在去太陽的路上

肖雅琪

He had travelled a long way， and was very tired. It seemed like a dream when he stood up after a sleep in the field. He looked over the wall， and saw the garden， and the flowers， and the children playing all about. He looked at the long road behind him， at the dark wood and the barren1 hills. It was the world to which he belonged2. He looked at the garden before him， at the big house， and the steps that led down to the green grass. It was the world which belonged to the children.

他走了很長一段路，很累。他在地里睡了一覺，起來后覺得好像做了一場夢，夢里他在墻的另一邊看到花園、花兒，孩子們到處玩耍。他望著身后漫長的道路，望著黑暗的樹林和荒山，那是屬于他的世界。他望著眼前的花園，望著大房子，望著通向綠草坪的臺階。這是屬于孩子們的世界。

“Poor boy，” said the elder3 child， “I will get you something to eat.”

“可憐的孩子，”大孩子說，“我給你弄點吃的?！?/p>

“But where did he come from？” the gardener4 asked.

“他是從哪里來的？”園丁問。

“We do not know，” the child answered， “but he is very hungry， and mother says we may give him some food.”

“我們不知道。”孩子回答說，“但是他很餓，媽媽說我們可以給他一些食物。”

“I will take him some milk，” said the little one. In one hand she carried a cup and with the other she pulled along her little broken cart.

“我給他拿些牛奶，”小家伙說。她一只手拿著一個杯子，另一只手拉著她那破舊的小車。

“But what is he called？” asked the gardener.

“他叫什么？”園丁問。

“We do not know，” the little one answered， “but he is very thirsty， and mother says we may give him some milk.”

“我們不知道，”小家伙回答，“但是他很渴，媽媽說我們可以給他一些牛奶。”

“Where is he going？” asked the gardener.

“他要去哪里？”園丁問。

“We do not know，” the children said， “but he is very tired.”

“我們也不知道，”孩子們說，“但他很累。”

When the boy had rested well， he got up saying，“I must not stay any longer，” and turned to go on his way.

當男孩休息好了，他站起來說：“我不能再呆下去了?！比缓筠D身走了。

“What have you to do？” the children asked.

“你要去干什么呢？”孩子們問。

“I am one of the crew5， and must help to make the world go round，” he answered.

他回答說：“我是全體中的一員，必須讓世界運轉起來。”

“Why do we not help too？”

“為什么我們不幫忙呢？”

“You are the passengers.”

“因為你們是過客?！?/p>

“How far have you to go？” they asked.

“你要走多遠？”他們問。

“Oh， a long way！” he answered. “On and on until I can touch6 the sun.”

“噢，還有好長一段路要走！”他回答說，“一直走到我能觸摸到太陽為止?！?/p>

“Will you really touch it？” they asked.

“你真的能摸到太陽嗎？”他們問。

“I dare say I shall be tired long before I get there. Perhaps without knowing it， though， I shall reach it in my sleep，” he said. But they could not hear the last words， for he was already left.

“我敢說，在我到那兒之前，我早就累了?！彼f道，“也許在不知不覺中，我會在我的夢中摸到它。”但他們聽不到最后一句話，因為他已經離開了。

“Why did you talk to him？” the gardener said. “He is just a working boy.”

“你為什么和他說話？”園丁說，“他只是個普通人?！?/p>

“And we do nothing！It was very good of him to notice7 us，” they said， humbly8.

“我們什么也沒做！他能注意到我們就很好了，”他們謙卑地說。

“Good！” said the gardener in despair9.“Why， between you and him there is a great difference.”

“很好！”園丁絕望地說，“哎呀，你們和他之間有如此大的差別?！?/p>

“There was only a wall. Who set it up？” they asked curiously10.

他們好奇地問道：“只有一面墻，會是誰建造的？”

“Why， the builders， of course. Men set it up.”

“哎，當然是建筑工人，是他們建的。”

“And who will pull it down？”

“誰來拆除它呢？”

“It will not want any pulling down，” the man answered. “Time will do that.”

“不需要誰來拆除，”那人回答道，“時間會去做的?！?/p>

As the children went back to their play， they looked up at the light towards which the boy was journeying11. “Perhaps we too shall reach it some day，” they said.

當孩子們回去繼續玩耍的時候，他們抬頭看著那片照在男孩路途道路上的燈光，說道：“也許有一天我們也能到達。”