夜的遐想 Reveries of the Night
夜的遐想
Reveries of the Night
本文发表于《北方文学》。
This prose was published in Northern Literature (北方文学) Issue 2 (2018).
温柔的夜，是属于女人的。而那狂热的昼，是属于男人的。
The gentle night belongs to women, while the feverish day belongs to men.
夜的柔情，在于她的静。
The tenderness of night lies in her stillness.
她以最舒缓的方式，慢慢地，慢慢地进入世界，宣告梦的开始。
In the softest way, she enters the world slowly, slowly, announcing the beginning of dreams.
她不像昼出现时，有红日升起的雄伟和灿烂。
She does not arrive with the grandeur and brilliance of the rising red sun as day does.
她以一种令人震撼的静美和昼交替。
Instead, she takes turns with day in a kind of stunning, silent beauty.
昼代替夜时，总是按耐不住着急的性子，想让太阳一下子从地平线上蹦出，给大地万物以最明亮的照耀才好；
When day replaces night, he can never suppress his impatience, wanting the sun to leap from the horizon all at once and shine its brightest light on all things.
而夜这位害羞的女子，躲在昼的后面。
But night, this shy lady, hides behind day.
等到昼展示完了雄姿略感疲惫时，她款款凌波来了。
When day has finished displaying his splendor and feels a little tired, she glides in with graceful steps.
给昼以赞美，表示自己为他所倾倒。
She offers praise to day, showing how utterly she is enchanted by him.
昼便满足了，略带留恋地一点点地踱出了世界。
Satisfied at last, day withdraws from the world bit by bit, with a touch of reluctance.
于是，夜，来了——夜是昼的新娘。
And so, night arrives—night is day’s new bride.
如果没有夜的协调，长昼会带来破坏。
Without night’s balancing presence, an overlong day would bring destruction.
就像过分热情引发的狂躁和不安。
It is like how excessive passion leads to restlessness and agitation.
热情的表达是耗费力气的。
To express passion is to expend energy.
夜不嫉妒昼的威风，相反，她用她自己的力量去保护他，让他不至于伤到了自己或精疲力尽。
Night does not envy day’s grandeur; on the contrary, she uses her own power to shield him, so that he does not harm himself or burn out completely.
夜的出现，给世上生灵带来休憩和安谧。
With night’s arrival, all living beings in the world are given rest and tranquility.
包括昼，他大概也在夜的柔情中睡了吧！
Day as well, most likely, sleeps within night’s gentle embrace!
这就像人类世界的男人和女人，男人有能力，有雄心；
This is like men and women in the human world: men have capability and ambition;
而女人则是蕴含着神奇力量的宁静之源。
While women are a wellspring of quiet, almost magical power.
她们懂得怎么做能让自己的爱人感到舒服、感到自己受到了心上人的崇拜，从而肯于考虑女人以及其他别人的的建议。
They know how to make their beloved feel at ease, feel admired and cherished, so that he is willing to listen to a woman’s advice and to others’ counsel.
转而把自己的力量尽量多的用于创造，而不是破坏。
In this way, he turns more of his strength toward creation rather than destruction.
因为，创造能让爱人开心。
Because creating brings joy to the one he loves.
人们都认为是男人主宰着这个世界，可热爱创造与保护正是女人的性格。
People say it is men who rule the world, yet a love of creating and protecting is deeply woven into women’s nature.
可以说男人拥有力量，女人影响力量。
One could say that men possess power, while women shape how that power is used.
所谓历史，所谓文化，中间不也夹着无数男男女女爱情的结晶？
What we call history, what we call culture—are they not filled with countless crystallizations of love between men and women?
文明源于创造，而很多创造源于对事、对人的强烈热爱。
Civilization springs from creation, and much creation is born from a fierce love for things and for people.
女人是具有极强的年龄角色性。
A woman’s role is strongly colored by her age.
女性成长的各个阶段，也像夜的擦黑、夜半、深更和黎明，各有各的韵味。
The stages of a woman’s growth resemble dusk, midnight, the deep of night, and dawn—each with its own distinct charm.
少女时期，她不知用一颦一笑敲开过多少男孩的心心扉；
In girlhood, she has no idea how many boys’ hearts she has opened with a single frown or smile.
此时虽无丰厚的底蕴，但已开始呈现温柔细腻多情的性格；
At that time she may lack deep experience, yet she already shows gentleness, sensitivity, and emotional richness.
在青年时期，她成了淑女。
In young adulthood, she becomes a refined lady.
她用对世界细腻的观察，为自己的性格和智慧奠基。
Through her delicate observation of the world, she lays the foundation for her character and wisdom.
外在的静，恰当的掩盖了内心的波澜。
Her outward calm suitably veils the surging waves within.
后来，她们成了妻子。
Later, they become wives.
细致的照拂，贤淑的举止，平安喜乐的性格，使丈夫体会温暖，变得有担当。
Their attentive care, graceful conduct, and peaceful, joyful temperament warm their husbands’ hearts and help them grow more responsible.
他和她一起，来进行人生的第二次成长。
Together, he and she embark on a second chapter of growth in life.
再后来，她们成了母亲，女性保护的特征完全发挥了出来。
Later still, they become mothers, and the protective nature of women is fully brought into play.
用好奇心和极大的喜悦接就生命。
With curiosity and immense joy, they welcome new life.
她们无师自通地开始了长年的抚育。
Without being taught, they begin the long years of nurturing.
父亲能用自己有力的双臂把孩子举起，而母亲则愿蹲下来听孩子的心声，并给他一个吻。
A father can lift his child high with strong arms, while a mother is willing to crouch down, listen to the child’s heart, and place a kiss on their cheek.
随着长大，孩子需要更多精神上的沟通和引领。
As the child grows, they need more spiritual communication and guidance.
这像号角，促使母亲开始自身第三次成长。
This sounds like a trumpet call, urging the mother into her third stage of growth.
她们去学习，去改善。
She studies, she improves.
外自知识、沟通技巧，内至性格、品行。
Outwardly in knowledge and communication skills, inwardly in temperament and character.
“要给孩子做一个行为上的榜样”这心念，使她更温和更坚定，就像漆黑深邃的夜，夜里孕育着黎明的希冀。
The thought, “I must be a role model in my actions for my child,” makes her gentler yet more resolute, like the deep, ink-black night in which the hope of dawn is being nurtured.
黑暗也是有温度、有味道的。
Darkness, too, has its warmth and its own flavor.
温柔的夜，带给人的是陪伴、成长与坚强。
The gentle night offers us companionship, growth, and strength.
于是，那夜，深了。
And so, that night deepened.