Gas-Station Philosopher

Gas-Station Philosopher
加 油 站 的 哲学家
During our first summer on the Arizona desert, I thought
I`d roast. *tag after the children and chop at my usual pace
nearly killed me in the 112-degree temperature.
[2] By the next April I was already dreading those three months
of Hades coming up. I told Mr. Simpson so, at his service
station in Phonenix while he filled my car`s tank.
[3] “Now you don`t want to worry the season that way,” he
chided me gently. “Dreading the scorchersjust makes the
summer start sooner and last longer.”
[4] I realized , as I paid the bill, that he was right. Summer
in my thinking was already upon us, making a fivemonth hot
spell
4
.

[5]“ Treat the heat like a welcomesurprise,” he said, handing me change. “Take advantage of the best that our summer
offers and ignore the rest under air conditioning.”


[6]

“Is there a best about summer here?”I asked weakly.


“*Ever up5

at five or six o`clock? I swear, those July

blue ocean. And a person doesn`t know the real joy of swimming until he`s jumped into the water on a 114-degree day!”
[7]
morning skies are so rosylike heaven is blushing. And on August nights, the stars look like icebergs floating in a dark

[8]As Mr. Simpson went to*wait on6another customer, a younger employee who had been standing nearby grinned and said

softly, “well, you have just had Simpson`s Special7＿free with a fill-up.”

[9]To my amazement, Mr. Simpson`s advice my dreading stopped, April and May were cut from the hot season.

And when the scorchers did arrive, I worked at my roses in the heavenly cool of morning. In the afternoon I slept
with the young ones. And in the evening we played croquet8and made ice cream on the patio9. Through the summer

that followed, I learned the beauty of the desert sunrise.




[10]Years late, when we moved to Cleveland, our neighbors there were already worrying about winter in Seotember. When
thesnows of December did arrive, our children＿David, ten, and Dawn, 12＿were excited. As they made snowballs,
our neighbors gathered to watch “ those nutty10

desert kids who have never seen snow before”.

[11]When the children headed for the hills with their sleds, a few neighbors joined the kids “ so they won`t kill themselves

*hitting trees11”. Later they `d go skating on the pond with David and Dawn “ to keep them from falling through
the ice”. Afterward, adults and children would sit by our fireplace and linger over hot chocolate.

[12]On one afternoon a middle- aged neighbor remarked, “ for years the snow has just been something to shovel. I`d forgotten






what real fun it can be!”


[13]A few years late we were transferred home to the desert. When I drove to the service station, I learned from the
new owner that age had forced Mr. Simoson to sell. He had bought a tiny station in nearby Carefree.
[14]I droved there and visited with Mr. Simpson as he serviced our car. He was thinner now, with hair the color of silver
hubcaps12. But his pleasant smile was still the same. I asked how he was.

[15]“ I`m not worrying about growing old,” he said,coming out from under the hood. “ too busy enjoying life out here
in the country.”



[16]He wiped his hands. “ We have got three peach trees loaded with fruit＿and a hummingbird nesting13outside our
bedroom window. Imagine a perfect bird no bigger than my finger, looking just like a little penguin14.”
[17]He started writing up the sale. “At twilight jack rabbits pop like corn out of the brush. When the moon comes up,
coyotes gather on the knoll15. I`ve never seen a spring with more abundant wildlife.” As I drove off, he called
out, “Enjoy it!”

[18]

All the way home, I thought about Simpson`s Special＿


that wonderful man`s secret to happiness. Instead of dreading life`s
minuses16, he simply enjoyed its pluses17.

在亚利桑那州沙漠度过的第一个夏季里，我觉 得自己要热死了。在华氏112度
的高温下去种草养花，跟在孩子们的后面跑来跑去以及按平时的节奏外 出购
物等等，几乎要了我的命。
[2] 到第二年四月时，我已对那即将来临的3个月地域般 的炎夏心存畏怯。在
费尼克斯城辛普森先生的加油站他给我的汽车油箱加油时，我把这事儿告诉
了他。
[3] “好啦,不必那样担忧,”他温和地责怪我, “你越害怕大热天,你就越觉
得夏季来的早,老也熬不完.”
[4] 付帐单时,我觉得他说得对。照我看来,夏季已经来了.于是就觉得有长达五
个月的酷暑。

