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故宅東花園春景 紀毓鼎（1915-2005）
Spring Scenery in the Eastside Garden of
My Ancestral Estate
譯者 Tanslator：Crystal Tai (the author's granddaughter)
故宅東花園是把酒品茗賞花玩月的好所在。此園牡丹最多，種在半圓形的花臺上，共有四層，前低後高，沒有互相遮擋之弊。繁花盛開時，每朵都能看到，五彩繽紛，雍容華貴。
The eastside garden of my ancestral estate used to be where
we enjoyed wine, tea, flowers and the moon. This garden has more peony flowers
than anywhere else within the estate. The peony flowers were planted in four
levels of crescent-shaped flower beds, with the lowest level in front and the
highest in the back, so none of the plants was blocked from the view. When the
peony flowers were in bloom, every single one of them was visible. They came in
a variety of colors, all glorious and glamorous.
記得每屆冬季，傭人們就把豬腸埋進花台的泥土，上面鋪些落葉，稻草。由於天寒地凍，雨雪覆蓋，不會生異味。牡丹根部得到保溫與營養，春天的花朵自然肥大燦爛。
I remember our servants used to bury pig intestines into the
soil in the flower beds. Then they covered the soil with dried leaves and straw
stalks. Since it was freezing, rain and snow concealed the soil, which would
not smell. The roots of the peony plants were kept warm and nourished, so next
spring their flowers were naturally huge and splendid.
牡丹花季之後開放的是千嬌百媚的芍藥，花形類似但是草本，風韻迥然不同。我家花圃內芍藥近百株。培育方法是在冬天莖葉乾枯後，就地紥成一個個草團以防冷護根，然後在夜晚與行列之間澆以豬糞。經過一宵霜欺雪壓，養份入土，芍藥慢慢吸收，所以次年春天開的花格外肥碩嬌艷。
After the peony season, Chinese herbaceous peony presented
thousands of gorgeous blooms which were similar to peony flowers, but these
plants were herbaceous. They had a different flair. Our flower beds had nearly
100 Chinese herbaceous peony plants. The way we grew them was: when their stems
and leaves withered in winter, we wrapped them with straw stalks to keep them
warm and protect their roots. Then they received a natural fertilizer, namely
pig stool, in the evening. After one night of frost and snow, the nurients of
the fertilizer entered the soil. The herbaceous peony flowers slowly absorbed
them, so next spring their flowers looked particularly plump and vibrant.
為何牡丹與芍藥用不同的肥料？就不得而知了。
Why did we give peony and Chinese herbaceous peony different
fertilizers? I have no idea.
東花園還有數丈高的玉蘭，開出碗大的白花，滿樹都是。每逢夜晚，在敞軒的燈光或月光照射下，遠望就像一座雪峰。
In the eastside garden, there was a magnolia tree dozens of
meters tall. Their white flowers were as big as bowls, all over the tree. When
evening came, under the light from the windows or the moonlight, the tree
looked like a snow covered tower from a distance.
另外，鐵梗海棠也是樹身高大，枝繁葉茂。花兒成串濃粉帶紅，極其嬌艷。
Besides, there was a tall iron terrier begonia tree with
plentiful branches and lush leaves. Hanging down from the tree were clusters of
flowers in bright pink with a little ombre shade of red, extremely vibrant.
東花園好吃的果品首推玉李。其枝幹粗壯，春季花色雪白，和鐵梗海棠東西輝映。玉李的顏色如羊脂，泛微綠帶黃，富有光澤，具透明感，多汁香甜，比一般青色或紫色的李子好吃。此外，東花園的枇杷，時桃也勝過西花園的，果實較大較甜，想必是為牡丹芍藥施的肥所養成。
Among the trees in the eastside garden, the jade plum tree
offered the tastiest fruit. It had a thick trunk and strong branches, covered
with snow white flowers in spring to rival the iron terrier begonia tree across
from it. The jade plum came in the same color as goat cheese, with a slight
hint of green and yellow, radiant and transluscent. It was juicy, fragrant, and
sweet, much tastier than ordinary green or purple plums. Besides, loquats and
peaches from the eastside garden were bigger and sweeter than those from the
westside garden. It must have been the fertilizer meant for the peony and
herbaceous peony that also benefited the fruit trees.
