2015-10-17

【Aiden in English】

        Fall season is coming. At least, that’s what all the meteorologists say. It doesn’t mean fall has yet arrived, which I can believe. The temperature has literally dropped a maximum of 10^oC/5.5^oC from the end of August to mid-October when it seemed like in the mid-seventies or mid-twenties. The leaves, unless I’m color blind, are still basically green. And the fruits and vegetables don’t seem to be growing any better than usual.

        The Delaware River is so huge that it cuts Appalachian Mtn. through across numerous states of the eastern US. Containing many natural beauties, it flourishes at this season if it were fall, which it isn’t. The Delaware Water Gap National Recreational Area happens to be an area covering along a part of the river where it runs parallel with the Pennsylvania-New Jersey border. I must say, it would be an amazing view if it were fall. With so many trails to choose from, Dad and I decided to take what seemed to be was the easiest one. Of course it wasn’t, but at least we could enjoy the scenery even though it wasn’t fall yet. The path twisted and turned, around trees that looked exactly like the last one I pasted. The color green appeared a lot, considering it was not fall yet. After a while and climbing down a small cliff, the trail ran parallel to a stretch of the river for at least half a mile, and many bikers and hikers passed by, having unfortunate looks on their faces, since it was not fall yet. The ground became a dull brown, and mud seeped into my shoes. It had gotten to a point where I was just looking down at the path and my foot steps that I lost track of the direction. After another hour, the trail looked to go on pointlessly. It never came into contact with the river. Instead, it branched off into some winding woods that freaked me out. I had already walked around an hour. And so with aching feet, it didn’t take too much persuasion to turn me back. Besides, it wasn’t even fall yet.

        The return was nearly just as uneventful, except the part where we got lost. You know, it’s tough memorizing where you are with your head down. It was the worst, because we were facing an intersection in which both options were quite hard to reverse since each path went on for a long, long time. When push came to shove and our brains were just about to explode, a quick eny-meny-miny-moe decided our direction. At first, obvious signs signified how badly I was wrong. But perseveringly, I discovered the very dull branch where I whacked my head on earlier when my head was studying my shoes. I guess looking down at the ground all the time has its benefits.

        Although it wasn’t fall yet, the Delaware Water Gap created many experiences and even ones that I wasn’t expecting. Life, I guess, is just as unpredictable as meteorologists and fall sometimes.

【红霞译文】

        时值秋季，至少气象学家这样播报，但并非意味着秋天已经降临，这一点我坚信不疑。自八月底至十月中旬，温度顶多下降10^oF／5.5^oC，始终徘徊在75^oF／24^oC上下。除非色盲，否则我不难发现，树叶依然绿沈，水果蔬菜好像已不及从前长势旺盛。

        特拉华河幽长，南北纵穿阿巴拉契亚山脉及美东若干个州，自然美景比比皆是，在果实成熟的日子里，“秋景有时飞独鸟，夕阳无事起寒烟”，但眼下尚未进入最佳状态。特拉华河谷国家游憩区恰好锁定宾州与新州交界地区特拉华河流域，每每金秋季节，一幅幅碧云红叶绿波翠霭的妖娆画面准保叫你流连忘返。这里山径很多，而我和爸爸偏爱简单易行的小路，当然荒郊野外从来没有平坦大道可言，好在身边层林叠嶂，即使缺少红叶之静美，我们依然陶醉在大自然的怀抱。山径蜿蜒曲折，沿着看似一模一样的苍松翠柏绕来弯去，以绿色为主旋律的莽莽林海尚无及时做好入秋的准备。稍过一会又翻过一座矮小石崖，山径与特拉华河并排同行至少半英里以远，骑车人爬山者从我们身边擦肩而过，无不为迟到的秋天而深感遗憾。地面土质渐渐变暗，我们的鞋子沾满了泥巴，接下来只好低头仔细看路，结果偏偏疏忽了前进目标。就这样继续个把钟头之后，我们才意识到迷失了方向，所走过的山路其实早已偏离河岸，而即将应对的都是曲径通幽的羊肠小道，顿时我浑身直冒冷汗，这一个小时冤枉路将我的脚板打磨得疼痛不已。我们二话不说立刻打道回府，决定不再找寻秋天的踪影。

        除了刚才迷路的地方之外，我们归程的经历波澜不惊。光埋头干事不抬头看路恐怕很难把握方向，其后果往往非常难堪。当站在十字路口不知何去何从时，我们明白，一旦走错路再要折回来需花很多功夫，一想到必须马上定夺去向，我们的脑袋瓜恨不能快要崩裂，所以只好听天由命，手心手背甚至靠掰手指来撞大运。无奈开头错失良机，我完全没有留意那些显而易见的路标；但吃一堑长一智，我努力捕捉记忆，冷不丁发现那根曾因低头走路而撞到脑袋的树枝。由此说来，低头走路也有好处。

        尽管秋天姗姗来迟，但走进特拉华河谷国家游憩区回归自然，让我学到很多意想不到的东西，也许天相无常，气象学家没法预测到位，而季节本身有时也拿捏不准。