评论
打印
4 Meeting Dickon
4 见到狄肯
Mary spent nearly a week working in the secret garden．
玛丽花了将近一个星期的时间在秘密花园里干活儿。
Each day she found new shoots coming out of the ground．
每天，她都看到新的嫩芽从土里冒出来，
Soon，there would be flowers everywhere—thousands of them．
很快，到处都将开满成千上万的花朵。
It was an exciting game to her．
对她来说，这是一个让她兴奋不已的游戏。
When she was inside those beautiful old walls，no one knew where she was．
她一走进那道美丽的旧围墙，就没人知道她去了哪儿。
During that week she became more friendly with Ben，who was often digging in one of the vegetable gardens．
那个星期她开始对经常不停地在那块菜地里挖土的本更加友好了。
‘What are your favourite flowers，Ben？’she asked him one day．
一天，她问他，“本，你最喜欢什么花？”
‘Roses．I used to work for a young lady who loved roses，you see，and she had a lot in her garden．
“玫瑰。我曾经给一位喜爱玫瑰的女士干活儿，她的花园里有好多玫瑰，
That was ten years ago． But she died．Very sad，it was．’
那都是10年前的事了。可是她死了，很惨，是不是？”
‘What happened to the roses？’asked Mary．
“那些玫瑰怎么样了？”玛丽问。
‘They were left there，in the garden．’
“它们就留在花园里了。”
‘If rose branches look dry and grey，are they still alive？’ asked Mary．
“要是玫瑰的枝子看上去又干又暗，它们还活着吗？”玛丽问道。
It was so important to know！
弄懂这个简直是太重要了！
‘In the spring they'll show green shoots，and then—But why are you so interested in roses？’he asked．
“到了春天它们就会长出绿色的嫩芽，然后——你怎么会对玫瑰有兴趣呢？”他问。
Mary's face went red．‘I just…wanted to pretend I've got a garden．I haven't got anyone to play with．’
玛丽的脸红了。“我只是——设想自己有个花园，没人跟我一起玩儿。”
‘Well，that's true，’said Ben．He seemed to feel sorry for her．
“嗯，那倒是真的，”本说。他似乎是在为她感到难过。
Mary decided she liked old Ben，although he was sometimes badtempered．
玛丽知道自己喜欢本，尽管他有时脾气不大好。
She skipped along and into the wood at the end of the gardens．
她蹦跳着来到花园尽头的树丛中，
Suddenly she heard a strange noise，and there in front of her was a boy．
突然，她听到一个陌生的声音，有个男孩出现在她的面前。
He was sitting under a tree，playing on a wooden pipe．
他正坐在一棵树下，吹着一根木管。
He was about twelve，with a healthy red face and bright blue eyes．
他大约十二岁，脸色健康、红润，有一双明亮的蓝眼睛。
There was a squirrel and a crow in the tree， and two rabbits sitting on the grass near him．
树上有一只松鼠，还有只乌鸦，他身边的草地上还有两只小兔子。
‘They're listening to the music！’thought Mary．‘I mustn't frighten them！’She stood very still．
玛丽想，“它们都在听音乐，我可别吓着它们！”她静静地站着。
The boy stopped playing．‘That's right，’he said．‘Animals don't like it if you move suddenly．
男孩停下来，说，“这就对了，动物们不喜欢你唐突的动作。
I'm Dickon and you must be Miss Mary．I've brought you the spade and the seeds．’
我是狄肯，你肯定就是玛丽小姐了。我给你带铲子和花籽来了。”
He spoke in an easy，friendly way．Mary liked him at once．
他说话的样子轻松友善，玛丽一下子就喜欢上他了。
As they were looking at the seed packets together，the robin hopped on to a branch near them．
他们一起看装着花籽的小包时，知更鸟在旁边的树枝上蹦着，
Dickon listened carefully to the robin's song．
狄肯仔细听着知更鸟的歌声。
‘He's saying he's your friend，he told Mary．
他告诉玛丽说，“它说它是你的朋友。”
‘Really？Oh，I am pleased he likes me．
