孤獨的樹
The Lonely Tree
席慕蓉
Hsi Muren
在我二十二歲那年的夏天，我看見過一棵美麗的樹。
In the summer when I was twenty-two, I had an encounter with a beautiful tree.
那年夏天，在瑞士，我和諾拉玩得實在痛快。她是從愛爾蘭來的金髮女孩，我們一起在福萊堡大學的暑期法文班上課，到周末假日，兩個人就去租輛腳蹬車漫山遍野地亂跑，附近的小城差不多都去過了。最喜歡的是把車子騎上坡頂之後，再順著陡峭彎曲的公路往下滑行，我好喜歡那樣一種令人屏息眩目的速度，兩旁的樹木直逼我們而來，迎面的風帶著一種呼嘯的聲音，使我心裡也不由得有了一種要呼嘯的欲望。
That summer, in Switzerland, I was having a great time with Nora. She was a blonde-haired girl from Ireland, and we were attending a French Summer Program at the University of Freibourg. Come weekends and holidays, the two of us would roam the hills and fields on our rented bicycles. We had already visited all the quaint little towns in the vicinity. We loved to ride our bikes all the way up to the top of the hill, and then slide down the winding roads. I loved the breathtaking and dizzying speed, with the trees flanking the two sides of the road flashing by our eyes and the whooshing sound of the wind in our ears. I would be filled with a desire to howl.
夏日的山野清新而又迷人，每一個轉角都會出現一種無法預料的美麗。
The hills and fields of summer were refreshing and enchanting. Unexpected beauty lurked around every corner.
那一棵樹就是在那種時刻裡出現的。
The tree appeared in such a moment.
剛轉過一個急彎，在我們眼前，出現了一座不算太深的山谷，在對面的斜坡上，種了一大片的林木。
Right after a hairpin curve, right before us, a valley appeared, and on the opposite slope was an expanse of trees.
大概是一種有計劃的栽種，整片斜坡上種滿了一樣的樹，也許是日照很好，所以每一棵都長得枝葉青蔥，亭亭如華蓋，而在整片傾斜下去一直延伸到河穀草原上的綠色裡面，唯獨有一棵樹和別的不同。
The trees were intentionally planted, because the entire slope was filled with the same trees. Thanks to sunshine galore, the trees were lush and green, handsome and majestic. The verdant green extended all the way to the green grass in the valley. Yet, one solitary tree stood out.
站在行列的前面，長滿了一樹金黃的葉片，一樹絢爛的圓，在圓裡又有著一層比一層還璀璨的光暈。它一定堅持了很久了，因為在樹下的草地上，也已圓圓地鋪上了一圈金黃色的落葉，我雖然站在山坡的對面，也仍然能夠看到剛剛落下的那一片，和地上原有的碰在一起的時候，就覺得後者已經逐漸乾枯褪色了。
It stood alone in front of all the other trees, glistening gold. The leaves resembled glittering orbs, halo after halo of warm gold. It must have been there for a long time already, because there was already a blanket of golden leaves on the grass beneath the tree. Though I was standing on the hill on the other side, I could still see the leaf that had just fallen. It fell into the pile of fallen leaves that had already started to fade and shrivel.
天已近傍晚，四野的陰影逐漸加深，可是那一棵金黃色的樹卻好像反而更發出一種神秘的光芒。和它後面好幾百棵同樣形狀、同樣大小，但是卻青翠逼人的樹木比較起來，這一棵金色的樹似乎更適合生長在這片山坡上，可是，因為自己的與眾不同使它覺得很困窘，只好披著一身溫暖細緻而又有光澤的葉子，孤獨地站在那裡，帶著一種不被了解的憂傷。
It was getting dark, and the shadows in the wilderness lengthened. But the golden tree emitted a mysterious glow. Compared to the hundreds of verdantly green trees of uniform shape and size, the solitary tree of gold seemed to be more suited to grow on this hill. But because it looked so different, it seemed to be embarrassed. With its warm, delicate and glowing leaves, it stood there all alone, filled with a sadness of not being understood.
諾拉說：「很晚了。我們回去吧。」
Nora said, 「It’s late, let’s go back.」
「可是，天還亮著呢。」我一面說，一面想走下河谷，我只要再走近一點，再仔細看一看那棵不一樣的樹。
「But there is still light,」 I said, as I continued my walk down towards the valley. I wanted to get closer to the tree, to examine the tree that was so different.
但是，諾拉堅持要回去。在平日，她一直是個很隨和的遊伴，但是，在那個夏天的午後，她的口氣卻毫無商量餘地。
But Nora insisted upon going back. On most days, she is the most accommodating travel mate. But on that summer afternoon, there was no room for bargaining in her tone.
於是，我終於沒有走下河谷。
Thus, I never go to walk into the valley.
也許諾拉是對的，隔了這麼多年，我再想起來，覺得也許她是對的。所有值得珍惜的美麗，都需要保持一種距離。如果那天我走近了那棵樹，也許我會發現葉的破裂，樹幹的斑駁，因而減低了那第一眼的激賞。可是，我永遠沒走下河谷，（我這一生再無法回頭，再無法在同一天，同一剎那，走下那個河谷再爬上那座山坡了。）於是，那棵樹才能永遠長在那裡，雖然孤獨，卻保有了那一身璀璨的來自天上的金黃。
Maybe Nora was right. Now, many years later, I still think maybe she was right. One has to keep beauty that is meant to be cherished at a distance. If I had walked up close to that tree, I might have discovered the flaws in the leaves and the stains in the trunk. That would have tainted my first appreciative impression of the tree. But I never got to walk into the valley. (I can never go back to that moment in time to walk into the valley and then climb back up.) Thus, the tree will be there forever, all alone, yet all aglitter with heavenly sheen.
又有哪一種來自天上的寵遇，不會在這人世間覺得孤獨的呢？
Those who are singularly blessed by heaven seem destined to stand all alone in this world. Isn’t that often the case?
（吳敏嘉 譯）