When Stuart arrived at his camp site by the river, he was tired and hot. He put the canoe in the water and was sorry to see that it leaked badly. The birch bark at the stern was held together by a lacing, and the water came in through the seam. In a very few seconds the canoe was half full of water.
斯图亚特来到他在河边的营地时，感到又累又热。他把独木舟放到水里，立刻发现它漏水现象十分严重。船尾是用桦树皮拼成的，水就从那拼缝里渗了进来，几秒钟后，独木舟里就装了一半的水。
“Darn it!” said Stuart, “I’ve been swindled.” He had paid seventy-six cents for a genuine Indian birchbark canoe, only to find that it leaked.
“可恶！”斯图亚特说，“我受骗了。”他花了七十六美分才买下的真正的印第安桦木舟，却是个漏水的东西。
Then he bailed out his canoe and hauled it up on the beach for repairs. He knew he couldn’t take Harriet out in a leaky boat — she wouldn’t like it. Tired though he was, he climbed a spruce tree and found some spruce gum. With this he plugged the seam and stopped the leak. Even so, the canoe turned out to be a cranky little craft. If Stuart had not had plenty of experience on the water, he would have got into serious trouble with it. It was a tippy boat even for a souvenir. Stuart carried stones from the beach down to the water’s edge and ballasted the canoe with the stones until it floated evenly and steadily. He made a back-rest so that Harriet would be able to lean back and trail her fingers in the water if she wished. He also made a pillow by tying one of his clean handkerchiefs around some moss. Then he went for a paddle to practise his stroke. He was angry that he didn’t have anything better than a paper spoon for a paddle, but he decided that there was nothing he could do about it. He wondered whether Harriet would notice that his paddle was really just an ice cream spoon.
他把水从独木舟里舀出来，然后把它抬到岸边准备修理。他知道他不能用一艘漏水的船带哈丽雅特游玩——她准不会喜欢的。虽然已经很累了，他还是爬上了一棵针纵树，在上面找到了一些松脂胶，他把那些树胶涂到小舟的接合处，终于止住了漏水。即便如此，这艘独木舟看起来还是摇摇晃晃的。如果斯图亚特没有充分的水上经验的话，他会一愁莫展的。这艘小船就是摆在柜台上时也还是很不平稳呢。斯图亚特从水边把一些石头搬到独木舟里，才把它垫稳。他又给哈丽雅特在船里准备了一个后座，如果她喜欢，可以坐在上面，伸出手去戏水。他还把他的一条手绢包成了一个小枕头。然后他又想找个能代替船桨的东西。他很生气，因为他找不到比冰淇淋勺更好的东西，只好就这么算了。他不知道哈丽雅特能否看出他的船桨只不过是个冰淇淋勺而已。
“Darn, darn, darn,” he muttered.
“可恶，可恶，可恶，”他不停地抱怨着。
All that afternoon Stuart worked on the canoe, adjusting ballast, filling seams, and getting everything shipshape for the morrow. He could think of nothing else but his date with Harriet. At suppertime he took his ax, felled a dandelion, opened a can of deviled ham, and had a light supper of ham and dandelion milk. After supper, he propped himself up against a fern, bit off some spruce gum for a chew, and lay there on the bank dreaming and chewing gum. In his imagination he went over every detail of tomorrow’s trip with Harriet. With his eyes shut he seemed to see the whole occasion plainly — how she would look when she came down the path to the water, how calm and peaceful the river was going to be in the twilight, how graceful the canoe would seem, drawn up on the shore. In imagination he lived every minute of their evening together. They would paddle to a large water-lily pad upstream, and he would invite Harriet to step out on the pad and sit awhile. Stuart planned to wear his swimming trunks under his clothes so that he could dive off the lily pad into the cool stream. He would swim the crawl stroke, up and down and all around the lily pad, while Harriet watched, admiring his ability as a swimmer. (Stuart chewed the spruce gum very rapidly as he thought about this part of the episode.)
