That Evening那個(gè)夜晚

游余

Arun was thirteen years old boystudying at a middle school in a small town.He got poor marks on monthly tests onceagain. When he got home， he found hisfather was waiting to beat him. His mothercame out of the kitchen and said to hisfather， “Vinays mother said that Arunbullied1 other children in the school.”Sohis father started to beat him hard.

After that， Arun ran away from homeand went to a park. It was about 7：00 in theevening. He saw a man walking to him. Theman looked at him and smiled. Arun asked，“Who are you？ What do you want？”

The man said， “I am a time traveler2and I want to take you to your future3.”Arunsaid， “I dont want to go to my future. Myfather says that I would go to jail4 in thefuture.”The man said，“What you think aboutyourself is more important. Come with me.”

He got into a truck5 with Arun， and turnedon some machines. After a minute， the timetraveler opened the door of the truck and saidto Arun，“Welcome to the future.”

Arun got off the truck， looked around andasked， “Where are we？” Time traveleranswered， “We are in the future time in yourtown. Lets go to your home.”Then Arun foundhis home was old and the window glasses werebroken after they got there. He looked insidethrough6 the window. He saw his father lyingon a bed and coughing7 a lot. His mother wasnow old， sick and was with a walking stick8.She was saying， “Arun was going to bereleased9 from the jail next week.”His fathergot angry，“Why is he being released from jail？He should not be released until he mends10 hisways.”His mother began to cry.

Arun got shocked11 seeing this. Hecould not see all this and moved away fromthe window. His father started coughing againand he didnt want to hear that. He cried andsaid， “Please take me back to my presenttime.”The time traveler said，“You must stayin your future time and see your futureversion12 before returning to your present.”

They stayed in the future time for aweek. During this time， Arun tried to findout where his classmates were. He foundthat some of them were still in this towndoing different jobs. But no one wasspoiled13 and in jail like him.

And the day came when his futureversion was to release from jail. Arun andthe time traveler were waiting at somedistance14 from the jail. They saw ashabby15 and fat man coming out of the jail.Arun was sad seeing his future version. Hewas ashamed16 of himself. He asked thetime traveler，“Can you help me change myfuture life？”

He said to Arun， “Listen to me， boy.Your future is up to you. What you do inthe present time decides what you will bein the future. Be a good boy in yourpresent， your future will be good. You stillhave time.”

Then in a minute， Arun was in hispresent time. He got off the truck and saidto the time traveler， “Thank you so muchfor giving me a chance to look into myfuture and make changes. I will alwaysremember what you said to me.”

Time traveler smiled and said，“Havea good present and future.”Then he startedhis truck and soon the truck got out ofAruns eyesight17. Since that evening，Arun has done better and better.

阿倫是一個(gè)13 歲的男孩，在一個(gè)小鎮(zhèn)上讀中學(xué)。他又在月考中得了低分。當(dāng)他回到家時(shí)，他發(fā)現(xiàn)他的父親正在等著揍他。他的母親從廚房出來(lái)，對(duì)他父親說(shuō)：“維納的母親說(shuō)阿倫欺負(fù)學(xué)校里的其他孩子。”于是，他的父親開(kāi)始狠狠地揍他。

挨完打后，阿倫離家出走了，然后他來(lái)到了一個(gè)公園。當(dāng)時(shí)大約是晚上7 點(diǎn)。他看到一個(gè)人向他走來(lái)。那個(gè)人看著他笑了。阿倫問(wèn)：“你是誰(shuí)？你想干什么？”

那個(gè)人說(shuō)：“我是一個(gè)時(shí)間旅行者，我想帶你去你的未來(lái)。”阿倫說(shuō)：“我不想去我的未來(lái)。我父親說(shuō)我將來(lái)會(huì)進(jìn)監(jiān)獄。”那個(gè)人說(shuō)：“你對(duì)自己的看法更重要。跟我來(lái)吧。”他帶著阿倫上了一輛卡車，接著打開(kāi)了幾個(gè)機(jī)器。過(guò)了一分鐘，時(shí)間旅行者打開(kāi)卡車的門(mén)，對(duì)阿倫說(shuō)：“歡迎來(lái)到未來(lái)。”

