天文家

我不过说：“当傍晚圆圆的满月挂在迦昙波的枝头时，有人能去捉住它么？”

哥哥却对我笑道：“孩子呀，你真是我所见到的顶顶傻的孩子。月亮离我们这样远，谁能去捉住它呢？”

我说：“哥哥，你真傻！当妈妈向窗外探望，微笑着往下看我们游戏时，你也能说她远么？”

哥哥还是说：“你这个傻孩子！但是，孩子，你到哪里去找一个大得能逮住月亮的网呢？”

我说：“你自然可以用双手去捉住它呀。”

但是哥哥还是笑着说：“你真是我所见到的顶顶傻的孩子！如果月亮走近了，你便知道它是多么大了。”

我说：“哥哥，你们学校里所教的，真是没有用呀！当妈妈低下脸儿跟我们亲嘴时，她的脸看来也是很大的么？”

但是哥哥还是说：“你真是一个傻孩子。”

THE ASTRONOMER

I ONLY said,“When in the evening the round full moon getsentangled among the branches of that Kadam tree,couldn’tsomebody catch it?”

But dada[elder brother]laughed at me and said,“Baby,youare the silliest child Ihave ever known.The moon is ever so farfrom us,how could anybody catch it?”

I said,“Dada how foolish you are!When mother looks out ofher window and smiles down at us playing,would you call her faraway?”

Still said,“You are astupid child!But,baby,where could youfind anet big enough to catch the moon with?”

I said,“Surely you could catch it with your hands.”

But dada laughed and said,“You are the silliest child Ihaveknown.If it came nearer,you would see how big the moon is.”

I said,“Dada,what nonsense they teach at your school!Whenmother bends her face down to kiss us does her face look verybig?”

But still dada says,“You are astupid child.”

1. 迦昙波，原名Kadam，亦作Kadamba，学名Namlea Cadamba，意译“白花”，即昙花。