印度小见（2）

By+Aaron+Anthony+Vessup

People at the Gateway1. In Mumbai， the capital and “Gateway” to this part of the orient， warm climate makes it easy to forget the cold biting winter，2 and smog filled air in giant industrial centers. Today， I get a camera shot of the Victoria station， then strike a comic pose3 at the famous Gateway of India monument. Enthusiastic tourists loiter in the shade， as well as， in the hot blazing sun.4 The famous Gateway to India is a bold structure slightly resembling the Arch de Triumph5 in Paris. People rush toward this icon at the major port of Mumbai. Camera shutters6 click everywhere. Group photographs and“selfies” happen from every vantage point7. At the Gandhi Museum8 a few hours of reflection help give a sense of historical changes. The next stop is the Hanging Gardens， a place popular for romance and natures flora.9 Here spectacular views of the harbor and skyline are framed in shady lanes， natures greenery， and a small petting zoo for children.

Excited school groups of uniformly dressed students in plaid skirts， white blouses， pressed slacks， and neck ties， walk leisurely around with book bags slung over their shoulders.10 These youngsters are chaperoned11 by adult teachers. Large tour buses are parked along the narrow high street. Inside one park section older females， wearing traditional colorful sarongs， preen and snap solo or duet “selfies” with mobile phone cameras.12 Elsewhere， older adult and parents sit on blankets spread beneath the afternoon shade of green trees. On various park benches some older men sit wistfully13 watching flowers of youth express their joy of life. Several romantic couples have found secluded areas where feelings are more overtly expressed.14 After the park scene， we zoom15 to a historic beach where other symbols of the legendary Gandhi are seen. The beach is crowded with people. The sand is a dirty muddy gray， so lingering16 here is not desirable.

Lunching earlier at a shelter for abused women， I learn the Gandhi Foundation provides a unique program supporting critical social needs. We enjoy a tasty lunch in the restaurant that provides job training for girls getting new starts controlling their own lives. Two startling17 facts I learn. First， many females are routinely targeted for punishment and abuse from mere evidence of having menstrual periods18. In some religious groups such signs from nature are viewed as “unclean” and are thus disreputable19. Second， some local airlines now face legal sanctions from having dropped “poop” （human waste materials） while flying over residential areas.20 Apparently， there has been a documented practice of planes dumping their toilets on private homes.

Back at the hotel the helpful concierge directs me to a footbath spa place near the Embassy area.21 The three-wheeled Auto Rickshaw22 driver gets lost several times and repeatedly seeks directions. We finally locate the particular area and hotel sought. But my luck has run out， the spa is closed for renovations23. Deciding to walk back on foot， I now become a willing tourist in the unfamiliar landscape and darkness， only guessing the general direction in which to head. A golden statue of an archer24 is near the “West Railway Station”that I pass. Street vendors are cooking and selling dishes， enticing aromas assail my nostrils.25 But I am too tired and do not want to risk any illness from stomach problems. Drinking bottled water is safe. Just before reaching my hotel I stumble across a well-lit， decorated place called， “Sukho Thai”. It is a Thai foot massage chain. I obtain a brochure， but am now too tired and worried about finding my hotel. Perhaps I will give the Thai Spa place a try on another day.

The next evening I stumble upon a posh looking urban bookstore， framed by colorful neon lights，26 called The Title Wave. A publicity event for a new book release is underway. I enter and listen to， Radhika Tabrez， author of In the Light of Darkness， explain her motivations for writing， while also encouraging Indian writers to share their lives by telling their stories. I happily purchase some books about Gandhi that are printed in English.

After five days I have relocated to another Mumbai area， a bit“dicey27”， according to Arunji， where the Sanjury Palace Hotel will be my home four more nights. More animals， bearded men， and mosques28 are here. The air is frequently punctuated29 by vocal “calls to prayer”. This area is surrounded by metal shops， scrap iron yards， rust bucket cars， and related artisans working at their crafts.30 Large white sheep are frolicking31 around open doorways. Several dark， horned cows are tethered32 near shops. I venture up and down a few crooked isolated streets.33 Peeking inside shadowy dwellings reveal homes like animal pens， clothing hung on lines draped across windows and drying meat carcasses.34 Blankets and rags bunched35 as beddings on floors. A few sleeping bodies are curled in corners. Blackened pots bubble and belch36 smoke from the boiling water. Teas or stew aromas mingle with the stink of pungent urine and tobacco in some mysterious cubby holes.37 People actually live in these squalid38 conditions. Less than one quarter mile away are posh villas inside iron bars and metal grilles39 protecting shiny automobiles.

