流浪Riddle｜移动书屋双语电台

芸芸众生 名垂青史 -- 遇见一名生还于911的“普通”人 By 晓宁

原文链接  https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/c8PlhjnB0F1-QUFfaJ2JxQ

背景音乐 Leonard Cohen - You Have Loved Enough, Eric Clapton - Tears in Heaven

Riddle Apple Podcast https://apple.co/3tl9UBf  

Riddle 喜马拉雅 https://bit.ly/riddleximalaya 

Riddle Wechat Blogs https://bit.ly/riddlewechat

Riddle Instagram https://bit.ly/riddleinsta 

Patreon Page https://www.patreon.com/yuanriddle 

昨天去911纪念馆的时候，恰好遇见Gordon向人们讲述自己的故事。Gordon是911事件中唯一一个既是幸存者，又是遇难者家属，又是救援人员的人。我遇见他时，他的第一句话便是，我不是什么英雄，那天冲向现场的消防员、警察、救援队才是英雄，我只是做了我该做的事情。

On my visit to the 911 Memorial Museum, I happened to see Gordon telling people his story. Gordon is the only person who is a survivor, a family member of the victims, and a rescuer on that tragic day. When I met him, his first words were, "I'm no hero. The firefighters, police officers and rescue team members who stormed to the spot that day are heroes. I just did what I should do."

他是美籍华裔，在纽约出生，曾经做过战地医生，911发生那时他是医学研究者，那天正好在世贸中心旁的医院做研究。

He is an Asian American, born in New York. He used to be a military field doctor. When 911 happened, he was a medical researcher and was doing his research in a nearby hospital on that day.

当他看见世贸中心的北塔被飞机袭击后，他并没有随人群一同慌张的离开现场，而是向人潮相反的方向走去，回到世贸中心去。他说：“我曾经做过战地医生，那天飞机撞进世贸中心，那么多伤亡，我是一名医生，我怎能见死不救而离开。”

When he saw the north tower got hit by a plane, he didn't storm out like the panicking crowd. He walked in the other direction, back to the World Trade Center. He said, "I used to be a field doctor. When the plane hit the tower, I can't leave those wounded and dying souls as a doctor."

他描述那天的场景：“所有人都慌张的哭泣的逃离世贸中心，狂奔越远越好，只有我一个人在向着世贸中心走去，我并没有一路小跑，我走的很慢，我并非不害怕，我心里有很多很多恐惧，我曾想过也许我没有办法活着回来，我也不知道我为什么会那么做，但我依然头也不回的向前走，也许唯一一种解释就是这是上帝对我的旨意。”

He described the scene that day for us. "Everyone was storming out of the World Trade Center in tears. Storming as far as possible. Only I walked towards the center. I didn't run. I walked slowly. It wasn't because I wasn't scared. I had a lot of fears. I thought maybe I wouldn't make it. I didn't know why I did it. But I walked on, without looking back. The only explanation is that this is the blessed guidance from God."

于是他回到世贸大楼，后来又来到旁边的医院，在会议室的圆桌上为一名又一名的幸存者进行急救。他所不知道的是，他的姐姐Susan，那天受邀到世贸中心106层的旋转餐厅开会，他在救治一名一名幸存者的时候，他的姐姐已经不幸遇难，却尸骨无存。

So he went back to the building and then came back to the nearby hospital, rescuing another survivor on the conference table. What he didn't know was that his sister Susan who had been invited to a meeting in a restaurant on the 106th floor of the World Trade Center had passed away while he was saving survivors after survivors. Her body couldn't be found.

那天过后，他再也没有清洗过那天穿的鞋。他说，鞋子上面的灰尘，也许有那么几颗，是姐姐的遗骸。

After that day, he never cleaned the shoes he wore that day. He said, maybe a few particles of the dust on those shoes are the body remains of his sister.

Gordon说，那天发生的一切，他这一生都不会忘记，就连那天大楼坍塌后空气里弥漫的尘土飞扬，他到现在为止都记得尘土尝起来的味道。而这些尘土正是十秒内世贸大楼坍塌的遗骸，夹杂着飞机事故着火后塑料钢铁水泥混合在一起燃烧的合成物，是再有毒不过的气体。很多很多当年的救援工在多年后被查处很多种癌症，正是因为当年过量摄入了有毒气体。Gordon也是一样，他在几年前被查出来三种癌症。见到我们的时候，他说，我知道我活不了多久了，但是你们不用担心我，我知道我死后将要去到哪里。

Gordon said he will never forget what happened that day in his life. He still remembered how the flying dust tastes after the fall of towers. All these specks of dust were the remains of the Twin Towers that fell in 10 seconds, mixed with the burning composites of plastic, iron, and concrete after the planes hit the towers. Extremely toxic. Many of the rescue team members are diagnosed with cancer years after 911. Gordon is no exception. A few years ago, he was diagnosed with three types of cancer. When he met us, he said, "I know my days are numbered. But don't worry about me. I know where I'll be going after I'm dead."

