A Sandpiper to Bring You Joy 磯鷂帶來快樂
She was six years old when I first met her on the beach near where I live.I drive to this beach,a distance of three or four miles,whenever the world begins to close in on me.She was building a sandcastle or something and looked up,her eyes as blue as the sea.
我第一次和她在那個(gè)海灘上相遇時(shí)，她整六歲。這個(gè)海灘離我的住處約有三、四英里。每當(dāng)我心情壓抑，感到煩惱時(shí)，就驅(qū)車上哪兒去。當(dāng)時(shí)她正在用沙子堆積一個(gè)城堡似的東西?？吹轿襾恚痤^來望著我，那雙眼睛像大海般深邃、湛藍(lán)。
“Hello,”she said.I answered with a nod,not really in the mood to bother with a small child.
“您好!”她說。我點(diǎn)了點(diǎn)頭作為回答，說實(shí)在的，我沒有心思跟一個(gè)小女孩費(fèi)神。
“I'm building,”she said.
“我在蓋房子呢!”她又說。
“I see that.What is it?”I asked,not caring.
“我看見了。這蓋的是什么房子呢?”我心不在焉地問道。
“Oh,I don't know,I just like the feel of sand.”
“噢，我不知道，我就是喜歡摸沙子的感覺?！?BR> That sounds good,I thought,and slipped off my shoes.A sandpiper glided by.
這倒有意思，我邊想邊脫掉鞋子。驀地，一只磯鷂從一旁滑翔而過。
“That's a joy,”the child said.
孩子見了說：“那是快樂?！?BR> “It's a what?”
“是什么?”
“It's a joy.My mama says sandpipers come to bring us joy.”
“是快樂，磯鷂能給人們帶來快樂，媽媽說的。”
The bird went glissading down the beach.“Good-bye joy,”I muttered to myself,“hello pain,”and turned to walk on.I was depressed; my life seemed completely out of balance.
那只磯鷂順著海濱飛走了?！霸僖娏?，快樂，”我自言自語道，“痛苦來臨了?！辈⑥D(zhuǎn)身走開。我很沮喪，因?yàn)槲椰F(xiàn)在的生活一團(tuán)糟。
“What's your name?”She wouldn't give up.
“您叫什么名字啊?”她還不罷休。
“Ruth,”I answered.“I'm Ruth Peterson.”
“魯思，”我回答，“我叫魯思?彼得森。”
“Mine's Wendy...I'm six.”
“我叫溫迪，我六歲了。”
“Hi,Wendy.”
“你好，溫迪?！蔽医械健?BR> She giggled.“You're funny,”she said.
“您真逗!”她咯咯地笑了。
In spite of my gloom I laughed too and walked on.
盡管心緒不佳，我也不由得笑了起來，一邊往前走著。
Her musical giggle followed me.
她那清脆悅耳的笑聲依然追隨著我。
“Come again,Mrs.P,”she called.“We'll have another happy day.”
“您下次再來，彼太太。咱們?cè)倏鞓返赝嬉惶?”她喊著。
The days and weeks that followed belong to others: a group of unruly Boy Scouts,PTA meetings,and ailing mother.
那以后的好幾個(gè)星期，我忙得不可開交，沒有一點(diǎn)閑暇：負(fù)責(zé)一群調(diào)皮搗蛋的童子軍，參加家長(zhǎng)教師聯(lián)誼會(huì)，還要照顧生病的母親。
The sun was shining one morning as I took my hands out of the dishwater.“I need a sandpiper,”I said to myself,gathering up my coat.The ever-changing balm of the seashore awaited me.The breeze was chilly,but I strode along,trying to recapture the serenity I needed.I had forgotten the child and was startled when she appeared.
一個(gè)陽光光明媚的上午，我洗完碗碟，心想：“我需要一只磯鷂。”于是穿上外套向海灘走去。海岸不斷變化的芳香依然在等著我。微風(fēng)有些刺骨，但是我依然大步走著，我多么渴望重新處于安靜寧謐之中啊!我早已忘掉了那個(gè)孩子，所以當(dāng)她出現(xiàn)在我面前時(shí)，不免吃了一驚。
“Hello,Mrs.P,”she said.“Do you want to play?”
