<p class="ql-block">2005年，高中畢業(yè)40周年聚會(huì)，場面熱烈。我想起了電子郵箱中存放一封信。</p> <p class="ql-block">那封信是用英文寫的。</p><p class="ql-block">九十年代初我在加拿大做訪問學(xué)者。當(dāng)時(shí)已經(jīng)有電子郵箱“email”，用電話線接在計(jì)算機(jī)上傳輸信息。</p><p class="ql-block">我收到一位同學(xué)發(fā)來中學(xué)生活的回憶文章。</p><p class="ql-block">加拿大研究所的計(jì)算機(jī)，可以顯示中文，但沒有中文輸入法，所以我用英文回了一封信，這位同學(xué)轉(zhuǎn)發(fā)了。另有一位同學(xué)中英文俱佳，譯成中文。我看后拍案稱奇，比我文才好多了！</p><p class="ql-block">從1959年初一起，我們中學(xué)開設(shè)英文課，學(xué)生初中畢業(yè)后大多數(shù)升入本校高中。高中畢業(yè)沒有升入大學(xué)的同學(xué)，大多去做了英語教師。</p><p class="ql-block">不管上沒上大學(xué)，各位同學(xué)多年工作多多少少與英語有關(guān)。具有“聽說讀寫譯”能力，就很自然了。</p><p class="ql-block">五十年代，全國各地中學(xué)的外語教學(xué)，幾乎都是俄文。蘇共二十大后，中蘇有了芥蒂。國家審時(shí)度勢(shì)，根據(jù)世界各國科技發(fā)展情況，1959年起，逐步在有條件的中學(xué)開始開設(shè)英文課。</p><p class="ql-block">當(dāng)時(shí)不少中學(xué)沒有英語師資，不能開課。而我們的中學(xué)，英語師資卻十分充足。</p><p class="ql-block">原因是這個(gè)中學(xué)解放前是“私立開灤子弟中學(xué)”。開灤煤礦是英國人辦的，1927年為本礦工人及其它員工的子弟開辦了這間學(xué)校。建校伊始就出高薪聘請(qǐng)名師聘請(qǐng)校長，教學(xué)質(zhì)量一流。三十年代冀省中學(xué)畢業(yè)會(huì)考，開灤中學(xué)排在南開中學(xué)之前，名滿冀東（今天津、廊坊、唐山、秦皇島）。</p><p class="ql-block">我們上學(xué)時(shí)，學(xué)校的老教師，不管是教語文數(shù)學(xué)，還是教物理化學(xué)，或是史地生，個(gè)個(gè)英文底蘊(yùn)深厚。</p><p class="ql-block">初中時(shí)學(xué)校的音樂老師，《國際歌》用中英文對(duì)照歌詞，在學(xué)校專門的音樂教室，一邊彈奏，一邊教唱。</p><p class="ql-block">生物老師燕京大學(xué)畢業(yè)，英語水平自不必說。講達(dá)爾文乘坐的科學(xué)考察船“貝格爾號(hào)”英文名是“Beagle”(詞意：小獵犬）。這所學(xué)校的氛圍可見一斑。他同燕京大學(xué)司徒雷登校長有過來往，文革中成了罪狀。因此被反復(fù)批斗，殘酷毆打致殘。</p> <p class="ql-block">英文信原文及某同學(xué)的譯文。</p><p class="ql-block">Dear XX, </p><p class="ql-block">X X同學(xué)： </p><p class="ql-block">I have a great pleasure of perusing your article, entitled 《A Set of Diaries》.</p><p class="ql-block">懷著極大的興趣，拜讀了名為《系列日記》的大作。</p><p class="ql-block">Every piece of the article I read are replete with refined interest and worthy of the name of prose. </p><p class="ql-block">我所讀的各篇文章充滿情趣，無疑是優(yōu)美的散文。</p><p class="ql-block">Words springing up from your heart present poetry like literary composition.</p><p class="ql-block">從心底涌出的文字，組成詩韻文采的篇章。</p><p class="ql-block">One can feel your sincerity to your friends, kindness to the people，</p><p class="ql-block">人們可以感受你對(duì)朋友的真摯友善</p><p class="ql-block">and your infinite love to your mother. </p><p class="ql-block">和你對(duì)母親的無比熱愛。</p><p class="ql-block">（注：寫出《系列日記》的這位同學(xué)，她的母親，是學(xué)校里同學(xué)們敬仰的教導(dǎo)主任。）</p><p class="ql-block">I appreciate the fluent and light style of your writing, </p><p class="ql-block">文章行云流水揮灑自如，令人欽佩。</p><p class="ql-block">which is characteristic and had been familiar with by our class while you were a maid of teenager.</p><p class="ql-block">在你還是班上十幾歲小姑娘的時(shí)候，人們就已熟悉你這種富有個(gè)性的筆調(diào)。</p><p class="ql-block">It was my fortune to have the chance being a student at our school during1959-65, </p><p class="ql-block">1959-1965年能夠在這個(gè)學(xué)校學(xué)習(xí)，三生有幸。</p><p class="ql-block">where there were many learned scholars working as our teachers. </p><p class="ql-block">學(xué)校有飽學(xué)之士的老師，</p><p class="ql-block">Also there were lots of talented and diligent boys and girls whom I studied together with for years. </p><p class="ql-block">同時(shí)，班上有諸多才華橫溢勤奮刻苦的男生女生，我們共同學(xué)習(xí)了數(shù)年之久，</p><p class="ql-block">That is a golden opportunity indeed. </p><p class="ql-block">這確實(shí)是極好機(jī)會(huì)。