The First Day of School始业日

E. D. Amicis

本文選自意大利作家埃迪蒙托·德·亚米契斯创作的长篇日记体小说《爱的教育》。这篇日记里记录了主人公安利柯刚开学时的心情，你还记得你开学时的心情与状态吗？

Today is the first day of school. These three months of vacationin the country have passed like a dream. This morning my motherconducted me to the Baretti schoolhouse to have me enter forthe third elementary course： I was thinking of the countryand went unwillingly. All the streets were swarming withboys： the two bookshops were 1）thronged with fathersand mothers who were purchasing bags， 2）portfolios，and copybooks， and in front of the school so manypeople had collected， that the beadle andthe policeman found it difficult to keep theentrance 3）disencumbered. Near the door， I feltmyself touched on the shoulder： it was my masterof the second class， cheerful， as usual， and withhis red hair ruffled， and he said to me—“So we are separated forever， Enrico？”

I knew it perfectly well， yet these words pained me.We made our way in with difficulty. Ladies， gentlemen， women of thepeople， workmen， officials， nuns， servants， all leading boys with onehand， and holding the promotion books in the other， filled the anteroom and the stairs， making such a buzzing， that it seemed as though onewere entering a theatre. I beheld again with pleasure that large roomon the ground floor， with the doors leading to the seven classes， whereI had passed nearly every day for three years. There was a throng; theteachers were going and coming. My schoolmistress of the first upperclass greeted me from the door of the classroom， and said—

“Enrico， you are going to the floor above this year. I shallnever see you pass by any more！”

And she gazed sadly at me. The director wassurrounded by women in distress because there was noroom for their sons， and it struck me that his beard was alittle whiter than it had been last year. I found the boys hadgrown taller and 4）stouter. On the ground floor， wherethe divisions had already been made， there were littlechildren of the first and lowest section， who did notwant to enter the classrooms， and who resisted likedonkeys： it was necessary to drag them in by force， andsome escaped from the benches; others， when they saw theirparents depart， began to cry， and the parents had to go backand comfort and reprimand them， and the teachers were in despair.

My little brother was placed in the class of Mistress Delcati： I wasput with Master Perboni， up stairs on the first floor. At ten o’clock wewere all in our classes： fifty-four of us; only fifteen or sixteen of mycompanions of the second class， among them， Derossi， the one whoalways gets the first prize. The school seemed to me so small andgloomy when I thought of the woods and the mountains where I hadpassed the summer！ I thought again， too， of my master in the secondclass， who was so good， and who always smiled at us， and was so small that he seemed to be one of us， and I grieved that I should nolonger see him there， with his tumbled red hair. Our teacher is tall; hehas no beard; his hair is gray and long; and he has a 5）perpendicularwrinkle on his forehead： he has a big voice， and he looks at us fixedly，one after the other， as though he were reading our inmost thoughts; andhe never smiles. I said to myself—

“This is my first day. There are nine months more. What toil， whatmonthly examinations， what fatigue！”

I really needed to see my mother when I came out， and I ran to kissher hand. She said to me—

“Courage， Enrico！ We will study together.”

And I returned home content. But I no longer have my master， withhis kind， merry smile， and school does not seem pleasant to me as it didbefore.

1） throng v. 群集；拥塞

2） portfolio n. 文件夹

3） disencumber v. 摆脱障碍

4） stout adj. 肥胖的；粗壮结实的

5） perpendicular adj. 垂直的

今天开学了，乡间的三个月，梦也似的过去，又回到了这丘陵的学校里来了。早晨母亲送我到学校里去的时候，心还一味想着在乡间的情形哩，不论哪一条街道，都充满着学校的学生们；书店的门口呢，学生的父兄们都拥挤着在那里购买笔记簿、书袋等类的东西；校役和警察都拼命似的想把路排开。到了校门口，觉得有人触动我的肩膀，原来这就是我三年级时候的先生，是一位头发赤而卷拢、面貌快活的先生。先生看着我的脸孔说：

“我们不再在一处了！安利柯！”

这原是我早已知道的事，今天被先生这么一说，不觉重新难过起来了。我们好不容易地到了里面，许多夫人、绅士、普通妇人、职工、官吏、女僧侣、男用人、女用人，都一手拉了小儿，一手抱了成绩簿，挤满在接待所楼梯旁，嘈杂得如同戏馆里一样。我重新看这大大的休息室的房子，非常欢喜，因为我这三年来，每日到教室去都穿过这室。我的二年级时候的女先生见了我：“安利柯！你現在要到楼上去了！要不走过我的教室了！”

说着，恋恋地看我。校长先生被妇人们围绕着，头发好像比以前白了。学生们也比夏天的时候长大强壮了许多。才来入一年级的小孩们不愿到教室里去，像驴马似的倔强，勉强拉了进去，有的仍旧逃出，有的因为找不着父母，哭了起来。做父母的回了进去，有的诱骗，有的叱骂，先生们也弄得没有法子了。

我的弟弟被编入在名叫代尔卡谛的女先生所教的一组里。午前十时，大家进了教室，我们的一级共五十五人。从三年级一同升上来的只不过十五六人，惯得一等奖的代洛西也在里面。一想起暑假中跑来跑去游过的山林，觉得学校里暗闷得讨厌。又忆起三年级时候的先生来：那是常常对着我们笑的好先生，是和我们差不多大的先生。那个先生的红而卷拢的头发已不能看见了，一想到此，就有点难过。这次的先生，身材高长，没有胡须，长长地留着花白的头发，额上皱着直织，说话大声，他瞪着眼一个一个地看我们的时候，眼光竟像要透到我们心里似的。而且还是一位没有笑容的先生。我想：

“唉！一天总算过去了，还有九个月呢！什么用功，什么月试，多讨厌！”

一出教室，恨不得就看见母亲，飞跑到母亲面前去吻她的手。母亲说：

“安利柯啊！要用心啰！我也和你们用功呢！”

我高高兴兴地回家了。可是因为那位亲爱快活的先生已不在，学校也不如以前的有趣味了。