There is great urgency for me to suspend my disbelief in order to enjoy the new Star Wars40 movie shown at a local cinema. Later scouting a new area finds me eventually at the University of Mumbai，41 sipping orange juice over a local newspaper in the food canteen. It is lunch time and I chat with a few students on their way to a literature class. Our contact is brief but this moment brings back memories of my teaching years. I am tempted to join them to observe a class， however， a cricket42 match nearby catches my attention. I have never witnessed this sport in real-life. I cannot afford to miss a chance to study this unfamiliar game. Now， I am really breaking into very “foreign” territory.

Photographic Sites. These days I intentionally wander in geographical squares， going straight ahead for a mile or so， turning right， going straight again for several minutes， and turning right again and so on. Walking alone I find arresting graffiti art painted on walls and stone fences in various parts of this city.43 Here is another mosque， crowded shopping area， small parks with ornate44 water fountains， and people quietly sitting. A large rat， the size of an old Tom Cat， waddles across the sidewalk and slithers down into a nearby gutter.45 Earlier a much larger rat lay boldly in the street as if asleep. Propelled by curiosity I wander into a toy store， huge stuffed animals and several large red/white bearded Santa Claus replicas hang high outside two store entrances.46 Inside this store is a jumbled variety of mishmash： toy cars， costumes， stiff blonde haired white female dolls， and an arsenal of military weapons， all toys.47 In this same vicinity are many photography studios and wedding businesses silently beckon from both sides of the heavy trafficked area.48

Nightmare at the Airport. It looks like I will not be making a timely exit from India. I made a mistake and somehow missed the scheduled departure for my plane back to the mainland. I am now forced to wait at least 12 additional hours in the terminal49. Fortunately， the international airport in India is like a mini-art gallery. Sculptures and paintings are strategically placed to help viewers fight boredom. Comfortable couches and soft seats are arranged for privacy and comfort. Luckily I have reading materials in my possession.

Eventually I learn there is a direct flight to Beijing with another airline company， but that ticket is 85，000 Rupees50. I am in shock. Will I be stuck in India？ In panic and disgust， I trek51 back to the gate where I had signed an exit form. By now my legs are wobbling52. I can barely stand and feel near fainting. It has been a long time since I have slept. Eventually， after much clamor53， I gain re-entry to the terminal. To my surprise I can also purchase a ticket through Air China. The price is only 44，000 Rupees. The airline staff merely uses a mobile phone and the internet. Words cannot express how grateful I feel. What earlier could not be done has been done. But the effort was a maze of confusing complications.54 These lost， confused， shocked feelings are now unforgettable as I look back on this first trip to India. While I now debate the notion of seeing the Taj Mahal，55 listed as a World Heritage site， I know where to head next. The graphic images are worth it. Other places in India are still on my “Bucket List”56. Only time will tell.

1. Gateway： 即Gateway of India，印度门，孟买的标志性建筑，位置正对孟买湾，于1911年为纪念英王乔治五世和皇后玛丽的访印之行而建，外形酷似法国的凯旋门。

2. Mumbai： 孟买，印度最大城市和海港，是印度马哈拉施特拉邦的首府；biting：（风或寒冷）刺骨的。

3. strike a comic pose： 摆出一个滑稽的姿势。

4. loiter： 闲荡，徘徊；blazing： 炽烈的，炎热的。

5. Arch de Triumph： 凯旋门，位于法国巴黎戴高乐广场中央，是拿破仑为纪念1805年打败俄奥联军的胜利，于1806年下令修建的。

6 . shutter： （相机的）快门。

7. vantage point：（观察某物的）有利位置。

8 . Gandhi Museum： 甘地博物馆，曾为甘地来孟买时的住处。甘地（1869—1948）是印度民族解放运动的领导人、印度国家大会党领袖，带领国家迈向独立，脱离英国的殖民统治。

