录音室外的那张椅子

A community radio station invites residents to record short stories about their first jobs. Hana agrees to help organise the afternoon. She prepares a list of questions and places water beside the microphone. She wants every visitor to leave with a recording they can share with their family.

一家社区电台邀请居民录制有关第一份工作的短故事。哈娜答应协助组织下午的活动。她备好问题单，把水放在话筒旁。她希望每位来访者离开时都能带走一段与家人分享的录音。

Mr Bell arrives with a notebook but hesitates at the studio door. He says he has not spoken into a microphone before. Hana begins explaining how easy the equipment is to use. He nods politely, yet continues holding his notebook closed. Her explanation does not seem to help him enter.

贝尔先生带着笔记本来，却在录音室门口犹豫了。他说自己从未对着话筒讲话。哈娜开始解释设备使用起来多么简单。他礼貌地点头，却依然把笔记本合着拿在手里。她的解释似乎没能帮助他走进去。

An older volunteer brings a chair into the corridor. She asks Mr Bell whether he would like to sit with her first. They talk about the bus journey and then about the café where he once worked. Nobody switches on a recorder. Hana sits nearby and gradually stops looking at the clock.

一位年长志愿者把椅子搬到走廊，问贝尔先生愿不愿意先和她坐一会儿。他们聊公交车程，又聊到他以前工作的咖啡馆。没人打开录音机。哈娜坐在旁边，渐渐不再看时间。

After a while, Mr Bell opens his notebook and reads a funny description of his first manager. They all laugh. Then he asks if he can tell that story inside. Hana explains that he can pause, start again, or keep the recording private. This time, he walks into the studio willingly.

过了一会儿，贝尔先生打开笔记本，读起一段对第一位经理的有趣描写。大家都笑了。随后，他问能否进屋讲这个故事。哈娜解释说，他可以暂停、重来，或不公开录音。这次，他自愿走进录音室。

At the end of the day, one visitor has chosen not to record anything. Hana no longer sees that as a failed visit. She adds a new line to next month's plan: make space for conversation before asking for a story.

一天结束时，有一位访客选择没有录任何内容。哈娜不再把这视为一次失败的来访。她在下个月计划中添上一行：请人讲故事之前，先留出交谈的空间。

She asked whether he wanted to sit down.

她问他是否想坐下。

I no longer think every quiet moment needs a question.

我不再认为每个安静时刻都需要一个问题。