Norwegian Wood

Norwegian Wood

                                               Written by Haruki Murakami

                                

I was thrity-seven then, ¹⁾strapped in my seat as the huge 747 ²⁾plunged through ³⁾dense³ cloud cover on approach to the Hamburg airport. Cold November rains ⁴⁾drenched the earth and lent everything the ⁵⁾gloomy air of a Flemish landscape: the ⁶⁾ground crew in rain gear, a flag ⁷⁾atop a ⁸⁾squat⁵ airport building, a ⁹⁾BMW billboard⁶. So--Germany again.

Once the plane was on the ground soft music began to flow from the ceiling speakers: a sweet ¹⁰⁾orchestral cover version of the Beatles' "Norwegian Wood". The melody never failed to send a ¹¹⁾shudder⁷ through me, but this time it hit me harder than ever.

I bent⁸ forward in my seat, face in hands to keep my skull⁹ from splitting open. Before long one of the German ¹²⁾stewardesses approached and asked in English if I were sick.     "No," I said, "just ¹³⁾dizzy."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Thanks."

She smiled and left, and the music changed to a Billy Joel tune¹¹. I ¹⁴⁾straightened up and looked out the plane window at the dark clouds ¹⁵⁾hanging over the North Sea, thinking of what I had lost in the course of my life: times gone forever, friends who had died or disappeared, feelings I would never know again.

The plane reached the gate. People began ¹⁶⁾unlatching their ¹⁷⁾seatbelts and pulling baggage from the storage ¹⁸⁾bins, and all the while I was in the meadow. I could smell the grass, feel the wind on my face, hear the cries of the birds. Autumn 1969, and soon I would be twenty.

    ...

True, given time enough, I can bring back her face. I start joining image - her tiny, cold hand; her straight, black hair so smooth and cool to the touch; a soft, rounded ¹⁹⁾earlobe and the ²⁰⁾microscopic^{13 21)}mole¹⁴ just beneath it; the camel's hair coat she wore in the winter; her habit of looking straight into your eyes when asking a question; the slight trembling that would come to her voice now and then (as if she were speaking on a windy ²²⁾hilltop) - and suddenly her face is there, always in profile at first, because Naoko and I were always out walking together, side by side. Then she turns to me, and smiles, and ²³⁾tilts her head just a bit, and begins to speak, and she looks into my eyes as if trying to catch the image of a ²⁴⁾minnow that has ²⁵⁾darted across the pool of a ²⁶⁾limpid¹⁷ spring.

I do need that time, though, for Naoko's face to appear. And as the years have passed, the time has grown longer. The sad truth is that what I could recall in five seconds all too soon needed ten, then thirty, then a full minute - like shadows ²⁷⁾lengthening at ²⁸⁾dusk. Someday, I suppose, the shadows will be swallowed up in darkness. There is no way around it: my memory is growing ever more distant from the spot where Naoko used to stand - ever more distant form the spot where my old self used to stand. And nothing but scenery, that view of the meadow in October, returns again and again to me like a ²⁹⁾symbolic¹⁹ scene in a movie. Each time it appears, it delivers a kick to some part of my mind. "Wake up," it says. "I'm still here! Wake up and think about it. Think about why I'm still here." The kicking never hurts me. There's no pain at all. Just a hollow sound that echoes with each kick. And even that ³⁰⁾is bound to fade one day. At the Hamburg airport, though, the kicks were longer and harder than usual, which is why I am writing this book: To think. To understand! It just happens to be the way I'm made. I have to write things down to feel I fully^{20 31)}comprehend them.

 

挪威的森林

37岁的我端坐在波音747客机上,庞大的机体穿过厚重的夹雨云层，俯身向汉堡机场降落。11月砭人肌肤的冷雨，将大地涂得一片阴沉,使得身披雨衣的地勤工、呆然垂向地面的候机楼上的旗，以及BMW广告板等的一切的一切，看上去竟同佛兰德派抑郁画幅的背景一段。罢了罢了，又是德国，我想。

飞机刚一着陆，天花板扩音器中低声传出轻柔的背景音乐，那是一个管弦乐队演奏的甲壳虫乐队的《挪威的森林》。那旋律一如往日地使我难以自已。这一次，比往日还要强烈地摇撼着我的身心。

