The Violinist and the Train
她叫安宁，二十三岁那年开始在火车站拉小提琴。
She call An-Ning, twenty-three age that year begin at fire-cart-station pull small-lift-instrument.
Her name was Anning. The year she turned twenty-three, she began playing the violin at the train station.
她不是音乐学院的学生，只是从小喜欢拉琴的女孩。
She not is music academy (POSS) student, only is from-small like pull instrument (POSS) girl.
She wasn't a conservatory student, just a girl who had loved the instrument since childhood.
她在大厅西边的柱子旁站着，脚下放一顶旧帽子。
She at big-hall west-side (POSS) pillar beside stand (CONT), foot-down place one (M) old hat.
She stood beside a pillar on the west side of the main hall, with an old hat at her feet.
来去匆忙的人偶尔会停下来，扔一两块硬币。
Come-go hurried (POSS) people occasionally will stop-down-come, throw one-two (M) coin.
Hurrying passengers would occasionally pause and toss in a coin or two.
更多的人头也不抬，从她身边走过。
More (POSS) people head also not lift, from her body-side walk-pass.
Most never even looked up as they passed.
起初，她只拉自己熟悉的几首曲子。
Initially, she only pull self familiar (POSS) several (M) song.
At first, she played only a few familiar pieces.
可是日子一天一天过去，她渐渐看清了一件事。
But day one-day one-day pass-go, she gradually see-clear (PERF) one (M) matter.
But as the days passed, she began to notice something.
每天早上和晚上，总有那么几张面孔会出现。
Every day morning and evening, always have so several (M) face will appear.
Every morning and evening, certain faces always reappeared.
一位戴眼镜的中年男人，每天七点二十从七号口出来。
One (M) wear glasses (POSS) middle-age man, every day seven point twenty from seven number exit come-out.
A middle-aged man with glasses came out of Exit Seven every morning at seven twenty.
一位提着花布袋的女老师，总在傍晚六点回家。
One (M) lift (CONT) flower-cloth-bag (POSS) female teacher, always at dusk six point return home.
A female teacher carrying a flowered cloth bag always returned home at six in the evening.
一个穿灰色外套的年轻人，星期一到星期五一定会经过。
One (M) wear gray (POSS) coat (POSS) young-person, Monday to Friday definitely will pass-through.
A young man in a gray coat passed through reliably from Monday to Friday.
安宁没跟他们说过一句话，但她记住了他们走路的样子。
An-Ning not with them speak (EXP) one (M) word, but she remember-firm (PERF) them walk-road (POSS) appearance.
Anning had never exchanged a word with them, but she had memorized the way they walked.
戴眼镜的男人脚步又快又重，好像永远在赶时间。
Wear glasses (POSS) man foot-step both fast and heavy, seem-like forever at chase time.
The man with glasses walked quickly and heavily, as if perpetually chasing the clock.
女老师的脚步轻轻的，像怕吵醒什么东西。
Female teacher (POSS) foot-step light-light (POSS), like afraid noise-wake what thing.
The teacher's steps were soft, as if afraid of waking something.
年轻人走得慢，却一直低着头。
Young-person walk (DE) slow, but continuously low (CONT) head.
The young man walked slowly, his head always lowered.
有一天她忽然想：能不能为每个人写一首只属于他的小曲？
Have one day she suddenly think: can not can for every (M) person write one (M) only belong-to him (POSS) small song?
One day a thought came to her: could she write a small piece that belonged only to each of them?
她回到家，拿出旧本子，开始记下他们走路的节奏。
She return arrive home, take-out old notebook, begin record-down them walk-road (POSS) rhythm-beat.
She went home, took out an old notebook, and began noting down the rhythms of their footsteps.
戴眼镜的男人——快板，急促，可是中间有一个短短的停顿。
Wear glasses (POSS) man — fast-beat, urgent-quick, but middle have one (M) short-short (POSS) stop-pause.
The man with glasses — fast tempo, urgent, yet with one small pause in the middle.
女老师——慢板，柔和，像在轻轻地哄一个孩子。
Female teacher — slow-beat, soft-mild, like at lightly soothe one (M) child.
The teacher — slow, gentle, like soothing a child.
年轻人——中速，可每一步都像往下沉。
Young-person — medium-speed, but every one-step all like toward-down sink.
The young man — medium tempo, but each step seemed to sink.
