FOR THE NEXT COUPLE of years, the words "economic development" and "reform" danced on a lot of lips in Kabul. The constitutional monarchy¹ had been abolished, replaced by a republic, led by a president of the republic. For a while, a sense of rejuvenation² and purpose swept across the land. People spoke³ of women's rights and modern technology.

在随后几年，喀布尔的人们不时将"经济发展"、"改革"之类的词挂在嘴边。君主立宪制被废弃了，取而代之的是在共和国总统领导下的共和制。有那么一阵，这个国家焕发出勃勃生机，也有各种远大目标，人们谈论着妇女权利和现代科技。

And for the most part, even though a new leader lived in "Arg"--the royal palace in Kabul--life went on as before. People went to work Saturday through Thursday and gathered for picnics on Fridays in parks, on the banks of Ghargha Lake, in the gardens of Paghman. Multicolored buses and lorries filled with passengers rolled through the narrow streets of Kabul, led by the constant shouts of the driver assistants who straddled the vehicles'rear bumpers⁴ and yelped⁵ directions to the driver in their thick Kabuli accent. On "Eid", the three days of celebration after the holy month of Ramadan, Kabulis dressed in their best and newest clothes and visited their families. People hugged and kissed and greeted each other with "Eid Mubarak." Happy Eid. Children opened gifts and played with dyed hard-boiled eggs.

对于大多数人来说，尽管喀布尔的皇宫换了新主人，生活仍和过去并无二致。人们依旧从周六到周四上班，依旧每逢周五聚集在公园、喀尔卡湖边或者帕格曼公园野餐。五颜六色的公共汽车和货车载满乘客，在喀布尔狭窄的街道上川流不息，司机的助手跨坐在后面的保险杠上，用口音浓重的喀布尔方言大声叫嚷，替司机指引方向。到了为期三天的开斋节，斋戒月回历的第九个月为斋戒月。之后的节日，喀布尔人穿上他们最新、最好的衣服，相互拜访。人们拥抱，亲吻，互祝"开斋节快乐"。儿童拆开礼物，玩着染色的水煮蛋。

Early that following winter of 1974, Hassan and I were playing in the yard one day, building a snow fort, when Ali called him in. "Hassan, Agha sahib wants to talk to you!" He was standing⁶ by the front door, dressed in white, hands tucked under his armpits, breath puffing⁷ from his mouth.

1974年初冬，有一天哈桑和我在院子里嬉闹，用雪堆一座城堡。这时阿里唤他进屋:"哈桑，老爷想跟你说话!"他身穿白色衣服，站在门口，双手缩在腋下，嘴里呼出白气。

Hassan and I exchanged a smile. We'd been waiting for his call all day: It was Hassan's birthday. "What is it, Father, do you know? Will you tell us?" Hassan said. His eyes were gleaming.

哈桑和我相视而笑。我们整天都在等他的传唤：那天是哈桑的生日。"那是什么，爸爸?你知道吗?可以告诉我们吗?"哈桑说，眼里洋溢着快乐。

Ali shrugged⁸. "Agha sahib hasn't discussed it with me."

阿里耸耸肩:"老爷没有告诉我。"

"Come on, Ali, tell us,"I pressed. "Is it a drawing book? Maybe a new pistol?"

"别这样嘛，阿里，跟我们说说。"我催他，"一本图画册吗?还是一把新手枪?"

Like Hassan, Ali was incapable⁹ of lying. Every year, he pretended not to know what Baba had bought Hassan or me for our birthdays. And every year, his eyes betrayed him and we coaxed¹⁰ the goods out of him. This time, though, it seemed he was telling the truth.

跟哈桑一样，阿里也不善说谎。每年我们生日，他都假装不知道爸爸买了什么礼物。每年他的眼神都出卖他，我们都能从他口里将礼物套出来。不过这次他看来似乎真的不知道。