0617翻译：少年闰土 (鲁迅)
Translation: Teenage Runtu (Lu Xun)
(translated by: alexcwlin; edited by: Adam Lam)

 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，

Hanging high up in the deep, blue sky was a golden full-moon, and down below at a sandy beach by seaside was an endless stretch of dark-green watermelon growth.
其间有一个十一二岁的少年，项带银圈，手捏一柄钢叉，
In the middle of all these was an eleven to twelve year old youngster wearing a silver ring at the neck and holding a steel pitchfork in his hand.
向一匹猹尽力的刺去，
He was stabbing hard at a “cha”.
那猹却将身一扭，反从他的胯下逃走了。
The “cha” twisted its body around and escaped from between his legs.
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这少年便是闰土。
This youngster was Run Tu.
我认识他时，也不过十多岁，离现在将有三十年了；
When I knew him, he was only ten and some odd years old and that was thirty years ago.
那时我的父亲还在世，家景也好，
At that time my father was still alive, and our family was quite well off.
我正是一个少爷。
I was a young master.
那一年，我家是一件大祭祀的值年。
That year it was our family’s turn to host the annual rituals in paying homage to the clan’s ancestors.
这祭祀，说是三十多年才能轮到一回，所以很郑重；
I heard our turn only came once every thirty years and we were very serious about handling things right.
正月里供祖像，供品很多，祭器很讲究，
In paying homage to likenesses of ancestors in the first lunar month, offering items were plentiful and utensils were exquisite.
拜的人也很多，祭器也很要防偷去。
Many participants came to pay their respect and we had to guard against pilferage of offering utensils.
我家只有一个忙月（我们这里给人做工的分三种：
Our family only had one seasonal worker (There were three types of workers in our area.
整年给一定人家做工的叫长工；
Full-time workers worked for specific families all year round.
按日给人做工的叫短工；
Short-term workers worked on a daily basis.
自己也种地，只在过年过节以及收租时候来给一定人家做工的称忙月），
Seasonal workers grew their own crops and worked for specific families during New Year, festivals and rental collection periods).
忙不过来，他便对父亲说，可以叫他的儿子闰土来管祭器的。
The worker was overly busy and asked my father if he could ask his son Run Tu to watch the offering utensils. 
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我的父亲允许了；
My father gave his permission.
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，
I was very happy because I had heard the name Run Tu for quite some time and also knew he was about my age.
闰月生的，
He was born in a leap month.
五行缺土，所以他的父亲叫他闰土。
Of the five fundamental elements in Chinese occultism he was deficient in earth and therefore his father called him Run Tu, which literally meant “extra earth”.
他是能装弶捉小鸟雀的。
He knew how to set traps in catching birds.
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我于是日日盼望新年，
So every day I was looking forward to New Year day.
新年到，闰土也就到了。
When New Year arrived, Run Tu would be here as well.
好容易到了年末，有一日，母亲告诉我，闰土来了，
The end of year finally came, and one day my mother told me Run Tu was here.
我便飞跑的去看。
I ran over to look.
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，
He was in the kitchen with a purplish round-face, a small felt hat on his head, and a shiny silver-ring on his neck.
这可见他的父亲十分爱他，怕他死去，
His father loved him dearly and was afraid he might die early.
所以在神佛面前许下愿心，用圈子将他套住了。
So he made a pledge in front of Buddha and gods that he would keep him under control with a ring.
他见人很怕羞，只是不怕我，
He was generally shy with strangers but not with me.
没有旁人的时候，便和我说话，于是不到半日，我们便熟识了。
When there was nobody around, he talked to me and we got acquainted within half a day.
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我们那时候不知道谈些什么，
I didn’t know what we talked about at that time.
只记得闰土很高兴，说是上城之后，见了许多没有见过的东西。
All I could remember was Run Tu was very happy and said that after he came to the city he saw many things which he had never seen before.
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第二日，我便要他捕鸟。他说：
The next day I wanted him to catch birds. He said:
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“这不能。
“It doesn’t work with this weather.
须大雪下了才好。
We need a heavy snowfall.
我们沙地上，下了雪，我扫出一块空地来，
After snow has fallen, we would clear out a space on sandy ground.
用短棒支起一个大竹匾，撒下秕谷，
Then we would use a short stick to prop up a big bamboo tray and scatter some blighted grain underneath.
看鸟雀来吃时，我远远地将缚在棒上的绳子只一拉，那鸟雀就罩在竹匾下了。
We would watch and when birds come to feed, we would pull the string tied to the stick from distance and birds would be trapped in the bamboo tray.
什么都有：稻鸡，角鸡，鹁鸪，蓝背……”
There are all kinds of birds, such as pheasant, hazel grouse, wood pigeon and blue-rump Pitta….”
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我于是又很盼望下雪。
So I wished for snowfall.
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闰土又对我说：
Run Tu also said to me:
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“现在太冷，你夏天到我们这里来。我们日里到海边捡贝壳去，
“It’s too cold now. In summer you come to our place and we will collect seashells at seaside during the day.
红的绿的都有，
Some of them are red and green in color.
鬼见怕也有，观音手也有。
There are also small seashells nicknamed “ghost-busters” and “bodhisattva hands”.
晚上我和爹管西瓜去，你也去。”
At night, Dad and I would go to guard watermelons, and you can come along.”
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“管贼么？”
“Are you guarding against thieves?”
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“不是。走路的人口渴了摘一个瓜吃，我们这里是不算偷的。
“No. Around our place when passers-by get thirsty and pick one watermelon to eat, we do not consider that to be stealing.
要管的是獾猪，刺猬，猹。
We are guarding against badgers, porcupines and “chas”.
月亮底下，你听，啦啦的响了，猹在咬瓜了。
Under the moon when you hear rustling sounds then you know “chas” are feeding on watermelons.
你便捏了胡叉，轻轻地走去……”
You grab a pitchfork and tiptoe over …”
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我那时并不知道这所谓猹的是怎么一件东西——
At that time I didn’t know what the so-called “cha” really was.
便是现在也没有知道——
Even now I still haven’t found out.
只是无端的觉得状如小狗而很凶猛。
Only somehow I imagine it was the size of a small dog and very ferocious.
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“他不咬人么？”