几个晚上以后，三段小曲就这样在她的笔下出现了。
Several (M) evening after, three (M) small song just this-way at her (POSS) pen-under appear (PERF).
Within a few evenings, three little pieces had appeared under her pen.
第二天早上，她在火车站等他们。
Second day morning, she at fire-cart-station wait them.
The next morning, she waited for them at the station.
七点二十，戴眼镜的男人出现在七号口。
Seven point twenty, wear glasses (POSS) man appear at seven number exit.
At seven twenty, the man with glasses appeared at Exit Seven.
她举起小提琴，拉出那段急促又带着停顿的曲子。
She lift-up small-lift-instrument, pull-out that (M) urgent-quick again carry (CONT) stop-pause (POSS) song.
She lifted her violin and played the hurried piece with its small pause.
他走过她身边的时候，脚步竟然变慢了半拍。
He walk-pass her body-side (POSS) time, foot-step unexpectedly change-slow (PERF) half-beat.
As he passed her, his pace, surprisingly, slowed by half a beat.
他没回头，但他的嘴角微微动了一下。
He not return head, but his (POSS) mouth-corner slight-slight move (PERF) one-down.
He didn't turn, but the corner of his mouth moved, just slightly.
傍晚，女老师走过来的时候，她拉那首柔和的小曲。
Dusk, female teacher walk-pass-come (POSS) time, she pull that (M) soft-mild (POSS) small song.
At dusk, when the teacher came by, she played the soft piece.
女老师停下来，安静地听了几秒钟，然后浅浅地笑了。
Female teacher stop-down-come, quietly listen (PERF) several second, then shallow-shallow laugh (PERF).
The teacher paused, listened for a few seconds, and smiled faintly.
年轻人来的时候，她拉那首往下沉的曲子。
Young-person come (POSS) time, she pull that (M) toward-down sink (POSS) song.
When the young man came, she played the one that seemed to sink.
他抬起了头。这是她第一次看见他抬头。
He lift-up (PERF) head. This is she first time see him lift-head.
He raised his head. It was the first time she had ever seen him lift it.
从此她就这样做下去。
From this she just this-way do-down-go.
From that day, she continued in this way.
她不断观察新的面孔，写下新的曲子。
She continuously observe new (POSS) face, write-down new (POSS) song.
She kept observing new faces, writing new pieces.
一位拄拐杖的老太太，一位总是抱着文件袋的女士，一个穿校服的小男孩。
One (M) lean-on cane (POSS) old-grandma, one (M) always hug (CONT) document-bag (POSS) lady, one (M) wear school-uniform (POSS) small boy.
An old woman with a cane, a woman who always carried a folder, a small boy in a school uniform.
他们都不知道，自己已经成了她琴里的一个旋律。
They all not know, self already become (PERF) her instrument inside (POSS) one (M) melody.
None of them knew they had become a melody in her violin.
一年过去了。
One year pass-go (PERF).
A year passed.
那是十月里一个阴天的早上，风很凉。
That is October inside one (M) overcast-day (POSS) morning, wind very cool.
It was an overcast October morning, the wind cool.
穿灰色外套的年轻人像往常一样走过来。
Wear gray (POSS) coat (POSS) young-person like usual same walk-pass-come.
The young man in the gray coat came walking by, as he always did.
她开始拉他的曲子。
She begin pull his (POSS) song.
She began to play his piece.
他突然停下了脚步，停在她面前。
He suddenly stop-down (PERF) foot-step, stop at her face-front.
He suddenly stopped, right in front of her.
他听完了整首曲子，然后慢慢蹲下来，眼泪悄悄地流下来。
He listen-finish (PERF) entire (M) song, then slowly squat-down-come, eye-water quietly flow-down-come.
He listened to the whole piece, then slowly crouched down, tears quietly running.
周围的人都走远了，他还坐在地上。
Surround (POSS) people all walk-far (PERF), he still sit at ground-top.
The crowd around them thinned, and he still sat on the ground.
过了很久，他抬起头，声音很轻地说：“这首曲子……我从来没听过。”
Pass (PERF) very long, he lift-up head, voice very light say: "This (M) song … I from-come not listen (EXP)."
After a long while, he looked up. His voice was soft. "I've never heard this piece before."
“可是它让我想起我妈妈。”
"But it let me think-up my mom."
"But it makes me think of my mother."
