最近在泡书坛，看到至少两个牛人用英语写文，信手拈来，这是我一直向往的境界，但是前路依然漫漫，我试着用英文写过小说，那叫一个搜刮肚肠啊，哈哈。

去年我在网上找了个创意写作(Creative Writing)课，没上完，就又换回中文写小说了。第一个作业是从下面的词中选6个以上的词，运用到一个虚构的故事情节了，而且是每隔一个句子，我绞尽脑汁，勉强把它们凑成一篇，还看错了一个词——aboard看成abroad：

trick, memory, aboard, tiger, pretend, carrot, appliance, cage, rings, crow, filthy, explode

献个丑：

A Caged Bird

Lu had always craved owning a LV purse, but can only imagine what it feels like to actually carry it as a temporary receptionist in a small nonprofit organization.

“All crows are black.” An ancient Chinese proverb repeated by her mom for years after her dad cheated and left them. They had a mired life ever since, and Lu did not have the money nor time to have a post-secondary education. She hated that filthy bastard whom she called “Dad” whenever money was tight, which was often.

Paul, a once successful entrepreneur and now a philanthropist to several causes from abroad, took interest in her organization. She was appointed to be his guide in touring the organization as they thought she had a warming smile. He took her out for a fancy 9-course dinner and where she had the most delicious carrot cake she has ever had in her entire life. Not soon after that, she had received the very first Louis Vutton purse that she had been craving for in her 34-year-old life. However, to everyone’s surprise, she returned the purse to the generous philanthropist and pretended she was not interested in such a gift because she is sure Paul had done this with many other women in his romantic ventures, why would she be any different? Soon, more gifts flew her way: a Rolex watch, a Harry Winston necklace, a high-end downtown apartment lease and so on. The only downside is that Paul cannot be here all the time because…he is already someone’s husband.

“You live like a bird locked in a cage.” Her mom said.

“A luxury one, though.” She said back.

笼中鸟

璐总渴望有一个LV包，可惜作为一个小型非营利机构的临时前台，她也只能在脑中幻想着自己背着它的样子。

“天下老鸹一般黑。”在爸爸出轨并且抛弃了她们之后，妈总时不时重复着这句中国古代的谚语。

自那以后，母女俩就过着贫苦拮据的生活，璐没有钱也没有闲去完成大学教育。每当她捉襟见肘的时候，她就痛恨起那个被她叫作“爸”的混蛋，这样的时刻常常都会有。

最近，一位给几个海外不同的慈善活动捐过善款大慈善家对她所在的机构感兴趣起来。他叫保罗，曾是位非常成功的生意人。她被派去给他做向导，介绍一下机构里的一些大致情况，因为领导觉得她有一个令人暖心的微笑。事毕，他邀请她去吃了一顿九道菜的晚餐，上甜点时，她吃到了这辈子吃到过的最美味的胡萝卜蛋糕。不久，她便收到了她三十四年的生命里的第一个LV包。然而，令所有人大跌眼镜的是，她把这个包退还给那个慷慨的慈善家，装出一副队这类礼物毫不动心的样子，因为她相信保罗的生命里一定出现过不少这样被他打动的女人。如果她收了，那么她又怎能从那些女人中脱颖而出呢？很快，更多的礼物鱼贯而入：一只劳力士手表，一条哈利温斯顿的项链，还有市中心租金付清的高档公寓等等。唯一的不足之处就是，保罗并不能总是陪伴在她左右，因为…他早已是别人的丈夫。

“你现在完全是一只被锁在笼子里的鸟。”她母亲说。

“一只奢华的鸟。”她满不在乎。

后记：

此前，我对英文小说创作的概念，还是看严歌苓的文章学来的（她是哥伦比亚大学创意写作系的硕士），她的文里介绍英文小说要多用动词，少用副词，尽量用短句子。我个人觉得在中文小说中也一样适用。

写完这个小短篇后，我的感想就是小说创作，不论哪种语言，即便要选用最简洁的词汇，也是要在储备了大量的阅读和词汇的基础上，淡定地删繁就简，腹有诗书气自闲！

我觉得我要真打算写英文小说，要做到这份“闲”，还得起码5-10年的磨砺。