整个下午斯图亚特都在独木舟上工作着。调整压舱的石头，粘合船缝，把该为明天做准备的一切都准备好了。除了和哈丽雅特的会面外，他心里什么都没想。到该吃晚饭时，他拿起他的斧子，砍下了一棵蒲公英，又打开一罐辣味火腿，吃了点火腿，喝了些蒲公英的奶汁。晚饭后，他靠在一棵羊齿植物旁，咬下一些乳胶，然后就嚼着它们躺到岸边做他的美梦了。他不断想象着明天和哈丽雅特会面的每一个细节。虽然闭着眼，他却似乎清楚地看到了这一切——当她往岸边走时是什么样子，薄暮时分的河水又会是多么的沉静，泊在岸边的独木舟看来又会是多么漂亮。他还想象着，自己是怎么和她一起共度这个良宵的每一分钟的。他们会逆流划到一片大荷叶那里，他会邀请哈丽雅特坐到荷叶上小憩片刻。斯图亚特打算在衣服里穿上游泳裤，这样就可以在荷叶下面游泳了。他将以自由式游泳，在荷叶的四周不停地游，哈丽雅特见到了就会夸他是游泳天才的。（当他想着这些小插曲时，嘴里嚼的速度更快了。）
The next day dawned cloudy. Stuart had to go up to the village to have the oil changed in his car, so he hid the canoe under some leaves, tied it firmly to a stone, and went off on his errand, still thinking about Harriet and wishing it were a nicer day. The sky looked rainy.
第二天有些多云。斯图亚特要到镇子里去给他的车加油，因此便把他的独木舟系在一块石头上藏到树叶下，然后才满怀着对哈丽雅特的渴望和这一天的期盼走了。天看起来好像要下雨。
Suddenly Stuart opened his eyes and sat up. He thought about the letter he had sent and he wondered whether it had ever been delivered. It was an unusually small letter, of course, and might have gone unnoticed in the letterbox. This idea filled him with fears and worries. But soon he let his thoughts return to the river, and as he lay there a whippoorwill began to sing on the opposite shore, darkness spread over the land, and Stuart dropped off to sleep.
突然，斯图亚特睁开眼坐了起来，他想不起来他写的那封信到底邮了没有。那封信非常的小，也许不会被人发现。这念头使他恐惧并担忧起来。可不久他的思绪便又回到小河上了，在夜鸱开始在对岸唱歌，黑暗笼罩了大地的时候，斯图亚特终于睡着了。
Stuart returned from the village with a headache, but he hoped that it would be better before five o’clock. He felt rather nervous, as he had never taken a girl canoeing before. He spent the afternoon lying around camp, trying on different shirts to see which looked best on him and combing his whiskers. He would no sooner get a clean shirt on than he would discover that it was wet under the arms, from nervous perspiration, and he would have to change it for a dry one. He put on a clean shirt at two o’clock, another at three o’clock, and another at quarter past four. This took up most of the afternoon. As five o’clock drew near, Stuart grew more and more nervous. He kept looking at his watch, glancing up the path, combing his hair, talking to himself, and fidgeting. The day had turned chilly and Stuart was almost sure that there was going to be rain. He couldn’t imagine what he would do if it should rain just as Harriet Ames showed up to go canoeing.
斯图亚特从镇子里回来时有点头痛，他希望在五点钟前可以好起来。他非常的燥乱，因为他从没有过和一个女孩同乘独木舟的经验。一下午，他都在他的营地试穿不同的衬衫，想知道哪一件穿起来更帅，他还不停地用梳子梳他的胡子。可是他最后穿上的那件衬衫后来却被弄脏了，因为由于太紧张，腋下的汗把它弄湿了，于是他只好又换上一件干的。他在两点钟换了一件干净的衬衫，在三点钟又换了一件，在四点十五分则又换了一件。下午剩下的时间就这么被用掉了。马上就到五点钟了，斯图亚特心里越来越紧张。他不停地看着表，往小路那里瞅，梳理头发，自言自语，心烦意乱。天色越来越阴，斯图亚特想一定是快下雨了。他不知道如果他和哈丽雅特划船时天下起雨该怎么办。
“Are you Mr. Little?” asked Harriet.
