“Somebody had better call Grandfather right away,” said Henry.
“最好有人马上给爷爷打个电话,”亨利说。
“Let me,” said Benny. “It’s my birthday.”
“让我来吧,”本尼说,“今天是我的生日。”
Later, when Benny came back from Captain Daniel’s hut, he said, “Grandfather is coming today, and he’s bringing Dr. Moore and his mother.”
后来,当本尼从丹尼尔船长的木屋回来时,他说:“爷爷今天要来,他还带了摩尔医生和他的母亲一起来。”
“That’s great,” said Henry. “We’ll have a big party.”
“太好了,”亨利说,“我们可以开个盛大的派对了。”
Then Benny said to Joe, “Are you going to tell Grandfather that he’s your grandfather, too?”
然后本尼问乔:“你要告诉爷爷他也是你的爷爷吗?”
“He isn’t my grandfather, Benny. He’s my uncle.”
“他不是我的爷爷,本尼。他是我的叔叔。”
“All right, are you going to tell him that he’s your uncle?” asked Benny.
“好吧,那你要告诉他他是你的叔叔吗?”本尼问。
“He will know me as soon as he sees me,” replied Joe.
“他一见到我就会认出我的,”乔回答道。
Mr. Browning said, “I don’t think he had better see you suddenly, John. He must be very sad because he thinks he has lost you. Sudden news like this is not good for an old man.”
布朗宁先生说:“约翰,我觉得最好不要让他突然见到你。他一定非常伤心,因为他以为已经失去了你。这样突如其来的消息对老人来说可不好。”
“Let Jessie fix it,” said Joe. “I will stay in the hut until you tell me it’s all right.”
“让杰西去安排吧,”乔说,“我会待在木屋里,直到你们告诉我没问题了为止。”
Jessie promised to do her best.
杰西答应会尽力而为。
Joe went back to Captain Daniel’s hut to wait. In a few minutes they could see the motorboat coming, and soon Mr. Alden and the Moores were on the dock.
乔回到丹尼尔船长的木屋等待。几分钟后,他们看到摩托艇驶来,很快奥尔登先生和摩尔母子就登上了码头。
“Hello, Grandfather!” cried Benny. “It’s my birthday!”
“你好,爷爷!”本尼喊道,“今天是我的生日!”
“Well, so it is!” replied Mr. Alden. “Happy birthday, my boy!”
“哎呀,还真是!”奥尔登先生回答,“生日快乐,我的孩子!”
Then everyone began to speak at once.
接着大家七嘴八舌地说了起来。
“That’s a big basket you have,” said Jessie to Dr. Moore.
“你提的篮子可真大啊,”杰西对摩尔医生说。
“Sh, sh!” said the doctor, laughing. He took out another big basket just like it and some packages. “Presents,” he whispered to Jessie.
“嘘,嘘!”医生笑着说。他又拿出一个同样大的篮子和一些包裹。“是礼物,”他低声对杰西说。
“I got a big bottle of cream for my birthday, Grandfather,” said Benny.
“爷爷,我生日收到了一大瓶奶油,”本尼说。
“It was funny, Grandfather,” said Jessie, half laughing. “That’s all he wanted, so we got it.”
“真有意思,爷爷,”杰西半笑着说,“他就想要这个,所以我们就给他买了。”
“You did right, my dear,” said Mr. Alden. “People should have what they want on birthdays.”
“你们做得对,亲爱的,”奥尔登先生说,“过生日就该得到自己想要的东西。”
“I got lots of surprises today,” Benny went on.
“我今天收到了好多惊喜,”本尼继续说。
“He doesn’t know them all himself, yet,” said Jessie quickly. She didn’t know what Benny might say next.
“他自己还不知道所有的惊喜呢,”杰西赶紧说道。她不知道本尼接下来还会说什么。
“This island is just full of surprises, and that would be a good name for it—Surprise Island.”
“这座岛上充满了惊喜,给它起个‘惊喜岛’的名字再合适不过了。”
“It would!” cried Henry. “Just think of all the surprises we’ve had. Let’s call it Surprise Island.”
“确实!”亨利叫道,“想想我们经历的所有惊喜。我们就叫它惊喜岛吧。”
“I think that’s a wonderful name,” said Mrs. Moore. “I hope they were all good surprises.”
“我觉得这个名字太棒了,”摩尔太太说,“希望这些都是美好的惊喜。”
“Every one,” said Henry, trying to get Benny to think of something else. “There were clams, and the Indian things, and the violin.”
“每一个都是,”亨利说,试图转移本尼的注意力,“有蛤蜊、印第安人的物件,还有小提琴。”
“And my birthday,” said Benny. “Are your veins all right, Grandfather?”
“还有我的生日,”本尼说,“爷爷,你的血管还好吗?”
“Veins?” asked Mr. Alden.
“血管?”奥尔登先生问。
“Yes,” said Benny. “You know some people have funny veins, so when they hear something awfully good, suddenly, they just drop down dead.”
