梅念译《伟大的道路》节选
The Quest
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Taking the train, the two friends arrived in Berlinin late October 1922, and went directly to the address of Chou En-lai. Would this man receive them as fellow countrymen, or would he treat them with cold suspicion and question them cautiously about their past careers as militarists? Chu Teh remembered his age. He was thirty-six, his youth had passed like a screaming eagle, leaving him old and disillusioned.
他们两个人坐火车于一九二二年十月到达柏林，立即去周恩来的住处。这个人会不会像同胞手足一样接待他们呢？会不会疑虑重重，详细询问他们在军阀时代的经历呢？朱德想起自己的年龄，他已三十六岁，青春像一路鸣叫的鹰，早已一闪而逝，留给他的是衰老和幻灭。
When Chou En-lai’s door opened they saw a slender man of more than average height with gleaming eyes and a face so striking that it bordered on the beautiful. Yet it was a manly face, serious and intelligent, andChujudged him to be in his middle twenties.
周恩来的房门打开时，他们看到的是一个身材瘦长、比普通人略高一点的人，两眼闪着光辉，面貌很引人注意，称得上清秀。可是，那是个男子汉的面庞，严肃而聪颖，朱德看他大概是二十五六岁的年龄。
Chou was a quiet and thoughtful man, even a little shy as he welcomed his visitors, urged them to be seated and to tell how he could help them.
周恩来举止优雅，待人体贴，在招呼他们坐下，询问有何见教的时候，甚至还有些腼腆。
Ignoring the chair offered him, Chu The stood squarely before this youth more than ten years his junior and in a level voice told him who he was, what he had done in the past, how he had fled from Yunnan, talked with Sun Yat-sen, been repulsed by Chen Tu-hsiu in Shanghai, and had come to Europe to find a new way of life for himself and a new revolutionary road for China. He wanted to join the Chinese Communist Party group inBerlin, he would study and work hard, he would do anything he was asked to do but return to his old life, which had turned to ashes beneath his feet.
朱德顾不得拉过来的椅子，端端正正地站在这个比他年轻十岁的青年面前，用平稳的语调，说明自己的身份和经历：他怎样逃出云南，怎样会见孙中山，怎样在上海被陈独秀拒绝，怎样为了寻求自己的新的生活方式和中国的新的革命道路而来到欧洲。他要求加入中国共产党在柏林的党组织，他一定会努力学习和工作，只要不再回到旧的生活里去——它已经在他的脚底下化为尘埃了——派他做什么工作都行。
As he talked Chou En-lai stood facing him, his head a little to one side as was his habit, listening intently until the story was told, and then questioning him.
他娓娓而谈，周恩来就站在他面前，习惯地侧着头，一直听到朱德把话讲完，才提出问题。
When both visitors had told their stories, Chou smiled a little, said he would help them find rooms, and arrange for them to join the Berlin Communist group as candidates until their application had been sent toChinaand an answer received. When the reply came a few months later they were enrolled as full members, butChu’s membership was kept a secret from outsiders.
两位来客把经历说完后，周恩来微笑着说，他可以帮他们找到住的地方，替他们办理加入党在柏林的支部的手续，在入党申请书寄往中国而尚未批准之前，暂作候补党员。过了几个月，回信来了，两人都被吸收为正式党员，但朱德的党籍对外界保持秘密。
From Agnes Smedley, The Great Road
选自梅念译《伟大的道路》
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