雙語暢銷書《我是馬拉拉》第4章7:家庭出遊

Sometimes we went up to the mountains and sometimes down to the river on family trips. It was a big stream, too deep and fast to cross when the snows melted in summer. The boys would fish using earthworms threaded like beads on a string hanging from a long stick. Some of them whistled, believing this would attract the fish. They weren’t particularly tasty fish. Their mouths were very rough and horny. We called them chaqwartee. Sometimes a group of girls would go down to the river for a picnic with pots of rice and sherbet. Our favourite game was ‘weddings’. We would get into two groups, each supposed to be a family, then each family would have to betroth a girl so we could perform a marriage ceremony. Everyone wanted me in their family as I was from Mingora and modern. The most beautiful girl was Tanzela, and we often gave her to the other group so we could then have her as our bride.

家庭出遊時，有時會上山，有時候去河邊。這條河很寬闊，夏季融雪時，河水會變得又深又急，沒辦法徒步渡河。男孩們會把蚯蚓像串珠子般穿上細線，綁在長棍上釣魚，有些人會吹口哨，因爲他們認爲這樣可以吸引到魚羣。這裏的魚不是特別美味，魚的嘴很粗很硬。我們稱這種魚爲洽克笛。有時候，女孩們會帶着飯和果子露，成羣到河邊野餐。我們最喜歡的遊戲是“結婚”。我們會分成兩羣，分別代表兩方家庭，然後各派出一個女孩，舉行結婚儀式。每個人都想要我加入她們那羣，因爲我是明戈拉來的，很時髦。村裏最漂亮的女孩名叫坦琪拉，我們通常會把她分到另一組，讓她當我們的新娘。

The most important part of the mock wedding was jewellery. We took earrings, bangles and necklaces to decorate the bride, singing Bollywood songs as we worked. Then we would put make-up on her face that we’d taken from our mothers, dip her hands in hot limestone and soda to make them white, and paint her nails red with henna. Once she was ready, the bride would start crying and we would stroke her hair and try to convince her not to worry. ‘Marriage is part of life, ’ we said.

這場假結婚最重要的就是珠寶。我們用耳環、手環和項鍊來爲新娘子裝扮，一邊忙碌，一邊唱着寶萊塢的歌曲。然後我們會拿母親的化妝品來幫她化妝，把她的手浸在熱石灰石和蘇打粉中染白，用指甲花將她的指甲塗紅。一旦打扮好，新娘子就會開始哭泣，我們就輕撫她的頭，告訴她不用擔心。“婚姻是人生的一部分”，我們會這麼說。

‘Be kind to your mother-in-law and father-in-law so they treat you well. Take care of your husband and be happy.’

“要孝順你的公婆，這樣他們纔會善待你。好好照顧你的丈夫，要過得幸福喔！”