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美文:莎拉的第一件新衣裳 讲述一段动人的故事

kira86 于2018-09-29发布 l 已有人浏览
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在物资匮乏的年代,父母的爱,也许就是愿意倾尽所能为女儿买一件"美丽的春装"。
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11春装.jpg
A Spring Coat for Sarah

萨拉的春装

One winter-thawing morning in March, Sarah put on her old spring coat to go out and play.

三月的一天早晨,冬意褪去,萨拉穿上她那件旧春装,准备出去玩儿。

These buttons don't work, Sarah said to Mama.

“这些扣子扣不上了。”萨拉对妈妈说。

Why, Sarah, you've sprouted up like a primrose in spring! Mama said. "After your sisters leave for school, we'll check the hand-me-downs for a coat that fits."

“哎呀,萨拉,你长得可真快,像春天的报春花一样!”妈妈说,“等你姐姐她们去上学了,我们好好翻一下她们穿过的衣服,给你找件合适的。”

When the house was quiet, Mama went to the hall closet and pulled out all the old spring coats. But ...

等家里安静下来后,妈妈来到门厅的壁橱前,把所有旧春装都掏了出来。不过……

Sylvia's were too big, Susan's too stained, and Sally's too tattered . The coats were fine for play. But ...

西尔维娅的春装太大了,苏珊的春装上面有很多洗不掉的污渍, 萨莉的春装又太破旧了。这些衣服穿着出去玩儿倒是还可以。可是……

Sarah has no coat for church and town and special occasions, Mama told Papa when he came in from the barn.

“萨拉没有衣服可以穿去做礼拜、进城或者参加一些特殊的场合。”爸爸从谷仓走进屋里时妈妈对他说。

Papa sat down at the table. "The cows can't be milked till after thecalves are born," he said. "Are you sure Sarah can't wear a hand-me- down?"

爸爸在桌边坐了下来。“只有等奶牛产下小牛才能挤牛奶卖钱啊,”他说,“你确定她穿不了她姐姐们的旧衣服吗?”

It's either a new coat or a ragged coat, Mama said.

“她姐姐们的衣服要么是还没穿过的,要么就是已经穿破了的。”妈妈说。

Papa frowned. He stared out at the empty calf pasture.

爸爸皱起了眉头,盯着屋外那空荡荡的牛犊牧场。

Mama said, "Sarah has never had a new coat."

妈妈说:“萨拉还从没穿过一件新衣服呢。”

For a long while nobody spoke. The fire in the wood stove crackled. The soup in the kettle sputtered .

接下来的很长一段时间里都没有人说话。柴火炉里的火焰噼啪作响,壶里的汤四处乱溅。

At last Mama said, "Papa, how much can one small coat for our Sarah cost?"

最后,妈妈问:“孩子他爸,给我们萨拉买一件小衣服能花多少钱呢?”

Sarah looked closely at Papa.

萨拉紧盯着爸爸。

Then Papa cleared his throat. "A ragged coat won't do," he said. "Sarah, are you old enough to take care of a new coat?"

接着,爸爸清了清嗓子。“不能让萨拉穿一件破破烂烂的衣服,”他说,“萨拉,你是不是已经长大了,可以爱惜新衣服了?”

Yes, Papa, Sarah said. "I'm old enough to do almost anything."

“是的,爸爸,”萨拉回答道,“我已经长大了,几乎什么事儿都能做。”

Papa gave her a serious look. "Very well," he said. "While we are in town today, we'll buy you a coat of your very own."

爸爸认真地看了她一眼。“很好,”他说,“今天进城以后,我们给你买一件只属于你自己的衣服。”

Later, after they had eaten the soup, Papa backed the old automobile out of the garage, and Mama and Sarah climbed in. Sarah sat in the back so she would feel older.

过了一会儿,等大家都喝过汤,爸爸就把那辆旧车从车库里倒了出来,妈妈和萨拉坐了进去。萨拉坐在了后排,这样她就会觉得自己长大了不少。

Papa drove past farms with muddy-brown barnyards, sheets flapping on clotheslines, sap buckets on every maple tree.

爸爸开车驶过一座座带有暗棕色谷仓小院的农场,只见一条条床单在晾衣绳上飘动着,每棵枫树上都挂着用边材制成的木桶。

When they got to town, Papa parked their car. He put a penny in the meter, and they all went inside the store.

