双语|现代散文:柯灵 别了，贺年片

Goodbye to New Year Cards！ 别了，贺年片

◎ Ke Ling ◎ 柯灵

I was born in January 1909．Time slipped by and I've been muddling along in this world for eighty-eight years．My illness in the autumn of last year left me in poor shape and so far I've not yet restored my former state of health．I cannot help feeling that longevity doesn't necessarily mean happiness.

我出生于1909年元月，混迹人间，荏苒八十八年。去秋一病，病后颓唐，至今没有恢复到原来的健康水平。长寿非福之感，不觉油然而生。

More than ten years has quickly passed away since I retired and began to stay away from public activities．I congratulate myself，however，on spending my declining years in peace and comfort，free from hunger and cold，and on happening to live in time of peace and tranquility，which is hard to come by even once in a century．Though I still cannot help feeling concerned about many aspects of the status quo，I am，nevertheless，spared from having to live in constant fear of being overtaken unawares by an unpredictable man-made storm[1]．In my retirement，I keep the old habit of wielding my clumsy pen．I regard it as one way of whiling away my remaining years，and also find pleasure in it，similar to an old farmer enjoying a chat while taking the sun during the slack winter season．But now I feel I'm not quite up to even this because of age.

退离工作岗位，淡出社会活动，倏忽十有余年。自喜晚景静好，无虑饥寒，还赶上了百年难遇的太平岁月。虽然许多现象不免使人牵愁惹恨，总算免了提心吊胆，唯恐什么时候会来一阵防不胜防的人造风暴。坐食之余，积习难除，不免干些灾梨祸枣的闲人之业。这本来也是消磨余年的一法，犹如老农冬闲，负暄闲话，乐在其中。但现在也渐感到后难为继。

The main problem is that my days are numbered and I'm going from bad to worse both physically and mentally．While busy attending to social relations，I'm meanwhile loath to cut off my devotion to writing．But I find it difficult to take care of both at the same time．As to interpersonal correspondence，I've long been unable to write letters in reply though it doesn't mean I've clean forgotten the sender or I don't feel apologetic for my silence．It certainly gives rise to a feeling of warmth and pleasure to send new year cards to relatives or friends at the end or beginning of a year，which not only offer messages of greetings but also serve as a substitute for correspondence．But much as I want to，it is now beyond my power to keep doing it．The exchange of a considerable number of such cards will take up much of my time and send me bustling around．Having difficulty getting about because of age，I have to ask somebody else to buy the cards or mail them out for me．The trendy cards in the market appear mostly in glittering de luxe editions and are very expensive．What is worse，the stylish new year messages printed therein in popular song fashion are incompatible with the status of an old man like me．Due to numerous frustrations，I many times even thought of having cards of my own design printed—cards which would be both simple and unaffected，and both expressive of my true feelings and in good taste，but unfortunately it never materialized．So all I have to do is wave goodbye to new year cards．From now on I no longer send them，either on my own initiative or in reply．Pray forgive me for lack of manners on my part.

矛盾的焦点，在于来日苦短，精神体力日见不济，世故困人，而又不能抽刀断水，毅然割弃文字因缘，顾此失彼，难以周全。在人际关系中，久已无力做到有信必复，有求必应，一面又不能释然于怀，洒脱得无牵无挂。岁尾年头，向亲朋好友发个贺年片，兼代通候，原是一件使人感到温暖和愉快的事，也渐觉力不从心。因为一来一往，为数可观，操作需时，不免手忙脚乱。暮年行动不便，购卡，投邮，又须求人代劳。市上行销的时髦贺卡，多是金碧辉煌的豪华版，代价不菲，姑置不论，流行歌曲式的新潮贺词，也很不合老人身份。诸多烦扰，不一而足。曾经几次想自己设计，印制一些素朴大方，既能表情达意，又堪供清赏的贺卡，也难以实现。不得已狠一狠心，向贺年片挥手告别，从此不再发寄，也不再裁答。失礼之愆，只好请求多多体谅了。

Time is impartial and nobody can fail to bow to it and admit defeat．Another year has gone by and spring has returned after winter is over．Let me avail myself of this opportunity to tell what is on my mind and make known my sincere intentions to all my friends at home and abroad，old and new，and to all my readers，acquainted and unacquainted.

在大公无私的时间前面，谁也不能不低头认输。一年容易，又是腊尽春回时节，谨布心曲，向海内外旧雨新知，识与不识的读者，表达我的惓惓之意。

柯灵，浙江绍兴人，是著名散文家、剧作家。他1930年发表小品散文《巷》、《雨》等，初步显示了文学才能；1931年到上海，深受鲁迅影响，全面开展文学创作。他有丰富的社会阅历和深刻的人生体验，抗战时期，两度被日本宪兵逮捕入狱，备受酷刑，在十年动乱中被囚禁三年。他的散文含蓄深挚，语言优美洗练，简要明快。《别了，贺年片》是他写于1996年12月16日的一篇散文。译者最近偶尔在他1997年出版的散文集《燕居闲话》中看到此文，颇有感触，恰逢岁末，欣然为之英译，以飨读者。