毕业二十年，老同学聚会在一个星期六的晚上。
Bìyè èr shí nián, lǎo tóngxué jùhuì zài yí gè xīngqī liù de wǎnshang.
Twenty years after graduation, the class reunion fell on a Saturday evening.
组织的是老周，当年班里最会读书的，现在是中学老师。
Zǔzhī de shì lǎo zhōu, dāngnián bān lǐ zuì huì dúshū de, xiànzài shì zhōngxué lǎoshī.
It was organized by Old Zhou, the best student in our class back then, now a middle school teacher.
我在班群里看了三天，最后一天才报名。
Wǒ zài bān qún lǐ kàn le sān tiān, zuìhòu yì tiāncái bàomíng.
I watched the class group for three days and only signed up on the last day.
不是不想去，是有点怕。
Bú shì bù xiǎng qù, shì yǒu diǎn pà.
It was not that I did not want to go; I was a little afraid.
这二十年，我换过四次工作，存款不多，头发白了一半。
Zhè èr shí nián, wǒ huàn guò sì cì gōngzuò, cúnkuǎn bù duō, tóufa bái le yíbàn.
In twenty years I changed jobs four times, saved little money, and half my hair turned white.
聚会的饭店就在学校旁边，还是那家老店，新装修过。
Jùhuì de fàndiàn jiù zài xuéxiào pángbiān, háishi nà jiā lǎo diàn, xīn zhuāngxiū guò.
The restaurant was right beside our school, the same old place, only redecorated.
进门要先找名字牌，因为一半的人已经认不出来了。
Jìn mén yào xiān zhǎo míngzi pái, yīnwèi yíbàn de rén yǐjīng rèn bù chūlái le.
You had to find your name tag at the door, because half the faces could no longer be recognized.
当年坐我后面的大马，如今开着出租车，人胖了两圈。
Dāngnián zuò wǒ hòumiàn de dà mǎ, rújīn kāi zhe chūzūchē, rén pàng le liǎng quān.
Da Ma, who sat behind me back then, now drives a taxi and has gained two sizes.
他一看见我就喊起来，声音跟二十年前一模一样。
Tā yí kànjiàn wǒ jiù hǎn qǐlái, shēngyīn gēn èr shí nián qián yìmú-yíyàng.
The moment he saw me he called out, his voice exactly as it was twenty years ago.
酒喝了几轮，话题还是绕到了比较上。
Jiǔ hē le jǐ lún, huàtí háishi rào dào le bǐjiào shàng.
After a few rounds of drinks, the talk circled back to comparisons.
强子生意做得大，说起房子和车子，一半的人都安静了。
Qiáng zi shēngyi zuò de dà, shuō qǐ fángzi hé chē zi, yíbàn de rén dōu ānjìng le.
Qiang Zi ran a big business; when he brought up houses and cars, half the room went quiet.
他喝了点酒，说了句：读书有什么用，还不如早点下海。
Tā hē le diǎn jiǔ, shuō le jù: dúshū yǒu shénme yòng, hái bùrú zǎo diǎn xià hǎi.
A little drunk, he said: what good is studying? Better to have gone into business early.
他是说给老周听的，空气一下子停住了。
Tā shì shuō gěi lǎo zhōu tīng de, kōngqì yíxià zi tíng zhù le.
It was aimed at Old Zhou, and the air stopped for a moment.
老周笑了笑，还没有开口，大马先站了起来。
Lǎo zhōu xiào le xiào, hái méiyǒu kāi kǒu, dà mǎ xiān zhàn le qǐlái.
Old Zhou smiled, but before he could speak, Da Ma stood up first.
他说：我讲个事，你们别笑。
Tā shuō: wǒ jiǎng gè shì, nǐmen bié xiào.
He said: let me tell you something, do not laugh.
