II—Night Is Turned into Day
第二章、黑夜变白昼
SOON THE CHILDREN left the town and came to a road. The big yellow moon was out, and they could see the road very well.
孩子们很快离开了小镇，来到一条大路上。一轮黄色的圆月高悬夜空，他们能把路看得清清楚楚。
“We must walk fast,” said Henry. “I hope the baker and his wife don’t wake up and find us gone.”
“我们得走快点，”亨利说，“希望面包师和他的妻子别醒来发现我们已经走了。”
They walked down the road as fast as they could.
他们沿着大路拼命地往前走。
“How far can you carry Benny?” asked Violet.
“你能抱本尼走多远？”维奥莱特问。
“Oh, I can carry him a long way,” replied Henry.
“噢，我能抱着他走很远，”亨利回答。
But Jessie said, “I think we could go faster if we woke him up now. We could take his hands and help him along.”
但杰西说：“我觉得如果现在把他叫醒，我们会走得更快些。我们可以牵着他的手，扶着他一起走。”
Henry stopped and put Benny down.
亨利停下来，把本尼放到了地上。
“Come, Benny,” he said. “You must wake up and walk now.”
“来吧，本尼，”他说，“你现在必须醒过来自己走路了。”
“Go away!” said Benny.
“走开！”本尼嘟囔道。
“Let me try,” said Violet. “Now, Benny, you can play that you are a little brown bear and are running away to find a nice warm bed. Henry and Jessie will help you, and we’ll find a bed.”
“让我来试试，”维奥莱特说，“听着，本尼，你可以假装自己是一只棕色的小熊，正跑出去找一张温暖舒适的小床。亨利和杰西会帮你的，我们一定能找到那张床。”
Benny liked being a little brown bear, and so he woke up and opened his eyes. Henry and Jessie took his hands, and they all went on again.
本尼喜欢扮演棕色小熊的游戏，于是他醒了过来，睁开了眼睛。亨利和杰西牵起他的手，大家又继续上路了。
They passed some farmhouses, but the houses were dark and quiet. The children did not see anyone. They walked and walked for a long time. Then the red sun began to come up.
他们路过了一些农舍，但屋子里漆黑一片，寂静无声。孩子们一个人也没看见。他们走了很久很久，直到红彤彤的太阳开始升起。
“We must find a place to sleep,” said Jessie. “I am so tired.”
“我们必须找个地方睡觉了，”杰西说，“我太累了。”
Little Benny was asleep, and Henry was carrying him again. The other children began to look for a place.
小本尼已经睡着了，亨利又重新抱起了他。其他孩子开始四处寻找休息的地方。
At last Violet said, “Look over there,” She was pointing at a big haystack in a field near a farmhouse.
最后维奥莱特说道：“看那边！”她指着农舍旁田地里的一大堆干草垛。
“A fine place, Violet,” said Henry. “See what a big haystack it is!”
“真是个好地方，维奥莱特，”亨利说，“瞧那个干草垛多大啊！”
They ran across the field toward the farmhouse. They jumped over a brook, and then they came to the haystack. Henry was still carrying Benny.
他们穿过田野朝农舍跑去。跳过一条小溪后，他们来到了干草垛前。亨利依然抱着本尼。
Jessie began to make a nest in the haystack for Benny, and when they put him into it, he went to sleep again at once. The other children also made nests.
杰西开始在干草垛里给本尼铺了一个窝，刚把他放进去，他就立刻又睡着了。其他孩子也各自铺好了自己的窝。
“Good night!” said Henry, laughing.
“晚安！”亨利笑着说。
“It is ‘Good morning’ I should think,” replied Jessie. “We sleep in the day, and we walk all night. When it is night again, we’ll wake up and walk some more.”
“我觉得应该说‘早安’才对，”杰西答道，“我们白天睡觉，晚上赶路。等天再黑下来，我们就醒来继续走。”
The children were so tired that they went right to sleep. They slept all day, and it was night again when they woke up.
孩子们实在太累了，很快就进入了梦乡。他们睡了一整天，醒来时夜幕再次降临。
Benny said at once, “Oh, Jessie, I’m hungry. I want something to eat.”
