长洲岛的一天
One island. Ten fish balls.
A little more courage than before.
一座小岛，十颗鱼蛋，
还有比出发时，多了那么一点的勇气。
At eight, I met the group. The organisers gave us three little cards, and I put them somewhere safe. I was still a little sleepy, but my bag was packed. For once, an ordinary morning was going to lead somewhere I had never been.
八点，我和活动的小伙伴们集合。老师发给我们三张小卡片，我小心地收好。我还有一点困，不过背包已经准备好了。这个平常的早晨，要带我去一个没去过的地方。
We rode into Hong Kong in a coach with a Hong Kong number plate. The journey took about two hours. Outside the window, buildings and trees kept changing places. Then the road ended at the harbour, and our next ride was waiting on the water.
我们坐着港牌车进入香港，路上大约花了两个小时。窗外的楼房和树不停地向后跑。后来，公路到了码头边，下一程要坐的船，已经停在水上了。
The fast ferry took roughly half an hour, as I remember it. I watched the white wake stretch behind us until it looked like a line someone had drawn across the sea. I tried to follow it with my eyes. The boat was quicker.
印象里，快船坐了大约半个小时。我看着船后的白色浪花越拖越长，好像有人在海上画了一条线。我想用眼睛一直追着那条线，可是船开得更快。
We reached Cheung Chau at about eleven. Fishing boats rocked beside the waterfront, and the island seemed to be waiting without being in a hurry. We stopped for a group photo at our check-in spot. I was in the picture, but I was already looking at everything else.
十一点左右，我们到了长洲。渔船在岸边轻轻摇晃，岛上好像谁也不着急。我们先去打卡点合影。人是站在照片里了，眼睛却忍不住到处看。
We followed the waterfront into the little streets. There were people choosing snacks, bowls being passed across counters, and warm smells that made it difficult to keep walking. I had only just arrived, but I was ready for the first important part of the day: something to eat.
我们沿着海边走进小街。有人在挑小吃，有人把碗递过柜台，空气里的香味让人不太走得动。我才刚上岛，就已经准备好做今天的第一件大事：吃点东西。
Ten fish balls. I remember that number very clearly. They were warm and a little springy, and I ate them one by one. There was a sticky-rice snack too. Some parts of a trip are hard to explain afterwards. This part was easy: I was very happy to be there.
十颗鱼蛋，这个数字我记得特别清楚。热热的，咬起来有一点弹，我一颗一颗地吃。还有糯米做的小吃。有些旅行的事，回来以后很难讲清楚。这一段倒是很简单：那时候，我真的很开心。
After the snacks, we went to look at the sea. I stood where the sand was dark and shiny, watching the water come and go. Each wave stopped at a slightly different place. I thought I knew how far the next one would reach. I did not.
吃完小吃，我们去看海。我站在颜色深深、亮亮的湿沙上，看海水一下来、一下退。每一道浪停下来的地方都不太一样。我以为自己猜得到下一道浪能到哪里。其实没有。
One wave came farther than I expected. My shoes got wet, and suddenly every step felt wrong. So we bought a pair of slippers. They were not part of the plan, but they made a very satisfying little sound as I walked. The day carried on, only with different shoes.
一道浪比我想的跑得更远，鞋子就湿了。接下来每走一步，都觉得不大对劲。于是，我们去买了一双拖鞋。这本来不在计划里，不过穿着它走路，声音还挺好听。游记继续，只是换了一双鞋。
At lunch, we sat down together as a group. I had a steaming bowl of noodles. After all that walking, it felt good to have something warm and a chair that stayed still. For a while, the whole island became the small space around our table.
午饭时，我们和大家坐在一起。我吃了一碗热气腾腾的汤面。走了那么久，能坐在一把不动的椅子上，吃点暖暖的东西，真舒服。那一会儿，好像整座岛都缩到了我们的桌子旁边。
After lunch, we climbed towards Cheung Po Tsai Cave. The path grew steeper and the rocks grew bigger. I had heard the cave was linked to a pirate and stories of hidden treasure. That was enough to make the walk feel different. Every dark gap between the rocks looked worth a second look.
午饭后，我们往张保仔洞走。路越来越陡，石头也越来越大。听说那个洞和海盗张保仔有关，还有藏宝的传说。光是知道这些，爬山就变得不一样了。石头间每一道黑黑的缝，都值得再看一眼。
I had imagined a treasure cave with plenty of room. This one was a narrow opening between rocks. I looked at it, then at the person in front of me. We went carefully, one at a time. Outside, the island had felt wide and bright. Here, I had to pay attention to where I put my feet.
我本来以为，藏宝洞里面应该很宽敞。眼前却只是石头之间的一道窄缝。我看看洞口，又看看前面的人。我们小心地一个接一个往里走。外面的岛又大又亮，到了这里，就得认真看清脚要往哪里放。
Inside, it was really dark. And really narrow. I turned a little sideways and moved carefully through the tight parts, staying close to the group. I could not see any treasure. Mostly I was thinking about the next step—and the small bit of light that meant we were nearly out.
里面真的很黑，也真的很窄。有的地方要侧一侧身，才能小心地挤过去。我紧紧跟着队伍，没有看见什么宝藏。那时候想得最多的，是下一步怎么走，还有前面那一点点亮光——看见它，就快出去了。
Coming out felt better than I had expected. There was the sky again, and space to stand properly. We rested for a while and had something else to eat. I liked that part too: not doing anything difficult, just sitting down with the sea somewhere nearby.
走出来的时候，比我想的还要开心。又看得见天空了，也终于能舒舒服服地站直。我们休息了一会儿，又吃了点东西。我也很喜欢这一段：不用再做什么费劲的事，只要坐一坐，知道海就在旁边。
Eventually, it was time to go back to the ferry. The streets did not seem quite so strange now. I recognised bits of the waterfront, and the boats were still gently rocking where we had left them. It felt as if the island had stayed still while I had collected a whole day.
后来，到了回码头的时候。那些小街已经没有刚来时那么陌生了。我认出了海边的几处地方，渔船还在那里轻轻摇着。好像岛一直没动，而我已经在上面收集了满满一天。
We got back on the boat. I watched the shore become smaller, then less clear. The journey home felt long. I was tired enough to be quiet, but little bits of the day kept coming back: ten fish balls, a wave, the sound of slippers, a narrow strip of light.
我们重新上了船。我看着岸边一点点变小，慢慢变得不那么清楚。回家的路感觉很长，我累得安静了下来，可是白天的小片段还在脑子里冒出来：十颗鱼蛋，一道浪，拖鞋的声音，还有洞里那一点光。
We were home at about seven. It had been a very long day. If someone asked me what we had done, I could make a list. But the day did not feel like a list. It felt like one long thing, from the cards in the morning to the light at our door. And I had been inside all of it.
七点左右，我们到家了。真是很长的一天。如果有人问我去了哪里、做了什么，我可以列一张清单。可是，这一天又不只是清单。它像很长很长的一条线，从早上那几张卡片，一直连到家门口的灯光。而我，就在这整条线里面。