书虫三级 铁路少年：6.珀克斯的生日

6．A birthday for Perks
6．珀克斯的生日

It was breakfast-time and Mother was smiling.

吃早饭时，妈妈微笑着。

I've sold another story, darlings,' she said. 'We can have cakes for tea.'

“亲爱的，我又卖掉了一篇故事，”她说，“我们又有茶点可以吃了。”

The three children looked at each other. Then Bobbie said, 'Can we have the cakes on Thursday instead of today? It's Perks's birthday on Thursday.'

三个孩子相互看了一眼。博比开口说道：“我们星期四再吃茶点好吗？因为星期四是珀克斯的生日。”

How do you know?' asked Mother.

“你们怎么知道的？”妈妈问。

I showed him my brooch—the one you gave me for my birthday—and I asked him about his birthday. He says he doesn't keep birthdays anymore, because he has other things to keep—his wife and children! But he said it was on the 15th, and that's Thursday.'

“我让他看我的胸针——就是我过生日时您送给我的那枚——我问他的生日是什么时候。他说他已经不再过生日了，因为他已经有了其他的事情要操心——他的妻子和孩子们！不过他还是说他的生日是在15号，就是这个星期四。”

And we thought we could make a birthday tea for him,' said Peter. 'He's been very good to us.'

“我们想，我们可以邀请他来我们家喝茶，”彼得补充道，“他一直对我们很好。”

All right,' said Mother.

“好吧。”妈妈说。

But cakes didn't seem a very exciting birthday present.

但是，蛋糕并不能算是令人兴奋的生日礼物。

We can give him flowers,' said Bobbie, when they were discussing it in the garden, later that day.

“我们可以送他一些鲜花。”那天晚些时候，当他们在花园里再次讨论这个问题的时候，博比说。

Then Peter had an idea. 'Perks is nice to everybody,' he said. 'There must be lots of people in the village who will want to help us give him a nice birthday. Let's ask everybody.'

这时，彼得有了主意。“珀克斯对所有的人都很好，”他说，“村里一定有很多人愿意帮我们送他一个不错的生日礼物，我们去问问大家吧。”

Bobbie wasn't sure. 'Mother said we weren't to ask people for things.'

博比拿不定主意。“妈妈说，我们不能再张嘴跟别人要东西了。”

Not for ourselves,' said Peter. 'It's all right to ask for other people. I'll ask the old gentleman, too.'

“可这不是给我们自己要的，”彼得说，“给别人要应该是可以的，我也会去问那位老先生要的。”

So they went to the village. Some people were kind, and some were not.

于是他们来到了村里。有些人对他们很友好，可也有些不怎么友好。

It's my birthday tomorrow,' said old Mrs Ransome at the Post Office. 'Nobody will remember mine. Why should I give anything to Perks? Go away!'

“明天是我的生日，”在邮局工作的一位叫兰塞姆的老妇人说，“但没人记得我的生日，我为什么要给珀克斯礼物呢？走开！”

But other people gave things—a pipe, a tin of tea, a walking stick—and others promised to give small presents, too.

不过其他的人还是给了他们一些东西——一个烟斗，一罐茶叶，一根拐杖——还有一些人也答应要送些小礼物。

Early the next morning, Bobbie and Phyllis went into the garden and cut some roses. They put them into a box with one of Bobbie's prettiest handkerchiefs. Then they wrote on a piece of paper: For Mrs Ransome for her birthday, with our love, and put it inside the box. Bobbie and Phyllis took the box down to the Post Office, and put it inside the door when the old woman wasn't looking.

第二天一大早，博比和菲利斯就到花园里去剪玫瑰花。他们用博比最漂亮的手绢把剪下的玫瑰扎成一束装进盒子里。然后他们在一张纸上写道：送给兰塞姆夫人，祝她生日快乐，这花代表我们的爱。随后他们把这张纸条也放入盒中。博比和菲利斯拿着盒子下山到了邮局，趁那个老妇人没注意，他们把盒子放到了邮局的门里。

While they were gone, Peter told his mother about Perks's presents. 'We're not doing it because he's poor,' said Peter, 'but because we like him.'

他们走了之后，彼得跟妈妈讲了给珀克斯筹集礼物的事情。“我们这样做，并不是因为珀克斯没钱，”彼得说，“而是因为我们喜欢他。”

I hope he understands that,' said Mother.

“我希望他能理解这一点。”妈妈说。

On Thursday morning, the children went to fetch the presents which other people had promised—eggs, meat, tomatoes. The old lady at the Post Office was standing outside as they went by.

星期四早晨，孩子们去取其他人答应送的礼物——鸡蛋，肉，西红柿。当他们路过邮局的时候，那位老妇人站在门口。

I want to thank you for the roses,' she said.

“我想谢谢你们送给我玫瑰。”她说。

We're pleased you liked them,' said Phyllis.

“你能喜欢那些玫瑰我们很高兴。”菲利斯说。

And here's your box,' said Mrs Ransome, giving it back to them. It was now full of shiny red apples. She smiled. 'The Perks's children will like them. And I've got a pram in the back of the shop. It was for my daughter's first child, but the child died after six months. I'd like Mrs Perks to have it for her little boy. Will you take it?'