東花園果樹中，我們最喜愛香櫞。其果實大小與柚子差不多，可是生得滾圓。其香氣特別雋永，因此從來作為供佛之用。我們必合力採收，獻給祖母，博一聲讚好。
Among the fruit trees in the eastside garden, our favorite
was citron trees. Their citrons were about the size of a pomelo, but they were
rounder, with a particularly suble, long-lingering scent, which made it an
offering for Budda at our family alter. We always collaborated to pick some fo
them and then brought them to Grandma, to win her praise.
另有鋼橘，比乒乓球大一點，硬如鐵，摔不破，因而得名。
Another type of fruit from there was called steel tangerines.
They were a little bigger than ping pong balls, as hard as steel. They would
not break when dropped onto the ground. That's why they were named steel
tangerines.
東花園的東南角有香椿樹群。其嫩芽香甜，可切碎炒蛋或炒飯，別具風味。若用鹽醃漬久存，與豆腐涼拌，乃佐酒妙品。香椿芽有紅綠兩種。綠的味較淡，不如紅的。
There were Chinese mahogany trees in the southeastern corner
of the eastside garden. Their tender sprouts were fragrant and sweet. We
chopped them and used them in scrambled eggs or fried rice. The taste was
special. If you preserve them with salt, you can sprinkle them on raw tofu, and
that will be a great appetizer for cocktail hours. Chinese mahogany sprouts
come in red or green. Those green tasted bland, not as good as the red ones.
古籍記載椿齡八千歲。因此以椿壽比喻長壽，又尊父親為椿庭。至於傳說用一根椿木為樑，可避火災，雖怪誕，亦無非因椿樹高齡而附會。
According to Chinese classics, Chinese mahogany trees could live 8,000
years. That's why we use “Chinese mahogany age” as a metaphor for longevity,
and why the Chinese used to figuratively refer to the father of the family as “
the Chinese mahogany in our garden.” Some people said that using Chinese
mahogany to make a beam could help the building avoid fires. The hearsay sounds
absurd, but it must have been the longevity of Chinese mahogany that gave
people the idea.
臺灣初無椿樹，但引進種子，培育成功。余索得四株幼苗，種在中和院落。不數年間，即成喬木。生長速度之快，殊出意外。現居美國，得知香椿樹已被引進新大陸，又聽說香椿芽煮水可治糖尿病。是耶？非耶？未能找到典籍查證。
Taiwan did not have aboriginal Chinese mahogany trees, but
their seeds were brought in and cultivated successfully. I obtained four
seedlings and planted them in my garden in Zhonghe, a district of what's now
called New Taipei City (formerly Taipei County). They grew into big trees
within a few years, greatly exceeding my expectations. Currently, I live in
America and know that Chinese mahogany trees have been introduced to the New
World. I've also heard that boiled Chinese mahogany sprouts can cure diabetes.
Is it true? Is it false? I haven't been able to find relevant references to
verify it.
如今兩岸故居椿樹都已不存。人兮流離，草木淪劫，悲夫！
Today the Chinese mahogany trees in my ancestral estate no
longer exist. Neither do those in Taiwan. When people were forced to move,
plants became victims, too. What a regret!
Translator's note:
the author sold his single family home in Taiwan because he
was moving to the United States to be closer to his son (the translator's
uncle), a naturalized American citizen. The new owner of the house bulldozed it
for a highrise development, so all of the author's beloved plants perished. As
the author's granddaughter, the translator feels heart-broken about the loss of
those plants, too. As the author thought about the gardens of his ancestral
estate throughout his lifetime, the beautiful garden he created in Taiwan,
though no longer in existence, will always remain in the translator's fondest
childhood memories.
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【法奶日報www.lulijen.com2015.4.13.出刊，第9-1369號】