Li Haojun wasn't quite sure whether his relationship with Kasiya should progress, or how it should develop. Yet he couldn't refuse—he couldn't refuse her affection, nor could he deny his own feelings. As his thoughts wandered, he wondered: How do today's mainstream young people live? What are their pursuits and values?
李皓珺不太确定自己与凯西娅的关系是否应该发展,还是怎么样发展,可是又无法拒绝,无法拒绝她的爱戴,也无法拒绝自己的情怀.思绪徘徊之中,好奇现在的主流年轻人是怎么样生活的呢?他们有什么样的追求,价值观.
On the flight to Boise, Li Haojun scrolled through social media, observing people's daily lives, interactions, and displays of wealth—though perhaps "display" isn't quite the right word. Still, with basic social security in place, people inevitably seek to enrich their lives through diverse pursuits: gourmet food, gardening, sports, music, and more.
在飞往博伊西的飞机上,李皓珺翻阅着社交媒体,看现在的人们日常生活,交际,炫耀,或许不应该这样形容,但是当有了基础社会保障,人们肯定会拓展生活的多样性,美食,种植,运动,音乐等等.
Perhaps social media has its own sample bias, so I looked into what local universities were doing. Though they're regional institutions—and one shouldn't expect too much—it was still somewhat disappointing. They seemed more like advanced vocational schools than universities. All this made Li Haojun think of one phrase: class rigidity. Has the upward mobility for young people vanished?
或许社交媒体有它的样本偏差,于是又查询了当地的大学在做什么,虽然是地方院校,不应该有太大的期望,可是仍然令人有些失望,与其说是大学,不如说是高级一点的职业教育学校.这一切让李皓珺想到了一个词,阶级固化,难道年轻人没有上升通道了么?
Alright, Li Haojun checked his go-to open-source resource sites again. They leaned toward theoretical physics, offering detailed knowledge points with both theoretical and experimental work from renowned universities. He then explored applied mathematics before returning to chemical and biological engineering. It seemed there were no particular barriers restricting those seeking knowledge. Clearly, modern education had become more flexible, placing greater emphasis on personal exploration and effort. Yet, securing an opportunity to enter the field remained crucial—just as it had been for Kesiya.
好吧,李皓珺又查了一下自己常用的开源资料网站,偏向理论物理方向,知识点比较详实,有知名大学的理论与实验.然后又查询了应用数学方面,再返回化学生物工程方面,似乎并没有对求知者有什么特别设置的禁锢.显然现在的社会教育放宽松了,个人的发展更在于自身探索与努力,但是显然拥有一个加入行业的机会很重要,就像凯西娅这样.
Could it be that some people don't have to go through this channel? Li Haojun thought about this. There's no doubt that many of the high-end private schools from the past have vanished without a trace. Yet, those who search carefully can still uncover some lingering remnants of their former existence. It seems society has been artificially and subtly divided into more and more bubbles—some large, some small—but they never intersect.
会不会有人不用走这个通道?李皓珺想到这里,不用怀疑,过去好多高端私立学校现在都没了踪迹,但是细心的人仔细搜索仍然还会找到一些曾经的蛛丝马迹.似乎社会人为地,潜移默化地分割成了更多的泡泡,有大有小,但是它们没有交集.
The journey, filled with thoughts, seemed to pass quickly. Before I could even glance at the scenery outside the window, the plane had already touched down on the open field in front of the Eagle factory. There she was again, that familiar figure—a white, short-sleeved blouse with wide sleeves, light blue jeans. Only her long hair was gone, replaced by a short cut that grazed her cheeks. A black silk scarf was tied around her fair neck.
充满思绪的旅程似乎很快,还没来得及看窗外的的风景,飞机已经降落到了伊格尔工厂门前的空地.还是那个熟悉的身影,白色阔袖短款上衣,浅蓝色牛仔裤,只是不见了长发,齐脸颊的短发,白皙的脖颈系着一条黑色丝巾.
