<p class="ql-block">2005年，高中毕业40周年聚会，场面热烈。我想起了电子邮箱中存放一封信。</p> <p class="ql-block">那封信是用英文写的。</p><p class="ql-block">九十年代初我在加拿大做访问学者。当时已经有电子邮箱“email”，用电话线接在计算机上传输信息。</p><p class="ql-block">我收到一位同学发来中学生活的回忆文章。</p><p class="ql-block">加拿大研究所的计算机，可以显示中文，但没有中文输入法，所以我用英文回了一封信，这位同学转发了。另有一位同学中英文俱佳，译成中文。我看后拍案称奇，比我文才好多了！</p><p class="ql-block">从1959年初一起，我们中学开设英文课，学生初中毕业后大多数升入本校高中。高中毕业没有升入大学的同学，大多去做了英语教师。</p><p class="ql-block">不管上没上大学，各位同学多年工作多多少少与英语有关。具有“听说读写译”能力，就很自然了。</p><p class="ql-block">五十年代，全国各地中学的外语教学，几乎都是俄文。苏共二十大后，中苏有了芥蒂。国家审时度势，根据世界各国科技发展情况，1959年起，逐步在有条件的中学开始开设英文课。</p><p class="ql-block">当时不少中学没有英语师资，不能开课。而我们的中学，英语师资却十分充足。</p><p class="ql-block">原因是这个中学解放前是“私立开滦子弟中学”。开滦煤矿是英国人办的，1927年为本矿工人及其它员工的子弟开办了这间学校。建校伊始就出高薪聘请名师聘请校长，教学质量一流。三十年代冀省中学毕业会考，开滦中学排在南开中学之前，名满冀东（今天津、廊坊、唐山、秦皇岛）。</p><p class="ql-block">我们上学时，学校的老教师，不管是教语文数学，还是教物理化学，或是史地生，个个英文底蕴深厚。</p><p class="ql-block">初中时学校的音乐老师，《国际歌》用中英文对照歌词，在学校专门的音乐教室，一边弹奏，一边教唱。</p><p class="ql-block">生物老师燕京大学毕业，英语水平自不必说。讲达尔文乘坐的科学考察船“贝格尔号”英文名是“Beagle”(词意：小猎犬）。这所学校的氛围可见一斑。他同燕京大学司徒雷登校长有过来往，文革中成了罪状。因此被反复批斗，残酷殴打致残。</p> <p class="ql-block">英文信原文及某同学的译文。</p><p class="ql-block">Dear XX, </p><p class="ql-block">X X同学： </p><p class="ql-block">I have a great pleasure of perusing your article, entitled 《A Set of Diaries》.</p><p class="ql-block">怀着极大的兴趣，拜读了名为《系列日记》的大作。</p><p class="ql-block">Every piece of the article I read are replete with refined interest and worthy of the name of prose. </p><p class="ql-block">我所读的各篇文章充满情趣，无疑是优美的散文。</p><p class="ql-block">Words springing up from your heart present poetry like literary composition.</p><p class="ql-block">从心底涌出的文字，组成诗韵文采的篇章。</p><p class="ql-block">One can feel your sincerity to your friends, kindness to the people，</p><p class="ql-block">人们可以感受你对朋友的真挚友善</p><p class="ql-block">and your infinite love to your mother. </p><p class="ql-block">和你对母亲的无比热爱。</p><p class="ql-block">（注：写出《系列日记》的这位同学，她的母亲，是学校里同学们敬仰的教导主任。）</p><p class="ql-block">I appreciate the fluent and light style of your writing, </p><p class="ql-block">文章行云流水挥洒自如，令人钦佩。</p><p class="ql-block">which is characteristic and had been familiar with by our class while you were a maid of teenager.</p><p class="ql-block">在你还是班上十几岁小姑娘的时候，人们就已熟悉你这种富有个性的笔调。</p><p class="ql-block">It was my fortune to have the chance being a student at our school during1959-65, </p><p class="ql-block">1959-1965年能够在这个学校学习，三生有幸。</p><p class="ql-block">where there were many learned scholars working as our teachers. </p><p class="ql-block">学校有饱学之士的老师，</p><p class="ql-block">Also there were lots of talented and diligent boys and girls whom I studied together with for years. </p><p class="ql-block">同时，班上有诸多才华横溢勤奋刻苦的男生女生，我们共同学习了数年之久，</p><p class="ql-block">That is a golden opportunity indeed. </p><p class="ql-block">这确实是极好机会。</p><p class="ql-block">I remember someone used to say, </p><p class="ql-block">记得一位男同学说过，</p><p class="ql-block">"Some of our classmates are born with uncommon brilliance. </p><p class="ql-block">班上一些同学天赋异禀。