魚友 / A Fish Companion

魚友 金雨田	A Fish Companion   Jin Yu Tian
撈魚烹鮮，對我的新交邁來說，是個可驚又可喜的經歷。	FOR Mike, a new friend of mine, the “fish-of-your-choice dinner” was a shocking and yet pleasant experience.
東京友人招待大夥到海鮮館吃游水魚，入座前，侍者領我們到一個大魚缸前，魚兒們雖不眨眼，眼睜睜的穿石過草，在人工氣泡間倒也悠悠閑閑，不知禍之將至。	A buddy in Tokyo treated us to the dinner in a seafood restaurant.  Before seating us, the waiter led our group to a large fish-tank.  The fish there, with eyes staring wide, were plying leisurely to and fro amidst the little rocks and seaweed and through the artificial bubbles, ignorant of the imminent disaster for them.
來自亞細安的五個朋友都興高采烈地選了心目中的口欲對象回座，惟獨邁仍在魚缸前發呆。	In high spirits, the five of us from Southeast Asia picked a fish each as we pleased, and then took our seats.  Mike was left alone there, still in front of the fish-tank, apparently bewildered.
酒過三巡，我們都各自享用廚師妙藝下的魚香。邁的面前一盤大生菜，吃得不亦樂乎。洋人嘛，就這麼吃法。	After a few drinks, we were enjoying our individually ordered dish done with exquisite cuisine – except Mike, who was relishing a large plate of salad.  The way Westerners eat, we thought.
散席時，主人付了帳，侍者則提着一個不大不小的膠袋，哦，裏面有條魚！原來，邁看上了它，慈悲心起，不忍眼看活脫脫的它成為自己的腹中肉，只好撈鮮回家啦！	The dinner was over, and our host paid the bill.  Then, the waiter came with a medium-size plastic bag that contained – oh, a live fish in water!  It turned out that Mike had chosen his fish but, not having the heart to see the creature turn into his food, had decided to take it home alive instead.
聽說，這位留日洋學生，窄窄的宿舍裡，從此有條魚陪他讀書做功課！	Since then, I hear, the foreign student has had a fish companion in his small dormitory room during his studies in Japan. (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) ]