故乡
hometown
鲁迅
Lu Xun

    我冒着严寒，回到相隔二千余里，别了二十余年的故乡去。
    I braved the harsh cold and returned to my hometown, which was separated by more than two thousand miles and had been separated for more than twenty years.
    时候既然是深冬；渐近故乡时，天气又阴晦了，冷风吹进船舱中，呜呜的响，从篷隙向外一望，苍黄的天底下，远近横着几个萧索的荒村，没有一些活气。我的心禁不住悲凉起来了。
    Since it is deep winter; As we approached our hometown, the weather became gloomy again. The cold wind blew into the cabin, making a whining sound. Looking out from the canopy gap, we could see several desolate villages lying far and near in the pale yellow sky, lacking any vitality. My heart couldn't help but feel desolate.
    我所记得的故乡全不如此。我的故乡好得多了。但要我记起他的美丽，说出他的佳处来，却又没有影像，没有言辞了。仿佛也就如此。这只是我自己心情的改变罢了，因为我这次回乡，本没有什么好心绪。
    All the hometowns I remember are different. My hometown is much better. But if I had to remember his beauty and speak of his strengths, there would be no image or words left. It seems like that's all. This is just a change in my own mood, because I didn't have a good mood when I returned home this time.
    我这次是专为了别他而来的。我们多年聚族而居的老屋，已经公同卖给别姓了，交屋的期限，只在本年，所以必须赶在正月初一以前，永别了熟识的老屋，而且远离了熟识的故乡，搬家到我在谋食的异地去。
    I came here specifically to bid farewell to him. The old house that we have been living in for many years has already been sold to a different surname. The deadline for handing over the house is only this year, so we must bid farewell to the familiar old house before the first day of the first lunar month, and move away from our familiar hometown to a different place where I am seeking food.
    第二日清早晨我到了我家的门口了。瓦楞上许多枯草的断茎当风抖着，正在说明这老屋难免易主的原因。几房的本家大约已经搬走了，所以很寂静。我到了自家的房外，我的母亲早已迎着出来了，接着便飞出了八岁的侄儿宏儿。
    The next morning, I arrived at my doorstep. The broken stems of many withered grass on the corrugated walls tremble in the wind, indicating the reason why this old house is inevitably changing ownership. The owner of several rooms has probably moved out, so it's very quiet. I arrived outside my own house, and my mother had already welcomed me out. Then, my eight year old nephew, Hong'er, flew out.
    我的母亲很高兴，但也藏着许多凄凉的神情，教我坐下，歇息，喝茶，且不谈搬家的事。宏儿没有见过我，远远的对面站着只是看。
    My mother is very happy, but she also hides many sorrowful expressions, teaching me to sit down, rest, drink tea, and not talk about moving. Hong'er has never seen me, standing across from afar just looking.
    这时候，我的脑里忽然闪出一幅神异的图画来：深蓝的天空中挂着一轮金黄的圆月，下面是海边的沙地，都种着一望无际的碧绿的西瓜，其间有一个十一二岁的少年，手捏一柄钢叉，向一匹猹尽力的刺去，那猹却将身一扭，反从他的胯下逃走了。
    At this moment, a miraculous picture suddenly flashed through my mind: a golden full moon hung in the deep blue sky, and below was the sandy land by the sea, where endless green watermelons were planted. Among them was a young man of eleven or twelve years old, holding a steel fork in his hand and thrusting at a horse with all his might, but the horse twisted its body and escaped from under his crotch.
    这少年便是闰土。我认识他时，也不过十多岁，离现在将有三十年了；那时我的父亲还在世，家景也好，我正是一个少爷。那一年，这祭祀忙不过来，他便对父亲说，可以叫他的儿子闰土来管祭器的。
    This young man is Runtu. When I met him, I was only in my teens, and it will be thirty years since then; At that time, my father was still alive and my family was in good condition. I was just a young master. That year, the sacrificial ceremony was too busy for him, so he told his father that he could ask his son Runtu to manage the sacrificial vessels.
    我的父亲允许了；我也很高兴，因为我早听到闰土这名字，而且知道他和我仿佛年纪，闰月生的，五行缺土，所以他的父亲叫他闰土。他是能装弶捉小鸟雀的。
    My father allowed it; I am also very happy because I have heard the name Runtu early and know that he is as old as me. Born in the leap month, the five elements lack soil, so his father called him Runtu. He is capable of catching small birds and sparrows.
    我于是日日盼望新年，新年到，闰土也就到了。好容易到了年末，有一日，母亲告诉我，闰土来了，我便飞跑的去看。他正在厨房里，紫色的圆脸，头戴一顶小毡帽，颈上套一个明晃晃的银项圈。
    So I look forward to the New Year day by day, and when the New Year arrives, Runtu also arrives. At the end of the year, one day, my mother told me that Runtu had arrived, so I ran to see it. He is in the kitchen, with a purple round face, wearing a small felt hat on his head, and a shiny silver collar around his neck.
    第二日，我便要他捕鸟。他说：须大雪下了才好。我于是又很盼望下雪。闰土又对我说：“现在太冷，你夏天到我们这里来。我们日里到海边检贝壳去，红的绿的都有，鬼见怕也有，观音手也有。晚上我和爹管西瓜去，你也去。”
    The next day, I asked him to catch birds. He said: It needs to snow heavily to be good. I looked forward to snow again. Runtu said to me again, "It's too cold now. You come to us in the summer. We go to the beach to check the shells every day, and there are red and green ones, as well as ghosts and fears. Guanyin also has them. In the evening, my father and I will go to manage watermelons, and you will also go."
