小帆翻译《藏在故事背后的心灵》的文章

小帆

〈满了吗〉
A disciple went to see his master: “Master, I already learned enough. I can graduate now!”
“What is enough?” the master asked.
“That means it’s full; it can’t contain anymore.”
“Then go get a large bowl of stones!”
The disciple did as he was told.
“Is it full?” the master asked.
“Yes, it’s full!”
The master took a handful of sand and mixed it into the bowl, which did not overflow.
“Is it full?” the master asked again.
“Yes, it’s full!”
The master took a handful of lime powder and mixed it into the bowl, which did not overflow.
“Is it full?” the master asked yet again.
“Yes, it’s full!”
The master now poured a cup of water into the bowl, which still did not overflow.
“Is it full?”
“………………”
________________________________________
徒弟去见师父：
「师父，我已经学足了，可以出师了吧！」
「什么是足了呢？」师父问。
「就是满了，装不下去了。」
「那么装一大碗石子来吧！」
徒弟照做了。
「满了吗？」师父问。
「满了！」
师父抓来一把砂，掺入碗里，没有溢。
「满了吗？」师父又问。
「满了！」
师父抓起一把石灰，掺入碗里，还没有溢。
「满了吗？」师父再问。
「满了！」
师父又倒了一盅水下去，仍然没有溢出来。
「满了吗？」
「…………」
________________________________________

〈随时、随性、随遇、随缘、随喜〉
During the dog days of summer, the temple’s lawn had largely dried and turned yellow.
“We have to hurry up and sow some seeds! The grass looks terrible!” the little monk said.
“Wait till it’s cooler,” said the master, as he waved the comment off. “Go along with time!”
When it was mid-autumn, the master bought some grass seeds and told the little monk to sow them.
In the autumn wind, the seeds flew up as soon as they were scattered.
“Oh no! So many seeds have been blown away!” the little monk shouted.
“No worries. The ones that got blown away were empty. They would not have sprouted even if they were sown properly,” the master said. “Go along with nature!”
Soon after all the seeds were sown, a few birds came looking for food.
“Oh no! The seeds are all getting eaten by birds!” the little monk panicked, stomping his feet.
“No worries. The birds won’t be able to finish all the seeds,” the master said. “Go along with chance!”
A storm happened in the middle of the night. The little monk rushed into the temple in the morning, crying: “Master! We’re really done now. The storm washed away so many seeds!”
“They will sprout wherever they are washed to,” the master said. “Go along with fate!”
A week passed.
Where there was once bare land, now was an abundance of grass sprouts. Even some unsown areas were covered in light green.
The little monk danced and clapped with happiness.
The master nodded and said, “Go along with joy!”
________________________________________
三伏天，禅院的草地枯黄了一大片。
「快撒点草种子吧！好难看哪！」小和尚说。
「等天凉了。」师父挥挥手：「随时！」
中秋，师父买了一包草籽，叫小和尚去播种。
秋风起，草籽边撒、边飘。
「不好了！好多种子都被吹飞了。」小和尚喊。
「没关系，吹走的多半是空的，撒下去也发不了芽。」师父说：「随性！」
撒完种子，跟着就飞来几只小鸟啄食。
「要命了！种子都被鸟吃了！」小和尚急得跳脚。
「没关系！种子多，吃不完！」师父说：「随遇！」
半夜一阵骤雨，小和尚早晨冲进禅房：
「师父！这下真完了，好多草籽被雨冲走了！」
「冲到哪儿，就在哪儿发！」师父说：「随缘！」
一个多星期过去。
原本光秃的地面，居然长出许多青翠的草苗。一些原来没播种的角落，也泛出了绿意。
小和尚高兴得直拍手。
师父点点头：「随喜！」
________________________________________

