Mr Gordon was the teacher at the little village school. He was a kind old man and the children liked him. They enjoyed his lessons and he enjoyed teaching them. There was no piano at the school. This sometimes made him a little unhappy, because he loved music very much. But he sang with the children. He filled their young minds with songs and stories. It was a happy school.
戈登先生是那所鄉(xiāng)間小學(xué)校的老師。他是一位和藹的老人,孩子們都喜歡他。他們喜歡聽(tīng)他的課,而他也喜歡教他們??墒菍W(xué)校里沒(méi)有鋼琴,這讓他有時(shí)覺(jué)得有點(diǎn)遺憾,因?yàn)樗浅釔?ài)音樂(lè)。但是,他可以和孩子們一起唱歌。他用歌聲和故事充實(shí)著他們幼小的心靈。這是一所充滿歡樂(lè)的學(xué)校。
One night during the summer holidays Mr Gordon wanted a book. He looked everywhere.
暑假里的一個(gè)晚上,戈登先生想找一本書,他找遍了所有的地方也沒(méi)找到。
'I know!' he said suddenly. 'I left it at school. I'll go there at once. It isn't far away.'
“我想起來(lái)了!”他突然說(shuō)道,“我把它落在學(xué)校了。學(xué)校不遠(yuǎn),我這就去。”
He walked through the school garden. The door of the school was open! He felt in his pocket for the key — it was not there!
他穿過(guò)學(xué)校的花圃,學(xué)校的門居然開(kāi)著!他摸了摸口袋,鑰匙不在那兒!
'Oh dear!' thought Mr Gordon. 'I forgot to lock the door. Now somebody is in the school. Perhaps it's a thief! What can I do?' Then he heard the music...
“哎呀!”戈登先生心想,“我忘記鎖門了。這會(huì)兒有人就在學(xué)校里,也許是個(gè)小偷!我該怎么辦?”就在這時(shí),他忽然聽(tīng)到了音樂(lè)聲……
Tony played the same line of music again and again. It was not easy.
托尼把同一段曲調(diào)彈了一遍又一遍。這一段曲子不太容易。
'Prestissimo,' said the words at the top of the page. 'Very fast.' His fingers flew over the keys.
“最急板,”譜子上方的注釋寫道,“意思是‘非常快’。”他的手指飛快地掠過(guò)琴鍵。
Mr Gordon stood and listened. There was a happy smile on his face. Then Tony stopped playing.
戈登先生站住了,靜靜地聽(tīng)著。他的臉上浮現(xiàn)出開(kāi)心的笑容。這時(shí),托尼忽然停了下來(lái)。
'That wasn't right,' he said to himself. He looked carefully at the little black notes on their thin black lines. 'The left hand goes like this.'
“這里有點(diǎn)不對(duì)頭,”他自言自語(yǔ)道。他仔細(xì)地研究著細(xì)細(xì)的黑色線條上掛著的一個(gè)個(gè)黑色小音符。“左手應(yīng)該這樣彈。”
Mr Gordon spoke. 'And the right hand goes like this...'
戈登先生接口道:“而右手應(yīng)該這樣彈……”
Tony turned round. His face was white. 'Don't tell the police,' he said. 'Please. I haven't stolen anything. I haven't done anything wrong.'
托尼轉(zhuǎn)過(guò)身,臉色變得煞白。“別去告訴警察,”他說(shuō)道,“求求您,我什么也沒(méi)有偷,我也沒(méi)有做任何壞事。”
'No, no, of course not,' said the teacher. 'But who are you? What are you doing in my classroom? And how did this piano get here?'
“哦,沒(méi)有,當(dāng)然沒(méi)有,”這位老師說(shuō)道,“可你究竟是誰(shuí)?你在我的教室里做什么呢?這架鋼琴又是從哪兒來(lái)的?”
Mr Gordon visited the farm and talked to Mr and Mrs Wood.
戈登先生來(lái)到農(nóng)場(chǎng),同伍德夫婦作了一番長(zhǎng)談。
'Tony is very special,' said Mr Gordon. 'I have been a teacher for forty years, but I have never met a boy like Tony. He must have music lessons at once. Then he must go to the College of Music in London. He needs to work with other musical boys and girls.'
