早安北京 - Short Story for 2014

[Meng Lelan]

泽原这时才真正吓了一跳!连带着困倦也给吓没了。母亲电话里通告说只有三个人来,没想到呼啦一下子却来了六个,是一个小型旅行团的规模。再看那些团员,二嫂体态臃肿老迈,脸上堆积好多血丝,要接近六十岁的样子,一看就是风吹雨打耗尽了生命活力的农村妇女。三嫂则正相反,四十多岁的模样,神情亢奋,一双尖细的高跟鞋,眼睛细长,眉毛也拔得特别细,一个地包天的尖下巴,脸抹得煞白,一说话眼睛就眨巴得特别快,不容易辨别她到底是干什么的。旁边站的她那个女儿,长得不像她妈妈,很丰满,开口很低的连衣裙,胸罩在里边顶起老高,眼睛大,似乎是后割的双眼皮,不太自然的形状,看人不用正眼,而是故意将头稍稍偏将过去,用眼角余光乜斜着打量,很风情。

 

How many did his mother say/claim was coming and how many do show up?

Describe and contrast Er Sao and San Sao.

Describe the daughter. 

[Meng Lelan]

Ok, back here to finish out this story...

 

泽原躲过姑娘不正经的目光,脸上肌肉僵着,费力挤出一些假笑,边招呼众人,一边心中暗暗叫苦,心说,母亲这是给自己派来了一个什么样的人群?

 

按照母亲的说法,二舅他们家里穷,一直呆在乡下,很少能有机会出来。这几年开了小加工厂,日子过得好了,也就有了些闲心闲钱出门溜达。这回出来,全是因为二舅家唯一的孙子,也就是他们家老二超生的这个叫林耀宗的男孩,在县城重点高中学习不错,老师预言明年他准保能考上个重点大学。他们老林家祖坟眼看着就要冒青烟,二舅老两口乐坏了,他们问全中国最好的重点大学是哪个?回答说北京大学。二舅一听,说那咱们就奔北京大学去!俺现在就领俺大孙子去看看,看那北京大学到底啥模样。

 

Here Zeyuan is forcing a smile but how does he really feel and why? He doesn’t seem to feel like this is going to be fun.Note here the changes that have occurred in their home village that has enabled this group to travel to Beijing. Describe those changes. 

Now who is this young man林耀宗? He is a major reason for this big group of relatives to come to Beijing. State why.

Note the way the last sentence in this paragraph is written. I like how it “sets” the difference between Zeyuan and his country relatives. Next paragraph coming up is going to introduce someone who isn't going to like any of this!

[Meng Lelan]

现在的问题是,民间团体的自由散漫、做事无规划性,让他的接待遇到了困难。由于没有思想准备,原先那一套接待方案不够用了。原先好说歹说,才说服自己妻子梅梅让二舅他们祖孙三人到家里去住。现在突然来了这么多人,肯定不能领到家里。连他自己都吓一跳,更别说妻子。妻子那个小脸子一挂,活活能把泽原给吃了不说,也能把亲戚们噎得翻白眼。梅梅比自己小十来岁,是他二婚的妻子,有着跟他撒娇耍横的天然资本。只要她一不高兴,摔东西砸碗什么事都干得出来。作为北京土著,妻子对他们东北老家的穷亲戚有天然的蔑视和排斥。

 

Oh now the fun starts! Who is this 梅梅? She sounds quite high maintenance, shall we say? Would Zeyuan dare invite his country relatives to his lovely abode? Why or why not?

 

一大堆人站在广场上,片刻工夫,已经涌上来十几个给黑店拉客的人,男男女女,过来就想帮助拎包,恨不得上来就把人抢走的意思。泽原领众人一边躲闪,一边快步走向出租车站。他想好了,自己那辆车不够坐,索性放弃取车,先领众人打车上他就近的办公室,然后再图谋下策。

 

And this little traveling troupe is attracting attention from whom? Does this sound like something that happens to you when you exit from Beijing Huoche Zhan? Is a 黑店 something you’d like to experience? Zeyuan was going to drive his guest(s) home, but now how does he change his plan?