我问Gordon：“当年你本可以离开现场，跟所有人一样，你现在回想，会后悔吗？”

I asked Gordon, "You could've left the scene, like everybody else. Thinking back now, do you have any second thought?"

他说：“我曾无数次的想过这个问题，如果再来一次，尽管知道最后也许因病痛而提早离开这个世界，撇下当下所有的恐惧的情绪，我还是会这么做。我并不想当一名英雄，我也不是什么英雄，我只是听从了我内心的声音。”

He replied, "I thought about this question so many times. If I were in that situation again, even though I knew that I had to leave this world prematurely with pains, I'd leave all my fears behind and do the same thing. I wasn't trying to be a hero. I'm no hero at all. I'm just following my heart."

临别之际，我给了他一个拥抱。

Upon bidding farewell, I gave him a hug.

在911博物馆里还有千千万万的这样的故事，我止不住的想，人类在巨大的灾难面前，那种自救的逃生欲是非常强烈的本能，但总有那么一些人，他们在最艰难的时刻，他们自愿的承担起了巨大的责任，保护他人，哪怕代价是自己的生命，这是人类怎样一种伟大的精神。这些人是消防员、是警察、是救援工、是楼上楼下奔跑通知自己的员工尽快离开最终自己却遇难的老板，是一个又一个看似平凡的普通人。

Countless stories like this are stored in the 911 Memorial Museum. I couldn't help thinking that when facing great disasters, the human being has a strong instinct of saving oneself. But there's always a handful of people who will shoulder the great responsibilities in these dire moments to protect the others. Even at the cost of his or her own life. What a great spirit it is for the human race! These people are firefighters, police officers, rescue team, the bosses who told all their employees to escape and they themselves couldn't make it at the end. They are common people, one after another.

这几天读了很多疫情中普通人的故事，我止不住的想，人类所拥有的这些美好品质和精神，不仅仅只体现在有良好教育的精英阶层，它是每一个普通公民心中的正义与善意，这些普通个体在每个时代当权者记录历史的时候通常是被忽略的，但他们却是真正书写历史的人。

I've read many stories about the common people in this pandemic over the last few days. I couldn't help thinking all the beautiful qualities and spirits owned by human beings are not only just shown in the well-educated elites. Every common citizen has just and kindness in their hearts. They, often ignored by the history writers, are the real history writers. 

Love is All You Need 你需要的，唯爱，无它 by 笑雨 Xiaoyu 

原文链接 https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/wUrBMfhb2Er48J8EU8BE7Q

背景音乐 德彪西-月光

Riddle Apple Podcast https://apple.co/3tl9UBf  

Riddle 喜马拉雅 https://bit.ly/riddleximalaya 

Riddle Wechat Blogs https://bit.ly/riddlewechat

Riddle Instagram https://bit.ly/riddleinsta 

Patreon Page https://www.patreon.com/yuanriddle 

去年十月，我去杭州参加IDF纪录片节，那天晚上刚听完讲座，一个人在上城区晃晃悠悠无目的的散步，路过一个商场时被一位阿姨叫住，还没反应过来她就往我怀里塞了三朵玫瑰花。我正准备说我不买花，但她先我一步说：“姑娘，我今天在这里站了一整天了，没有卖出去一朵花。这三朵花我送给你，你收下吧。”

Last October, I went to Hangzhou to attend a documentary festival called IDF. After checking out a lecture at the festival, I went strolling in the city, with no purposeful destination on my mind. Walking past a mall, I was stopped by an auntie. Before I realized what was happening, three roses were forced into my arms already. The second I was about to turn them down, the auntie said, "Young girl, I've been standing for an entire day and sold not one single flower. These three flowers are a gift for you. Please accept them."

我迟疑了一下，然后向她表示了感谢，带着迟钝的思绪往前走了两步又退了回来，我说我买下这三朵花。她一直摆手说：“不用了，没有关系。”我坚决要付款给她，这会儿她叹了一口气又笑着说：“谢谢你，看来我今天晚上可以去吃一碗面了。”

I was both hesitant and grateful. Still processing what had happened, I came back after a few steps out. I said I wanted to pay for these three flowers. She kept shaking her hands and said, "It's all right. It's fine." But I was very persistent in paying her. She returned my offer with a smile and a sigh, "Thank you then. I can treat myself with a bowl of noodles tonight."

我带着三朵玫瑰花又绕着街道走了一会儿，心里实在放不下她，于是去便利店买了两罐热牛奶。顺着原路往回走，不知道她还在不在那里。我抱着试试看的心态，竟然真的找到她了。她仍然抱着一大束玫瑰花站在商场门口，等待路过的人停下来一分钟带走它们，哪怕一支也好。

With three roses, I walked around this block for a while. Yet my heart was still lingering on her. I went to a convenience store, bought two cans of milk, and then started to return, not knowing if she was still there or not. Luckily, she was still there. She was holding a big bouquet of roses in front of the mall, waiting for passers-by to stop for a minute and buy her flowers. Even if it was just one flower.

