雙語小說閱讀:《誰動了我的奶酪》(5)大綱

　Haw was beginning to realize the difference between activity and productivity.
　　"Maybe," Hem said, "we should just sit here and see what happens. Sooner or later they have to put the Cheese back."
　　Haw wanted to believe that. So each day he went home to rest and returned reluctantly with Hem to Cheese Station C. But Cheese never reappeared.
　　By now the little people were growing weak from hunger and stress. Haw was getting tired of just waiting for their situation to improve. He began to see that the longer they stayed in their Cheeseless situation, the worse off they would be.
　　Haw knew they were losing their edge.
　　Finally, one day Haw began laughing at himself. "Haw, haw, look at us. We keep doing the same things over and over again and wonder why things don't get better. If this wasn't so ridiculous, it would be even funnier."
　　Haw did not like the idea of having to run through the Maze again, because he knew he would get lost and have no idea where he would find any Cheese. But he had to laugh at his folly when he saw what his fear was doing to him.
　　He asked Hem, "Where did we put our running shoes?" It took a long time to find them because they had put everything away when they found their Cheese at Cheese Station C, thinking they wouldn't be needing them anymore.
　　As Hem saw his friend getting into his running gear, he said, "You're not really going out into the Maze again, are you? Why don't you just wait here with me until they put the Cheese back?"
　　"Because, you just don't get it," Haw said. "I didn't want to see it either, but now I realize they're never going to put yesterday's Cheese back. It's time to find New Cheese."
　　Hem argued, "But what if there is no Cheese out there? Or even if there is, what if you don't find it?"
　　"I don't know," Haw said. He had asked himself those same questions too many times and felt the fears again that kept him where he was.
　　He asked himself, "Where am I more likely to find Cheese here or in the Maze?"
　　He painted a picture in his mind. He saw himself venturing out into the Maze with a smile on his face.
　　While this picture surprised him, it made him feel good. He saw himself getting lost now and then in the Maze, but felt confident he would eventually find New Cheese out there and all the good things that came with it. He gathered his courage.
　　Then he used his imagination to paint the most believable picture he could -- with the most realistic details -- of him finding and enjoying the taste of New Cheese.
　　He saw himself eating Swiss cheese with holes in it, bright orange Cheddar and American cheeses, Italian mozzarella and wonderfully soft French Camembert cheese, and…
　　Then he heard Hem say something and realized they were still at Cheese Station C.
　　Haw said, "Sometimes, Hem, things change and they are never the same again. This looks like one of those times. That's life! Life moves on. And so should we."
　　Haw looked at his emaciated companion and tried to talk sense to him, but Hem's fear had turned into anger and he wouldn't listen.
　　Haw didn't mean to be rude to his friend, but he had to laugh at how silly they both looked.
　　As Haw prepared to leave, he started to feel more alive, knowing that he was finally able to laugh at himself, let go and move on.
　　Haw laughed and announced, "It's MAZE time!"
　　Hem didn't laugh and he didn't respond. Haw picked up a small, sharp rock and wrote a serious thought on the wall for Hem to think about. As was his custom, Haw even drew a picture of cheese around it, hoping it would help Hem to smile, lighten up, and go after the New Cheese. But Hem didn't want to see it.