为了不使头脑胀裂，我弯下腰，双手捂脸。很快，一位德国空中小姐走来，用英语问我是不是不大舒服。我答说：“不要紧，只是有点晕。”

“真的不要紧？”

　　“不要紧的，谢谢。”我说。

她于是莞尔一笑，转身走开。音乐变成彼利·乔的曲子。我仰起脸，望着北海上空阴沉沉的云层，浮想联翩。我想起自己在过去人生旅途中失却的许多东西——蹉跎的岁月，死去或离去的人们，无可追回的懊悔。

　　机身停稳后，旅客解开安全带，从行李架中取出皮包和上衣等物。而我，仿佛依然置身于那片草地之中，呼吸着草的芬芳，感受着风的轻柔，谛听着鸟的鸣啭。那是1969年的秋天，我快满20岁的时候。

    ……

当然，只要有时间，我会忆起她的面容。我追忆着：那冷冰冰的小手，那流线型泻下的手感爽适的秀发，那圆圆的软软的耳垂及其紧靠底端的小小黑痣，那冬日里时常穿的格调高雅的驼绒大衣，那总是定定注视对方眼睛发问的惯常动作，那不时奇妙发出的微微颤抖的语声（就像在强风中的山岗上说话一样）——随着这些印象的叠涌，她的面庞突然自然地浮现出来。最先出现是她的侧脸，大概因为我总是同她并肩走路的缘故，最先想起来的每每是她的侧影。随之，她朝我转过脸，甜甜地一笑，微微地低头，轻轻地启齿，定定地看着我的双眼，仿佛在一泓清澈的泉水里寻觅稍纵即逝的小鱼的行踪。

　　但是，让直子的面影在我脑海中浮现出来，我总是需要一点时间。而且，随着岁月的流逝，所需的时间愈来愈长。这固然令人悲哀，但事实就是如此。起初5秒即可想起，渐次变成10秒、30秒、1分钟。它延长的那样迅速，竟同夕阳下的阴影一般，并将很快消融在冥冥夜色之中。哦，原来我的记忆正在同直子原来站立的位置步步远离，甚至逐渐远离自己一度战过的位置。而惟独风景，惟独那片10月草地的风景，宛如电影中的象征性镜头，在我的脑际反复推出。并且那风景执着地连连踢我的脑袋，说着：“起来，我可还在这里哟！起来，起来想想，思考一下我为什么还在这里。”不过这种踢法一点也不痛，一脚踢来，只是发出空洞的声响。甚至这声响或迟或早也将杳然远逝。但是在这汉堡机场，它们踢的比往常更长久、更有力：起来，理解我！惟其如此，我才动笔写这篇文字。我必需形诸文字，才能弄得水落石出。

 

注释:

1) strap¹ [strAp] v. 用皮带束住

2) plunge² [plQndV] v. 投入，跳进

3) dense [dens] a. 密集的，浓厚的

4) drench⁴ [drentF] v. 湿透

5) gloomy [5^lu:mi] a. 黑暗的，阴沉的

6) ground crew 地勤人员

7) atop [E5tCp] prep. 在顶上

8) squat [skwCt] v. 蹲坐

9) BMW即Bavarian Motor Works，德国宝马汽车公司

10) orchestral [C:5kestrEl] a. 管弦乐的，管弦乐队的

11) shudder [5FQdE] n. 战栗，发抖

12) stewardess¹⁰ [5stju:Edis] n. （轮船、飞机的）女乘务员

13) dizzy [5dizi] a. 晕眩的

14) straighten up 直起来

15) hang over 挂在……上，笼罩

16) unlatch [5Qn5lAtF] v. 拔掉门栓

17) seatbelt [5si:t7belt] n. 系于飞机座位上的安全带

18) bin¹² [bin] n. 箱柜

19) earlobe [5iElEJb] n. 耳垂

20) microscopic [maikrE5skRpik] a. 精小的

21) mole [mEul] n. 胎记

22) hilltop [5hiltCp] n. 小山顶

23) tilt¹⁵ [tilt] v. 使倾斜，使翘起

24) minnow [5minEu] n. 鲤科小鱼

25) dart¹⁶ [dB:t] v. 飞奔，刺，飞快的动作

26) limpid [5limpid] a. 清澈的

27) lengthen¹⁸ [5leNWEn] v. 延长，使变长

28) dusk [dQsk] n. 黄昏

29) symbolic [sim5bClik] a. 象征的

30) be bound to 必定的

31) comprehend [7kCmpri5hend] v. 领会，理解

 

