(中英)現(xiàn)代散文:我對于運動會的感想 Reflections on the Sports Meet

Reflections on the Sports Meet

我對于運動會的感想①

◎ Hu Shih

◎　胡　適

After entering an American University, I watched, for the first time, an intercollegiate football match on the campus. Unlike the football we now play in China, American football is a very tough game. Though admission cost as much as two US dollars per person, yet there was a large attendance of several thousand. At each critical moment, the stadium would be echoing with the spectators' chorus of wild yells for their own athletic heroes. Whenever a player of their side was injured and helped out of the football field, they would also yell by way of saluting and comforting him. At first I just couldn't get used to the rough play and deafening roar, inwardly calling it an inhuman modern version of the bloody fights of men with men or with wild animals in the arena of the Roman amphitheater.

我到美國入大學(xué)校后，第一次去看我們大學(xué)和別的大學(xué)的足球競爭（Football，此系另一種很激烈的足球，與中國現(xiàn)行的不同）。入場券賣每人美金二元②，但看的人竟有幾千人之多。每到緊要關(guān)頭，幾千人同聲喊著本校的“呼聲”（yell）以鼓勵場中的武士③。有受傷的球員，扶下場時，大家也喊著“呼聲”祝賀他④，安慰他。我第一次觀場，看見那野蠻的奮斗，聽著那震耳的“呼聲”，實在不慣；心里常想：這真是羅馬時代的角抵和斗獸的遺風(fēng)，很不人道的⑤。

Among the yelling crowds were not only young boys and girls, but also many hoary-headed old professors. I was very surprised to see my professor of botany, who happened to sit nearby, also shouting frantically.

但是場中叫喊的人，不但是少年男女，還有許多白發(fā)的老教授，——我的植物教習(xí)羅里教授就坐在我的附近，——也拼命的喊著助威的“呼聲”！我心里更不明白了⑥！

I went to watch football several times. The third time, however, found me rising to my feet in spite of myself to join my fellow students in cheering like mad.

但是我以后還去看過幾次，看到第三次，我也不知不覺的站起來⑦，跟著我們的同學(xué)們拼命的喊那助威的“呼聲”！

Can I have been assimilated into the barbarous modern version of the ancient Roman practice? No. The fact is, I gradually threw away the "old-age mentality" that I'd brought with me from China. I became rejuvenated.

難道我被那野蠻的遺風(fēng)同化了嗎？不是的；我漸漸把我從中國帶去的“老人意態(tài)”丟開了；我也變少年了！

Now, after spending five years teaching at Peking University, I've been assimilated into the "scholarly dignity" of my students, so that my erstwhile "old-age mentality" has revived by and large.

我在北京大學(xué)住了五年，不知不覺的又被中國學(xué)生的“斯文樣子”⑧同化了，我的“老人意態(tài)”又差不多全回來了。

Today I was very happy to hear that Peking University was about to schedule a sports meet. That reminds me of how twelve years ago I joined the football crowds in giving loud yells. I'm looking forward very eagerly to the new opportunity for me to regain some of my youthful spirit. I hope all my students will be present at the playing field to taste the joy of youthfulness and temporarily leave behind their "scholarly dignity" in the classroom or dormitory.

今天忽然聽說北京大學(xué)要開一個運動會，這個消息使我很高興。我的記憶力使我回到十二年前跟著大家大呼大喊⑨的時候，我很想再有同樣的機會使我彈去一點“老態(tài)”⑩。我希望許多同學(xué)都來這運動會場上嘗嘗少年的高興，——把那斯文的老景暫時丟在講堂上或寄宿舍里！

《我對于運動會的感想》是胡適（1891—1962）寫于1922年4月21日的短文，當(dāng)時他在北京大學(xué)任教。