● 陈晴山 Chen Qing-shan
   陈敏良 陈敏华（译）Trans. by Peter Chen, Michael Tan

○一

　　壁上的时钟打着十下了，新儿的母亲还在替新儿缝一件小衣服。

　　“妈！快来同我睡。外面狗儿呜呜的在叫，我很怕呀！”新儿在
床上不住的嚷。

　　“乖乖的，不要怕，妈在这里哩。”她一面说，一面把灯儿移近
床前，就坐在床沿上继续她的工作。

　　“妈！你怎么还不睡呢？”

　　“你先睡吧，小乖乖，妈替你做完这件衣服才睡，明天你生日要
穿的。”

　　“妈，什么叫做生日呢？”

　　“出生的那一天，就是生日。你是那一年三月十七日生的，因此
每年到三月十七，就要替你做生日。”

　　“明天你也生日吗？”

　　“不，我的生日，不是明天。”

　　“你也有个生日吗？”

　　“当然有的，无论什么人，都有生日。”

　　“那么你是哪个人生的呢？”

　　“我是你的外婆生的。”

　　“咦！她那么小，生你这么大的！”他脑中现着一个白发驼背的
老婆子的印象，很诧异的说。

　　“傻子，妈一生出来，就这么大的吗？妈小的时候，比你还小哩
。”她笑着说。

　　“我不信。怎么我没有看见呢？”

　　“你还没出生，哪里看得见！”

　　“我没有出生的时候，在哪里呢？”

　　“在妈的肚子里。”她指着腹说。

　　“啊呀！我又怎么跑得出来呢？”他觉着神秘似的，很盼望她的
回答。

　　“怎么跑出来……”她迟疑了许久，想不出一个相当的答案。“
哦！是的，肚皮裂开，你就出来了。”她说着，又微微一笑。

　　“啊呀！肚皮裂开，妈不痛？好痛呀！好痛呀！我不要你这样痛
呀！”他嚷着哭起来了。

　　“我的乖乖，不要哭，妈现在不痛了。若是你这样的嚷，妈倒要
痛起来。”她放了针线，躺下去拍着他睡。他似乎怕母亲当真要痛起
来了，也就不敢再闹了。一会儿，她侧着耳朵听他的呼吸渐渐平匀了
，向他的小嘴唇上轻轻的一吻，依旧起来，继续那未完的工作。


Chapter 1

　　The clock on the wall had just struck ten. Xin-er's 
mother was still busy sewing Xin-er's little outfit.

　　 "Ma, I want you to come quickly to bed with me. The 
dogs are barking out there. I'm scared!" Xin-er kept calling
out.

　　 "Darling, ma is here with you. Don't be afraid." As she
spoke, she moved the lamp nearer the bed, sat by the edge of
the bed and carried on doing her work.

　　 "Ma, why aren't you coming to bed yet?"

　　 "You go to sleep first, dear. Ma has to finish sewing 
your new outfit first and then I'll come to bed. It is for 
you to wear on your birthday tomorrow."

　　"Ma, what is 'birthday'?"

　　 "Birthday is the day when you were born. You were born 
on the 17th day of the 3rd Month. So, we celebrate your 
birthday for you every year whenever the 17th day of the 3rd
Month comes around."

　　 "Is tomorrow also your birthday?"

　　 "No, tomorrow isn't my birthday."

　　 "You have a birthday too?"

　　 "Of course, everyone has a birthday."

　　"Who gave birth to you?"

　　 "Granny gave birth to me."

　　 "Eh! Granny is so small, you're so big, how can she 
give birth to you?" He is puzzled by the image in her mind 
of an old lady hunched over with a head of white hair.

　　She laughed, "Silly boy, ma wasn't so big when she was 
born."

　　 "I don't believe it. I've never seen you so small?"

　　 "You hadn't been born yet, of course you've never seen 
ma so small."

　　 "Where was I before I was born?"

　　 "In mamma's tummy." She pointed at her stomach.

　　 "Aiyah! How could I have jumped out?" He was overcome 
by the mystery and looked eagerly for her answer.

　　 "How did you come out ....." she paused for some time, 
not knowing what appropriate answer to give.. "That's right,
the tummy split open and you popped out." she said 
smilingly.

　　 "Aiyah! The tummy split open, ma not painful? Must be 
painful for ma! I don't want ma to be painful!" he started 
to cry.

　　 "Darling, don't cry. Ma does not feel any pain now. If 
you don't stop crying, ma's pain will return." She put down 
her sewing, lay down beside him to pat him to sleep. He was 
really afraid that mamma would suffer the pain once more and
so did not dare to continue behaving peevishly. She listened
carefully to his breathing, which gradually became more 
regular. She gave him a little peck on the lips, then got up
to complete her unfinished sewing.