“您好，彼太太!”她說，“你想玩嗎?”
“What did you have in mind?”I asked,with a twinge of annoyance.
“你想玩什么?”帶著一絲厭煩，我反問她。
“I don't know,you say.”“我不知道，您說吧?！薄癏ow about charades?”I asked sarcastically.
“猜字謎怎么樣?”我挖苦地問。
The tinkling laughter burst forth again.“I don't know what that is.”
“我不知道那是什么，”她說著，又發(fā)出一陣銀鈴般的笑聲。
“Then let's just walk.”Looking at her,I noticed the delicate fairness of her face.
“那么，咱們一塊兒走走吧。”我望著她，看到了嬌嫩而皙白的臉。
“Where do you live?”I asked.
“你住在哪兒?”我問她。
“Over there.”She pointed toward a row of summer cottages.Strange,I thought,in winter.
“那邊!”她用小手指著遠(yuǎn)處一排夏季避暑的小別墅。我感到納悶，現(xiàn)在是冬天啊。
“Where do you go to school?”
“你在哪兒上學(xué)呢?”
“I don't go to school.Mommy says we're on vacation.”
“我不上學(xué)，媽媽說我們?cè)诙燃?。?BR> She chattered little girl talk as we strolled up the beach,but my mind was on other things.When I left for home,Wendy said it had been a happy day.Feeling surprisingly better,I smiled at her and agreed.
我們漫步走上海灘，她一路上嘰嘰喳喳地說著小姑娘們的話?？墒?，我卻心事重重。當(dāng)我要回家時(shí)，溫迪說這是快樂的一天。奇怪的是，我的心情也感到舒坦多了。于是，我同意地報(bào)以一笑。
Three weeks later,I rushed to my beach in a state of near panic.I was in no mood to even greet Wendy.I thought I saw her mother on the porch and felt like demanding she keep her child at home.
三個(gè)星期后，我在近乎慌亂的心境下直奔海灘。我甚至沒心情跟溫迪打招呼?？匆娝龐寢屧谧呃壬?，我有一種去命令她讓她的小孩呆在家里的沖動(dòng)。
“Look,if you don't mind,”I said crossly when Wendy caught up with me,“I'd rather be alone today.”
溫迪趕上了我，我氣呼呼地對(duì)她說：“要是你不介意，我今天想一個(gè)人待著?！盨he seems unusually pale and out of breath.
她的臉看上去異常蒼白，還有點(diǎn)喘不過氣來。
“Why?”she asked.
“為什么?”她問。
I turned to her and shouted,“Because my mother died!”-and thought,my God,why was I saying this to a little child?
我轉(zhuǎn)身對(duì)她吼道：“因?yàn)槲覌寢屗懒?”然后我又想：天啊，我為什么跟一個(gè)小孩講這些?
“Oh,”she said quietly,“then this is a bad day.”“哦，”她輕輕地說，“這么說今天是個(gè)糟糕的日子?！?BR> “Yes,and yesterday and the day before and-oh,go away!”
“是，”我說，“昨天也是，前天也是--唉。你走開!”
“Did it hurt?”“很痛嗎?”她問。
“Did what hurt?”I was exasperated with her,with myself.
“什么?”我對(duì)她，對(duì)我自己都很惱火。
“When she died?”“她死的時(shí)候?”
“Of course it hurt!”I snapped,misunderstanding,wrapped up in myself.I strode off.
“當(dāng)然痛了!!!!”我怒氣沖沖地說，完全沉浸在自己的思緒中。我誤會(huì)了她的意思。我大步走開了。
A month or so after that,when I next went to the beach,she wasn't there.Feeling guilty,ashamed and admitting to myself I missed her,I went up to the cottage after my walk and knocked at the door.A drawn looking young woman with honey-colored hair opened the door.
