書蟲二級(jí)《阿利格拉之謎》：阿利格拉二

Allegra Two
2．　阿利格拉二

She was pale and beautiful, like the girl in my room. But this was a different girl. This Allegra had long black hair and her eyes were brown.

她很漂亮，膚色有些蒼白，很像去我房間的女孩，但卻不是同一個(gè)人。眼前的這個(gè)阿利格拉長(zhǎng)著黑色的長(zhǎng)發(fā)，眼睛是棕色的。

Hallo,' she said.

“你們好。”她問候道。

Was it the same voice? It was soft and sweet but — I wasn't sure!

這是一樣的聲音嗎？同樣的輕柔、甜美，可是——我無法確定！

This is Adrian,' said Chiara. 'He says that you went into his room last night, Allegra.'

“這是阿德里安，”基婭拉說，“阿利格拉，他說你昨晚去過他的房間。”

The girl looked at me in surprise.

小女孩吃驚地看著我。

No, Mummy, I wasn't in his room.' She spoke English beautifully, but she couldn't say the letter 'r'!

“沒有，媽媽，我沒去過他的房間。”她英語說得很好聽，但不會(huì)說字母“r”！

You see, she doesn't remember,' Chiara said to me. 'I think that she was walking in her sleep again.'

“瞧，她不記得了，”基婭拉對(duì)我說，“我想她一定是又夢(mèng)游了。”

When I went to bed that night, I couldn't sleep. I was waiting for the girl and I was afraid. But after about an hour my eyes closed and I slept. I woke up suddenly when a cold little hand touched my face. The girl's voice spoke softly in my ear.

那天晚上上床以后，我無法入睡，在恐懼之中等待著那個(gè)女孩的出現(xiàn)?？墒沁^了一個(gè)小時(shí)左右，我便支撐不住，睡著了。突然，一只冰冷的小手摸到了我的臉，我驚醒了。耳邊響起小女孩輕聲的呼喚。

Wake up, Adrian, wake up...'

“醒醒，阿德里安，醒醒……”

I turned on the light. She was there; but was she real? Her skin was like milk, her blond hair was like sunlight in the room. She was wearing the long, white nightdress.

我打開燈，她就站在那兒，可這是真的嗎？她的皮膚看上去像牛奶般光滑、白皙，金發(fā)如同射入房間里的一道陽光。她依然穿著長(zhǎng)長(zhǎng)的白色睡裙。

Is she real or is this a dream?' I thought.

“這一切是真的？還是做夢(mèng)？”我思忖著。

And I touched her face. It was cold, very cold. But it was real.

我用手摸她的臉，冰冷冰冷的，但卻是真切的。

Will you take me to Mamà now?' she asked.

“現(xiàn)在你帶我去找媽媽好嗎？”她問道。

I looked at the window. It was closed. Then I went to the door. It was locked. I began to feel very afraid.

我看了看窗戶，是關(guān)著的。然后我去檢查房門，是鎖著的。我開始感到害怕了。

How did you get in here?' I asked.

“你是怎么進(jìn)來的？”我問她。

You weren't here so I waited for you. I was sleeping behind that curtain.'

“你不在房間里，我只好在這兒等你，我就睡在那個(gè)簾子后面。”

She showed me a curtain in a corner of the room. There was another, smaller bed for a child behind it. So she was in the room before I came! But where did she come from, and who was her mother?

她指給我看房間角落里的一道簾子，那后面放著一張孩子的小床。原來我進(jìn)來之前她就在房間里！可是她從哪兒來？她的媽媽又是誰呢？

Okay, I'll take you to your mother,' I said. 'Where is she?'

“好吧，我?guī)闳フ覌寢專?rdquo;我說，“她在哪兒？”

Suddenly the girl began to speak in Italian. 'She's at Bagno a Ripoli, near Florence.'

這時(shí)她忽然改用意大利語說：“她在佛羅倫薩附近的巴尼奧阿里波。”

But we can't go to Florence tonight!' I said. I could understand Italian, but I spoke in English.

“今晚我們可沒法去佛羅倫薩！”我說。我能聽懂意大利語，但還是用英語回答她。

You must take me!' Allegra said angrily, speaking in English again. 'I want to see my Mamà tonight. I want to see her before I die.' Then she began to cry.