9. Hanging Gardens： 海因花园，位于马拉巴尔山顶部，是孟买市的最高点；flora： 植物群。

10. plaid： 有格子图案的；pressed slacks： 紧身裤；sling： 吊，悬挂。

11. chaperon： 陪伴，护送。

12. 公园里有一群老妇人，她们裹着五颜六色的传统纱笼，精心打扮着，用手机摄像头玩起了单人或双人自拍。sarong：（马来西亚和其他一些国家男女裹在腰部的）纱笼；preen： 精心打扮；duet： 二重奏，二重唱，这里指两个人一起照相。

13. wistfully： 渴望地，惆怅地。

14. 几对热恋情侣在公园的隐蔽之处幽会，在那里，他们可以毫不避讳地表达爱意。secluded： 隐蔽的；overtly： 明显地，公开地。

15. zoom： 疾行前往，快速做事。

16. linger： 逗留，留恋。

17. startling： 令人震惊的，很不寻常的。

18. menstrual period： 月经期。

19. disreputable： 丢脸的，不光彩的。

20. legal sanction： 法律制裁；residential： 住宅的。

21. concierge： 门房，看门人；footbath spa： 足浴水疗。

22. Auto Rickshaw： 嘟嘟车，印度的一种人力三轮机动车。

23. renovation： 修复，翻新。

24. archer： 弓箭手。

25. 街边小贩现做现卖着各种小吃，诱人的香气钻进我的鼻孔。vendor：小贩；enticing： 有吸引力的，诱人的；aroma： 芳香；assail： （强烈的气味或巨响）刺激；nostril：鼻孔。

26. posh： 华丽的，豪华的；neon light：霓虹灯。

27. dicey： 稍有危险的，不可靠的。

28. mosque： 清真寺。

29. punctuate： 不时打断。

30. 这片区域周围多是五金店、废铁场和生锈的铲斗车，一些工匠在里面做着手艺活。scrap： 废品，废弃材料；artisan： 工匠，技工。

31. frolic： 嬉戏，欢快地玩耍（动名词为frolicking）。

32. tether： 拴住，系住（牲畜）。

33. venture： 冒险前进；crooked： 弯曲的。

34. 往阴暗的住处中窥去，里面就像动物棚圈似的，人们把衣服晾在窗户间的长绳上，有的人家还将风干的肉挂在外面。pen：（家畜的）棚，圈；drape： 将……随便地挂（放）在；carcass： 动物尸体。

35. bunch： 挤在一起，形成一团。

36. belch： （大量）喷出。

37. 在一些隐蔽而狭窄的储物间里，茶水和炖菜散发着香气，却混合着刺鼻的尿味和烟草味。stew： 炖煮的菜肴；pungent：（味道或气味）强烈的，刺激性的；cubby hole：（尤用于储物的）窄小的地方，小房间。

38. squalid： 肮脏的，污秽的。

39. grill：（门窗的）金属护栅，铁栅。

40. Star Wars：《星球大战》，美国科幻战争系列电影。

41. scout：（在某地区）寻找，进行侦查；the University of Mumbai： 孟買大学，创建于1857年，是印度三所历史最悠久、规模最大的综合性大学之一。

42. cricket： 板球。

43. arresting： 引人注目的；graffiti：（公共场所墙壁上的）涂鸦，乱涂乱画。

44. ornate： 华丽的，华美的。

45. 一只跟汤姆猫一样大的老鼠摇摇晃晃地穿过人行道，笨拙地滑进了附近的水沟里。waddle：（尤指体胖腿短的人或鸟）摇摇摆摆地走；slither：摇晃地滑行；gutter： 排水沟。

46. propel： 驱使，促使；replica： 复制品。

47. jumbled： 混杂的，乱七八糟的；mishmash： 杂烩，混合物；arsenal： 武器库。

48. vicinity： 邻近地区，附近；beckon： 召唤，吸引。

49. terminal： 机场候机楼。

50. Rupee： 卢比（印度、巴基斯坦等国的货币单位）。

51. trek： 缓慢行走，有气无力地走。

52. wobble： 摇晃。

53. clamor： 喧闹，叫嚷。

54. a maze of： 大量的；complication：纠纷，复杂情况。

55. debate： 考虑，盘算；Taj Mahal： 泰姬陵，印度知名度最高的古迹之一，属于世界文化遗产（World Heritage）。

56. Bucket List： 愿望清单，一个人希望在死前完成的事。衍生自短语kick the bucket，指死亡。