○二

　　今天是新儿第四周的生日。他父亲成天在工场里，是理不到这些
闲事的；只有他的母亲，真个忙得不了。清晨起来，吃了早饭，就替
新儿剃头，洗澡，又换得一身新鲜的衣服，鞋啦，袜啦，帽子啦，兜
肚啦，花花绿绿的都是她自己熬得几天几夜的心血做成的。她替新儿
穿束好了，叫他端端正正的坐着。自己却站开两步，看看一下，又上
前去替他振一振衣衫，整一整鞋帽，新儿伸着两个小手，兜住她的脖
子，偎着她左颊上，亲一个吻。这时候，她好像得了无上的报酬，几
夜的辛劳都有了代价了。

　　“新儿，你好好的这里坐，妈去煮面给你吃。乖乖的，不要闹，
妈就来。”她说着向厨房里去。

　　“阿新！今天穿得多么美丽呀！你妈呢？”一个老妈妈，年纪约
摸六十岁上下，从外面进来。

　　“李妈，你来了吗！请坐一下，我在这里煮面哩。今天是新儿生
日，你也记得吗？”新儿的母亲在厨下说。

　　“是的，我还会忘记的吗？三月十七，那天晚上，我在隔壁王家
，接了三嫂的儿子，就来这里，唉！可怜三嫂已经……”李妈说到这
里，忙止住口不说了。好在厨房里夹杂着锅铲煎炒的声音，听的也不
大清楚。

　　李妈是这村上的稳婆。新儿的母亲，因为新儿多病，想把他寄名
给一个贫苦人家做干儿，消解一些灾厄。这个资格，当然李妈最适合
了，况且新儿也是她接生的，所以就寄名给她。真的，新儿自从认了
这位寄母之后，果然无灾无恙的一到如今。就是身上有时发一点烧，
叫李妈来呼鸡唤狗的念念有词，也就没事了。因此，李妈来时，总受
着特别的优礼。

　　“李妈，多失礼了，我总不得空儿，他爸爸又不在家，太冷淡你
老人家了。”新儿的母亲，带着给灶火烘得嫣红的脸，从厨房里捧出
碗面，放在李妈面前，和颜悦色的说。

　　“先给新儿长命吧，我刚才吃过饭来的。”李妈一面说，一面举
起筷子，夹着一块寸厚的猪肉，向嘴里送着。

　　“多着哩，你老人家趁热先吃，新儿等我喂他。”新儿的母亲又
捧着一碗面，面着新儿坐下。

　　“阿新！这里来，我喂你吃吧。”李妈连咀带嚼的叫着新儿。

　　“不，我不要，我要我妈喂哩！”新儿侧着脸儿，好像有些不屑
的意思。

　　“傻子，谁是你的妈，她就是哩，你倒忘记了。”新儿的母亲说
着，轻轻的夹起几条面线，向唇边吹了两下，喂着新儿。这时候，一
个和新儿年纪差不多的小孩子，穿件破衣，赤着两脚，在门外探头探
脑的窥伺。一会儿他觉得今天没有人赶他走，索性坐在门限上，眼睁
睁的看他们吃。一面又把自己的手指头，送向口中，不住的咀嚼，好
像那指头完全面化了，里面含着不少的滋味。

　　“妈，你看他，他也要生日呀，喂他一口吧。”新儿指着那个孩
子。

　　“那是谁家的孩子呢？”李妈吃完了面，怀里摸出一条大成蓝的
手巾，揩一揩嘴插着就问。

　　“那就是隔壁王家三嫂的儿子，你不认得吗？”新儿的母亲答。

　　“哦！就是和阿新同……”李妈又止住不说了，“怪可怜的，三
嫂只留着这一个孩子了。”她终于改了话头这样说。

　　“他还在看我们哩！妈，他有生日吗？他的妈也给他生日没有？
”新儿不住的问。

　　“没有，他没有妈了。”

　　“没有妈的，就没有生日吗？”

　　“是的，没有妈就没有生日了。我们吃吧，别多管人家的事。”
新儿的母亲，好像不很高兴讨论这件事情。


Chapter 2

　　 It was Xin-er's 4th birthday. His father worked all day
at the factory and was not expected to be involved in such 
trivialities. It was only mother who could not be more busy.
Having got up at dawn and had her breakfast, she gave 
Xin-er's head a clean shave, bathed him and put on a new set
of clothes for him, and his new shoes, socks, cap and "tummy
warmer". All of these riot of colours were her own toil and 
handiwork during the previous several days and nights. After
dressing up Xin-er, she got him to sit up properly. She then
took a couple of steps back to view him, stepped forward to 
adjust his clothing and straightened his cap. Xin-er 
stretched out his two little hands, threw his arms around 
mamma's waist and gave mamma a kiss on her left cheek. At 
that moment, she felt she had received her incomparable 
reward; her many nights of sweat and toil were worth every 
bit.

