The Hunter and Bird Painting 画鸟的猎人◎ Ai Qing ◎ 艾青A man wanted to learn hunting and offered to apprentice himself to a hunter，to whom he said，One's got to have a speciality．Of all the different trades，I like hunting best．I hope I can go inside a woods with a shotgun and shoot down any bird I want to.

”一个人想学打猎，找到一个打猎的人，拜他做老师。

他向那打猎的人说：人必须有一技之长，在许多职业里面，我所选中的是打猎，我很想持枪到树林里去，打到那我想打的鸟。

”The hunter checked on the quality of the would-be hunter's shotgun and saw it was all right．He also found the man to be quite determined to learn hunting．So he told him the different characteristics of various birds as well as how to aim and shoot．He also advised him to practise shooting on various kinds of birds.

于是打猎的人检查了那个徒弟的枪，枪是一支好枪，徒弟也是一个有决心的徒弟，就告诉他各种鸟的性格，和有关瞄准与射击的一些知识，并且嘱咐他必须寻找各种鸟去练习。

Thereupon，the man believed that the hunter's words had already made a good hunter of himself．So he went inside a woods，shotgun in hand．However，to his great dismay，wherever he went，all the birds just flew away even before he raised his shotgun.

那个人听了猎人的话，以为只要知道如何打猎就已经能打猎了，于是他持枪到树林。

但当他一进入树林，走到那里，还没有举起枪，鸟就飞起了。

So he went to call on the hunter again，saying，Birds are clever．They discover me before I see them．They're gone before I raise my shotgun.

”于是他又来找猎人，他说：鸟是机灵的，我没有看见它们，它们先看见我，等我一举起枪，鸟早已飞走了。

”Do you mean you want to shoot at only birds that can't fly？

”asked the hunter.

猎人说：你是想打那不会飞的鸟么？

”Honestly，”the man replied，how nice it would be if birds couldn't fly when I go hunting！

”他说：说实在的，在我想打鸟的时候，要是鸟能不飞该多好呀！

”Go home and look for a piece of cardboard，”said the hunter.

Hang it up on a tree after you paint a bird on it．Then shoot at this bird，and you'll make it.

”猎人说：你回去，找一张硬纸，在上面画一只鸟，把硬纸挂在树上，朝那鸟打——你一定会成功。

”The man，after arriving home，did what the hunter had told him to do．But，alas，he fired several times without hitting the painted bird．He had no choice but to go and see the hunter again，saying，I've done everything the way you suggested，but without success.

”The hunter asked him why and the man replied，Maybe I've painted the bird too small，or fired from a place not close enough.

”那个人回家，照猎人所说的做了，试验着打了几枪，却没有一枪能打中。

他只好再去找猎人。

他说：我照你说的做了，但我还是打不中画中的鸟。

”猎人问他是什么原因，他说：可能是鸟画得太小，也可能是距离太远。

”The hunter went on after pondering for a moment，I've been deeply touched by your strong will．Now you go home and hang up on the tree a larger sheet of cardboard for you to shoot at．You'll make it this time，I'm sure.

”那猎人沉思了一阵向他说：对你的决心，我很感动，你回去，把一张大一些的纸挂在树上，朝那纸打——这一次你一定会成功。

”The man asked apprehensively，Shoot from the same distance？

”那个人很担忧地问：还是那个距离么？

”It's up to you to decide.

”猎人说：由你自己去决定。

”There'll also be a bird painted on the cardboard？

”那人又问：那纸上还是画着鸟么？

”No.

”猎人说：不。

”The man asked with a forced smile，You mean I'm to target the cardboard only？

”那人苦笑了，说：那不是打纸么？

”The hunter explained in good earnest，What I mean is this：Keep firing at the cardboard as many times as you like．Then paint a bird wherever there is a hole．As a result，there will be as many birds as your holes．That's the way for you to be absolutely certain about your success.

”猎人很严肃地告诉他说：我的意思是，你先朝着纸只管打，打完了，就在有孔的地方画上鸟，打了几个孔，就画几只鸟——这对你来说，是最有把握的了。

”艾青是诗人，同时也是散文家。

画鸟的猎人　是他的寓言作品，选自人民出版社1979年出版的 艾青诗选　。

文章讽刺人们常借空想安慰自己，虚而无实，无济于事，自欺欺人，不禁使读者想起那脍炙人口的典故画饼充饥”和望梅止渴”。

【双语|现代散文:艾青 画鸟的猎人查看网站：[db:时间]】