XII — James Henry and Henry James
第十二章 —— 詹姆斯·亨利与亨利·詹姆斯
DR. MOORE WENT to get his mother.
摩尔医生去请他的母亲过来。
“Mother,” he said, “this is Mr. James Henry Alden. He wants to take his grandchildren to live with him.”
“妈妈,”他说,“这位是詹姆斯·亨利·奥尔登先生。他想接他的孙辈们去和他一起住。”
“I’m afraid they won’t want to go with you,” said Mrs. Moore, “until they learn to like you. And they won’t want to go while Violet is so sick.”
“恐怕他们不会愿意跟你走,”摩尔太太说,“除非他们慢慢喜欢上你。而且维奥莱特病得这么重,他们现在也不会想离开。”
“Can’t I see them?” begged Mr. Alden. “I won’t tell them who I am.”
“我能不能先见见他们?”奥尔登先生恳求道,“我不会告诉他们我是谁。”
“That would help,” agreed the doctor. “If they grow to like you before they know who you are, things will be easier.”
“那样会有帮助,”医生表示赞同,“如果他们在知道你的身份之前就喜欢上你,事情就会容易得多。”
“Yes,” said Mrs. Moore. “Stay here with us for awhile. The children will learn to like you, and then we can tell them that you are their grandfather.”
“是的,”摩尔太太说,“在我们这儿住一阵子吧。孩子们会慢慢喜欢你的,到时候我们再告诉他们你是他们的祖父。”
“Thank you,” said Mr. Alden. “I will go home and get some clothes and come back. And I will give you the five thousand dollars.”
“谢谢你们,”奥尔登先生说,“我回家拿些衣服就回来。还有,我会给你们五千美元。”
But Dr. Moore would not take the money.
但摩尔医生不肯收这笔钱。
“I just want these children to be happy,” he said.
“我只希望这些孩子能过得幸福,”他说。
When Mary learned that she was to cook for Mr. Alden, she was frightened.
当玛丽得知她要为奥尔登先生做饭时,她吓坏了。
“How can I cook for him?” she cried. “He has everything. He is a very rich man.”
“我怎么能给他做饭呢?”她叫道,“他什么都有,他是个非常富有的人。”
“You can cook for anyone,” said Dr. Moore, kindly. “Just get one of your good chicken dinners and make some cherry dumplings.”
“你可以给任何人做饭,”摩尔医生和蔼地说,“做一顿你拿手的鸡肉大餐,再做些樱桃饺子就行了。”
At dinner Mr. Alden saw all his grandchildren but Violet.
晚餐时,奥尔登先生见到了除了维奥莱特之外的所有孙辈。
He smiled with delight when he saw Jessie come into the room in her quiet way.
当他看到杰西安静地走进房间时,高兴地笑了。
“Children,” said Mrs. Moore, “this is Mr. Henry.”
“孩子们,”摩尔太太说,“这位是亨利先生。”
Benny laughed. “Henry and Mr. Henry,” he remarked. “That is funny.”
本尼笑了。“亨利和亨利先生,”他说道,“真有趣。”
Henry shook hands with Mr. Alden before he sat down at the table.
亨利在桌边坐下前和奥尔登先生握了手。
“Where have I seen that man before?” he thought.
“我以前在哪里见过这个人?”他想。
The children liked to hear Mr. Henry talk.
孩子们都喜欢听亨利先生讲话。
He told them about a big cucumber in his garden. The cucumber was growing inside a bottle, and he couldn’t get it out.
他告诉他们他花园里有一个大黄瓜。那个黄瓜长在瓶子里,他没法把它弄出来。
“Why not?” asked Benny.
“为什么弄不出来?”本尼问。
“It is too big,” said Mr. Alden.
“因为它太大了,”奥尔登先生说。
“How did it get in?” asked Benny.
“它是怎么进去的?”本尼问。
“It was a little cucumber when it went in,” said Mr. Alden. “A cucumber will grow just the same in a bottle. It will grow so big you can’t get it out.”
“它进去的时候还是个小黄瓜,”奥尔登先生说,“黄瓜在瓶子里也一样会长大。它长得太大,你就拿不出来了。”
“I’d like to see the cucumber,” said Benny, stopping in the middle of his cherry dumpling.
“我想看看那个黄瓜,”本尼说,吃到一半的樱桃饺子也停了下来。
“Would you really?” asked Mr. Alden, delighted. “Some day you and I will go over and pick it.”
“你真的想看吗?”奥尔登先生高兴地问,“哪天我们俩一起去把它摘下来。”
“And we can bring it to Violet,” said Benny.
“我们还可以把它带给维奥莱特,”本尼说。
“Yes, we’ll bring it to Violet,” agreed Mr. Alden.
“对,我们带给维奥莱特,”奥尔登先生赞同道。
Henry thought again, “Where have I seen that man before? I wish I could remember.”
