河对岸

薛涛

1

一头老熊醒了。他睡了大半个冬天，忘记一些事情。冬天漫长，他把记忆睡丢了。

“我在哪儿？”“树洞。”

他身边蜷着一头小熊。

“你是谁？”

“不知道。我知道你，你好像是我爸爸……”

“那么，你是我儿子。对吗？”

“对吧？谁知道……”

小熊对很多事情却了如指掌。冬天寒冷，他的记忆不敢模糊。

“不错！你是一个惊喜。”

老熊说完，又睡着了。小熊靠得更近了。

An old bear wakes up. He has hibernated for more than half the winter to take his mind off some things.

Consequently， he loses most of his memories—the winter is too long.

“Where am I？” “In a tree hole...”

Says a little bear， snuggling up to him.

“And who are you then？”

“I dont know， but I know you， you seem to be my daddy...”

“So you are my son， right？”

“Maybe...Im not sure...”

In fact， this little bear has a thorough knowledge of many things.

In this freezing winter， he can never let his own memories turn blurred.

“Good！ Youre a surprise for me.” With these words， old bear goes to sleep again. Little bear moves himself even closer to him.

2

过一会儿，老熊把眼睛睁开一道缝儿，朝洞外望去。

洞外，是一条雪白的冰河，弯弯曲曲，爬进茫茫林区。

A moment later， old bear slightly opens his eyes and looks outside the tree hole.

There is a river covered with snowy ice not far away， winding its way into the vast forest area.

“一條冰河。”

“一条冰河。”

“对岸，好像有一片栗子树。”

“是栗子树。你的眼力比记忆力好。”

“树下也许有秋天掉下的栗子。”

“是吧？”

小熊昏昏沉沉，没有全醒。

“你是我儿子，据说。”

“我想是的。”

“那么，乖儿子，给爸爸找几颗栗子吃。一颗也好。”

“A frozen river...”

“Yeah...frozen...”

“There seems to be a tract of chestnut trees across the river...”

“Youre right. Surely your eyesight is better than your memory.”

“And there may be some chestnuts under those trees， fallen last fall.”

“Perhaps...”

Feeling drowsy， little bear is still half awake.

“Its said that youre my son.”

“I suppose so.”

“Then， my dear， go fetch some chestnuts for daddy...just one would be fine.”

3

小熊没说什么，伸了一个懒腰，出了树洞。

小熊禁不住打了一个寒战。

“别怕冷……报答他是应该的……”

小熊一瘸一拐过了冰河。冬眠，医治不了腿伤，他还需要时间。

在第七棵树下，小熊找到一颗栗子。只一颗。

吃了栗子，也许腿伤就好了。

小熊看见冰河对面的树洞，知道老熊在等栗子。

小熊过了冰河，带回栗子。

Little bear stretches himself and steps out of the tree hole silently.

He cant help trembling with cold.

“Dont fear cold...He deserves a reward from me...”

Little bear limps across the frozen river. Hibernation cant heal the wound in his leg， and what he needs is more time.

Little bear finds a chestnut under the seventh tree—only one.

His wound may be cured if he eats it. At this moment， little bear takes a look at the tree hole across the river—hes fully aware that the old bear is waiting for it.

Little bear comes back with the only chestnut.

4

老熊吃了栗子，继续睡觉。一来一去，小熊很累，也睡着了。

老熊再醒来，是第五天。老熊发觉嘴边有栗子香。

Old bear eats it and keeps on sleeping.

Little bear is exhausted. Soon， he also falls asleep.

When old bear wakes up， its the fifth day already. He smells the aroma of chestnut around his mouth.

“你是我的乖儿子，对吧？”

“是……的……”小熊打了一个呵欠。他不能否认这个事实。

“我看见一条冰河，还看见……”

“冰河对面有一片栗子树。爸爸，你等着。”

小熊慢腾腾过了冰河。

他太困了，甚至卧在冰河上打了一个盹儿。

要不是一个护林员提醒他这样会着凉，他这要睡到春暖花开的。

在第七棵树下，小熊又找到一个栗子。老熊嚼着栗子，满意地睡着了。

一来一去，小熊很辛苦。

一来一去，腿不疼了。

生命在于运动，小熊想。

“Youre my dear son， is that true？”

“Y...e...a...h...” Little bear yawns. He cant deny the fact now.

“I see a frozen river and...”

“Theres a chestnut tree forest across the river. Daddy， wait here.”

Little bear walks across the frozen river slowly.

He is so sleepy that he even takes a nap on the ice.

If the ranger doesnt wake him up and tell him that he could catch cold this way， he would sleep there till spring comes.

Just like yesterday， little bear finds a chestnut again under the seventh tree， and after snacking on that chestnut，old bear sleeps with complete fulfillment.

For little bear， the “round trips” are strenuous. However， he cant feel the pain in his leg any more.

Little bear considers it as a proof of the saying， “life lies in motion”.

5

天暖了，花開了。

老熊伸了一个懒腰，他模糊记得冰河、儿子、栗子、栗子树。

可是，它们都不见了。只有嘴边留着淡淡的栗子香。

老熊出了树洞，眼前是一条流动的河。河对岸，有一片栗子树。

The weather is getting warmer. Flowers begin to bloom one after another.

Old bear stretches himself. He still has the dim memories of the frozen river， his son， the chestnut trees and their tasty fruits.

But now theyre all gone. Only the faint aroma of chestnut lingers in his mouth.

Old bear comes out of the tree hole. What he sees is a river with flowing water， which has taken the place of the frozen one.

There are many chestnut trees along the other side of the river.

“看见我儿子了吗？我好像有个乖儿子，大冬天给我找栗子吃。”

老熊向早起的护林员打听。

“你是问一头小熊吧？”

“是的，小熊。”

“我知道。他的腿被夹子打伤，不能回家了，就在你的树洞躲了一个冬天。他的腿伤好了，三天前走的。”

“Have you seen my boy？ I remember I have a good son， seeking chestnuts for me in the bitterly cold winter.” Old bear asks the ranger.

“Youre looking for a little bear， arent you？”

“Yes， little bear...indeed.”

“I know him. Once a trap injured his leg， and he was unable to go home， so he stayed in your tree hole for the whole winter. He left three days ago after his wound had healed.”

6

“他说过他去哪儿了吗？”

“回家了。他妈妈在另外一个树洞里等他，在河对岸，很遥远。”

老熊站立起来，望着河对岸茫茫的林区。

“Did he mention where he went？”

“He went home. His mommy is waiting for him in another tree hole across the river， really far from here.”

Old bear stands up， gazing at that immense forest in the distance.