Moke and Mirrors on the Chao Phraya, Bells at Wat Chedi Luang
曼谷的初次印象與湄南河畔
First Impressions of Bangkok and the Chao Phraya River
1989年2月27日上午10點半，從香港的泰領館拿到過境簽證後，立馬啟程前往泰國。
At 10:30 AM on February 27, 1989, right after obtaining our transit visas from the Thai consulate in Hong Kong, we immediately set off for Thailand.
掌燈前的曼谷，天空灰濛濛的，又逢高峰時段，交通十分擁擠。所有的車輛排放著令人窒息的廢氣。大車、小車、摩托車、三輪兒，在似乎毫無秩序的大街小巷裡蛇行川流。喇叭聲聲、烏煙瘴氣、一派吵雜，這便是曼谷給我的初次印象。
Bangkok just before dusk was draped under a leaden, overcast sky. It was peak hour, and the traffic was heavily congested. Vehicles of every kind spewed suffocating exhaust fumes. Buses, cars, motorcycles, and three-wheeled tuk-tuks slithered and surged through a seemingly chaotic maze of streets and alleys. Blaring horns, choking smog, and utter clamor—this was my very first impression of Bangkok.
次日，天氣晴朗，雖然大街上照樣摩肩接踵，車水馬龍卻一掃昨晚的吵雜感。我們先到火車站買了明天去清邁的車票，再乘遊船沿著S型走向貫穿曼谷市的湄南河，從水路流覽這東方威尼斯城兩岸的風土人情。
The following day brought clear, bright weather. Though the streets remained shoulder-to-shoulder with bustling crowds and rushing traffic, the chaotic din of the previous night had completely vanished. We first headed to the railway station to purchase tickets for Chiang Mai for the next day, then boarded a pleasure boat to cruise along the S-shaped curves of the Chao Phraya River, which flows through the heart of Bangkok. From the water, we took in the local customs and scenery along the banks of this "Venice of the East."
湄南河兩岸矗立著莊嚴大氣的大皇宮和諸多乾淨的寺廟。與之相比，岸邊一間連著一間，參差錯落、掩映在茂盛熱帶植物中的竹樓水榭就顯得滄桑陳舊。圍欄的木條散架了，屋頂的鐵皮生鏽了，水中的木樁似乎都快泡糟了，但煙火氣息十分濃郁。
Along the shores of the Chao Phraya River stood the solemn, grand Grand Palace and numerous pristine temples. In stark contrast, the stilt houses and water pavilions, lining the banks one after another in staggered asymmetry and half-hidden among lush tropical foliage, appeared weathered and ancient. Wooden slats on the railings had fallen apart, corrugated iron roofs were rusted through, and the wooden pilings in the water looked as though they were rotting away from being submerged for too long. Yet, the breath of human life here was incredibly rich.
有女子在河邊洗衣服、有男人在岸邊洗漱，有少年在河中戲水，有蹲在家用小碼頭的木台上聊天兒，壇壇罐罐花花草草，呈現出一派與世無爭的溫馨與祥和。令驕陽下往來穿梭五彩繽紛遊船裡汗流浹背的遊人們目不暇接。
Women washed clothes by the river, men freshened up at the water's edge, boys splashed and played in the current, and people crouched on the wooden platforms of their private little piers, chatting among pots, pans, flowers, and plants. It was a picture of warmth, peace, and utter detachment from the worldly struggle, offering a dazzling spectacle to the sweat-drenched tourists cruising past in colorful boats under the blazing sun.
泰國真不愧為佛教天國，寺廟林立，披著桔紅色袈裟的和尚滿街都是。
Thailand truly lived up to its reputation as a heavenly kingdom of Buddhism; temples stood everywhere, and monks draped in bright orange robes filled the streets.
午後我們參觀了氣勢壯觀，金碧輝煌的皇宮。與紛繁的市井對比，這裡卻是清淨而神聖的。
In the afternoon, we visited the grand and glittering Grand Palace. Compared to the bustling, worldly streets outside, this place was pure, quiet, and sacred.