〈点一盏心灯〉
A little nun went to speak to her master: “Master, I have become
disillusioned with the mortal world. I have already been a Buddhist
nun for numerous years. Everyday between these green hills and white
clouds, I eat vegetarian and dress in plain robes, drum at sunset and
ring the bells at sunrise. But the more I study scripture, the
distraction in my heart not only doesn’t decrease, but rather
increases. What should I do?”
“Light a lamp, so that it brightens you, yet does not give you a
shadow. Then, you will understand.”
Several decades passed…
There was a temple, well known near and far as the Temple of Ten
Thousand Lamps because its interior was filled with lamps, thousands
and ten thousands of lamps. When one walked inside this temple, it was
as if one had entered a sea of lamps, magnificent and glorious. This
Temple of Ten Thousand Lamps’ abbot was our little nun from years ago.
Although she was now of elderly age and had hundreds of disciples, she
was still unhappy. With every charitable deed that she performed, she
lit a lamp. But regardless of whether she placed the lamp at her feet,
above her head, or even when she completely surrounded herself with a
sea of lamps, her own shadow was always present. One could even say
that the brighter the lamp, the clearer her shadow; the more lamps,
the more shadows. She was perplexed and no longer had a master to
consult. Her master had long since passed away, and she was not far
from death herself.
Now she has passed away too, and it is said that she finally
understood right before she left.
She could not find in the midst of ten thousand lamps what she had
spent her life looking for, but rather she finally understood inside
her own dark room. She realized that no matter how multitudinous her
accomplishments and how bright her lights, they would only create
shadows behind her. There was only one way to cleanse her soul and rid
her heart of all worries.
She lit a lamp in her heart!
________________________________________
小比丘尼去见师父：「师父！我看破红尘，遁入空门已经多年，每天在这青山白云之间，茹素礼佛，暮鼓晨钟，经读得愈多，心中的杂念不但不减，反而增加，怎么办？」
「点一盏灯，使它非但能照亮你，而且不会留下你的身影，就可以通悟了！」
数十年过去……
有一所比丘尼庵远近驰名，大家都称之为「万灯庵」，因为其中点满了灯，成千上万的灯，使人走入其间，彷佛步入一片灯海，灿烂辉煌。
这所万灯庵的住持，就是当年的小比丘尼，虽然如今年事已高，并拥有上百的徒弟，但是她仍然不快乐，因为尽管她每做一桩功德，都点一盏灯，却无论把灯放在脚边，悬在顶上，乃至以一片灯海将自己团团围住，还是总会见到自己的影子，甚至可以说，灯愈亮，影子愈显；灯愈多，影子也愈多。他困惑了，却已经没有师父可以问，因为师父早已死去，自己也将不久人世。
她圆寂了，据说就在临终前终于通悟。
她没有在万灯之间找到一生寻求的东西，却在黑暗的禅房里悟通，她发觉身外的成就再高，灯再亮，却只能造成身后的影子。唯有一个方法，能使自己皎然澄澈、心无罣碍──
她点了一盏心灯！
________________________________________

〈「今是」里有「昨非」〉
A disciple said to his master: “I finally understand! I feel like I’ve
been all wrong for decades, so I never want to think about my past
again, as if those days never existed.”
“Hmm!” the master said. “That’s great! Tomorrow, go to the flower shop
at the foot of the mountain, and bring back a bouquet of tuberose. You
must take the most direct path there; no detours allowed.”
“But no detours means I must pass through the immoral district!” the
disciple said hurriedly.
“Just go buy the flowers!” the master said with disregard.
The flowers having been brought back, at night they filled the entire
house with fragrance.
“Did you follow my orders and buy them from that flower shop?” the
master asked.
“Yes!”
“Did you pass through the immoral district?”
“Yes I did, twice.”
“Didn’t you go to buy flowers? How did you end up in the immoral
district?” the master asked, with coldness in his eyes.
“But without passing through the immoral district, I couldn’t get to
the flower shop,” the disciple quickly explained.
“Having gone through that kind of dirty place, are the flowers still
fragrant?”
“Yes! Yes! Didn’t you smell them? They’re even more fragrant than when
I first bought them!’
“That’s it! Without going through years of mistakes, how could be
where you are today? You could even say, without the pain of being
lost, how could you attain joy? Although the past has passed, that
period will always be there; you cannot deny its existence. Rather,
you emerged from the mud and became a lily flower.” the master said,
revealing his true kindness. “Believing that you’re right today and
was wrong yesterday is certainly a realization, but not a great one.
The great realization is not minding yesterday’s wrongs because
today’s rights involve yesterday’s wrongs!”
________________________________________
徒弟去见师父：
「我终于悟通了！觉得『今是而昨非』，以前的几十年，我全错了，可以再也不去想，只当那段日子根本不存在。」
「嗯！」师父说：「好极了！明天到山下的花店，买一把晚香玉来，要直直地去，不必绕路。」
「但不绕路就得经过风化区呢！」徒弟急着说。
「你去买花就是了！」师父挥挥手。
花买回来了，一入晚，馨香就四面泛滥，整个屋子都芬芳了。
「是照我嘱咐的，去那家花店买的吗？」师父问。
「是！」
「经过了风化区吗？」
「经过了，过了两次。」
「你不是去买花吗？怎么到了风化区呢？」师父眼里闪出寒光。
「但是不经过那个风化区，就买不到花。」徒弟急忙解释。
「过那种脏地方，花还能香吗？」
「香！香！您没闻到吗？比刚买的时候还香呢！」
「这就是了！你不经过以前那段日子，哪里能有今天。甚至可以说，你没有迷失的痛苦，哪能有寻得的欢喜？过去的虽然过去了，但永远有那段过去，你不能不承认他的存在。只是而今你虽然出于污泥，却能成一朵莲花罢了。」
师父露出慈颜：「觉今是而昨非，虽然是悟，却不是大悟。大悟就无所谓昨非了，『今是』里有『昨非』呀！」
________________________________________