 

1 strap   

n.皮带，带子；v.用带扣住，束牢；用绷带包扎

参考例句：

• She held onto a strap to steady herself.她抓住拉手吊带以便站稳。
• The nurse will strap up your wound.护士会绑扎你的伤口。

2 plunge   

v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲

参考例句：

• Test pool's water temperature before you plunge in.在你跳入之前你应该测试水温。
• That would plunge them in the broil of the two countries.那将会使他们陷入这两国的争斗之中。

3 dense   

a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的

参考例句：

• The general ambushed his troops in the dense woods. 将军把部队埋伏在浓密的树林里。
• The path was completely covered by the dense foliage. 小路被树叶厚厚地盖了一层。

4 drench   

v.使淋透，使湿透

参考例句：

• He met a drench of rain.他遇上一场倾盆大雨。
• They turned fire hoses on the people and drenched them.他们将消防水管对着人们，把他们浇了个透。

5 squat   

v.蹲坐，蹲下；n.蹲下；adj.矮胖的，粗矮的

参考例句：

• For this exercise you need to get into a squat.在这次练习中你需要蹲下来。
• He is a squat man.他是一个矮胖的男人。

6 billboard   

n.布告板，揭示栏，广告牌

参考例句：

• He ploughed his energies into his father's billboard business.他把精力投入到父亲的广告牌业务中。
• Billboard spreads will be simpler and more eye-catching.广告牌广告会比较简单且更引人注目。

7 shudder   

v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动

参考例句：

• The sight of the coffin sent a shudder through him.看到那副棺材，他浑身一阵战栗。
• We all shudder at the thought of the dreadful dirty place.我们一想到那可怕的肮脏地方就浑身战惊。

8 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

9 skull   

n.头骨；颅骨

参考例句：

• The skull bones fuse between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five.头骨在15至25岁之间长合。
• He fell out of the window and cracked his skull.他从窗子摔了出去，跌裂了颅骨。

10 stewardess   

n.空中小姐，女乘务员

参考例句：

• Please show your ticket to the stewardess when you board the plane.登机时请向空中小姐出示机票。
• The stewardess hurried the passengers onto the plane.空中小姐催乘客赶快登机。

11 tune   

n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整

参考例句：

• He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子，并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
• The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。

12 bin   

n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件

参考例句：

• He emptied several bags of rice into a bin.他把几袋米倒进大箱里。
• He threw the empty bottles in the bin.他把空瓶子扔进垃圾箱。

13 microscopic   

adj.微小的，细微的，极小的，显微的

参考例句：

• It's impossible to read his microscopic handwriting.不可能看清他那极小的书写字迹。
• A plant's lungs are the microscopic pores in its leaves.植物的肺就是其叶片上微细的气孔。

14 mole   

n.胎块；痣；克分子

参考例句：

• She had a tiny mole on her cheek.她的面颊上有一颗小黑痣。
• The young girl felt very self- conscious about the large mole on her chin.那位年轻姑娘对自己下巴上的一颗大痣感到很不自在。

15 tilt   

v.(使)倾侧；(使)倾斜；n.倾侧；倾斜

参考例句：

• She wore her hat at a tilt over her left eye.她歪戴着帽子遮住左眼。
• The table is at a slight tilt.这张桌子没放平，有点儿歪.

16 dart   

v.猛冲，投掷；n.飞镖，猛冲

参考例句：

• The child made a sudden dart across the road.那小孩突然冲过马路。
• Markov died after being struck by a poison dart.马尔科夫身中毒镖而亡。

17 limpid   

adj.清澈的，透明的

参考例句：

• He has a pair of limpid blue eyes.他有一双清澈的蓝眼睛。
• The sky was a limpid blue,as if swept clean of everything.碧空如洗。

18 lengthen   

vt.使伸长，延长

参考例句：

• He asked the tailor to lengthen his coat.他请裁缝把他的外衣放长些。
• The teacher told her to lengthen her paper out.老师让她把论文加长。

19 symbolic   

adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的

参考例句：

• It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
• The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。

20 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。