A new kind of blue
另类的蓝色
（看似一成不变的乏味生活，有时也会显现惊喜，重要的是，以什么样的心态去面对）
Jane got up from under her warm bedcovers and faced the cold of her room.
It was another New Year’s Day.
In the bathroom, she looked at herself in the mirror.
Nothing had changed, except that she lines around her eyes and mouth looked deeper.
Jane was 49 years old.
She would be 50 this year.
She did not feel old, only tired sometimes.
What was age?
Jane was simple and always herself, she felt.
She did what she did every morning.
She cleaned her teeth and washed herself.
简从温暖的被窝里爬起，面对着冰冷的屋子；
又迎来了新的元旦；
屋子里，对着镜子，她孤芳自赏着；
一切依旧，除了眼角的皱纹和更加深层的嘴唇；
她，（已经）49岁了；
今年就50岁了，可能；
没有感受到老至将已，除了有时的疲惫；
年龄代表什么？
她觉得总是有点单调而乏味；
每天早上她重复着；
刷牙和洗脸。
She then closed what to wear among the same five skirts and ten tops.
She drank black coffee and went out the door as usual.
Today, she was visiting her mother in an old people’s home outside her city.
She took the same bus to her mother’s that she had taken to work every day for the last 15 years.
Jane works at Barnard & Sons Company.
It was not best job; it was not the worst, either.
She was now responsible for employing new workers.
She made telephone calls, answered letters, and questioned new people about their skills.
She had done this for long enough that she did it without really thinking.
The new faces became one young empty face that knew a little.
Jane, however, felt it was too late for her to change.
然后在5件一样的裙子和10件上衣之间，或排列，或组合着；
喝完不加糖或牛奶的黑咖啡后，想往常一样走出了屋子；
今天，她将要去城外的一家老人院看望她的母亲；
在过去的15年间，她坐着同样的公交车，或老人院，或公司；
她在Barnard & Sons公司上班；
这是一份既不算很好，也不算很坏的工作；
她主要负责公司新职员的招聘；
（每天这样反复着）接电话，回复信笺以及照顾着新职员的工作情况；
这样的工作流程（对她来说）太熟悉了，以至于像机器一样运转着；
唯一感觉到的是：一张张生气的脸蛋变成一副副颓废而空虚的面孔；
可是，简却觉得改变已经太晚了。
There was Mr. Solomon walking down the street, his back was as straight as a ruler.
He came out of his house at exactly the same time Jane did every day.
He wrote a black coat and carried a black umbrella.
Every day, as if he lived in London, not Rockville, Maryland.
He moved his head in silent greeting.
She did the same as always.
They passed each other by, like clock hands moving, liking machines.
Jane thought of herself.
Where was he going on a holiday, to work?
What would happen if she broke the unspoken rule and said “good morning” to him?
Would be answer?
Would he smile?
Could be smile at all?
She did not think so.
But she did not say nothing.
在街上经常碰见一位叫所罗门的先生，背挺直的让人以为是个执法者；
每天他几乎与简在同样的时间出门；
他穿着一件黑色的外套，打着一把黑色的雨伞；
好象他每天生活的城市是伦敦，而非马里兰的罗克维尔；
问候的之时，只是机械般地移动一下脑袋；
她只好自由落体式回敬着；
每一次的“邂逅”仿佛时钟脚步，运转的机器；
简这样评价和疑惑着：
节日的他将要去哪里？（仍然）工作？
如果以“早上好”来打破这种宁静的“约定”，接下来将会发生什么呢？
回应？还是微笑？
有可能根本就不会微笑？
她想。
当然她也只是想想而已。
Down the road, came a red hair woman walking her dog.
Jane did not know her name even though she saw her every day, too.
The woman always said, “Down, doggy down!”
The dog did not listen to its owner.
It jumped here and there.
Every morning, Jane silently questioned how someone could name her dog “doggy”.
And every morning, Jane noted she thought that exact thought every time.
Why not say “Happy New Year” to each other like normal people?
But, the woman never looked away from her restless dog so Jane passed by as usual.