[5] “ 要像对待意外的惊喜那样对待大热天,” 他一边找零钱给我一边说,夏
天有夏天的好处,充分去利用好了。有了空调还顾虑什么呢。”
[6] 我轻声问道：“夏季这儿有什么最好的事儿吗?”
[7] “ 你早晨五六点钟起来 过没有？我敢说七月份清晨的天空美极了——就像
羞红的脸。8月份的夜晚，星星看似在深蓝色海洋上漂 浮的冰山。日间，在
华氏114度的高温下跳进水里，那才体会得到游泳真正的惬意所在呢!”
[8] 就在辛普森去接待他的下一位顾客时，一直站在旁边的一位年纪较轻的雇
员咧嘴笑着， 轻轻地说：“这不，你刚刚得到的是辛普森的特别忠告—— 一
次工间的义务宣传。”
[9] 使我感到惊奇的是，辛普僧先生的忠告真管事儿。我的恐惧心理消失后，4
月和5月被从酷暑月份中删除 了。当那火烤般的大热天真正来临时，清晨，
我在怡人的凉爽中侍弄玫瑰。下午，我和孩子们在家高枕而 卧。傍晚，我们
在院子里玩槌球游戏，做冰淇淋。在随后的几个夏季里，我领略到了沙漠日
出的 美。
[10] 几年后，当我们搬到克利夫兰时，，我们在那儿的邻居9月就已为冬天而
担心 了。当12月的大雪降临时，我们的孩子——10岁的大卫、12岁的达文
——非常兴奋。在他们滚雪球 时，邻居们围在一起看“这些以前从未见过大
雪的发疯似的沙漠娃娃” 。
[11] 当孩子们带着雪橇上山时，几个邻居和他们一同前往，“为的是保护他们
别撞到树上出事” 。后来，他们又与大卫和达文去湖上滑冰，“以防他们
冰破落水” 。那以后，大人和孩子们就一块儿坐在我们家的壁炉旁，慢慢
地品味巧克力热饮。
[12] 一天下午，一位中年邻居说道：“多年来，雪只不过是需要铲干净的东西。
我竟然忘记了它还能带来真正 的乐趣！”
[13] 几年后，我们又把家搬回到了沙漠。我开车去了加油站才从新主人那儿得
知，辛普森先生由于上了年纪，只好卖掉这个加油站。他在附近的凯尔弗里
盘了一个小的加油站。
[14] 我开车去他那儿，辛普森先生给我的车加油时我们聊了会儿天。他现在比
原先瘦了， 满头的银发。可他脸上那令人愉快的笑容依然。我问他生活如何。
[15] “我不担心年纪越来越大，”他从发动机罩下探出头来说，“这里乡下的
生活享受都享受不过来呢。”

[16] 他擦了擦手有说：“我家有三棵桃树，现在已经果实满枝——我们卧室的窗外有一只蜂鸟正在筑巢。想像一下吧，一只仅有我手指大的精致小鸟，看
上去就像一只小巧的企鹅 。”
[17] 他一边写着帐单一边说：“傍晚，长耳大野兔像爆米花似的从灌木丛里窜
出来 。月亮升起来时，丛林狼聚在山丘上。我还从来没有见到过有这么多野
生动物活动的春季。” 我驾车离去时，他朝我喊道：“享受这一切吧！”
[18] 回家的路上，我一直在思索着辛普森的特 别忠告——那个懂得享受生活的
奇人获取幸福的秘密。他不畏惧生活的种种缺陷，而是尽量去享受它的种 种
好处。
Notes 注释：
1． 紧紧跟在后面。tag 常与 along, after,behind 连用。
2． Chide 责备；责骂。
3． 火烧般的大热天。
4． （某种天气的）一段时间。与 hot 连用译为“酷暑”。
5． Ever up= Have you ever got up?.
6． 招待（顾客）；服侍（某人）。
7． 特别的东西。此处译为“特别忠告”。
8． [`kroukei ]槌球游戏。
9． [p?tiNu],[pa:tiPu](西) 内院；天井；（户外的）阳台。
10． [`n^ti](俚)发疯的。
11． =by hitting trees,作方式壮语。
12． 毂盖。这里形容他满头的银发像帽子似的扣在头上。
13． 现在分词短语作定语，相当于 that is nesting.
14． [`pengwin]企鹅。
15． [nMul]小山；圆丘。

16． Minus [`mainM]不足；缺陷。
17． plus[pl^s]附加物；附加额。此处译为种种好处。