3. Roma, tùi bô kāng sè-tāi ū bô kāng ê ì-gī.
Nn̄g-lâng kú-kú kè-sio̍k tiām-tiām keng liân keng chē tī hia. Put-jî-kò, bīn-tùi hit-ê kō͘ tōa-jī Latin-gí siá "Lâng Lóng Ē Sí" (Memento Mori) ê phiau-gí, pàng lo̍h bô-chhái-kang ê oa̍h-tāng, tùi nn̄g-lâng lóng sī chi̍t-chióng kái-thoat. Slade Tt tāng to bô tāng chē leh, yi ê ba̍k-chi1 tèng tī Caesars Kiong-tiān ê n̂g-kim soaⁿ-phiâⁿ, iá kòe chi̍t-khùn, mā bô koh giú-la̍k yi ê handbag, tîm-lo̍h tī chhim-su ê chōng-thài. Kap chē-chē chhin-bi̍t ê pêng-iú kāng-khoán, chit nn̄g-ê lú-sū kòe-khì m̄-bat ū ki-hōe tiām-tiām chò-hóe, Ansley Tt sió-khóa gāi-gio̍h gāi-gio̍h, tī chiah chē nî í-āu yin ê iú-gî ká-ná koh chìn-ji̍p chi̍t-ê sin ê chhin-bi̍t kai-tōaⁿ, che soah hō͘ yi m̄-chai boeh án-chóaⁿ tùi-èng khah hó.
Hut-jiân kan, Roma gîn-sek thian-khong ē-bīn ê bî-hong put-sî thoân-lâi chi̍t-chūn chi̍t-chūn tin-tin tong-tong ê cheng-siaⁿ. Slade Tt lia̍h yi ê sî-pió-á khòaⁿ chi̍t-ē. "Í-keng gō͘-tiám ah," yi kóng, ná chhiūⁿ tio̍h-chi̍t-kiaⁿ.
Ansley Tt thê-chhut chi̍t-ê chhì-thàm sèng ê kiàn-gī: "Embassy Hotel gō͘-tiám ū kiô-pâi-hōe (bridge)." Kòe kú-kú Slade Tt lóng bô ìn. Yi ná-chhiūⁿ sit-lo̍h tī tîm-su, iá Ansley Tt mā siūⁿ-kóng he ōe yi bô thiaⁿ ji̍p-khì. M̄-koh, koh kòe chi̍t-khùn, yi ná chhiūⁿ hām-bîn án-ne kóng: "Kio-pâi, lí kóng kiô-pâi! Tî-hui lí chiok siūⁿ boeh khì, nā bô... M̄-koh, góa siūⁿ góa bē khì, lí chai lah."
"Oh, bô lah," Ansley kóaⁿ-kín kā yi pó-chèng kóng: "Góa chiah bô siūⁿ boeh khì. Chit-ê só͘-chāi chiâⁿ sù-sī; chhiong-móa chē-chē kì-tî, tō ná chhiūⁿ lí só͘ kóng ê." Yi koh chē hó-sè, koh thau-thau-á kā chiam-sòaⁿ the̍h chhut-lâi. Slade Tt gán tio̍h yi ê tōng-chok, m̄-koh kan-ta kā yi he pó-ióng kah chin hó ê siang-chhiú khǹg tī kha-thâu-u, tāng to bô tāng.
"Góa án-ne teh siūⁿ," yi ûn-ûn-á kóng, "Roma, tùi bô kāng sè-tāi ê lí-hêng-chiá ū siáⁿ bô kāng ê ì-gī. Tùi lán a-má hit-tāi ê lâng, sī Roma-jia̍t; tùi lán lāu-bú hit-tāi, sī lōng-bān loân-chêng ê hûi-hiám -- lán lóng hông koán kah chin giâm-keh! -- tùi lán ê cha-bó͘-kiáⁿ chit-tāi, hûi-hiám ê put-kò sī tōa-lō͘ tiong-ng ê chū-tōng-chhia. Yin lóng m̄-chai chiah-ê kòe-khì -- yin chhò-kòe ê ū-kàu chē!"
