The next day, when Charlie came home from school and went in to see his grandparents, he found that only Grandpa Joe was awake. The other three were all snoring loudly.

第二天,查理放学回家进去看他的祖父、祖母和外祖父、外祖母,发觉只有约瑟夫爷爷一个人醒着,其他三位老人家全在大声打呼噜。

“Ssshh!” whispered Grandpa Joe, and he beckoned Charlie to come closer. Charlie tiptoed over and stood beside the bed. The old man gave Charlie a sly grin, and then he started rummaging under his pillow with one hand; and when the hand came out again, there was an ancient leather purse clutched in the fingers. Under cover of the bedclothes, the old man opened the purse and tipped it upside down. Out fell a single silver sixpence. “It’s my secret hoard,” he whispered. “The others don’t know I’ve got it. And now, you and I are going to have one more fling at finding that last ticket. How about it, eh? But you’ll have to help me.”

“嘘嘘嘘!”约瑟夫爷爷低声说,招手叫查理走近一点儿。查理踮起脚走到他的床边。爷爷对查理笑了笑,接着用一只手在枕头底下摸索。当他重新把手伸出来时,手指抓住一个古老的皮钱包。爷爷在被单底下打开钱包,把它倒过来。落下了一枚六便士银币。“这是我的私房钱,”他低声说,“其他人都不知道我有这枚银币。现在,你和我多了一个机会找到那最后一张奖券。怎么样,嗯?不过你要帮我的忙。”

“Are you sure you want to spend your money on that, Grandpa?” Charlie whispered.

“你真的要把这钱花在奖券上面吗,爷爷?”查理悄悄地问道。

“Of course I’m sure!” spluttered the old man excitedly. “Don’t stand there arguing! I’m as keen as you are to find that ticket! Here — take the money and run down the street to the nearest shop and buy the first Wonka bar you see and bring it straight back to me, and we’ll open it together.”

“当然是真的!”老人家激动得唾沫横飞,“不要站在这里争论了!我和你一样急于要找到那张奖券!来,把钱拿去,跑到街上最近的一家商店买你看到的第一块旺卡巧克力糖,立刻拿回来给我,我们一起把它拆开。”

“Mind you,” said Grandpa Joe, “there is just that tiny chance that it might be the one, don’t you agree?”

“你听着,”约瑟夫爷爷说,“只有一丁点儿机会,可能是这一块,你这么认为吗?”

Charlie nodded and held out the bar of chocolate. WONKA’S NUTTY CRUNCH SURPRISE, it said on the wrapper.

查理点点头,把那块巧克力糖拿出来,包糖纸上写着:旺卡的果仁香脆巧克力糖

“No,” Charlie said, “you paid for it. You do it all.”

“不,”查理说,“它是你出钱买的,由你来撕。”

“Good!” the old man whispered, sitting up in the bed and rubbing his hands. “Now — come over here and sit close to me and we’ll open it together. Are you ready?”

“好!”老人家悄悄地说了一声,在床上坐起来,搓着手,“过来,到这里来,坐到我的身边来,我们一起来拆开它。你准备好了吗?”

“All right. You tear off the first bit.”

“那好,你先动手,撕开一点儿。”

“Yes,” Charlie said. “I know that.”

“对,”查理说,“我知道。”

Charlie took the little silver coin, and slipped quickly out of the room. In five minutes, he was back.

查理拿起那枚银币,很快地溜出房间。五分钟后他回来了。

“Have you got it?” whispered Grandpa Joe, his eyes shining with excitement.

“买到了吗?”约瑟夫爷爷低声问道,他的眼睛兴奋得发光。

They looked at each other, and both started giggling nervously.

他们相互对看着,都紧张地咯咯傻笑起来。

“Yes,” Charlie said. “Of course. Why don’t you open it, Grandpa?”

“是的,”查理说,“我也这么认为。你为什么还不拆开它呢,爷爷?”

The old man’s fingers were trembling most terribly as they fumbled with the wrapper. “We don’t have a hope, really,” he whispered, giggling a bit. “You do know we don’t have a hope, don’t you?”

当老人家的手指摸着包糖纸时,它颤抖得非常厉害。“我们绝不会有希望,”他低声说,咯咯地笑了笑,“你知道,我们不会有希望的,对吗?”

“Yes,” Charlie said. “I’m ready.”

“是的,”查理说,“我准备好了。”

“You finish it,” said Grandpa Joe. “I’m too nervous.”

“你来撕完它吧,”约瑟夫爷爷说,“我太紧张了。”

“Nothing,” said Grandpa Joe. “You go on back to sleep.”

“没什么,”约瑟夫爷爷说,“睡你的觉吧。”

“Like that?” said the old man.

“是这样撕吗?”老人家说。

“What on earth’s going on!” cried Grandma Josephine, waking up suddenly.

“出什么事啦?”约瑟芬奶奶忽然醒过来问道。

“That corner. The one furthest from you. Just tear off a tiny bit, but not quite enough for us to see anything.”

“那一头,离你最远的一头。只撕开一点儿,不要撕得让我们看到里面的东西。”

“No, Grandpa. You must do it yourself.”

“不,爷爷,你一定要自己撕。”

They both stared at what lay underneath. It was a bar of chocolate — nothing more.

他们两个盯着纸里的东西看。只有一块巧克力糖,没有别的了。

All at once, they both saw the funny side of the whole thing, and they burst into peals of laughter.

他们两个突然觉得,他们所做的整件事情非常滑稽,于是哈哈大笑起来。

“Very well, then. Here goes.” He tore off the wrapper.

“那好吧!我撕了。”约瑟夫爷爷把包糖纸全部撕开来。

“Yes. Now a little bit more.”

“对,现在再撕一点儿。”

“All in good time, my boy, all in good time. Which end do you think I ought to open first?”

“别急,我的孩子,别急。你认为我该先撕哪一头呢?”


yewandou

一个人要有坚强的毅力,否则他将一事无成

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