“你一定要帶我去！”阿利格拉用英語氣呼呼地說，“今晚我就要見到媽媽。我要在死之前見到她。”說完，她哭了起來。

Die! What did she mean?

死！她是什么意思？

Why do you say that?' I said in surprise. 'You're not going to die.'

“你為什么這么說？”我吃驚地問，“你不會(huì)死的。”

Yes, I am. I know, I know! Papà didn't like Mamà and he took me away from her. I didn't see her for a long time. I wanted to see her and she wanted to see me too. Oh, I must see her before I die!'

“不，我會(huì)死，我知道，我知道的！爸爸從前不喜歡媽媽，還把我從媽媽身邊帶走。很長(zhǎng)時(shí)間我都見不到媽媽。那時(shí)我想見媽媽，媽媽也想見我。哦，我一定要在死以前見到她！”

Again I couldn't understand why she spoke in the past. I really couldn't understand anything! Was this all a little girl's fantasy? I decided to ask her some questions.

我又產(chǎn)生了疑慮，為什么她總是談?wù)?ldquo;從前”呢？我真是一點(diǎn)兒都不明白。這些會(huì)不會(huì)只是一個(gè)小女孩的幻想呢？我決定向她問問清楚。

Who is your mother? What is her name?'

“你媽媽是誰？她叫什么名字？”

Claire.'

“克萊爾。”

Claire was the English for Chiara. I thought for a second.

克萊爾正是基婭拉的英文說法。我想了一下。

Come with me, Allegra,' I said. 'We'll go downstairs.'

“跟我來，阿利格拉，”我說，“我們下樓去。”

I wanted to show this little girl to Chiara. Then she would know that her daughter wasn't walking in her sleep — and I would know that I wasn't dreaming! I took the girl's cold little hand but she wouldn't come.

我想帶這個(gè)小女孩去見基婭拉，那樣她就會(huì)知道她的女兒不是在夢(mèng)游，而我也可以證明自己不是在做夢(mèng)了！我拉起女孩冰冷的小手，可是她不愿意去。

No, no!' she cried in Italian again. 'My dear Mamà is at Bagno a Ripoli near Florence. I want to go there.'

“不，不要！”她又用意大利語喊道，“我媽媽是在佛羅倫薩附近的巴尼奧阿里波，我要去那兒。”

I said, 'Wait here, Allegra. I'll go downstairs and bring my friend. She wants to see you. Wait here.'

我說：“在這兒等我，阿利格拉。我去樓下找我的朋友，她想見你。等著我。”

I found Chiara in the long room. She was reading a book in an armchair by the fire. I told her that there was a girl in my room again. She looked surprised and followed me upstairs. We went along the corridor. My door was open and we went into the room. The child wasn't there.

在那間長(zhǎng)長(zhǎng)的屋子里我找到了基婭拉。她正坐在壁爐旁的椅子上看書。我告訴她有個(gè)女孩又去了我的房間。她很驚訝，便跟我一起上樓來。我們穿過走廊，我的房門開著，我們走進(jìn)房間，那女孩已經(jīng)不在了。

We looked everywhere but found nothing. The only child in the house was Chiara's daughter.

我們四處察看，但都沒有找到那個(gè)女孩。這座房子里唯一的孩子就是基婭拉的女兒。

She's sleeping in her bed,' Chiara told me. 'Perhaps you had a dream, Adrian.'

“她正在自己的床上睡覺，”基婭拉對(duì)我說，“阿德里安，也許你做了個(gè)夢(mèng)。”

No, it wasn't a dream! There was a girl in my room a few minutes ago. I saw her and talked to her.'

“不，不是夢(mèng)！就在幾分鐘前有個(gè)女孩在我房間里。我看到她了，還和她說話了。”

Then I told Chiara everything about the girl. When I finished, she said:

然后，我把那女孩的事都告訴了基婭拉。聽完以后，她說：

Well, it's very strange. Who is this girl? She isn't my daughter. My Allegra has got black hair and brown eyes. And my husband didn't take her away from me. I know that he wants to take her away, but he can't. Allegra lives with me. You see, I don't love my husband any more, and so he doesn't live here with us. He's in England. But Allegra likes him a lot and I know that she wants to see him.' She was silent for a minute, then said, 'So the child in your room wants to see her mother, and Allegra wants to see her father. It's strange, isn't it? I don't understand it.'