大約一個(gè)月以后，我再次到海灘上去，她卻不在那兒。我感到自責(zé)和羞愧，同時(shí)也承認(rèn)我有點(diǎn)想她了，于是就在散步之后走到那所房子前，敲了敲門。一個(gè)有著蜜色頭發(fā)、看上去很憔悴的女人把門打開了。
“Hello,”I said.“I'm Ruth Peterson.I missed your little girl today and wondered where she was.”
“你好?！蔽艺f，“我是魯思?彼得森。我很想念你的女兒，她在哪兒呢?”
“Oh yes,Mrs.Peterson,please come in.Wendy talked of you so much.I'm afraid I allowed her to bother you.If she was a nuisance,please,accept my apologies.”
“哦，是，彼得森太太，請(qǐng)進(jìn)。溫迪經(jīng)常說起你。恐怕她給你添麻煩了。如果她打擾到了你，我向你道歉?！?BR> “Not at all-she's a delightful child,”I said,suddenly realizing that I meant it.“Where is she?”
“哪兒的話!她很可愛的。”我說著，突然意識(shí)到自己也真的是這么想的?！八谀膬耗?”
“Wendy died last week,Mrs.Peterson.She had leukemia.Maybe she didn't tell you.”
“溫迪上周去世了，彼得森太太。她有白血病，可能她沒告訴你?！?BR> Struck dumb,I groped for a chair.My breath caught.
我目瞪口呆，摸索著找了一把椅子，感覺自己透不過氣來。
“She loved this beach; so when she asked to come,we couldn't say no.She seemed so much better here and had a lot of what she called happy days.But the last few weeks,she declined rapidly...”her voice faltered,“She left something for you...if only I can find it.Could you wait a moment while I look?”
“她喜歡這片海灘，所以當(dāng)她請(qǐng)求我們到這兒來的時(shí)候，我們沒法說不。在這兒，她的情形好像改善了許多，她還說她過得很開心。但是上幾周，她的情況急劇惡化……”她的聲音顫抖起來，“她給你留了一樣?xùn)|西。要是我能找到它就好了。你能稍等一下嗎?我這就去找?！?BR> I nodded stupidly,my mind racing for something,anything,to say to this lovely young woman.
我呆呆地點(diǎn)點(diǎn)頭，心中急切地搜尋著此刻可以跟這位可愛的年輕女士講的詞句。
She handed me a smeared envelope,with MRS.P printed in bold,childish letters.Inside was a drawing in bright crayon hues-a yellow beach,a blue sea,and a brown bird.Underneath was carefully printed:
她把一個(gè)自己模糊的信封遞給了我。信封上“彼太太”這幾個(gè)字用得是孩子氣的黑體字。信封里是一張用亮色蠟筆畫的畫--黃色的海灘，藍(lán)色的海，還有一只棕色的鳥。下方認(rèn)真地寫著：
A SANDPIPER TO BRING YOU JOY
磯鷂帶給你快樂。
Tears welled up in my eyes,and a heart that had almost forgotten to love opened wide.I took Wendy's mother in my arms.“I'm so sorry,I'm sorry,I'm so sorry,”I muttered over and over,and we wept together.
淚水涌上了我的眼睛，一顆幾乎已經(jīng)忘記去愛的心扉開了。我擁抱了溫迪的母親，不停地小聲說道：“對(duì)不起，對(duì)不起，對(duì)不起!”我們都哭了。
The precious little picture is framed now and hangs in my study.Six words-one for each year of her life - that speak to me of harmony,courage,undemanding love.A gift from a child with sea-blue eyes and hair the color sand-who taught me the gift of love.
我把這張寶貴的畫裱了框，掛在我的書房里。六個(gè)字，每一個(gè)字代表她生命里的一年。這六個(gè)字對(duì)我訴說著和諧、勇氣、無私的愛。這個(gè)禮物來自一個(gè)眼睛碧藍(lán)似海、發(fā)色如沙的小女孩，是她教給了我愛的意義。
She was six years old when I first met her on the beach near where I live.I drive to this beach,a distance of three or four miles,whenever the world begins to close in on me.She was building a sandcastle or something and looked up,her eyes as blue as the sea.