〈快感与美感〉
What is a pleasant feeling? What is an aesthetic sense?
If you drink a beverage and say: “It is really too delicious! It’s so
thirst-quenching!” This is a pleasant feeling.
If you drink a beverage and say: “It’s a bit sour and a bit sweet,
kind of like falling in love for the first time.” This is an aesthetic
sense.
What is aesthetic sense from a distance?
If you see a portrait and recognize its subject, you would surely
judge how well it resembles the actual person.
If you see a portrait and do not recognize its subject, you would
surely judge how beautiful the painting is.
The difference between the two is aesthetic sense from a distance.

〈天地禅院〉
The little monk sat on the ground and cried, surrounded by scraps of
writing.
“What happened?” the old monk asked.
“I can’t write well.”
The old monk picked up a few scraps and said, “You wrote pretty well.
Why did you throw these away? And why are you crying?”
“I just think they’re not good,” said the little monk as he continued
crying. “I’m a perfectionist, so I can’t tolerate any mistakes.”
“The problem is, who in this world can be completely without
mistakes?” said the old monk as he patted the little monk. “You want
everything to be perfect. When anything isn’t up to your standards,
you get upset and cry. This behavior is rather not perfect.”
The little monk picked up the scraps of paper and went to wash his
hands. He also looked in the mirror, and went to wash his face. Then,
he took off his pants and washed them again and again.
“Is this being clean? You’ve been washing so much that you’ve already
wasted half the day,” the old monk said.
“I have an obsession with cleanliness!” said the little monk. “I can’t
stand any bit of dirtiness, haven’t you noticed? After every
benefactor leaves, I wipe the chair he sat on.”
“Is this an obsession with cleanliness?” the master said, smiling.
“You complain that the sky’s dirty, the earth’s dirty, people are
dirty… The outside of your body may be clean, but your soul is sick
and rather unclean.”
The little monk was leaving to beg alms, and he particularly chose an
old and ragged piece of clothing to wear.
“Why did you pick this one?” the master asked.
“Didn’t you say not to care about the surface?” the little monk said
indignantly. “So I chose an old piece of clothing. Besides, this way,
benefactors will pity me and give more money.”
“Are you going to beg alms, or are you going to beg?” the master said,
glaring. “You wish people to feel sorry for you and want to take care
of you? Or do you hope that people see promise in you, and want to
help millions of people through you?”
The old monk passed away, and the little monk became abbot.
He always dressed neatly and, carrying a medical kit, went to the
dirtiest and poorest neighborhoods to take care of the sick there. He
would return to the temple in a very soiled state.
He also often personally begged alms. But with anything he received in
his left hand, he would use to help the impoverished with his right.
He hardly ever stayed in the monastery, and the monastery was never
expanded; yet his followers kept on increasing. Everyone followed him
from mountains to seas, to the farthest villages and harbors.
“When my master was alive, he taught me what perfection meant. It
means to demand that this world be perfect. He also told me what was
to be obsessed with cleanliness; it is to help every unclean person
and help him become clean. Master even made me realize what begging
alms was; it is enabling people to hold hands and help each other, so
that everyone is tied together with kindness,” the little monk said.
“And regarding the monastery, it doesn’t have to be in a mountain
forest, but should rather be among the people. North south east west,
it is where I preach; between heaven and earth, that is my monastery.
________________________________________
小和尚坐在地上哭，满地都是写了字的废纸。
「怎么啦？」老和尚问。
「写不好。」
老和尚捡起几张看：「写得不错嘛，为什么要扔掉？又为什么哭？」
「我就是觉得不好。」小和尚继续哭：「我是完美主义者，一点都不能错！」
「问题是，这世界上有谁能一点都不错呢？」老和尚拍拍小和尚：「你什么都要完美，一点不满意，就生气、就哭，这反而是不完美了。」
小和尚把地上的字纸捡起来，先去洗了手；又照照镜子，去洗了脸；再把裤子脱下来，洗了一遍又一遍。
「你这是在干嘛啊？你洗来洗去，已经浪费半天时间了。」老和尚问。
「我有洁癖！」小和尚说：「我容不得一点脏，您没发现吗？每个施主走后，我都把他坐过的椅子擦一遍。」
「这叫洁癖吗？」师父笑笑：「你嫌天脏、嫌地脏、嫌人脏，外表虽然干净，内心反而有病，是不洁净了。」
小和尚要去化缘，特别挑了一件破旧的衣服穿。
「为什么挑这件？」师父问。
「您不是说不必在乎表面吗？」小和尚有点不服气：「所以我找件破旧的衣服。而且这样施主们才会同情，才会多给钱。」
「你是去化缘，还是去乞讨？」师父瞪大了眼睛：「你是希望人们看你可怜，供养你？还是希望人们看你有为，透过你渡化千万人？」
老和尚圆寂了，小和尚成为住持。
他总是穿得整整齐齐，拿着医疗箱，到最脏乱贫困的地区，为那里的病人洗脓、换药，然后脏兮兮地回山门。
他也总是亲自去化缘，但是左手化来的钱，右手就济助了可怜人。他很少待在禅院，禅院也不曾扩建，但是他的信众愈来愈多，大家跟着他上山、下海，到最偏远的山村和渔港。
「师父在世的时候，教导我什么叫完美，完美就是求这世界完美；师父也告诉我什么是洁癖，洁癖就是帮助每个不洁的人，使他洁净。师父还开示我，什么是化缘，化缘就是使人们的手能牵手，彼此帮助，使众生结善缘。」小和尚说：「至于什么是禅院，禅院不见得要在山林，而应该在人间。南北西东，皆是我弘法的所在；天地之间，就是我的禅院。」
________________________________________