亨利又在想:“我以前到底在哪里见过这个人?真希望我能想起来。”
He could not remember, but he liked Mr. Alden very much. All the children liked him because he was kind to them.
他还是没想起来,但他非常喜欢奥尔登先生。所有的孩子都喜欢他,因为他对他们很和善。
At last, one day, Mr. Alden could see Violet and went softly into her room with some beautiful flowers from his garden.
终于有一天,奥尔登先生可以去探望维奥莱特了,他带着花园里美丽的鲜花轻轻走进了她的房间。
The children loved him when he patted Violet’s dark head and told her that he was sorry she had been sick.
当他轻拍着维奥莱特的黑发,告诉她自己很难过她生病了时,孩子们更加喜爱他了。
He told her, too, about his garden, where the flowers came from.
他还跟她讲了他的花园,那些花就是从那里来的。
“I’d like to see your garden,” said Violet. “I love flowers.”
“我想看看你的花园,”维奥莱特说,“我喜欢花。”
“How long are you going to stay, Mr. Henry?” asked Benny.
“你要待多久,亨利先生?”本尼问。
“Sh, Benny!” said Jessie.
“嘘,本尼!”杰西说。
“I want to stay here as long as I can, my boy,” said Mr. Alden quietly.
“我想尽可能久地待在这里,我的孩子,”奥尔登先生轻声说。
Henry looked at the man again. He knew that he had heard him say “my boy” before. Now where was it? He could not remember.
亨利又看了看那个人。他知道以前听过他说“我的孩子”。可那是在哪里呢?他想不起来了。
After dinner Mr. Alden sat under a tree, reading. Henry was working in the flower garden in front of the house.
晚饭后,奥尔登先生坐在树下看书。亨利正在房前的花园里干活。
He looked at Mr. Alden again and again.
他一次又一次地看着奥尔登先生。
Suddenly it came to him, as the man smiled over his book. “It is the same man who gave me the twenty-five-dollar prize and the silver cup!” he said to himself.
突然,当那个人对着书微笑时,他想起来了。“这就是那个给我二十五美元奖金和银杯的人!”他自言自语道。
“I didn’t remember him at first because I was so excited when he shook hands with me.”
“一开始我没认出他,是因为他跟我握手时我太激动了。”
He took another look and said again, “It’s the very same man!”
他又看了一眼,再次说道:“就是同一个人!”
Henry sat thinking for a little while. Then he got up and went to find Dr. Moore.
亨利坐着思索了一会儿。然后他起身去找摩尔医生。
“Do you know who gave me the prize on Field Day?” he asked the doctor. “Do you know what his name was?”
“你知道运动日那天是谁给我颁的奖吗?”他问医生,“你知道他叫什么名字吗?”
“James Alden, of the mills,” replied the doctor. “J. H. Alden, over at Greenfield.” He did not look at Henry while he was saying it.
“是磨坊主詹姆斯·奥尔登,”医生回答,“格林菲尔德的J.H.奥尔登。”他说这话时没有看亨利。
Poor Henry was so surprised he almost fell over! That kind man his grandfather!
可怜的亨利惊讶得差点摔倒!那位和善的老人竟然是他的祖父!
He went out and sat on the steps to think it over.
他走出去坐在台阶上仔细琢磨这件事。
To begin with, this man was too young. Henry had thought of his grandfather as being an old man with white hair.
首先,这个人太年轻了。亨利一直以为他的祖父是个白发苍苍的老人。
And Mrs. Moore had called him “Mr. Henry.” Could it be that the man knew he was their grandfather and hadn’t told them?
而且摩尔太太叫他“亨利先生”。难道这个人知道自己是他们的祖父却没有告诉他们?
Then he saw that Mr. Alden was getting out of his chair under the trees.
这时他看到奥尔登先生正从树下的椅子上站起来。
“It’s now or never,” thought Henry. “I have to know!”
“机不可失,”亨利想,“我必须弄清楚!”
He walked eagerly after the man, who was going toward the garden with his back to Henry.
他急切地跟在那个人后面,那人正背对着亨利朝花园走去。
Then the man turned around and saw how excited Henry was.
然后那个人转过身来,看到了亨利有多么激动。
“Are you James Henry Alden of Greenfield?” Henry asked.
“您是格林菲尔德的詹姆斯·亨利·奥尔登吗?”亨利问。
“I am, my boy,” replied Mr. Alden, with a smile. “Does that mean you know that I know you are Henry James Alden?”
“是的,我的孩子,”奥尔登先生微笑着回答,“这是否意味着你知道我已经知道你是亨利·詹姆斯·奥尔登了?”
“Yes,” said Henry quietly.
“是的,”亨利平静地说。
Then James Henry Alden shook hands again with Henry James Alden.