我拍了拍她的肩膀：“杭州的秋天晚上还是有点凉，我们一起喝点热牛奶吧。” 我担心她误以为我的行为是施舍，所以我打开了另一罐牛奶，站在她旁边，邀请她同我一起喝。这样的夜里，我们站在街边聊了很久。

I patted her shoulder, "Hangzhou's evening could be a bit nippy at fall. Let's drink some warm milk." Afraid that she might think that I was doing this out of charity, I opened my can of milk, standing by her side and inviting her to join this dairy party. We stood in this nightfall and that was how our long chat began.

她同我说了很多她自己的事情，她不是杭州人，伴侣离世后她再也没有重组家庭，一个人把两个女儿带大，如今一位已经结婚，另一位和我差不多大，目前在台湾读书。她这两年独自一人在杭州，用各种方式赚钱想要还完小女儿因读书所需向亲戚们借的费用，虽然收效甚微，但她还是想要尽最大的力量去支持女儿的选择，尽管她甚至说不清小女儿读的专业名称叫什么。

She told me many of her stories. She was not a local. She didn't start a family after her late husband passed away. She brought up her two daughters on her own: one already got married and the other was around my age and was studying in Taiwan. She lived in Hangzhou by herself for the last two years, trying to save up enough money to pay back what she'd borrowed for her little daughter's tuition fees. In spite of the slow progress, she still wanted to give it her best shot to support her daughter's choice of life. Even though she didn't even know the exact name of the major her daughter had chosen.

聊到后来，她的眼泪开始在眼眶里打转，她说她心疼孩子们，心疼大女儿执意这么早放弃学业然后结婚，心疼她们不是在她的陪伴下长大，她总是一人在外，所以她们以前常常怪她不像别人的母亲那样，怪她没有给她们足够的陪伴和爱。现在她们长大了，她却离她们更远了。

After a while, her eyes got welled up. She loved her kids with an endearing heart. She felt sorry that her first daughter gave up on her study to get married. She felt sorry that she wasn't there for them most of the time since she was always alone out there. They always blamed her for not being able to love them like the other mothers. Now that they'd grown up, they'd drifted farther.

记不清我们聊了有多久，伴着杭州秋天街道上的桂花味和嘴里的牛奶味，我有一种冷暖交织的奇妙感受。我对自己的无力感到愧疚，不论是行为还是言语上。但同时，我也感到震惊和恍惚，我知道这个世界上有很多人活得很用力且辛苦，但大多时候我都是在电影或纪录片里看到。当我面对一个真实且具体的人时，心里生出的复杂感受竟是观看影片后的几倍之多。

My memory failed to recollect how long we'd talked. With the osmanthus fragrance floating in the fall streets of Hangzhou and the creamy aftertaste in my mouth, I was overwhelmed by an interwoven feeling of coldness and warmth. I felt powerless about my incompetence, both behavior-wise and word-wise. Yet, at the same time, I felt shocked in a trance. I knew many walks of life were living a laborious life, yet I learned about most of them in movies or documentaries. And when I faced an authentic and concrete human being, the complexity of my feelings incurred by that person tripled or quadruple those by a movie.

临走前，她对我说：“姑娘，如果我们有缘以后在哪里见到，下次让阿姨请你喝一杯什么吧，让我把你当女儿一样对待，我们一起坐在那里待一会儿。虽然我没什么钱，不能请你吃啥好的，但我想你一定不会介意，对吧。”

Upon bidding farewell, she uttered, "Young girl, if destiny brings us back together somewhere, allow me to treat you a drink or something. I'll treat you like my own girl. We'd sit somewhere and spend some time together. I am no wealthy. So can't get you anything fancy. But I don't think you'd mind that, do you?"

这美妙的经历让我想起一句话，但不记得是谁说的了。“Let everything happen to you, beauty and terror. Just keep going, no feeling is final. 让所有的事情都发生吧，无论是美丽的，还是恐怖的。一直去感受吧，感受并无终点。”：）

Such a beautiful experience reminded me of a sentence. But I can't remember who said it. "Let everything happen to you, beauty and terror. Just keep going, no feeling is final." :)

A Mahjong Night of 6 Strangers  六个陌生人的麻将之夜 by YUAN

原文链接 https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/YDg4IUSxmef-NBuy6MLaiw

背景音乐 Jake Shimabukuro - Field of Golds

Riddle Apple Podcast https://apple.co/3tl9UBf  

Riddle 喜马拉雅 https://bit.ly/riddleximalaya 

Riddle Wechat Blogs https://bit.ly/riddlewechat

Riddle Instagram https://bit.ly/riddleinsta 

Patreon Page https://www.patreon.com/yuanriddle 

The red lanterns on these foreign streets reminded me that Chinese New Year was coming to this foreign town too. The credits had to be given to the fortunate fact that Chinese culture is one of the many local cultures Malaysia embraces and boasts. Satiated by its renowned cuisines mixed with exotic flavors and immersed in its cultural extravaganza, I almost felt at home in this tropical country I'd fallen in love with. In fact, my love affair with Malaysia started way before I set my foot on this land thanks to one person, Nigel, my Malaysian brother from another mother back in New York.