我第一次和她在那個(gè)海灘上相遇時(shí)，她整六歲。這個(gè)海灘離我的住處約有三、四英里。每當(dāng)我心情壓抑，感到煩惱時(shí)，就驅(qū)車上哪兒去。當(dāng)時(shí)她正在用沙子堆積一個(gè)城堡似的東西?？吹轿襾恚痤^來望著我，那雙眼睛像大海般深邃、湛藍(lán)。
“Hello,”she said.I answered with a nod,not really in the mood to bother with a small child.
“您好!”她說。我點(diǎn)了點(diǎn)頭作為回答，說實(shí)在的，我沒有心思跟一個(gè)小女孩費(fèi)神。
“I'm building,”she said.
“我在蓋房子呢!”她又說。
“I see that.What is it?”I asked,not caring.
“我看見了。這蓋的是什么房子呢?”我心不在焉地問道。
“Oh,I don't know,I just like the feel of sand.”
“噢，我不知道，我就是喜歡摸沙子的感覺?！?BR> That sounds good,I thought,and slipped off my shoes.A sandpiper glided by.
這倒有意思，我邊想邊脫掉鞋子。驀地，一只磯鷂從一旁滑翔而過。
“That's a joy,”the child said.
孩子見了說：“那是快樂?！?BR> “It's a what?”
“是什么?”
“It's a joy.My mama says sandpipers come to bring us joy.”
“是快樂，磯鷂能給人們帶來快樂，媽媽說的。”
The bird went glissading down the beach.“Good-bye joy,”I muttered to myself,“hello pain,”and turned to walk on.I was depressed; my life seemed completely out of balance.
那只磯鷂順著海濱飛走了?！霸僖娏?，快樂，”我自言自語道，“痛苦來臨了?！辈⑥D(zhuǎn)身走開。我很沮喪，因?yàn)槲椰F(xiàn)在的生活一團(tuán)糟。
“What's your name?”She wouldn't give up.
“您叫什么名字啊?”她還不罷休。
“Ruth,”I answered.“I'm Ruth Peterson.”
“魯思，”我回答，“我叫魯思?彼得森。”
“Mine's Wendy...I'm six.”
“我叫溫迪，我六歲了。”
“Hi,Wendy.”
“你好，溫迪?！蔽医械健?BR> She giggled.“You're funny,”she said.
“您真逗!”她咯咯地笑了。
In spite of my gloom I laughed too and walked on.
盡管心緒不佳，我也不由得笑了起來，一邊往前走著。
Her musical giggle followed me.
她那清脆悅耳的笑聲依然追隨著我。
“Come again,Mrs.P,”she called.“We'll have another happy day.”
“您下次再來，彼太太。咱們?cè)倏鞓返赝嬉惶?”她喊著。
The days and weeks that followed belong to others: a group of unruly Boy Scouts,PTA meetings,and ailing mother.
那以后的好幾個(gè)星期，我忙得不可開交，沒有一點(diǎn)閑暇：負(fù)責(zé)一群調(diào)皮搗蛋的童子軍，參加家長(zhǎng)教師聯(lián)誼會(huì)，還要照顧生病的母親。
The sun was shining one morning as I took my hands out of the dishwater.“I need a sandpiper,”I said to myself,gathering up my coat.The ever-changing balm of the seashore awaited me.The breeze was chilly,but I strode along,trying to recapture the serenity I needed.I had forgotten the child and was startled when she appeared.
一個(gè)陽光光明媚的上午，我洗完碗碟，心想：“我需要一只磯鷂。”于是穿上外套向海灘走去。海岸不斷變化的芳香依然在等著我。微風(fēng)有些刺骨，但是我依然大步走著，我多么渴望重新處于安靜寧謐之中啊!我早已忘掉了那個(gè)孩子，所以當(dāng)她出現(xiàn)在我面前時(shí)，不免吃了一驚。
“Hello,Mrs.P,”she said.“Do you want to play?”