按規定穿短褲不得入內，花20塊泰株J在街攤上租了一條長褲穿了。晚上在歌舞升平，擁擠不堪的俱樂部裡觀看了舞女們婀娜多姿的民族舞蹈，估計那是人妖的表演。
According to the rules, anyone wearing shorts was barred from entering. J spent 20 Thai baht to rent a pair of long trousers from a street stall. That evening, amidst the lively music and dense crowds of a bustling club, we watched dancers perform graceful traditional dances—performances that I suspected were given by kathoeys (ladyboys).
水上集市與夢中的驚嚇
The Floating Market and the Terror in Dreams
3月1日清晨，我們趕上了具有獨特民族風情的丹嫩沙多水上集市。天還未亮，趕集的人們便頭頂斗笠蕩著雙槳，載著琳瑯滿目的日用雜貨、蔬菜花果、與風味小吃匯集在一起。漁火明暗中，客主相宜、隔艙交易、憑舷進食、討價還價、熙熙攘攘，令遊人佇足。
Early in the morning on March 1, we made it to the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, a place steeped in unique ethnic charm. Before dawn, market-goers wearing conical hats rowed their oars, gathering together with boats laden with a dazzling array of daily sundries, fruits, vegetables, flowers, and local delicacies. Amidst the flickering lantern light, buyers and sellers interacted in perfect harmony—trading across hulls, eating right by the gunwales, and bartering in bustling murmurs, drawing tourists to a captivated standstill.
下午在鱷魚潭動物園裡，花了錢我騎在小象身上餵它吃香蕉。我們還觀看了驚險的鬥鱷魚、耍蛇表演。最後，耍蛇的拿出一條又粗又長、淺色有花紋的大蛇出來，讓觀眾上前去抱。大約有十多個來自各個國家的遊客，其中有大人也有孩子，踴躍上前排成一遛去抱那蛇；當然蛇頭和蛇尾巴是由耍蛇的抱著的。
In the afternoon at the crocodile farm and zoo, I paid to ride on a baby elephant and feed it bananas. We also watched thrilling crocodile wrestling and snake handling shows. At the end, the handler brought out a thick, long, light-colored patterned snake and invited the audience to come forward and hold it. About a dozen tourists from various countries, both adults and children, eagerly stepped forward and lined up to hold the serpent; of course, the handler held onto the head and tail.
我也抖著膽子上前去，好奇，又有點討好地摸了一下那光溜的蛇身。之後，那種怪怪的、麻絲絲、滑溜溜、肌肉扭動的感覺，還停留在指掌上持久不散。我最怕蛇了，它們經常出現在夢中驚嚇我，潛意識裡企盼著，我這一摸，它們能從此在夢裡放過我。
Summoning my courage, I stepped forward as well, touching its sleek body out of curiosity and perhaps a slight desire to appease it. Afterward, that peculiar, tingling, slippery sensation of rippling muscle lingered on my fingers and palms for a long time. Snakes are my greatest fear; they frequently haunt and terrify me in my dreams. In my subconscious, I harbored a faint hope that by making this touch, they might finally leave me in peace in my dreams from then on.
當晚7點40坐上了舒適的空調火車北上去清邁。在空調車上美美地睡了一覺，於1989年3月2日上午8點火車到達了泰國古都清邁。一反曼谷的悶熱，海拔300米的高原盆地清邁，卻是氣候涼爽。
At 7:40 that evening, we boarded a comfortable air-conditioned train heading north to Chiang Mai. After a wonderful night's sleep on the air-conditioned car, the train arrived at 8:00 AM on March 2, 1989, in the ancient Thai capital of Chiang Mai. In stark contrast to the stifling heat of Bangkok, Chiang Mai, nestled in a highland basin 300 meters above sea level, offered a delightfully cool and refreshing climate.
