儿女笑谈 71

儿女每次过节,都想起孤独的邻居,劳拉,尤其圣诞。搬来这里的第一个圣诞,儿女想用演奏圣诞歌曲来慰问她。遂练习良久,方才罢休。

那天,吃完晚饭,儿女便一人拿着一把小提琴,叫上我,就向劳拉家出发了。

敲开劳拉家门,儿女齐声道: Merry Christmas !劳拉只笑,没吱声。只见儿女打开琴盒,把琴上肩,女儿一声: one, two, three! “平安夜”的优美乐曲,遂从儿女的琴弦流出。

第一句乐曲刚出来,我看着一双天使般的儿女,又盯着正襟危坐,喜气洋洋的劳拉,正沉浸在幸福的遐想里。只听得一声: Stop! 只见劳拉手一挥,倏地站起来,但仍笑容满面地说: Can you play a Jewish song for me?

我一下明白了。虽知道劳拉是犹太人,但以前从没跟犹太人打过交道,不知道圣诞到底对他们意味着什么,也没多想。

女儿和儿子倒反应急快,立马放下琴。稍作停顿,便唱起了一首犹太民歌。

我是老土了,只知道犹太人过一个什么节: Hanukkah, 但从不去问到底怎么过,或有什么仪式。直到今年又一个圣诞节,我才问起儿子:你们去年圣诞,给劳拉唱的什么歌来着?

儿答道: Mom, you even don’t know that it is a Jewish Hanukkah song!

我只好求儿子,说: Can you sing for me ?

儿说: Sure!

便唱道: I have a little dreidel. I made it out of clay.
When it's dry and ready, with dreidel I shall play.
Oh dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, I made you out of clay.
Oh dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, with dreidel I shall play.

It has a lovely body, with leg so short and thin.
When it gets all tired, it drops and then I win.
Driedel, dreidel, dreidel, with leg so short and thin.
Oh dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, it drops and then I win.

My dreidel's always playful. It loves to dance and spin.
A happy game of dreidel, come play now let's begin.
Oh dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, it loves to dance and spin.
Oh dreidel, dreidel, dreidel. Come play now let's begin.

I have a little dreidel. I made it out of clay.
When it's dry and ready, with dreidel I shall play.
Oh dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, I made you out of clay.
Oh dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, with dreidel I shall play.

儿子那稚嫩的歌声,一下子便把我带回到小时候,与儿时的伙伴,一起打一种用木头削成的陀螺(我们乡下叫得螺)的无忧无虑的时光 . 管它是不是一样的东西,我宁愿把它翻成:

我有一个小陀螺,陀螺,我用泥土捏成。

并贪婪地让儿子连唱了三遍。

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