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 牛车水是新加坡的地标之一，这里记录了早期华人移民的血泪史，有外观保留完整的殖民地店屋、年代久远的湿巴刹和贩卖地道美食的小贩中心，可是，对很多新加坡人来说，牛车水却是个既熟悉又陌生的地方；有些人从没踏足过这里，也从没想过为什么要来这里？
Chinatown is Singapore’s primary landmark – a record of the blood, sweat and tears of the early Chinese immigrants, with perfectly-maintained shophouses, and a bygone era’s wet markets and hawker centres peddling delicious dishes. However, to a lot of Singaporeans, Chinatown is familiar yet foreign territory; some have never set foot there, nor have they ever seen any reason to do so.

 
图1:周日的宝塔街人潮
Picture (1): Weekday crowds in Pagoda Street 牛车水地铁站通车以后，吸引了大量的人潮，站前热闹的宝塔街商店林立，一家又一家的中国餐馆如雨后春笋般出现。现在熙熙攘攘的人群中，我们看到的是肤色不同的陌生脸孔，听到的是来自他乡的腔调和发音，这里是外国游客的美食中心和购物天堂。
After Chinatown MRT Station started operating, it attracted massive crowds. Outside the Pagoda Street entrance, there are shops aplenty, with Chinese restaurants sprouting like mushrooms after rain. Nowadays, in the hustle and bustle of the crowds there, what we see are foreign faces in a range of hues, and what we hear are foreign tongues, since for tourists, this place is a food and shopping paradise.

 牛车水的历史的传承和存在的价值岌岌可危。对经常在外用餐的新加坡人而言，牛车水湿巴刹新鲜的食材吸引不了他们，价格廉宜而美味的地道美食敌不过装潢讲究、冷气开放的餐馆。对忙碌为生活奔坡，有空便飞往外地休假的新加坡人而言，这里的历史得不到他们的关注。如何扭转牛车水未来的命运成了一个重要的课题。
The survival of Chinatown’s history, as well as its current importance, are increasingly under threat. For Singaporeans who love to eat out, the fresh ingredients offered by Chinatown’s wet markets no longer have any attraction. Even cheap and tasty street food cannot compete with the allure of sophisticated air-conditioned restaurants. What with Singaporeans’ hectic lives and their fondness for overseas holidays, the history of this place cannot hold their attention. Transforming Chinatown’s destiny has thus become an important issue.

图2:直落亚逸也有华人移民聚集
Picture (2): Even at Telok Ayer, Chinese immigrants will gather
对年长的新加坡人来说牛车水是一个充满回忆的地方，早期的牛车水充满了生命力，很多人历尽艰辛来到南洋寻找出路时候，第一个落脚的地方便在这里。住在这里的有码头搬运工人（苦力）、女建筑工人（红头巾）、看相的、理发的、拉车的、还有摆地摊做买卖的。入夜时分，在昏黄的灯光照耀下，逛地摊的顾客络绎不绝，讨价还价和叫卖声交织成一首节奏明快的交响乐，沿着每一个摊位走着、看着，很快就度过愉快的一天。在没有电视的年代，牛车水是个消磨时光的好地方。
To older generations of Singaporeans, Chinatown is a place redolent with memories. In its early years, Chinatown was full of life; for many who, after many struggles, came to the Straits Settlements to build a better life, it was the first place they settled. Those who lived here were the coolies who worked in the dockyards, samsui women who worked as construction workers, fortune-tellers, barbers, rickshaw-pullers, and those who set up stalls selling various goods. As night fell, there would be an interminable stream of customers browsing the stalls under the yellow glare of streetlights, with the sounds of people haggling and touting goods forming a vibrant duet. Simply perusing each and every stall would make the day fly by happily. In the era before television, Chinatown was a great place to pass the time.

