書蟲三級 鐵路少年：3.老先生

3．The old gentleman
3．老先生

The children could not keep away from the railway, and they soon got to know the trains that passed by. There was the 9.15 and the 10.07, and the midnight train that sometimes woke them from their dreams.

孩子們已經(jīng)離不開鐵路了，他們很快摸清了經(jīng)過這里的列車的時間。上午9:15和10:07各有一趟，半夜還有一趟，那趟列車有時會把他們從夢中吵醒。

One morning they were sitting on the fence, waiting for the 9.15, when Phyllis said, 'It's going to London, where Father is. Let's all wave as it goes by. Perhaps it's a magic train and it can take our love to Father.'

這天早晨，他們都坐在木籬笆上，等9點15分那趟列車，正在這時，菲利斯說：“這車是去倫敦的，爸爸還在那里呢。待會兒火車經(jīng)過的時候，我們一起對它招手吧。也許這是一輛有魔力的火車，能把我們的愛帶給爸爸。”

So when the 9.15 came screaming out of the tunnel, the three children waved...

于是，當9點15分那趟列車從隧道中呼嘯而出的時候，三個孩子就對著它招手……

... And a hand waved back! It was holding a newspaper and it belonged to an old gentleman.

……竟然有一只手在回應(yīng)他們！那只手里拿著一張報紙，是一位老先生的手。

The old gentleman travelled on the 9.15 every day. He had white hair and looked very nice, and soon they were waving to him every morning. They pretended he knew Father, and that he was taking their love to him.

這位老先生每天都乘坐這趟9點15分的火車。他滿頭白發(fā)，樣子很慈祥，很快他們每天早晨都向他招手。他們假定老先生認識他們的爸爸，能把他們的愛帶過去。

At first, they did not visit the station. After the trouble with the coal, Peter was afraid of seeing the Station Master again. But then he did see him, on the road to the village one day.

一開始，他們并不到車站去。因為在偷煤事件之后，彼得很害怕再見到站長。但是有一天，在去村子的路上，他真的碰到站長了。

Good morning,' said the Station Master, in a friendly way.

“早上好。”站長招呼著，態(tài)度十分友善。

G—good morning,' said Peter.

“早——早上好。”彼得說。

I haven't seen you at the station recently,' said the Station Master.

“我最近沒有在車站看見你。”站長說。

After the trouble with the coal...' began Peter.

“自從偷煤的麻煩之后……”彼得開始說。

That's over and forgotten now,' said the Station Master. 'You come to the station when you like.'

“事情都過去了，忘了它吧，”站長說，“想到車站來你們就來好了。”

Oh, thank you,' said Peter.

“哦，謝謝您。”彼得說。

And the three children went the very same day. They spent a happy two hours with the Porter, a nice friendly man called Perks, who answered all their questions about trains and railways.

當天，三個孩子就到車站去了。他們跟那個和善的守道工珀克斯一起度過了愉快的兩小時，他回答了孩子們提出的所有跟火車和鐵路有關(guān)的問題。

The next day, Mother stayed in bed because her head ached so badly. She was very hot and would not eat anything, and Mrs Viney told her to send for Dr Forrest. So Peter was sent to fetch the doctor.

第二天，因為頭疼得厲害，媽媽臥床不起。她高燒不退，吃不進任何東西，瓦伊尼夫人建議她請福里斯特大夫過來看看。于是，彼得被派去請醫(yī)生。

I expect you want to be nurse,' Dr Forrest said to Bobbie, after he had seen Mother. 'Your mother is ill and must stay in bed. I'll send some medicine for her, but she will need fruit and milk, and some other special things that I'll write down on a piece of paper for you.'

“我希望你想當護士，”給媽媽看過病之后，福里斯特大夫?qū)Σ┍日f，“你媽媽病了，需要臥床休息。我會給她送一些藥來，但她還需要進些水果、牛奶和其他一些特別的東西，我會把需要的東西給你列在一張紙上的。”

When the doctor had gone, Bobbie showed Mother the piece of paper. Mother tried to laugh. 'Impossible!' she said. 'We can't buy all those things! We're poor, remember?'

醫(yī)生走后，博比讓媽媽看了看那張紙。媽媽勉強笑了笑。“不可能！”她說，“我們買不起這些東西！我們現(xiàn)在是窮人，還記得嗎？”

Later, the children talked together.

過了一會兒，孩子們一起討論了起來。

Mother must have those things,' said Bobbie. 'The doctor said so. How can we get them for her? Think, everybody, just as hard as you can.'

“媽媽一定得吃那些東西，”博比說，“醫(yī)生是這么說的。可是我們該去哪兒給她弄這些東西來呢？動動腦筋，大家好好動動腦筋。”

They did think. And later, when Bobbie was sitting with Mother, the other two were busy with a white sheet, some black paint and a paint brush.

