名著精读:《悉达多》 儿子(1)

THE SON
Timid and weeping, the boy had attended his mother's funeral; gloomy and shy, he had listened to Siddhartha, who greeted him as his son and welcomed him at his place in Vasudeva's hut. Pale, he sat for many days by the hill of the dead, did not want to eat, gave no open look, did not open his heart, met his fate with resistance and denial.
Siddhartha spared him and let him do as he pleased, he honoured his mourning. Siddhartha understood that his son did not know him, that he could not love him like a father. Slowly, he also saw and understood that the eleven-year-old was a pampered boy, a mother's boy, and that he had grown up in the habits of rich people, accustomed to finer food, to a soft bed, accustomed to giving orders to servants. Siddhartha understood that the mourning, pampered child could not suddenly and willingly be content with a life among strangers and in poverty. He did not force him, he did many a chore for him, always picked the best piece of the meal for him. Slowly, he hoped to win him over, by friendly patience.
Rich and happy, he had called himself, when the boy had come to him. Since time had passed on in the meantime, and the boy remained a stranger and in a gloomy disposition, since he displayed a proud and stubbornly disobedient heart, did not want to do any work, did not pay his respect to the old men, stole from Vasudeva's fruit-trees, then Siddhartha began to understand that his son had not brought him happiness and peace, but suffering and worry. But he loved him, and he preferred the suffering and worries of love over happiness and joy without the boy.

儿子
那孩子战战兢兢地哭着参加了母亲的葬礼。他脸色阴沉的害羞地听着席特哈尔塔认他这个儿子，欢迎他留在瓦苏代瓦的茅屋里。他一连多天面色苍白地坐在安葬他母亲的小山旁，不思饮食，紧闭双眼，也紧锁了心扉，苦苦地反抗命运。
席特哈尔塔很关心他，对他不加干涉，尊重他的悲哀。席特哈尔塔明白，儿子不熟悉他，不可能像爱父亲那样爱他。他渐渐发现这个十一岁的少年是个娇生惯养的孩子，是妈妈的心肝宝贝，在富裕的环境里长大，吃惯了佳肴美食，睡慢了柔软的床铺，习惯了对仆人发号施令。席特哈尔塔明白，悲伤和宠惯的孩子不可能一下子就心甘情愿地满足于陌生和贫困的环境。他并不强迫孩子，而是为他做一些事，总是把最好吃的东西留给他。他希望通过友好的耐心来慢慢赢得孩子的心。
孩子来到他身边时他说自己很富有很幸福。随着时光流逝，孩子对他仍然疏远和冷淡，性情自负而固执，不愿干活儿，对老人不尊敬，还偷摘瓦苏代瓦树上的果子。席特哈尔塔开始意识到，儿子到来并没带来幸福与安宁，而是带来了烦恼与忧虑。可是他爱孩子，宁可忍受爱的烦恼与忧虑，那也比没有孩子的幸福和快乐要强。