Confessions of a
Backpacker
背包客的自白
by Laura Walker
中文翻譯：Reddy Ting Ho
「請謹記─如果乾淨的內褲一件也不剩，妳總是可以把他反過來穿。」
This was the last piece of advice my dad gave me before leaving on my around the world trip, much to the dismay of my mother who gave him the look. You know- that look that anyone who has been married 30+ years can give to their spouse which will be completely disregarded. Little did my mother know, I would be taking my dad up on his advice. There are many things about my trip that are probably best left unpublished on the World Wide Web- but, being ‘professional’ (aka serious) just isn’t my style, and I like to keep things interesting so it’s time for me to go to travel confessional.
這是開始環球旅行前，老爸給我的最後建議。老媽聽到時很不爽地瞪了他一眼，就是那種完全會被結婚三十多年的伴侶忽視的不爽眼神。我媽不知道的是，我還真的實現了我爸的建議。有很多旅途中發生的事也許最好別在網路上發表，但「專業」(或可說是嚴肅)可不像我的風格，而且我也想保持有趣的特色，所以現在即是我的旅遊自白時間。
One: I went commando in Cape Town. As desperation set in, I had no choice. For the first time on my trip I was going to have to pay to do laundry, since a single bathroom sink shared with 20 other girls was not an option. I was hoping to wait as long as possible so that I would have clean clothes when I flew to Thailand. However, as it turns out, I waited too long, and after the ‘turn it inside out day’ I was forced, yes there was no choice, to go…. Commando. That’s right, I turned in every last bit of clothing except what I was wearing, including every last pair of underwear. You see, I would have been okay, except for point two (see below). I would like to say, though, that it was only semi-commando because I at least wore running shorts, which attempt to have built-in underwear in them.
一：在開普敦露屁屁。極度絕望的狀況下，我別無選擇。這是旅程中第一次我必需付錢洗衣服，二十個女生共用的浴室水槽可不是個好辦法。我希望盡可能的忍，這樣飛到泰國時就會有乾淨的衣服。結果忍太久，在「反過來穿之日」後，我不得不－沒穿內褲。沒錯，我已經把身上那件之外的所有衣服都反過來穿，包括每一條內褲。看吧，這沒啥問題，除了以下的第二點（見下文）。我想說的是，其實那只算「半裸」，因為至少我穿了一件附有內褲的慢跑褲。
Two: I left a pair of underwear hanging in a tree in Botswana. I was camping and had the perfect tree with branches that were good for hanging my freshly washed laundry from. Unfortunately, as I scrambled to collect my clothing in the dark the next morning before heading to the bus station, I didn’t grab everything. Bummer.
二：把一條內褲留在波札那的樹上。我在一棵有許多樹枝，方便晾乾剛洗好衣物的完美樹下紮營。不巧的是，第二天清晨在黑暗中胡亂的收拾趕去巴士站，卻沒帶齊所有的衣服。真衰。
Three: There are days when I absolutely hate being a backpacker! Days when I have to haul all of my stuff on my back for a few kilometers, days when I can’t find a place to stay and all I want to do is sleep- those days are hard. My friend in Southeast Asia was flying to Madrid when I was off to Berlin. I hoped to have a limo waiting for me at the airport in Berlin. It didn’t happen. When I decided to travel long-term I knew I would be on a shoestring budget. And I was okay with that. But I have promised myself that I will take at least one hassle-free, all-inclusive vacation in my life that is stress free!
三：有些時候超恨當一個背包客！當我得把所有家當扛在背上走好幾公里時，當我很想睡覺卻找不到一個地方歇腳時；那些時候真的很難熬。出發去柏林時，我在東南亞的朋友正要飛往馬德里。我希望有台加長型禮車在柏林機場迎接我，那並沒有成真。我知道要長程旅行，預算勢必得壓低，我也能接受。但是我對自己承諾，這一生中至少要來一趟沒有壓力、不用煩惱的全包式假期！
Four: I had a complete meltdown on my 14-hour flight to Bangkok. I’m not talking just a tear or two either. I was leaving behind Africa, my favorite continent that I traveled through. I was leaving behind boys in Kenya that I dearly missed already. I was reflecting on my experience in a South African township with a woman that has more courage and determination than I ever will. I was thinking about the stories I heard about the Rwandan genocide, and my guides there that lost their families to brutality beyond comprehension. I cried for myself. I cried for the African people. And finally, I cried over the guilt of crying for these people who have gone through experiences I will never go through. What gives me the right to cry? Yes, I was a mess. Luckily for me (but not for her) the woman next to me was not mentally stable as the result of a brain injury so I think she was completely unaware. Of course I met a close friend in Bangkok and that was the end of my cryfest!
