a corner of mine: Chuyến tầu về Câu chuyện của Hoàng Tiến Cường - A Train to the Capital City A story by Hoang Tien Cuong

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Chuyến tầu về Câu chuyện của Hoàng Tiến Cường - A Train to the Capital City A story by Hoang Tien Cuong

Chuyến tầu về

Câu chuyện của Hoàng Tiến Cường

A Train to the Capital City

A story by Hoang Tien Cuong

Hắn nhảy phóc lên tàu, đoàn tầu Lào Cai - Hà Nội chỉ đỗ ở cái ga xép này ba phút, ga Trái Hút. Không mất thời gian lắm, hắn đã tìm đến được cái số ghế 13 của mình, hắn biết cách để có thể luôn mua được chỗ ngồi đó, hướng mặt về phía đầu đoàn tầu và là bên phía có gió sông Hồng thổi vào.

He hurriedly got on the Lao Cai-Hanoi train which stopped at this small stations, called Trai Hut for only three minutes. In not so much time, he managed to reach his seat, number 13, which he always knows how to book so that he can sit facing forwards and enjoying the wind coming from the Red River.

Một hồi còi dài xé tan cái nắng oi của tiết trời tháng chín, bầu không khí nơi núi rừng này như phải nóng lên chút nữa bởi tiếng sình sịch của đoàn tầu bắt đầu chuyển bánh. Chuyến tầu hôm nay không đông, mỗi ghế đủ ba người ngồi, không có ai phải đứng hay ngồi xen. Hắn bắt đầu lắc lư gà gật cùng nhịp lắc của toa tầu, chẳng biết hắn ngủ hay thức đằng sau cặp kính đen. Có lẽ hắn đang nghĩ lúc về đến nhà, được bế đứa con gái nhỏ và ăn bữa cơm tối cùng vợ sau thời gian xa nhà.

A long siren suddenly yelling in the boiling hot weather of September, and the mountainous area seemed to be more heated by the heavy noises of the departing train. The train was not crowded that day, every 3-seat row was occupied by three persons with no one standing or sharing seats. He started to sway his head and shoulder with the train movement. One could not tell if he, with his eyes hidden behind his dark glasses, was asleep or still awaken. Perhaps, he was thinking of his family, eager to hug his little daughter and enjoy dinner with his wife after a long time away from home.

“Đoàn tàu nhanh Lào Cai - Hà Nội đã về đến sân ga Yên Bái, quý khách xuống tàu ….” Tiếng loa phát thanh ề à, cũ rích nghe thật thảm hại như có từ thời tiền sử, phát đi phát lại mỗi khi có một đoàn tàu khách nào dừng bánh làm cho hắn như tỉnh ngủ hay làm hắn thêm sốt ruột không biết nữa. Vẫn sau cặp kính hắn nhìn sang đối diện số ghế 19, một cô bé đang tuổi học trò, hắn nghĩ chắc cô bé này đi một mình.

"The Lao Cai - Ha Noi fast train is entering the station of Yen Bai, passengers who are to ...." The announcements heard from the obsolete loudspeakers, sounding as if it was from an ancient time and repeated every time the train was due to stop at certain station now and then awakened him. This time, when he woke up, he, in dark glasses, glanced at a girl on the opposite seat, number 19, who was a school girl, he thought, travelling by herself.

Lại tiếng loa phát thanh nghe nẫu ruột, lần này là để đoàn tầu chuyển bánh, hình như để nhắc cho hắn lại ể oải tiếp tục cuộc hành trình. Qua tiếng loa truyền thanh đó hắn cũng biết đã hơn ba giờ chiều.

Tổ công tác trên tàu bắt đầu đi kiểm tra vé của hành khách, đến chỗ hắn, chưa cần nhắc, hắn đã tự xé cái cuống vé đưa cho anh nhân viên. Là lần này có lẽ hắn đang thức, nhiều lần chẳng ai soát vé hắn cả, hắn lại phải gửi cô bán hàng ăn lưu động của nhà tàu cái cuống, là những lần hắn ngủ.

The sleepy voice was heard again when another announcement of the train continuing its tiring journey. From the announcement he knew that it was just past 3 p.m.

The conductor appeared and was checking tickets. When the conductor came to him, he, still awake, quickly tore the check-tag off his ticket and gave it to him. Very often there were no one checking tickets, and he had to showed his ticket to the one of the staff members selling food and other stuffs on the train.

Một lát sau, có một thanh niên hay đi “hàng” Gù hương - Măng tươi – Quế … theo mùa đi qua chỗ hắn ngồi, buông lời mời. “Anh xuống dưới này làm chén trà mạn”, hắn lắc đầu chẳng nói câu nào.

A moment later, a young passenger who traded in precious timber - fresh bamboo shoots – cinnamon passed him and invited him to the buffet car for some fresh tea. He refused by shaking his head, not saying a word. It began to become dark, and when the train arrived at Phuc Yen, over half the passengers got off.