“是啊,”本尼说,“你知道有些人的血管很脆弱,所以当他们突然听到特别好的消息时,就会倒地身亡。”
“I am sure that good news wouldn’t kill me,” said Mr. Alden. “Now, Mrs. Moore, just look at that white sand! Isn’t it beautiful?”
“我相信好消息可不会要了我的命,”奥尔登先生说,“现在,摩尔太太,看看那片白沙!是不是很美?”
“It certainly is,” said Mrs. Moore.
“确实很美,”摩尔太太说。
“It’s very good sand for houses, too,” said Benny, running down to it.
“这沙子用来盖房子也很好,”本尼说着跑向沙滩。
“Let’s build a house, then,” said Dr. Moore, putting down the baskets.
“那我们来盖座房子吧,”摩尔医生放下篮子说道。
Jessie was trying to think of exactly the right way to tell her grandfather about Joe. She had not wanted to tell the news too suddenly, but Benny seemed to have made it easy.
杰西一直在琢磨该用什么恰当的方式告诉爷爷关于乔的事。她本不想让这个消息太突兀,但本尼似乎让事情变得容易了。
“I suppose Benny is right about the veins, isn’t he, Grandfather?” she said.
“我想本尼关于血管的说法是对的,不是吗,爷爷?”她说。
“I suppose so,” said Mr. Alden, laughing. He sat down on a rock. “But I never could understand it. If I had good news, I wouldn’t want to miss the fun.”
“我想也是,”奥尔登先生笑着说。他在一块石头上坐下,“但我从来无法理解这一点。如果我有好消息,我可不想错过这份乐趣。”
“That sounds right to me,” said Henry, laughing.
“我觉得这话在理,”亨利笑着说。
Jessie could not wait any longer. “We have a wonderful surprise for you, Grandfather!” she said, getting up. “Come! You know what you promised about the veins?”
杰西再也等不及了。“爷爷,我们有一个绝妙的惊喜要给您!”她站起身来说,“来吧!您还记得您关于血管的承诺吗?”
“You can’t drop dead, because you promised!” shouted Benny.
“您不能倒地身亡,因为您答应过的!”本尼大喊。
“What do you mean?” asked Mr. Alden, looking very white. He started to go with the excited children.
“你们是什么意思?”奥尔登先生问道,脸色变得煞白。他跟着兴奋的孩子们走去。
“Think of the nicest surprise you can,” said Henry. “What would that thing be?”
“想想你能想到的最美好的惊喜,”亨利说,“那会是什么?”
“It wouldn’t be a thing; it would be a man,” said Mr. Alden.
“不会是什么东西,而是一个人,”奥尔登先生说。
“That’s all right!” cried Jessie. “It is a man!”
“没错!”杰西叫道,“就是一个人!”
Violet took her grandfather’s hand. “Are you too worn out to run just a little way, now? Joe is so worried.”
维奥莱特握住爷爷的手。“您现在累得连一小段路都跑不动了吗?乔可担心了。”
“Joe?” said Mr. Alden. But then he saw two men coming along.
“乔?”奥尔登先生说。但随后他看到两个男人走了过来。
“My dear John!” cried Mr. Alden. Joe ran up and took his uncle’s hands.
“我亲爱的约翰!”奥尔登先生喊道。乔跑上前握住了叔叔的双手。
“Uncle James, I want you to meet my good friend, Mr. Browning,” said Joe.
“詹姆斯叔叔,我想向您介绍我的好朋友布朗宁先生,”乔说。
“I am glad to meet you, Mr. Browning,” said Mr. Alden as they shook hands.
“很高兴认识您,布朗宁先生,”奥尔登先生一边握手一边说。
Then he turned to Joe. “But why didn’t you come home, John? Why didn’t you come right to me?”
然后他转向乔:“可是你为什么不回家呢,约翰?为什么不直接来找我?”
“Before I came home, I wanted to be sure I was all right,” said Joe. “But first I went to old Captain Daniel on the island. I met Dr. Moore early this summer when he came with the children.”
“在回家之前,我想确定自己已经完全康复了,”乔说,“但我先去了岛上找老丹尼尔船长。今年初夏摩尔医生带孩子们来的时候,我就遇到了他。”
“Dr. Moore, do you mean you knew who he was all this time?” asked Mr. Alden.
“摩尔医生,难道你一直都知道他是谁?”奥尔登先生问。
“Yes,” replied the doctor, “but I promised not to tell. I wanted to be sure myself that Joe was well again. Besides, it was a good way for him to get to know his new cousins.”
“是的,”医生回答,“但我答应过保密。我自己也想确认乔已经恢复健康了。此外,这也是让他结识新表亲的好机会。”
“I got two presents for my birthday,” said Benny, “a new cousin and a bottle of cream.”
“我生日收到了两份礼物,”本尼说,“一个新表哥和一瓶奶油。”
“I feel as if it were my birthday,” said Joe, looking at him.
“我感觉今天也是我的生日,”乔看着他说。
“And so do I,” agreed Mr. Alden.