他們絞盡了腦汁。隨后，博比坐在那里陪著媽媽，另外兩個孩子則拿著一張白布單、一些黑色的顏料和一支畫筆忙個不停。

The next morning, the 9.15 came out of the tunnel and the old gentleman put down his newspaper, ready to wave at the three children. But this morning there was only one child. It was Peter.

第二天早晨，當9點15分的那趟火車穿出隧道時，車上的老先生放下手中的報紙，準備向三個孩子招手。但是今天早晨只有彼得一個人站在那里。

Peter was showing him the large white sheet that was fixed to the fence. On the sheet were thick black letters that read: LOOK OUT AT THE STATION.

彼得向老先生指著那張釘在籬笆上的大白布。白布上用又粗又黑的字體寫著：到車站時請往窗外看看。

A lot of people did look out at the station, but they saw nothing strange. But as the train was getting ready to leave, the old gentleman saw Phyllis running towards him.

火車到站時，很多人的確都在往窗外看，但他們并沒有看到什么新奇的事情。但是就在火車快要開動時，老先生看見菲利斯向他跑過來。

I thought I was going to miss you!' she shouted, and pushed a letter into his hand, through the window, as the train moved away.

“我以為我趕不上您了！”她一邊大喊，一邊在火車啟動的瞬間，從窗戶把一封信塞到了老先生的手中。

The old gentleman sat back in his seat and opened the letter. This is what he read:

老先生坐回到座位上，打開了手中的信。信的內(nèi)容是這樣的：

Dear Mr (we do not know your name),

親愛的先生（我們不知道您的名字）：

Mother is ill and the doctor says we must give her these things at the end of the letter, but we haven't got enough money to get them. We do not know anybody here except you, because Father is away and we do not know his address. Father will pay you, or if he has lost all his money, Peter will pay you when he is a man. We promise it.

媽媽病了，醫(yī)生說我們必須給她弄到信的末尾所列的這些東西，但我們沒有足夠的錢。在這兒除了您，我們誰都不認識，因為爸爸不在家，我們也不知道他的地址。爸爸將來會把這些錢還給您的，如果他沒錢的話，彼得長大后會還給您的。我們發(fā)誓。

Please give the things to the Station Master, because we do not know which train you come back on. Tell him the things are for Peter, the boy who was sorry about the coal, then he will understand.

請把東西交給站長，因為我們不知道您乘哪趟火車返回。您告訴站長這些東西是給彼得的，就是那個因為煤的事而充滿歉意的男孩兒，他就會明白的。

Bobbie Phyllis Peter

博比，菲利斯，彼得

Written below the letter were all the things the doctor had ordered, and the old gentleman read through them. His eyes opened wide with surprise, but he smiled.

信后列著醫(yī)生讓他們買的那些東西，老先生把這些東西從頭至尾看了一遍。他驚訝得睜大了雙眼，不過還是笑了。

At about six o'clock that evening, there was a knock at the back door. The three children hurried to open it, and there stood Perks, the friendly Porter, with a large box. He put it on the floor.

那天晚上大約6點鐘左右，有人敲家里的后門，三個孩子忙過去開門。門外站著珀克斯，那個友好的守道工，他手里拿著一個大盒子。他把盒子放在了地板上。

The old gentleman asked me to bring it,' he said.

“是那位老先生要我送來的。”他說。

Perks left, and the children opened the box. Inside were all the things they had asked for, and some they had not—some wine, two chickens, twelve big red roses. And there was a letter.

珀克斯走了，孩子們打開了盒子。里面裝著他們信里列出的所有東西，甚至還有一些他們沒有列舉的——一些葡萄酒，兩只雞，12朵大大的紅玫瑰。還有一封信。

Dear Bobbie, Phyllis and Peter,

親愛的博比、菲利斯、彼得：

Here are the things you need. Your mother will want to know where they came from. Tell her they were sent by a friend who heard she was ill. When she is well, you must tell her all about it, of course. And if she says you were wrong to ask for the things, tell her that I say you were right, and that I was pleased to help.

這是你們需要的東西。你們的媽媽會問你們這些東西是從哪里來的，就說是一個朋友聽說她生病了送來的。當然，她病好了之后，你們一定要告訴她真相。如果她說你們做錯了，就請告訴她，我認為你們做得對，而且我很樂意幫助你們。

The name at the bottom of the letter was G. P. something——the children could not read it.

信的末尾署名是G. P. 什么什么——孩子們不認識。

I think we were right,' said Phyllis.

“我想我們是做對了。”菲利斯說。

Of course we were right,' said Bobbie.

“我們當然做對了。”博比也說。

I hope Mother thinks we were right, too,' said Peter. But he didn't sound very sure.

“我希望媽媽也認為我們做得對。”彼得說。但聽起來他好像不太確定。

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