“您好，彼太太!”她說，“你想玩嗎?”
“What did you have in mind?”I asked,with a twinge of annoyance.
“你想玩什么?”帶著一絲厭煩，我反問她。
“I don't know,you say.”“我不知道，您說吧?！薄癏ow about charades?”I asked sarcastically.
“猜字謎怎么樣?”我挖苦地問。
The tinkling laughter burst forth again.“I don't know what that is.”
“我不知道那是什么，”她說著，又發(fā)出一陣銀鈴般的笑聲。
“Then let's just walk.”Looking at her,I noticed the delicate fairness of her face.
“那么，咱們一塊兒走走吧。”我望著她，看到了嬌嫩而皙白的臉。
“Where do you live?”I asked.
“你住在哪兒?”我問她。
“Over there.”She pointed toward a row of summer cottages.Strange,I thought,in winter.
“那邊!”她用小手指著遠(yuǎn)處一排夏季避暑的小別墅。我感到納悶，現(xiàn)在是冬天啊。
“Where do you go to school?”
“你在哪兒上學(xué)呢?”
“I don't go to school.Mommy says we're on vacation.”
“我不上學(xué)，媽媽說我們?cè)诙燃?。?BR> She chattered little girl talk as we strolled up the beach,but my mind was on other things.When I left for home,Wendy said it had been a happy day.Feeling surprisingly better,I smiled at her and agreed.
我們漫步走上海灘，她一路上嘰嘰喳喳地說著小姑娘們的話?？墒?，我卻心事重重。當(dāng)我要回家時(shí)，溫迪說這是快樂的一天。奇怪的是，我的心情也感到舒坦多了。于是，我同意地報(bào)以一笑。
Three weeks later,I rushed to my beach in a state of near panic.I was in no mood to even greet Wendy.I thought I saw her mother on the porch and felt like demanding she keep her child at home.
三個(gè)星期后，我在近乎慌亂的心境下直奔海灘。我甚至沒心情跟溫迪打招呼?？匆娝龐寢屧谧呃壬?，我有一種去命令她讓她的小孩呆在家里的沖動(dòng)。
“Look,if you don't mind,”I said crossly when Wendy caught up with me,“I'd rather be alone today.”
溫迪趕上了我，我氣呼呼地對(duì)她說：“要是你不介意，我今天想一個(gè)人待著?！盨he seems unusually pale and out of breath.
她的臉看上去異常蒼白，還有點(diǎn)喘不過氣來。
“Why?”she asked.
“為什么?”她問。
I turned to her and shouted,“Because my mother died!”-and thought,my God,why was I saying this to a little child?
我轉(zhuǎn)身對(duì)她吼道：“因?yàn)槲覌寢屗懒?”然后我又想：天啊，我為什么跟一個(gè)小孩講這些?
“Oh,”she said quietly,“then this is a bad day.”“哦，”她輕輕地說，“這么說今天是個(gè)糟糕的日子?！?BR> “Yes,and yesterday and the day before and-oh,go away!”
“是，”我說，“昨天也是，前天也是--唉。你走開!”
“Did it hurt?”“很痛嗎?”她問。
“Did what hurt?”I was exasperated with her,with myself.
“什么?”我對(duì)她，對(duì)我自己都很惱火。
“When she died?”“她死的時(shí)候?”
“Of course it hurt!”I snapped,misunderstanding,wrapped up in myself.I strode off.
“當(dāng)然痛了!!!!”我怒氣沖沖地說，完全沉浸在自己的思緒中。我誤會(huì)了她的意思。我大步走開了。
A month or so after that,when I next went to the beach,she wasn't there.Feeling guilty,ashamed and admitting to myself I missed her,I went up to the cottage after my walk and knocked at the door.A drawn looking young woman with honey-colored hair opened the door.