挂在异域街边的红灯笼们一直在提醒着我，这儿也过农历新年。这不得不感谢马来西亚，中华文化只是这个国家自豪拥有的本地文化之一。满足于出了名的马来饮食，浸泡在其文化的盛宴之中，在这个我深爱的热带国家我似乎找到了家的感觉。事实上，我与马来西亚的爱恋早在我来到这儿之前就开始了。这一切都源于一个人，Nigel，我在纽约的亲如兄弟的哥们儿。

Zigzagging through quiet alleys in the old yet exotic town of Ipoh, I was targetting some leisure space to read, preferably with a refreshing cocktail in my hand. With that goal driving me and thanks to some local hipsters leading the way, I was fortunate enough to stumble upon a speakeasy bar hidden inside the dimly lit alleys. Upon entering Tiga, the speakeasy bar, I could tell from its retro wooden decor and light music that this hidden watering hole had been a soothing haven for many foreign touristy minds and local lost souls before.

穿梭在怡保老城弯曲而寂静的胡同中，我在猎寻着一个舒适的地方去读书，最好手里还能有一杯清爽的调酒。就这么被这个目标驱动着，当然也得感谢当地潮人，跟随着他们的步伐，我在胡同深处走进了一家隐藏酒吧。Tiga酒吧灯光昏暗，从他古朴的木质装修和轻柔的音乐我就知道，这个隐蔽的酒馆是很多游客和当地人来放松身心的港湾。

1 drink out, a stranger tapped on my shoulder.

一杯酒下肚，一位陌生人拍了拍我的肩膀。

"How do you like your drink ah?" a Chinese-looking gentleman asked me in English with the local accent, white collars of his shirt bringing out his warm eyes and neat haircut.

“你觉得酒怎么样啦~？”一位华人男士用马来英语问道。他的白衬衫衣领衬托出他温暖的眼光和整齐的发型。

"It's quite good!" I replied casually yet with reserved respect. "Are you the owner?" 

“很好喝！”我自然的回答道，稍保留了一些敬意。“你是老板吗？” 

"No. I'm just like you lah. Anyway, I got some friends over there. You wanna join us or not ah?" 

“不是的啦，我和你一样啦。嗯，我那边有些朋友，要不要加入我们哩？”

At first, I was startled by such a blunt invitation, considering one fact that it was from a total stranger and the other fact that I knew no one within the 1000 km radius. Yet, knowing how inviting Malaysians are and following my nature of trusting strangers, I nipped the party-pooping thought in the bud.

被这么赤裸裸的邀请，我一开始有点愣住了，毕竟我在这个城市是一个完全的陌生人，方圆千里之内没有我认识的人。但，深知马来西亚人的热情，我就遵循着自己相信陌生人的本性，早早的把扫兴的念头抛向脑后。

It was a gang of friends, 3 guys and 2 girls, plus me. 5 local Malaysian Chinese and 1 Chinese from the motherland. The way David, the gentlemen who invited me to this part, conversed with them made me believe that this place was their regular hangout. Most of our conversations were about comparing young people's lives in both countries and complaining about small things of our motherlands while envying the other's. A typical international bar chat. Of course, they were surprised by how much I knew about Malaysia and amazed by my mastery of Manglish, an English accent spoken only by the locals. I told them all due credits should be given to a Malaysian friend back in New York. I didn't mention Nigel's name though. I had to admit two things: I was showboating a little to prove I was no regular dumb tourist and Nigel had taught me well in Malaysia 101. 

一群朋友中有三个男生和两个女生，还有我。5个马来西亚本地华人和1个来自母亲大地的中国人。David，也就是那位邀请我的男士，和其他人交谈甚欢，这让我相信他们一定是这儿的常客。聊天中的大多数时候，我们会比较两个国家年轻人的生活，对自己国家的小事儿发发牢骚，顺便羡慕一下对方。一个很普通的国际青年间的酒吧对话。当然，他们也吃惊于我对马来西亚的了解，还有我以假乱真的马来英语口音。我告诉他们这一切都要归功于一位我在纽约认识的马来兄弟，我并没有提及Nigel的名字。我必须承认两件事：我有点在臭显摆自己不是那种走马观花的游客；还有Nigel在“初学马来”这门课上真的是一个优秀人民老师。

2 rounds of drinks helped warm our cheeks and our festive moods. One guy suggested that we go upstairs to play Mahjong together. "Ahhhh, that was where the wooden staircase led to--a secret Mahjong room," my inner voice said.  

两圈儿酒后，我们的节日气氛和我们微红的脸蛋一样暖了起来。有人提议我们上楼去打麻将。“啊，原来如此。那个楼梯上面是个秘密麻将屋。”我内心独白道。

Nothing, I mean, nothing could top gambling in working up the festivity during Chinese New Year and Mahjong is the most popular of all gambling games across all China towns. However, over the years, I mainly busied myself with munching homemade delicacies and counting how many red packets I got. I never gave the good old game a serious try. Besides, its complicated changes of rules in different locales demoralized me even more. But, 3 drinks in my stomach, being in a different country, 5 strangers as my buddies, Chinese New Year. In a scene like this, man, I'd never wanted to try Mahjong so bad in my life.

