早上六点的公园

我的身体还没习惯这里的时间，早上五点就醒了，睡不着，就出去走了走。我以为六点的公园里不会有人，结果里面全是人！他们怎么都起得这么早？

My body hasn't adjusted to the time here yet. I woke up at five, couldn't get back to sleep, so I went out for a walk. I figured the park would be empty at six. It was full of people! How does everyone get up this early?

你去的时间正好。早上的公园是退休的人的，他们起得早，六点已经在公园里了，年轻人这个时候还在睡觉呢。你都看到什么了？

Ha, you went at exactly the right time. The morning park belongs to the retired. They get up early, and by six they're already there. The young people are still asleep at that hour. What did you see?

看到的太多了。水边有很多人，动作慢得不能再慢，像在水里走路一样。不远的地方音乐很大，很多阿姨在跳舞。还有几位老人，不往前走，往后走。最奇怪的是，两位老人坐着下棋，旁边站着十几个人看。那些动作很慢的人，是在做什么？

So much. By the water there were all these people moving as slowly as it is possible to move, like they were walking underwater. Not far off, loud music, a crowd of aunties dancing. And a few old men walking backwards instead of forwards. Strangest of all, two old men sat playing chess with a dozen people standing around watching. Those slow-motion people, what were they doing?

那是太极拳。太极拳看起来慢，其实是很好的锻炼，对身体特别好，很多人一打就是几十年。跳舞的那个叫广场舞，音乐大，动作简单，谁都能跳。往后走的老人觉得，往后走对腿好。你们国家的公园，早上是什么样的？

That's taiji. It looks slow, but it's actually excellent exercise, very good for the body. Plenty of people keep at it for decades. The dancing is called square dancing. The music is loud, the moves are simple, anyone can join. The ones walking backwards believe it's good for the legs. What are the parks in your country like in the morning?

完全不一样。我们的公园早上只有跑步的人，每个人自己跑自己的，谁也不认识谁。我在家的时候去健身房锻炼，健身房里有一百个人，但是每个人看自己的手机，听自己的音乐，没有人说话。为什么中国人锻炼的时候要在一起？

Completely different. Our parks in the morning have only runners, each running their own run, nobody knowing anybody. Back home I work out at a gym. There are a hundred people in that gym, and every one of them is looking at their own phone, listening to their own music. Nobody talks. Why do Chinese people exercise together?

因为对退休的人来说，公园不只是锻炼的地方，公园就是他们的客厅。在家里太安静了，孩子上班去了，一个人在家，跟谁说话呢？所以他们每天早上来公园，见老朋友，一起锻炼，一起聊天。锻炼是原因，朋友才是真正的原因。对了，下棋的那两位旁边，看的人多吗？

Because for the retired, the park isn't just a place to exercise. The park is their living room. It's too quiet at home. The kids have gone off to work, and if you're home alone, who is there to talk to? So every morning they come to the park, see old friends, exercise together, chat together. Exercise is the reason. Friends are the real reason. By the way, those two playing chess, was there a big crowd?

多！至少十几个人。而且他们不只是看，他们一直告诉下棋的人应该怎么走。下棋的人看起来有点生气，但是谁都没有离开。看的人可以这样说话吗？

Big! At least a dozen. And they weren't just watching, they kept telling the players what move to make. The players looked a little annoyed, but nobody left. Are the watchers allowed to talk like that?

公园下棋就是这样的。看的人用嘴下棋，下棋的人一边下一边跟他们吵，吵完了明天还是一起来。这也是一种朋友。你看了一个早上，你觉得哪种更好？我们的公园，还是你们的健身房？

Ha, that's exactly what park chess is. The watchers play with their mouths, the players argue with them between moves, and after the argument they all come back together tomorrow. That's a kind of friendship too. You watched a whole morning. Which do you think is better, our park or your gym?

我说不好。健身房里没有人管你，你想做什么就做什么，但是也没有人认识你。公园里很吵，广场舞的音乐太大，可是好像没有人是一个人，打太极拳的老人旁边有朋友，跳广场舞的阿姨旁边也有朋友。现在我明白你为什么说公园是客厅了。我们锻炼的是身体，你们锻炼的好像还有生活。也许你们是对的，也许我们是对的，我真的不知道。

I honestly can't say. At the gym nobody bothers you, you do whatever you want, but nobody knows you either. The park is noisy, the square-dance music is too loud, but it seems like no one there is alone. The old men doing taiji have friends beside them, the aunties square dancing have friends beside them. Now I understand why you call the park a living room. We exercise the body. You seem to exercise the life as well. Maybe you're right, maybe we're right. I really don't know.

可能都对，也可能都不对。不过我告诉你一件事，公园不问你是哪国人，也不问你会不会跳。你明天早上再去一次，就明白了。

Maybe both are right, maybe neither. But I'll tell you one thing. The park doesn't ask what country you're from, and it doesn't ask whether you can dance. Go back tomorrow morning and you'll understand.

其实今天早上我已经明白了一点。我站在旁边看广场舞的时候，几位奶奶叫我过去，拉我一起跳。我跳得特别不好，大家都笑了，我也笑了。有一位阿姨说，明天六点，你再来。

Actually, I already understood a little this morning. While I was standing at the edge watching the square dancing, a few grandmothers called me over and pulled me in to dance with them. I danced terribly, everyone laughed, and I laughed too. One auntie said, tomorrow at six, come again.

你看，你还没退休，就已经进了她们的客厅了。

See? You're not even retired yet, and you've already been let into their living room.