姐妹共读书

风目

一起读书时，你我虽相对无言，但其实千言万语早已袒露于心间。

就想这样和你肩并着肩，一起读书，一起坐看云卷云舒……

The sun is setting. Its heart-warming rays peek shyly through the half-open blinds1） in the dim living room. The jabber2） of the TV gently melts into the atmosphere. I， an 11-year-old girl， lie idly on a couch， carelessly resting my head on its arm as I indulge in a book.

The couch lightly bounces as someone sits on the other end. Lowering my book， I find my little sister， in her thick glasses， with a book from the same series. She lies down， too， and shuffles3） through the pages. Our feet meet in the middle， and a warm， fuzzy4） feeling slowly spreads through my body. We grin at each other and continue reading.

My sister was always shy as a child. When a stranger from church asked her name， she hid behind me. At McDonald's， she couldn't order unless I helped. During her first months at preschool5）， she didn't say a word to anyone. They thought she didn't know English， and were shocked that she spoke it flawlessly at home.

Most of the time I have spent with my sister was in total silence. We were never the talkative type. While other sisters played with dolls and gossiped， we spent time doing what we loved most： reading. This was the glue that linked us and gave us both a sense of belonging. Lying side by side and holding up our books with aching arms， we would silently share wonderful moments in the world of novels. An observer might think we were lacking in communication. But， reading was our communication. Frequently we let out sighs of devastation6） or gasps7） of delight. This magical experience was our surreptitious8） medium of fellowship.

We particularly enjoyed the Harry Potter series. Hand in hand， we delved into9） Harry's adventures， entranced10） and bewildered11）. When he raced the wind to catch the Golden Snitch12）， we cheered together. When he was trapped in the Ministry of Magic13） by the Death Eaters14）， we froze in terror. When Professor Snape betrayed Dumbledore and drove him to death， we shuddered15） in rage together.

In the blink of an eye， the clock would point to ten and Mother would intrude on the silence that had filled our room. She would give us hugs and put us to bed. We would sigh and reluctantly let go of our books. We thought this special habit of ours would last forever.

But at some unknown point， we started to grow apart16）. I prepared for high school and a hectic17） academic schedule. Reading for hours became a luxury， and so I read less and less—until I forgot the last time I indulged in a book.

My sister began to read alone. She went out in the garden and read in the sun. I enviously watched from my window， and then forced my attention back to my enormous load of homework.

Once created， our distance18） grew like bamboo sprouts after the rain. I was so busy that we hardly saw each other， and I forgot the plots of Harry Potter. Soon， I was in a school dormitory， miles away from the special times we once shared. Everything raced by in a blur19）. The once-cherished times with my sister faded.

At some point I realized that my sister was not taking my phone calls anymore. Mother always picked up the phone， saying she was off at parties. On the rare occasion that my sister picked up， it was not the same. She had grown from the timid， reserved20） girl who depended on her big sister. Mother and I were proud， but part of me missed the girl who needed me.

...

I stand in the dim hall outside my sister's bedroom. I open the door， and cozy rays of sun fill my eyes. She is sitting on her bed， immersed in a book. Her thin back seems lonely. She looks up as I enter. A quizzical21） "what are you doing here？" look appears on her face. I throw her an uneasy smile. We both stare silently at the bookshelf.

I break the stillness.

"You've got a whole lot of books here."

"Yeah， I guess."

"I should read more too. Which is the best novel you have？"

"I don't know. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's22） Stone， maybe？"

We exchange smiles. I take the ragged23）， yellow-paged book in my hand. Shuffling through the pages， I close my eyes and unpack the memories that I had neatly folded into the corners of my mind， neglecting it for years. Scenes from Harry Potter flash by. Behind Harry clutching a snitch in glory， at the very back of the audience， are two young sisters holding hands， bouncing up and down in ineffable24） joy. Among the marvels of the Ministry of Magic， these sisters are curled up， embracing each other and trembling as they watch Hogwarts students face the Death Eaters. As Dumbledore encounters death， they weep among the crowd of students.