把行李等在旅館安頓好之後，便借了兩輛自行車在市內到處轉悠。清邁不愧是佛國古都，到處是金碧輝煌的寺廟和身著袈裟的和尚，僅僅市內就有各種佛塔和寺廟近百座。四處群山環抱、空氣清新、民風淳朴、節奏緩慢、著實是出家皈依的極好去處。
After settling our luggage at the hotel, we borrowed two bicycles and began wandering all over the city. Chiang Mai truly lived up to its name as an ancient Buddhist capital; glittering golden temples and monks in saffron robes were everywhere. Within the city proper alone, there were nearly a hundred different stupas and temples. Surrounded by rolling mountains, with crisp air, simple local customs, and a slow pace of life, it felt like an ideal sanctuary to renounce the world and take refuge in monastic life.
郊外探幽與荒寺驚魂
Exploring the Outskirts and the Haunted Ruin
第二天，J租了一輛摩托車，風馳電掣般沿著鄉間公路往郊外尋古探幽而去。留在身後的是飛舞的衣衫，及兩排倒行逆駛的鑽天白楊。
The next day, J rented a motorcycle, and we sped like the wind along country roads into the outskirts, searching for ancient relics and hidden wonders. Left in our wake were billowing clothes and two rows of towering poplars flashing past in reverse.
去了絲織手工作坊，逛了賣絹織品、漆器、木雕、民族服裝、銀器飾品的自由市場，看了大象在農田裡耕作，訪了歷代王室的墓園，以及無數寺廟。
We visited silk-weaving workshops, strolled through free markets selling silk goods, lacquerware, wood carvings, ethnic garments, and silver jewelry. We saw elephants working in the farm fields, and visited the burial grounds of past royal families as well as countless temples.
買了一些民間手工服飾，一套用農家織布機織出的粗土布縫製的folk art衣裙，淺藍底色上有深藍夾棕色的指寬橫條紋，坦領露肩無袖短上衣及拖到腳面的長裙。一件長袖粗布衫，一條深藍淺藍豎條粗布裙，一件印著一張荷葉和兩個荷花骨朵的本白色絲綢馬甲。
I bought some folk-art handmade clothing, including a set made of coarse, homespun cloth woven on a farmhouse loom. It featured a finger-wide horizontal stripe pattern of dark blue and brown over a light blue background, consisting of an open-neck, off-the-shoulder, sleeveless cropped top and a skirt that swept the floor. A long-sleeved, coarse-cloth shirt. There was also a dark-and-light-blue vertically striped coarse cloth skirt, and a natural white silk vest printed with a single lotus leaf and two lotus buds.
當然我也沒有經得住價廉物美的民間銀首飾的誘惑。耳環、項鏈、手鐲、手鏈雖然我向來不注重倒持打扮，但不妨擁有一些美觀大方極具民俗風情、藝術魅力十足的小東西。
Naturally, I couldn't resist the temptation of the inexpensive yet beautiful local silver jewelry. Earrings, necklaces, bangles, and bracelets—though I had never cared much for dressing up or grooming, there was no harm in owning a few elegant, profoundly ethnic pieces packed with artistic charm.
時至黃昏，驕陽失去了威力，晚風颼颼略帶涼意。我們鬼使神差的來到了一所無人問津的古寺廟。雜草叢生的小徑引著我們走向一個靜謐的斷壁殘垣。幽暗中看見一隻死貓躺在路邊，我們並不在意，繼續往裡走。
As twilight approached, the blazing sun lost its might, and the evening breeze blew briskly with a hint of chill. As if possessed by spirits, we wandered into a neglected, ancient temple. A path choked with weeds led us toward a silent expanse of broken walls and ruins. In the deepening gloom, we spotted a dead cat lying by the roadside. Paying it no mind, we kept walking further inside.