“你是利特尔先生？”哈丽雅特问。
At last five o’clock arrived. Stuart heard someone coming down the path. It was Harriet. She had accepted his invitation. Stuart threw himself down against a stump and tried to strike an easy attitude, as though he were accustomed to taking girls out. He waited till Harriet was within a few feet of him, then got up.
最后，五点钟终于到了。斯图亚特听到有人走过来的声音。正是哈丽雅特。她已经接受了他的邀请。斯图亚特倚在树桩旁，尽量装出一副悠闲的样子，好像他常和女孩子约会一样。他一直等到哈丽雅特来到身边才起身。
“Yes,” said Stuart. “It’s nice of you to come.”
“是的，”斯图亚特说。“很高兴你能来。”
“Well, it was very good of you to ask me,” replied Harriet. She was wearing a white sweater, a tweed skirt, short white wool socks, and sneakers. Her hair was tied with a bright colored handkerchief, and Stuart noticed that she carried a box of peppermints in her hand.
“哦，谢谢你的邀请，”哈丽雅特回答。她穿着一件白色羊绒大衣，里面是苏格兰呢绒衬衫，脚上是白色毛袜和蛇皮鞋。她的头上裹着一条鲜艳的头巾，手中拿着一盒薄荷糖。
“Hello there,” he said, trying to keep his voice from trembling.
“你好，”他试着让自己的声音听起来很正常。
“Not at all, glad to do it,” said Stuart. “I only wish we had better weather. Looks rather sticky, don’t you think?” Stuart was trying to make his voice sound as though he had an English accent.
“不必客气，我很荣幸，”斯图亚特说。“我只希望天气能好起来。可看起来相当的糟，不是吗？”斯图亚特试着让自己的发音听起来像标准的英国口音。
Harriet looked at the sky and nodded. “Oh, well,” she said, “if it rains, it rains.”
哈丽雅特看了看天，点点头。“哦，是的，”她说。“像要下雨了。”
“Sure,” repeated Stuart, “if it rains, it rains. My canoe is a short distance up the shore. May I help you over the rough places in the path?” Stuart was a courteous mouse by nature, but Harriet said she didn’t need any help. She was an active girl and not at all inclined to stumble or fall. Stuart led the way to where he had hidden the canoe, and Harriet followed, but when they reached the spot Stuart was horrified to discover that the canoe was not there. It had disappeared.
“是的，”斯图亚特重复。“像要下雨了。我的独木舟就停在岸边。路很崎岖，我可以带你去那里吗？”斯图亚特是个生性有礼貌的老鼠。可哈丽雅特却说她不需要帮助。她是个身体很好的女孩子，走路时不会被绊倒。斯图亚特和她一起往藏船的地方走，可当他们到了那里，斯图亚特却惊恐地发现船不见了。它消失了。
Stuart’s heart sank. He felt like crying.
斯图亚特的心沉了下来，他感到自己快哭了。
“The canoe is gone,” he groaned.
“独木舟不见了，”他呻吟。
Then he began racing wildly up and down the bank, looking everywhere. Harriet joined in the search, and after a while they found the canoe — but it was a mess. Some one had been playing with it. A long piece of heavy string was tied to one end. The ballast rocks were gone. The pillow was gone. The back rest was gone. The spruce gum had come out of the seam. Mud was all over everything, and one of the paddles was all bent and twisted. It was just a mess. It looked just the way a birchbark canoe looks after some big boys are finished playing with it.
然后他开始在岸边来回地搜索，好半天才找到它——可它已经不成样子了。一定有什么人玩过它。它的船尾被系上了一根长绳子，压舱石不见了，枕头也消失了，那个用来休息的后座也被拆走，船缝里的树胶被揭了下来，船上到处都是泥，一只船桨被扭弯了。真是一团糟。一定是某个大男孩发现了它，把它糟蹋成这样的。
Stuart was heartbroken. He did not know what to do. He sat down on a twig and buried his head in his hands. “Oh, gee,” he kept saying, “oh, gee whiz.”
斯图亚特的心都碎了。他不知道还能怎么办。他跌坐在一根小树枝上，把头埋在手里。“噢，该死，”他不停地说，“噢，该死的破坏狂！”
“It’s no use,” he said bitterly, “it wouldn’t be the same.”