I lie down next to my sister and open the first page of an old but new book.

夕阳西斜。透过昏暗的起居室那半开着的百叶窗，几缕暖人心房的斜阳羞怯地往屋里偷看。电视里叽里咕噜的说话声缓缓地融进了室内的氛围。11岁的我慵懒地躺在长沙发上，头随意地枕着沙发的扶手，沉浸于一本书中。

这时有人在沙发的另一头坐了下来，沙发随之轻微地弹了弹。我把手中的书往下放了放，发现是我的小妹妹。她戴着厚厚的眼镜，拿着一本同系列的书。她也躺了下来，快速地翻动着书页。我们俩的脚在沙发中间碰到了一起，一股暖洋洋、毛茸茸的感觉逐渐蔓延至我的全身。我俩彼此咧嘴一笑，继续看书。

我妹妹小的时候一直很害羞。当教堂里的陌生人问她叫什么名字时，她就躲在我的身后。在麦当劳，如果我不帮忙，她都没法点餐。在她刚上幼儿园的头几个月里，她没有和任何人讲过一句话。他们以为她不懂英语，在发现她在家里能讲一口无可挑剔的英语时，他们都吃惊不已。

我和妹妹在一起的大部分时间都是在寂静无声中度过的。我们从来都不是那种健谈的人。当别的姐妹玩娃娃、闲聊时，我们却把时间都花在了我们最热爱的事情上，那就是读书。读书就是把我们联系在一起的黏合剂，它让我们俩都拥有了一种归属感。我们会肩并肩地躺在一起，用酸痛的胳膊举着各自的书，静静地分享沉浸于小说世界中的那些美妙时刻。旁人或许会觉得我们缺少交流，但阅读就是我们的交流方式。我们常常因为极其悲伤发出叹息声或是因为十分欢愉发出喘息声，这种神奇的体验正是我们沟通姐妹情谊的秘密媒介。

我们俩都特别喜欢读《哈利·波特》系列小说。我们一起手拉手，探索哈利的那些冒险经历，为之深深着迷的同时充满疑惑。当哈利风驰电掣想要拿到金色飞贼会儿我们一起欢呼雀跃。当他被食死徒困在魔法部时，我们害怕得一动不动。当斯内普教授背叛了邓布利多并将他害死时，我们一起愤怒得浑身发抖。

一眨眼的功夫，时钟指向了10点，妈妈会来打破充盈在我们房间的这份宁静。她会抱一抱我们，然后安顿我们上床睡觉。我们会叹口气，然后不情愿地放下自己的书。那会儿我们都觉得我俩这个特别的习惯会永远地保持下去。

但不知从什么时候起，我们开始逐渐疏远了。我要为上高中以及繁忙的学业安排做准备。一连读上几个小时成为一种奢侈，于是我读书的时间越来越少，以至于我都想不起来自己上一次沉浸于一本书中是什么时候了。

妹妹开始独自一人读书了。她走到外面的花园里，在阳光下读书。我透过窗户羡慕不已地望着她，然后逼迫自己将注意力重新转回到我那无比繁重的作业上来。

我们之间的疏远一经产生就像雨后竹笋一般生长着。我太忙了，以至于我们几乎很难见到彼此，而我也遗忘了《哈利·波特》里的那些情节。不久，我住进了学校的宿舍，离我们曾经一同分享的别样时光无比遥远。一切都在模糊的记忆中匆匆而过，与妹妹共同度过的那些曾令我倍感珍惜的时光逐渐逝去了。

在某个时刻，我意识到妹妹也不再接我电话了。妈妈总会接起电话，告诉我妹妹出去参加聚会了。即便是妹妹难得接我电话的时候，那感觉也和从前不一样了。她已经长大了，不再是那个羞怯、内向、依靠她的大姐姐的女孩了。妈妈和我都为她感到骄傲，但有时我也会想念那个需要我的女孩。

