Michael Chugani 褚简宁 - spring is in the air｜又中又英

It’s been more than seven months since I left Hong Kong for the US. I have been on the road for much of those seven months. The expression “on the road” means to continuously travel to different places. Since I left Hong Kong I have been to California, Texas, Georgia, Indiana, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York. I stayed put in New York for several months, then went back on the road again. To stay put means to remain in the same place. Last week I went back to Indianapolis in Indiana to stay at my elder sister’s house. Indianapolis has very cold winters but not as cold as New York.
I was in New York for part of the winter. At times it got so cold with so much snow that I wanted to go on the road again to Florida, a warmer state where my younger brother has a house. I didn’t go because I didn’t want to pack my suitcase yet again. I finally decided to go to my elder sister’s house because she had asked me many times to visit her again. She has a large backyard. Last week I saw some pretty birds in the backyard. These birds normally fly to warmer places in the winter and return in the spring. It was a pleasant and sunny day when I saw the birds. It was a sign that spring is in the air.

If spring is in the air, it means people can feel that spring will be arriving soon. Of the four seasons I love spring the most. The air is fresh and cool, the flowers start growing again, and the birds will return. When I lived in Washington DC many years ago, I had a big two-level house with a large backyard. Every spring I would plant the seeds for vegetables such as tomatoes and eggplant. The flower plants would grow new flowers and the trees would grow new leaves. Spring is a cheerful time of year.
＊

＊

＊
  自我离开香港到美国，已经七个月有多。这七个月以来，许多时间我都是on the road——习语“on the road”是指持续在旅途上，游历不同的地方。自我离开香港，我已到过加州、德州、佐治亚州、印第安纳州、特拉华州、马利兰州、宾夕凡尼亚州以及纽约。我留在（stayed put）纽约好几个月，然后又再重新上路（on the road）。To stay put是指待在同一个地方。上星期我回到印第安纳州的印第安纳坡里斯，住在我姊姊的屋里。印第安纳坡里斯有着非常冷的寒冬，但没有纽约那么冷。
  过去的冬天，有一部份时间我在纽约，到了严冬，冷得直下雪之际，我就很想再次踏上旅途（on the road）去佛罗里达，那是较为暖和的州份，我弟弟在那儿有间屋，但我并未成行，因为我不想再执拾行李。我最终决定去我姊的住处，因为她多次叫我再去探访她。她有一个偌大的后院，上星期，我在后院见到一些美丽的雀鸟，这些鸟通常会飞往较暖的地方过冬，在春天的时候回来。我见到雀鸟的那一天，是个和煦而阳光灿烂的一天，那就是spring is in the air的迹象。
  若spring is in the air，意即春意盎然，空气中弥漫着春天的气息。四季之中，我最爱春季。空气是那么清新凉爽，花儿又开始绽放，雀鸟又会回来。我多年前住在华盛顿特区之时，有一间两层大屋，也有一个大大的后花园。每年春季我都会种一些蔬菜的种子，例如番茄和茄子。花卉植物会再长出新花朵，树木又长新叶。在一年之中，春天是令人愉快的时节。
Michael Chugani 褚简宁