〈心中的恶魔〉
“Ah! There’s a devil in your house!” the minister exclaimed.
“What?” said the fearfully surprised layman, as he looked toward where the minister’s shivering hand was pointing. “That’s just a painting I collected. Is there a problem?”
“A painting?” The minister’s face was now pale. “What painting? That’s not a painting. That’s a devil! I really can’t believe that after being a Christian for decades, you don’t even know that dragons represent devils.”
“Dragons? Oh!” the layman said, smiling. “But they’re imaginary. Where on this earth are there dragons? Who has ever seen a dragon? That’s the work of a famous artist. I bought it at a charity auction, with quite a bit of money!”
“Stupid! You spent money to buy home a devil.” The minister’s face was not just pale but now green. “Hurry up and burn the painting, or else the devil will enter your home, and you will never have a day of peace, let alone get into heaven.”
The layman was afraid to resist, so he obediently took down the painting, ripped it, and threw it away before the minister.
“Good! Now you will be able to enter heaven,” the minister said.
A few days later, the minister and the layman got into a deadly car accident.
Their souls ascended together. At the gates of heaven, they saw a line of people waiting to pass through “customs.”
Some people successfully crossed the border into heaven. Others were denied and sent into the darkness.
“I can instantly see who will get in,” the minister said, as he pointed at the people in front of him. “This one, this one, I know them. They’re very religious and will definitely get in. That one, that one, ah. Why did they even come? All day long, they complain about this and that; they won’t get in.”
Just as he said, two entered heaven, and two were pushed away.
It was finally the minister and layman’s turn. While he provided the appropriate documentation, the minister kept trying to look inside heaven. Suddenly, his face turned pale, and he shouted with great shivering fear: “The most terrible! Everybody look! There’s a devil in heaven!”
“Devil? How can there be a devil there?” God asked, as he came to see what the commotion was about.
“Look! Isn’t that the devil?” the minister yelled, pointing into the distance. “There is a dragon.”
God looked and laughed. “Oh! I know. I’ll tell him to come over.” He motioned for the dragon to come closer.
The dragon came, and it was actually a shirtless man with tattoos all over his body, including nine tattooed dragons.
“He used to be a gangster, who fought and caused trouble all the time, and even got a bunch of dragon tattoos. But he later turned good and was kind and helpful to everyone, so he entered heaven.”
“But… but…” the minister stammered, “There are dragons on his body, and dragons are devils!”
God smiled and said: “Tattoos of dragons, paintings of dragons—they’re all fabrications. Only a dragon in your heart is a devil. Do you want me to skin him or something?”
“But… but… I get scared looking at it!” the minister exclaimed.
“With me here, how can you still be afraid?” God said, glaring. “Do you believe in me, or in the dragon? As I see it, you’re the one who has a devil in his heart.”
The minister’s passport was returned to him, and on it was stamped in large letters: “REJECTED.”
________________________________________
「不得了啦！你家里有魔鬼！」传教士喊了起来。
「什么？」教友吓一跳，顺着传教士颤抖的手看过去：「那是我收藏的一张画，有什么问题吗？」
「画？」传教士的脸发白：「什么画？那不是画，那是魔鬼！我真没想到你信教信了几十年，连『龙』代表魔鬼都不知道！」
「龙？噢！」教友笑了：「那只是虚构的东西，这世上哪儿有龙啊？谁见过龙啊？那是一张名画家的作品，我在一个慈善义卖会上买回来的，花了不少钱呢！」
「你笨！花钱买了个魔鬼来。」传教士脸色由白变青：「你快把画烧了，否则魔鬼进入你家，你永无宁日，绝对上不了天堂！」
教友不敢违背，乖乖摘下画，当着传教士的面，扯了扔掉。
「好！你可以进天堂了。」传教士说。
没过几天，传教士跟那教友一起坐车，碰上车祸，当场死了。
两个人的灵魂都上了天，看见天堂门口，有一堆人排队等着「验关」。
有的人顺利通过，进了天堂；有些人则被打回票，入了阴间。
「我一看就知道谁能进得去。」传教士指着前面的人：「这个、这个，我认识，都很虔诚，进得去。那个、那个，哎呀！何必来呢？他们一天到晚骂这个、骂那个，一定进不去。」
果然如他说的，两个进了天堂，两个被推出来。
终于轮到传教士和那位教友了，传教士一边递证件，一边往天堂里东张西望，突然脸色发白，浑身颤抖地大声喊：「不得了啦！你们快看！天堂里有魔鬼。」
「魔鬼？这里怎么会有魔鬼？」上帝听见喧哗，出来问。
「您看！那不是魔鬼吗？」传教士指着远处喊：「那里有一条龙。」
上帝看看，笑了：「噢！我知道了，我叫他过来。」说完招招手，喊那条龙过来。
龙过来了，原来是个打赤膊的男人，身上全是刺青，而且刺了九条龙。
「他以前是流氓，一天到晚滋事打架、好勇斗狠，浑身还刺满了龙。但是后来改邪归正、行善救人，所以进了天堂。」
「可是……可是……」传教士结结巴巴地说：「他身上刺了龙，龙是魔鬼啊！」
上帝笑笑：「身上刺的龙、画的龙，都只是虚幻的画，只有心里的龙才是魔鬼，你难道要我把他的皮剥下来吗？」
「可是……可是……我看了害怕啊！」传教士说。
「有我在，你还怕？」上帝瞪了他一眼：「你到底信我，还是信龙？我看哪，你心里反而有鬼！」
传教士的护照被递了出来，上面盖了大印：「禁止入境。」
________________________________________

〈王臭头的梦想〉
Wong Stinky Head had an appearance that could not be any plainer. Even if you were to pass him on the street hundreds of times, you would never give him a second look. When he watched street performers, he was the kind of person who hid behind other people’s shoulders with his tan face in the shadows. It was a face you wouldn’t notice whether it was there or not. It just filled a space; you couldn’t count it as a person. With one glance, the worldly performers could tell this man was just here to watch the show for free, a poor single guy who wouldn’t give a penny.