 小时候我喜欢跟母亲来珍珠巴刹（现在的珍珠大厦周边还未建起的一块空地）买东西。吃完路边摊的酿豆腐后，到对面的牛车水地摊逛逛对我而言是一次有趣的探险。这里的地摊卖鞋子、，卖衣服、卖蜜饯（咸酸甜），还卖那些专医奇难杂症的药膏和药油。我喜欢看跑江湖的大叔表演杂技，表演吞火和刀枪不入的绝技，我母亲没有买过大叔所卖的任何祖传秘方，但是，大叔从来没有一次因为生意不好而生气。每一次表演后，他都是中气十足，笑吟吟地推销他的祖传药膏和跌打药油，在我心目中他就像武侠小说中的大侠一样，躲在深山修炼，过着安贫乐道的日子。那时候整条街只有小档口微亮的煤油灯照明，没有街灯，昏暗的街道上,我牵着母亲的手，怀着好奇又害怕的心情，看见许多我平时没看过的人与事。这是牛车水留给我的儿时记忆。
When I was a child, I enjoyed going with my mother to shop at People’s Market (on the now-empty plot of land next to the present-day People’s Park Complex). For me, it was an exciting adventure to wander around the stalls across the road after eating yong tau foo from a street hawker. I liked watching the roving entertainer uncles perform illusions, such as fire-eating and impalement. Although my mother never bought any of the so-called ‘ancestral’ potions, the uncles never once got annoyed. After each performance, they would still be full of vigour, cheerfully promoting their ‘ancestral’ medicinal pastes and massage oils. In my eyes, they were like the heroes in martial arts legends who trained in the depths of the mountains and led simple and righteous lives.
In those days, the whole street was only illuminated by the weak rays of gas lamps at the various roadside stalls; there were no streetlights. Along the shadowy street, I would hold my mother’s hand, filled with both curiosity and fear, seeing many people and incidents I did not usually see. These are the childhood memories Chinatown has left to me.

图3:繁华背后有沧桑
Picture (3): Behind prosperity lies profound change
今天，牛车水富有殖民地建筑特色的建筑很幸运的被保留下来了，可是，色彩斑斓的美丽楼房所显示的繁华，和过去移民克勤克俭的奋斗史格格不入。牛车水是早期华人移民为生活挣扎求存南来时落脚的地方，它见证了多少华人移民的辛酸和血泪。那时候，每栋店屋内有许多的小房间，小小的一个房间住满了人，可以有六、七人之多。阴暗而狭小的厨房摆满了厨具、碗筷和盆子，几十个人争用一个冲凉房和厕所。南来的过番客越来越多，工作难找，三餐不济，可是，大家都是咬紧牙关靠一点劳力和手艺，过着节衣缩食、自力更生的生活。他们当中有人出人头地了，买下牛车水的店屋，光宗耀祖把家人接来团聚，开枝散叶，并且继续留在牛车水打拼，甚至扩展业务，代代相传。有人则潦倒一生，有家归不得，留在牛车水孤独终老。
It is fortunate that today, the buildings full of features unique to an immigrant society have been preserved. However, the prosperity visible in the vivid multicoloured skyscrapers is jarring, given the history of struggles faced by the industrious and thrifty immigrants.
When the early Chinese immigrants came south to escape hardship and struggle to survive, Chinatown was the first place they settled. It has witnessed the blood, sweat and tears of countless numbers of them. At the time, every shophouse contained several tiny rooms, each of which was crammed with up to six or seven people. A dark, poky kitchen would be cluttered with kitchen utensils, crockery and cutlery. Dozens of people would compete for a single bathroom and toilet.
As increasing numbers of Chinese migrated to Singapore, it became harder to find work and make ends meet. Nonetheless, everyone resolutely made the most of their strength and skills, and built humble but independent lives. Among these immigrants, some were able to make it big – they managed to buy shophouses, and did their ancestors proud by bringing over their families from China, and producing many offspring. These people remained in Chinatown, striving for a living. Some even expanded their trade, passing it to subsequent generations. On the other hand, others were more unfortunate – unable to return to their hometowns, they led lonely lives in Chinatown till the end of their days.