于是詹姆斯·亨利·奥尔登再次与亨利·詹姆斯·奥尔登握了手。
Jessie and Benny came across the grass just in time to hear Henry say, “But, Grandfather—”
杰西和本尼穿过草地走来,恰好听到亨利说:“可是,爷爷——”
“Grandfather?” cried Jessie. “What do you mean, Henry?”
“爷爷?”杰西叫道,“你什么意思,亨利?”
“Yes, Jessie,” said Henry eagerly. “He’s the man we have been running away from all this time.”
“是的,杰西,”亨利急切地说,“他就是我们一直以来逃避的那个人。”
“I thought you were old,” said Benny. “And cross. Jessie said so.”
“我以为你很老,”本尼说,“还很凶。杰西这么说的。”
“I didn’t know, Benny,” said Jessie. Her face was red. To think of running away from this kind man!
“我不知道啊,本尼,”杰西说,脸都红了。想想竟然一直在躲避这位和善的老人!
But her grandfather did not seem to mind. He patted her on the head and said, “Let’s go up and see Violet.”
但她的祖父似乎并不介意。他拍了拍她的头说:“我们上楼去看看维奥莱特吧。”
There was no stopping Benny. He hurried into Violet’s room, holding Mr. Alden by the hand and shouting, “It’s Grandfather, Violet! And he isn’t cross after all!”
本尼根本停不下来。他拉着奥尔登先生的手冲进维奥莱特的房间,大喊道:“是爷爷,维奥莱特!他一点也不凶!”
“What do you mean?” asked Violet. “Isn’t he Mr. Henry?”
“你什么意思?”维奥莱特问,“他不是亨利先生吗?”
“My name is James Henry Alden,” replied her grandfather.
“我的名字是詹姆斯·亨利·奥尔登,”她的祖父回答道。
“And my name is Henry James Alden,” cried Henry.
“而我的名字是亨利·詹姆斯·奥尔登,”亨利喊道。
“Well, well!” said Dr. Moore.
“好啊,好啊!”摩尔医生说。
Violet held on to her grandfather’s hand and listened to the rest talking excitedly.
维奥莱特紧紧抓着祖父的手,听着其他人兴奋地交谈。
“Where have you been living?” asked Mr. Alden at last.
“你们一直住在哪里?”奥尔登先生终于问道。
They all looked at each other, even Dr. Moore and his mother. Then they all laughed as if they never would stop.
大家面面相觑,连摩尔医生和他的母亲也不例外。然后他们都笑了起来,仿佛永远停不下来。
“You just ought to see!” said Dr. Moore.
“你真该去看看!”摩尔医生说。
“What!” cried all the children at once. “You never saw it in the day time.”
“什么!”孩子们齐声叫道,“您白天从来没去过那儿。”
“Is that so?” laughed the doctor. “I have seen it many times in the daytime.”
“是吗?”医生笑道,“我白天去过很多次呢。”
“Seen what?” asked Mr. Alden.
“看过什么?”奥尔登先生问。
“Our house,” said Jessie. “We have been living in a boxcar in the woods.”
“我们的房子,”杰西说,“我们一直住在树林里的一节货车车厢里。”
Then they all began to tell him about the dump and the dishes and the brook and the swimming pool.
然后他们开始告诉他关于垃圾场、餐具、小溪和游泳池的事。
“They have four beds of pine needles in the car,” said Dr. Moore.
“他们在车厢里铺了四张松针床,”摩尔医生说。
“How do you know?” asked Jessie.
“您怎么知道的?”杰西问。
“Well,” said Dr. Moore, “the first day Henry worked for me, I walked after him as far as the hill.”
“嗯,”摩尔医生说,“亨利为我工作的第一天,我跟在他后面一直走到了山丘那里。”
“Why did you do that?” asked Mr. Alden.
“你为什么那样做?”奥尔登先生问。
“I liked him. I saw he was a fine boy, and I wanted to see where he lived.”
“我喜欢他。我看出来他是个好孩子,就想看看他住在哪里。”
“But you can’t see the boxcar from the hill,” said Jessie.
“但是在山丘上看不到那节车厢啊,”杰西说。
“No, but I came back that night and looked around,” said Dr. Moore.
“是啊,但我那天晚上又回去看了看,”摩尔医生说。
“About ten o’clock!” cried Jessie.
“大概十点钟的时候!”杰西叫道。
“Yes,” said the doctor. “I stepped on a stick, and you heard me.”
“没错,”医生说,“我踩到了一根树枝,被你们听到了。”
“Our rabbit!” cried Jessie and Henry. “Watch barked.”
“是我们的兔子!”杰西和亨利叫道,“看门狗叫了。”
“Yes, I heard the dog bark. So I knew you were in the boxcar. Then I went home.”