……

我站在妹妹卧室外那昏暗的走廊里。我推开门，暖和、舒适的阳光照进了我的双眼。妹妹正坐在她的床上，沉浸于一本书中。她那瘦削的背影看起来有些孤独。当我走进去时，她抬起头来，一种“你来这儿干吗？”的诧异神情浮现在她的脸上。我朝她不自在地笑了笑，我们俩都静静地盯着书架。

我打破了沉默。

“你这儿有整整一书架的书呢！”

“嗯，我想是的。”

“我也应该多读点书。你的哪本小说最好看？”

“我不知道。可能是《哈利·波特与魔法石》吧？”

我们彼此相视一笑。我把那本书页泛黄、磨损不堪的书拿到自己手里。我快速翻动着书页，闭上了眼睛，那些被我整齐地叠放在自己内心角落里的、被我忽略多年的回忆渐次展开。《哈利·波特》里的一幕幕闪现。在无比荣耀地手握金色飞贼的哈利身后，在观众的最后面，有两个年幼的姐妹，她们手拉着手，在难以言喻的快乐中跳上跳下。在魔法部各种奇异的事物当中，这对姐妹蜷缩成一团，彼此拥抱着，并在看到霍格沃茨学校的学生们面对食死徒时浑身颤抖不已。在邓布利多面临死亡的那一刻，她们和那群学生一起落泪。

我挨着妹妹躺了下来，翻开了书的第一页，这是一本旧书，此刻却焕发着新颜。

1.blind [bla?nd] n. 百叶窗；窗帘；卷帘

2.jabber [?d??b?（r）] n. 叽里咕噜的说话声

3.shuffle [???fl] vi. 马虎地（或匆忙地）做（多与through连用）

4.fuzzy [?f?zi] adj. 覆有绒毛的；毛茸茸的

5.preschool [?pri?sku?l] n. 幼儿园；幼稚园

6.devastation [?dev??ste??n] n. 极度的忧伤；极度的震惊

7.gasp [ɡɑ?sp] n. （尤指因惊讶或疼痛而引起的）喘气；喘息

8.surreptitious [?s?r?p?t???s] adj. 秘密的；私下的

9.delve into： 探索；钻研

10.entranced [?n?trɑ?nst] adj. 狂喜的；着迷的

11.bewildered [b??w?ld?（r）d] adj. 不知所措的；迷惑的

12.Golden Snitch： 金色飞贼，《哈利·波特》中的一个魔法物件，也是魁地奇（Quidditch）比赛中最重要的球。它是一个胡桃大小的金色金属球，球身还有一对不断飞舞的小银翅膀，飞行极快，很难被抓到。

13.Ministry of Magic： 魔法部，《哈利·波特》系列作品中虚构的一个政府部门，掌管英国魔法界的所有事务。

14.Death Eaters： 食死徒，是《哈利·波特》系列作品中大反派伏地魔所有党羽的统称。

15.shudder [???d?（r）] vi. （因寒冷、害怕或激动）打颤，战栗，发抖

16.grow apart： （在思想、感情等方面）逐渐疏远，渐渐产生隔阂

17.hectic [?hekt?k] adj. 繁忙的；忙碌的

18.distance [?d?st?ns] n. 冷淡；不友好；（亲属关系的）疏远

19.blur [bl??（r）] n. 模糊的记忆；记不清的事情

20.reserved [r??z??vd] adj. 内向的；寡言少语的；矜持的

21.quizzical [?kw?z?kl] adj. 诧异的；感到好笑的

22.sorcerer [?s??s?r?（r）] n. 男巫；术士，魔法师

23.ragged [?r?ɡ?d] adj. （边缘或表面）粗糙的，参差不齐的

24.ineffable [?n?ef?bl] adj. （美好得）难以形容的，不可言喻的