“真的吗？哦，它喜欢我，我真太高兴了。
Can you understand everything that birds say？’
你能听懂鸟说的每一句话吗？”
‘I think I do，and they think I do．I've lived on the moor with them for so long．
“我觉得是，它们也这么想。我跟它们一起在荒原上住了这么久，
Sometimes I think I am a bird or an animal，not a boy at all！’His smile was the widest she had ever seen．
有时候我觉得自己就是一只鸟或是一只动物，根本就不是个孩子！”玛丽从来没有见过像他这样开心的笑容。
He explained how to plant the seeds．Suddenly he said，‘I can help you plant them！Where's your garden？’
他讲解着该怎么种那些花籽，他说，“我可以帮你种！你的花园在哪儿？”
Mary went red，then white．She had never thougt of this． What was she going to say？
玛丽脸红了，然后又变得苍白。她从没想到这一点，她该怎么说呢？
‘Could you keep a secret？It's a great secret．If anyone discovers it，I'll…I'll die！’
“你能保守秘密吗？这可是个大秘密。要是有人知道了，我就……我就得死！”
‘I keep secrets for all the wild birds and animals on the moor．So I can keep yours too，’he replied．
狄肯回答，“我在荒原上为所有的鸟和兽保密，所以我也能为你保密。”
‘I've stolen a garden，’she said very fast．‘Nobody goes into it，nobody wants it．
“我偷了一个花园，”她说得很快。“谁都没进去过，谁也不想进去。
I love it and nobody takes care of it！ They're letting it die！’And she threw her arms over her face and started crying．
我喜欢它，可是没人照理它，他们就由着它死掉！”她的手蒙着脸，哭了起来。
‘Don't cry，’said Dickon gently．‘Where is it？’
狄肯轻轻地说，“别哭了，它在哪儿呢？”
‘Come with me and I'll show you，’said Miss Mary．
“你跟我来，我让你看看它。”玛丽说。
They went to the secret garden and entered it together． Dickon walked round，looking at everything．
他们来到秘密花园，一起走了进去。狄肯四处走着，每样东西都看看。
‘Martha told me about this place，but I never thought I'd see it，’he said．‘It's wonderful！’
“玛莎跟我说过这个地方，可我从没想到能见到它，”他说，“它可太棒了！”
‘What about the roses？’asked Mary worriedly．‘Are they still alive？What do you think？’
“那些玫瑰怎么样？”玛丽挂念地问道。“它们还活着吗？你觉得呢？”
‘Look at these shoots on the branches．Most of them are alive all right．’
“看看枝子上的那些嫩芽，大部分已经活了。”
He took out his knife and cut away some of the dead wood from the rose trees．
他掏出小刀割去一些已经枯死的枝条。
Mary showed him the work she had done in the garden，and they talked as they cut and cleared．
玛丽给他看了自己在花园里干的活儿。他们一边修剪枝条，清理残叶，一边说着话。
‘Dickon，’said Mary suddenly，‘I like you．I never thought I'd like as many as five people！’
“狄肯，”玛丽说道，“我喜欢你。我从没想到能喜欢5个人！”
‘Only five！’laughed Dickon．
“才5个人！”狄肯笑了。
He did look funny when he laughed，thought Mary．
他笑的样子很滑稽，玛丽心里想。
‘Yes，your mother，Martha，the robin，Ben，and you．’
“是的，你妈妈、玛莎、知更鸟，本和你。”
Then she asked him a question in Yorkshire dialect，because that was his language．
然后她用约克郡的方言问了一个问题，因为他就讲这种话。
‘Does tha’like me？’was her question．
她的问题是．“你喜欢我吗？”
‘Of course！I likes thee wonderful！’replied Dickon，a big smile on his round face．Mary had never been so happy．
“当然！我很喜欢你！”狄肯回答，圆圆的脸上露出灿烂的笑容。玛丽从来没有这么开心过。
When she went back to the house for her lunch，she told Martha about Dickon's visit．
回去吃午饭时，她告诉玛莎狄肯来过了。
‘I've got news for you too，’said Martha．
“我也有事要告诉你，”玛莎说。
