1. "I think the kitty wants to come in," said Mother Golden. "I hear him crying somewhere. Won't you go and let him in, Adam?" Adam laid down his book and went out; the whole family looked up cheerfully, expecting to see Aladdin, the great Maltese cat, enter. There was a pause; then Adam came back with a white, scared face, and looked at his father without speaking.
“我觉得小猫想要进来，”母亲说，“我听到它在外面叫呢。难道你不想去把它放进来吗，亚当？”亚当放下手中的书，走出了房门。全家人都高兴地抬起头，期待着看到那只名叫阿拉丁的马耳他猫进到屋里来。过了一会儿，亚当面色苍白，表情惊恐地回到屋里，一言不发地看着父亲。
2. "What is the matter, my son?" asked Father Golden. "Is Kitty hurt?" asked Mother Golden, anxiously. "Was it that dog of Jackson's?" cried Lemuel, Mary, Ruth, and Joseph. "The cat isn't there!" said Adam. "It's-- a basket, father." "A basket? What does the boy mean?" "A long basket, with something white inside; and--it's crying!"
“怎么了，儿子？”父亲问道。“是小猫受伤了吗？”母亲焦急地问道。“是不是杰克逊家的狗在叫？”莱缪尔、玛丽、露丝和约瑟夫喊道。“那只猫不在那里！”亚当说。“是……一个篮子，爸爸。”“一个篮子？小伙子，你想表达什么？”“是一个长长的篮子，里面有个白色的东西；而且，那东西在哭！”
3. "My heart!" said Mother Golden; and she was out of the door in a flash. The children tumbled headlong toward the door, but were met by Mother Golden returning, bearing in her strong arms a long basket, in which was indeed something white and fluffy that cried. "A baby!" exclaimed Father Golden. "A baby!" echoed Mary, Lemuel, Ruth, and Joseph. "Well, I knew it was a baby," protested Adam; "but I didn't like to say so."
“我的天！”母亲惊叹道，与此同时，迅速地冲出了门外。孩子们也慌慌张张、跌跌撞撞地奔向了门口，但还没出去就遇到了往回走的母亲。母亲强壮的手臂上正挎着个长长的篮子，里面的确有一个松松软软的白色东西在哭。“是个婴儿！”父亲惊呼。“是个婴儿！”玛丽、莱缪尔、露丝和约瑟夫也跟着惊呼起来。“嗯，我知道是个婴儿，”亚当抗议道，“不想这么说而已。”
4. "My heart!" said Mother Golden again. "Oh, mother, mayn't we keep it?" cried both girls at once. “Here's a note!" Said mother Golden. She opened a folded paper, and read: "His mother is dead. Ask the woman with the kind eyes to take care of him." "My heart!" said Mother Golden, again.
“我的天！”母亲再次惊叹道。“哦，妈妈，我们不能留下他吗？”两个女孩立刻喊道。“这有一张纸条！”母亲说。她打开了折叠的纸条，上面写着：“他的母亲死了。请这位目光慈祥的女士照顾好他。”“我的天！“母亲又一次惊叹道。
5. "It's a boy, then!" said Father Golden, brightening. He came forward, the boys edging forward too, encouraged by another masculine presence. "It's a boy, and a beauty!" said Mother Golden, wiping her eyes. " Poor mother, to have to go and leave him. Father, what do you say?..."
“那么，他是个男孩！”父亲高兴地说。受到家里又要增加一位男性成员的鼓舞，父亲凑上前来，男孩们也缓缓地凑了过来。“是个男孩，一个俊小伙子！”母亲边说，边擦了擦眼眶上得泪水，“可怜的母亲，不得不离他而去。孩子爸爸，你说该怎么办？”

6. (10 Years later…) "Father, may I come in, if you are not busy?" It was Mary who spoke; Mary, the eldest daughter, now a woman grown. "What is it, daughter Mary?" "The same old story, father dear; Benny in mischief again. This time he has rubbed soot on all the door-handles, and the whole house is black with it. I hate to trouble you, father, but I expect you'll have to speak to him."
（十年后......） “爸爸，你不忙的话，我可以进去吗？”玛丽说——家里最大的女儿，玛丽，现在已是一个成年女性了。“什么事，玛丽？”“本尼又搞恶作剧了，亲爱的老爸。这次他把所有的门把手都抹上烟灰了，整栋房子都被弄黑了。我不愿意给您添麻烦，爸爸，但我希望您能和他谈谈。”
7. "I'll speak to the child, Mary," he said. "I'll see that this does not happen again. What is it, Ruthie?" "I was looking for Mary, father. I wanted--oh, Mary! what shall I do with Benny? he has tied Rover and the cat together by their tails, and they are rushing all about the garden, almost crazy. I wish you would speak to him, father." "I will do so, Ruth, I will do so. Don't be distressed, my daughter."
“我会和这孩子谈谈的，玛丽，”父亲说。“我保证这样的事情不会再发生了。什么事，露丝？”“我正在找玛丽，爸爸。我想要——哦，玛丽！我该拿本尼怎么办呢？他把鲁弗和那只猫的尾巴捆在一起了，它们正在花园里像疯了一样的四处乱窜。爸爸，我希望您能和他谈谈。” “我会的，露丝，我会这样做的。别担心，闺女。”
8. Then, Adam walked in and said in an earnest, grave tone: "Something must be done about that boy, father!" he said. "He is the torment of the whole family." "No one can live a day in peace!" said Lemuel who joined. "No creature's life is safe!" said Joe. "He breaks everything he lays hands on," said Ruth, "and he won't keep his hands off anything."