The plane soon reached the mountainous region northeast of Boise, but this time it wasn't the lodge where Lily had stayed. The makeshift airfield was nestled in a valley that, at least from the air, didn't appear too distant from the last mountain range. After landing, they found nothing in the valley except the rudimentary runway. They had to walk eastward, hiking along the valley toward the main river valley. Not too far away, on the gentle slope at the foot of the mountains, stood a lodge building.
飞机很快到达博伊西东北部山区,但是这次不是和莉莉一起的那个旅馆,这次的简易机场坐落在一个山谷中,至少在空中看起来离上次的山岭并不算遥远.着陆后发现山谷中除了简易跑道什么都没有,需要步行向东,徒步沿着山谷向主河谷方向,在不算遥远处的山脚缓坡上有一家旅店建筑.
Yet this seemingly short distance proved utterly impassable through the valley's snowdrifts. Only then did Li Haojun recall his oversight in planning the route—he'd set the aircraft to land on the runway, only to discover upon arrival that the runway lay far from the facility buildings. This thought inevitably brought Malaya to mind. Would such a mistake have occurred if that clever girl had been there to assist?
只是这看起来不太遥远的距离,在山谷的积雪中简直是寸步难行.这时李皓珺才想起了自己制定出发路线的疏忽,把飞机设置在跑道降落,结果到了才发现跑道距离设施建筑还很远.这不禁又让李皓珺想起了玛莱雅,如果有那个聪明的小姑娘帮忙,还会发生这样的失误吗.
After dropping off the two passengers, the helicopter took off and departed. Snow swirled through the air, whipped up by the rotor blades and turbulent air currents, stinging their faces and burrowing into their collars. Li Haojun pulled a bright red scarf from his backpack, carefully wrapping it around Kasiya's neck. He tied the ends into a knot and tucked them into the V-neck of her top. Li Haojun loved seeing her sweet smile.
飞机放下两人后就起飞离开了,旋翼吹起的积雪随着湍流在空中飞舞,吹在脸上,钻进领口.李皓珺从背包中拿出了一条大红围巾,亲手围在了凯西娅的脖颈,还把围巾两端打了结塞进她胸前的V领,李皓珺喜欢看她甜蜜的笑容.
For now, I'll tuck that fleeting tenderness away in my heart. I still need to find my way off the runway. Holding Kacy's hand, we walked a short distance before spotting the tracks of an all-terrain vehicle heading back toward the lodge. I didn't know if they'd come to pick us up, but it was only noon—plenty of time. Walking there would take no more than half an hour.
暂时把那片刻温柔放于心间,还得找到离开跑道的路.拉着凯西娅的手走出不远,看到地上有全地形车往返旅店方向的履带痕迹,只是不知道对方会不会来接自己,只是正当午时,还有的是时间,走过去最多也不过半小时.
So he took Kesiya's hand and walked toward the hotel building to the east, crunching through the snow beneath their feet. The wind carried ice and snow swept down the hillside, occasionally stinging their faces. Li Haojun glanced back at Kesiya following behind—she was smiling brightly as she kept pace.
于是拉着凯西娅的手,踩着脚下咯吱咯吱的白雪,向着东边的旅馆建筑步行.风夹杂着山坡刮下来冰雪不时打在脸上,李皓珺看了看跟在身后的凯西娅,她正笑眯眯地跟着,
The spring snow melted and turned back into icy flakes. Does it sting when it hits your face? Come hide behind me.
"开春雪融化又结成冰雪碎屑了,刮到脸上疼不疼?躲到我身后吧,"
Kesiya was well-behaved, saying nothing as she stayed close to him, resting her face directly against Li Haojun's shoulder.
凯西娅很乖,什么也没说,跟在他身边,直接把脸靠在了李皓珺后肩.
This valley must have been formed by river sedimentation, with gently sloping hills all around. The river must have frozen over during winter. The path leading to the lodge ahead had a slight incline. Walking through this setting, a song suddenly popped into Li Haojun's mind—he couldn't recall when he'd heard it before. So, as he walked, he turned around and sang it to Kasiya to cheer her up.
