背影

　　(朱自清)

　　My Father's Back (translated by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang)

　　我與父親不相見已二年余了，我最不能忘記的是他的背影。那年冬天，祖母死了，父親的差使也交卸了，正是禍不單行的日子，我從北京到徐州，打算跟著父親奔喪回家。到徐州見著父親，看見滿院狼藉的東西，又想起祖母，不禁簌簌地流下眼淚。父親說，“事已如此，不必難過，好在天無絕人之路!”

　　Though it is over two years since I saw my father, I can never forget my last view of his back. That winter my grandmother died, and my father’s official appointment was terminated, for troubles never come singly. I went from Beijing to Xuzhou, to go back with him for the funeral. When I joined him in Xuzhou I found the courtyard strewn with things and could not help shedding tears at the thought of granny.

　　“What’s past is gone,” said my father. “It’s no use grieving. Heaven always leaves us some way out."

　　回家變賣典質，父親還了虧空;又借錢辦了喪事。這些日子，家中光景很是慘淡，一半為了喪事，一半為了父親賦閑。喪事完畢，父親要到南京謀事，我也要回北京念書，我們便同行。

　　到南京時，有朋友約去游逛，勾留了一日;第二日上午便須渡江到浦口，下午上車北去。父親因為事忙，本已說定不送我，叫旅館里一個熟識的茶房陪我同去。他再三囑咐茶房，甚是仔細。但他終于不放心，怕茶房不妥帖;頗躊躇了一會。其實我那年已二十歲，北京已來往過兩三次，是沒有甚么要緊的了。他躊躇了一會，終于決定還是自己送我去。我兩三回勸他不必去;他只說，“不要緊，他們去不好!”