我女儿今年考上了大学，是我们家头一个大学生。
Wǒ nǚ’ér jīnnián kǎo shàng le dàxué, shì wǒmen jiā tóu yí gè dàxuéshēng.
My daughter got into university this year, the very first college student in our family.
我开车的时候想，我自己就这样了，可她不一样。
Wǒ kāichē de shíhou xiǎng, wǒ zìjǐ jiù zhèyàng le, kě tā bù yíyàng.
While driving I think: my life is what it is now, but hers will be different.
他站起来说：这碗酒，给老师，也给读书的人。
Tā zhàn qǐlái shuō: zhè wǎn jiǔ, gěi lǎoshī, yě gěi dúshū de rén.
He stood up and said: this cup of wine is for teachers, and for those who study.
大家都站了起来，强子也站了起来，喝得最干净。
Dàjiā dōu zhàn le qǐlái, qiáng zi yě zhàn le qǐlái, hē de zuì gānjìng.
Everyone stood up, Qiang Zi too, and he drank the cleanest.
那以后，比较的话就没有人再说了。
Nà yǐhòu, bǐjiào dehuà jiù méiyǒu rén zàishuō le.
After that, nobody brought up comparisons again.
大家开始说起当年的事：谁上课睡觉，谁把粉笔藏起来。
Dàjiā kāishǐ shuō qǐ dāngnián de shì: shéi shàngkè shuìjiào, shéi bǎ fěn bǐ cáng qǐlái.
People started on old stories: who slept in class, who hid the chalk.
笑声越来越大，像回到了十七岁。
Xiào shēng yuè lái yuè dà, xiàng huí dào le shí qī suì.
The laughter grew louder, as if we were seventeen again.
散场时下着小雨，大马说正好同方向，送几个人回家。
Sǎn chǎng shí xià zhe xiǎo yǔ, dà mǎ shuō zhènghǎo tóng fāngxiàng, sòng jǐ gèrén huí jiā.
When the party broke up it was drizzling; Da Ma said he was going the same way and would drive a few people home.
我坐在他的出租车里，闻到熟悉的、干净的味道。
Wǒ zuò zài tā de chūzūchē lǐ, wén dào shúxi de, gānjìng de wèidào.
Sitting in his taxi, I caught a familiar, clean smell.
他说每天出车前，他都把车里擦一遍。
Tā shuō měi tiān chū chē qián, tā dōu bǎ chē lǐ cā yí biàn.
He said before starting each day he wiped the whole car down.
车就是他的小店，得弄得好看。
Chē jiùshì tā de xiǎo diàn, de nòng de hǎokàn.
The car is his little shop, and it has to look good.
第二天早上，班群里有人发了一张照片。
Dì èr tiān zǎoshang, bān qún lǐ yǒu rén fā le yì zhāng zhàopiàn.
The next morning someone posted a photo in the class group.
是大马拍的日出，从车窗往外拍的，红红的一轮。
Shì dà mǎ pāi de rì chū, cóng chē chuāng wǎng wài pāi de, hóng hóng de yì lún.
It was a sunrise Da Ma shot from his taxi window, a red disc rising.
下面写着：都起来了吗？今天也得好好跑。
Xiàmiàn xiě zhe: dōu qǐlái le ma? Jīntiān yě de hǎohǎo pǎo.
Under it he wrote: is everyone up? Today you have to run your route well too.
二十年把同学们分到了不同的路上。
Èr shí nián bǎ tóngxué men fēn dào le bù tóng de lùshang.
Twenty years had scattered us onto different roads.
有人开公司，有人开车，有人教别人的孩子读书。
Yǒu rén kāi gōngsī, yǒu rén kāichē, yǒu rén jiāo biérén de háizi dúshū.
Some run companies, some drive cars, some teach other people's children.
路不一样，天亮的时间是一样的。
Lù bù yíyàng, tiān liàng de shíjiān shì yíyàng de.
The roads differ, but daybreak comes at the same time for all.
HearMandarin