第三十四章:朗馨病愈遊河邊
作者:與塵共舞(2013)
美國。費城。
自從那日在聚龍餐廳昏倒,朗馨一直發著低燒。她覺得體虛,經常出汗,時不時頭痛。她去賓大校醫院看了病,大夫診斷的結論是 “因精神持續高度緊張而造成的內分泌失調。”
此次身體的這般持續性虧欠,
朗馨生病的這一周,顧宇生天天都來看她:有時是早晨,有時是晚 上,有時早晚都過來。他每次來,都要帶些吃的,
這天是周日。顧宇生因為龍潭飯店的事,去唐人街了,
“喂,阿生,我是朗馨,我今天感覺好多了,頭也不痛了。”朗馨對著電話,向顧宇生報告自己身體的最新情況。顧宇生高興地說: “太好了。朗馨,你知道嗎?我一早去教堂了,替你做了禱告,
接著,顧宇生又說:“朗馨,你的病好了,我心頭的石頭就落下了。 怎麽樣?你在宿舍悶了快一個星期了,今天咱們出去散散心吧。
朗馨聽了“偉強”兩個字,心裏有一種說不出的感覺:這個人好象一出現, 她就要出事似的。第一次,在餐廳打濕他的褲子;第二次,
朗馨趕到沃爾頓商學院富蘭克林銅像時,規劃小組的成員都到齊了。 除了勳,還有兩個人:克麗斯,說一口帶濃重口音的英語,
勳等三人正在熱烈地討論,見朗馨來了,都不約而同地說: “Langxin, are you allright?” (“朗馨,你沒事吧?”) 朗馨剛從處所一路趕來,出了些虛汗,略帶喘息地說:“I am fine. Otherwise, I won't be here.” (“沒事。如果有事,我就不會來了。”) 勳用異樣的眼神看了看朗馨,說:“Langxi, I thought you were a strong person. You were sick for almost a week. That does not sound right for a person like you.” (“朗馨,你給我的感覺是打也打不倒的那種人。這一病就是大半周,可不象你啊!”) 朗馨一邊從雙肩背裏拿出已打印好的模擬報告,一邊說:“ This sickness has made me understand more about an old Chineses saying, sickness comes like a landslide, but goes slowly like spinning silk. It's so true!” (“這次,讓我對我們中國的一句老話深有體會。它說:病來如山倒,病去如抽絲。說得太對了!”) 勳煞有介事地點點頭,說:“I don't want to experience that. I am so happy you are back. OK, let's get started.” (“我可不願意有那樣的經曆。我真高興你能回到我們中間。那好,咱們開始吧.”)
勳見每人手中都有一份跑模型的報告,用和戴維斯教授一模一樣的口氣,說:“Last time, we designed a seudo city and decided three transportation planning alternatives.”(“上次,我們設計了一個虛擬的城市,確定了三種交通規劃的意向。”說到這,
然後,勳看了看朗馨說:“Last time when we met, you were sick and were absent. Chris, Zag and I agreed on these three planning alternatives. I sent you an email about this. Do you have any questions?” (“上次碰頭,你病了,沒來。我們三人定了這三種規劃的意向,我給你發了郵件,征求過你的意見,
克麗斯沒想到,勳會點她的名,就用蹩口的英語說:“If we do nothing, the city will continue to suburbanize, employment centers will be shifted from city to suburbs; land in the city cannot be used according to their highest and best value and becomes wasteful; in order to maintain public services, cit will increase taxes; as the result of higher taxes, more people will move to the suburbs, leaving the poor in the city, and further suppress its real estate market; Under an auto dependent city alternative, the poor, the elderly and those who cannot afford private transportation, will form poverty due to their inability to access jobs. On the other hand, those who can afford private transportation, will further flea away from the city where the poverty is. Developers will chase consumers and continue to develop along the city edge. As people spend more time on driving, their productivity level will decrease, leaving less time to spend with the family and becoming depressed, ultimately affect the city's economic efficiency; If we promote the public transportation planning scenario, the city center will be given new life: abandoned buildings and warehouses will be reused, suburbs are connected with the city through light rail and buses; people spend less time on driving, convenience stores are located right in the neighborhood; all these will contribute to the reduction in automobile pollution, better air quality; lastly, land in the city edge will be preserved into prime land and can be used as forrest parks for leisure.”