此时，亚当走了进来，用一种非常严肃、认真的语气说：“爸爸，必须对那小子做点儿什么了！。他把全家人都折磨得够呛。”“家里每个人都不得安宁！”莱缪尔也加入了投诉的队伍。“家里的人和宠物都没有安全感！”约瑟夫说。“他手碰到的东西一定会坏，”露丝说，“而且，什么东西都逃脱不了他的毒手。”
9. "You were all little once, boys!" said Mary. "We never behaved in this kind of way!" said the brothers. "Something must be done!" "You are right," said Father Golden. "Something must be done." Glancing once more at the portrait of Mother Golden, he turned and faced his children with grave looks. "Sit down, sons and daughters!" said the old man. "I have something to say to you." The young people obeyed, wondering, but not questioning.
“你们都曾是小孩，男孩们！”玛丽说。“可我们从来没有像他这样过！”男孩们说，“必须做点儿什么了！”“你们是对的，”父亲说，“必须做点儿什么了。”他再次瞥了一眼孩子们母亲的画像，然后转过身来，面对他的孩子们，表情十分严肃。“孩子们，都坐下来！”这位老人说，“我有话要对你们说。”几个年轻人都照做了。他们心中都充满了疑惑，但没人提出疑问。
10. He paused for a moment; then said: "Ten years ago today, that child was left on our door-step." "It doesn't seem so long!" interrupted Adam. "It seems longer!" said Mary. "I keep forgetting he came that way!" murmured Joe. "I felt doubtful about taking him in," Father Golden went on. "But your mother wished it; you all wished it. We decided to keep him, and give him a good start in life, and we have kept him till now. Little Benjamin is now ten years old, more or less," said Father Golden. "You are men and women grown; even Joseph is seventeen. The troublemaker is little Benjamin, a child of ten years. The time has come to decide what shall be done with the child. He is turning out wild and mischievous, and you all, except Mary, come to me often with complaints of him.”
父亲停顿了一会儿，然后开口说：“十年前的今天，那个孩子被人放在了咱家门口的台阶上。”“感觉没那么久！”亚当插话说。“感觉比十年还长！”玛丽说。“我都快忘了他是这么来的了！”约瑟夫低声说。“我当初不太确定我们是否应该把他带到咱们家，”父亲接着说，“但你们的母亲希望这样做，你们也都希望把他留下来。于是，我们决定留下了他，给他一个良好的人生起点。从那时起，他一直都在和我们一起生活。小本杰明现在已经差不多十岁了，你们也都成年了，最小的约瑟夫也17岁了。给家里带来麻烦的是小本杰明，一个十岁的孩子。现在是决定我们应该拿这孩子怎么办的时候了。事实证明，他很不好管教，是个十足的淘气包。而且，你们中除了玛丽之外，都经常来我这投诉他。”
11. "Now, this thing has gone far enough”, he continued. One of two things: either this boy is to be sent away to some institution, to take his place among other orphans and foundlings, or - he must be one of you for now and always, to share everything with you while I live, as if he was your own blood, and to have his share of the property when I am gone. Sons and daughters, this question is for you to decide. I shall say nothing. Benjamin becomes my own son, to be received and treated by you as your own brother, or he goes."
“现在，这件事得做个了结了”，父亲继续说道，“两个选项：要么将这个孩子送到某个机构去，让他与其他孤儿和弃儿生活在一起；要么他就必须永远成为你们中的一员，在我活着的时候与你们一起分享一切，把他当作你们的亲生弟弟，在我离世后他还会分到自己的那份财产。孩子们，这个选择由你们来做。我不发表任何意见。要么本杰明成为我的儿子，被你们所接纳，并被你们当作亲弟弟一样对待，要么就让他离开这个家。”
12. A silence followed; but it was broken soon by a lively whistle, shrilling out a rollicking tune; the next moment a boy came running into the room. Curly, rosy, dirty, ragged, laughing, panting, little Benjamin stood still and looked round on all the earnest, serious faces. "What's the matter, all you folks?" he asked. "I should think you was all in meeting, and sermon just beginning. Ruth, I tied up Kitty's leg all right; and I'll dig greens to pay for the glass, Joe. Say, Bro'rer-Adam-an'-Lem (Benny pronounced this as if it were one word), did you forget it was April Fool's Day? Didn't I fool you good? And--say! there's a fierce breeze and my new kite's a buster. Who'll come out and fly her with me?" "I will, Benny!" said Adam, Lemuel, Mary, Ruth, and Joseph at the same time, and out the door they all ran.
接下来是一阵沉默，但很快沉默就被活泼的口哨声打破了，这声音尖锐但非常欢快。紧跟着，一个男孩跑进了房间，他头发卷曲，面容红润，全身脏兮兮的，衣服破烂不堪，一边大笑，一边气喘吁吁。小本杰明站在那里，一动不动，环顾着四周那一张张认真、严肃的面孔。“你们大家都怎么了？” 他问道。“我觉得你们是在开会，而且布道才刚刚开始。露丝，我把小猫的腿捆好了。乔，我会挖些绿叶蔬菜用来赔偿那个玻璃杯。还有，亚当莱缪哥哥（本尼总是这样把他们连在一起说），你没有忘记今天是愚人节吧？难道我没把你们愚弄得很好吗？嗯，还有！外面风变大了，我的新风筝将大有作为。谁愿意和我出去放风筝？” “我去，本尼！” 亚当、莱缪尔、玛丽、露丝和约瑟夫异口同声地说，然后他们一起跑出门外。