[Meng Lelan]

 

出租车站也是人满为患,大包小裹的人流,再加上各种加塞的,跃过铁栏杆强行拦车的,秩序有点混乱,后边的“的士”排成长队,前边的车辆蠕动着,谁也开不出去,加长了人们的等待时间。以前只有地铁口才会出现拥挤,现在人们把出租车也当地铁坐了。后边老实排队的人都表现出了焦急和不耐烦。看得出,北京的第一眼给亲戚们留下了十分不好的印象。二舅、舅妈和二嫂这些老实人,被人群前后拥挤着,眼睛里都充满了惶惑和不安,嘴上不说什么,只是不停地擦着脑门子上的汗。三嫂则借机充分显示着她的见多识广,拿一条小手绢在眼前扇乎着,啾啾喳喳,叽叽喳喳,评判这批判那,嘴就没停过,果然是个又饶舌又讨人嫌的角色。

 

“哎呀妈耶,北京人儿也不咋样啊!净穿背心大裤衩,穿地还不如俺们那旮好呢。”

 

“北京这火车站也不如俺们倒车的长春站,这么不大点,这么破呀?”

 

“干哈,这出租车还是破夏利?俺们那旮早都换一水儿桑塔那了。”

 

1.    Is it an orderly scene at the cab stand?

2.    Do you think this is a favorable first impression for the relatives?

3.    Who is doing all that 叽叽喳喳 and why?

4.    Loving this way she talks. Can you figure out what she is talking about? Even if you don’t understand all of it, you probably can decide if she is happy or not about what she sees here. 

[Meng Lelan]

她的嗓门又尖又高,一口东北腔,引来众人侧目。一旁的闺女小燕大概觉察出来,止住她说,“妈,你就嘴闲一会,少叨叨两句吧。”

 

 

Why is she attracting (perhaps unwanted) attention?

 

姑娘的话果然有威慑力,当妈的立刻住嘴不说了。小燕的话给泽原留下几分好感。他也对北京站前的秩序不好、没给亲戚们留下第一眼好印象而感到遗憾。以前他也有着一样的抱怨,希望市政府能够迅速治理,加大整顿力度。后来有机会到印度、埃及、尼泊尔、土耳其转过一圈后,他才明白,整个发展中国家,面临的问题是一样的,像开罗、新德里、加德满都、伊斯坦布尔这些城市,都是一样的人口多、环境差,司机开起车来比我们还要野。相比起来,北京算是好多了。要想打造成国际化的现代大都市,恐怕得下辈子。

 

 

 

So what does小燕 do? How does 泽原feel about this scene? Does he seem accepting about China’s social and living situation (large population, poor environment, etc)?

 

这样的自我心理安慰更助长了他的优柔寡断、悠然自得脾气。他一边劝解他们稍安勿躁,一边随拥挤人流缓慢向前移动。他发现那个考生林耀宗的大眼睛总是不时悄悄注视着自己,每逢跟他的眼光不经意碰上时总是迅速而又慌乱躲闪开去,很不好意思的样子。林耀宗尾随他身后,如影随形,他做什么,他就干什么,总是沉默寡言,不声不响照顾着这一群老人和妇女。不知怎的,泽原觉得林耀宗这个孩子很像当年的自己,敏感,安静,总像满怀无限心事,一双无比清澈的大眼睛,静悄悄地打量着周围一切,好像事物任何微小的细节都在他的注视之中,并且都能在他心中引起涟漪。

 

 

林耀宗’s reaction to being in a new city is very different. How does he react as being a new arrival to Beijing? Describe him. 

[Meng Lelan]

终于他们钻进了两辆车,相跟着一起驶向泽原单位所在地。他的办公室位于市中心位置。机关大楼静悄悄的。今天是星期六,不会有同事们看见他率领的这些乌合之众,面子上不会受损。只有门口站岗的小战士和收发室老头对这一行民工团体产生几丝疑惑。泽原处长跟他们打过招呼,上前解释一番,他们这才很客气地放行。亲戚们一见到门口把守站岗的战士,和办公大楼壮观威严的气势,仰视之情才随之升起,好像刚刚找到一点对北京、对国家机关的崇拜感。那个三嫂,也一扫刚才在车站时的鄙夷之色,放轻脚步,小心翼翼跟着往里走。