这个山谷应该是河流冲积而成的,周边的山坡平缓,应该是冬季里河流封冻了,通向前方的旅馆的路有些爬坡,走在这样的环境中李皓珺的脑海中凸显闪现出一首歌,自己也不知道是什么时候听过的,于是边走边回头唱给凯西娅逗她开心,
"You don't have to worry, cause baby,"
"There ain't no mountain high enough,"
"Ain't no valley low enough,"
"Ain't no river wide enough,"
"To keep me from getting to you babe,"
After singing a few lines, I suddenly wondered if I'd gotten a little too carried away. Then I noticed Kasiya just smiling and following behind me.
唱了几句才觉得自己是不是太得意忘形了,然后看凯西娅只是笑眯眯地跟在自己身后.
Sweet moments always fly by in a flash. Before they knew it, they had arrived at the lobby of this hotel. The interior architecture was identical. After verifying Li Haojun's identity and recording identification information for Kasiya, they took the elevator directly into the underground facility.
甜蜜的时光总是飞快,也不知道过了多长时间,到达这个旅店大厅,同样的内部建筑结构,核实李皓珺身份,给凯西娅录入识别信息,直接乘电梯进入地下设施.This appears to be a military-controlled facility, but this section had been idle previously. Its reactivation requires cleaning and debugging the equipment. Due to confidentiality reasons, Li Haojun had not received any relevant information or documentation beforehand, so this afternoon could only be used for preliminary discussions to draft a work plan.
看起来这是一个军方控制的设施,但是之前这部分是闲置的,这次重新启用需要清洗调试设备.由于保密原因,李皓珺之前没得到任何相关信息资料,这个下午就只能初步商讨制定一下工作计划.
After work hours, another candlelit dinner in the restaurant's corner—only this time, sitting across from him was Kasiya. During their casual chat, Li Haojun asked about Malaya. Kasiya responded with a smile and inquired,
工作时间结束,同样是餐厅角落里的烛光晚餐,只是这次对面的是凯西娅,闲谈间李皓珺问起了玛莱雅,凯西娅的反应是笑着问,
What, you miss her?
"怎么,你想她了?"
"Oh, I'm just a little worried—she's so young, going off to study all by herself," Li Haojun didn't answer directly, but pressed on with another question.
"哦,我只是有点担心,她那么小,一个人去学习," 李皓珺没有直接回答,又接着问,
What is she going to study? How long will it take?
"她去学习什么了?要多长时间?"
"It might take a while—maybe a few months? I don't even know what she's going to study," Kasiya replied softly.
"好像需要一段时间,也许几个月?我也不知道她要去学什么," 凯西娅轻声回答,
Do you keep in touch with her often?
"你和她经常联系吗?"
"Yes, don't worry, she's doing well now," Katsia sensed his concern.
"是的,你放心,她现在很好," 凯西娅看出了他内心的关切,
"Oh, okay, okay," Li Haojun responded mechanically, his mind clearly elsewhere. Even a young girl like Kesiya could see right through him.
"哦,好,好," 李皓珺似乎有些机械式的反应,整个人不在线的状态,连凯西娅这样的小姑娘都瞒不过了,
"Then give her a call. She should be free now," said Kasiya, handing over her phone.
"那你给她打电话吧,现在她应该有时间,"说着凯西娅递过来自己的手机,
"Oh, no need," Li Haojun realized he might have overreacted. Seeing Kasiya so relaxed put him at ease.
"哦,不用了," 李皓珺这才意识到自己可能有点失态了,看凯西娅那么放松的样子,自己也就放心一些了,
Though she's young, I've found Malaya to be a bright child during our interactions. At times, she displays a maturity far beyond her years, though she can be somewhat elusive. Do you know her?
"虽然她年纪小,但是跟她接触过程中我也发现玛莱雅是个聪明的孩子,有时候她甚至有着远远超越她年龄的成熟度,只是她有些让人难以捉摸,你了解她吗?" Li Haojun asked while also instructing,
李皓珺一边问一边又嘱咐,
"Let's eat first, no rush to talk,"
"吃饭为主,慢慢说不着急,"
"Well, to be honest, even though we're sisters and live together, I don't always know what she's thinking."
"嗯,说实话虽然是姐妹,并且还一起生活,我也不是总能弄清楚她在想什么," As she spoke, Kasiya chewed her food thoughtfully.
