祈盼清風(fēng)：關(guān)掉空調(diào)后-1

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　　"No air conditioning? How can you sleep?" a friend asks, horrified. I've just revealed that my family has decided to shut the air conditioner off to save money.

　　"Nobody opens a window, day or night," warns another friend, whose windows have been painted shut for a decade. "It's just not safe."

　　On this first night of our cost-cutting adventure, it's only 30 degrees. We're not going to suffer, but the three kids grumble anyway. They've grown up in 22-degree comfort, protected from the heat outside.

　　"How do you open these windows?" my husband asks. Shaking the window handle, he finally releases one. Lots of dead insects lie on the windowsill. As we spring the windows one by one, the night noises howl outside ―― and in.

　　"It's too hot to sleep," my 13-year-old daughter moans. "I'm about to die from this heat," her brother yells down the corridor. "Just try it tonight," I tell them. In truth I'm too tired to argue for long. My face is sweaty, but I lie quietly listening to the cricket choirs outside that remind me of childhood. The neighbor's dog howls. No doubt a squirrel. It's been years since I've taken the time to really listen to the night.

　　I think about Grandma, who lived to 92 and still managed the upkeep of my Mom's garden until just a few weeks before she died. And then, I'm back there at her house in the summer heat of my childhood. I move my pillow to the foot of Grandma's bed and angle my face toward the open window. I flip the pillow, hunting for the cooler side. ( to be continued)

　　中文：

　　“不開(kāi)空調(diào)？你睡得著嗎？”聽(tīng)說(shuō)我家為了省電要把家里的空調(diào)關(guān)掉時(shí)，我的朋友一臉驚愕。

　　“現(xiàn)在誰(shuí)敢開(kāi)窗？”另一個(gè)朋友警告說(shuō)，“不管是白天還是晚上都不安全！”她家的窗戶刷過(guò)漆后，已經(jīng)塵封了十年。

　　在開(kāi)始省電的第一天晚上，氣溫不過(guò)30度。我們不覺(jué)得難受，3個(gè)孩子卻抱怨連天。他們是在22度的溫室里被呵護(hù)長(zhǎng)大的，與外界隔絕。

　　“這些窗戶該怎么開(kāi)呀？”丈夫搖晃著金屬插銷，終于打開(kāi)了一扇。各種各樣的昆蟲(chóng)尸體裝點(diǎn)著窗臺(tái)。隨著窗戶被一扇一扇地打開(kāi)，縈繞在外的夜聲涌了進(jìn)來(lái)。

　　13歲的女兒不停地嘀咕：“太熱了！怎么睡??！” “我快被熱死了！”她弟弟的牢騷也從客廳的另一頭傳了過(guò)來(lái)。 “今晚就試試好嗎？” 我對(duì)他們說(shuō)。我實(shí)在太累了，不想和他們費(fèi)口舌。臉上汗涔涔的，但我還是靜靜地躺著，聽(tīng)著窗外蟋蟀的合唱，勾起了我童年的記憶。鄰居的狗突然狂叫起來(lái)，可能是只松鼠驚動(dòng)了它。我已經(jīng)好多年沒(méi)有工夫靜下心來(lái)傾聽(tīng)夜的傾訴了。

　　我想起了外婆。她活了92歲，直到去世的前幾周，還在幫媽媽照料花園。此時(shí)，我好像又回到了外婆的小屋，回到小時(shí)候的夏季熱浪中。我把枕頭挪到外婆的床尾，臉沖著開(kāi)著的窗戶，還是熱。于是我不停地翻動(dòng)枕頭，想找涼快的一面。（待續(xù)）

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