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Speed
the people planting potatoes are infected by dawn
infected by the sun as it rises quickly they work the world is quick at this time quickly the dew dries quickly the field voles scamper off at times like this you need to be quick labourers are quick to remove their jackets to bare their arms a whole day's work depends on a good morning start this is how primary school teachers educate their students they react with speed the invisible world in their classrooms the morning’s Chinese lesson is understood on paper as a few set phrases left over from yesterday at dusk the world slows right down the ranks of the earth slow down facing westwards formations of corn-fields and low hills formations of rivers and forests formations of villages and sunflowers everything slows down facing westward all those shadows dragged over things slow right down like silk wrapped round the body of night slipping away, bolt by bolt the potato planters carrying their tools mingle with the kids coming home from school they walk slowly over the uplands home ahead of them not worried about time the children dawdle no more homework to do the adults dawdle because the potatoes have all been planted they’re all so slow as if the earth had somehow got into their bodies but those things planted at speed have in no sense slowed down nor have they ever gained speed incapable both of speed and slowness they’ve simply begun and all they have to do is grow is be from morning to night from spring to autumn neither hurried nor slow right to the very end 1999 |
© 2000, Yu Jian From: Yu Jian de shi Publisher: Renmin wenxue chubanshe, Beijing, ISBN: 7 02 003328 8 |
© Translation: 2003, Simon Patton |