不知是冷還是這寺廟的陰森，我打一個冷顫，一股涼意從頭到腳順著脊梁骨往下竄。J脫下外套披在我的肩上。與此同時我們又發現一隻死狗髭牙咧嘴地橫在眼前！不由自主的J也打一個寒顫。我們下意識的湊緊在一起，欲進而止。
Whether from the chill or the eerie desolation of the temple, a sudden shiver struck me, sending an icy wave coursing down my spine from head to toe. J took off his jacket and draped it over my shoulders. At that very moment, a dead dog came into view, lying right across our path with its teeth bared in a gruesome snarl! Involuntarily, J shuddered too. We instinctively huddled closer together, frozen mid-step, wanting to advance but hesitating.
夜色裡環顧四周，Oh My God! 我倆不約而同地汗毛倒豎，渾身上下起了一層雞皮疙瘩。原來這殘牆斷壁亂草叢中，橫七豎八地躺著死去的飛禽走獸的尸體！好像耳邊也騰然回蕩起那幽靈的呼嚎。我倆瞠目結舌，唇齒中只並出一句話Let's get out of here!便奪路而歸。
Looking around in the gathering darkness—Oh My God! Both of our hairs stood on end simultaneously, and goosebumps broke out all over our bodies. Scattered everywhere among the crumbling walls and tangled weeds lay the decaying carcasses of birds and beasts! It felt as though the ghostly wails of phantoms suddenly echoed in our ears. Stunned and speechless, only a single phrase managed to force its way through our teeth: Let's get out of here! With that, we bolted and fled the way we came.
契迪龍寺與落難的小鳥
Wat Chedi Luang and the Fallen Bird
翌日，等到太陽高照我們方欲外出。大街上車輛寥寥遊人稀少。轉著轉著就轉到了古老的契迪龍寺Wat Chedi Luang，見一泰女，身著花筒裙，手持一個大竹匾，裡面傳出啾啾鳥鳴。待她走近一瞧，原來是賣鳥的。那竹匾裡還有無數隻蚌形小籠子。每個籠子裡又擠著兩隻小鳥。那女人把鳥兒賣給遊客去放生。看著許多被囚禁的鳥兒朝著遊人苦苦哀求的樣子，真想將那整匾的鳥兒都放了生去。但願望終究只是個願望，力不從心地掏錢買了個籠子。
The next day, we waited until the sun was high in the sky before venturing out. The streets were nearly empty of vehicles, and tourists were few. Wandering about, we eventually came upon the ancient Wat Chedi Luang. There, we saw a Thai woman dressed in a patterned sarong, carrying a large bamboo tray from which a chorus of chirping emerged. As she drew closer, we realized she was a bird vendor. On the tray sat countless tiny, clam-shaped cages, each crammed with two small birds. The woman sold these birds to tourists for them to release. Seeing so many imprisoned birds seemingly pleading with the passersby, I felt a deep urge to buy the entire tray just to set them all free. Yet, a wish remains a mere wish; feeling powerless to do more, I pulled out some money and bought just one cage.
把那巴掌大的籠子托在手掌上，小心翼翼地給那乞求自由的鳥兒鬆綁。籠子上有兩根小鐵絲將那開合處牢牢的鎖著。那兩隻天性會歡蹦亂跳的鳥兒只能高興地在籠子裡的有限空間撲騰幾下翅膀。當我剛鬆開第一根鐵絲時，那籠子便彈開了一條細縫。帶著對自由的極度渴望，一隻鳥兒迫不急待地從那縫中擠了出去。我們驚喜地看著它展開翅膀用盡全力飛向自由，飛向廣闊。邊讚賞著它的勇敢與機靈邊放了另一隻待飛的鳥兒。
Cradling the palm-sized cage in my hand, I carefully began to untie the bindings for the birds that begged for freedom. Two small iron wires kept the latch securely locked. Those two birds, naturally lively and playful, could only flutter their wings excitedly within the cramped confines of the cage. The moment I loosened the first wire, the cage sprung open to reveal a narrow slit. Driven by an overwhelming thirst for freedom, one bird desperately squeezed its way through the gap. We watched with joyful surprise as it spread its wings and flew with all its might toward liberty and the vast sky. Marveling at its bravery and resourcefulness, we then released the second bird waiting to fly.