Tn̂g-tn̂g ê kim-sek ji̍t-kng khai-sí àm lo̍h-lâi, Ansley Tt kā kau-chiam the̍h khah óa ba̍k-chêng. "Sī ah, lán lóng hông koán kah ân-ân."
"Kòe-khì góa chóng-sī án-ne siūⁿ," Slade Tt kè-sio̍k kóng, "lán ê lāu-bú hit-tāi chhōa gín-á pí lán a-má hit-tāi khah sin-khó͘. Roma-jia̍t tī ke-lō͘ thòaⁿ-khui ê sî, tī ū hûi-hiám ê sî-chūn kā chă-gín-á kiò tńg lâi, siong-tùi khah kán-tan; m̄-koh, tī lí hām góa siàu-liân ê sî, lán hō͘ gōa-kháu ê kéng-sek siâⁿ tio̍h, iū-koh chham-chhap tio̍h poān-ge̍k ê kò-sèng, tī thiⁿ-àm liáu ê liâng-léng sî-kan chhut-mn̂g, siōng tōa ê hong-hiám put-kò sī kôaⁿ tio̍h, lāu-bú tio̍h hùi-chīn sim-ki chiah ū hoat-tō͘ kā lán lâu tī chhù-lāi -- kám m̄-sī ah!"
Yi koh oa̍t-kòe khòaⁿ Ansley Tt, m̄-koh yi tng-teh chhiah chi̍t-ê iù-lō͘ ê kang. "Chi̍t, nn̄g, saⁿ -- pàng nn̄g-chiam; sī ah, yin tiāⁿ-tio̍h sī án-ne," yi sūn Slade Tt ê ōe kóng, bô taⁿ-thâu khòaⁿ yi.
Slade Tt ba̍k-kng lâu tī yi ê sin siōng, koh-khah chim-chiok kā khòaⁿ. "Bīn-tùi chit-chióng chêng-hêng, yi iáu ū hoat-tō͘ chhiah chiam-sòaⁿ! Ná ū chit-khoán lâng..."
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3. Roma, 對無仝世代有無仝 ê 意義
兩人久久繼續恬恬肩連肩坐 tī hia. 不而過, 面對彼个 kō͘ 大字 Latin 語寫 "人 Lóng 會死" (Memento Mori) ê 標語, 放落無彩工 ê 活動, 對兩人 lóng 是一種解脫. Slade Tt 動 to 無動坐 leh, 她 ê 目睭釘 tī Caesars 宮殿 ê 黃金山坪, iá 過一睏, mā 無 koh giú-la̍k 她 ê handbag, 沉落 tī 深思 ê 狀態. Kap 濟濟親密 ê 朋友仝款, 這兩个女士過去 m̄-bat 有機會恬恬做伙, Ansley Tt 小可礙虐礙虐, tī chiah 濟年以後姻 ê 友誼 ká-ná koh 進入一个新 ê 親密階段, 這煞予她毋知欲按怎對應較好.
忽然間, Roma 銀色天空下面 ê 微風不時傳來一陣一陣 tin-tin tong-tong ê 鐘聲. Slade Tt 掠她 ê 時錶仔看一下. "已經五點 ah," 她講, ná 像著一驚.
Ansley Tt 提出一个試探性 ê 建議: "Embassy Hotel 五點有橋牌會 (bridge)." 過久久 Slade Tt lóng 無應. 她 ná 像失落 tī 沉思, iá Ansley Tt mā 想講 he 話她無聽入去. M̄-koh, koh 過一睏, 她 ná 像陷眠 án-ne 講: "橋牌, 你講橋牌! 除非你足想欲去, 若無... M̄-koh, 我想我袂去, 你知 lah."
"Oh, 無 lah," Ansley 趕緊 kā 她保證講: "我才無想欲去. 這个所在誠四序; 充滿濟濟記持, tō ná 像你所講 ê." 她 koh 坐好勢, koh 偷偷仔 kā 針線提出來. Slade Tt 眼著她 ê 動作, m̄-koh 干焦 kā 她 he 保養 kah 真好 ê 雙手囥 tī 跤頭趺, 動 to 無動.