“把你们的盒子还给你们，”兰塞姆夫人一边说着，一边把盒子交回到他们手中。盒子里装满了油光闪闪的红苹果。她微笑着。“珀克斯的孩子们会喜欢的。另外，商店的后面放着一辆婴儿车，那是为我女儿的第一个孩子准备的，但孩子六个月大的时候夭折了。我想珀克斯夫人可以给她的小儿子用。你们愿意把它带过去吗？”

Thank you,' said Bobbie. 'We will.'

“谢谢您，”博比说，“我们愿意。”

The children put all the presents in the pram, and at three o'clock they pushed it to the Perks's little yellow house. Mrs Perks and her young children were surprised to see them.

孩子们把所有的礼物都放进婴儿车里，3点钟的时候，他们把这些东西推到了珀克斯家的黄色小房子那里。看到他们，珀克斯夫人和她的小孩子们大吃一惊。

We know it's Mr Perks's birthday,' said Peter. 'And we've brought some presents for him.'

“我们知道今天是珀克斯先生的生日，”彼得说，“我们给他带来了一些礼物。”

The woman's eyes got bigger and bigger with surprise as each thing was taken from the pram.

随着东西一样样地从婴儿车里拿出来，珀克斯夫人真有些瞠目结舌。

Perks has never had a birthday like it!' she said.

“珀克斯从来没有过这样的生日！”她说。

The cakes and the presents were put on the table, then the children hid in the other room when they heard Perks coming home from work. They wanted to surprise him by jumping out and saying 'Happy birthday!' after he'd seen the presents.

孩子们把蛋糕和礼物放在桌上，这时他们听到珀克斯下班回来了，于是孩子们躲到了另外一个房间里。他们想等珀克斯看见这些礼物之后，再从里面跳出来，跟他说“生日快乐！”，给他一个惊喜。

What's all this?' they heard him say. 'What's that pram doing here?' His wife explained, but too quietly for the children to hear. But they heard Perks shout, 'I'm not having any of it! We've managed all these years, asking people for nothing, and I'm not going to start taking things now. We may be poor, but we don't need charity.'

“这都是什么？”他们听见他在问，“这辆婴儿车怎么会在这儿？”他的妻子开始解释，但是她说话的声音太低了，孩子们听不见。不过他们听见珀克斯高吼：“我一样都不会接受的！这么多年来，我们都做到了从不张口跟别人要东西，现在我也不会开这个先例的。我们是穷，但我们不需要人怜悯。”

Bobbie ran into the other room. 'We thought you'd be pleased!' she cried.

博比跑进了另外的那个房间。“我们还以为您会高兴呢！”她哭着说。

We didn't mean to do anything wrong,' said Peter, following her.

“我们没有恶意。”彼得跟着她说。

I—I'll never be kind to anyone again!' said Phyllis, starting to cry.

“我——我再也不会对任何人好了！”菲利斯说着，哭了起来。

Don't you understand?' said Perks. 'People in the village will laugh at me. "Poor Perks, he can't take care of his own family. We have to give him things." That's what they'll be saying now.'

“难道你们不明白吗？”珀克斯说，“村里的人会笑话我的：‘可怜的珀克斯养不起家了，我们得施舍给他一些东西。’他们现在肯定就在这么说。”

No!' cried Bobbie. 'It's not charity! People were happy to give you birthday presents. The man at the village shop said, "I'm pleased to give something to Mr Perks. He always pays his bills." And the woman at the Post Office wanted you to have the pram. It was for her granddaughter, but the little girl died.'

“不！”博比哭着说，“这不是慈善捐赠！大家都乐意送生日礼物给您。村里小卖部的人说：‘我非常愿意送给珀克斯先生东西，因为他从不欠账。’还有，邮局的那位夫人希望你能收下这辆婴儿车，这原本是给她的外孙女买的，但那个可怜的小女孩儿死了。”

I'm not sending the pram back, Bert,' said Mrs Perks, when she heard this. 'So don't ask me to.'

“我不想把这辆婴儿车送回去，伯特，”听到这里，珀克斯夫人说，“请别要求我这么做。”

I—I won't,' said Perks, quietly.

“我——我不会。”珀克斯低声说。

And other people said you were kind and polite and hardworking,' said Bobbie. 'They wanted to give you a birthday present. The old gentleman gave Peter a pound for you. He said you were a man who was good at his work. We thought you would like—'

“别人也说您心地善良、待人礼貌，而且工作努力，”博比说，“他们都愿意送您生日礼物。那位老先生给了彼得一英镑，让他转交给您。他说您是个十分敬业的人。我们想您会——”

Stop!' Perks said suddenly. 'I take back every word I said. I—I don't know if I was ever so pleased... not only with the presents, but with the kind thoughts of our neighbours. They're the best presents of all, aren't they, Nell?'

“别说了！”珀克斯突然开口说，“我收回我刚才所说的话。我——我想自己从来没有这么高兴过……不仅仅是因为这些生日礼物，而且也因为邻居们善良的想法。这才是最好的礼物，对吗，内尔？”

They are!' agreed his wife, happily.

“是呀！”他的妻子愉快地附和道。

Perks looked at the children. 'You'll stay to tea, won't you?' he said.

珀克斯看着孩子们。“你们留下来一起喝茶，行吗？”他说。

Oh, yes please!' they said.

“哦，当然行，谢谢！”他们说。

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