看天 / Sky-Gazing

看天 金雨田	Sky-Gazing Jin Yu Tian
老師要孩子們去看看天，說說天空，描述天空，孩子們好興奮。	THE CHILDREN were excited when the teacher told them to go and take a good look at the sky and then describe it in their own words.
天，不是天天在看嗎？但大夥兒躺在草地上，天空這塊大銀幕，天藍藍、雲飄飄，原來還有綿羊、公雞、小狗、床單、花、山……小孩們都樂了。	The sky – hadn’t they seen it every day before? Yes, but the kids were nonetheless exhilarated when, lying on the grass and gazing up, they found an enormous azure screen, on which floating clouds were being transfigured into sheep, roosters, puppy dogs, and then bed-sheets, flowers, mountains.
不屬於靠天吃飯的一代，大都喜歡低頭往地上尋寶，忽略了抬頭的廣闊遼遠，放眼的無拘無束。	The joy of looking up into the far and vast and gazing away with infinite freedom has been neglected by people nowadays. No longer at the mercy of Heaven for their livelihood, the younger generations tend to keep their eye on earthly gains alone.
小時候，望天，是無所事事的習慣。童年裏，樹是最親密的夥伴，在樹蔭下，乘涼就望天，如羅大佑唱的 “望着天空發呆”。	Sky-gazing was my hobby in those idle days along with the trees, my best childhood companions. Enjoying the coolness under their foliage, I would gaze up into the sky – “Lost in a trance, staring heavenwards”, as a popular singer crooned.
發呆，哎，紅塵滾滾，自問已多久沒有享受發呆的神馳之趣了。	Alas, long lost is the pleasure of staying in a trance, now that I’m deep in the hustle and bustle of the world!
有一回，一個人到幸福島去，一個下午就獨自的在海邊看天，突然間一股清明的情緒襲來，海浪一來一往的在腳尖，仿佛大自然在撫慰，什麼都想到什麼都不想時，生命裏諸多的歡欣和流淚的事，靜止不動；恐懼與欣喜，心頭一掠而過。	The solitary afternoon I spent on Fortune Island surfaced from memory. Gazing at the sky, all alone on the beach, I felt something cool and bright surge over my heart. With the waves rushing up and down close at my toes, Nature herself seemed to be caressing my soul. My mind was taken up by everything – and nothing – with the many joys and sorrows in life standing still, but fears and ecstasies flitting past.
聽孩子們說看天的事，心在一刻之間，又如雲出岫，從這冷氣冷冷的辦公室裏出走。	Hearing the children talk about sky-gazing, for a moment I felt my inner self, like a wisp of cloud flowing out of a hillside cave, escape from me to flee this chilly air-conditioned office. (Translated by Allen Zhuang)
[原載新加坡《聯合早報》(2000)；收入《不着地族 / A Lift-Off People》(潘正鐳著、Allen Zhuang 英譯；Singapore: All Publishing House, 2002)]

To Chin2333 participants in 2009 (07)

Dear Chin2333 attenders, Thanks to Amy’s kindly consent, we shared her excellent translation in class today. Also, we discussed the various versions of the other piece, which I did for Chin2333 last year. So far, you’ve got back two assignments (twice marked) and we’ve discussed them. Now you can also read those versions of 宋楚瑜表錯情 posted here – http://allensghkcheng.blogspot.com/2008/02/mr-soong-misspeaks-himself.html xxxx plus my translation of 回歸新解, newly done for this year – http://allensghkcheng.blogspot.com/2009/03/return-to-hong-kong-another-reading.html xxx More of such postings will be coming as our Chin2333 progresses. They are not, however, meant to serve as the answer to the assignments. In fact, I enjoy and appreciate the various renderings you've done. Your input and feedback are always welcome. xx More help available online In addition to various dictionaries, very often your translation task will call for help from a good thesaurus, namely a dictionary-like book in which the words and phrases are arranged in groups that have similar meanings. Thesauruses are now available online just as dictionaries are. Please try this: http://thesaurus.reference.com/, and try to find synonyms and near-synonyms of “vulgar” in the sense of “rude, offensive”, if you need them for that piece about Edison Chen. Instantly, you get a legion – from base and blue all the way down to villainous. Enjoy using such online aids.

回歸新解 / Return to Hong Kong: Another Reading

回歸新解 （節選）	Return to Hong Kong: Another Reading (excerpt)
程步奎	Cheng Bu-kuei
中國人說緣份，是解釋人生境遇到了智窮之時，推諉給終級動因的託辭，並非宿命論，反倒是愜意溫馨。 說我和香港有緣，不但是說我喜歡香港，而且還有超乎個人喜好的不可知的外力，因此，我來香港城市大學，也就似乎冥冥中自有天意。 “天時地利人和”進行了一次轉化的創造，不禁使我緬想，到城市大學來推展中國文化科目，是不是“天之將降大任於斯人也”？辛苦大概是難免了，但既是天意與緣份，也倒開心。	Destiny has been the final reason the Chinese would cite when they are at a loss how to explain certain circumstances in their lives. Instead of fatalism, here destiny conveys a rather tender feeling of satisfaction. By “predestined for Hong Kong”, I mean that not only do I like the place but some unknown external power far beyond my own preference plays a role, too. So it seems that, in the unseen world, Heaven’s will has decided that I should come to City University of Hong Kong. Thus, a blend of “the right time, right place, and right people” has created a big change for me. This cannot but make me wonder whether my given task of launching the Chinese Civilisation programme at CityU is a sign that “Heaven is about to place a great responsibility” upon me. Hard work is almost sure but, since Heaven or destiny has willed it, I would rather enjoy it. (Translated by Allen Zhuang)
(源文載《明報月刊》1999年11月號，頁99 / Source text was published in Ming Pao Monthly November 1999 issue, p 99)