广场舞的晚上

每měi天tiān晚上wǎn shang七qī点diǎn，音乐yīn yuè一yī响xiǎng，小区xiǎo qū中间zhōng jiān的de广场guǎng chǎng就jìu热闹rè nao起来qǐ lai了liǎo。

Every evening at seven, when the music starts, the plaza in the middle of the compound comes alive.

来lái跳tiào广场guǎng chǎng舞wǔ的de大多dà duō是shì五wǔ六lìu十shí岁suì的de阿姨ā yí，也yě有yǒu几jǐ个gè爷爷yé ye。队伍duì wǔ排pái得děi整整zhěng zhěng齐qí齐qí，动作dòng zuò做zuò得děi认rèn认真rèn zhēn真zhēn。

Most of the dancers are women in their fifties and sixties, with a few grandpas. The rows are neat, the moves done in earnest.

领队lǐng duì的de是shì六lìu十shí二èr岁suì的de赵zhào阿姨ā yí。退休tuì xīu以前yǐ qián，她tā是shì工厂gōng chǎng的de会计kuài jì；现在xiàn zài，她tā是shì这zhè支zhī舞wǔ队duì最zuì忙máng的de人rén。

The leader is Auntie Zhao, sixty-two. Before retiring she was a factory accountant; now she is the busiest one in the troupe.

音乐yīn yuè要yào选xuǎn大家dà jiā喜欢xǐ huan的de，动作dòng zuò要yào编biān简单jiǎn dān又yòu好看hǎo kàn的de，还huán得děi教jiāo新xīn来lái的de人rén。赵zhào阿姨ā yí说shuō：比bǐ在zài厂chǎng里lǐ上班shàng bān还huán忙máng。

She picks the music everyone likes, choreographs moves simple but pretty, and teaches newcomers. Busier than the factory, she says.

对duì很hěn多duō阿姨ā yí来lái说shuō，广场guǎng chǎng舞wǔ不bù只是zhǐ shì跳舞tiào wǔ。孩子hái zi们men大dà了liǎo，不bù在zài身边shēn biān，老lǎo伴bàn有的yǒu de还huán在zài上班shàng bān。一yī个人gè rén在家zài jiā，总zǒng觉得jué de冷清lěng qīng。

For many of the women it is more than dancing. The children are grown and gone; some husbands still work. Home alone feels cold.

在zài这里zhè lǐ，她们tā men一起yī qǐ跳舞tiào wǔ，一起yī qǐ聊liáo天tiān，谁shéi家jiā有事yǒu shì大家dà jiā互相hù xiāng帮忙bāng máng。跳tiào完wán舞wǔ，常常cháng cháng还要hái yào站zhàn着zhuó说shuō半bàn个gè小时xiǎo shí的话de huà。

Here they dance together, talk together, help whoever is in need. After dancing they often stand chatting half an hour more.

当然dāng rán，广场guǎng chǎng舞wǔ也yě有yǒu让ràng人rén头疼tóu téng的de时候shí hou。有些yǒu xiē年轻nián qīng人rén嫌xián音乐yīn yuè太tài响xiǎng，影响yǐng xiǎng孩子hái zi学习xué xí。

Of course the dancing has its headaches. Some younger people complain the music disturbs their children's homework.

赵zhào阿姨ā yí想xiǎng了liǎo个gè办法bàn fǎ：跟gēn社区shè qū商量shāng liang，把bǎ跳舞tiào wǔ的de时间shí jiān定dìng在zài七qī点diǎn到dào八bā点diǎn半bàn，音量yīn liàng也yě调diào小xiǎo了liǎo一yī格gé。

Auntie Zhao found a fix: agree with the community to dance from seven to eight thirty, and turn the volume down a notch.

慢慢màn màn地dì，大家dà jiā互相hù xiāng理解lǐ jiě了liǎo。有yǒu时shí还huán能néng看到kàn dào年轻nián qīng妈mā妈mā抱bào着zhuó孩子hái zi，站zhàn在zài旁边páng biān看kān阿姨ā yí们men跳舞tiào wǔ。

Little by little the sides understood each other. Sometimes young mothers now stand nearby holding babies, watching.

去年qù nián社区shè qū办bàn文艺wén yì汇huì演yǎn，赵zhào阿姨ā yí带dài着zhuó舞wǔ队duì上shàng了liǎo台tái。阿姨ā yí们men化huà了liǎo妆zhuāng，穿上chuān shang统一tǒng yī的de裙子qún zi，跳tiào得děi比bǐ年轻nián qīng人rén还有hái yǒu精神jīng shen。

Last year at the community show, Auntie Zhao led the troupe on stage. In makeup and matching dresses the aunties danced with more energy than the young.

社区shè qū还huán给gěi舞wǔ队duì印yìn了liǎo新xīn队duì服fú，大dà红色hóng sè的de，背后bèi hòu写xiě着zhuó夕xī阳yáng红hóng三sān个gè字zì。阿姨ā yí们men穿上chuān shang新xīn衣服yī fu的de那nà天tiān，个gè个gè都dōu神气shén qì极jí了liǎo。

The community even printed new uniforms for the troupe, bright red with 'sunset glow' on the back. The day they first wore them, every auntie looked ten feet tall.

也yě有人yǒu rén不bù高兴gāo xìng。住zhù在zài三sān楼lóu的de年轻nián qīng人rén上shàng夜班yè bān，白天bái tiān要yào睡觉shuì jiào，嫌xián音乐yīn yuè太tài吵chǎo。两边liǎng biān商量shāng liang了liǎo几jǐ次cì，最后zuì hòu约定yuē dìng：九jǐu点diǎn以前yǐ qián一定yī dìng收shōu队duì，音量yīn liàng开kāi小xiǎo一半yī bàn。

Not everyone is pleased: a young man on the third floor works nights and sleeps by day, and found the music too loud. After a few talks they agreed: finish by nine, volume halved.

有人yǒu rén问wèn赵zhào阿姨ā yí，退休tuì xīu了liǎo不bù在家zài jiā休息xīu xi，图tú什么shén me？她tā说shuō：图tú个gè热闹rè nao，图tú个gè身体shēn tǐ好hào。人rén老lǎo了liǎo，最zuì怕pà的de不bù是shì累lèi，是shì没méi人rén说话shuō huà。

Someone asked Auntie Zhao why she bothered instead of resting in retirement. She said: for the company, for the health. What the old fear most is not tiredness but having no one to talk to.

舞蹈wǔ dǎo队duì里lǐ有yǒu个gè李lǐ阿姨ā yí，老lǎo伴bàn前年qián nián去世qù shì了liǎo，孩子hái zi在zài外地wài dì。刚gāng来lái跳舞tiào wǔ的de时候shí hou她tā总是zǒng shì笑xiào不bù出来chū lái，现在xiàn zài她tā是shì队duì里lǐ笑xiào得děi最zuì响xiǎng的de一yī个gè。

In the troupe is Auntie Li, whose husband died two years ago and whose child works far away. When she first came she could not smile; now hers is the loudest laugh.

九jǐu点diǎn不到bù dào，音乐yīn yuè停tíng了liǎo，阿姨ā yí们men互相hù xiāng说shuō再见zài jiàn。赵zhào阿姨ā yí收拾shōu shi着zhuó音yīn箱xiāng说shuō：明天míng tiān晚上wǎn shang，老lǎo时间shí jiān，老lǎo地方dì fāng。

Before nine the music stops and the women say goodbye. Packing up the speaker, Auntie Zhao says: same time tomorrow, same place.