到了城里,爸爸把车停好,往停车计时收费器里投了一便士,然后三个人一起走进了商店。

Inside was gloomy; racks of coats seemed to rustle and whisper like the bats that flew out of the barn at night.

商店里一片昏暗,一排排货架上的衣服似乎在沙沙作响、窃窃私语,就像夜晚从谷仓里飞出来的蝙蝠一样。

A tall, skinny salesclerk in a black suit and bow tie sidled up to them. "May I assist you?" he asked.

一位售货员悄无声息地向他们走了过来,他个子高挑,身材瘦削,穿着一套黑色西装,打着一个蝶形领结。“有什么需要帮忙的吗?”他问道。

Our Sarah needs a good coat, Papa said.

“我们的萨拉需要一件好衣服。”爸爸说。

A spring coat for church and special occasions, Mama added.

“要一件去做礼拜或参加特殊场合可以穿的春装。”妈妈补充道。

Spring coat, you say? The clerk slipped a measuring tape from around his neck.

“你说的是春装吗?”售货员把挂在自己脖子上的一条皮尺拽了下来。

Stand tall, miss-sseee, he said, squatting to measure her.

“抬头挺胸,小——姑——娘。”他说着蹲了下来给萨拉量尺寸。

Sarah stood very still.

萨拉站在那儿一动不动。

Oh, dear, said the clerk. "Oh, dear, dear, dear." He wagged his head. "Small …"

“喔,天哪,”售货员说,“喔,天哪,天哪,天哪。”他摇了摇头。“小号……”

The clerk gave a great sigh as he stood. "Small," he said again, as if Sarah were a very tiny toad. "In small we have chocolate, cerulean , and charcoal ."

售货员站起来的时候深深地叹了一口气。“小号。”他又说了一遍,好像萨拉是一只非常小的蟾蜍。“小号衣服的话,我们有巧克力色、天蓝色和深灰色可以选择。”

But all Sarah could see were brown and blue and black coats. Nothing so wonderful as chocolate or cerulean.

但是萨拉能看到的无非是棕色、蓝色和黑色的衣服,根本没有巧克力色或天蓝色那么漂亮的颜色。

We'll try the brown one, Mama said to the clerk.

“那我们就试试棕色的那件吧。”妈妈对售货员说。

The chocolate one it is, he said, whisking it off the hanger.

“那是巧克力色。”他说道,并迅速把它从衣架上取了下来。

But it wasn't chocolate at all. It was muddy, barnyard brown. Sarah looked down at the oily wood floor.

可这件衣服根本就不是巧克力色。而是像泥泞的谷仓小院那样的棕色。萨拉低下了头,看着沾满油污的木地板。

Sarah, the clerk is waiting, Papa said.

“萨拉,售货员在等着呢。”爸爸说。

Sarah slid her arms into the sleeves. The coat swallowed her up, devouring her hands. She stood in front of the mirror. "I look like a barnyard," she mumbled. Her chin began to quiver .

萨拉把胳膊伸进袖子里。她的身子一下子就被那件衣服包了个严严实实,两只手也完全被盖住了。她站到了镜子前。“我看起来就像个谷仓小院。”她咕哝着,下巴开始微微颤动。

Perhaps the blue, said Mama, gently.

“要不试试蓝色的那件吧。”妈妈温柔地说。

Cer-OO-lee-aan, the clerk corrected. But when he slid the blue coat from its hanger, there on the rack behind all of the dark coats, hidden like a spring flower in winter darkness, there, as if by magic, was a pink coat.

“那是天——蓝——色。”售货员纠正道。但就在他把那件蓝色的衣服从衣架上拿下来时,在所有深色衣服后面的架子上,像变魔术似的出现了一件粉色的衣服,它就像在冬天的黑暗中隐藏着的一朵春天的花儿。

A pink coat! Sarah cried. "I want the pink coat."

“那儿有件粉色的衣服!”萨拉大叫道,“我想要那件粉色的衣服。”

That coat is smaller than the other ones, Papa said.

“那件衣服比其他的号要小。”爸爸说。

Sarah spoke up. "I'm small, too. The clerk said so. Papa, please let me try it on. Mama? Please?"