唧唧開始認識到行動和結果之間的區別。
　　"也許，"哼哼說："我們只需要坐在這裏，看看到底發生什麼事情。遲早他們會把奶酪再送回來的。"唧唧希望他說的是真的。這樣，他每天回家休息，然後勉強陪着哼哼去奶酪C站查看情況。但是，奶酪始終沒有再出現。由於焦慮和飢餓，這兩個小矮人已經變得有些虛弱。唧唧已經開始厭倦等待——完全被動地等着情況自己發生好轉。他開始明白，他們在奶酪C站等待的時間越長，情況只會變得越糟糕。唧唧明白，他們正在失去自己的優勢。終於，有一天，唧唧開始自己嘲笑起自己來了："唧唧呀唧唧，看看你自己吧！你居然等到每天重複同樣的錯誤，還總是奇怪、懷疑爲什麼情況還沒有得改善，還有什麼比你這種做法更可笑呢？這如果不是荒謬，就是滑稽。"唧唧並不想再到迷宮中去奔波。他知道他可能會迷路，而且他也不知道究竟應該到哪兒去尋找新的奶酪。但當他明白正是他的恐懼感使他如此裹足不前、坐以待斃的時候，他嘲笑起自己的愚笨。他問哼哼："我們的運動衣和慢跑鞋放到哪能裏去了？"他花了很長時間才翻出了那些動動裝備。當初，他們在奶酪C站找到奶酪以後，就把鞋啊什麼的都扔到一邊去了，因爲他們滿以爲再也不會需要這些玩意了。當哼哼看到他的朋友穿上運動服時，他說："你不是真的要到迷宮中去吧？你爲什麼不留下來，和我一起在這裏等，等着他們把奶酪送回來？"
　　"因爲如果這麼做，我們將永遠不會得到那些奶酪，"唧唧大聲說："不會有人把奶酪送回來了，現在已經到了去尋找新奶酪的時候了，不要再想那些早已不存在的奶酪了！"
　　哼哼爭辨說："但是如果外面也沒有奶酪怎麼辦？或者，即使有奶酪，但你找不到，又怎麼辦？"
　　"我不知道。"唧唧不耐煩地說。同樣的問題，他已經問過自己多少遍了。他又感到那種使他停滯不前的恐懼感。但是馬上，他又想到如果真的找到了新的奶酪呢？那種享受新的奶酪的喜悅再度鼓起了他的勇氣。他最後問自己："你希望到哪裏去找奶酪——這裏還是迷宮中？"於是他的腦中出現了一幅圖畫，他看見自己面帶微笑地在迷宮中探險。這樣的景象讓他有些驚異，他發現自己終於克服了再次進入迷宮的恐懼。他看見自己在迷宮迷了路，便仍然滿懷信心地在那裏尋找新奶酪，一切美好的事物都隨之而來。他又重新找回了自己的勇氣。於是他儘量發揮自己的想像力，在腦海中爲自己描繪了一幅他最信賴的、最具有現實感的圖畫——他在尋找和品嚐新的奶酪。他彷彿看見自己坐在一大堆奶酪中央，正在盡情品嚐各種奶酪，像蜂窩狀的瑞士奶酪、鮮黃的英國切達乾酪、美國奶酪和意大利乾酪，還有美國又柔軟的法國卡米伯特奶酪，等等。
　　唧唧簡直想入了神，直到他聽到哼哼在一邊嘟嚷着什麼，他才意識到自己仍然還站在奶酪C站。於是唧唧轉過身來對哼哼說："哼哼，有時候，事情發生了改變，就再也變不回原來的樣子了。我們現在遇到的情況就是這樣。這就是生活！生活在變化，日了在往前走，我們也應隨之改變，而不是在原地踟躕不前。"唧唧看着他那因飢餓和沮喪而顯得有些憔悴的朋友，試圖給他分析一些道理。但是。哼哼的畏懼早已變成了氣惱，他什麼也聽不進去。唧唧並不想冒犯他的朋友，但是，他還是忍不住要嘲笑他們自己，因爲現在看起來他們真的是又狼狽又愚蠢。
　　當唧唧準備要出發的時候，他覺得自己整個人都變得充滿了活力，他挺起了胸膛，他的精神開始振作起來："讓我們出發吧。"
　　唧唧大笑着宣稱："這是一個迷宮的時代！"
　　哼哼笑不起來，他幾乎沒有任何反應。
　　唧唧拾起一塊尖硬的小石頭，在牆上寫下一句懇切的話，留給哼哼去思考。他沒有忘記自己的習慣，在這句話的周圍畫上奶酪的圖案。唧唧希望這幅畫能給哼哼帶來一絲希望，會對哼哼有所啓發，並促使哼哼起身去追尋新的奶酪。但是哼哼根本不想朝牆上看一眼。