在提高新年气氛上，没有，我强调，没有任何东西能够超越赌博，而麻将是所有中国城最为人津津乐道的游戏。然而，这么多年以来，我一直都是忙着往嘴里塞山珍海味，数数今年我拿了多少红包，从来没有好好学过麻将。而且，麻将在不同的地方规则都不一样，这更打击了我的学习积极性。但是，刚干了三杯美酒，身处异国他乡，五个陌生人做我的靠背，还是农历新年，怎么着，我也得来整两圈儿麻将。

So we 6 tipsy bodies wobbled up the stair, entered a dark room, and arranged ourselves around the table of beige Mahjong tiles. Normally, Mahjong is a game of 4 players, but in Malaysia, it's a game of 3. To make the maths even more friendly to us, among us 6, 3 were rookies like me and 3 female old-timers in the gambling world. So each student was paired with a master to learn the game.

就这样，六个微醺的身体晃晃悠悠的走上了楼梯，走进了一个黑暗的房间，在摆满米黄色麻将牌的桌旁随便的坐了下来。通常，麻将是个四人游戏。但是在大马，是三人一局。恰巧的是，我们六人中有三人是像我一样的新手，另外三位是搓麻高手，所以我们每个新手配备了一名麻将老师。

The rest of the night was linguistically chaotic, yet in the most culturally enlightening way.

那天晚上，麻将桌上，七嘴八舌，多种语言，群英荟萃。这一文化之夜，让我茅塞顿开。

Even though English was the common tongue among us, we all spoke different languages on the Mahjong table. My master, a short-haired girl with a slight tan, was well versed in Mandarin. She could've had fooled me to believe that she was from northern China since she spoke the "er" sound--only northerners add "er" at the end of some words-with panache. Later, I found out that she had received lots of mainland Chinese customers in Malaysia. The pair sat to our right-hand side were talking vehemently in English as they were "the banana people", local Chinese who didn't know how to speak their ancestral tongue. To our left-hand side, a more flamboyant dialect of Chinese, Cantonese, became their lingua franca in explaining the rules of the game.

虽然英语是我们所有人的通用语，我们在麻将桌上都操着不同的语言。我的师傅，短发，美黑的皮肤，说的是很标准的普通话。她的口音绝对把我唬住，以为她是国内的北方人，因为她的儿化音——只有中国北部方言才会在一些词后面加上儿化音——老地道了。后来我才知道她经常和大陆的客户打交道。坐在我右边的一对在用英语说得热火朝天，因为他们是“香蕉人”，这是指那些已经不会说他们祖先的语言的本地华人。而在我们左边能听到的是猴赛雷的广东话。

Just like that, 3 different languages spoken together, 2 countries, 3 or 4 drinks downed, 1 major and common holiday around the corner, we 6 happy gamblers spent such a culturally festive night together like old buddies from high school.

就像这样，三种不同的语言，两个国家，几杯美酒下肚，一个即将到来的重大节日，我们六个开心的赌徒就像高中的老玩伴一样，欢度了这一文化盛宴之夜。

We bade farewell to each other around 3 am. It wasn't until then did I realize that these 5 Malaysian locals who I thought were old friends just met each other that night as well. 

大概凌晨三点左右，我们打烊收摊，准备告别。直到临别之际，我才发现这五个马来本地人也是刚刚认识，并不是像我之前以为的那样是一群老友。 

And 2 months later, on Facebook, David, the guy who approached me at the bar, commented on one of my posts, "It WAS a small world. The guy who taught you Malaysia was Nigel? My high schoolmate Nigel???"

两个月后，在脸书上，那个在酒吧和我打招呼的David在我发的一张照片下面评论道：“世界真小哈。关于马来西亚，教你那家伙是Nigel？我的高中同学Nigel？？？”

陌生人&奇遇 Strangers and Serendipity by Nigel Teh 

原文链接 https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/oGCn50pFwlBnmRgCupyMIA

配乐 FKJ-Ylang Ylang

Riddle Apple Podcast https://apple.co/3tl9UBf  

Riddle 喜马拉雅 https://bit.ly/riddleximalaya 

Riddle Wechat Blogs https://bit.ly/riddlewechat

Riddle Instagram https://bit.ly/riddleinsta 

Patreon Page https://www.patreon.com/yuanriddle 

Neither of us spoke each other’s language, but my encounter with this stranger will always serve as a perennial reminder that kindness is something that does not require words as a conduit for expression.