說時遲那時快，但見那第一只鳥兒直線飛向那古老的寺廟，一頭撞在那寺廟牆頭，繼而又垂直地摔到了地上。這突如其來的，預想不到的悲劇令我們驚愕。我們快速地向那受傷的鳥兒跑去。
Before we could even process it, the first bird flew in a straight line toward the ancient temple, crashed headlong into the temple wall, and plummeted vertically to the ground. This sudden, unforeseen tragedy left us stunned. We rushed quickly toward the injured bird.
J用手輕輕地托起那鳥兒。它的脖子斷了、它的眼睛合上了、它不再歌唱、它不再展翅飛翔。
J gently cradled it in his palm. Its neck was broken, its eyes were closed; it would sing no more, nor would it ever spread its wings to fly again.
它柔軟安祥地躺在J的掌心。J說：“It's still warm.”淚水在他眼眶裡打轉，聲音帶著些許顫栗。
It lay soft and serene in J's palm. "It's still warm," J said, tears welling up in his eyes, his voice trembling slightly.
天哪，為什麼它死的如此淒慘，如此倉促？！聯想起昨天那令人生寒的古斷壁殘垣，真是不祥之兆！
Good heavens, why did it have to die so miserably, so abruptly?! Memories of yesterday’s bone-chilling ruins flashed back into my mind—it felt like a dark, ominous sign.
我指著自己黯然地說到：“It's a bad omen.”
I pointed at myself and said dejectedly, "It's a bad omen."
“Maybe it's for me,” J說。
"Maybe it's for me," J replied.
什麼是瞬間？什麼是永恒？這自殺(？)的鳥兒的自由是瞬間？還是永恒？它是否厭倦了被捕、被放、再捕、再放的生活方式？那部是謎，那部是永遠也解不開的謎。
What is a transient moment? What is eternity? Was the freedom of this suicidal (?) bird a mere moment, or was it eternity? Had it simply grown weary of this cycle of life—of being captured, released, recaptured, and released again? It was a riddle, a riddle that would remain forever unsolved.
J把它安放在那始建於15世紀初、飽經風化剝蝕、以大象雕刻為飾的古老的佛塔腳下，默默地為它祈禱。願上蒼超渡它的自由之魂。我這個從沒有受過宗教信仰熏陶的，在紅旗下長大的女子，在這佛教的天國裡，在這莊重古塔的神威下，也不由自主的口中喃喃：阿彌陀佛。
J placed it gently at the base of the ancient stupa—constructed in the early 15th century, heavily weathered and eroded by time, and adorned with elephant carvings—and silently prayed for it. May heaven deliver its free soul. I, a woman raised under the Red Flag who had never known the embrace of religious faith, found myself in this heavenly kingdom of Buddhism, beneath the divine majesty of this solemn, ancient pagoda, involuntarily murmuring under my breath: Amitabha.
面對那深沉無語卻又博覽古今的、斑駁陸離的古塔，目睹鳥間悲劇，人生之微渺感油然而生。羨鳥兒之歸宿，憂香魂何處。舉目望蒼穹，蒼穹無語白雲悠悠。
Facing the deep, silent pagoda that had witnessed the passing of eras with all its mottled, time-worn stones, and having just beheld this avian tragedy, a profound sense of human insignificance welled up within me. I envied the bird its final resting place, yet worried where my own wandering soul might eventually land. Lifting my eyes to the firmament, the sky remained wordless, and the white clouds drifted lazily by.
鐺......鐺......鐺......耳畔傳來了寺廟裡驚心動魄的鐘聲。
Clang... Clang... Clang... The breathtaking, soul-stirring toll of the temple bell echoed in my ears.
特別感謝 Gemini AI 提供充滿活力的翻譯和文本潤色。
Special thanks to Gemini AI for providing the spirited translation and text refinement.
第四百三十四篇
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