Trời bắt đầu xâm xẩm, có lẽ đoàn tầu về đến Phúc Yên, hành khách xuống quá nửa. Hắn bỏ đôi mắt kính đen ra khỏi khuôn mặt, đôi mắt có vẻ đối lập với vẻ ngoài gai góc của con người hắn. Hắn nhìn xa xăm rồi nhìn sang cô bé bên ghế đối diện, một cô gái xinh xắn kháu khỉnh. Hắn đã làm cô bé có chút niềm tin, cô bé bắt đầu hỏi hắn:

He took off his glasses and now his face with nice eyes seemed to look different from his first-sighted unfriendly-looking appearance. He looked at a distant point and then looked back at the girl on the opposite seat, pretty-looking. His look seemed so trustworthy that the girls wanted to start a small talk with him. She said:

- Chú tên là gì?

- Anh! Hắn gọn lỏn.

- Anh đi chơi về hay đi làm?

- Đi làm ăn, về nhà nghỉ mấy hôm lại lên Trái Hút.

- Anh nhà ở Hà Nội à?

- Đúng rồi.

- Thế anh làm nghề gì, công an à?

- Không.

- Anh có phải phòng thuế hay kiểm lâm?

- Không. Nhìn giống lắm à?

- Không giống, nhưng em (cô bé không xưng cháu) đoán.*

- Thế em đi đâu? Nhà ở đâu? Sao lại đi một mình? Hắn dồn dập.

- Can I have your name?

- Anh! He replied abruptly.

- Are you on holiday or business?

- Business. Back home for some days and then return to Trai Hut.

- Do you live in Hanoi?

- Yes.

- So, what is your job, a policeman?

- No.

- Then, you are a tax-payer or forest ranger, aren’t you?

- No. Look like those?

- Not really, but me* just guess.

- Well, where is your destination? Where do you live? Why are you travelling alone? He asked her several questions at the same time.

- Nhà em ở Lào Cai, bố mẹ em làm công nhân mỏ apatit, em học xong lớp 12 rồi, nhưng thi trượt tốt nghiệp, ở nhà bị mắng nhiều quá em xin xuống nhà cậu em chơi ở Yên Bái cho đỡ buồn, nhưng có đứa bạn em nó về Hà Nội mấy tháng trước, nó rủ em về đó chơi và nếu thích thì nó xin cho em việc làm cùng nó cho vui. Thế là em đi Hà Nội. Cô bé rành rọt.

Đoàn tàu vẫn lao nhanh về phía trước, làn gió đồng bằng lùa vào mặt làm Hắn thấy nhẹ người vì sắp về tới nhà.

- I live in Lao Cai, and my parents work at the apatite mine, I’ve left school but failed the graduation exam. Tired of hearing grumbles from mum and dad I went to Yen Bai to live with my uncle, relaxing myself. And a friend of mine who went to Hanoi a few months ago invited me to the city to find a job to live and work with her, of course if I like. So I’m now going to Hanoi, she explaining clearly.

The train was dashing through the dark, the wind from the plain cooled his face, making him relieved and more eager to be back home.

- Anh ơi, cô bé hỏi phá ngang những ý nghĩ của hắn. Nhà anh ở phố nào, anh có biết số điện thoại này là khu nào không?

Hắn xem dãy số điện thoại cố định viết trên mẩu giấy của cô bé và đoán đây là khu Tây Hồ, cùng với đầu số khu vực hắn ở, đường Tô Ngọc Vân. Một thoáng băn khoăn hiện trong ánh mắt hắn, nhưng làn gió đã kịp lấy đi ngay.

- Excuse me, she interrupted his thinking, “Do you know this phone number? Where is the house with this phone number?” she asked, showing him a piece of paper with a phone number on it.

He looked at it and guessed the house may be in Tay Ho quarter, where his house is, that is, To Ngoc Van Street. Some worry appeared in his eyes but the cool wind wiped it out.

Hắn hỏi: Thế chưa biết nhà hay sao mà hỏi khu nào?

Cô bé đáp: Em chưa về Hà Nội lần nào, chỉ là bạn em nhắn và cho số điện thoại này, nó bảo cứ về tới ga Hàng Cỏ gọi điện là nó ra đón.

“Well, you don’t know the address, do you?” he asked.

“Never have I been to Hanoi in my life,” the girl answered, “and my friend sent me a message telling me to call this number as soon as the train arrives at Hang Co station, and she will be there to pick me up.”

- Được rồi, về đến Hà Nội anh giúp.

Ga Gia Lâm, còn chút nữa thôi là hắn được ăn cơm tối. Hành khách xuống gần hết, trên toa tầu còn lại vài người, cô bé ngồi ghế 19 tỏ ra lo lắng.

- Okay, I’ll help you when we arrive in Hanoi. “Oh, Gia Lam station, It won’t be long before he is at dinner with his family,” he thought. Most of the passengers had got off and the carriage was nearly deserted. There were a few passengers left including him and the girl opposite. She could not but be worried.

