Springs are not always the same. In some years, April bursts upon Virginia hills in one prodigious① leap—and all the stage is filled at once, whole choruses of tulips, arabesques② of forsythia③, cadenzas④ of flowering plum. The trees grow leaves overnight.
In other years, spring tiptoes⑤ in. It pauses, overcome by shyness, like my grandchild at the door, peeping in, ducking⑥ out of sight, giggling in the hallway. “I know you’re out there,” I cry. “Come in!” And April slips into our arms.
The dogwood⑦ bud, pale green, is inlaid⑧ with russet markings. Within the perfect cup a score of clustered seeds are nestled. One examines the bud in awe: Where were those seeds a month ago? The apples display their milliner’s⑨ scraps of ivory silk, rose-tinged. All the sleeping things wake up—primrose, baby iris, blue phlox. The earth warms—you can smell it, feel it, crumble⑩ April in your hands.
Look to the rue anemone, if you will, or the pea patch, or to the stubborn weed that thrusts its shoulders through a city street. This is how it was, is now, and ever shall be, the world without end. In the serene certainty of spring recurring, who can fear the distant fall?
① prodigiousadj. 巨大的
② arabesquen. 阿拉伯式图案,芭蕾舞的一种姿势
③ forsythian. 连翘属植物
④ cadenzan.【音】(乐曲接近结尾的)装饰奏
⑤ tiptoev. 小心翼翼地走
⑥ duckv. 闪避,急速低头
⑦ dogwoodn. 山茱萸
⑧ inlayv. 把……镶入,把……嵌入
⑨ millinern. 女帽制造及贩卖商
⑩ crumblev. 粉碎,弄碎,瓦解
春
春不总是千篇一律的。有时候,四月一个健步就跃上了弗吉尼亚的小山丘。顿时,整个舞台活跃起来:郁金香们引吭高歌,连翘花翩翩起舞,梅花表演起了独奏。树木也在一夜之间披上了新绿。
有时候,春又悄然来临。它欲前又止,羞涩腼腆,就像我的小孙女,倚在门口,偷偷往里瞅,又一下子跑开了,不见踪影,从门厅传出她咯咯的笑声。我喊一声:“我知道你在那儿,进来吧!”于是四月便倏地一下飞进我们怀中。
山茱蓃的花骨朵儿嫩绿嫩绿的,镶着赤褐色的花边。在那漂亮的花萼里,竟稳稳地簇拥着十几颗小种子。我们不禁要惊羡地问一句:一个月前这些种子还在哪儿呢?苹果树则像卖帽人,向人们展示他帽子上那一片片微带点玫瑰红地乳白色丝缎。所有熟睡的都醒了——樱草花、小蝴蝶花、蓝夹竹桃。大地也暖和起来了——你可以闻到四月的气息,感觉到它那股馨香,把它捧在手中赏玩。
去看看白头翁花,如果你愿意,再去看看豌豆畦,或是那倔强地手臂伸过城市街道的野花。它们从前是这样,现在是这样,将来还会是这样,这是个永不停息的世界。当我们发现,春已切切实实地回来了,在恬静之中,谁还会害怕遥远的秋天呢?