(“如果我們什麽也不做,城市將繼續向郊區擴展,郊區會成為就業中心,市中心的土地不能被最大化使用,造成浪費,
克麗斯雖不順暢,但充滿信念的總結,說出了這幾個來自不同國家大城市人的共同心聲:他們希望建造一個以公共交通為主的城市,
(“我們這些賓大的學子,可能在世人的眼裏看來,是理想派,不知道這個世界上,土地使用從來就是受發展商操縱的。但是,
眾人不斷點頭,隻聽勳說:“Zack is right. However, we live in this market place, live in the real world. Sustainable development is against human nature. Because, most of human behaviors are for short term benefit, rarely do we consider the benefit of future generations several hundred years from now. But sustainable development concept can still be achieved through economic measures. Did you know that the political leaders from all over the world will gather in Kyoto Japan this December to control the emission of Carbon Dioxide through market intervention?”
(“紮克說得對。但是,我們畢竟生活在市場和現實中。可持續性發展的規劃意向,是不符合人的本性的。因為,我們個人的行為大都是短期行為,誰會考慮到幾百年以後,為子孫後代造福的事呢?但,可持續發展的意向是完全可以通過相應的經濟手段來實現的。你們知道嗎?今年十二月,全世界的政治領袖們將在日本京都開會,對二氧化碳的治理進行市場調控。”) 朗馨皺皺眉頭,說:“How is that intervened?” (“那怎麽調控啊?”) 勳說:“Each country are given a predetermined Carbon Dioxide pollution quota according to their economic activities and output. If one exceeds the allowable pollution level, they will be punished. However, one can trade with those countries cannot use up their pollution quota.” (“就是根據個國家的濟活動和產出的需求,分配一定數額的排放量。如果,某個國家的排放超額了,就要受到經濟製裁;但是,排放超額的國家可以和排放仍有餘額的國家進行交易,來獲得額外的排放額度。”)
(“紮克說得對。但是,我們畢竟生活在市場和現實中。可持續性發展的規劃意向,是不符合人的本性的。因為,
朗 馨 點 點 頭 , 說 : “This sounds like transferring land development rights.”(“怎麽好象轉讓土地發展權的理念一樣?”) 勳 說 : “That's right. Therefore, pollution control can also be achieved through supply and demand.”(“沒錯。所以說,環境的治理, 通過濟的手段,來調節市場對汙染的供求,是可以控製的。”)
此時,顧宇生走在刺槐街上,有一種久違的感覺。聚龍餐廳開張以來,他雖然幾乎每天都開車路過賓大,但很少進到校園來。到那座熟悉的富蘭克林銅像前去約會,是他記憶中遙遠而清晰的事。八年前,
顧宇生來到富蘭克林銅像前,看見朗馨一個人坐在那兒等他。他走過去,摸了摸銅像,又看了看朗馨,說:“怎麽這麽巧?我跟賓大雖然有很強的業務關係,幾乎你們所有的學生教授都是我的顧客,但我跟賓大學生的私交,好象都跟這座銅像有關。我和你,還有偉強,肯定是前生修得的緣分,否則,怎麽能成為這般的紅顏和知己?”朗馨聽見顧宇生稱自己為他的紅顏,又把她和華偉強相提並論,佯裝不懂地說:“你說誰和誰是知己?哪個和哪個又是紅顏?”顧宇生一把拉起她,笑著說:“你就會裝糊塗。走,我的車在街邊停著,隻放了半個小時的硬幣,再不走,罰了款, 你來付。”說完,拉起朗馨,雙雙出了賓大校園,駕車前往斯穀克爾河邊。
斯穀克爾河其實就在賓大校園的東部邊緣,是美國東北部的德雷瓦兒河在賓夕法尼亞州最大的支流。它自西北向東南蜿蜒而流,過費城,
顧宇生在河邊把車停好。朗馨從車裏出來,頓時感到一種想把身心完全融入這大好秋色的渴望。她感到陣陣河風在不停地觸摸她的麵頰,
顧宇生見朗馨沉迷的樣子,輕輕地擁著她的肩說:“走走吧,站著不動,又會著涼的。”朗馨點點頭,感到顧宇生把他的夾克衫脫下來,
這時,他們來到一片巨大的草坪,上麵躺臥著休息的男男女女,還有幾個玩球的小童,把草坪裝扮成花地毯般的鮮豔。