书虫三级 铁路少年：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.

孩子们已经离不开铁路了，他们很快摸清了经过这里的列车的时间。上午9:15和10:07各有一趟，半夜还有一趟，那趟列车有时会把他们从梦中吵醒。

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.'

这天早晨，他们都坐在木篱笆上，等9点15分那趟列车，正在这时，菲利斯说：“这车是去伦敦的，爸爸还在那里呢。待会儿火车经过的时候，我们一起对它招手吧。也许这是一辆有魔力的火车，能把我们的爱带给爸爸。”

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

于是，当9点15分那趟列车从隧道中呼啸而出的时候，三个孩子就对着它招手……

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

……竟然有一只手在回应他们！那只手里拿着一张报纸，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.

这位老先生每天都乘坐这趟9点15分的火车。他满头白发，样子很慈祥，很快他们每天早晨都向他招手。他们假定老先生认识他们的爸爸，能把他们的爱带过去。

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.

一开始，他们并不到车站去。因为在偷煤事件之后，彼得很害怕再见到站长。但是有一天，在去村子的路上，他真的碰到站长了。

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

“早上好。”站长招呼着，态度十分友善。

G—good morning,' said Peter.

“早——早上好。”彼得说。

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

“我最近没有在车站看见你。”站长说。

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

“自从偷煤的麻烦之后……”彼得开始说。

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

“事情都过去了，忘了它吧，”站长说，“想到车站来你们就来好了。”

Oh, thank you,' said Peter.

“哦，谢谢您。”彼得说。

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.

当天，三个孩子就到车站去了。他们跟那个和善的守道工珀克斯一起度过了愉快的两小时，他回答了孩子们提出的所有跟火车和铁路有关的问题。

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，因为头疼得厉害，妈妈卧床不起。她高烧不退，吃不进任何东西，瓦伊尼夫人建议她请福里斯特大夫过来看看。于是，彼得被派去请医生。

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.'

“我希望你想当护士，”给妈妈看过病之后，福里斯特大夫对博比说，“你妈妈病了，需要卧床休息。我会给她送一些药来，但她还需要进些水果、牛奶和其他一些特别的东西，我会把需要的东西给你列在一张纸上的。”

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?'

医生走后，博比让妈妈看了看那张纸。妈妈勉强笑了笑。“不可能！”她说，“我们买不起这些东西！我们现在是穷人，还记得吗？”

Later, the children talked together.

过了一会儿，孩子们一起讨论了起来。

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.'

“妈妈一定得吃那些东西，”博比说，“医生是这么说的。可是我们该去哪儿给她弄这些东西来呢？动动脑筋，大家好好动动脑筋。”

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.

他们绞尽了脑汁。随后，博比坐在那里陪着妈妈，另外两个孩子则拿着一张白布单、一些黑色的颜料和一支画笔忙个不停。

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，当9点15分的那趟火车穿出隧道时，车上的老先生放下手中的报纸，准备向三个孩子招手。但是今天早晨只有彼得一个人站在那里。

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.

彼得向老先生指着那张钉在篱笆上的大白布。白布上用又粗又黑的字体写着：到车站时请往窗外看看。

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.

火车到站时，很多人的确都在往窗外看，但他们并没有看到什么新奇的事情。但是就在火车快要开动时，老先生看见菲利斯向他跑过来。

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.

“我以为我赶不上您了！”她一边大喊，一边在火车启动的瞬间，从窗户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，打开了手中的信。信的内容是这样的：

Dear Mr (we do not know your name),

亲爱的先生（我们不知道您的名字）：

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.

妈妈病了，医生说我们必须给她弄到信的末尾所列的这些东西，但我们没有足够的钱。在这儿除了您，我们谁都不认识，因为爸爸不在家，我们也不知道他的地址。爸爸将来会把这些钱还给您的，如果他没钱的话，彼得长大后会还给您的。我们发誓。

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.

请把东西交给站长，因为我们不知道您乘哪趟火车返回。您告诉站长这些东西是给彼得的，就是那个因为煤的事而充满歉意的男孩儿，他就会明白的。

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.

信后列着医生让他们买的那些东西，老先生把这些东西从头至尾看了一遍。他惊讶得睁大了双眼，不过还是笑了。

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.

那天晚上大约6点钟左右，有人敲家里的后门，三个孩子忙过去开门。门外站着珀克斯，那个友好的守道工，他手里拿着一个大盒子。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来的。”他说。

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，孩子们打开了盒子。里面装着他们信里列出的所有东西，甚至还有一些他们没有列举的——一些葡萄酒，两只鸡，12朵大大的红玫瑰。还有一封信。

Dear Bobbie, Phyllis and Peter,

亲爱的博比、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.

这是你们需要的东西。你们的妈妈会问你们这些东西是从哪里来的，就说是一个朋友听说她生病了送来的。当然，她病好了之后，你们一定要告诉她真相。如果她说你们做错了，就请告诉她，我认为你们做得对，而且我很乐意帮助你们。

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——孩子们不认识。

I think we were right,' said Phyllis.

“我想我们是做对了。”菲利斯说。

Of course we were right,' said Bobbie.

“我们当然做对了。”博比也说。

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

“我希望妈妈也认为我们做得对。”彼得说。但听起来他好像不太确定。

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