2015-10-24

【Aiden in English】

        The Central Park is the largest natural park in New York City. Spanning just over several miles in each direction, it draws many tourists from all over the world like moths to a flame, and for good reason. Although it has nature, the park carries every bit of the New York City vibe.

        I know Central Park is cool and all, but the time of travel seemed a bit long from PA to the metropolitan. The car ride took about two hours, which wasn’t the worst it could be. The largest issue at hand was the ferry. As you know, NYC is cut off from the main island by the East River. A ferry takes passengers across every thirty minutes between the Staten Island and the Manhattan. So Dad and I were racing the clock every moment of the trip early in the morning. Arriving at Central Park, it was already two in the afternoon. However, I was going to put the past behind us and have fun. I’ve been here a few times when I was little and never really memorized anything that could be significant. Looking at the entrance made me understand what I have been missing out of my life. Rolling hills with green grass along the pond and trees in colors of a fire made up the park, and the number of people strolling around was quite impressive as well. I think in the city that never sleeps, it shouldn’t have come as a surprise. 

        Walking along the hundreds of different routes, stalls were selling nuts and hot dogs that filled the air with fresh scents, while mediocre performers tried their best to make money. Some were successful, others were not. One particular group had attracted a large amount of people and an enormous crowd was forming around the show. A band of African Americans were doing stunts like flips and what-not, while also joking around with the audience. They took volunteers, especially tall men in particular, and jumped over them. Oddly, the jumper was the smallest in the group. Also they got six people to line up, and the show took a wicked turn. Obviously a 5-foot/1.5-meter man couldn’t possibly safely clear 6-foot/1.8-meter men. Yet when the trick was about to begin, they began to accept money. Ten and twenty dollar bills were being handed in as if it was no big deal and that process took a whopping half an hour. I could have done something more productive in that half hour instead of just standing there, but curiosity won the battle since I wanted to see and be there if someone would die.

        Apparently not, since as soon as everyone’s money was collected, the tricksters went for, as they say in church, “second collections.” Many people had left when the M word was said (MONEY), but after standing for thirty minutes, I couldn’t disagree that this was getting a bit boring. So we left the show, unknowing whether a person would get hurt of not. The park continued on to state its beauty in the pond with clear, tranquil water covered in red and yellow foliages. A rendezvous of the Art Deco skyscrapers tossed into the pond. Ripples occasionally sent the leaves drifting in every which direction, creating mass chaos on the surface.

        And mass chaos it was going home as well. I know all too well about getting lost in big cities, and New York is probably the easiest. Popping out of the “6” subway, we walked about fifteen blocks to reach the ferry, in which Dad and I missed the five o’clock trip. I guess NYC doesn’t wish to have us leave either.

【红霞译文】

        中央公园可谓纽约市区最大的自然公园，方圆几里地开外游人如织，如同飞蛾扑火，中央公园已然成为全世界各族同胞享受多元性文化生活的重要场所。

        中央公园景色美轮美奂，到处洋溢着浓郁的都市风情，只是从宾州赶往大都会路上开车太花时间，如若全程顺畅，前后差不多需要两个钟头，最后一段水上交通又特别较劲，不然真应该经常到这里压压马路。如你所知，纽约城东河将主岛与布鲁伦区、皇后区和史泰登岛纵分开来，往返曼哈顿与史泰登岛之间的渡轮每卅分钟一趟，因此事不宜迟，我和爸爸一大早便抓紧上路，等到赶至中央公园的时候已是下午两点钟。我顾不上休养生息，立刻投身于娱乐大军之中。曾几何时，我亲临中央公园数次，可当时因年龄太小，脑海深处根本没留下任何印象。如今近观公园大门，我立刻被久违的热闹景象所吸引，池塘边芳草萋萋，过道上树木披戴金色盛装，弄潮健儿遛弯跑步同样不乏豪迈激情。我想，在纽约这座不夜城里发现这么一个充满朝气的生活园地，实在不足为奇。

        如果沿着数以百计的公园小道漫步，不难撞见很多摊贩推销坚果零食及热狗快餐，空气中弥散着诱人的芳香；而街道艺人也不失时机，巧施才艺来招徕观众，有些人卓有成绩，另外一些则恰恰相反。不觉眼前一群艺人吸引来了大批游客，里三层外三层好不热闹，非裔美国兄弟乐队一会儿表演像空翻或类似空翻的特技动作，一会儿又跟观众插科打诨，他们先选了几位个头高大的志愿者，然后打算从这些人身上跳过去。奇怪的是，鱼跃者是杂耍圈中最矮小的一位；他们让六个人排成一列，这时节目转入吊人胃口的环节。光天化日之下，试想一位5英尺／1.5米的矮豆子无法安全跳过6英尺／1.8米的高个子，岂不醉翁之意不在酒。在杂耍表演之前，他们大大方方地向观众收取看似微不足道的现金，每人10—20美元不等，收着收着时间过了大半个钟头，殊不知我蛮可以把这些功夫用来干点其它富有成效的事情上，但好奇心驱使自己坚持阵地，我真想看一看这葫芦里到底卖的什么药。

        显然什么事也没发生，等在场的每个人掏完腰包，杂耍者又开始第二轮募捐活动，形如教堂实行“奉献”一样，不少观众见状转身离去，无奈白白耗掉了卅分钟。我不得不承认此举有点损人利已，我们也悻悻退场，至于后面表演得如何不得而知。中央公园一道道美景呼之欲出，池水清澈透明，池面红里透黄，富丽堂皇的摩天大楼倒挂于池塘正中，微风乍起，秋叶随涟漪自由荡漾，“生如夏花之绚烂，死如秋叶之静美”，中央公园不失为一个修身养性的好去处。

        回家的路一波三折，我对大城市迷路早已见怪不怪，而纽约最容易叫人找不北。走出六号地铁线，我和爸爸奔走了15条街才抵达码头，不过还是未能赶上五点钟的渡轮，看来纽约城舍不得我们来去匆匆。