我们没有相同的语言。但，我与这位陌生人的相遇一直在提醒着我，善良是不需要通过语言表达的。

It was during the spring break of 2017 when I had embarked on one of the greatest adventures of my life - to follow in the footsteps of the Incan people of yesteryears on a 4-day hike along the Inca Trail leading to the impossibly beautiful ancient site of Machu Picchu. After the initial adrenaline rush had subsided, it was back to reality and the journey home involved a long 14-hour fight back to New York. Part of this included an 8-hour long layover in this tiny little regional airport in the city of Cali in Colombia. I was exhausted and barely got through with a lack of sleep for the past few days. 

故事发生于2017年的春假。那时的我正开启一段属于自己人生中最棒的冒险旅程之一——跟随昔日印加人的足迹，沿着印加古道进行为期四天的徒步旅行，一路前往美丽无比的马丘比丘古城。在最初肾上腺素所带来的一阵兴奋随着时间消退后，我终于回到现实，踏上了归途。路上坐了14小时的长途回到了纽约，其中就包括在哥伦比亚卡利市的一个小型机场停留8个小时。过去几天的旅途劳累、困乏和睡眠不足使得我有些精疲力尽。

The expectation upon arrival in the layover airport was this:

到达中途机场时的期望是这样的： 

You know…kicking back with a little rest and relaxation in a cozy airport lounge wouldn’t seem like a bad idea. The reality was more like this:

你知道的，在一个舒适的机场休息室里放松一下似乎还是个不错的主意。但是现实更像这样：

This was the airport that I had landed in, which reminded me more of an old worn-down strip mall rather than an airport terminal. Also, picture the place with 90% fewer people than what’s shown here and most of the shops closed. This airport probably isn’t a major transit hub as the information board only showed about 3 flights arriving and departing on that day. So I found myself tired and alone in a foreign land in which I do not speak the language, and the people weren’t equally well versed with my English tongue, to say the least.

我到达的机场，更让我觉得它是一个破旧的购物中心，而不是一个机场航站楼。另外，想象一下这儿的人比机场看上去少90%，大部分的商店还关门了。很可能这里并不是一个主要的中转枢纽，因为信息板上只显示当天有大约 3 个到达和离开的航班。所以我发现自己在这块陌生的土地上感到有些疲倦和孤独，我不会说当地人的语言，他们也一样，不精通我所讲的英语。

There was no Starbucks, no lounge and no internet to be found. I had wandered around in the empty terminal for a while wondering how I would kill time until I stumbled upon a tiny entrance tucked in an inconspicuous corner of the place with a sign above that read “Hotel”. This could either be the rest that I’m dying for or the start of a potential horror movie.

机场没有星巴克，没有休息室和网络。徘徊在空旷的航站楼许久，思考着我该如何消磨这漫长的时间。偶然间我发现了一个入口，隐蔽在一个不起眼的角落里，标志上面写着“酒店”。这儿，要么能容我急需休息的身体得以放松，要么可能是一部潜在恐怖电影的第一幕。

I sheepishly walked through the doors into an empty lobby and an unmanned front desk. After a while, a man emerged from the back room and if my memory served me well it was at best a conversation between a human and a Martian (me being the alien in this scenario). Despite our best attempts, neither of us understood each other, but it somehow ended with my understanding that there were no available rooms for the day. I tried a no-shame last resort making signs with my hands to see if I could take a corner of the lobby while waiting for my flight to depart. He got the message and cleared up a seat for me and gave me the WiFi password. It was already more than a kind gesture for a stranger who walked through his door and wasn’t even a paying customer. This is as good as it gets.

我羞怯的穿过门，路过一个无人值守的前台，走进了一个空荡荡的大厅。过了一会儿，一个男人从后面的房间里走出来。如果我没记错的话，这可能会是一场人类和火星人之间的对话（在这种情况下我是那个外星人）。尽管我们尽了最大的努力，都不甚了解彼此所说的语言。但我还是明白了这儿已经没有更多房间提供给我休息了。我最后尝试了一种比较不要脸的方法，用手势示意那个人，看看我是否可以在等待航班起飞时占据这里大厅的一角。他心领神会，为我腾出座椅，还给我了WiFi密码。对于一个走进他家店里甚至还不是付费客户的陌生人来说，这已经是超越普通善意的举动了。这样的待遇已经再好不过了。

After an hour or so of fiddling around on my phone, I heard the sound of glass settling in front of me and looked up to find a woman who seemed like the housekeeper of the hotel. She smiled at me like I was an old friend and had given me a nice cold drink and quickly proceeded to speak eloquently in Spanish in what I could only imagine as curious questions about me, to which I had responded in English as if she understood me perfectly. This two-language conversation went on for a good 10 minutes like two friends catching up on each other’s life, just nodding and smiling in acknowledgment after every finished sentence. 