“托尼很特別,”戈登先生說(shuō)道,“我教了四十年書,還從來(lái)沒(méi)有遇到過(guò)像托尼這樣的孩子。他一定得立即開(kāi)始學(xué)習(xí)音樂(lè)課程,然后他應(yīng)該去倫敦音樂(lè)學(xué)院上學(xué)。他必須和其他學(xué)音樂(lè)的孩子們一起學(xué)習(xí)。”
'But his mother and father are poor,' said Mrs Wood. 'They can't pay for music lessons. They can't send him to college. They have five small children at home. Tony sends them money every month.'
“可是他的父母很窮,”伍德太太說(shuō)道,“他們負(fù)擔(dān)不起音樂(lè)課程,更沒(méi)有辦法送他上大學(xué)。他們家里還有五個(gè)很小的孩子,托尼每個(gè)月都要給家里寄錢。”
'I can give Tony his first lessons,' said Mr Gordon. 'I don't want any money — I'll be very happy to teach this wonderful boy. I feel — oh, how can I explain to you? ... This is a very exciting time for me. Last night I came to school to look for a book, and I found a musician! ... But Tony learns very quickly. Soon he will need a really good teacher. Then we'll have to think about money. Perhaps Tony can go to the College of Music in the daytime and work in a restaurant in the evenings. ...'
“我可以先給托尼上啟蒙課,”戈登先生說(shuō),“我不要錢——能教這個(gè)出色的孩子我覺(jué)得非常高興。我覺(jué)得——噢,該怎么說(shuō)呢?……這對(duì)我來(lái)說(shuō)是非常令人激動(dòng)的時(shí)刻。昨晚我到學(xué)校去找書,結(jié)果卻發(fā)現(xiàn)了一個(gè)音樂(lè)家!……可是托尼學(xué)得很快,要不了多久,他就會(huì)需要一個(gè)真正出色的老師了。那時(shí)我們就必須考慮錢的問(wèn)題了?;蛟S托尼可以白天上音樂(lè)學(xué)院的課,晚上在餐館里打工……”
'No, he can't!' said Mr Wood. Suddenly his face was red and angry. 'Tony is a good boy. He's like a son to us. His father is poor, but we are not.'
“不,那樣不行!”伍德先生嚷道。他忽然之間激動(dòng)起來(lái),臉色變得通紅。“托尼是個(gè)好孩子,他就像我們的兒子一樣。他的父親很窮,可是我們有錢。”
'That's right!' said his wife. She was usually a quiet woman, but her eyes were bright and excited. 'We will send Tony to the College of Music,' she said.
“對(duì),沒(méi)錯(cuò)!”伍德太太同意道。她平時(shí)不大說(shuō)話,可是這會(huì)兒她的眼神卻變得明亮而激動(dòng)。“我們來(lái)送托尼上音樂(lè)學(xué)院!”她說(shuō)。
Tony knew nothing about their conversation. He was cleaning Mr Wood's new car when Mr Gordon visited the farm. But that visit changed his life. Mr Wood had a quiet talk with him later.
對(duì)于這番談話,托尼一無(wú)所知。戈登先生來(lái)到農(nóng)場(chǎng)時(shí),他正在清洗伍德先生的新車。然而,這次來(lái)訪改變了他的一生。之后,伍德先生跟他平靜地談了一次話。
'Mr Gordon wants to give you piano lessons,' he told Tony.
“戈登先生想給你上鋼琴課。”他告訴托尼。
Tony's eyes shone like stars. Then he shook his head. 'I haven't any money, sir,' he said.
托尼的雙眼頓時(shí)綻放出星光般的神采,接著又搖了搖頭,說(shuō):“先生,我沒(méi)有錢。”
'Mr Gordon doesn't want any money. I've had a talk with him. You are going to go to the school at four o'clock every afternoon. You will have your lesson, and you will practise on the piano for two hours. Then you'll come back to the farm and have your supper.'
“戈登先生不要錢。我跟他談過(guò)了,每天下午4點(diǎn)你到學(xué)校去上課,練兩個(gè)小時(shí)的琴,然后回到農(nóng)場(chǎng)來(lái)吃晚飯。”
'But my work...' began Tony.
“可是,我的活兒……”托尼開(kāi)口道。
'I can find another farm boy,' said Mr Wood, 'but good musicians are special people. Give me three tickets for your first concert, and I'll be happy.'
“我可以再找一個(gè)男孩來(lái)干農(nóng)活,”伍德先生答道,“但不是任何人都能成為出色的音樂(lè)家的。你開(kāi)首場(chǎng)音樂(lè)會(huì)的時(shí)候如果能給我三張票,我就很高興了。”