 中一那年（1968），我曾经因为数学不及格而被父亲带来牛车水补习，我的数学补习老师就住在这里的一座店屋，可惜我对这里的回忆印象模糊，只依稀记得店屋的楼梯和地板都是木头造的，店屋门前和附近有不少小吃摊，每晚都坐满了人。那时候就听大人说过，这里不同方言的帮派常为了生计问题而发生冲突，动不动就拿起巴冷刀来厮杀砍人，所以，天色一暗大家都很少出来走动。那时牛车水的卫生条件差，周围的沟渠经常发出恶臭，但是，房租便宜，大家只求有个地方住就好，渐渐地住在这些店屋的人就越来越多，越来越拥挤。这些店屋包括了鸦片馆、殡仪馆、妓寨、戏班，也有会馆、茶馆、中药铺和各式商店，进出这里的有鸦片仙、风尘女子、私会党徒、车衣女工，也有大学生、教书先生和做生意的老板，是个龙蛇混杂的地方。
When I was Secondary 1 (1968), I failed mathematics, so my father used to bring me to Chinatown for tuition, as my mathematics tutor lived in a shophouse there. Unfortunately, my impressions of this place are nebulous. I only vaguely remember that the staircase and flooring were made of wood, and around the front door, there were quite a few hawker stalls that were packed every night. I would hear adults saying that in this neighbourhood, secret societies from different dialect groups would get into fights due to territorial disputes, whipping out parangs to injure and kill at the least provocation. Because of this, people rarely ventured outdoors after nightfall.
During that period, the sanitary conditions in Chinatown were very poor, and the gutters often emitted foul odours. But rent was cheap, and all people expected was a place to live, so as time passed, more and more people occupied the shophouses, which became increasingly overcrowded. These shophouses housed opium dens, undertakers, brothels, and theatre groups, as well as clan associations, teahouses, Chinese medicine shops, and various businesses. They were frequented by opium addicts, prostitutes, secret society members, and seamstresses, as well as university students, teachers, and businessmen – a motley crowd.

 
图4:绵绵的往日旧情
Picture (4): A rush of sentiments from bygone days
现在的新加坡是一个繁荣的大都会，唯独牛车水仍保留了它独特的怀旧风情。走进牛车水，我们就好像走进时光隧道，浓浓的风土人情散发出无穷的魅力。老式的店铺，老式的布置，我小时候玩过而现在大百货公司再也不卖的玩具以及安静地守着小小一个地摊，等着和顾客攀谈的老人，是我们这大城市里一道美丽的风景线。如果有一天，你觉得生活乏味了，大型的购物商场令你反感了，不妨到这里走走，见识一下五、六十年代的生活滋味，感受一下不同的脉搏跳动吧！
The Singapore of today is an affluent metropolis; only Chinatown continues to maintain its unique historic atmosphere. Going into Chinatown, it is as if we have travelled in time – the setting is redolent with character, exuding a boundless charm. The old-fashioned shops, the old-fashioned décor, the toys from my childhood which today’s supermarkets no longer sell, the roadside stalls quietly standing guard, the elderly folk waiting to chit-chat with passers-by – all these are part of one of our city’s picturesque tourist spots.
If one day you feel that life is lacking a little spice, and you are fed up with shopping malls, why not take a look around here to get a sense of life in the fifties and sixties, and experience a different kind of thrill?

 
图5:五脚基,你的故事在这里
Picture (5): : Five-foot ways, where are your stories?
新加坡英国殖民地时代的店屋前都有一条宽约5英尺的走道，大家把它称着“五脚基”（five foot way) 牛车水的五脚基是许多人养家活口的地方，当移民的人数越来越多时，工作难找，很多人便开始在五脚基摆摊子赚钱。他们在这人来人往的走道上替人缝补衣服、补鞋子、也替人理发、写信、看相或做点买卖香烟、零食、糖果和出租连环图等的小生意。他们靠着微薄的收入，省吃俭用，每月还能寄钱接济远在家乡的亲人，也为新加坡今日的繁荣做出了贡献。 入夜时分，看门的保安人员或老人家喜欢在五脚基张开帆布床睡觉。他们说这里通风而凉爽，不必风扇也可以一觉到天明。最重要的是不必交房租，可以省下不少钱，为自己留点积蓄。 今天的保留店屋大多都变成了餐馆和卖纪念品的商店，再也看不到有人在五脚基理发、补鞋和缝补衣服了。五脚基摆放了各种桌椅和商品，走在这里，除了那些曾住过牛车水而且还留在这里生活的老人和中年人外，我们没有人知道这里曾经发生过的故事和生活。近年来，随着中国餐馆和新移民的大量涌入，牛车水很快就成为名副其实的中国城 (China Town)，而牛车水这个名字将从人们的记忆中删除。
The shophouses from British colonial times all had a walkway around five feet wide, which everyone called a ‘five-foot way’. Chinatown’s five-foot ways were where many people carried out their livelihoods. As the immigrant population grew larger and larger, jobs were hard to find, so many began to set up shop along five-foot ways. Some would mend clothes, repair shoes, cut hair, write letters, tell fortunes for those who passed through these walkways. Others would sell cigarettes, snacks, sweets, or license comic strips, or conduct other trades. They relied on these earnings for their humble lives, and were able to send money home to their families every month. In this way, they too contributed to Singapore’s present prosperity.
When it grew late, the security guards or old people keeping guard liked to sleep on rattan mats along the five-foot ways. They said it was cool and airy there, and didn’t require a fan for them to sleep comfortably till sunrise. Most importantly, it meant they didn’t have to pay rent, so they could save a fair bit of money, and salt away a bit more for themselves.
The shophouses under conservation today have now become the premises of restaurants and souvenir shops; never again will we see people cutting hair, repairing shoes or mending clothes along these five-foot ways. There is seating and goods of all sorts arrayed along the five-foot ways. But in this area, other than the elderly and middle-aged people who used to live here or still live here, there is nobody who knows the lives and stories that took place here. In recent years, with the rapid growth of restaurants offering China cuisine, and new immigrants from China, Chinatown has soon become literally a China Town. The name ‘Chinatown’ will thus be erased from collective memory.

