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作者简介：

萨洛扬(William Saroyan)，是美国著名剧作家兼短篇小说家。他自幼开始写作，出版的第一篇短篇小说是一九三三年的Hairenik。

一九三四年所写 The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze 获得当年奥亨利奖。

他一九三九年尝试编写剧本，一九四零年因 The Time of Your Life 获得普利兹戏剧奖，他下笔快速，从不修改，是一位天才型多产作家。

This valley, he thought, all this country between the mountains is mine, home to me, the place I dream about, and everything is the same, not a thing is changed, water sprinklers still splash in circles over lawns of Bermuda grass, good old home town, simplicity, reality. Walking along Alvin Street he felt glad to be home again. Everything was fine, common and good, the smell of earth, cooking suppers, smoke, the rich summer air of the valley full of plant growth, grapes growing, peaches ripening, and the oleander bush swooning with sweetness, the same as ever. He breathed deeply, drawing the smell of home deep into his lungs, smiling inwardly. It was hot. He hadn't felt his senses reacting to the earth so cleanly and clearly for years; now it was a pleasure even to breathe. The cleanliness of the air sharpened the moment so that, walking, he felt the magnificence of being, glory of possessing substance, of having form and motion and intellect, the piety of merely being alive on the earth. 他沿着爱尔文街踽踽前行，心里觉得很高兴，能够再度回到家乡。一切都是美好的、踏实的、宜人的：泥土，煮着的晚饭以及炊烟所发出的芳香；河谷里夏天浓郁的空气充满了植物生长的气息，葡萄越长越大，桃子越来越熟，夹竹桃的馥郁令人昏晕，这一切永远是老样子。他深深地吸了一口气，把家乡的芬芳深深地吸到肺里去，不禁感到窃喜。天气很热。他已多年未曾有过这种感觉，自己的感官对大地的反应竟然会如此清新，如此的清新；现在连呼吸也成了一大乐事。空气的清新使他此刻感触良多，他一面走，一面感觉到生命的庄严，具有实质、形体、动作和智力的光荣以及活在世上应有的虔敬。

Water, he thought, hearing the soft splash of a lawn sprinkler; to taste the water of home, the full cool water of the valley, to have that simple thirst and that solid water with which to quench it, fulfillment, the clarity of life. He

saw an old man holding a hose over some geranium plants, and his thirst sent him to the man.

"Good evening," he said quietly,

"may I have a drink?"

他听到草地上洒水装置轻微的洒水声，就想到了水；他要嚐嚐家乡的水，河谷里冰凉的水，口渴时喝下那种纯净的水就可以止渴，他会感到满足，也会感到生命的清澈。他看见一位老人拿着水管浇天筑葵，觉得口渴，于是就走上前去。 「晚安，」他低声说道；「我可以喝一口吗？」

The old man turned slowly, his shadow large against the house, to look into the young man's face, amazed and pleased. "You bet," he said; "here," and he placed the hose into the young man's hands. "Mighty fine water," said the old man, "this water of the San Joaquin Valley; best yet, I guess. That water up in Frisco makes me sick; ain't got no taste. And down in Los Angeles, why, the water tastes like castor oil; I

can't understand how so many people

go on living there year after year."

老人慢慢转过身来，背屋而立，影子特别大，他看看年轻人的脸，显得惊讶又高兴。「当然可以，」他说道：「快喝吧，」接着就把水管交到年轻人的手里。「非常好的水，」老人说道，「这是圣瓦金河谷的水，我想这是最好的水了。北边旧金山的水喝起来叫人难受，一点意思也没有。南边洛杉机的水喝起来却有篦麻油的味道；我真不懂，那么多的人怎么能在那儿一年又一年地活下去。」

While the old man talked, he listened to the water falling from the hose to the earth, leaping thickly, cleanly, sinking swiftly into the earth. "You said it," he said to the old man; "you said it;

our water is the finest water on

earth."

老人说话的时候，年轻人听见水从软管流到地上，水一股股地射出，又大又清，很快就渗到地里去了。「你说得对，」他对老人说道；「你说得对，我们的水是世上最好的水。」

He curved his head over the spouting water and began to drink. The sweet rich taste of the water amazed him, and as he drank, he thought, God, this is splendid. He could feel the cool water splashing into his being, refreshing and cooling him. Losing 他把头弯向喷出来的水，开始喝。水味的香纯使他感到惊异，他一面喝一面想道，上帝呀，这真是美妙。他感觉得出，冰凉的水钻进了身体，使他觉得清爽、凉快。他喝得喘不过气来，抬起头来，对老人说道：「我们的运气真好，我们谷里这些人。」