Anh ơi, đến Hà Nội rồi à, sao người ta xuống hết rồi mà anh chưa xuống, mắt bắt đầu đỏ hoe.

Hắn trấn an: Thế em có biết tầu về Hà Nội phải đi qua cầu Long Biên không? Đã thấy tầu đi qua đó chưa?

- Have we arrived in Hanoi? Almost all the passengers have got off. Why don’t you?

She said, her eyes turning red with tears.

He reassured her, “You should know that any train for Hanoi from Lao Cai has to go over the Long Bien bridge, shouldn’t you? Did you see the train go through it yet?

Cô bé có vẻ an tâm, và nói thêm: Anh phải gọi điện giúp em nhé.

Có vẻ nỗi lo đã chuyển hẳn sang hắn, hắn hỏi: Nếu bạn em không ở nhà thì sao?

- Thì em về nhà anh ngủ nhờ, hay em thuê khách sạn đến mai.

She appeared to feel safe, and added, “Will you call her for me, please?

It seemed that the worry was transferred to him, and he said, “What if your friend is not at home?
- Then I’ll ask you to put me up for a night or try to find an inn and wait till tomorrow.

- Chết thật! Thế có đủ tiền thuê không, không về nhà anh được. Mà em có giấy tờ gì tùy thân không mà đòi thuê khách sạn, đêm nếu người ta kiểm tra hành chính thì làm sao?

Cô bé khóc to thành tiếng, tiếng khóc thơ ngây và hối hận.

- Damn it! You can’t stay at my house at all. And you think you can afford a hotel room. And even if you could, would you have necessary identification for an administrative check? What if…?

She burst out crying, full of innocent sorrow and regret.

Tầu về ga Hàng Cỏ hơn tám giờ tối, chạy đúng giờ ra trò. Ra cửa ga, hắn vào cột điện thoại công cộng, quay số gọi người bạn của cô bé. Đầu dây bên kia trả lời:

- Chào anh, anh cần gặp ai?

- Xin lỗi tôi cần gặp cô B người Lào Cai.

- Anh ơi, cô B chuyển sang nơi khác làm việc rồi!

The train arrived at Hang Co station at 8.pm., surprisingly punctually. Outside the station, he got in a phone box and made a call for her friend. There was someone answering the phone:

- Hello, can I help you?

- Could I speak to B from Lao Cai, please?

- Sorry, but she has just moved to another place.

Cô bé sụt sùi, không dám khóc to, miệng mếu máo: Thế anh cho em về nhà anh ngủ nhờ rồi mai em về Lào Cai được không?

Hắn chạy sang đồn công an Trần Quý Cáp, nói gì đó với anh trực ban. Hắn quay ra bảo cô gái vào trong đồn công an ngồi, ngồi nguyên ở đó một lát hắn sẽ quay lại.

The girl shed tears, but didn’t dare to cry out, insisting, “Could you let me stay overnight at your place until I back to Lao Cai tomorrow morning?

He took her to a police station on Trần Quý Cáp street. He got in, talked with the duty officer for a while and then returned to her and told her to stay at the police station waiting for him to come back.

Hắn quay về trên tay cầm tấm vé tầu Hà Nội - Lào Cai chuyến 5h sáng mai và một bao thuốc lá. Cô gái đêm nay tá túc trong đồn công an, sáng mai anh công an sẽ đưa cô bé vào ga lên tàu sớm. Hắn không quên dặn cô bé nếu có cần gì trong đêm nay thì gọi cho hắn theo số điện nhà hắn. Hắn luôn biết cách để làm được như vậy!

After a while, he was back with a ticket for the Lao Cai train to leave at 5 a.m. the next morning and a package of cigarettes. Before he left the police station he told her to phone him at home anytime she needed his help. He was happy as he managed to find a solution to the problem. The girl stayed there overnight and was taken to the railroad station for the early train by a policeman.**

Vài tháng sau vợ hắn nói với hắn, có người phụ nữ nào đó trên tận Lào Cai gọi điện về đây và có nhắn lại rằng “Cám ơn anh rất nhiều, cháu nhà em đã đi học ôn thi lại để lấy bằng tốt nghiệp lớp 12".

A few months later his wife told him that a woman from Lao Cai phoned and left him this message: “Thank you very much, my daughter has returned to schooling to prepare for the coming graduation exam.

* chỗ này đành dịch là me vì trong tiếng Anh em hay cháu đều là I cả.

** chỗ này người dịch có thay đổi trật từ câu cho nó hợp với kiểu Anh hơn. Mong tác giả thông cảm.

Translated by nguyenquangy@gmail.com

http://nguyenxuandien.blogspot.com/2011/04/hoang-tien-cuong-chuyen-tau-ve.html

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Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Chuyến tầu về Câu chuyện của Hoàng Tiến Cường - A Train to the Capital City A story by Hoang Tien Cuong

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