玩了一个多小时的手机后，我听到有人把杯子放在我面前。抬起头来，她应该是酒店的打扫卫生的阿姨。她像老朋友一样对我微笑，给我喝了一杯不错的冷饮，然后很快用流利的西班牙语好奇的问了我能想象到的一些关于我自己的问题。我只能用英语回答，就好像她能完美理解一样。但是这种对话持续了10多分钟，就像两个朋友在询问彼此的近况，每说完一句话就点头微笑表示感谢。

Different things fill your heart with joy. Sometimes it’s the cobblestone streets in Cuzco on a chilly Spring evening and sometimes it’s a conversation with a stranger. This is what traveling is at best. You don’t just find yourself looking out into the horizon on the highest point of the Inca Trail in awe of the beauty that’s right in front of you, but also get the chance to cross paths with others along the way that remind you of certain truths in life:

不同的事物能让你心生喜悦。有的是春寒料峭时晚上库斯科的鹅卵石街道，有时是与陌生人的谈话。这就是最好的旅行。你不仅可以在印加古道的最高处眺望遥远的地平线，敬畏眼前的美象，而且还有机会沿途遇到其他人，这些的种种都能让你在某时想起那些生活中的真相：

1. Not everyone understands a language, but everyone knows a smile when they see one. This is often a good opening move to start with most people.

1. 不是每个人都懂一种语言，但每个人看到微笑时却都能明白它的含义。对于大多数人来说，这通常是一个很好的开场白。

2. Our expectations often don’t match up to reality, but chance encounters and serendipity its own beauty and is part of the adventure. You may not end up sipping on a Margarita in an airport lounge, but a cold glass of water offered in kindness tastes just as sweet.

2. 我们的期望往往与现实不符，但偶然的相遇和意外的发现本身就很美丽，这也是冒险和旅程的一部分。你可能最终不会在机场休息室啜饮玛格丽特，但一杯出于善意而提供的冰水可能会同样甘甜。

3. The world may seem like a dangerous place and that everyone is out to get you. The picture of Colombia in most people’s minds doesn’t conjure up the same image as what one might get when they think of, say, Switzerland. We need to constantly challenge the supposed “truths” that we hold on to because there are foreign strangers who are simply happy to chit-chat with you like an old pal even when she clearly does not understand a single thing that you’re saying. 

3. 世界很可能看起来像一个危险的地方，每个人都看起来要针对你。在大多数人的脑海里，想到哥伦比亚的画面可能和瑞士并不相同。我们需要不断的挑战曾经假定并坚信的那些“事实”，因为这里有太多来自不同国家的陌生人很乐意像老朋友一样和你聊天，即使她明显听不懂你在说什么。

I shall stop here lest I become too Pollyanna about traveling and meeting strangers. When we eventually emerge on the other side of this pandemic, I hope we get to go places again…with even greater hope that we go accompanied by the realization that there is a common thread that underlies the fabric of this human race. 

我将就此打住，以免我对旅行和结识陌生人变得太过盲目乐观。当我们最终出现在这场新冠疫情的另一端时，我希望我们能再次去到一些地方……带着更大的希望，一种意识伴随着我们：一个共同的针线在穿引于人类种族这块针织布之中。

Bonus read of one of my favorite stories about encounters with strangers 

如想阅读更多，这是我喜欢的与陌生人相遇的故事之一：

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cntraveler.com/stories/2016-03-01/elizabeth-gilberts-life-changing-story-from-indonesia-that-you-havent-heard/amp

关于陌生人 About Strangers  by PP 

原文链接 https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/oGCn50pFwlBnmRgCupyMIA

背景音乐 Bill Evans - Soiree

Riddle Apple Podcast https://apple.co/3tl9UBf  

Riddle 喜马拉雅 https://bit.ly/riddleximalaya 

Riddle Wechat Blogs https://bit.ly/riddlewechat

Riddle Instagram https://bit.ly/riddleinsta 

Patreon Page https://www.patreon.com/yuanriddle 

我想了一整天也没发现自己和陌生人有什么故事，可能是因为我把他们都当成了朋友，即使有的只见过一次，有的不知道名字。当然，更多的时候，这些陌生人真的就成了朋友。

Thinking about my stories about strangers, I failed to find any. Maybe it's because I've considered them as friends, even though I only met some of them once and don't even know their names. Of course, most of the time, these strangers become my friends.

在智利Calama的时候，我在儿童公园露营。一个穿着铆钉皮衣的小哥敲了敲我的帐篷，说这公园里都是吸毒的，别在这待着，去我家住一晚上吧。我其实大概了解，睡觉的时候手边放了个钢管，然后贵重物品装在小包儿里系在腰上。我以为说是去人家院子里露营过夜呢，又看他整个人干净利索会说英语（说明好好上过学），就答应了。结果Edson直接给我塞自己卧室里了，我拒绝了三次，但他还是去楼下睡了沙发。

One time, I was camping at a children's park in Calama, Chile. A guy wearing a leather jacket with pikes knocked on my tent, reminding me that it was all junkies around, of which I'd known. That was why I put a steel pipe beside my bed and kept my valuables in my fanny pack. He suggested I crash at his apartment instead of camping here. I thought he meant camping in his yard. Seeing him speak fluent English with a clean look, I said yes. It turned out that Edson meant I crashed in his bedroom. I tried to reject his offer three times, but he still ended up sleeping at the couch downstairs. 