　　"Xin-er, you be a good boy and stay here. Ma is going to
prepare some noodle for you to eat. Don't be naughty, ma 
will be back soon." She went into the kitchen as she spoke.

　　 "Ah Xin! How beautifully dressed you are today! Where's
your mamma?" An elderly lady of about sixty entered the 
house.

　　 "Is that you, Li-ma? I'm preparing noodles in the 
kitchen. Today is Xin-er's birthday. You remembered!" 
Xin-er's mother called out from the kitchen.

　　 "Of course I remember. How could I forget? 17th of the 
3rd Month ..... that night I was at the Wang family's house 
next door delivering Mrs Wang's baby and then I came over. 
Poor Mrs Wang! She has since ............" Li-ma stopped 
here abruptly and said no more. Fortunately the din of the 
various cooking utensils and the noise created by the frying
in the wok made those words not very audible.

　　 Li-ma was the village mid-wife. Xin-er's health had not
been very good. His mother decided to allow him to be taken 
as a god-son by someone who was really poor so that some of 
his ill luck could be dissipated. That being the 
requirement, Li-ma was well qualified. Besides, Xin-er was 
delivered by her; she might as well be his god-mother. True 
enough, ever since Xin-er acknowledged Li-ma as god-mother, 
Xin-er had never suffered any illness or ill fortune. There 
might have been the occasional fever, and Li-ma would always
be summoned to chant and intone her incantation and then all
would be well again. Li-ma was always received into the 
house with special favour and accorded the highest respect.

　　 "Li-ma, I'm really sorry for my discourtesy to you. I'm
so busy at the moment and his father is not home. I'm sorry 
for not taking care of you." With these words spoken in a 
kind and courteous manner, Xin-er's mother emerged from the 
kitchen, her face flushed with the glow of the kitchen 
stove, bearing a bowl of noodle with both hands and 
respectfully placed it in front of Li-ma.

　　 "Let Xin-er have his birthday noodles first. There's no
hurry for me; I've only just eaten," responded Li-ma, 
feigning courtesy. But even as she spoke, she had already 
picked up an inch-thick piece of pork with her chopsticks 
and was in the process of consigning it towards her mouth.

　　 "Doesn't matter. An elder person like you should eat it
while it's still hot. I can feed Xin-er later." Xin-er's 
mother brought out another bowl of noodle and sat down face 
to face in front of Xin-er.

　　 "Ah Xin! Come here, let me feed you." Li-ma called out 
to Xin-er, while still busily chewing the food in her mouth.

　　 "No, I don't want you. I want mamma to feed me." Xin-er
turned his cheek away in rejection.

　　 "Silly boy, don't you know who your mother is? Li-ma is
your mother. Don't you remember?" As Xin-er's mother spoke, 
she picked a few strands of noodle, drew them to her lips to
blow a couple of times and began to feed him. At that 
moment, there was a little child, about Xin-er's age, 
barefooted and dressed in tatters, standing outside the 
door, putting his little head in and out of the doorway to 
try get a peep of what was going on in the house. He soon 
realised that that day, no one seemed to be chasing him 
away. He decided he might as well sit himself squarely at 
the doorway itself, watching them intently as they ate. At 
the same time, he put his thumb into his mouth, sucking it 
as though it has been completely transformed into tasty 
noodles.

　　 "Mamma, look at him, he too wants a birthday. Let him 
have a mouthful," cried Xin-er pointing to that child.

　　 "Whose child is that?" asked Li-ma as she finished 
eating her noodles and drew out from her bosom a large dark 
blue handkerchief to wipe her mouth.

　　 "That's the son of the late Mrs Wang from next door. 
Don't you recognise him?" answered Xin-er's mother.

　　 "Oh, that's the child. He and Ah Xin were ......" Li-ma
again stopped abruptly. "How sad, Mrs Wang left behind only 
this one child." Li-ma managed to change the line of what 
she had wanted to say at first.

　　 "Ma, he's still looking at us. Does he have a birthday?
Has his mother given him a birthday?" Xin-er asked again.

　　 "No, he doesn't have a mother any more."