说着,凯西娅略有所思地咀嚼着食物,
"你和她平时谈心吗?"
"Oh, well, sort of. We chat often, but her thoughts seem... jumpy, very active. I don't really try to keep up with her train of thought," Kasiya said with a faint smile.
"有啊,嗯,算是吧,经常聊天,但是她的思维似乎,似乎是跳跃的,很活跃,我也没有刻意地追逐她的思路,"说着,凯西娅微微一笑,
"So do you share the same interests or hobbies as her?"
"那么你和她的兴趣,或者平时的娱乐一样吗?"
It's a bit different. Though she sometimes joins me in things I enjoy, she reads at a rapid pace. So she devours all kinds of e-books, and to avoid eye strain, she practices meditation.
"不太一样,虽然有时候她也会陪我做我喜欢的事情,她阅读的速度很快,所以她会看各种电子书,然后为了不用眼过度她就会做冥想."
Hey, you said you could sense what I'm thinking. Can you sense what she's thinking?
"哎,你说过你能感觉到我在想什么,你能感觉到她在想什么吗?"
Kesiya pouted her little lips, rolled her eyes, thought for a moment, and said,
凯西娅撅起了小嘴儿,转了转眼睛想了想说,
Sometimes it seems possible, sometimes it doesn't feel that way.
"有时候好像可以,有时候感觉不到,"
"I'm curious—what does it feel like when you can sense my thoughts?"
"我很好奇,你能感觉到我的想法的时候是什么样的感觉,"
"I'm not telling you," Kasiya said with a mischievous smile as she looked at Li Haojun, then whispered softly,
"我不告诉你," 凯西娅调皮地微笑看着李皓珺,然后才轻声说,
It's really just a feeling—feeling your feelings.
"其实就是一种感觉,感觉你的感觉,"
"Oh," Li Haojun replied, nodding slightly.
"哦,"李皓珺一边答应一边微微点头.
The lazy candlelit dinner drew to a close. Though there were no gourmet delicacies, it was warm and cozy nonetheless. Li Haojun accompanied Kasiya upstairs to their rooms. They were still assigned rooms across from each other, and Kasiya still stood close beside him, waiting for him to open his door and enter.
有些慵懒的烛光晚餐结束了,虽然没有什么美食,却也温馨惬意.李皓珺陪着凯西娅走上二楼房间,依然是分给两人对门,依然是凯西娅贴在他身边等着他开门进房间.
"Aren't you afraid I'll eat you?" Li Haojun asked her from the doorway.
"你不怕我吃了你吗?" 李皓珺站在房门前问她,
"Don't worry, haven't you forgotten? Nothing you think can escape me," Kasiya said calmly.
"不怕,你忘了?你想什么都逃不过我," 凯西娅平静地说,
"Oh," Li Haojun said, opening the door to let her in. He closed it behind him, then turned to face Kasiya.
"哦,"说着,李皓珺打开房门,让她进来,回手带上房门,转身面对凯西娅,
They gazed into each other's eyes for a moment, then embraced tightly, breathing in the scent of Kasiya's hair as he held her close, soothing the ache of longing in his heart. After a long while of tender caresses, Li Haojun whispered softly into Kasiya's ear,
四目相视片刻,两人紧紧相拥在一起,呼吸着凯西娅秀发的气息,紧抱她的身体,慰藉心中那份思念.耳鬓厮磨许久,李皓珺在凯西娅耳边轻声说,
You know my situation. You've never said what you want, and I don't know what I can give you.
"你知道我的情况,你从来没说你想要什么,我也不知道我能给你什么,"
Kesiya wrapped her arms tightly around Li Haojun, rocking him gently as she whispered,
凯西娅搂紧抱着李皓珺的双臂,一边摇晃着一边轻声说,
"I don't want it. I don't want anything. I just want it now."
"我不要,我什么都不要,我就要现在,"
The more innocent and pure Kasiya seemed, the more Li Haojun feared he might disappoint or hurt her. After embracing for a long while, Kasiya appeared satisfied and gently released her hold. Taking Li Haojun's hand, she led him to the bed by the window and sat down.