“我也有同感,”奥尔登先生附和道。
“I think it’s my birthday, too,” said Mr. Browning, looking at his old friend.
“我觉得今天也是我的生日,”布朗宁先生看着他的老朋友说。
“It’s everybody’s birthday,” cried Jessie. “Can’t you all come to the barn for our birthday supper? We can cut the cake into tiny slices.”
“今天是所有人的生日,”杰西喊道,“大家能不能都到谷仓来参加我们的生日晚餐?我们可以把蛋糕切成小块。”
“I thought of that, also, Jessie,” said Mrs. Moore, going over to the little housekeeper. “I brought over some sliced ham and other food in those two big baskets. I hope you don’t mind? I hear you have blackberries and cream.”
“我也想到了这一点,杰西,”摩尔太太走向这位小管家说道,“我在那两个大篮子里带了些火腿片和其他食物。希望你们不介意?我听说你们有黑莓和奶油。”
“And my birthday cake,” said Benny.
“还有我的生日蛋糕,”本尼说。
“Oh, dear! I haven’t put on the candles, yet! I haven’t even frosted it!” cried Violet.
“天哪!我还没插蜡烛呢!甚至连糖霜都还没抹!”维奥莱特叫道。
“Benny, you stay here with the men,” said Jessie. “Mrs. Moore will help Henry and me while Violet frosts the cake.”
“本尼,你和男士们待在这里,”杰西说,“维奥莱特抹蛋糕糖霜的时候,摩尔太太来帮我和亨利。”
Violet put some sugar and egg whites into a bowl. After the frosting was made, she put it on the cake, sides and all.
维奥莱特把一些糖和蛋白放进碗里。糖霜做好后,她把它涂在蛋糕上,连侧面也涂满了。
“Let’s put the candles around the edge of the cake and ‘Watch’ in the middle,” she said. One day Henry had bought a little toy dog that looked like Watch. The cake looked delicious when Violet put it into the little cupboard.
“我们把蜡烛插在蛋糕边缘,中间放上‘看门狗’吧,”她说。有一天亨利买了一只长得像看门狗的小玩具狗。当维奥莱特把蛋糕放进小橱柜时,蛋糕看起来美味极了。
Mrs. Moore began to take things out of the baskets. Besides a large plate piled high with ham there were many other delicious things to eat.
摩尔太太开始从篮子里拿东西出来。除了一大盘堆得高高的火腿外,还有许多其他美味的食物。
Jessie was delighted that Mrs. Moore had brought some extra plates and a tablecloth. She helped Mrs. Moore put the white cloth carefully on the table. Violet set the birthday cake at Benny’s place. Then she filled a bowl with purple and white flowers to put in the middle of the table.
杰西很高兴摩尔太太带来了额外的盘子和桌布。她帮摩尔太太小心翼翼地把白桌布铺在桌上。维奥莱特把生日蛋糕放在本尼的位置前。然后她在碗里插满紫色和白色的花,摆在桌子中央。
When Benny saw the cake and the toy dog he laughed and said, “Ho, that looks just like Watch in the middle of my cake!”
当本尼看到蛋糕和玩具狗时,他笑着说:“哈,这看起来就像看门狗坐在我的蛋糕中间!”
Now everybody began to sit down around the table. Some sat on boxes, Grandfather sat on the company chair, and Joe sat on a block of wood.
现在大家都围着桌子坐了下来。有些人坐在箱子上,爷爷坐在待客椅上,乔则坐在一块木头上。
Mrs. Moore passed the plate of ham to Benny.
摩尔太太把火腿盘递给本尼。
“No, thank you,” said Benny. “I don’t want any ham. I just want blackberries and sugar and cream.”
“不了,谢谢,”本尼说,“我不想吃火腿。我只想要黑莓加糖和奶油。”
“Since it’s his birthday party, let him have what he wants,” said Jessie.
“既然今天是他的生日派对,就让他吃自己想吃的吧,”杰西说。
“I’ll feel bad if you don’t eat some cake,” said Violet.
“如果你不吃点蛋糕,我会难过的,”维奥莱特说。
“All right,” said Benny, “but after I eat my cake, I don’t want anything except blackberries and cream, like Peter Rabbit.”
“好吧,”本尼说,“但我吃完蛋糕后,除了黑莓和奶油什么都不想要了,就像彼得兔一样。”
“Only Peter Rabbit didn’t get any. Don’t you remember?” said Grandfather.
“可是彼得兔什么都没吃到。你不记得了吗?”爷爷说。
“He will this time,” said Joe. “At last Peter Rabbit has his blackberries and cream, on his birthday.”
“这次他会吃到的,”乔说,“彼得兔终于在生日这天吃到了他的黑莓和奶油。”
“Everybody is happy, then,” said Mr. Alden, looking around at the smiling faces. “And that is just right, because it is everybody’s birthday.”
“那么大家都很开心,”奥尔登先生环顾着一张张笑脸说道,“这就对了,因为今天是所有人的生日。”
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