我们刚刚升腾而起的志气，来把你欢迎吧！

We should light hope with will and let it shine bright as the flames dance in the wind. Let us hold high the torch of hope, put it at the top of both the Taishan Mountain and the Kunlun Mountain.

我们要用自己的志气，把希望点燃，煽得它通明透亮，煽得它烈焰飞扬，把那希望的火炬高高举起，插上泰山之顶，树在昆仑之巅。

Melting snow, as the fire of hope burns brighter and brighter, we watch you with a consoling heart. You are the residue of a cold winter that eventually melts and sinks deep into the earth and fills the ditches and pools with dirty water.

残雪啊残雪，当希望之火越烧越旺，我们将怀着宽慰的心情，看见你呵，你这隆冬的余孽终于彻彻底底溶人泥泞，坠于沟壑，化作摊摊污水。

It is at this moment that our dream of green manifests itself into reality and grows stronger and stronger with each passing day.

就在那样的时刻，我们那绿色的梦幻，将会在现实中明确无误地呈现出来，一天浓似一天，一层浓似一层……