阿倫從卡車上下來(lái)，環(huán)顧四周，問(wèn)道：“我們?cè)谀睦铮俊睍r(shí)間旅行者回答：“我們?cè)谖磥?lái)你家的鎮(zhèn)上。我們先去你家吧。”到了之后，阿倫發(fā)現(xiàn)他家房子已經(jīng)很舊了，窗戶玻璃也破了。他透過(guò)窗戶往里看，看到他父親躺在床上不停咳嗽，他母親此時(shí)也年老多病，拄著拐杖。她說(shuō)：“阿倫下周就要出獄了。”他的父親很生氣，說(shuō)：“他為什么要出獄？在他改過(guò)自新之前，他不應(yīng)該被放出來(lái)。”

他母親哭了起來(lái)。

阿倫看到這些很震驚。他不想看到這一切，于是離開(kāi)了窗戶邊。父親又開(kāi)始咳嗽，他不想聽(tīng)到這種聲音。他哭著說(shuō)：“請(qǐng)帶我回現(xiàn)在吧。”時(shí)間旅行者說(shuō)：“在回到現(xiàn)在之前，你必須呆在未來(lái)的時(shí)間里，直到看到未來(lái)的你。”

他們?cè)谖磥?lái)的時(shí)間里呆了一個(gè)星期。在這段時(shí)間里，阿倫試圖找出他同學(xué)的下落。他發(fā)現(xiàn)他們中的有些人仍然在這個(gè)小鎮(zhèn)上做著不同的工作。但沒(méi)有人像他一樣被寵壞并被關(guān)進(jìn)監(jiān)獄。

未來(lái)的他出獄的日子到了，阿倫和時(shí)間旅行者在離監(jiān)獄不遠(yuǎn)的地方等待。他們看到一個(gè)衣著破舊的肥胖男人從監(jiān)獄里出來(lái)。

阿倫看到未來(lái)的自己感到很難過(guò)。他為自己感到很羞愧。他問(wèn)時(shí)間旅行者：“你能幫我改變未來(lái)的生活嗎？”

他對(duì)阿倫說(shuō)：“聽(tīng)我說(shuō)，孩子。

你的未來(lái)取決于你自己。你現(xiàn)在所做的事決定了你未來(lái)的樣子。

你現(xiàn)在做一個(gè)好孩子，未來(lái)的你就會(huì)變好。你還有時(shí)間。”

過(guò)了一分鐘后，阿倫回到了現(xiàn)在。他從卡車上下來(lái)，對(duì)時(shí)間旅行者說(shuō)：“非常感謝你給了我一個(gè)展望未來(lái)并做出改變的機(jī)會(huì)。我將永遠(yuǎn)記住你對(duì)我說(shuō)的話。”

時(shí)間旅行者笑著說(shuō)：“祝你擁有美好的現(xiàn)在和未來(lái)。”然后他啟動(dòng)了卡車，很快那輛卡車就離開(kāi)了阿倫的視線。從那天晚上開(kāi)始，阿倫表現(xiàn)得越來(lái)越好了。

Notes

1. bully 威嚇；欺侮；欺負(fù)

2. traveler 旅行者；旅客

3. future 未來(lái)；將來(lái)

4. jail 監(jiān)獄；監(jiān)禁

5. truck 卡車；載重汽車

6. through? 穿過(guò)；透過(guò)

7. cough? 咳嗽；發(fā)出咳嗽般的聲音

8. stick 拐杖；棍

9. release 釋放；放走

10. mend 縫補(bǔ)；修補(bǔ)；修理

11. shock 使震驚；使難以置信

12. version 版本；變體

13. spoil 嬌慣；溺愛(ài)；寵壞

14. distance 遠(yuǎn)處；距離

15. shabby 破舊的；破爛的；衣著破舊的；衣衫襤褸的

16. ashamed 感到羞愧；感到羞恥

17. eyesight 目力；視力