节选自朱自清散文《背影》

I said, "Dad, you might leave now."

我说道，“爸爸，你走吧。”

But he looked out of window and said, "I'm going to buy you some tangerines. You just stay here. Don't move around."

他望车外看了看，说，“我买几个橘子去。你就在此地，不要走动。”

I caught sight of several vendors waiting for customers outside the railings beyond a platform.

我看那边月台的栅栏外有几个卖东西的的等着顾客。

But to reach that platform would require crossing the railway track and doing some climbing up and down.

走到那边月台，须穿过铁道，须跳下去又爬上去。

That would be a strenuous job for father, who was fat.

父亲是一个胖子，走过去自然要费些事。

I wanted to do all that myself, but he stopped me, so I could do nothing but let him go.

我本来要去的，他不肯，只好让他去。

I watched him hobble towards the railway track in his black skullcap, black cloth mandarin jacket and dark blue cotton-padded cloth long gown.

我看见他戴着黑布小帽，穿着黑布大马褂，深青布棉袍，蹒跚在走到铁道边。

He had little trouble climbing down the railway track,

他慢慢探身下去，尚不大难。

but it was a lot more difficult for him to climb up that platform after crossing the railway track.

可是他穿过铁道，要爬上那边月台，就不容易了。

His hands held onto the upper part of the platform,

他用两手攀着上面，

his legs huddled up and his corpulent body tipped slightly towards the left, obviously making an enormous exertion.

两脚再向上缩；他肥胖的身子向左微倾，显出努力的样子。

While I was watching him from behind, tears gushed from my eyes.

这时我看见他的的背影，我眼泪很快地流下来了。

I quickly wiped them away lest he or others should catch me crying.

我赶紧拭干了泪，怕他看见，也怕别人看见。

The next moment when I looked out of the window again,

我再向外看时，

father was already on the way back, holding bright red tangerines in both hands.

他已抱了朱红的橘子往回走了。

In crossing the railway track, he first put the tangerines on the ground,

过铁道时，他先将橘子散放在地上，

climbed down slowly and then picked them up again.

自己慢慢爬下，再抱起橘子走。

When he came near the train, I hurried out to help him by the hand.

到这边时，我赶紧去搀他。

After boarding the train with me, he laid all the tangerines on my overcoat,

他和我走到车上，将橘子一股脑儿放在我的皮大衣上，

and patting the dirt off his clothes, he looked somewhat relieved and said after a while,

于是扑扑衣上泥土，心里很轻松似的，过了一会说，

"I must be going now. Don't forget to write me from Beijing!"

“我走了，到那边来信！”

I gazed after his back retreating out of the carriage.

我望着他走出去。

After a few steps, he looked back at me and said, "Go back to your seat. Don't leave your things alone."

他走了几步，回过头看见我，说：“进去吧，里边没人。”

I, however, did not go back to my seat until his figure was lost among crowds of people hurrying to and fro and no longer visible.

等他的背影混入来来往往的人里，再找不着了，我便进来坐下。

My eyes were again wet with tears.

我的眼泪又来了。