一封写给母亲的家书 • 永清

为你读英语美文·第323期

主播：永清
坐标：北京

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4 May 1895
1895年4月
To Yao Lin
姚琳 亲启
Chawan Village, Gunagdong
广东，茶湾村

Dear Mother,
亲爱的母亲，

Me and Little Brother are well. We are in a place called Vancouver for the summer. I am working in a hotel. I help prepare food for rich white people. Little Brother has a job in a noodle shop.
我和小弟皆好。这个夏天，我们在一个叫温哥华的地方。我在一家旅店，帮富有的白人准备食物。小弟在一家面馆工作。

The work day is long. I usually work 16 or 18 hours. But it is not dangerous. I hear about men working to build an iron road for a machine called a train. Many of them have died or been injured. We are lucky.
一天的工作时间很长，我通常要工作16或18个小时，好在工作不危险。我听说，给一种叫火车的机器建造铁路的工人，很多都丧命或受伤了。我们算运气好的。

We sleep in a boarding house. Many Chinese men need beds, so we have to sleep in shifts. Most of these men are from Guangdong or Fujian. The new men bring news from home. They say there is not enough food there and people are dying. Are you well, mother?
我们睡在一所可以寄宿的房子。很多中国人都需床，所以我们得轮班睡觉。很多人从广东或福建来。新来的人从老家带来消息，说老家食物短缺，有人饿死。母亲，您安好吗？

I know you want me to marry, but there are few Chinese girls here. No Chinese girls are allowed in this country unless you are rich. Please keep looking for a nice girl for me in Chawan Village.
我知道，您希望我成婚，但这里的中国姑娘很少。在这个国家，除非你有钱，否则没有中国姑娘会许配给你。请您在茶湾村继续帮我找一个不错的姑娘。

My job is only until August. I don’t know what to do then. Next summer me and Little Brother might find work in a place near here where there are a lot of fish.
我的工作只能做到八月。我还不知道接下来能做什么。明年夏天，我和小弟可能会在附近一个有很多鱼的地方找工作。

I hope you can find someone to read you this letter. There is a man in our boarding house who can write. He is writing this letter for me.
希望您可以找识字的人帮您读这封信。在我们寄宿的房子里，有人能写信，他帮我写的这封信。

Please tell father we are working hard and will try to bring wealth to our family.
请告诉父亲，我们努力工作，一定会给家里带回财富的。

Your loving son.
爱您的儿子
Yao Ze
姚泽

翻译：永清

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