第34章 西雅图的雨

    Rain of Seattle

    西雅图的雨

    Anonymous/佚名

    I’ve got a deep secret few people understand and even fewer will admit to sharing.It‘s time to tell the truth：I love the rain，deeply and passionately and more than the sun.At least I live in the right place，famous for its damp weather and spawning its own genuine rainforest.I can’t imagine living anywhere else than the Pacific Northwest.The sun shines so infrequently that my friends forget where they put their sunglasses.Gloomy clouds cause many people around here to suffer from seasonal affective disorder.Yet I welcome the rain.

    Seattleites will say they like how rain keeps the city green，how clean the air tastes afterwards.My real reason for enjoying the rain is steeped in pure selfishness when it‘s mucky outside，I don’t have to do anything.I can spend the afternoon curled up reading，build a fire and make a big pot of spiced tea.I can sleep in late，waking up occasionally to hear soothing patter on the roof，water racing down the gutter.Nobody expects me to leave my house or do anything overly productive.Maybe I‘ll invite a few friends over to watch an old movie or play a board game.Friends’expectations are low and easy to meet.

    Summer in Seattle is beautiful but exhausting.The sunny，gorgeous weather and blue skies draw Seattleites from their cozy little homes，ready to dry out and have fun.People go hiking，biking，canoeing.Folks work in their gardens，wash their cars and attend outdoor concerts in the park all in the same day！The effort involved to throw a party ratchets up several notches，as people host barbecues and picnics and water-skiing parties.

    我有一个秘密，这个秘密很少有人知道，而且几乎无人愿意与我分享。现在该是把它公之于众的时候了：我爱雨，如此之深、如此之切，甚至超过了对太阳的热爱。至少我的容身之地刚好符合这个条件——因其潮湿的天气和郁郁葱葱的雨林而遐迩闻名。我想不出哪儿还能比太平洋西北部更适合自己居住了。在这里，太阳总是“深居简出”，以至于我的朋友们都不知把太阳镜放到哪里去了。阴郁的天空总会让许多生活在这里的人遭受季节性的情绪躁动，然而我却欢迎雨天的到来。

    西雅图人会说他们喜欢让雨把整个城市变绿，雨后的空气总是清新怡人。但对我而言，喜欢雨的真正原因却完全是出于自身的考虑。因为每到雨天，外面的道路泥泞不堪时，我就会把一下午的大部分时间耗在自家的火炉旁，除了品茶看书，什么也不做。我可以睡到很晚，时而醒来倾听雨水打在屋檐上的声音，以及雨水从屋檐上急流而下的声音。没有人会邀我去干些特别有建设性的事情。

    西雅图的夏天如此美丽却又令人疲惫不已。晴朗的天气和蔚蓝的天空吸引着西雅图人走出安逸舒适的小家，去干爽的户外寻找乐趣。人们会去远足、骑车、划船，还会修整自家的花园、洗车以及去公园听露天音乐会——所有这一切都要在这一天做完！不过，在他们参加烤肉、野餐以及水上派对时，会把派队分组来进行活动。（未完待续）