萨拉大声地说:“我也穿小号呀,售货员就是这么说的。爸爸, 求你让我试一下粉色的那件吧。妈妈?好不好?”

It wouldn't hurt to let her try it on, Mama said.

“让她试一下也没什么大不了的。”妈妈说。

Without a word, the clerk took the coat from its hanger and held it for Sarah.

售货员一句话也没说,把那件衣服从衣架上取了下来,递给萨拉。

Ohhh! Sarah said. The coat was slippery and shiny inside like her sister Sylvia's blouses. "Ahhh!" The coat was softer than a new flannel nightgown. There was lace all around the collar, and by the top button, right under her chin, were flowers—tiny ones like the wild primroses that grew behind the woodshed.

“哦!”萨拉说。这件衣服的内里光滑发亮,和她姐姐西尔维娅的那些衬衫一样。“啊!”这件衣服比新买的法兰绒睡袍还要柔软。领子上有一圈蕾丝花边,而且她下巴正下方最靠上的那颗纽扣周围有很多小花——那一朵朵小花就像柴房后面长着的那些野生报春花。

Sarah stood very still and looked in the mirror. She stared for a very long time. In the pink coat she looked like a spring flower.

萨拉站在那里一动不动,端详着镜子中的自己。穿着粉色衣服的她看起来就像是一朵春天的花儿。

Sarah! Mama said.

“萨拉!”妈妈说。

Sarah looked up. Mama was standing behind her. She was holding the brown coat.

萨拉抬起头来,妈妈正站在她身后,手里拿着那件棕色的衣服。

I'm afraid the pink coat will only fit one year, Mama said, taking a step closer.

“恐怕这件粉色的衣服你只能穿一年。”妈妈说着走近了一步。

And there's no one to pass it on to, said Papa.

“而且没人能接着穿这件衣服。”爸爸说。

And the clerk said, "It's wise to practice thrift and economy."

售货员说:“还是要讲求勤俭节约呀。”

Sarah backed away. No one was going to turn her into an ugly barnyard again. She wanted to be a flower.

萨拉向后退了退。谁也不能再把她变成一个丑陋的谷仓小院了, 她要做一朵花儿。

Sarah! It was Papa. He came over to her and knelt down. "You're old enough to know that you can't always have your own way," he said sternly.

“萨拉!”是爸爸的声音。他来到她的身边,跪在地板上。“你已经长大了,不可以老是想怎么样就怎么样。”爸爸严厉地说道。

Wise and true, said the clerk.

“言之有理。”售货员说。

Sarah slipped one arm from a sleeve.

萨拉把一只胳膊从袖子里褪了出来。

It is her color, though, Mama said.

“不过,粉色倒是适合她。”妈妈说。

Ahh, said the clerk. "Anyone can see how the pink of the coat brings out the roses in her cheeks."

“啊,”售货员说,“谁都能看出来这件衣服粉红的颜色衬得她面若桃花。”

It does have an ample hem and deep seams, Mama said. "Don't forget how good I am at taking down hems and letting out seams."

“这件衣服的褶边真宽,线缝也缝得特别靠里,”妈妈说,“别忘了我可是非常擅长把褶边弄窄、把线缝往外挪些尺寸的。”

Papa looked thoughtful for a moment and rubbed his chin. He looked from the brown coat to the pink coat. "The cows will give milk soon enough," he said. "But how can we let Sarah wear a brown coat when she looks like a flower in this one?"

爸爸看起来深思了一会儿,然后摸了摸下巴。他看了看那件棕色的衣服,又看了看那件粉色的衣服。“奶牛马上就要产奶了,”他说,“不过既然萨拉穿上这件粉色衣服看起来像一朵花儿,我们怎么能让她穿那件棕色的呢?”

Papa! Sarah cried, slipping her arm back into the empty sleeve. She threw her arms around Papa's neck. "I do look like a flower, don't I?" she whispered.

“爸爸!”萨拉尖叫道,把胳膊又伸进那条空空的袖子里。她用胳膊搂着爸爸的脖子。“我看起来真的就像一朵花儿,是吧?”她小声 说。

Like a primrose in spring, Papa said.

“就像春天的一朵报春花。”爸爸说。

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