Wang Stinky Head certainly was a single guy. Of course, he’d liked women before and had been to brothels. He had even sneaked to the back of outdoor theaters to spy on girls changing clothes. Maybe he had thought of finding a wife, but it was always been nothing but a thought, a dream that he immediately woke from.

His stinky head was enough to stop anyone from wanting to marry him. When he took out the trash in the office, everybody would stand up, watch from afar, and return to their seats only when he was gone.

“There is a science to looking at Wang Stinky Head’s stinky head,” the manager once said to a new co-worker. “Rather than looking at it as a disease, think of it as the map of the world! There are seas and continents, mountains and deserts. That big area with hair is China, and those little spots are Japan!”

Wang Stinky Head took all of this in and felt pretty happy, believing himself to be the symbol of the world. He thought, since stinky feet are called “Hong Kong feet,” his stinky head should be called “American head.”

One day, actual American heads came to Wang’s small town. The visitors were goodwill ambassadors from some international charity organization. There was a pale-skinned American girl wearing a red and blue striped dress. There was also a large man with a big white beard, red hat, red clothes, and black belt. They stood in front of the new department store and spoke their foreign language, as they were greeted with trumpets and drums.

Wang Stinky Head also hid behind other people’s shoulders to watch for a while, but felt that the show was far inferior to Chinese street performances. However, he was fascinated when the mayor’s office chose a few adorable children to take pictures with and get presents from the fat American man.

“That’s Santa Claus. Tomorrow is Christmas, meaning tonight, Santa will sneak into people’s houses through their chimneys and give presents to the children,” explained Wang’s neighbor Mrs. Chang.

“How can there be something so good?” said Wang Stinky Head, as he scratched his head and wrung his hands. “From childhood to now, who among us has received presents? Have your kids gotten any? It’s just a game that society fools people with.”

“Hey! You just don’t understand. Santa is western, and of course western people give western kids presents. Who cares about us China? This thing today is just for show.”

Now Wang Stinky Head was even more indignant. Western children are children, and Chinese children are also children. How could there be something so unfair? Why doesn’t China have its own Santa Claus?

“Forget about it!” Mrs. Chang said. Even Mrs. Chen was laughing from the kitchen.

From that day on, Wang Stinky Head developed a great interest in Santa Claus. He asked everyone he saw about Santa, and even took a trip to consult the elementary school’s teachers.

It turned out that Santa wasn’t American but European. Wang thought, “Which spot on my head is Europe? Europe has a European Santa, America has an American Santa, and so China of course should have one too.”

But everybody’s answer was the same: “China doesn’t have one!”

“China must have one, or else our children would be too pitiable!” Wang Stinky Head said angrily.

A few days later, Wang’s little house emitted jingling sounds, and neighbors saw him running around looking for pieces of wood. He also went to factories to pick up thrown out nails and screws. He went into the forest and came back with a basket of pinecones.

“Wang Stinky Head, I heard you’re opening a factory?” a co-worker joked.

“Yes! Yes! Just making some little things.”

“What little things? Bring them out for everyone to see!”

“You’ll know when the time comes!”

Wang Stinky Head would not let anybody see what he was making. If people were to see, they wouldn’t be interesting anymore. The elementary school teachers said so! Santa Claus secretly makes toys for three seasons of the year, and waits till Christmas to send them door to door.

Wang had set his first serious goal in 60 years—to be China’s Santa Claus.

The pile of materials in front of his house became higher and higher. Not only was he heard hammering in the evenings, he clearly wasn’t resting at night either. There were often lights flickering in his windows and the funny smell of glue.

Due to neighbors’ complaints, the authorities came to check on Wang, but Wang blocked the door and would not let anyone in. Looking at Wang, the police didn’t think he could cause any trouble, so they just scolded him a bit about disturbing his neighbors at night and left.

