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.

【紅霞譯文】

        中央公園可謂紐約市區最大的自然公園，方圓幾里地開外遊人如織，如同飛蛾撲火，中央公園已然成為全世界各族同胞享受多元性文化生活的重要場所。

        中央公園景色美輪美奐，到處洋溢着濃郁的都市風情，只是從賓州趕往大都會路上開車太花時間，如若全程順暢，前後差不多需要兩個鐘頭，最後一段水上交通又特別較勁，不然真應該經常到這裡壓壓馬路。如你所知，紐約城東河將主島與布魯倫區、皇后區和史泰登島縱分開來，往返曼哈頓與史泰登島之間的渡輪每卅分鐘一趟，因此事不宜遲，我和爸爸一大早便抓緊上路，等到趕至中央公園的時候已是下午兩點鐘。我顧不上休養生息，立刻投身於娛樂大軍之中。曾幾何時，我親臨中央公園數次，可當時因年齡太小，腦海深處根本沒留下任何印象。如今近觀公園大門，我立刻被久違的熱鬧景象所吸引，池塘邊芳草萋萋，過道上樹木披戴金色盛裝，弄潮健兒遛彎跑步同樣不乏豪邁激情。我想，在紐約這座不夜城裡發現這麼一個充滿朝氣的生活園地，實在不足為奇。

        如果沿着數以百計的公園小道漫步，不難撞見很多攤販推銷堅果零食及熱狗快餐，空氣中彌散着誘人的芳香；而街道藝人也不失時機，巧施才藝來招徠觀眾，有些人卓有成績，另外一些則恰恰相反。不覺眼前一群藝人吸引來了大批遊客，里三層外三層好不熱鬧，非裔美國兄弟樂隊一會兒表演像空翻或類似空翻的特技動作，一會兒又跟觀眾插科打諢，他們先選了幾位個頭高大的志願者，然後打算從這些人身上跳過去。奇怪的是，魚躍者是雜耍圈中最矮小的一位；他們讓六個人排成一列，這時節目轉入吊人胃口的環節。光天化日之下，試想一位5英尺／1.5米的矮豆子無法安全跳過6英尺／1.8米的高個子，豈不醉翁之意不在酒。在雜耍表演之前，他們大大方方地向觀眾收取看似微不足道的現金，每人10—20美元不等，收着收着時間過了大半個鐘頭，殊不知我蠻可以把這些功夫用來干點其它富有成效的事情上，但好奇心驅使自己堅持陣地，我真想看一看這葫蘆里到底賣的什麼藥。

        顯然什麼事也沒發生，等在場的每個人掏完腰包，雜耍者又開始第二輪募捐活動，形如教堂實行“奉獻”一樣，不少觀眾見狀轉身離去，無奈白白耗掉了卅分鐘。我不得不承認此舉有點損人利已，我們也悻悻退場，至於後面表演得如何不得而知。中央公園一道道美景呼之欲出，池水清澈透明，池面紅里透黃，富麗堂皇的摩天大樓倒掛於池塘正中，微風乍起，秋葉隨漣漪自由蕩漾，“生如夏花之絢爛，死如秋葉之靜美”，中央公園不失為一個修身養性的好去處。

        回家的路一波三折，我對大城市迷路早已見怪不怪，而紐約最容易叫人找不北。走出六號地鐵線，我和爸爸奔走了15條街才抵達碼頭，不過還是未能趕上五點鐘的渡輪，看來紐約城捨不得我們來去匆匆。