 
图6:我心目中的生活勇士
Picture 6: My heroes
牛车水老了！有一些曾经对新加坡的经济成长做出贡献的小市民，比如：在烈日下的工地挑泥扛砖的红头巾和唱戏的伶人都已经走进历史。牛车水的史密斯街过去被称为戏院街，那是因为这里曾有一家演出粤剧的广东戏院–梨春园。梨春园有一群靠唱戏赚钱的艺人，她们当中有许多是没机会受教育的文盲，令人佩服的是，凭着苦练和死记硬背，她们记住每一段唱词和台词，演出了许多动人的剧目，用精湛的演技换取生活所需。由于心系祖国，戏班大力支持辛亥革命和中国抗日战争，她们通过演出类似“荆轲刺秦王”等的剧目来宣传革命，帮忙中国同胞抗战筹款，发挥了令人景仰的爱国精神。日治时期( 1942年) 梨春园被日军炸毁，之后改建成百货公司。19世纪初的梨春园和现在粉刷一新的保留建筑（佛教慈济基金会新加坡分会的会所）其外观看起来大同小异，但是，它过去经历的辉煌历史恐怕早已被大家遗忘得一干二净了。
Chinatown has become old. Some of the ordinary townspeople who contributed to Singapore’s economic growth, such as the samsui women who hauled earth and carried bricks in construction sites, and wayang performers, have already become history. Smith Street was dubbed Theatre Street, since it had an opera house that staged Cantonese operas there – Lai Chun Yuen Theatre.
It had a group of professional artistes, many of whom were illiterate because they had no opportunity to go to school. Impressively, with much strenuous practice and dogged memorisation, they were nonetheless able to know every lyric and line of the operas by heart, and performed many moving scenes. Through their superb acting skills, they earned their daily bread.
Due to their emotional bond with China, the opera troupe ardently supported the Revolution of 1911, as well as the Chinese resistance forces fighting the Second Sino-Japanese War. The troupe publicised the Revolution through performances of operas like The Emperor and the Assassin, and raised money for the compatriots who were battling the invaders, displaying an admirable patriotism.
During the Japanese Occupation in 1942, Lai Chun Yuen Theatre was destroyed by Japanese bombing, and afterwards was rebuilt as a department store. On the outside, the Lai Chun Yuen Theatre of the early twentieth century and the completely redecorated heritage site of today (now the premises of the Singapore branch of the Tzu Chi Foundation) seem to be much the same. Unfortunately, the building’s glorious history has probably been long forgotten.

 牛车水老了！那些还继续留在牛车水默默耕耘的老人更老了！他们当中有的靠一门手艺勤恳苦干，大半辈子替人补鞋、订做鞋子换取一日三餐；有的继续守住家业做点小生意，有的则靠捡纸皮赚钱过日子，在他们的身上闪耀着早期移民坚忍不拔和刻苦耐劳的精神，让人肃然起敬…
Chinatown has become old, and the elderly people who are still quietly toiling away in Chinatown have become even older. Among them, some are still labouring at their various trades, having spent most of their lives repairing and handcrafting shoes in exchange for their three meals a day. Others are carrying on their family’s small businesses, while others collect cardboard boxes to survive. They radiate the tenacity and grit of the early immigrants; we can only revere their spirit.

Translation: Teng Qian Xi