I took a few steps. Then the faces of the boys and girls came into view. I did not know a single one of them, and none of them knew me. I felt I was a stranger who had lost his way. But then some boys began to glance at me in curiosity, and one of them came over and asked, "Who brought you?"
我走了几步,便看见了一些孩子的面孔。他们我一个都不认识。他们也没有一个认识我。 我感觉自己像是一个迷了路的陌生人。然而,这时有些男孩开始好奇地打量我,其中一个走过来问道:“谁带你来的?”
"My father," I whispered.
“我爸爸。”我小声说道。
"My father's dead," he said simply.
“我爸爸死了。”他简短地说。
I did not know what to say. The gate was now closed. Some of the children burst into tears. The bell rang. A lady came along, followed by a group of men. The men began sorting us into ranks. We were formed into an intricate pattern in the great courtyard surrounded by high buildings; from each floor we were overlooked by a long balcony roofed in wood.
我不知道该说些什么。这时学校的大门已经关上了,有些孩子哭了起来。铃响了,一位女士走了过来,后面跟着一群男人。那些人把我们排成几行,使我们形成一个错综复杂的队形,站在那四周高楼耸立的院子里。每层楼都有长长的阳台,阳台上带有木制顶棚,从阳台上可以俯视到我们。
"This is your new home," said the woman. "There are mothers and fathers here too. Everything that is enjoyable and beneficial is here. So dry your tears and face life joyfully."
“这是你们的新家,”那位女士说道,“这儿也有你们的父母。一切能带给你们快乐、对你们有益的事物,这儿都有。擦干你们的眼泪,快快乐乐地生活吧。”
Well, it seemed that my misgivings had had no basis. From the first moments I made many friends and fell in love with many girls. I had never imagined school would have this rich variety of experiences.
这样看来我(之前)的顾虑都是毫无根据的了。从一开始我就结交了许多朋友,并且喜欢了许多女孩。我从未想过学校的生活会是如此的丰富多彩。