The leaves were falling, and autumn was almost over. Wang Stinky Head was now busier than ever—collecting pinecones and even counting heads. He secretly went to the elementary school playground to count the number of children. As his count kept getting higher and higher, Wang started panicking more and more. Sometimes even before the sun came up, he was already working.

But two days passed, and Wang was nowhere to be heard or seen. His co-workers thought he probably went crazy again and decided to stay home, so they didn’t worry about his absence. His neighbors worried that Wang got sick, yet they couldn’t help thinking, “What a relief! Silence for a few days.”

Four days later, the authorities finally broke down Wang’s door.

Everyone was stunned.

The house was filled with little wooden figures wearing hats made of melon peel, miniature horses made of screws and wire, little cars glued from pinecones and buttons, and mini houses built from clapboards. Hundreds upon thousands of colorful toys covered the floors, the walls, the bed. And right in the middle of the pile of toys lay Wang Stinky Head, clutching an half-finished wooden doll in his hand.

The coffin was quietly carried away. Instead of noisy funeral rites, a few unfinished toys were buried with Wang, so that he could continue to produce in the next life.

If he had died a month later, the children would have received their toys. Even if he had lived half a month longer, he at least could have finished making all the toys. But now, the dolls had white faces, red blush, but no mouths or eyes. The miniature trains had wheels and carts, but no chimneys.

People frequently peered around Wang Stinky Head’s house. Everybody talked about how they never imagined Wang could be so smart and have such talent for crafts.

Suddenly, Wang Stinky Head’s house became busy again. Hammering sounds were once again heard in the night. Adults wouldn’t let kids look in; they just furtively passed along the news.

On Christmas, American goodwill ambassadors didn’t visit, and there wasn’t any gift-giving for show. But in the morning, the entire town was filled with children’s screams of delight, followed by their running out to show off their new toys.

The adults just smiled, leaning against their doors, or sticking their heads out from windows.