本尼一醒来就说：“哦，杰西，我饿了。我想吃点东西。”
“Good old Benny,” said Henry. “We’ll have supper.”
“好样的老伙计本尼，”亨利说，“我们来吃晚饭吧。”
Jessie took out a loaf of bread and cut it into four pieces. It was soon gone.
杰西拿出一块面包，切成四份。大家很快就吃完了。
“I want some water,” begged Benny.
“我想喝水，”本尼恳求道。
“Not now,” said Henry. “You may have some water when it gets dark. There is a pump near the farmhouse. But if we leave the haystack now, someone will see us.”
“现在不行，”亨利说，“等天完全黑了才能喝水。农舍旁边有个水泵。但如果我们现在离开干草垛，就会被人发现的。”
When it was dark, the children came out of the haystack and went quietly toward the farmhouse, which was dark and still. Near-by was a pump, and Henry pumped water as quietly as he could. He did not even wake up the hens and chickens.
天黑之后，孩子们从干草垛里钻出来，悄悄地向那座漆黑寂静的农舍走去。附近有一个水泵，亨利尽可能轻地压水，甚至没有吵醒母鸡和小鸡们。
“I want a cup,” said Benny.
“我想要个杯子，”本尼说。
“No, Benny,” whispered Henry. “You will have to put your mouth right in the water. You can play you are a horse.”
“不行，本尼，”亨利低声说，“你得直接把嘴凑到水流下喝。你可以假装自己是一匹马。”
This pleased Benny. Henry pumped and pumped, and at last Benny had all the water he wanted. The water was cold and sweet, and all the children drank. Then they ran across the field toward the road.
这让本尼很高兴。亨利不停地压着水泵，终于让本尼喝了个够。井水清凉甘甜，所有孩子都喝了一些。然后他们穿过田野，回到了大路上。
“If we hear anyone,” said Jessie, “we must hide behind the bushes.”
“如果我们听到有人来，”杰西说，“就必须躲到灌木丛后面去。”
Just as she said this, the children heard a horse and cart coming up the road.
话音刚落，孩子们就听见一辆马车正顺着大路驶来。
“Keep very still, Benny!” whispered Henry. “Don’t say a word.”
“千万别动，本尼！”亨利低语道，“一个字也别出声。”
The children got behind the bushes as fast as they could, for they did not have much time to hide. The horse came nearer and nearer and began to walk up the hill toward them. Then the children could hear a man talking. It was the baker!
孩子们飞快地躲到灌木丛后，因为他们没时间犹豫了。马车越来越近，开始爬坡朝他们驶来。接着，孩子们听到了一个男人的说话声。是那个面包师！
“I wonder where those children went,” he said. “I don’t think they could walk as far as Silver City. If we don’t find them in Greenfield, we’ll go home.”
“不知道那些孩子跑到哪儿去了，”他说，“我不认为他们能走到银城那么远。如果在格林菲尔德找不到他们，我们就回家吧。”
“Yes,” answered his wife. “I do not want to find them, anyway. I don’t like children, but we must try a little while longer. We will look for them in Greenfield, and that’s all.”
“是啊，”他的妻子回答道，“反正我也不想找到他们。我不喜欢小孩，但我们还得再找一会儿。我们就在格林菲尔德找找看，仅此而已。”
The children watched until the horse and cart had gone down the road. Then they came out from behind the bushes and looked at each other.
孩子们一直注视着那辆马车沿大路远去。然后他们才从灌木丛后走出来，面面相觑。
“My, I am glad those people did not see us!” said Henry. “You were a good boy, Benny, to keep still.”
“天哪，幸好那些人没发现我们！”亨利说，“本尼，你刚才一动不动，真是个乖孩子。”
“We’ll not go to Greenfield.”
“我们不去格林菲尔德了。”
“I wonder how far it is to Silver City,” said Jessie.
“不知道离银城还有多远，”杰西说。
The children were very happy as they walked along the road. They knew that the baker would not find them. They walked until two o’clock in the morning, and then they came to some signs by the side of the road.
