槍口

The Muzzles

徐光興

Xu Quangxing

官復原職的N省建材局楊局長和李秘書，走在篙草叢生、蘆荻疏落的湖邊。“煙中列峋青無數，雁背夕陽紅欲暮。”西風，秋水，雁陣，銜著落日的遠山，交融在一起，更增添打獵者的無限興致。

Yang had just been sent back to his former post, Chief of the Provincial Building Material Bureau. Later one afternoon he was walking with Secretary Li, hunting beside the lake where wormwood grew abundantly among scattered reeds. There were seemingly endless green mountain ranges stretching into thin mist, and wild geese silhouetted against the glow of the setting sun. An autumn stream ruffled by the west wind, and the lines of wild geese set against the background of distant mountains embracing the sinking sun, harmoniously merged to enhance the joy of the hunters.

“嘎——”傳來一聲水禽被驚動的鳴叫。楊局長從李秘書手里接過一支嶄新的獵槍，愛撫地摸了一下。它是雙筒槍管，槍身瓦藍錚亮，槍口黑黝黝的，有一股逼人的寒氣。貨三十多年前他打游擊時，也沒拿到過這樣的槍。

"Quack!” came the cry o# a startled water bird. Bureau Chief Yang took the brand-new hunting gun from Secretary L and caressed it with affection. It was a double-barreled shotgun with a shining blue body and a pair of chilling black muzzles. He had never held such a fine weapon, not even in those days of guerrilla warfare thirty years before.

“吱嘎——嘎呷”，從附近湖面的荷梗殘葦中，竄出幾只白頸黃蹼、羽毛灰麻麻的水鴨子，在空中撲騰亂飛，驚悸聲聲。趕著獵狗的捕獵社員，也悄悄地摸到這兒。好幾支獵槍的槍口，同時瞄準了這些空中獵物。

"Quack! Quack!" Out fluttered into the air several grey-feathered ducks with white necks and yellow webbed feet. The commune hunters stole to the lakeside, their hounds at their heels. Several muzzles at once aimed at the fleeing birds in the air.

“砰——”老楊開槍了。一縷白煙消散，一只水鴨子像斷線的風箏，從半空中墜下。

"Bang!" Old Yang fired. A wisp of white smoke dispersed to reveal a duck falling from the sky like a stringless kite.

“打中嘍，打中嘍！楊局長，你真不愧是當年游擊隊里的神槍手。”李秘書像個孩子似的跳著嚷著，奔過去撿獵獲物。

"You've scored a hit! Chief Yang, you did deserve to be called the crackshot in the guerrilla warfare days!" Secretary Li jumped and shouted with joy like a child and rushed to pick up the shot bird.

老楊只是“嘿嘿”笑了幾聲，拍著槍連聲說：“好槍，好槍！”

Old Yang chuckled, patted the gun and said, “Excellent shotgun! Excellent indeed!"

他倆朝熄了引擎的黑色小轎車走去。老楊說：“老王這家伙，介紹的地點還蠻不錯呢。”

As they were walking to the waiting black car, Old Yang remarked, “That fellow Wang recommended a fairly good spot to us for hunting.”

李秘書試探地湊上前去說：“他是您的老部下嘛。這次他請您批50噸建材物資給他……”

Seizing the opportunity, Secretary Li cut in probingly, “He used to be your subordinate, didn't he? This time Ws asked you to grant him 50 tons of building material . . .

“你不要為他做說客。不批，半個字也不批；針尖大的洞，也會刮進斗大的風。咱黨員干部，那歪門邪道不要搞。”他停了一下，朝煙波迷茫、水天一色的湖面瞧去。“好景致，可惜婷兒沒有同來。”

"Don't you ever try to talk me into consenting on his behalf. I won't agree, not or any account! A tiny opening will let in a gust of wind. We Party cadres should not engage in any under-the-counter business." Yang stopped to glance over the misty lake where the water joined the sky. "What a nice view! It's a pity that my daughter Ting hasn't come with us, " he concluded.

“她今天有更高興的事兒。”李秘書故作神秘地笑笑說，“王主任托了文化局的老馬，同意把您的女兒調到省實驗話劇團工作。”

"There is something nicer in store for her today," Secretary Li smiled with an air of mystery and went on. "Director Wang has managed to get your daughter transferred to the Provincial Drama Troupe with the help of Old Ma of the Cutural Bureau. "

“嗯？”老楊的眉毛擰了個結。李秘書只當沒察覺，坐進轎車，手扶在車門上，仿佛自言自語地說：“就拿這輛車來說吧，也是王主任出力調撥給您的。那回大姐犯病進院，還多虧這輛車接送。”

"Really?" Old Yang knitted his brows. Secretary Li pretended not to notice it and got into the car, and with his hand still on the door, murmured as if to himself, "As for this car, it was allocated to you through the effort of Director Wang too. When your wife fell ill, she was rushed to hospital in the same car. "

“該死，早把我當獵物給瞄上了。”他下意識地攝緊槍把想。李秘書一眼溜到槍上，像又想起什么說：“王主任知道您喜歡打獵，這支獵槍，就是他特意托人專程送到您家的……”

"Damn it? I have long been aimed at as a target!" Old Yang thought as he subconsciously tightened his gasp on the shotgun. Secretary Li took a swift glance at the gun, and seeming to have been reminded of something, said, "Director Wang knew that you were fond of hunting, so he had this shotgun sent especially to your home. . ."

車發動了。老楊陡然一驚，不覺倒抽一口冷氣：黑黝黝雙筒槍口，冒著寒氣，就像兩只黑洞洞的眼睛，死死地瞄準了他……

The engine started. Old Yang was taken aback and couldn't help drawing his breath sharply. The chilling black muzzles glared coldly at him lust like a pair of black eves.

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