洛阳的元宵节
离开以牡丹闻名的中国中部城市洛阳后，我非常想念那里的元宵节。
我仍然记得第一次去看灯的情景。我从古水向东骑自行车，发现城市的主要街道空无一人，灯光稀疏，有一种节日期间荒凉的感觉。
来到第一个十字路口时，南边一条街尽头，一片灯光突然跃入眼帘。它像漂浮在街上的一片闪闪发光的云朵，下面是熙熙攘攘的人群，像蚂蚁一样慢慢移动，仰起的脸庞像月光下的湖面涟漪。
我投入到人群中，感觉自己仿佛回到了古代，情不自禁地在昏暗的地方四处张望，寻找那个“她”。
“她”当然不在那里。
相反，我看到的是穿着现代服装的年轻情侣们相视而笑，还有手牵手的乡村女孩们。元宵节的确是雅俗共赏的乐趣。我向东走得越远，灯光就越明亮，人群也越来越拥挤。
游客们都被那些设计精美、做工精细的灯笼所吸引。有些人忙着拍照，有些人惊讶于自己的发现，有些人只是匆匆一瞥，然后继续赶路，有些人则停下来仔细观察细节。
街道两旁的楼房有几扇窗户敞开着，坐在里面的人不想在人群挤来挤去，索性悠然自得地坐在家里欣赏着街头的景色。在十字路口，搭建了舞台，上演着乡下来的河南地方曲目。演员们用河南话高声歌唱，为节日增添了不少欢乐气氛。
一个冬天的夜晚，我陪着两个女孩上完晚上的英语课回家（我在那里教扶中汉地“双向英语”），我说我希望住在一个有“人情味”的小城市里。
其中一个问道：“洛阳不是这样的地方吗？” 我没有回答。那时街上人很少，但路边摊的灯光依然明亮。
现在，离开洛阳已经四年多了，当我站在天桥上，看着北京的美丽而又略显高大冷漠的夜景时，我可以对那个问题说“是的”。
BP20266-88-18210
The Lantern Festival in Luoyang
By Yu Lan
After I left Luoyang, a city in middle China well-known for its peonies, I missed its Lantern Festival very much.
I can still remember the first time I went to see the lanterns. As I rode my bike eastward from Gushui, I found the main street of the city deserted and sparsely lighted, with an odd feeling of desolated in a festival season.
As I came to the first cross road, a patch of light at the far end of a street down south suddenly jumped into view. It was like a conglomeration of shining clouds floating above the street, with throngs of people underneath moving slowly like ants, their up-turned faces resembling sparking ripples of a lake in moonlight.
Plunging myself into the sea of people, I felt as if I was brought back to the ancient times and I couldn’t help looking around in search of the “she” in dimly lighted places.*
“She’ was not there of course.
Instead I saw young couples dressed in modern attire smiling together and village girls walking hand in hand. The Lantern Festival is indeed an enjoyment for both the refined and the vulgar.
The farther east I went, the more brilliant the lights were and the thicker the crowds of people.
Visitors were all enchanted by the rich variety of lanterns with exquisite designs and workmanship. Some were busily taking pictures, some marveled at their discoveries, some would just gave a quick glance as they made their way through and some would stop and took their time examining the minute details.
Several windows in the buildings on both sides of the street were open and there sat those who did not want to take the trouble of elbowing their way through the crowds, enjoying the scene with great ease. At the crossroads, platforms were erected for staging Henan opera performed by rural troupes. With their high-pitched singing in local dialect, the actors and actresses added much to the festivity of the season.
One winter night, as I was accompanying two girls on their way home from an evening English class (I was teaching Two Way Communication there), I said I hoped to live in a small city with some human touch.
One of them asked, “Isn’t Luoyang such a place?” I made no reply. In the street there were few people then, yet the lights of roadside food stalls still shone brightly.
Now, more than four years after I left Luoyang, as I stand on a fly-over looking at a beautiful yet somewhat lofty and impersonal Beijing night scene, I can say “yes” to that question.
* A famous Chinese poet wrote such a line in his poem depicting the scene of Lantern Festival: ” I sought for her hundred of times in the crowds, yet she was found in a dimly lighted place.
BP2026688—18210