而凯西娅越是这样天真纯情,李皓珺越是担心自己会辜负或者伤害这个姑娘.相拥好一阵子,凯西娅似乎有些满足了,这才轻轻放开手,拉着李皓珺的手,坐到了窗前的床边,
No lamplight, no moonlight—only stars and the Milky Way. Fortunately, the snow and ice in the valley seemed to gather the faint glow from the sky, illuminating through the window the youthful silhouette of Katsia.
没有灯光,也没有月光,只有星辰与星河,好在山谷的冰雪似乎聚焦了天幕的微光,透过窗口照亮凯西娅充满青春的身影轮廓,
Sitting on the edge of the bed, holding Li Haojun's hand, I gazed at the stars for a long while before turning to say to Li Haojun,
拉着李皓珺的手坐在床边,望了星辰好一阵,回头对李皓珺说,
Look, which star is you and me?
"你看,哪一颗星星是你和我?"
Li Haojun stroked her hand, watching the night illuminate the contours of her cheek and the strands of hair as she turned toward him. Unsure how to answer her romantic question, he leaned his head closer and gazed at the stars. Yet no star seemed particularly special, so he could only answer honestly,
李皓珺抚摸着她的手,看见夜色照亮她转过来的的脸颊轮廓和发丝,不知道该怎么回答她这个浪漫的问题,于是便自己也把头凑过去,凝望星辰,可是并没哪颗星星是特别的,只好老老实实回答,
"I don't know either,"
"我也不知道啊,"
"Castor," Kesiya whispered softly.
"Castor,"凯西娅轻声说,
Li Haojun didn't interrupt her; he just listened quietly. Kasiya continued, pointing at the sky as she spoke,
李皓珺没有打断她的话语,只是在一边默默倾听,凯西娅又接着一边用手指着天空一边说,
"It's a binary star system, two stars orbiting each other. Well, actually, it's not just two—there are several—but the main ones are two," Kasiya said with a smile.
"那是个双星系统,两颗互相围绕着旋转,嗯,其实也不是两颗,是多颗,但主要是两颗," 说着,凯西娅笑了,
"Kind of like you, with all these stars revolving around you,"
"有点像你呦,好多星星围着你转,"
Li Haojun didn't know how to respond to her either. He simply said, "Alright," while gently stroking her hand. He wondered where to place Qin Wenjing—after all, there were only two main stars. But he didn't want to spoil this beautiful scene and dampen Kesiya's spirits.
李皓珺也不知道如何接她的话,只是一边说好吧,一边轻抚她的手,心想那么把覃文静放哪里呢,毕竟主星只有两个,但是又不好冲了这美景,败了凯西娅的兴致,
Kesiya glanced up at the sky once more, then turned and said,
只见凯西娅又看了一眼天空,回头说,
Now that I'm by your side, we're revolving around each other.
"现在我在你身边,就是你我在互相围绕着旋转,"
Li Haojun couldn't help but be startled. Could this girl really sense what he was thinking? Since she was right in front of him, he might as well focus his attention on her. Lost in thought, he suddenly felt Kasiya rise to her feet, taking both his hands and spinning him around the room.
李皓珺不由吃惊,莫非这姑娘真的能感觉到我在想什么?既然她在面前,还是把注意力放在她的身上吧,正想着心事,凯西娅已经站了起来,双手拉着李皓珺在屋子里旋转,
Not wanting to dampen her spirits, Li Haojun played along. But in this dimly lit little room, keeping himself and Kesiya from bumping into furniture consumed most of his attention. This sudden double-star rotation really didn't feel joyful at all. Well, as long as she was happy, that was all that mattered.
不好打消她的兴致,李皓珺只好配合,但是在这黑乎乎的小屋子里,小心自己和凯西娅碰到家具已经占据了他大部分注意力,这突如其来的双星旋转真的无法体会快乐的感觉,反正她开心就好吧.
Just as she was spinning energetically, Kesiya stopped.
