潘家园（古玩市场） The Panjiayuan Curio Market

        北塔                                       Bei Ta

一 开场语                 1 Prelude

抹去目光上厚厚的尘埃，      When the thick motes have been removed from the looks

潘家园吵吵嚷嚷地展开。      The Panjiayuan curio market begins to open with noises

没有屋顶，只有围墙，        There are no rooftops but bounding walls

走进历史，我们不能再        On stepping into the history, we can not conceal

掩饰，否则将全都被蒙蔽。    Any longer, or we all will be beclouded

大地历尽沧桑，还得负载      Mother earth has undergone all kinds of vicissitudes, yet

苦难，在多变的天空下旋转，   Has to load more tribulations and circumrotate under the sky最大的幸运是化成云烟。    Of levity. The greatest luck is to turn into cloud and mist

二、马鞍                  2 Saddle

骏马在奔驰中脱掉鬃毛，     The courser put off its mane and took off its derma

褪去皮肤，最后丢失了       During speedcoursing, and finally lost

骨头和内脏。坚实的鞍子     Its bones and bowels. The solid saddle

落魄在潘家园，驮着骑士的   Came down into Panjiayuan, still carrying the knight’s

灵魂，被鞭打，被翻来覆去地 Soul. It was repeatedly flogged and fiddled

摆弄，像一页被风吹到       Like a page of the logbook blown onto the beach

沙滩上的航海日志，被泡糊的 By the wind. Between the dunked

字句里依旧起伏着大海的狂暴 Lines the wrath of the sea are still weltering

三、玉簪                  3 Jade Hairpin

女人的苦乐全都盘缠在       A woman’s bitterness and happiness were all entangled

头发里，不被剪短是她的     In her hair. Not being cut short was her

福分。雕花的玉簪伴随       Good luck. The engraved jade hairpin accompanied her

她一生，临死时，她取下来   For her whole life. On her deathbed, she took it off

递给如花的小孙女，插入她   Passed it to her flowery granddaughter, inserting it

正在生长的秀发。什么时候， Into the little girl’s growing beautiful hair. When

女人的头发不再生长，       Did women’s hair  do not grow any longer

玉簪流落到光秃的潘家园？   And the jade hairpin was drifted into the bald Panjiayuan?

四、铜匙                4 Brass Key

大门打开，二门打开，     The main gate was opened; the second gate was also opened

闺房里惊慌的衣柜被推开， And the panic bureau in the boudoir was forcibly daffed

老爷的足音在梯子上消失后，After the steps of the milord had disappeared from the staircase

差点被闷死的书生扑了出来 The young scholar who was almost stifled threw himself out

被闪光的铜钥匙紧紧抓住。 And tightly tackled by the shining brass key

在潘家园我邂逅这枚钥匙， Now I encounter with this key in Panjiayuan

懦弱而多情的时代已经过去 Yet the recreant but amorous age has passed

没有闺房的衣柜空空荡荡。 Without boudoir, the bureau is so empty

五、瓷瓶              5 Porcelain Vase

在僻远的柴窑里艰难地出生时，When you were just born in a remote kiln

就看到同胞们碎骨粉身。      You saw your brethren broken into pieces

多少回，在仆人小心擦拭时，  How many times you nearly fall and break

险些儿跌破，多少鲜花        When the flunky is carefully mopping you. How many

萎谢后，枯凋后，换成绢花。  Fresh flowers have faded and withered and replaced by 

时刻在死亡的边缘，使你      Silk flowers. Being at the verge of death all the time, you

习惯了死亡；但是在潘家园，  Have got accustomed to death; but in Panjiayuan

你依然明艳如盛装的王妃。    You are still as gorgeous as a full-dressed princess

六、铜镜               6 Bronze Mirror

铜镜模糊，但没有破碎；     The bronze mirror has been blurred, yet not broken

红颜消退，但没被摧毁。     The beautiful face has been fading, yet not wrecked

美梦联翩，从未被夜枭的悲鸣 Good dreams once came together and had never been

打断；但可能记不起来。      Interrupted by the owl’s laments;  yet it’s hard to be recalled

我们在潘家园边走边看，      We watch as we walk in Panjiayuan

没什么梦想要圆而不能圆，    Without any expected dreams that cannot be realized

过去的一切和将来的一切，    Everything in the past as well as in the future

在模糊的铜镜中尽情显现。    Can be seen in the mirror as much as one likes

七、绣花鞋          7  Embroidery Shoes

一串串绣鞋钳制过多少脚，     Strings of embroidery shoes have suppressed too many feet

到今日还在潘家园的上空，    Still highly hanging over Panjiayuan this moment

高高悬挂，像尚方宝剑，      Like double-edged swords obliged by an Emperor

透露着阴森而膨胀的气息。    Uncorking eery and bulgy tingcture

小脚踏尽坎坷后伸入坟墓，    After suffering the whole life of frustration, the tootsies have

天足会不会飞奔而来，        Lolled into tombs. Will the natural feet gallop here

捧起金莲，种植在欲望里，    And hold the beautiful feet like golden lotus to plant in desire

在解冻的湖面上朵朵盛开。    And let them all flourish on the thawing lake

八、手炉                8 Handwarmer

平坦的手炉像男人的胸脯，    The flat handwarmer is like a man’s chest

喝下足够的烈酒后，回到家里，He comes home after drinking enough alcohol

抱紧心爱的女人，任情感   Tightly holding his beloved woman, and letting his sensibility

久久地燃烧，去温暖那冰凉的  Be burning for a long while to warm her cold little

小手。一个落难的男人，      Hands. The handwarmer is a man in distress

醉倒在潘家园寒冬的一角，    Lying drunk at a corner of Panjiayuan in the cold winter

身边堆满了空虚的酒坛，      Surrounded by piles of empty alcohol jars

裸露的胸脯紧贴着白雪。      With his bare chest clinging to the white snow

九、家具              9 Furniture

家园破败后，无辜的桌椅    After the homestead had dilapidated, the innocent furniture

四处流徙，像聪慧的弃儿，  Were moved from place to place, like intelligent foundlings

被大街捡拾、送到了潘家园，Picked up and sent to Panjiayuan by the streets

住进房屋，却不是家园；    They are now living in a house, yet not homestead

被手抚摸，却没有亲情。    They are often dauted by hands without any benignity

这些不会说话的奴隶像骡子，These slaves unable to speak like mute mules

在异乡，只有被拍卖的命运，Only have the fate on sale in this foreign land

而家园成了飘渺的回忆。    And the real homestead has become wispy memory

十、结束语                10 Tag

在时间里获得的，必将在时间里   What has been got in time will be lost

失去。灰尘下不会有新的市场。   In time. There will be no new market under dust

我满怀梦想，用潘家园的灰尘     With dreams in mind, I used the dust of Panjiayuan

装饰起青春，然后猝然苍老。     To decorate my youth, and then suddenly became aged

我只是顾客，不，只是过客，     I am only a customer, no, only a passersby

像云游僧人化缘的陶钵，我只     Like the earthen bowl of a wandering monk, I only

怀念流浪途中的一碗水，在时间里Yearn for a bowl of water during my vagrancy. What has

失去的，必将在时间里收回。     Been lost in time will be taken back in time.