“没有用了，”他痛苦地说，“不可能再恢复原样了。”
“Miss Ames,” said Stuart in a trembling voice, “I assure you I had everything beautifully arranged — everything. And now look!”
“埃姆斯小姐，”斯图亚特的声音都发颤了，“我保证曾把一切都安排得非常完美——所有的一切，可现在却都完了！”
“The same as what?” asked Harriet.
“原来是什么样子？”哈丽雅特问。
“What’s the trouble?” asked Harriet.
“怎么了？”哈丽雅特问。
Stuart looked at her in despair. “Did you ever see an Indian paddling along some quiet unspoiled river with a great big piece of rope dragging astern?” he asked.
斯图亚特绝望地看了看她。“你曾经见过一艘船尾拖着绳子在宁静的水面上航行的印第安独木舟吗？”他问。
“The same as the way it was going to be, when I was thinking about it yesterday. I’m afraid a woman can’t understand these things. Look at that string! It’s tied on so tight I could never get it off.”
“就像我昨天弄的那么好。我恐怕一个女人是不能做好这件事的。看那根绳子！它系得那么紧，我绝不可能把它解下来。”
“Well,” suggested Harriet, “couldn’t we just let it hang over in the water and trail along after us?”
“哦，”哈丽雅特建议，“我们划船时就让它那么拖在水里好了。”
“We could pretend we were fishing,” said Harriet, who didn’t realize that some people are fussy about boats.
“我们可以假装是在钓鱼，”哈丽雅特觉得一个人不必因为船的小事而发愁。
Harriet was for fixing the canoe up and going out on the river anyway, but Stuart couldn’t stand that idea.
哈丽雅特准备去修理那独木舟，可是斯图亚特却已经绝望了。
“I don’t want to pretend I’m fishing,” cried Stuart, desperately. “Besides, look at that mud! Look at it!” He was screaming now.
“我可不想假装是在钓鱼，”斯图亚特绝望地大叫。“此外，再看看那些泥！看哪！”他的声音更高了。
Harriet sat down on the twig beside Stuart. She offered him a peppermint but he shook his head.
哈丽雅特坐到斯图亚特坐的树枝上。她递给他一块薄荷糖，他却摇摇头不接。
“Well,” she said, “it’s starting to rain, and I guess I’d better be running along if you are not going to take me paddling in your canoe. I don’t see why you have to sit here and sulk. Would you like to come up to my house? After dinner you could take me to the dance at the Country Club. It might cheer you up.”
“哦，”她说，“天就要下雨了，如果你不带我划独木舟，我还是快点回去的好。我不明白你坐在这里发呆还有什么用。你愿意到我家来吗？晚饭后你可以带我去乡村俱乐部跳舞。这会让你高兴起来的。”
“Are you going to sleep out in all this rain?” asked Harriet.
“那么你就睡在雨里吗？”哈丽雅特问。
“So am I,” said Harriet. And she walked away along the wet path toward Tracy’s Lane, leaving Stuart alone with his broken dreams and his damaged canoe.
“我也是，”哈丽雅特说。她沿着湿湿的小路往特蕾西大道走去，把美梦破灭的斯图亚特和他那艘独木舟孤单地留在身后。
Harriet shrugged her shoulders. “Well,” she said, “good-by, Mr. Little.”
哈丽雅特耸耸肩膀。“好吧，”她说，“再见，利特尔先生。”
“Certainly,” said Stuart. “I’ll crawl in under the canoe.”
“当然，”斯图亚特说。“我可以在独木舟下躲雨。”
“Good-by, Miss Ames,” said Stuart. “I am sorry our evening on the river had to end like this.”
“再见，埃姆斯小姐，”斯图亚特说。“我很难过，我们在夜河边的会面就这么结束了。”
“No, thank you,” replied Stuart. “I don’t know how to dance. Besides, I plan to make an early start in the morning. I’ll probably be on the road at daybreak.”
“不，谢谢你，”斯图亚特回答。“我不会跳舞。而且，我打算明天一早就离开。黎明时分我就该在路上了。”
0 条评论