《冬牧场》第六章冬宰中英互译VIP

《冬牧场》是中国当代作家李娟于2011年出版的长篇非虚构文学作品。书中通过对牧民日常生活的细致观察，展现了他们在极端气候和地理条件下的生存智慧和对自然的敬畏。李娟的文字如同一幅幅生动的画卷，让读者仿佛置身于那片广袤的冬牧场，感受着牧民与自然和谐共生的生活方式，以及他们面对现代化挑战时的无奈与坚持。今天推介的片段节选自《冬牧场》第六章“冬宰”文/李娟冬宰是每户牧民入冬前的重大战备行动。在接下来漫长的整个冬天，以及再接下来的整个春天和大半个夏天里，香喷喷的肉食是贫瘠生活的最大安慰。就算是已经定居在城市里了，有许多哈萨克家庭至今仍保持着这个传统。他们在入冬时，也会购买活畜宰杀储备过冬。在城市住宅小区的绿化带边，宰杀后的羊悬挂在公用运动器材上，剥皮、卸肉块、清理内脏，再用喷枪烧剥羊头羊蹄……Foreveryherderfamily,thewinterslaughterisacrucialpartofpreparingforthewinter.Throughthelongwinter,allspring,andhalfthesummerthatfollows,thisfragrantmeatisthegreatestconsolationinalifeofscarcity.ManyoftheKazakhfamilieswhohavesettledincitiesstillmaintainthistradition.Attheendoffall,theybuylivestockandslaughterittoprepareforthewinter.Inthosemonths,thegreenbeltsofgrassthatsurroundurbanapartmentblocksareriddledwithslaughteredsheep

hangingonpublicexercisemachines,theirskinremoved,theircarcassesbutchered,offalcleanedout,andhairburnedofftheirheadsandhoovesusingblowtorches...

选择在这样的时节大规模宰杀牲畜真是再合理不过了。首先气温一天冷似一天，可以安全贮存；其次羊群刚从夏秋牧场出来不久，掉膘情况不严重；最后嘛……这是我的想法：在漫长又贫瘠的冬天里，正好省下几只羊的口粮。Thereisnobettertimeofyeartoslaughterlivestock.Firstofall,everydayiscolderthanthepreviousone,whichisidealforhygienicstorage;second,thesheep,recentlyreturnedfromthesummerpastures,havenotyetlosttheirfat;andlastly—atanyratethisismyguess—headingintoawinterofscarcity,itreducesthenumbersofmouthstofeed.

虽然亲眼目睹一个生命的结束是很难受的事，但我还是准备好了勇气。可是，眼看就要开始宰了，加玛却拉我去背雪！真是急死人……而且雪又装得过多，站都站不起来。等我三步一小歇五步一大歇地翻过重重沙丘，扛着雪走向家中时，远远看到马已经倒下了！急得扔了雪袋就跑，跑到近前，血已经放干净了。马平静地睁着眼睛，一动不动。Althoughwitnessingtheendofalifeisinevitablyadifficultexperienceformepersonally,Ineverthelessdecidedtopreparemyself.Butwhenthemomentcamefortheslaughtertobegin,Kamadraggedmeofftohelphercarryasackofsnow!So

exasperating…andthesackwassofullthatIcouldbarelystandup.Threesteps,thenabreak,fivesteps,thenalongerbreak.BythetimeI’dluggedthesackofsnowoverthesanddunesandwasnearlyhome,Isawinthedistancethatthehorsehadalreadyfallen!Ithrewdownthesackandrantosee.ButbythetimeIgotthere,thebloodhad

alreadybeendrained.Thehorse’seyesremainedopen,silentandstill;itsbodywaslikewisemotionless.

好在总算赶上了第二天的宰羊。Thankfully,Icaughtthenextday’sslaughter.

那么多羊，捉的时候似乎也没有什么特别的选择。依我看，逮着哪只算哪只。羊群显得比平时更为惊恐、警惕，好像看出了这次不像是被抓去抹“灭虱灵”那么简单。那个倒霉蛋都已经就擒了仍不肯消停，上蹿下跳，叫得撕心裂肺。居麻紧紧揪着它脖子两侧的毛把它拖到地窝子前的空地上，再吩咐我把洗水壶拎来。然后他掰开羊的嘴，让我提着壶往它嘴里灌了一口水。他解释说，这只羊今天还没有“吃饭”呢！Therewereplentyofsheep,andwhenitcametochoosingone,theredidn’tseemtobemuchofadifference—tomymind,onewasasgoodasthenext.Theflockwasnoticeablymoreanxiousandalertthanusual,asiftheyknewthatthistime,itwasn’tgoingtobeassimpleasgettingsprayedwith“LiceEliminator.”Theunluckyonehadalreadybeencaught,butitstillkeptjumpingandsquirming,bleatingoutheartrendingscreams.Cumagrabbedontothewooloneithersideofitsneckanddraggedittotheopenspaceoutsidetheburrowwherehetoldmetobringoverthekettleweusedforwashingourhands.Then,hepriedopenitsmouthandtoldmetopoursomewaterin.Heexplained,thesheephadn’t“eaten”yettoday.

原来，不能让它空腹而死，不能让它的灵魂太委屈。……可是，就喂了点水，也太象征性了吧？也太好打发了……“Itshouldn’tdieonanemptystomach,orelseitssoulwouldfeelmistreated.”Butamouthfulofwater—isn’tthatonlyasymbolicgesture?Itallsoundedabittooconvenient.

接下来开始做巴塔（祷辞）。巴塔也做得极其迅速，半句话不到就结束了，开始抽刀子……也跟打发一样。我都懒得问他说的啥意思。Nextcamethebata(prayer).Thebatahappenedinarush,lessthanhalfasentenceanditwasover,andtheknifewasout—again,nomorethanagesture.

居麻在吃肉之前带领大家做的巴塔也是如此作风，飞快地，嘎嘣一下就完了。Ididn’tevenbothertoaskwhattheprayermeant.WhenCumawouldleadusinbatabeforesittingdowntoeatmeat,hewasequallyterseandexpedient,acoupleofsyllablesanditwasdone.

那么羊听到了吗？羊谅解了吗？这是一个被宰杀者看着长大的生命。宰杀它的人，曾亲手把它从春牧场上的胎盘旁拾起，小心装进准备已久的毡袋，再小心系在马鞍后带回家……宰杀它的人，曾漫山遍野带着它四处寻找最茂盛多汁的青草，当它迷路时，冒着雨把它找回……曾一次又一次给它抹灭虱的药水，处理发炎的伤口……在寒冷季节，领它去往开阔暖和的南方旷野……这些羊都记得吗？宰杀它的人，又有什么仇恨和恶意呢？大约生命的事情就是这样的吧：终究各归其途，只要安心就好。Didthesheephear?Diditunderstand?Itsbutcherhadwatcheditgrowup.Itsbutcherhadusedhisownhandstopickitupfromitsplacentaonthespringpasturefloor,gentlynestleditinthewarmfeltsackhehadprepared,andaftercarefullystrappingittothesaddle,broughtithome…Itsbutcherhadleditacrosshillsandplainsinsearchofthelushest,mostsucculentgrasses,andwhenitwanderedastray,hebravedtheraintofindit…Timeandtimeagain,hegaveitdelouser

andtendedtoitsinflamedwounds…In

thecoldseason,hehadledittothewarmsouthernplains…Didthesheeprememberanyofit?Coulditsbutcherhavefeltashredofhatredormeannessinthosehappiertimes?Perhaps