"我 án-ne teh 想," 她勻勻仔講, "Roma, 對無仝世代 ê 旅行者有啥無仝 ê 意義. 對咱 a-má 彼代 ê 人, 是 Roma 熱; 對咱老母彼代, 是浪漫戀情 ê 危險 -- 咱 lóng hông 管 kah 真嚴格! -- 對咱 ê 查某囝這代, 危險 ê 不過是大路中央 ê 自動車. 姻 lóng 毋知 chiah-ê 過去 -- 姻錯過 ê 有夠濟!"
長長 ê 金色日光開始暗落來, Ansley Tt kā 勾針提較倚目前. "是 ah, 咱 lóng hông 管 kah 絚絚."
"過去我總是 án-ne 想," Slade Tt 繼續講, "咱 ê 老母彼代 chhōa 囡仔比咱 a-má 彼代較辛苦. Roma 熱 tī 街路湠開 ê 時, tī 有危險 ê 時陣 kā chă 囡仔叫轉來, 相對較簡單; m̄-koh, tī 你和我少年 ê 時, 咱予外口 ê 景色唌著, 又 koh chham-chhap 著叛逆 ê 個性, tī 天暗了 ê 涼冷時間出門, 上大 ê 風險不過是寒著, 老母著費盡心機才有法度 kā 咱留 tī 厝內 -- 敢毋是 ah!"
她 koh 越過看 Ansley Tt, m̄-koh 她 tng-teh 刺一个幼路 ê 工. "一, 兩, 三 -- 放兩針; 是 ah, 姻定著是 án-ne," 她順 Slade Tt ê 話講, 無 taⁿ 頭看她.
Slade Tt 目光留 tī 她 ê 身上, koh 較斟酌 kā 看. "面對這種情形, 她猶有法度刺針線! 那有這款人..."
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3.
For a long time they continued to sit side by side without speaking. It seemed as though, to both, there was a relief in laying down their somewhat futile activities in the presence of the vast Memento Mori which faced them. Mrs. Slade sat quite still, her eyes fixed on the golden slope of the Palace of the Caesars, and after a while Mrs. Ansley ceased to fidget with her bag, and she too sank into meditation. Like many intimate friends, the two ladies had never before had occasion to be silent together, and Mrs. Ansley was slightly embarrassed by what seemed, after so many years, a new stage in their intimacy, and one with which she did not yet know how to deal.
Suddenly the air was full of that deep clangor of bells which periodically covers Rome with a roof of silver. Mrs. Slade glanced at her wristwatch. "Five o'clock already," she said, as though surprised.
Mrs. Ansley suggested interrogatively: "There's bridge at the Embassy at five." For a long time Mrs. Slade did not answer. She appeared to be lost in contemplation, and Mrs. Ansley thought the remark had escaped her. But after a while she said, as if speaking out of a dream: "Bridge, did you say! Not unless you want to.... But I don't think I will, you know."
"Oh, no," Mrs. Ansley hastened to assure her. "I don't care to at all. It's so lovely here; and so full of old memories, as you say." She settled herself in her chair, and almost furtively drew forth her knitting. Mrs. Slade took sideways note of this activity, but her own beautifully cared-for hands remained motionless on her knee.
"I was just thinking," she said slowly, "what different things Rome stands for to each generation of travelers. To our grandmothers, Roman fever; to our mothers, sentimental dangers--how we used to be guarded!--to our daughters, no more dangers than the middle of Main Street. They don't know it--but how much they're missing!"
The long golden light was beginning to pale, and Mrs. Ansley lifted her knitting a little closer to her eyes. "Yes, how we were guarded."
"I always used to think," Mrs. Slade continued, "that our mothers had a much more difficult job than our grandmothers. When Roman fever stalked the streets it must have been comparatively easy to gather in the girls at the danger hour; but when you and I were young, with such beauty calling us, and the spice of disobedience thrown in, and no worse risk than catching cold during the cool hour after sunset, the mothers used to be put to it to keep us in--didn't they!"
She turned again toward Mrs. Ansley, but the latter had reached a delicate point in her knitting. "One, two, three--slip two; yes, they must have been," she assented, without looking up.
Mrs. Slade's eyes rested on her with a deepened attention. "She can knit--in the face of this! How like her.... "
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