孩子们沿着大路走着，心里非常高兴。他们知道面包师再也找不到他们了。他们一直走到凌晨两点，然后在路边看到了一些指示牌。
The moon came out from behind the clouds, and Henry could read the signs.
月亮从云层后探出头来，亨利看清了牌子上的字。
“One sign says that Greenfield is this way,” he said. “The other sign points to Silver City. We don’t want to go to Greenfield. Let’s take this other road to Silver City.”
“这块牌子写着往这边走是格林菲尔德，”他说，“另一块指向银城。我们不想去格林菲尔德，咱们走这条通往银城的路吧。”
They walked for a long time, but they did not see anyone.
他们走了很长时间，一个人影也没见到。
“Not many people come this way, I guess,” said Henry. “But that is all the better.”
“看来这条路没什么人走，”亨利说，“不过这样更好。”
“Listen!” said Benny suddenly. “I hear something.”
“听！”本尼突然说道，“我听到了什么声音。”
“Listen!” said Violet.
“仔细听！”维奥莱特也说。
The children stood still and listened, and they could hear water running.
孩子们停下脚步侧耳倾听，果然听到了流水声。
“I want a drink of water, Henry!” said Benny.
“亨利，我想喝口水！”本尼说。
“Well, let’s go on,” said Henry, “and see where the water is. I’d like a drink, too.”
“好吧，我们继续往前走，”亨利说，“去看看水在哪里。我也想喝点水。”
Soon the children saw a drinking fountain by the side of the road.
很快，孩子们在路边看到了一个饮水喷泉。
“Oh, what a fine fountain this is!” said Henry, running toward it. “See the place for people to drink up high, and a place in the middle for horses, and one for dogs down below.”
“哦，这个喷泉真棒！”亨利边跑过去边说，“看，上面是给人喝水的地方，中间是给马喝的，下面还有给小狗喝的。”
All the children drank some cold water.
所有的孩子都喝了些凉水。
“Now I want to go to bed,” said Benny.
“现在我想睡觉了，”本尼说。
Jessie laughed. “You can go to bed very soon.”
杰西笑了：“你很快就能睡了。”
Henry was looking down a little side road, which had grass growing in the middle of it.
亨利正望着一条小路，路中间长满了青草。
“Come!” he cried. “This road goes into the woods. We can sleep in the woods.”
“快来！”他喊道，“这条路通向树林。我们可以在林子里过夜。”
“This is a good place,” said Jessie, as they walked along. “It is far away from people. You can tell that by the grass in the road.”
“这是个好地方，”杰西边走边说，“这里远离人群。从路上的杂草就能看出来。”
“And it will be near the drinking fountain,” said Violet.
“而且离饮水喷泉也很近，”维奥莱特补充道。
“That’s right!” cried Henry. “You think of everything, Violet.”
“说得对！”亨利叫道，“你想得真周到，维奥莱特。”
“It is almost morning,” remarked Jessie. “And how hot it is!”
“天快亮了，”杰西感叹道，“而且天气好热啊！”
“I’m glad it is hot,” said Henry, “for we must sleep on the ground. Let’s find some pine needles for beds.”
“热一点才好呢，”亨利说，“因为我们得睡在地上。咱们去找些松针来铺床吧。”
The children went into the woods and soon made four beds of pine needles.
孩子们走进树林，很快用松针铺好了四张床。
“I hope it’s not going to rain,” said Jessie, as she lay down.
“希望不要下雨，”杰西躺下时说道。
Then she looked up at the sky.
随后她抬头看了看天空。
“It looks like rain, for the moon has gone behind the clouds.”
“看起来像要下雨了，因为月亮已经躲进了云层后面。”
She shut her eyes and did not open them again for a long time.
她闭上眼睛，过了很久都没有再睁开。
More clouds rolled across the sky, and the wind began to blow. There was lightning, also, and thunder, but the children did not hear it. They were all fast asleep.
更多的乌云翻滚过天际，风也开始刮了起来。闪电划过，雷声轰鸣，但孩子们什么都没听见。他们都已沉沉地睡熟了。
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