正旋转着起劲,凯西娅停了下来,
"I'm going to take a shower," she said before turning toward the bathroom. She casually flipped on the light—a woman's mind is truly hard to fathom. Li Haojun proceeded to draw the curtains, then lay down on the bed to rest from the day's fatigue. Recalling the facility conditions he'd observed earlier, the equipment was rather outdated. Though the operating system was similar to others, it too was obsolete, requiring further familiarization. The one thing in no short supply here was manpower. Tomorrow, he could start assigning tasks they were capable of handling.
"我要去洗澡了,"说完转身去了浴室,随手点亮了浴室的灯,女人的心思真难捉摸.李皓珺接下来就是放下窗帘,躺在床上休息一下这一天的疲惫.回想起白天了解到的设施情况,设备比较老旧,操作系统虽然是同类的,但是也很过时,自己还需要了解熟悉,唯一不缺的就是这里有的是劳动力,明天可以先安排他们能做的工作.
The thought of not wanting to work disrupted his sleep. After a moment's reflection, Li Haojun redirected his focus to the present—the dim glow of the bathroom light and the steady splash of water made for a surprisingly effective lullaby.
不想工作的思绪影响睡眠,简单思考了一会李皓珺便把思绪转移回眼前,浴室昏黄的灯光和哗啦啦的水声,还真是很好的催眠曲.
In a daze, through blurred vision, a figure approached and whispered softly,
恍惚间,朦胧的视线里,一个身影走到跟前,轻声说,
"Ethan, I'm done with my shower. You can go take yours now."
"伊森,我洗完了,你可以去洗澡啦,"
Li Haojun was nearly asleep, so he took a deep breath to regain his composure, then pulled Kasiya's hand and sat down on the edge of the bed first.
李皓珺已经快睡着了,只好深呼吸恢复一下精神,拉着凯西娅的手先坐到床边,
"Sorry, Ethan, I'll let you shower and go to bed first tomorrow. You must be exhausted, right?" Kasiya said with a hint of guilt.
"抱歉,伊森,明天让你先洗澡睡觉,你很累了是吗," 凯西娅有点愧疚地说,
What a thoughtful girl, so gentle and considerate. Why did fate treat her so unfairly, leaving her without family to grow up with? I must cherish her deeply. As I thought this, I picked up her hand resting on the bedside and gently kissed her fingers.
真是个懂事的姑娘,这么温柔体贴,为什么会有命运不公,让她没有家人陪伴她长大呢,我一定要好好爱护她.一边想着,拾起她撑在床边的手,轻轻亲吻她的手指,
"It's okay, let's call it a day. Don't take it to heart," he said, getting up to rinse off quickly in the bathroom. But the drowsiness from earlier had already been washed away.
"没关系,今天就这样,别往心里去,"说着起身到浴室简单冲洗了一下,可是已经冲走了刚才的困意,
Back inside, there was only a single bed. Kasiya lay sideways on it, leaving space for herself, but this arrangement certainly affected sleep quality. Li Haojun had considered sleeping in another room to get a good night's rest, yet he feared leaving her alone. He resolved to endure it for now, planning to broach the subject with her if it became unbearable.
回到室内,只有一张单人床,凯西娅侧身躺在上面,给自己留了位置,可是这样确实影响睡眠质量,李皓珺也想过自己去另一个房间睡个好觉,却又怕她自己孤单,只好自己坚持一下,实在不行再和她提这个要求.
But today, Kesiya was well-behaved. Seeing Li Haojun lying beside her, she simply said,
然而今天凯西娅很乖,见李皓珺躺在自己身边,就说了一句,
"I won't bother you tonight. Get some rest," he said before turning to face the wall and lying down on his side.
"今天我不打扰你了,你好好睡吧,"说完便转身面向墙壁,侧身躺在那里,
Li Haojun, however, felt this left her feeling neglected. So he turned to lie facing her, his left arm gently encircling her waist and hips, his left leg drawn between hers, their skin touching. He then nestled his head against the nape of her neck. The steady rhythm of her breathing seemed like the perfect lullaby.
李皓珺反倒觉得这样太冷落了她,于是也侧身面向她躺着,左手轻轻搂着她的腰胯,左腿伸到她的两腿之间,肌肤相亲,然后把头偎依在她的后颈,她那均匀的呼吸声,似乎是很好的催眠曲.