When Dad played his fiddle, the world became a bright star. To him violin was an instrument of faith, hope and charity. At least a thousand times, my mother said, “Your papa would play his fiddle if the world was about to blow up.”每當爸爸拉起小提琴,世界就變成一顆閃亮的星星。對爸爸來說,小提琴是一種能帶來信念、希望和善意的樂器。“即使世界下一秒就要灰飛湮滅,你爸爸還是會拉他的小提琴。”這樣的話,媽媽曾說過不下一千次。
And once Dad came about as close to that as could ever be possible.有一回,爸爸幾近要面臨那可能發生的一幕。
Everything on Nubbin Ridge—and on a majority of the small farms in Texas—was built around cotton as the money crop. But in the early years of the century, the boll weevil began devastating the cotton farms in the south.紐賓山,以及德克薩斯州大部分的小農場的一切,都是建立在棉花這種經濟作物上的。然而在上世紀初期,棉鈴象甲開始侵嗜美國南部的棉花農場。
And in May of 1910 folks all over the nation were in a space-age state of turmoil over Halley's Comet. There were all sorts of frightening stories about the comet, the main one being that the world would pass through its tail, said to be millions of miles long.1910年5月,全美國人民都籠罩在一片對哈雷彗星的恐慌之下,如處于太空時代般躁動不安。關于彗星聳人聽聞的說法云云種種,傳得最厲害的'就是地球將穿過彗星的彗尾——據說彗尾長達數百萬英里。
Between the threats of comet and weevils, the farmers were running low on optimism. One night, the farmers gathered at our farm to discuss what to do. When everyone had found seats, Will Bowen suggested, “Charley, how about getting down your fiddle and bow and giving us a little music?”面對著彗星和棉鈴象甲的雙重威脅,農場主們都一籌莫展。一天晚上,農場主們聚集在我們的農場商量大計。當大家紛紛落座,威爾·鮑溫建議:“查理,把你的小提琴和琴弓拿出來,給大伙來點兒音樂怎么樣?”
“Aw, I don't think anybody'd want to hear me saw the gourd tonight,” Dad replied.“噢,我覺得今晚沒人想聽我拉那葫蘆吧。”爸爸回應說。
“Come on, Mr. Nordyke,” one of the younger women urged, “why don't you play for us.”“來吧,諾達克先生,”一個年輕婦女催促說,“你就給我們拉一把吧。”
Dad had a knack for getting people in the mood for his music. Knowing of the scattered prejudice against the fiddle, he eased into a song titled Gloryland. It was a church song with church tones, but it was fairly fast with some good runs. He shifted from Gloryland to The Bonnie Blue Flag, a Confederate war song, which created a big stir—foot stamping, hand clapping and a few rebel yells.爸爸有這么一種能耐,能將大家帶入他的音樂氛圍中。知道有些人對小提琴存有異見,他先來了首《榮耀之地》暖場。這是一首教會的歌,有著教會的調調,但節奏較快,有幾段精彩的急奏。然后,他從《榮耀之地》過渡到《美麗的藍旗》—— 一首南北戰爭時南方聯盟的戰歌,這首歌在人群中引起了很大的共鳴,場上響起了跺腳聲、打拍子聲,還有喝彩聲。
Will Bowen, apparently having forgotten Halley's Comet, shouted, “How about giving us Sally Goodin?” Dad played the old breakdown with vigor. Several men jumped up and jigged around. Children gathered around and gazed wide-eyed at the performance.威爾·鮑溫明顯已經把哈雷彗星的事忘得一干二凈了,嚷了起來:“來首《沙麗·古丁》吧!”爸爸又興致勃勃地拉奏了這首經典的跺腳拽步舞曲。有幾個人應聲而起,跳起舞來了。孩子們也圍攏過來定睛看著這段表演,眼睛都睜得大大的。
All our neighbors went home whistling or humming. Very few remembered to look toward the northwest to see whether the comet and its wicked tail were still around…所有的鄰居在散去時要么吹著口哨,要么就哼著曲兒。幾乎沒人還記得要看看那西北方是否還有哈雷彗星和它那邪惡的尾巴的蹤跡……
One evening, Will Bowen called dad on the telephone and said, “Charley, I'm downhearted and blue. Every time a square forms, there are four boll weevils waiting there to puncture it with their snouts. Just wondered if you could play a tune or two for me?”一天晚上,威爾·鮑溫給爸爸打來電話,說“查理,我很失落很擔心。每長出一個棉蕾,就有四只棉鈴象甲蠢蠢欲動,等著用象鼻往里面鉆孔。你能不能給我拉一兩首歌?”
“I sure could, Will,” Dad said. “Could you come over?”“當然可以啦,威爾,”爸爸說,“你可以過來嗎?”
“No. I mean play on the phone box.”“不,我的意思是在電話里拉。”
“The phone box?”“在電話里?”
“Sure,” Mr. Bowen said. “I can hear you talk. Why couldn't I hear the fiddle?”“是啊,”鮑溫先生說,“我能聽到你說話,怎么會聽不到你的琴聲呢?”
Dad took the fiddle to the telephone and thumped the strings. Putting the receiver to his ear, he said, “Hear anything. Will?”爸爸把小提琴拿到話機旁,重重地撥弄了幾下琴弦。然后他把聽筒拿到耳邊,問:“威爾,聽到嗎?”
“Sure can,” Mr. Bowen said. “Could you try Sally Goodin and play it just like you did the other night?” Dad handed the receiver to me. He stepped up to the mouthpiece on the wall box and cut loose on Sally Goodin. I could hear Mr. Bowen whistling and yelling.“當然聽到,”鮑溫先生說,“你能不能拉《沙麗·古丁》,就像前幾天那樣?”爸爸把聽筒遞給我。他向前走近掛在墻上的話筒,盡情地拉奏起這首《沙麗·古丁》。我聽到電話那頭傳來伯溫先生的口哨聲和歡呼聲。
By the time the tune was finished there were half a dozen neighbors on the line, and they talked about how wonderful the music sounded over the telephone. They made numerous requests; I relayed them to Dad and he played the numbers.曲終之時,電話的那頭已經聚集了六位鄰居,他們談論著透過電話聆聽音樂有多美妙。他們又點了很多曲子,我轉告爸爸,他都一一彈奏了。
Our party line broadcasts became regular features of community life. On rough-weather days of winter when farm folks were forced to remain in the house, someone would ring us and ask Dad to play, and usually it developed into a network affair. Our phone kept ringing with requests for music until radio came in.我們的派對熱線廣播成為了當地生活的固定節目。當嚴冬季節將務農的人們困在室內的時候,就會有人給我們打電話,請爸爸給他們拉小提琴。久而久之,這慢慢成為了一種社交生活。在無線電廣播普及之前,我們家的點播熱線總是響個不停。
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