族譜 Genealogy 系譜学 族谱

爸爸 曾經 講 過 ， 佢 細個 嗰陣 返 過 一 次 鄉下 ， 但 之後 就 冇 再 返 過 。 Dad once told me that he had been to the countryside once in a while, but he had not been back since then. 所以 佢 成日 都 話 ， 咁大個人 都 唔 太 清楚 鄉下 發生 過 咩 事 。

而 我 呢 ， 就 喺 香港 出世 ， 唔使講 ， 我 從來 都 冇 返 過 鄉下 啦 。 And I was born in Hong Kong, not to mention, I have never been back to the countryside. 但 記得 爸爸 講 過 我哋 鄉下 有 本 族譜 ， 記載 咗 好多 代 人 嘅 資料 ， 好似 話 最 早 可以 追溯 到 宋朝 ， 即係 話 本 族譜 已經 有 八百 年 以上 歷史 ， 仲 早 過 中國 四 大 名著 呀 ！ But I remember my father told me that there is a family tree in our village, which has recorded information of many generations, and it seems that it can be traced back to the Song Dynasty, that is, the family tree has a history of more than 800 years, and it is older than the Four Great Chinese Novels!

至於 本 族譜 而家 係 點 ， 爸爸 話 唔 清楚 。 As for the genealogy and the family relationship, my father was not clear. 但 佢 喺 爺爺 臨終 前 應承 過 爺爺 ， 話 會 帶 我 返去 鄉下 睇 下 ， 可以 話 係 尋根 ， 亦 好 想 將 我 個 名 寫入 族譜 —— 之不過 我 係 女仔 ， 爸爸 都 冇 十足 嘅 把握 可以 噉做 ， 但 我 係 佢 唯一 嘅 後代 ， 所以 佢 決定 帶 我 返 鄉下 試 一 鋪 。 But before he died, he promised his grandfather that he would take me to the countryside to see me, so he could say that he was looking for his roots and wanted to put my name in the family tree - but I was a girl and my father didn't have a lot of control over that, but I was his only descendant, so he decided to take me to the countryside to try it out.

我 剩係 記得 佢 話 ︰ 「 咪 試 下 囉 ， 唔得 都 起碼 叫做 帶 過 你 返 鄉下 睇 下 吖 ！ I remember her saying, "Try it, you can't at least take you back to your hometown to see it! 」 The "C"

我哋 避開 新年 去 ， 因為 內地 每逢 過年 都 有 春運 ， 全 國 啲 人 都 會 返 鄉下 ， 到時 內地 各 種 交通 工具 啲 位 賣 哂 ， 我哋 返 唔 返 到 去 都 會 成 問題 ， 所以 我哋 揀 咗 六月 去 ， 噉 返去 就 有 大把 交通 選擇 嘞 。 We avoided going to New Year's Eve because every New Year's Eve there is a Spring Festival in the Mainland and people from all over the country will go back to their hometowns, so it will be a problem for us to go back to the Mainland because all kinds of transportation are available.

返 到 去 鄉下 ， 村口 係 一 棵 幾 層 樓 高 嘅 榕樹 ， 後面 有 個 中式 牌坊 ， 再 後面 就 係 一 條 路 。 At the entrance of the village, there is a banyan tree several stories high, a Chinese pagoda behind it, and a road behind it. 沿住 條 路 兩邊 矗立 咗 新 同 舊 屋 ， 舊 嗰啲 舊 到 清朝 、 類似 四合院 嘅 都 有 ， 而 新 嗰啲 就 似 係 呢 幾 年 先 起 好 落成 、 有 幾 層 高 嘅 瓷磚 外牆 屋 。 Along both sides of the road, there are new and old houses, the old ones are as old as the Qing Dynasty and resemble courtyards, while the new ones seem to have been built a few years ago and have tiled facades several stories high.

我哋 行 到 去 村長 間 屋 ， 爸爸 喺 門口 自我 介紹 一 番 ， 又 攞出 佢 細個 同 爺爺 影 嘅 相 ， 再 寒喧 一陣 ， 村長 就 請 我哋 入去 ， 話 要 熱情 招待 我哋 。 We went to the village headman's house, where my father introduced himself at the door, took his picture with his grandfather, and after a short chat, the village headman invited us in and said he would treat us warmly. 但 爸爸 話 大家 同鄉 ， 簡簡單單 就 得 啦 —— 結果 村長 嗰 晚 親自 下廚 ， 請 我 同 爸爸 食飯 。 But Dad said we were all from the same village, so it was just a simple matter - and the mayor himself cooked for me and Dad that night.

嗰 晚 我哋 傾 咗 鄉下 咁 多 年 嚟 發生 嘅 事 ， 村長 講到 城市化 係 點樣 令到 鄉下 啲 後生仔 出 晒 城 ， 搞到 條 村 剩 返 啲 老年人 。 That night we talked about what had been happening in the countryside for so many years. The village headman told us how urbanization had made the young people in the countryside leave the city, leaving some old people in the village. 不過 出城 嘅 人 每 年 都 會 畀 少少 錢 幫 條 村 搞 翻新 ， 或者 定時 返嚟 幫手 夾 錢 維修 。 But every year, people who go out of town give a little money to help renovate the village, or come back regularly to help with the repairs. 席間 ， 爸爸 都 有 講 到 族譜 嘅 事 ， 村長 話 本 族譜 仲 喺度 ， 一直 都 有 更新 ； 但 對於 爸爸 話 想 加 我 個 名 落去 ， 村長 就 話 有 保留 。 During the meeting, my father talked about the genealogy, and the village chief said that the genealogy was still in existence and was always being updated. 但 佢 話 有 其他 同鄉 都 係 生 獨女 ， 亦 提出 過 類似 諗法 ， 所以 佢 會 再 認真 諗諗 ， 如果 真係 成事 就 通知 我哋 。 But she said that other people from her hometown are having an only daughter and have raised similar ideas, so she will seriously think about it again and let us know if it really works out.

我哋 喺 嗰度 留 咗 一 晚 ， 第二 日 就 啟程 返 香港 。 We stayed there for one night and departed for Hong Kong the next day. 直到 今日 ， 爸爸 都 仲 等 緊 村長 嘅 電話 。 To this day, my father is still waiting for the village chief's call. 希望 有朝一日 ， 我 個 名 可以 出現 喺 本 族譜 度 啦 ！