“她去年走的。我一直不敢哭。”
"She last-year leave (POSS). I continuously not dare cry."
"She passed last year. I haven't allowed myself to cry."
安宁握着琴，没说话。
An-Ning grasp (CONT) instrument, not speak.
Anning held her violin and said nothing.
她想告诉他真相：我不知道你妈妈。
She want tell him truth: I not know your mom.
She wanted to tell him the truth: I didn't know your mother.
我只是看着你走路，写了一首跟你走路一样的曲子。
I only is look (CONT) you walk-road, write (PERF) one (M) with you walk-road same (POSS) song.
I only watched the way you walked, and wrote a piece that matched it.
可是她忽然明白，这两件事也许是同一件事。
But she suddenly understand, these two (M) matter perhaps is same one (M) matter.
But she suddenly understood that, perhaps, those were the same thing.
他走路的方式里，本来就藏着他母亲。
He walk-road (POSS) way inside, originally just hide (CONT) his mother.
His mother had been hidden, all along, in the way he walked.
她只是把它拉了出来。
She only is (BA) it pull (PERF) out.
She had only drawn her out.
于是她什么也没说，只是又轻轻地拉了一遍那首曲子。
Thereupon she anything also not say, only is again lightly pull (PERF) one-time that (M) song.
So she said nothing, and only played the piece, gently, once more.
年轻人离开的时候，向她点了点头，没问她的名字。
Young-person leave (POSS) time, toward her nod (PERF) nod head, not ask her (POSS) name.
When he left, he nodded to her, without asking her name.
她也没问他的。
She also not ask his (POSS).
She didn't ask his either.
许多年过去了。
Many year pass-go (PERF).
Many years passed.
安宁早已离开那座城市，琴也很少再拉。
An-Ning early already leave that (M) city, instrument also very seldom again pull.
Anning had long since left that city, and rarely played anymore.
她偶尔做小学校的音乐老师，偶尔在小酒馆里弹钢琴。
She occasionally do small-school (POSS) music teacher, occasionally at small wine-house inside play piano.
Sometimes she taught music at a primary school, sometimes she played piano in small bars.
一个秋天的下午，她路过一所医院的花园。
One (M) autumn (POSS) afternoon, she road-pass one (M) hospital (POSS) flower-garden.
One autumn afternoon, she was passing the garden of a hospital.
花园里有一个中年男人，正在为一位躺在椅子上的老太太拉小提琴。
Flower-garden inside have one (M) middle-age man, just (CONT) for one (M) lie (CONT) chair top (POSS) old-grandma pull small-lift-instrument.
In the garden, a middle-aged man was playing violin for an old woman who lay in a chair.
安宁站住了。
An-Ning stand-firm (PERF).
Anning stopped.
他拉的曲子——节奏中速，每一步都像往下沉。
He pull (POSS) song — rhythm-beat medium-speed, every one-step all like toward-down sink.
The piece he played — medium tempo, each note sinking.
她认出了它。那是当年她为一个低着头的年轻人写的。
She recognize-out (PERF) it. That is back-then she for one (M) low (CONT) head (POSS) young-person write (POSS).
She recognized it. It was the piece she had once written for a young man with a lowered head.
他比当年高了，头发白了一些，神情却比那时温和。
He compare back-then tall (PERF), hair white (PERF) some, expression but compare that-time mild-soft.
He was taller now, his hair partly white, but his expression gentler than before.
他没看见她。
He not see her.
He didn't see her.
他只是低头，专心地为身边的老人拉琴。
He only is low-head, focused for body-side (POSS) old-person pull instrument.
He simply bent his head, playing intently for the old woman beside him.
安宁靠在花园的门边，听完了整首曲子，没有走进去。
An-Ning lean at flower-garden (POSS) door-side, listen-finish (PERF) entire (M) song, not have walk-enter-go.
Anning leaned against the garden gate, listened to the entire piece, and did not go in.
风吹过来，带着花的香气。
Wind blow-pass-come, carry (CONT) flower (POSS) fragrant-air.
The wind came, carrying the scent of flowers.
她忽然觉得，这世界上有些东西，从一只琴传到另一只琴，再传下去，就够了。
She suddenly feel, this world top have-some thing, from one (M) instrument pass-arrive another (M) instrument, again pass-down-go, then enough (PERF).
And she suddenly felt that some things in this world — passing from one violin to another, and on again — that, perhaps, was enough.