“Would it bite people?” I asked.
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“有胡叉呢。
“You have the pitchfork.
走到了，看见猹了，你便刺。
When you get there and see the “cha” then you jab at it.
这畜生很伶俐，
This animal is very smart.
倒向你奔来，反从胯下窜了。
It would run towards your direction and flee between your legs.
他的皮毛是油一般的滑……”
Its fur is as slippery as oil.”
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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，
All along I was unaware of all those interesting new things in this world, such as multi-colored seashells at seaside and risky adventures associated with watermelons.
我先前单知道他在水果店里出卖罢了。
Before I only knew watermelons were sold in fruit-stores.
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“我们沙地里，潮汛要来的时候，就有许多跳鱼儿只是跳，都有青蛙似的两个脚……”
“When spring tide arrives, many mudskippers just jump around in sandy ground and they have two frog-like legs…”
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阿！闰土的心里有无穷无尽的希奇的事，都是我往常的朋友所不知道的。
Oh, in Run Tu’s mind there were countless atypical things unknown to my regular friends.
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。
They wouldn’t know certain matters because when Run Tu was at seaside, they had limited visions just like me in looking up to the sky within four corners of courtyards.
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可惜正月过去了，闰土须回家里去，
But regrettably once the first lunar month passed, Run Tu had to go home.
我急得大哭，
I was so rattled I cried my eyes out.
他也躲到厨房里，哭着不肯出门，
He cried too and refused to leave by hiding in the kitchen.
但终于被他父亲带走了。
But eventually his father dragged him away.
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，
Afterwards he asked his father to bring to me a package of seashells and cute-looking bird feathers.
我也曾送他一两次东西，但从此没有再见面。
I also sent him gifts once or twice but we never met again.
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 (注：此小学六年级课文是鲁迅 “故乡” 之一段, “故乡”的翻译已另载。)