2017-12-10

【Aiden in English】

        Brad was unhappy. He was tired, annoyed, and most of all, bored. As a twenty-five-year-old millennial, Brad felt that he had lived out all there was to live.

        Founder of a smash-hit social media, Brad was loaded. Beyond rich, even to his own imagination. He was a man of money, whose wealth transcended currency and numbers, and also the undeniably most successful man of his decade.

        One cloudy day, Brad awoke to the soft dripping of rain. Rubbing his eyes, he began a regular morning routine of dressing and washing. Walking downstairs, he flashed a brief smile to his butler Alfred, a man who not only respected Brad but understood his needs unlike any other. Also, Alfred was his only true friend, even though he was getting paid to stay around him.

        The drizzly dawn outside fit well in the dreary city of New York. Brad walked through Times Square, bustling with people, even on days like these. Raising his head, Brad peered through the raindrops to see a divine face: his own. Looking around, he noticed that no one seemed to care much for the multi-billionaire standing in their midst. Sighing, Brad retreated back to his apartment. A stranger nodded at his front porch. He returned with a smile.

        Reaching the top floor of his domain, Brad overlooked an awaking New York from his penthouse. One of many mornings in his lifetime. And yet every one of those mornings ended the same way as the previous: the covers of darkness. An endless cycle of life, something that most valued pricelessly. But Brad was sick of it. What was the point of living if nothing was going to change? Regardless of what Brad did, the sun was going to rise tomorrow. The current world governments were not going to collapse. He would most likely spend another day in this world, simply existing.

        The fact was that everything could be predicted. From stocks to the next Superbowl, Brad had a keen sixth sense to the future and events that would occur behind the scenes. A gift and a curse. Brad, unlike others, saw the world in numbers and variables, percentages, and probability. A man who could change the world.

        But he didn’t. Why? Men who had the ability to change the world always found ways to change it. Brad, a gifted man, whose destiny all but seemed was to change the world, was also a man of science and philosophy. A man who respected the universe and its vastness. 

        Brad looked out over the high rises of New York City, amused at people’s ignorance of the truth. The fact was, no matter what anyone did, he or she wasn’t going to change the universe. Insignificant beings in a reality stretching far beyond their control. While Brad understood the concept of the butterfly effect, such small actions of humans would never influence anything beyond the simple reaches of their society. Although people could solve problems, improve technology, and prosper all they want, no one was going to change the universe in any meaningful way.

        Crimes, business deals, international war, and all minuscule events occurred on an atomic scale of the universe. Even with all the money in the world, Brad could not change that fact. He could purchase a new boat or attempt a car accident. Neither of which would change anything outside of this little blue ball. 

        Apparently, with nothing better to do, Brad wandered through the streets of New York once more. Many of the buildings he had once visited to find jobs, now were irrelevant as the rest of the world.

        On his walk through the city, an object caught Brad’s eye. A cup, with black sharpie scribbles on the side. He gave a closer look at the handwriting, recognizing two words: “A Change”. Slightly adjusting his view, Brad saw a person staring back. An elderly man in rags, thin, pale-skin, gazing back in a desperate, hopeful look. A look shaken from life experiences. A look of unimportance, a look of darkness, a look of a shrunken universe, revolving about bare necessities. 

        Brad reached into his pocket and pulled out a few dollars. He carefully set it into the cup, nodding at the man. He smiled back and whispered a quiet “Thank you”. His eyes lightened momentarily.

        Brad returned home in an attempt to understand the previous events. Alfred met him at the entrance to his apartment, politely asking for assistance. Brad sighed and shook his head. Alfred, a man much older, gave him a concerning scan, and asked, “What bothers you, sir?”

        Brad raised his head to meet his gaze. He took a long deep breath, and let out a building pressure in his chest for weeks.

        “Why, Alfred, do we exist? To what point is it a successful life?”

        Alfred, surprisingly undisturbed, replied, “Well, I will say that you have had a much more successful life than others. Perhaps this is the peak of life you can reach.”

        “But then life is pointless! What am I going to be if all I have is money?” Brad threw up his hands in frustration. “One man cannot change the universe! I cannot change the universe!”

        “Oh, but Bradford, you can change others.”

        Brad was taken aback.

        Alfred continued. “Brad, you sometimes get caught up in your tiny universe, but you have to realize, you live in a multiverse, with billions and billions of universe thriving, changing around you. And each universe viewed through another human. Because your view of the universe may be wider than others, you are able to change universes of other people.”

        A sudden light flashed through Brad’s eyes. A moment of enlightenment. He until now had seemed too small to be relevant, a man who would pass through the universe, unable to alter its greatness.

        Brad turned and looked over the lights of New York. Suddenly, he felt responsibility like never before. He could change the universe of others. One perspective at a time.

