We went for a walk in the fields, my mother, my wife, my son and I.
母親本不愿出來的。她老了，身體不好，走遠(yuǎn)一點就覺得很累。我說，正因為如此，才應(yīng)該多走走，母親信服地點點頭，便去拿外套。她現(xiàn)在很聽我的話，就像我小時候很聽她的話一樣。
Mother had been reluctant to come out with us, for, advanced in years, she was in poor health, and even a short distance would make her feel exhausted. But I insisted that, precisely for this reason, walking was necessary. Nodding her consent, she went to fetch her overcoat. Now she was very obedient to me, just as I was to her in my childhood.
天氣很好。今年的春天來得太遲，太遲了，有一些老人挺不住。但是春天總算來了。我的母親又熬過了一個嚴(yán)冬。
The weather was fine. This year, spring came late, too late. Some old people found it hard to endure the long cold spell. But after all spring was here now, my mother had survived another harsh winter.
這南方初春的田野，大塊小塊的新綠隨意地鋪著[1]，有的濃，有的淡；樹上的嫩芽也密了；田里的冬水也咕咕地起著水泡。這一切都使人想著一樣?xùn)|西——生命。
Spring was just unfolding: patches of green, big and small, light and dark, formed a random mosaic on this piece of land in south China; new sprouts on tree branches were multiplying; the irrigated water in the fields all winter was warming up, gurgling with bubbles. All these reminded us of one thing, the vitality of life.
[1] 此處用比喻的手法譯出，將隨意鋪著的一塊塊綠地比作mosaic。
我和母親走在前面，我的妻子和兒子走在后面。小家伙突然叫起來：“前面也是媽媽和兒子，后面也是媽媽和兒子[2]。”我們都笑了。 My mother and I walked in front, followed by my wife and son. Our boy suddenly shouted out: “A mother and son in front, another mother and son behind.” We all laughed.
后來發(fā)生了分歧：母親要走大路，大路平順；我的兒子要走小路，小路有意思。不過，一切都取決于我。我的母親老了，她早已習(xí)慣聽從她強(qiáng)壯的兒子；我的兒子還小，他還習(xí)慣聽從他高大的父親；妻子呢，在外面，她總是聽我的。一霎時，我感到了責(zé)任的重大。我想一個兩全的辦法，找不出；我想拆散一家人，分成兩路，各得其所，終不愿意。我決定委屈兒子，因為我伴同他的時日還長。我說：“走大路?！?br>Later, differences occurred between us: my mother wanted to take the main road, for it was wide and smooth, while my son preferred the little path, where more interesting things might be awaiting. It was up to me to make the final decision. My mother, in her old age, had got used to listening to her robust son, and my son, like most other young kids, was in the habit of obeying his father, a lofty figure in his mind. As for my wife, well, she always appeared submissive once we stepped out of our home. I suddenly felt the weight of a heavy responsibility. I tried to work out a win-win choice, but failed. Then I considered dividing the family into two groups, each going its favorite route, but had second thoughts and gave up the idea. Finally, I decided against my son, because there would be long years ahead in which I could be with him. So, I announced: “Let’s take the main road.”
但是母親摸摸孫兒的小腦瓜，變了主意：“還是走小路吧。”她的眼隨小路望去：那里有金色的菜花，兩行整齊的桑樹[3]，盡頭一口水波粼粼的魚塘?！拔易卟贿^去的地方，你就背著我?！蹦赣H對我說。
But my mother changed her mind, and, caressing her grandson’s head, said, “We’d better take the little path.” She raised her eyes toward the path flanked with mulberry trees, where there were patches of golden rape flowers and a rippling fish pond at the far end. “You’ll have to carry me on your back in places I can’t walk across,” my mother said to me.
[3] 此處譯作分詞短語做定語，修飾path(上文的“小路”)。
這樣[4]，我們在陽光下[5]，向著那菜花、桑樹和魚塘走去。到了一處，我蹲下來，背起了母親，妻子也蹲下來，背起了兒子。我的母親雖然高大，然而很瘦，自然不算重；兒子雖然很胖，畢竟幼小，自然也輕。但我和妻子都是慢慢地，穩(wěn)穩(wěn)地，走得很仔細(xì)，好像我背上的同她背上的加起來[6]，就是整個世界。
Differences thus settled, we picked our way along the little path toward the flowers, the trees, and the pond, all bathed in the sun. When we came to a certain spot, I crouched down to let my mother get on my back. My wife followed my example and carried our son. Tall as my mother was, she was quite thin, and not heavy at all. My son was fat, but a child could only be so heavy. Despite this, both my wife and I walked slowly and cautiously, as steadily as possible, as if we bore the whole world on our backs.
[4] 此連接詞語在譯文中結(jié)合上文有所增益，譯作分詞獨立結(jié)構(gòu)。
[6] 此處詞義融于整句譯文中，較直譯“…as if what were on our backs would amount to/equal the whole world.”反而來得直接、有力。
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