早春北行记之二

早春北行记之二

 

3/12/2004

"所有的咸带鱼都运走了只有我

还留在岸上"

 

早起，阳光灿烂，空气清冽，不胜感激所有被赐予的。电视里播着一部人辕泰山的老片。早餐后和朋友向东沿70去圣路易斯看GatewayArch。路途之上大型货车延绵不断。圣路易斯是一座沧桑的城。背负着太多的历史和现实，底下的美丽几乎被面上的风尘完全掩去。很快来到Gateway Arch. 远远的在高速路上就可以看到她。所以查地图实在是不太必要的。可以开车子上到顶楼的停车场。这时可以好好看她了，似乎觉得有一点纤细，然而挺拔刚强的样子。再走两百米就来到脚下，才发现到座基的巨大，仰天往上看，蓝天白云阳光里她反射出一道道柔和的光线来。排队安检非常严格，宛如10/11的机场。买了票去看一部关于她的历史介绍，才知这座城是WestExploration的起点。GatewayArch成为西进和开拓探险的标志。最有趣的部分在后面。排过长长的队伍，参观了沿途历史的陈设，来到登顶的地方。每个vehicle就象一个小小的太空舱，弯着腰可以坐四个人。在黑暗里听着似乎是滑轮缆绳绞动的声音，沿着Arch的弧形缓缓向上。步出"太空舱"，发现到了顶端的平台厅里。细长的空间两边安装着许多的玻璃窗，向外望去，一边是老城的OldCourtHouse,一边是RiverFront。在这达630英尺的高度，你可以觉到她是在风中轻微地摇曳。你是和鸟类在同一个高度从同一个视角望出去。It is a worthwhile trip, a worthwhile moment, a worthwhile realization. "Did you go up in the Arch?" is the first thing they will ask you if you return from your trip to St Louis. 下了Arch去当地很有名的一家中餐馆，水煮鱼片辣得过瘾。此后去看望一位大学同学。I was indeed very happy to see my old friend after six or five years. I can not agree too much with Lin Yutang's comment on motherhood and womanhood: "She is most beautiful when she is rocking the baby in the cradle. Once a woman becomes a mom, the internal call wakes her up and striking transformation happens in her by nature. She is therefore complete and beautiful". That was exactly what I saw, no more, no less. 朋友们得其所在是为我所喜的事。    

当夜12时返回Columbia，沿途大型货车延绵不绝。

 

"人是合群的动物，他最怕的是孤独"， That is why they huddle together, "谈无关紧要的天"。林氏斯言甚是。However, freedom, to some extent, points to independence, being alone, or even being lonely.  "Human, you are so spoiled. Look at you, what you really are. You never could be satisfied". Life is not absolute, it is only about balance.

 

言不尽此。

 

12/03/2004