　　 "No mother means no birthday?"

　　 "That's right. No mother means no birthday. Come, let's
eat, don't get involved in matters that don't concern us." 
said Xin-er's mother who appeared not very pleased to 
discuss the matter.


○三

　　又是三月十七日！这一天是新儿第五周的生日；补说一句话，差
不多也到新儿母亲第一周的忌辰了。今天的新儿，已不是穿着坐着吃
面了。枯槁的形容，消瘦的肌肉，穿件破衣，赤着两脚，和王家三嫂
的儿子，在门前淘泥挖土。他自己也忘记了今天是什么日子了。

　　“没有妈的，就没有生日。”这个公式，再也没有例外。虽然新
儿的母亲死了不上三个月，他父亲就替他继续了一个母亲，究竟不是
裂开肚皮的，怎知道他是那一天生日呢？

　　不知趣的李妈，还沿着旧例，一早就来这里，坐着等要吃面。她
也知道新儿已经换了一个母亲了，但是生日总不会改期的吧。——三
月十七，她记得很清楚。

　　“李妈，你今天这么闲空！没有人家叫你接生去吗？”新儿的继
母有些不耐烦的说。

　　“我哪里得空！不过是为着阿新的生日，特地来的——怎么！今
天没有替他预备做生日吗？”李妈趁着说话的机会，提出这个质问。

　“什么！今天阿新生日吗？我倒不知道。横竖一个小孩子，做什么
生日，太过了，会折福的。”这是继母的话。

　　“哪里的话！小孩子做了生日，就容易长大，我从没听过做生日
会折福的。他的母亲在日，这一天不知道多么热闹呢！你虽然比不上
亲生的。也不该太过冷淡，连一碗面都没有！”李妈仗义执言，为着
新儿，也为着自己。

　　“呸！谁和他计较亲疏的？你这讨厌的老怪物，说了这么多，全
是挑拨人家的话。我不比那些呆笨的妇女们，喜欢和三姑六婆往来，
请你快些滚去，以后别再来到这里乱混。”新儿的继母撵着李妈出去。

　　“咳！没有妈的，就没有生日了。”李妈叹息了一声，依旧从怀
里摸出那一条还带着油渍的大成蓝的手巾，拭一拭眼泪。

Chapter 3

　　 It was again the 17th of the 3rd Month! It was Xin-er's
5th birthday. It should be added that it was also very 
nearly the 1st anniversary of the demise of Xin-er's mother.
Xin-er was no longer all dressed up to eat his noodles. 
Gaunt, skinny, dressed in tatters, bare feet, he was playing
in the mud and clay yard in front of the house. He himself 
had forgotten that there was anything special that day.

　　 "No mother, no birthday." The truth of this had no 
exception. In less than three months after Xin-er's mother 
died, his father married a step-mother for him. Since he had
not popped out from his step mother's tummy, how could she 
know when his birthday was?

　　 The completely insensitive Li-ma came to the house as 
she had always done. She was there the first thing in the 
morning, sat down and waited for her noodles. Of course she 
knew that Xin-er had a new mother, but then birthdays could 
never change——17th of the 3rd Month, she remembered it 
crystal clear.

　　 "Li-ma, you are so free today! No one has asked you to 
deliver?" Xin-er's step mother asked in an impatient tone.

　　 "I'm never free. It's just that it's Ah Xin's birthday 
that I've come specially ——what! Are you not celebrating 
his birthday for him?" Li-ma took this opportunity to raise 
the subject.

　　"What! Is it Ah Xin's birthday today? I don't know about
that. Anyway, what's the point of a birthday celebration for
a child. It may be overdoing things and cause a break in our
spell of good luck." Such were the words of the step-mother.

　　 "Nonsense. Children will grow up faster when their 
birthdays are celebrated. I've never heard of the 
celebration of birthdays being the cause of breaking the 
spell of good luck. When his mother was alive, the day of 
his birthday used to be full of activities. Although you 
aren't his own flesh and blood mother, you should not be so 
indifferent to the extent of not even providing a bowl of 
noodle." Li-ma stood up on a point of principle for Xin-er, 
and also for herself.

　　 "Eh! Who's debating with you about degrees of kinship. 
You irritating old thing. Everything you've uttered is a 
load of insults. I'm not like one of those silly womenfolk 
who consort with busybodies. Get out of my house and don't 
ever come back here to cause trouble." With these words, 
Xin-er's step mother showed Li-ma the door.

　　 "Hai! No mother, no birthday." Li-ma drew a loud sigh 
and pulled out her large greasy dark blue handkerchief, as 
always, to wipe away a few tears.