    我素不知道天下有这许多新鲜事：海边有如许五色的贝壳；西瓜有这样危险的经历，我先前单知道他在水果店里出卖罢了。
    I never knew that there were many new things in the world: there were colorful seashells by the seaside; Watermelon has such a dangerous experience, I only knew it was sold in a fruit shop before.
    阿！闰土的心里有无穷无尽的稀奇的事，都是我往常的朋友所不知道的。他们不知道一些事，闰土在海边时，他们都和我一样只看见院子里高墙上的四角的天空。
    Ah! Runtu's heart has endless strange things that my usual friends didn't know. They don't know anything. When Runtu was by the seaside, they only saw the sky at the four corners of the high wall in the yard like me.
    可惜正月过去了，闰土须回家里去，我急得大哭，他也躲到厨房里，哭着不肯出门，但终于被他父亲带走了。他后来还托他的父亲带给我一包贝壳和几支很好看的鸟毛，我也曾送他一两次东西，但从此没有再见面。
    Unfortunately, January has passed and Runtu needs to go home. I was so anxious that I cried. He also hid in the kitchen, crying and refusing to go out, but was finally taken away by his father. He later asked his father to bring me a bag of shells and a few beautiful bird feathers. I also gave him something once or twice, but we never met again.
    现在我的母亲提起了他，我这儿时的记忆，忽而全都闪电似的苏生过来，似乎看到了我的美丽的故乡了。我应声说：“这好极！他，——怎样？……”
    Now my mother mentions him, and all the memories of my time here suddenly come to life like lightning, as if seeing my beautiful hometown. I replied, "This is great! He, how is it?..."
    一日是天气很冷的午后，我吃过午饭，坐着喝茶，觉得外面有人进来了，便回头去看。我看时，不由得非常出惊，慌忙站起身，迎着走去。
    One cold afternoon, I had lunch and sat drinking tea. I felt like someone had come in outside, so I turned around to look. When I looked at it, I couldn't help but feel very surprised. I quickly stood up and walked towards it.
    这来的便是闰土。虽然我一见便知道是闰土，但又不是我这记忆上的闰土了。他身材增加了一倍；先前的紫色的圆脸，已经变作灰黄，而且加上了很深的皱纹；眼睛也像他父亲一样。
    This is Runtu. Although I knew it was Runtu at first sight, it was not the Runtu in my memory anymore. His figure has doubled; The previous purple round face has turned grayish yellow with deep wrinkles added; His eyes are also like his father's.
    我这时很兴奋，但不知道怎么说才好，只是说：“阿！闰土哥，——你来了？……”　　我接着便有许多话，想要连珠一般涌出……但又总觉得被什么挡着似的，单在脑里面回旋，吐不出口外去。
    I was very excited at this moment, but I didn't know how to say it. I just said, "Ah! Brother Runtu, are you here?..." Then I had a lot of words, wanting to burst out like a bead... But I always felt like something was blocking me, spinning in my mind and unable to spit them out.
    我似乎打了一个寒噤；我就知道，我们之间已经隔了一层可悲的厚障壁了。我也说不出话。我问问他的景况。他只是摇头。母亲问他，知道他的家里事务忙，明天便得回去；又没有吃过午饭，便叫他自己到厨下炒饭吃去。
    I seem to have shuddered; I knew there was already a sad thick barrier between us. I can't speak either. I'll ask about his situation. He just shook his head. His mother asked him, knowing that his family was busy with affairs and he had to go back tomorrow; Having not eaten lunch, he asked him to eat Fried Rice under the kitchen.
    下午，他拣好了几件东西：两条长桌，四个椅子，一副香炉和烛台，一杆抬秤。他又要所有的草灰，待我们启程的时候，他用船来载去。
    In the afternoon, he picked up several things: two long tables, four chairs, a pair of incense burners and candlesticks, and a weighing stick. He wants all the grass ash, and when we set off, he will transport it by boat.
    又过了九日，是我们启程的日期。闰土早晨便到了，我们终日很忙碌，再没有谈天的工夫。来客也不少，有送行的，有拿东西的，有送行兼拿东西的。
    Nine days later, it's the date we set off. Runtu arrived in the morning, and we were very busy all day long, without the time to talk anymore. There were also many visitors, some seeing off, some taking things, and some seeing off and taking things together.
    我想到希望，忽然害怕起来了。闰土要香炉和烛台的时候，我还暗地里笑他，以为他总是崇拜偶像，什么时候都不忘却。现在我所谓希望，不也是我自己手制的偶像么？只是他的愿望切近，我的愿望茫远罢了。
    I thought of hope and suddenly became afraid. When Runtu asked for the incense burner and candlestick, I secretly laughed at him, thinking that he always admired idols and never forgot. Now what I call hope is also my own handmade idol, isn't it? It's just that his wishes are close, my wishes are distant.
    我在朦胧中，眼前展开一片海边碧绿的沙地来，上面深蓝的天空中挂着一轮金黄的圆月。我想：希望是本无所谓有，无所谓无的。这正如地上的路；其实地上本没有路，走的人多了，也便成了路。
    In the hazy sky, a green sandy beach unfolds before my eyes, with a golden full moon hanging in the deep blue sky. I think: hope is something that doesn't matter, it doesn't matter. This is like a road on the ground; In fact, there is no road on the ground, and as more people walk, it becomes a road.
    一九二一年一月。
    January 1921.