当时签证还怪麻烦的，他就陪我跑了一趟，还带我打的黄热疫苗。

At that time, I had a visa problem. He even escorted me to the embassy and to take the yellow fever vaccine. 

我哪里想的到，那疫苗要700块。Edson就压了自己的身份证跟我一块儿去银行取钱（当时西语还很糟糕，听成了70块）。

I had no idea that the vaccine would cost me 700 RMB. Edson deposited his ID and went with me to the bank to withdraw cash (my Spanish wasn't that good then. I thought 700 was 70).

后来各种破事儿，什么签证官失踪了，大巴公司突然放假之类的，就被强行留了一周。Edson带我和他小叔儿一家去沙漠里烧烤，和他朋友一起去狂欢节被喷颜料，一块儿喝酒打Xbox。

One trouble leads to more troubles. The visa officer bailed on me. And the bus company was suddenly taking a few days off. Suddenly for no reasons at all, I was trapped in Chile for a week. Edson took me to bbq in the desert with his unc, to get painted in the carnival with his buddies, and to play Xbox over some beers. 

作为回报我跟他妈交流厨艺，抢着洗碗，教他姐姐说中文，带朋友们打飞盘。

As an exchange, I shared cooking skills with his ma, vice versa, cleaned dishes, taught his sis Chinese, and took his buddies to play frisbee.

和Edson一起打Xbox Playing Xbox with Edson

Edson学法律的，梦想是当Calama的市长，改善下城市的现状。

Edson majored in law, dreaming to be the major at Calama one day to perfect the city.

他对中国特别感兴趣，我们从狂欢节回来之后，吃着烤面包喝着热茶，聊了个通宵。我给他讲了中国的一带一路，政治体系，各种会议流程什么的。

He was really interested in China. After the carnival, we talked throughout the night over some baked bread and hot tea. I lectured him on One Belt One Road in China, China's political system, the congress procedures, so on and so forth. 

走的那天，他还给我塞了一兜子面包和他妈熬的果酱。

On the day I left, he gave me a bag of bread with jams made by his mom.

有时候深夜里会想起来和他们一大家子亲戚朋友在晚上十点吃晚饭，烤面包，好几种果酱，黄油，芝士，火腿，腌菜，苹果派，牛奶，天南海北瞎聊天，就会被坚实的幸福所填满。

On some late nights, I'd reminisce about how I and his big family baked bread for late-night dinners decorated with various kinds of jams, butter, cheese, hams, pickles, apple pie, and milk. We jibber jabbered until concrete happiness overwhelmed us. 

后来我也经常自己熬果酱吃。

Soon after, I also made jams for myself. 

Edson凌晨5点给我送行 Edson Saw Me Off at 5 a.m.

当然也不是每个“朋友”都这样热情得令人不敢相信，不过即使平平淡淡的，我想起来也会特别开心。

Of course, no every "friend" is so incredibly amicable. Yet, their presence still made me feel quite happy.

我在秘鲁从马丘比丘和两个刚认识一天的驴友一块儿沿着铁轨徒步，然后在一个小镇里被送了几个芒果和橘子后，其中一个驴友帮我拦了辆车。车主刚好顺路去库斯科，能给我搭100多公里送回家去，我则给人掏一点点油钱。

One time, I was hiking along the railway track with two guys I just met in Machu Picchu, Peru. A stranger gave me some mangos and oranges in a small town; another stranger helped me hitchhike on the road. I hitch-hiked with the driver for 100 km on his way to Cuzco and I paid nothing but some gas money. 

库斯科周围全是大山，唯一的那条公路要爬到海拔四千多米，然后再降下去。车主Leni昨儿熬夜工作没睡好，全程盘山的公路有点顶不住，我们就停车歇会。

Cuzco was surrounded by mountains. We had to drive up the way up to 4000 meters and then descend. Leni, the driver, didn't sleep much the night before because of work. The zigzagging roads uphill took a toll on him. So we drove and rested intermittently. 

他给我递了根烟，我给他拿了块儿薄荷糖，他又掏出来口香糖给我。

He offered me a smoke; I gave him a mint; he then reciprocated with a gum. 

那儿的云似乎触手可及，还能看到远处的乌云劈着雷电。

The clouds there appeared to be touchable. You can even see the lightning hidden in the dark clouds far away.

海拔四千的公路 Road at 4000-Meter High

附近几十公里荒芜人烟，连个稍微大点的动物都没有，整片儿地儿都黄不拉几的。

There were no hints of human beings within kilometers. Not even animals. It was nothing but endless dirt of yellow. 

我们就这样靠着车抽烟提神，嘴里随便蹦几句话出来：他说说自己旅游业的工作，我讲讲自己的旅游模式。

We leaned on the car, smoking, trying to stay awake. Sometimes, random words were exchanged: he talked about his job in the tourist industry; I talked about how I travel. 

“你说说你一个二十多岁的大小伙子，咋就不会开车呢。走吧，咱去库斯科了。”

"You? More than 20 years old? And can't handle the wheel!? Let's go. To Cuzco."

哈哈。Haha.