四：經過十四個小時的飛行，在抵達曼谷時完全崩潰。不只是流下一兩行眼淚，而是我離開了非洲，那片我旅行過最喜愛的大陸；離開了那些我已開始想念的肯亞男孩。我思考著在南非鄉鎮，和一個有著我永遠無法擁有的勇氣和決心的女人相處的經驗；我想著聽過的那些關於盧安達大屠殺的故事，和那些因難以理解的殘酷暴行而失去家人的導遊們。我為自己流淚，我為非洲人民流淚。最後，我為這種「為這些經歷過我永遠不會碰到的經驗哭泣」的罪惡感流淚。我哪來流淚的權利？是的，我情緒一團亂。對我來說很幸運（但對她來說並不是）我旁邊的女人因為腦部受創而有智能障礙，所以她應該完全沒注意到我的崩潰。當然在曼谷我和一個好友見面，也終結了我的淚水。
Five: I wore the same outfit four days in a row (although this time I wore clean underwear everyday!). I froze my ass off camping in Africa and wore everything I owned.
五：每四天重複穿同樣的衣服（但這次我每天都穿乾淨的內褲！）在非洲露營時冷爆了，我就把所有的衣物穿上身。
Six: I had a wussy moment in Kenya, and rather than facing the lizards, cockroaches, and possible tarantulas in the squat toilet at night, I decided to go in the bushes. After that I realized how ridiculous I was being and got over it the next day. Of course a toad jumped on me as I was passing the pig pen and I squealed like one of them.
六：在肯亞的軟腳時刻。不想在夜晚的蹲式廁所面對蜥蝪、蟑螂、或狼蛛，我決定去草叢裡解決。之後我了解到這有多蠢，第二天就克服了。當然在經過豬圈時有隻蟾蜍跳到我身上，我尖叫的像那些豬一樣。
Seven: I didn’t brush my hair for a week because I misplaced my hairbrush. I still washed it though, so that’s not really a big deal, is it?
七：因為找不到梳子，一個禮拜沒梳頭。我還是有洗頭，所以這應該不是個大問題吧？！
八：吃了蚱蜢，而且也說服我朋友品嚐！這是我很自豪的一個自白：）
Nine: I sat on the side of the road in Laos, thinking about giving up, as my friend patiently looked on. My bike was stuck in the highest gear, we were on a long uphill ride, and I was just so over it! Luckily, I got it together to finish, but I thought about lying there forever.
九：攤坐在寮國的路邊打算放棄，我朋友耐心地旁觀。我的腳踏車卡在最高檔，而我們得騎一個長長的上坡，我真想放棄！還好後來同心協力的完成，但是我曾想就永遠地躺在那。
Ten: I got a violent stomach bug that left me puking in Bali. I thought, ‘if I have to suffer through this thing physically, my family has to suffer through hearing the details of it!’. Too bad I sent it to Adam of SitDownDisco.com rather than Adam in my family. Yes, it was horrifying for me, but this poor guy I just met a week ago had to read about it!
十：在巴里島染上劇烈胃病狂吐不止。我想著：「如果我得受生理上地折磨，那我的家人也得受聽到這個消息的折磨！」所以我告訴SitDownDisco.com部落格的Adam，而不是我家的那個Adam。真的，對我來說很可怕，但這個我剛認識一週的可憐男孩得讀這則消息！
I would consider this list just the start of my confessions. Or at least, these are the ones that I was actually willing to write about. I know many of you have a few things of your own to admit from your travels (hint hint, please tell the world about them here).
這些事蹟僅僅是我自白錄的開頭。至少，這些是我真正願意寫下來的事。我知道很多人也有許多旅程中想要承認的事（嘿，在這向這個世界訴說你的事蹟吧）
Note: I would like to point out that even though there seems to be a multitude of hygiene confessions, I’m really not a dirty girl. I promise! I travel with three toothbrushes!
註：我要說的是雖然看起來我有許多關於衛生的自白，但我真的不是個髒女孩。我發誓！我帶了三隻牙刷旅行！
原文出處：Confessions of a Backpacker
沒有留言:
張貼留言