From that time onward, this little town in China’s northern rural area had a Santa giving presents to children every year. But Santa never showed his face. Children could only guess that he must be a plump man with a long white heard, rosy cheeks, red clothes, and red hat—an adorable old man. ________________________________________
王臭头有个再普通不过的长相。所谓普通，就是那种你在街上擦肩而过几百次，也不会去看一眼的「某人」。或是看杂耍的时候，躲在人们肩膀后面、黑忽忽，似有似无的那种面孔。只能充个数，不能算个人。跑江湖的用眼角扫一下，也知道这是个专门白看戏，绝不会掏出半个子儿的「穷光棍」。
王臭头确是个光棍。当然，他也喜欢过女人，也逛过窑子，还溜到野台戏后面，偷看过姑娘换衣服。或许也想过讨房媳妇，只是「想那么一下」，当作梦，立刻就醒过来了。
冲他这臭头，就没人敢嫁他。连他在办公室收垃圾，大家都会站起身，避远着点，看他把垃圾桶清干净，走开了，才回到座位上。
「看王臭头的头，有学问。」有一回主任对新来的几个年轻同事说：「不要把他当癞痢头看，要当世界地图！有海洋、有陆地、有高山、有沙漠，那大块长毛的就是我们国家，小癞子的地方是日本！」
王臭头听在耳里，倒挺高兴，突然觉得自己成了国际牌。心想，既然臭脚叫「香港脚」，我这臭头，就该叫「美国头」。
这一日，小城里还真来了美国头，据说是什么国际组织派来的亲善大使。里头有又白又嫩，穿着红蓝条纹花裙子的洋妞；还有个戴红帽子、穿红衣服、黑腰带，满脸白胡子的大胖子。几个人站在新开的百货公司前面，又吹喇叭、又敲锣，怪腔怪调地说些怪话。
王臭头也躲在人们的肩膀后面看了一阵，觉得远不如本地常见的杂耍好看。倒是，市长办公室选了几个漂亮的小孩，过去跟胖子照了相，还一人拿到一盒绑着丝带的礼物，让王臭头看傻了眼。
「那是耶诞老人，明天是圣诞节了，耶诞老人到圣诞节夜里，会偷偷从烟囱溜进各家，给小孩送礼物。」还是邻居张太太知识水平高，对王臭头做了一番教育。
「哪有这种好事？」王臭头一手搔着头，一手直摇：「咱们从小到大，谁接过礼？ 你家的孩子拿过吗？都是老美骗人的玩意儿！」
「咳！这你就不懂了，人家耶诞老人是洋人，洋人当然送礼给他们洋孩子。谁管得了咱们？今天这个，是作样子罢了！」
听这么说，王臭头就更不服气了，洋孩子是孩子，咱自己的孩子也是孩子，哪有这么不公平的事？咱们为什么没有自己的耶诞老人？
「你算了吧！」张太太呸了他一口，连院里正烧饭的陈大妈，也在厨房里笑了出来。