</p><p class="ql-block">And some girls are just like glorious princesses". </p><p class="ql-block">有些女生简直是光彩照人的公主。</p><p class="ql-block">He felt he was so tiny that he must look up for catching a sight.</p><p class="ql-block">他感到自己是如此卑微，必须竭力仰视，方能一睹惊鸿。</p><p class="ql-block">I learned a lot from my respected teachers and my dear classmates. </p><p class="ql-block">向尊敬的老师和珍贵的同学们学习，收获颇丰。</p><p class="ql-block">That had already benefited my life in the past and will benefit in the rest of my days.</p><p class="ql-block">使我过去这些年的生活中受益良多，对未来也必然大有裨益。</p><p class="ql-block">We experienced some trouble in 1964.</p><p class="ql-block">1964年我们也经历了烦恼。</p><p class="ql-block"> It was 'class struggle' against a teacher. </p><p class="ql-block">那是针对一位老师的“阶级斗争”。</p><p class="ql-block">The teacher taught English to our class. </p><p class="ql-block">那位老师教我们班英语。</p><p class="ql-block">He was considered to be a "reactionnary"</p><p class="ql-block">他被认为是反动派。</p><p class="ql-block">The violent shouting "Down with……" in the meeting place was frightening. I was deeply shocked. </p><p class="ql-block">会场上激烈的口号“打到XXX”，令人不寒而栗，我深感震惊。</p><p class="ql-block">Finally it became a tragic that the teacher was persecuted . Finally, he was sentenced to death for being guilty of "reactionnary" by the People's High Court of Hebei Province during the 'Culture Revolution"</p><p class="ql-block">那位教师被迫害，并在文革中被河北省人民法院以“反革命罪”论处，执行死刑。这是一场悲剧。</p><p class="ql-block">As everyone knows none could be an exception in China at that time.</p><p class="ql-block">众所周知，那个时代中国没有人能独善其身。</p><p class="ql-block">That was another kind of lesson to the generation of ours. </p><p class="ql-block">这是我们这一代人的另一种沉痛的教训。</p><p class="ql-block">Time flies. Many years have passed. </p><p class="ql-block">时光流逝，许多年过去了。</p><p class="ql-block">Now we live a quiet life throughout the country: north or south,urban or rural. </p><p class="ql-block">现在我们在南方北方，城市乡村，过着平静的生活。</p><p class="ql-block">Someone goes so far as to live abroad.</p><p class="ql-block">有些人甚至定居海外。</p><p class="ql-block">Enjoy our life and enjoy ourselves.</p><p class="ql-block">让我们心情愉快，享受生活。</p><p class="ql-block">With best wishes!</p><p class="ql-block">顺致良好的祝愿。</p><p class="ql-block">Sincerely Yours</p><p class="ql-block">XXX</p> <p class="ql-block">～～～～～～～～～～～～～～</p><p class="ql-block">那位被斗争的英语老师，1957年被划为右派。</p><p class="ql-block">斗争这位老师，我印象最深的一条理由是，他翻译了古诗的一句话。这句话出自辛弃疾的词《永遇乐·京口北固亭怀古 》。当时语文课刚刚学了这一课。</p><p class="ql-block">翻译的那句话是：“凭谁问，廉颇老矣，尚能饭否？”。</p><p class="ql-block">“Who would still care，</p><p class="ql-block">If the quite old general Lian Po,</p><p class="ql-block">were strong enough to eat as healthy as before?"</p><p class="ql-block">这被认为是不甘失败，妄图卷土重来😥。</p><p class="ql-block">不过，那个时代，奉行的是“千万不要忘记……” 。形成特定的思维方式，人们无可奈何。</p><p class="ql-block">文革后，当然平反，但死者不能复生，这是惨痛的历史经验。</p><p class="ql-block">套用伟人的一句话：</p><p class="ql-block">“历史的经验值得注意.一个路线,一种观点,要经常讲,反复讲.只给少数人讲不行,要使广大革命群众都知道”</p>