接下来有一位红发的女人遛狗；
简不知道她的名字，尽管每天都看见她；
女人总是说：“下，下狗，下！”
小狗没有理会其主人；
仍然到处乱跳着；
每天早上，简静静地询问自己：会有多少人会向她的小狗招呼（而非主人）？
然而每天早上，她也会发现自己想着同样的问题。
为什么人们没有平常地互相问候一句：新年快乐？
可就在女人眼不离狗的刹那，简还是像平常一样从其身边走过。
It was winter, cold and dry.
There was no sign of snow.
The tree at the end of the road had no leaves.
Its branches looked cold and lonely.
Jane let out a heavy breath and pulled her coat closer around her.
尽管是冬天，寒冷而干燥；
却不见雪的影子。
路旁的树早已赤膊上阵；
苗条的给人以寒冷和孤独；
简狠狠地啜了一口气，肩膀的外套也拉得更紧。
Her bus arrived on time.
The journey made Jane think of her mother.
She was 92 years old.
She and Jane were the only ones left in the family.
Her father and brother had died five years apart more than ten years ago.
Jane’s mother, too, had grown old and weak.
She broke her hipbone two years ago, and now could not move around easily.
Arthritis caused her bones to hurt.
Her mind moved from idea to idea.
She forgot almost everything but her childhood.
She needed someone to take care of her all the time.
But Jane had to work to support them both.
So her mother agreed to live in an old people’s home.
Thankfully, she like it because she was with people her own age.
车子是准时到达了；
稍长的旅程使她想到了母亲。
她已经92岁了，是她家里唯一的亲人。
10多年前，她的父亲和兄弟就去世了，两人去世的时间相差只五年。
她的妈妈也越来越老而变得虚弱；
两年前她伤了髋骨，现在移动很不方便。
关节炎导致她的骨头恶化。
她精神状况和情绪开始混乱，
她已忘记大多数的过去，除了童年，
每时每刻她需要有人来照顾；
可简不得不为他们自己的生活而工作。
Jane visited her mother every Sunday afternoon.
On Saturdays, Jane saw a movie or a play with her good friend, Stella.
Jane liked plays about love, marriage and family life.
Stella did not.
She said it was all talk.
Jane answered, “Well, what else can a play be?”
Stella liked movie with a lot of action, car chasing and shooting.
They argued about the violence.
“What’s it all for?” Jane asked.
“It’s only a movie,” Stella replied laughing, “Afterwards, you feel glad you have a quiet life, don’t you?”
每周日下午简都有去看望她的母亲。
而在星期六，她就陪最好的朋友斯特拉要么看电影，要么看戏剧；
简喜欢爱情剧，如婚姻和生活剧类；
而斯特拉却不认可；
她说那都是些老生常谈的话题；
简反问：“那你心目中的戏剧作品是什么样的呢？”
斯特拉喜欢动作类的影片，如撞车，枪击类的；
他们讨论着暴力。
“不觉得太残酷吗？”简问道；
“这仅仅只是电影，”斯特拉笑着说，“当你看了后，你才觉得这才是真正的生活，不是吗？”
They kept on going together to plays and movies so that each one would not feel alone.
Staying home would not be considered healthy.
Jane made sure her work kept her busy all week.
Other than that, she read books and watched television.
She avoided the silent question at the back of her mind.
Was this enough?
他们一直这样一起看戏剧和电影，以至于两个人都觉得不再孤单；
一直待在家里可能对健康不利；
她保持整个星期埋头于工作之中；
之余也看看书籍或者电视；
一切只为了消除独处的游思，
这一足够了吗？
The bus reached Jane’s bus stop.
The driver said with lots of energy—Happy New year ma’am.
车子已经到站；
司机大声地对简：“女士，新年快乐。”
Jane wanted to ask him if he liked working on a holiday.
She wanted to ask him if he liked driving down the same roads day after day after day.
But, she did not.
Jane got off the bus and walked into the prime of life home.
Her mother smiled widely when she saw her.
简想问他为什么愿意在节日里继续工作；
想问他每天行驶在同样的路线是否觉得厌烦；
可，她没有。
简下了车，又走进了现实的生活中，
她的出现使得母亲很是畅快！
The draft version translation, by Ricardo Li, ServiChina.