《邮报》有篇书评，评爱尔兰作家Paul Lynch的小说Red Sky in Morning，说它满是爱尔兰小说的“绕口令”（loquacious strain，这个词儿当然不是真正的“绕口令”），不习惯的读者开始会想吐——但熬过来了，就能为它“沉醉”（readers unfamiliar with this loquacious strain of Irish fiction maynot stick around long enough to experience the rich intoxication it eventuallyproduces.）不过，我还是不会去看它；我喜欢的小说，应该有我喜欢的话题或角色，那些以小说的标准评判出来的好小说，我几乎都没看过。

对这本书假装感兴趣，是因为它的书名。前些日子买过一本Red Sky at Night，是关于乡村生活经验的（副题The Book of Lost Countryside Wisdom）：

Ever wondered how topredict the weather just by looking at the sky? Or wanted to attract butterflies to your garden? … If you have ever gazed in awe at stars in the night's sky, tried to catch a perfect snowflake or longed for the comfort of aroaring log fire, then this is the book for you. From spotting Britain's five kinds of owl to gardening by the phases of the moon, and from curing a cold to brewing your own ale, "Red Sky at Night" is packed with instructions and lists, ancient customs and old wives tales, making it an indispensable guide to countryside lore.

两个红色的天空，一个在早晨，一个在黄昏——night指日落到日出之间的时间——有什么不同呢？为什么出现red sky的“成语”？

原来，耶稣在《圣经》里就说过：When in evening, ye say, it will be fair weather: For the sky isred. And in the morning, it will be foul weather today; for the sky is red andlowering. (Matthew XVI: 2-3)。可见，早晨的红色天空不是那么好看的。莎翁在Venus and Adonis里说得更可怕：

Like a red morn that ever yet betokened,

Wreck to the seaman, tempest to the field,

Sorrow to the shepherds, woe unto the birds,

Gusts and foul flaws to herdmen and to herds.

红色的天空当然是阳光与大气一块儿画出来的，物理的原因当然很清楚了。我想找的是那个词儿的来源，大概就是圣经的那句话。航海者们还流行着两句谚语，则是明确提出了那个词儿：

Red sky at night, sailor’s delight.

Red sky in morning, sailor’s warning.

中文也有类似的谚语：“早烧不出门，晚烧行千里”——“烧”说的是火烧云，也就是红色的天空。更文一点儿的说法是：“朝霞不出门，晚霞行千里。”刘老师当年唱“莫道桑榆晚，为霞尚满天”的时候，是不是想到了晚霞后的好天气呢？