《桨声灯影里的秦淮河》

 (作者 朱自清，朗诵 洁白)

Translation： Oar-splashing and Lantern-illuminating Qinhuai River (Zhu Ziqing)

(translated by: alexcwlin; edited by: Adam Lam

秦淮河里的船，比北京万甡园，颐和园的船好，比西湖的船好，比扬州瘦西湖的船也好。

Boats in Qinhuai River topped those in Wan Sheng Garden/Summer Palace of Beijing, in West Lake of Hangzhou, and in Slender West Lake of Yangzhou.

这几处的船不是觉着笨，就是觉着简陋、局促；都不能引起乘客们的情韵，如秦淮河的船一样。

Vessels at those latter locations felt clumsy, unrefined or cramped; they failed to bring up the mood of passengers like those in Qinhuai River could.

秦淮河的船约略可分为两种：一是大船；一是小船，就是所谓“七板子”。

Boats in Qinhuai River roughly could be categorized into two groups: the big boats and the small boats (so called “Seven Plankers”).

大船舱口阔大，可容二三十人。

A big boat had a big cabin and could accommodate twenty to thirty passengers.

里面陈设着字画和光洁的红木家具，桌上一律嵌着冰凉的大理石面。

The inside was furnished with hanging painting/calligraphy scrolls and shiny redwood furniture.

窗格雕镂颇细，使人起柔腻之感。

All tables were fitted with marble slab tops. Carvings on latticework window frames were rather detailed providing a smooth and refined touch.

窗格里映着红色蓝色的玻璃；玻璃上有精致的花纹，也颇悦人目。

Red and blue glass panes with exquisite decorative patterns glistening from inside the window frames were quite pleasing to the eyes.

“七板子”规模虽不及大船，但那淡蓝色的栏干，空敞的舱，也足系人情思。

The size of a Seven Planker was not as large as a big boat, but its light-blue side poles and roomy cabin would be enough to put you in a nice mood.

而最出色处却在它的舱前。舱前是甲板上的一部。上面有弧形的顶，两边用疏疏的栏干支着。

The most notable part was a section of the deck in front of the cabin entrance, which had an arch-shaped top supported by spread-out side poles.

里面通常放着两张藤的躺椅。躺下，可以谈天，可以望远，可以顾盼两岸的河房。

Usually two bamboo deck-chairs were placed in the area, and while lounging on them you could chitchat, sightsee, or check out houses on both river banks.

大船上也有这个，便在小船上更觉清隽罢了。

A big boat had similar facilities, except those facilities seemed to be more noticeable inside a small boat.

舱前的顶下，一律悬着灯彩；

Lanterns could be found dangling from all boat tops at the front.

灯的多少，明暗，彩苏的精粗，艳晦，是不一的。但好歹总还你一个灯彩。

These lanterns varied in number, brightness, decorative-tassel thickness, and color intensity, but all were lanterns of sort nonetheless.

这灯彩实在是最能钩人的东西。

Truly these lanterns were incredibly eye-catching things.

夜幕垂垂地下来时，大小船上都点起灯火。

When the veil of night fell, lights came on in all small and big boats.

从两重玻璃里映出那辐射着的黄黄的散光，反晕出一片朦胧的烟霭；

The double pane glass windows, while reflecting the faint yellowish light inside, also displayed the murky mist that was everywhere outside.

透过这烟霭，在黯黯的水波里，又逗起缕缕的明漪。

Showing through the mist was endless series of ripples on darkish water surface.

在这薄霭和微漪里，听着那悠然的间歇的桨声，谁能不被引入他的美梦去呢？

Against the backdrop of thin mist, light ripples, and soothing sound of intermittently splashing oars, who wouldn’t be drawn into his beautiful dreamland?

只愁梦太多了，这些大小船儿如何载得起呀？

But then again maybe the abundance of dreams would be too much for those big and small boats to carry?

我们这时模模糊糊的谈着明末的秦淮河的艳迹，如《桃花扇》及《板桥杂记》里所载的。

At that time we casually brought up the tabloid-type love affair stories in Qinhuai River during the latter part of Ming Dynasty era, such as those cited in “Peach Flower Fan” and “Plank Bridge Journal”.

我们真神往了。

We were riveted.

我们仿佛亲见那时华灯映水，画舫凌波的光景了。

It seemed the dazzling lighting, scenic water reflections and wave-riding boats back in those days reappeared in front of our very eyes.

于是我们的船便成了历史的重载了。

And our boat thus became a carrier of history.

我们终于恍然秦淮河的船所以雅丽过于他处，而又有奇异的吸引力的，实在是许多历史的影象使然了。

Then it struck us all which made the boats in Qinhuai River more striking and mesmerizing than others elsewhere was in fact an upshot of history’s shadow.

朱自清（1898年11月22日—1948年8月12日），原名自华，号实秋，后改名自清，字佩弦。原籍浙江绍兴，出生于江苏省东海县（今连云港市东海县平明镇），后随父定居扬州。中国现代散文家、诗人、学者、民主战士。

     洁白 ：中学英语高级教师。中国朗诵联盟会员。喜欢朗读，希望通过自己的声音向世界传播中国文化，讲好中国故事。