085首：看见车前子就想起了蒲公英
Statue 85：The sight of the plantain seed reminds me of the dandelion
看见车前子就想起了蒲公英
The sight of the plantain seed reminds me of the Dandelion
想起了一味？学名叫蒲公英的
of a traditional Chinese herb
能够入药的
whose academic name is “dandelion”，
荆黄色小花
a small yellow flower.
旗杆一样酱紫色的
the purple tube-like plant，just like a flagpole，
一捏就冒白浆的
will spring out of white wash once pinched.
管状植物凝成的腿
and the plant is the legs for the dandelion，
支撑着一个又一个
supporting the yellow，yellow circles
荆黄荆黄的圆
another yet another.
幻想中的纯洁
the ripe dandelion flowers，as pure as something in fancy，
更加向上的东西
would strive upward，fly at high
一拨又一拨
and float from the South to the North
在从南方飘向北方
with one group after another.
在汗滴禾下土的日子里
in the days when the farmers are laboring with sweat
花随风飞？会飞得很远很远
the dandelion flowers would fly far，far away.
在那万恶的旧社会
“in the monstrous old society，”
我的姥姥对我的孩子说
my grandma told my children：
看见蒲公英
“once having seen the flying dandelion，
我们也有梦
we also had dreams arising from our hearts，
那时的梦一点儿也不浪漫
but dreams at that time weren’t romantic at all.
不象你们？？整天儿想着上大学
unlike you all，we never thought about
想出国？想考托什么夫
entering university，going abroad，taking TOEFL
想去什么大不列颠美利坚
or going to Great Britain or the U.S.A.
那时我们看见蒲公英
At that time，when we saw the dandelion，
就想闹春荒的日子不长了
we knew the grain shortage in Spring wouldn’t last long.
蒲公英开花结籽的时候
when the dandelion blossomed and had seeds，
小麦就要发黄了
the wheat was yellowing and getting ripe.
那时我们就可以吃上一顿饱饭
then we could enjoy a meal with a full belly
喝上一碗？大麦茶了
and drink a bowl of delicious barley soup.”
说这些话时？我的姥姥的眼睛
when talking about the years gone by，
总是眯着的
my grandma always squints，
长发飘飘的姥姥
with long，gray
白发飘飘的姥老
hair floating.
满头的白发
her head covered with silver hair
比结籽时的蒲公英
is nicer-looking and better-looking
更加耐看？更加好看
than the dandelion going to seed.
在那史无前历的文化大革命中
“In the unprecedented Great Cultural Revolution，”
我对我的孩子说
I told my children：
看见蒲公英开花
“the sight of the dandelion reminds us
我们就想起了车前子
of the plantain seed，
想起南方的田间地头
a plant growing in the fields of the South
那伸着大大的耳朵
with big ear-like leaves
奔向阳光的一种
towards the sunshine.
可以入药的
it can be used as medicine
土名叫猪耳朵草的植物
it has a vernacular name “Pig’s Ear Grass”
因为每当蒲公英开花的时候
because when the dandelions were blossoming，
我们的知青点就会杀一头猪
our “Sent Down”youths would butcher a pig.
我们这些半年没沾腥的知识青年
then the educated youth who hadn’t tasted meat for half an year，
就可以端着又土又大的黑海碗
could enjoy stewed pork with vermicelli，
吃上一顿猪肉炖粉条
with each one holding a big and rustic black bowl in hands.
我们就可以精神抖擞的
after that，in high spirits，
双手捧着热呼呼的猪血
we would hold the still warm hog blood with both hands
为麦收前的开镰祭天？祭地
to offer a sacrifice to Heaven，Earth
祭镰刀了
and the sickles before the wheat harvest.
那时蒲公英花开的没有一点儿诗意
at that time，there is no poetry in the dandelion
那时的蒲公英只能入药
in full bloom and they can only be taken as a medicine.
只能熬成一种很黄很黄的汤
we just stewed the dandelion into a kind of yellow
给老爸知青点的战友
soup for the comrades-in-arms at that area
清火？去热
to take the fever away and remove heat for them
给发着高烧的你的叔叔啊姨
and for your uncles and aunts with high fevers
以最简单的？？生的希望
to give them the hope of life in such a simple way.
我给我的孩子讲这个故事时
when I told my children this story，
眼睛也是眯着的
I also squinted
眯成一条缝
with my eyes narrowing into slits，
我会透过这条缝
through which I peered at
看孩子似懂非懂的表情
my children’s obscure face
看？院子里丝瓜藤上挂着的
and gazed at the golden yellow color
黄黄的丝瓜花的
of the towel gourds hanging over
金黄金黄的色彩
the towel gourd stem in the courtyard.
一截空心绳子？？下垂的绳子
A length of hollow rope is drooping
我在想？一个接近佛缘的诗人
while I am thinking that poems written by
写的诗爬满墙头的丝瓜
a poet who is close to Buddhism and the golden flowers of
绳子一样坠满金黄金黄的小花
towel gourds creeping all over the wall like ropes.
车前子一种可以入药也可以入诗的植物
the plantain seed can be taken as
北京？沙滩路？肥沃的土壤
a medicine and also be taken into poetry in the fertile soil of Beijing.
在北京一个叫老北京的酒店里
in Beijing in a pub called “Old Beijing”，
满眼都是戴西瓜帽
among many a doorman wearing
穿长袍马褂的门童
watermelon-shaped bonnets and mandarin robes，
我看见？我的叫车前子的兄弟
I recognized my pal called Plantain Seed，
在北方的土壤上
who，in the soil of Northland，
生长的很好？？很键慷
has grown very strong and healthy
那双大大的耳朵
with his big ears
性感？？诱人的肥
sexy and attractive as fat flesh，
和在苏州出发前
just the same as when
没有两样
he left off from Su Zhou.
2008．7．24日登封·少林
composed at Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng on July 24，2008
（Translated by Liu Xiaofeng &；Hu Zongfeng）