我们学校的郊游野餐
OUR SCHOOL PICNIC

All work and no play make Jack a dull boy. With this saying in mind our class went on a picnic one sunny day.

As we were crossing the harbor, a panorama presented itself before our eyes. The eastern sky was painted red while golden sunbeams gloriously pierced through the morning fog and lighted up the whole world. Acrobatic seagulls were giving a fascinating performance of fancy somersaults over the glistering, watery carpet. Houses on either side of the harbor were still half asleep amid the morning mist.

When the ferry was at last tied beside Kowloon pier, we disembarked and assembled on the bus which would take us to our destination——Castle Peak, a lofty mountain situated on the south-western end of the Kowloon Peninsula. After staying in the concourse for about five minutes it finally shook itself off the queue and began its long journey.

Our bus was a mad symphony of engine, horn, laughter, off tune singing and shouting. This went on for half an hour. After that our spirits subsided to a calmer journey. Only then did we notice we were on the outskirts of town. Buildings became fewer and fewer as our bus seemed to drive faster and faster. In place of busy streets and crowded houses were fields and hills, and huts dotted here and there along the country-side. All these seemed to be traveling too as our bus drove past. Now and again we saw a worn-out sampan playing hide-and-seek with the fishes. Bathing-sheds half-hidden alongside the road were now a familiar sight.

No sooner had our destination come into sight than the girls went wild with delight and cried “Hurrah!” At last the driver put on the brake and the exhausted engine came to a standstill. Having alighted we were divided into four groups, ten in each, and patiently awaited the teacher’s “Forward march!” if you have seen a screen comedy about army recruits, you don’t need much imagination to picture what the 40 of us looked like at the bus terminus.

Half an hour later found some of us racing in the fields while others tried catching fish in the stream with their bare hands. As our group was particularly fond of hiking, we decided to challenge Castle Peak. We were almost half-way up when the slope suddenly turned sharp and barren. We stopped for breath, but there was neither a branch to shade us nor a rock to ease our feet. We tramped steadily. Luckily the climb was easier than we had anticipated. Once we were on the summit the atmosphere changed. Here peace and tranquility reigned. No more noises from vehicles or trains. The trees were whistling low and the grass nodding its welcome for us.

It was then 11.00 a.m. and the cries of our empty stomachs brought us into action. Some went gathering dried-up branches for the stove while others fetched fresh water from a nearby stream. Thus we prepared our mid-day meal-but you can be sure we were not prepared for the sandy seasoning we got in our cooking.

With pots and pans aside we could at last enjoy the sight of delicate butterflies fluttering gaily among blooms and bushes, and white clouds sailing unhurriedly. About 100 yards downhill, there was a spring let foaming and dashing, leaping and rushing over rocks and pebbles. Are these not the manifestation of God’s power? They are the miracles which we often insist as non-existent.

As everything must have its beginning so also has it its end. Soon the day turned to sunset and we must pack up for the return journey. Though reluctant and sad were our hearts, the thought that should another occasion arise we would surely revisit it was a great consolation.

完全工作而无游戏，会使杰克变成笨孩子的。我们心中记住了这个俗语，在晴明的一天，全班去交游野餐.

我们渡过海港时，一幅风景便呈现在我们的眼前了，东边天上发红，黄金色的太阳光线，灿烂地穿透晨雾，照明全世界。好像卖艺人的海鸥，在发亮的水做的地毯上，表演出迷人的翻筋斗把戏。海港两边的屋子，还在早晨烟霞中半睡着哩。

渡海小轮终于缚在九龙码头边时，我们起船而集合在那个要带我们到目的地「青山」去的巴士站。青山，是一座巍巍高山，坐落于九龙半岛的西南端。在总站停留了大约五分钟后，巴士便从长列中开了出来，开始驶上远途。

我们这部巴士，可说是一个疯狂的交响乐，是引擎、号筒、大笑声、北了调子的歌声，以及喊嚷声等等组成的交响乐，这情况差不多持续了半小时久，此后，我们的情绪便降下，沿途较为肃静。只是到此时，我们才注意到，我们已在市郊了。我们的巴士渐驶渐快，屋子也越来越少了。替代了城中所见的闹市与拥挤的屋宇的，是田野与山，沿着乡村一带，点缀着茅舍小屋。当我们巴士驶过时，这些田野山林屋宇也似乎是在旅行的样子。我们偶或见到一艘敝旧小舟，跟海中鱼族做捉迷藏游戏。沿路喧半隐藏着的泳棚，现在已是频频入眼了。

目的地入眼帘，我们全数女孩们都高兴得喊起来了。最后，司机煞住了车，力尽的引擎停下，下了车以后，我们分成四组，每组十人，耐心地等候老师的「开步走」。如果你在电影喜剧上，看过新兵入伍，你可以不必怎样想像，便能想像我们这四十人，在巴士终点站的样子怎样了。

半小时后，我们有些人在田野中竞走，有些人凭她们的赤手，去在河流捕鱼。我们这一组的人特别喜欢徒步旅行，我们便决定攀上青山，我们几乎攀上到半途了，山的斜坡突然转峻，枯瘠没有树木，我们停下喘息，但没有一枝树枝可以遮蔽，也没有一块石可以歇脚，我们再稳定地上去。幸而这一攀登，比我们预料的还容易，我们一到山巅，大气便改变了。这里一片宁静，再没有车辆或火车，发出喧闹声。树林低低吹起哨子声，草点着头在欢迎我们。

那时已是上午十一时了，我们的空肚子在喊饿，要我们动手做事了。有些人便去采集干枯树枝来生起炉火。另有些其他的人，去附近河边汲水。由是乎我们准备起我们的午餐，但可以料定的是，我们并没有在烹调时要用炒来调味的。

把罐和盘抛在一边后，我们终于可以欣赏美丽的蝴蝶在花叶中快乐飞翔，白云慢慢驶过天空。在向山下的一百码处，有一个小泉水喷沫，奔流跳过大石小石。这些难道不是上帝的力量的表现么？而那是我们常坚执为并没有存在的奇迹。

凡事有始，也必有终。不久，已是日落时候，我们须收拾回去。我们的心虽然不大愿意，而且不乐，但是想到如果再有机会，我们便会再来游，这一想也就是大安慰了。