【双语】可怜一生的情，却只得半生的缘

世钧：

Dear Shijun,

现在是夜里，家里的人都睡了，静极了，只听见弟弟他们买来的蟋蟀的鸣声。这两天天气已经冷起来了，你这次走得这样匆忙，冬天的衣服一定没有带去吧？我想你对这些事情向来马马虎虎，冷了也不会想到加衣裳的。我也不知怎么老是惦记着这些，自己也嫌啰唆。随便看见什么，或是听见别人说一句什么话，完全不相干的，我脑子里会马上转几个弯，立刻就想到你。

It's night, and everyone is asleep. The only sound is the chirping of the crickets my brothers are keeping. The weather's got colder, and you left in such a hurry I'm afraid you didn't take any winter clothing. I know you let these things pass you right by, and never think to wear warm clothing. I don't know why I'm worrying about it either, it seems so fussy of me. It's just that I keep turning anything I see, anything I hear, into a reason to think of you.

昨天到叔惠家里去了一趟，我也知道他不会在家的，我就是想去看看他父亲母亲，因为你一直跟他们住在一起的，我很希望他们会讲起你。叔惠的母亲说了好些关于你的事，都是我不知道的。她说你从前比现在还要瘦，又说起你在学校里的一些琐事。我听她说着这些话，我真觉得安慰，因为你走了有些时了我就有点恐惧起来了，无缘无故的。世钧，我要你知道，这世界上有一个人是永远等着你的，不管是什么时候，不管在什么地方，反正你知道，总有这么个人。

I went to Shuhui's yesterday, though I knew he wouldn't beat home, to see his parents. You've lived with them a long while, and I thought maybe I'd hear something about you. His mother told me lots of things I didn't know. She said you used to be even thinner, and told me stories from your student days. It made me feel better. After you'd left, I started to feel afraid, for no particular reason. Shijun, I want you to know there's someone in this world who's yours always. Please know that, for ever and wherever. Yours, always.

Comments on Half A Lifelong Romance (半生缘)

In the press

“The most mature and fully achieved novel by mid century writer Eileen Chang, whose work was beloved by readers in Hong Kong and Taiwan, yet banned in mainland China until the 1990s. . . . A small masterpiece of understatement and indirection. It has a grave tenderness, alert to the manners and gestures of bourgeois family life, almost reminiscent of Henry James or Edith Wharton. It’s an excellent introduction to the complex work of an under appreciated writer.”—The New York Times Book Review

“An enveloping, haunting and insightful read, rich in Chang’s trademark passionate prose.” —The Wall Street Journal

“Half a Lifelong Romance is broad in its scope and exceptionally moving in its characterizations, painting a picture of life in China in the 1930s. . . . Chang’s legacy as one of the most important Chinese writers of the 20th century is fully realized in this work. . . . Chang’s characters’ tragic yet sometimes comical attempts to navigate unfair expectations and maintain illusions of proper manners resonate with all readers regardless of background. These experiences are even reminiscent of the struggles of Jane Austen’s protagonists.” —The Kansas City Star

“The silences in this novel, set in 1930s Shanghai, emerge from an extraordinary sensitivity to language and its limitations. So many crucial words unheard or unsaid—a host of flames kindling and dying in silence.” —Helen Oyeyemi in The Week

“This novel, originally serialized in China in 1950, is translated into English forthe first time: the story of star-crossed lovers in 1930s and ’40s Shanghai, kept apart by societal taboos and the scheming of their families.” —Newsday

“A heartbreaking tale of a Chinese couple torn apart, this poignant read centers on feelings of passion, hope and true love. It’s full of emotion, and rave early reviews suggest it’s about to become a beloved classic.” —Brit + Co

“Translator Kingsbury's introduction discusses the book's evolution and the circumstances of its publication, which makes for a compelling story on its own. . . . Though this is, according to Kingsbury's telling, Chang's ‘most popular novel,’ this edition marks its first English translation. And there's plenty to savor. Chang's attention to detail is meticulous, and the way the plot navigates societal mores and taboos calls to mind the work of Edith Wharton. . . . Over the course of the novel, romance and regret are interlaced, each one given the appropriate weight. With compelling protagonists and a host of memorable supporting characters, this novel tells an emotionally complex story with anumber of powerful moments.” —Kirkus Reviews

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