从那天起，王臭头就对耶诞老人感了兴趣，逢人便问耶诞老人的事，还特别跑去小学问那儿的老师。
耶诞老人原来不是老美，是欧洲人。王臭头搔着头，想：「我头上哪一块是欧洲？ 人家欧洲有欧洲的耶诞老人，美国有美国的耶诞老人，咱们当然也得有一个。」
可是大家的答案全一样：「咱们没有！」
「咱非有不可，咱们的孩子太可怜啦！」王臭头气愤地说。
没隔几天，王臭头的小屋里就传来叮叮当当的声音，又见他到处找人家盖房子锯剩下的小木块，去工厂捡没用的小钉子、小螺丝帽，还钻到树林里，抱回一大篓松果。
「王臭头，听说你办厂了？」有同事笑着问。
「是！是！做点小东西。」
「什么小东西呀？带来让大伙开开眼呗！」
「到时候就知道了！」
王臭头的东西是不准看的，看了就没意思了。小学老师不是说了嘛！耶诞老人一年三季偷偷做玩具，再等圣诞节，一家家送。
王臭头立下他六十年来的第一个宏愿─做个当地的耶诞老人。
他门口堆的材料是愈来愈高了，不但晚上敲敲打打，连夜里也没闲着，还常闪出些火光，透出些怪怪的香蕉水味。
院里报告上去。警察来盘查了一回，王臭头都挡在门口不准进。看看王臭头那长相，也造不了反，训他两句，不准他夜里扰人，警察就走了。
叶子哗喇哗喇掉，秋天要过了，王臭头更忙了，忙着捡松果，还忙着点人头。他跑到小学操场偷偷点数，看看有几个孩子。愈点愈多、愈多愈着急，有时天没亮，屋里就开工了。
只是，连着两天，没声音，单位里没见王臭头上班，先想他又在家犯神经了，没理睬。邻居们虽然心里嘀咕，却心底想，只怕病了，病了也好！安静几天。
四天之后，警察才带人把门撞开。
大家全傻了。
一屋子，只见戴着瓜皮帽的小木人、螺丝帽和铁丝串成的小铁马、用松果和钮扣黏成的小汽车和三夹板盖成的小房子。成千上百、五颜六色的小玩具，摆得满地、满墙、满床。就在那玩具堆里，王臭头直挺挺地躺着，手里还紧紧攥着一个未完成的木娃娃。
棺材安安静静地送走了。没吹唢吶、没烧冥纸，倒把几个没完成的玩具做了陪葬， 让王臭头带到「下头」去继续制作。
要是他晚死一个月，孩子就能得到玩具了。就算多活半个月也好，最起码能把玩具都做完。不会像现在，娃娃有了白脸蛋、红胭脂，却没嘴没眼；小火车有了车身、轮子，却少了烟囱。
常有人到王臭头的房里张望，也有些孩子惆怅着离开。大家都说没想到王臭头不笨，非但不笨，还有这么好的手艺。
突然间，王臭头的房里又忙碌了起来，夜里又有敲敲打打的声音传出。大人都不准孩子张望，只是偷偷传递着消息。
圣诞节，今年没有洋人来表演，也没有象征性的送礼。但是一大早，全城都传来孩子们的惊叫声，接着纷纷跑出来，拿着自己的新玩具献宝。
大人则倚着门，或从窗口探出头笑。
从那时起，这个北方乡下的小城，就年年会有耶诞老人，送孩子礼物。只是耶诞老人从来不曾露面，孩子们只有猜，猜那必是个长着白白胡子、红红脸蛋、胖胖大大， 穿红衣、戴红帽的可爱的老人。
________________________________________

   © Copyright 2005 水雲齋文化事業有限公司