【紅霞譯文】

        布拉德鬱鬱不樂。他身心疲憊，最要命的就是空虛無聊，千禧一代的他年方廿五歲，感覺早已經歷人生所有一切。

        作為熱門社交媒體創始人，布拉德富得流油，甚至超乎自己的想象。他家財萬貫，有的是錢，堪稱同時代最成功的典範。

        一天多雲，布拉德醒來外面正下着霏霏細雨。他揉了揉眼睛，像往常早起一樣穿衣洗漱，下樓見到管家阿爾弗雷德臉上露出一絲微笑。不像其他人，阿爾弗雷德不僅敬重布拉德，而且對其所需瞭如指掌。儘管按勞取酬，但阿爾弗雷德卻是布拉德唯一真正的朋友。

        晨雨讓昏暗的紐約市顯得非常沉悶，布拉德穿過時代廣場，街上熙熙攘攘，即使這種天氣也不例外。他抬起頭，透過雨點看到一副尊容：自己那張臉；再環顧四周，竟然沒發現有誰在乎他們中間站着這樣一位億萬富翁。布拉德嘆了口氣，轉身返回公寓，走到前門露台時有位陌生人沖他點頭示意，他以微笑回應。

        布拉德登上自家空中別墅頂層，鳥瞰甦醒中的紐約，不知有多少個早晨他呆在這裡，而且每回都跟上次一樣：夜色籠罩。生命周而復始，是無價之寶，不過布拉德對此感到厭惡，如果總是按部就班，那麼生活的意義何在？無論布拉德做些什麼，明天太陽照常升起，國際政體不會土崩瓦解，而他極有可能在這個世界上再多活一天，無異於當一天和尚撞一天鐘。

        現實中所有一切均可預測，從當下股票行情到明年超級碗，布拉德單憑第六感官就能推斷未來及幕後發生的事情，無論好的還是壞的。唯有不同地，他用數字變量和百分比概率的方式來審視世界，是一位可以改變世界的牛人。

        但他啥也沒做，為什麼？有本身改變世界的人終歸能找到改變世界的方法，天賦異稟的布拉德既懂得科學又講究哲理，好像生來註定要改變世界，是一位深明天廣地闊的智人。

        布拉德望着紐約摩天大樓，對於輕蔑真理之輩視如敝屣，實際上，無論你怎麼努力都不能改變整個世界，蚍蜉撼樹談何容易。布拉德熟諳蝴蝶效應，單靠人力決不會對自身社會以外的任何事物產生影響。誠然，我們可以解決問題，進行技術革新，推動社會繁榮，然而卻無法以主觀意識改變客觀體系。

        犯罪行為、商務交易、國際爭端以及各種雞毛蒜皮的事件像宇宙間原子碰撞一樣時有發生，布拉德再有錢也不能扭轉乾坤。他可以購買新船或者蓄意撞車，但偏偏對地球以外的任何東西束手無策。

        既然無所事事，倒不如出門再溜達兩步。以前找工時布拉德曾經出入過這裡很多辦公樓，如今已然跟他毫不相干。

        布拉德走街串巷，突然有樣東西引起他的注意，一隻杯子外面用黑油筆畫的塗鴉。他仔細端詳手寫字跡，認出兩個單詞：“零錢”，再換個角度打量，發現有人正注視着自己，這位衣衫襤褸枯瘦如柴面色蒼白的老人絕望地盯住他，眼裡充滿期待，一種震撼人生的表情，一種卑微茫然的表情，一種暗淡失落的表情，一種頹廢消沉的表情，只為買些生活必需品。

        布拉德把手伸進口袋，掏出幾塊美鈔，小心翼翼地將錢放入杯中，向他點了點頭。老人報以微笑，低聲說了句“謝謝”，眼光瞬間變得明亮起來。

        布拉德回到家中，試圖捋清過去的往事。阿爾弗雷在門口碰到了他，禮貌地詢問要不要幫忙，布拉德一邊嘆氣一邊搖頭，年長的阿爾弗雷關切地追問道：“先生，怎麼了？”

        布拉德抬起頭目視前方，深吸一口氣，呼氣時把幾周來積壓在胸的苦衷一齊吐了出來。

        “阿爾弗雷德，為什麼我們活着呢？成功的人生究竟是什麼樣子？

        阿爾弗雷德不動聲色，回答道：“要我說你比別人成功，也許這就是人生之巔。”

        “可是那樣的生活毫無意義！如果我有的只是錢，又有什麼用呢？”布拉德沮喪地揮動雙手：“一個人無法改變整個世界！我不能改變整個世界！”

        “哦，但布拉德福德，你能讓別人改變。”

        布拉德大吃一驚。

        阿爾弗雷德繼續說：“布拉德，有時你被禁錮在自己狹小空間中，但必須意識到，你所生活的多元化大千世界裡，身邊數十億的宇宙星體正在蓬勃發展，每個人各有觀點，正因為你眼界寬，所以有能力改變別人的生存環境。”

        布拉德眼前一亮，心裡豁然開朗，其實不該因為身單力薄而將使命置身事外。

        布拉德轉過身來凝望紐約夜燈，一種從未有過的責任感在他心中油然而生，他可以改變別人的世界，一步一個腳印。

Today in History(歷史上的今天):

2016: Holiday Gathering(節日團聚)

2013： Rub Al Khai Desert Safari, UAE(阿聯酋魯卜哈利沙漠飆車)

Crosslinks(相關博文):

9th Grade Short Story─Reunion(短篇小說─相逢)

8th Grade Flash Story─My Glory to Your Honor(小小說─為你驕傲)

8th Grade Flash Story─Sleep is Bliss(小小說─能睡是福)

6th Grade Flash Story─Crisis on Mulberry Street(小小說─桑樹街危機)

3rd Grade Flash Story─Halloween(小小說─萬聖節)