Champaign, 2025
（上）
转眼间来香槟两周了，今天才遇到第一场雨。
我坐上公交，窗外不停有闪电划过，蓝色夹着橙色，但没有雷声。车上坐着各色皮肤和头发的同学，比往常安静些。
三个亚裔女孩说说笑笑，其中一个教另一个说普通话：
“我的名字是Sunny。” “窝 的 鸣自 石 Sunny！” “哈哈哈哈哈！”
我很想多看她们一会。旺盛的生命活力在这大农村的夜里显得格外迷人。
我在离公寓最近的车站下了车，斜风几乎把伞吹翻，我只能慌忙地跑进旁边的公寓门口躲雨。
这一幕好像电影里的桥段。Tom Hanks提着手提箱，压着帽子狼狈地躲到屋檐下，低声咒骂着该死的天气。
（中）
旁边站着一个中等身材的人，下半身已经湿透。我和他搭起了话。
他学习AI哲学，研究人工智能的发展对人类社会的影响。我赶忙掏出充面子的大题目，附和说研究AI到底是否拥有意识，也是非常深刻的哲学问题。
但他对社会学更感兴趣。
雨小了些，我问要不要送他回公寓。他再三表示感谢，并请我送到最近的工院就好。
就这样撑着伞，一个来自大西洋对岸的英国人和一个来自太平洋对岸的中国人，肩并肩走在美洲的乡村小路上。
“I heard London rains a lot. Is that true?” “Yes, most of the time.”
（下）
我终于和他说起，我才刚来美国两周，这是我遇到的第一场雨。
他说自己已经待了两年，如果我有任何问题，可以随时问他。我敷衍了几句，校园好大，天气很好。
”But sometimes I feel lonely. Do you?” ”All the time.” ”How do you deal with it?” ”You talk to people.”
我喜欢这些平凡的时刻和普通的人。他们让我感受到自己的存在。人生真的只活几个瞬间吗？不，我觉得不是。每个瞬间都值得细细品味。
我们最后交换了电话号码，并相互祝福对方拥有一个美好的夜晚。
现在写字时，我才能把他的英国口音、被公寓保安拒绝时说的"Apologies"和不断对我说的"Thank you so much"、“You are so kind"串联起来。
原来，老派的人们依然存在，新世界仍有载我们的旧船。
Part I
Two weeks in Champaign, and tonight brought the first rain.
I got on the bus. Lightning kept flashing outside the window—blue streaked with orange, but no thunder. Students of all colors and hair types sat around me. Quieter than usual.
Three Asian girls were laughing together. One was teaching another Mandarin:
“My name is Sunny.” “Wo duh ming-zuh shih Sunny!” “Hahahahaha!”
I wanted to watch them longer. Their energy felt especially alive in this rural darkness.
I got off at the stop closest to my apartment. The wind nearly flipped my umbrella inside out. I had to run for cover under a nearby building entrance.
It felt like a scene from a movie. Tom Hanks clutching his suitcase, holding his hat down, ducking under an awning, muttering curses at the damn weather.
Part II
A medium-build guy stood next to me. His lower half was soaked through. We started talking.
He studies AI philosophy—how artificial intelligence shapes human society. I quickly pulled out a respectable topic to match his, saying that whether AI has consciousness is also a profound philosophical question.
But he was more interested in sociology.
The rain lightened. I asked if he wanted me to walk him back to his place. He thanked me several times, but said just to the nearest engineering building would be fine.
So there we were, sharing an umbrella—a Brit from across the Atlantic and a Chinese guy from across the Pacific, walking side by side down a country road in the middle of America.
“I heard London rains a lot. Is that true?” “Yes, most of the time.”
Part III
I finally told him I’d only been in the US for two weeks. This was my first rain.
He said he’d been here two years. If I ever had questions, I could ask him anytime. I fumbled through some small talk. Campus is huge. Weather’s been nice.
“But sometimes I feel lonely. Do you?” “All the time.” “How do you deal with it?” “You talk to people.”
I like these ordinary moments with ordinary people. They make me feel like I exist. Do we really only live for a few special moments? No. I don’t think so. Every moment deserves to be savored.
We exchanged numbers and wished each other a good night.
Now, as I write this, I can finally piece it all together—his British accent, the “Apologies” when the security guard turned us away, the endless “Thank you so much,” “You are so kind.”
Turns out the old-fashioned folks are still out there. The new world still has old boats to carry us.
Translation by Claude