</p><p class="ql-block">I remember someone used to say, </p><p class="ql-block">記得一位男同學(xué)說過，</p><p class="ql-block">"Some of our classmates are born with uncommon brilliance. </p><p class="ql-block">班上一些同學(xué)天賦異稟。</p><p class="ql-block">And some girls are just like glorious princesses". </p><p class="ql-block">有些女生簡直是光彩照人的公主。</p><p class="ql-block">He felt he was so tiny that he must look up for catching a sight.</p><p class="ql-block">他感到自己是如此卑微，必須竭力仰視，方能一睹驚鴻。</p><p class="ql-block">I learned a lot from my respected teachers and my dear classmates. </p><p class="ql-block">向尊敬的老師和珍貴的同學(xué)們學(xué)習(xí)，收獲頗豐。</p><p class="ql-block">That had already benefited my life in the past and will benefit in the rest of my days.</p><p class="ql-block">使我過去這些年的生活中受益良多，對(duì)未來也必然大有裨益。</p><p class="ql-block">We experienced some trouble in 1964.</p><p class="ql-block">1964年我們也經(jīng)歷了煩惱。</p><p class="ql-block"> It was 'class struggle' against a teacher. </p><p class="ql-block">那是針對(duì)一位老師的“階級(jí)斗爭”。</p><p class="ql-block">The teacher taught English to our class. </p><p class="ql-block">那位老師教我們班英語。</p><p class="ql-block">He was considered to be a "reactionnary"</p><p class="ql-block">他被認(rèn)為是反動(dòng)派。</p><p class="ql-block">The violent shouting "Down with……" in the meeting place was frightening. I was deeply shocked. </p><p class="ql-block">會(huì)場上激烈的口號(hào)“打到XXX”，令人不寒而栗，我深感震驚。</p><p class="ql-block">Finally it became a tragic that the teacher was persecuted . Finally, he was sentenced to death for being guilty of "reactionnary" by the People's High Court of Hebei Province during the 'Culture Revolution"</p><p class="ql-block">那位教師被迫害，并在文革中被河北省人民法院以“反革命罪”論處，執(zhí)行死刑。這是一場悲劇。</p><p class="ql-block">As everyone knows none could be an exception in China at that time.</p><p class="ql-block">眾所周知，那個(gè)時(shí)代中國沒有人能獨(dú)善其身。</p><p class="ql-block">That was another kind of lesson to the generation of ours. </p><p class="ql-block">這是我們這一代人的另一種沉痛的教訓(xùn)。</p><p class="ql-block">Time flies. Many years have passed. </p><p class="ql-block">時(shí)光流逝，許多年過去了。</p><p class="ql-block">Now we live a quiet life throughout the country: north or south,urban or rural. </p><p class="ql-block">現(xiàn)在我們?cè)谀戏奖狈?，城市鄉(xiāng)村，過著平靜的生活。</p><p class="ql-block">Someone goes so far as to live abroad.</p><p class="ql-block">有些人甚至定居海外。</p><p class="ql-block">Enjoy our life and enjoy ourselves.</p><p class="ql-block">讓我們心情愉快，享受生活。</p><p class="ql-block">With best wishes!</p><p class="ql-block">順致良好的祝愿。</p><p class="ql-block">Sincerely Yours</p><p class="ql-block">XXX</p> <p class="ql-block">～～～～～～～～～～～～～～</p><p class="ql-block">那位被斗爭的英語老師，1957年被劃為右派。</p><p class="ql-block">斗爭這位老師，我印象最深的一條理由是，他翻譯了古詩的一句話。這句話出自辛棄疾的詞《永遇樂·京口北固亭懷古 》。當(dāng)時(shí)語文課剛剛學(xué)了這一課。</p><p class="ql-block">翻譯的那句話是：“憑誰問，廉頗老矣，尚能飯否？”。</p><p class="ql-block">“Who would still care，</p><p class="ql-block">If the quite old general Lian Po,</p><p class="ql-block">were strong enough to eat as healthy as before?"</p><p class="ql-block">這被認(rèn)為是不甘失敗，妄圖卷土重來??。</p><p class="ql-block">不過，那個(gè)時(shí)代，奉行的是“千萬不要忘記……” 。形成特定的思維方式，人們無可奈何。</p><p class="ql-block">文革后，當(dāng)然平反，但死者不能復(fù)生，這是慘痛的歷史經(jīng)驗(yàn)。</p><p class="ql-block">套用偉人的一句話：</p><p class="ql-block">“歷史的經(jīng)驗(yàn)值得注意.一個(gè)路線,一種觀點(diǎn),要經(jīng)常講,反復(fù)講.只給少數(shù)人講不行,要使廣大革命群眾都知道”</p>