 

泽原领他们到办公室里。开了门,让他们落座,招呼他们喝水。办公室不大,进来六七个人一下子就显得壅塞。泽原也顾不得太多,赶紧拿出自己的通讯簿来联络。他把能想到的各种住宿资源都想一遍。认识的几个酒店老总,对于亲戚们这个消费团体来说,似乎用不上。又想到几个熟人有可能有中档旅馆的信息,一看这个时间,才早上七点来钟,又是个大周末,给人家里打电话不太合适。索性找出标有各种电话及旅游信息的北京黄页,按图索骥。

 

 

1.    Where do they ride the taxi to, what day of the week is this?

2.    Note what 泽原 is thinking of what would happen if his colleagues saw his bunch of relatives.

3.    What do the relatives think of the office building and the gatekeepers?

Even their chatty behavior ceases. Why is this?

4.    And what is 泽原 trying to find in the city yellow pages/directory?

5.    Why can’t he put those relatives up in his own home?　

6.    Define the idiom按图索骥.

[Meng Lelan]

很不幸,所有中档旅馆都满员。好多年不接客,行情什么样都不知道了。这些年来,泽原所在的机关会议往来都已经程式化,有专门接待处,根本不用个人操心,一下子由他自己接待这么多亲戚,还真有点懵。七月流火,按理说现在是北京最糟糕的季节,气候闷湿,挥汗如雨,但是望子成龙的家长们还是不辞劳苦,趁着暑期,纷纷领孩子来旅游,硬是把它打造成旅游旺季。不说别的,只说二舅家这种刚刚致富有了一点积蓄的家庭,也会想到要自费出门游玩,可见中国人的日子跟从前比还是过得翻天覆地。

 

 

半个来小时过去,没有任何结果。一看时间,不能再悠荡了。想了想,索性问起三星以上酒店的客房情况。还好,满的只是那些中低档旅馆。凡是上星的酒店都有空闲。找到一家离市中心近的,问了价格,打完折的价格每间房不到300块。泽原在心里迅速算了一下,假如一行人住四晚,三个房间,房价算下来,大概也还行,能够承担得起。这么大一个旅行团,接待一次,几千块钱总是要花的,就算是为母亲尽孝心吧。

 

 

订好房间,率领一行人出来,打车,仍旧让两辆车司机相跟着,到了星辰大酒店。车顺着坡道上去,直接停在了酒店门口。有门童过来给拉开车门。进了酒店大堂,迎面扑来阵阵冷气,夹杂着花木的葳蕤芬芳,跟外面炽热的世界截然两重天地。泽原让亲戚们坐在沙发上等待,自己去办理入住手续。亲戚们却立在当地,有点不知怎么才好。二舅过来,说:“泽原,那啥,俺们不用住这么好,住这么好干啥。”泽原安慰说:“算不上好,只是一般水平。二舅一家头一次来北京,晚辈应该尽一下孝心。您就放心住下。”他这么说,其实也是在表示费用是由他来付,免得他们担心。

 

办好入住手续,拿了钥匙,一行人这才跟在他身后进了电梯。到了15层,找到各自房间,泽原又教他们如何用卡开门,如何插卡取电等等。一应事情嘱咐好,泽原让他们各自先回房休息一会,先洗漱一下,然后一起下楼吃早餐。二舅说,“不用休息。饭也不吃了。俺们在火车上已经垫巴点了。”泽原说,“早餐是免费的,还是吃一点。免得待会儿出去玩时半道上饿。”听说是免费的,亲戚们不再有争议。

 

 

1.   Why is this a 糟糕 time in Beijing?

2.   How much is he going to be paying for the hotel rooms?

3.    Is he doing this for himself or for his mother? Explain why.

4.   What is the reaction of the relatives to this nice hotel?

5.   What things does he show them how to do in their hotel suite? Do you think the relatives needed this “instruction”, why or why not?

[Meng Lelan]

Anyone is welcome to either continue this story in here while I am doing the internship in the next few months or wait until I come back in late August to finish this story for you. I am getting ready to go for the internship and will not be extremely active in the forums for the next three or so months. Maybe a comment or two but not a lot.