大約一個(gè)月以后，我再次到海灘上去，她卻不在那兒。我感到自責(zé)和羞愧，同時(shí)也承認(rèn)我有點(diǎn)想她了，于是就在散步之后走到那所房子前，敲了敲門。一個(gè)有著蜜色頭發(fā)、看上去很憔悴的女人把門打開了。
“Hello,”I said.“I'm Ruth Peterson.I missed your little girl today and wondered where she was.”
“你好?！蔽艺f，“我是魯思?彼得森。我很想念你的女兒，她在哪兒呢?”
“Oh yes,Mrs.Peterson,please come in.Wendy talked of you so much.I'm afraid I allowed her to bother you.If she was a nuisance,please,accept my apologies.”
“哦，是，彼得森太太，請(qǐng)進(jìn)。溫迪經(jīng)常說起你。恐怕她給你添麻煩了。如果她打擾到了你，我向你道歉?！?BR> “Not at all-she's a delightful child,”I said,suddenly realizing that I meant it.“Where is she?”
“哪兒的話!她很可愛的。”我說著，突然意識(shí)到自己也真的是這么想的?！八谀膬耗?”
“Wendy died last week,Mrs.Peterson.She had leukemia.Maybe she didn't tell you.”
“溫迪上周去世了，彼得森太太。她有白血病，可能她沒告訴你?！?BR> Struck dumb,I groped for a chair.My breath caught.
我目瞪口呆，摸索著找了一把椅子，感覺自己透不過氣來。
“She loved this beach; so when she asked to come,we couldn't say no.She seemed so much better here and had a lot of what she called happy days.But the last few weeks,she declined rapidly...”her voice faltered,“She left something for you...if only I can find it.Could you wait a moment while I look?”
“她喜歡這片海灘，所以當(dāng)她請(qǐng)求我們到這兒來的時(shí)候，我們沒法說不。在這兒，她的情形好像改善了許多，她還說她過得很開心。但是上幾周，她的情況急劇惡化……”她的聲音顫抖起來，“她給你留了一樣?xùn)|西。要是我能找到它就好了。你能稍等一下嗎?我這就去找?！?BR> I nodded stupidly,my mind racing for something,anything,to say to this lovely young woman.
我呆呆地點(diǎn)點(diǎn)頭，心中急切地搜尋著此刻可以跟這位可愛的年輕女士講的詞句。
She handed me a smeared envelope,with MRS.P printed in bold,childish letters.Inside was a drawing in bright crayon hues-a yellow beach,a blue sea,and a brown bird.Underneath was carefully printed:
她把一個(gè)自己模糊的信封遞給了我。信封上“彼太太”這幾個(gè)字用得是孩子氣的黑體字。信封里是一張用亮色蠟筆畫的畫--黃色的海灘，藍(lán)色的海，還有一只棕色的鳥。下方認(rèn)真地寫著：
A SANDPIPER TO BRING YOU JOY
磯鷂帶給你快樂。
Tears welled up in my eyes,and a heart that had almost forgotten to love opened wide.I took Wendy's mother in my arms.“I'm so sorry,I'm sorry,I'm so sorry,”I muttered over and over,and we wept together.
淚水涌上了我的眼睛，一顆幾乎已經(jīng)忘記去愛的心扉開了。我擁抱了溫迪的母親，不停地小聲說道：“對(duì)不起，對(duì)不起，對(duì)不起!”我們都哭了。
The precious little picture is framed now and hangs in my study.Six words-one for each year of her life - that speak to me of harmony,courage,undemanding love.A gift from a child with sea-blue eyes and hair the color sand-who taught me the gift of love.
我把這張寶貴的畫裱了框，掛在我的書房里。六個(gè)字，每一個(gè)字代表她生命里的一年。這六個(gè)字對(duì)我訴說著和諧、勇氣、無私的愛。這個(gè)禮物來自一個(gè)眼睛碧藍(lán)似海、發(fā)色如沙的小女孩，是她教給了我愛的意義。