“是的,我听到了狗叫声。所以我知道你们在车厢里。然后我就回家了。”
“But you came back?” asked Jessie.
“但您后来又回来了?”杰西问。
“Oh, yes. When you were picking cherries, I went up to see your house. I wanted to see if you had enough to eat and enough dishes.”
“哦,是的。你们摘樱桃的时候,我去看了你们的房子。我想看看你们是否有足够的食物和餐具。”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” asked Mr. Alden. “Didn’t you know they were my grandchildren?”
“你为什么不告诉我?”奥尔登先生问,“你不知道他们是我的孙辈吗?”
The doctor laughed. “Yes, I did. But they were having such a fine time that I didn’t want to tell. They got along very well until Violet got sick. Then I told you.”
医生笑了。“我知道。但他们过得那么开心,我不想说出来。他们一直过得很好,直到维奥莱特生病。那时我才告诉了你。”
“I’m glad you did,” said Mr. Alden.
“我很高兴你这么做,”奥尔登先生说。
“I have seen your house, too,” said Mrs. Moore. “I went up one day and saw all your dishes. I liked your big pitcher and teapot.”
“我也看过你们的房子,”摩尔太太说,“有一天我上去看到了你们所有的餐具。我喜欢你们的那个大水罐和茶壶。”
“All of you have seen it but me!” said Mr. Alden.
“你们都看过了,就我没看过!”奥尔登先生说。
“We’ll show it to you!” cried Benny. “I’ll show you my cart made out of wheels, and my pink cup.”
“我们会带您去看的!”本尼喊道,“我要给您看我用车轮做的小车,还有我的粉色杯子。”
“Good for you, Benny,” said his grandfather, much pleased. “When Violet gets well, we’ll all go up there. If you will show me your house, I’ll show you my house.”
“好样的,本尼,”他的祖父高兴地说,“等维奥莱特好了,我们都去那里。如果你们带我参观你们的房子,我就带你们参观我的房子。”
“Do you have a house?” asked Benny in surprise.
“您有房子吗?”本尼惊讶地问。
“Yes. You can live there with me if you like it. I have been looking for you children for a long time.”
“有的。如果你们喜欢,可以和我住在那里。我找你们这些孩子已经找了很久了。”
Violet was soon well again, and one afternoon they all started out to see the boxcar.
维奥莱特很快康复了,一天下午,他们全都出发去看那节货车车厢。
The doctor took them in his car. Many people looked out of their windows to watch Mr. Alden and his grandchildren.
医生开车载着他们。许多人探出窗户注视奥尔登先生和他的孙辈们。
They were glad that the children had found such a kind grandfather at last.
他们很高兴孩子们终于找到了这样一位慈祥的祖父。
When they arrived at their old home, they ran around, all talking excitedly.
当他们到达旧居时,大家四处跑动,兴奋地谈论着。
Watch sniffed and sniffed all around, looking for the bone he had buried. Everything was the same.
看门狗到处嗅来嗅去,寻找它埋下的骨头。一切都没有变。
“Here is the dam for the pool,” said Henry to his grandfather.
“这是蓄水池的堤坝,”亨利对他的祖父说。
“See our ‘building’!” shouted Benny, for that was what he called the fireplace. “It really burns, too. And this is the refrigerator in the waterfall, and here is my pink cup!”
“看我们的‘建筑’!”本尼喊道,那是他对壁炉的称呼。“它真的能生火呢。这是瀑布里的冰箱,这是我的粉色杯子!”
They all stepped on the stump and climbed into the car. They looked at the four beds and the dishes.
他们都踩着树桩爬进了车厢。他们看着那四张床和那些餐具。
“Here is the same old pitcher and teapot,” said Jessie, laughing.
“还是那个旧水罐和茶壶,”杰西笑着说。
They found the blue tablecloth, and they all sat down by the brook and ate chicken and bread and butter and cookies.
他们找到了那块蓝色桌布,大家一起坐在小溪边吃鸡肉、面包、黄油和饼干。
Benny drank milk from his pink cup.
本尼用他的粉色杯子喝牛奶。
“Come, we ought to go now,” said Dr. Moore at last. “The sun is going down. I don’t want Violet to take any more cold.”
“走吧,我们该回去了,”摩尔医生最后说,“太阳要下山了。我不想让维奥莱特再着凉。”
They closed the boxcar door and said good-by. But they were all sorry to go.
他们关上车厢门,互相道别。但大家都依依不舍。
“Tomorrow,” said Mr. Alden, “will all of you come to see my house?”
“明天,”奥尔登先生说,“你们都来看看我的房子好吗?”
“Oh, yes,” cried the children happily. They did not know what a beautiful house it was and what good times they were going to have in it.
“哦,好的,”孩子们快乐地喊道。他们还不知道那是一座多么漂亮的房子,也不知道他们将在那里度过多么美好的时光。
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