評論
打印
"Hi! Hi!" said the cab driver, whose door popped open at the very sight of a traveler. "Hi", or something that sounds very much like it, means "yes". "Can you take me to City Hall?" He grinned at me in the rear-view mirror and repeated "Hi!" "Hi! ’ We set off at top speed through the narrow streets of Hiroshima. The tall buildings of the martyred city flashed by as we lurched from side to side in response to the driver's sharp twists of the wheel.
“嗨!嗨!”出租汽車司機一看見旅客，就砰地打開車門，這樣打著招呼。“嗨”，或者某個發音近似“嗨”的什么詞，意思是“對”或“是”。“能送我到市政廳嗎?”司機對著后視鏡沖我一笑，又連聲“嗨!”“嗨!”出租車穿過廣島市區狹窄的街巷全速奔馳，我們的身子隨著司機手中方向盤的一次次急轉而前俯后仰，東倒西歪。與此同時，這座曾慘遭劫難的城市的高樓大廈則一座座地從我們身邊飛掠而過。
Just as I was beginning to find the ride long, the taxi screeched to a halt, and the driver got out and went over to a policeman to ask the way. As in Tokyo, taxi drivers in Hiroshima often know little of their city, but to avoid loss of face before foreigners, will not admit their ignorance, and will accept any destination without concern for how long it may take them to find it.
正當我開始覺得路程太長時，汽車嘎地一聲停了下來，司機下車去向警察問路。就像東京的情形一樣，廣島的出租車司機對他們所在的城市往往不太熟悉，但因為怕在外國人面前丟臉，卻又從不肯承認這一點。無論乘客指定的目的地在哪里，他們都毫不猶豫地應承下來，根本不考慮自己要花多長時間才能找到目的地。
At last this intermezzo came to an end, and I found myself in front of the gigantic City Hall. The usher bowed deeply and heaved a long, almost musical sigh, when I showed him the invitation which the mayor had sent me in response to my request for an interview.
這段小插曲后來終于結束了，我也就不知不覺地突然來到了宏偉的市政廳大樓前。當我出示了市長應我的采訪要求而發送的請柬后，市政廳接待人員向我深深地鞠了一躬，然后聲調悠揚地長嘆了一口氣。