‘Mr Craven's come home，and wants to see you！He's going away again tomorrow，for several months．’
“克莱文先生回来了，而且要见你！他明天又要走了，要走几个月呢。”
‘Oh！’said Mary．That was good news．
“哦！”玛丽说。那可是好消息。
She would have all summer in the secret garden before he came back．
在他回来之前，她可以整个夏天都呆在秘密花园里。
But she must be careful．He mustn't guess her secret now．
不过她一定要小心，可不能让他这会儿就猜出她的秘密。
Just then Mrs Medlock arrived，in her best black dress，to take Mary down to Mr Craven's room．
这时，梅洛太太进来了。她穿上了她最好的黑色长裙，带玛丽下楼到克莱文先生的房间。
Mary's uncle had black hair with some white in it，and high， crooked shoulders．
玛丽的舅舅黑发中夹着银丝，高高的个子，背有些驼。
His face was not ugly，but very sad．During their conversation he watched her in a worried way．
他长得并不丑，但脸色阴沉。谈话中他神色忧郁的看着她，
Perhaps he was thinking of other things at the same time．
也许他同时在想着什么别的事情。
He looked at the thin child．‘Are you well？’he asked．Mary tried to keep her voice calm as she replied，
他看着这个瘦弱的孩子，问道，“你好吗？”玛丽在回答时尽量使自己的声音保持平静。
‘I'm getting stronger and healthier．’
“我越来越结实、健康了。”
‘What do you want to do，in this big empty house？’
“在这样一座空荡荡的大房子里，你想做些什么呢？”
‘I…I just want to play outside—I enjoy that．’
“我……我只是在外面玩——我喜欢那样。”
‘Yes，Martha's mother，Susan Sowerby，spoke to me the other day．
“是啊，玛莎的母亲，苏珊·索尔比那天也这么说。
She's a sensible woman—and she said you needed fresh air．But where do you play？’
她是个聪明人——她说你需要新鲜空气。可你都在哪儿玩呢？”
‘Everywhere！I just skip and runand look for green shoots．I don't damage anything！’
“哪儿都玩！我跳跳绳，跑来跑去——找那些绿色的嫩芽。我什么也没弄坏！”
‘Don't look so frightened！Of course a child like you couldn't damage anything．
“别这么害怕！像你这样的孩子当然什么也弄不坏。
Play where you like．Is there anything that you want？’
喜欢哪儿就在哪儿玩儿吧。你想要什么东西吗？”
Mary came a step nearer to him，and her voice shook a little as she spoke．
玛丽往他身边走了一步，说话时声音有点发抖，
‘Could Icould I have a bit of garden？’
“我能——我能有一小块花园吗？”
Mr Craven looked very surprised．
克莱文先生显得有些不解。
‘To plant seeds in…to make them come alive！’Mary went on bravely．
“用来播种子，让它们长起来！”玛丽壮着胆子接着说道，
‘It was too hot in India，so I was always ill and tired there．
“在印度天气太热了，所以我老是生病，老是觉得累。
But here it's different．I…I love the garden！’
可这儿就不一样。我……我喜欢花园！”
He passed a hand quickly over his eyes．Then he looked kindly at Mary．
克莱文先生很快地用一只手挡在眼睛前面，然后他和蔼地看着玛丽，
‘I knew someone once who loved growing things，like you．
“我曾经认识一个人，也喜欢种东西，像你一样。
Yes，child，take as much of the garden as you want．’
好吧，孩子，花园你想要多大都成。”
He smiled gently at her．‘Now leave me．I'm very tired．’
他和善地对她笑着。“现在你可以走了，我很累了。”
Mary ran all the way back to her room．
玛丽一路小跑回到了自己的房间。
‘Martha！’she shouted．‘Mr Graven's really a nice man，but he looks very unhappy．
“玛莎！”她喊道，“克莱文先生真是个好人，可他看不上去很不开心。
He said I can have my own garden！’
他说我能有自己的花园！”
She was planning to work in the garden with Dickon every day，to make it beautiful for the summer．
她打算每天与狄肯一起在花园里干活儿，让花园在夏天漂亮起来。