“啊，這的確令人費(fèi)解。那個(gè)女孩是誰呢？她不是我女兒。我的女兒阿利格拉是黑色頭發(fā)、棕色眼睛，我丈夫也沒有把她從我身邊帶走。我知道他想那么做，但是他不能。阿利格拉和我一起生活。你瞧，我丈夫和我不再相愛，所以他不和我們住在一起，他在英國(guó)。但是阿利格拉很愛他，我知道她希望見到他。”她沉默了一會(huì)兒，然后接著說：“來你房間的女孩想見媽媽，而阿利格拉想見爸爸。很奇怪，不是嗎？我想不明白。”

Next day I went for a walk with Allegra Henderson. The big black dog came with us. We walked down a hill and came to a little river with a bridge. We stood on the bridge while Allegra dropped stones into the water and the dog tried to find them.

第二天，我同阿利格拉·亨德森一起去散步，身后跟著那只大黑狗。我們走下一座小山，來到一條小河旁，河上有一座橋。站在橋上，阿利格拉向水中丟石子，讓她的狗去找。

Do you speak Italian, Allegra?' I asked.

“阿利格拉，你會(huì)說意大利語嗎？”我問。

Oh yes! Listen.' And she spoke fast in Italian.

“會(huì)啊，你聽。”接著她就快速地講起意大利語來。

Did you learn it at school?'

“你是在學(xué)校學(xué)的嗎？”

Yes. It's a convent school and the teachers are Italian nuns. Look, Nero has got a stone in his mouth! Isn't he clever? Come here, Nero!'

“是的，是一所女修道院學(xué)校，老師都是意大利修女。瞧，尼羅嘴里叼著塊石頭！它很聰明吧？過來，尼羅！”

Allegra, do you know a place called Bagno a Ripoli?'

“阿利格拉，你知道一個(gè)叫巴尼奧阿里波的地方嗎？”

No, I don't. Oh, don't shake the water over us, Nero — you bad boy!'

“不知道。哦，別把水甩到我們身上，尼羅，你這個(gè)壞家伙！”

Do you know anybody called Claire?'

“你認(rèn)識(shí)叫克萊爾的人嗎？”

Yes, of course! That's Mummy's name in English.'

“當(dāng)然啦！那是媽媽的英文名字。”

Allegra laughed. But she didn't laugh when I asked:

阿利格拉笑起來，但是當(dāng)聽到下一個(gè)問題時(shí)她的笑容消失了。

Where's your Daddy, Allegra?'

“你爸爸在哪兒，阿利格拉？”

She didn't answer me.

她沒有回答。

You're a bad boy, Nero!' she said angrily. 'Give me that stone!'

“你是個(gè)壞家伙，尼羅！”她生氣地說，“給我那塊石頭！”

I asked her the question again. This time she answered.

我又問了一遍，這次她回答了。

Mummy says he's in England.'

“媽媽說他在英國(guó)。”

Was she sad or angry? I didn't know.

她感到憂傷還是生氣？我猜不出來。

Do you want to see him?'

“你想見他嗎？”

Yes,' she said. And I saw that she was unhappy. She didn't want to talk about it.

“是的。”她說。我看得出她很不開心，不愿意談這個(gè)。

Why can't you see him?' I asked.

“你為什么不能見他呢？”我問。

Because Mummy says that he wants to take me away from her.'

“因?yàn)閶寢屨f他想把我從媽媽身邊帶走。”

Would you like to go away with your Daddy?'

“你愿意跟爸爸走嗎？”

She looked at me for a second; then suddenly she began to cry.

她盯著我，然后突然哭了起來。

I want to see my Daddy!' she cried, sad and angry at the same time. 'I want to see him before I die! Why doesn't he come?'

“我想見爸爸！”她喊道，既悲傷又憤怒。“我想在我死之前見到他！他為什么不來呢？”

And then she ran away. She ran fast up the hill and Nero ran behind her.

說完她就跑開了。她飛快地向山上跑去，尼羅緊跟在她后面。

My parents liked the villa so we stayed there for a week. But I wanted to go. I was afraid. Every night the blond Allegra came to my room in her long white nightdress, and asked me to take her to her Mamà. When I said no, she was always very angry with me.

我的父母很喜歡這座鄉(xiāng)間別墅，所以我們?cè)谀莾鹤×艘恢?。但是我盼著離開，因?yàn)槲液ε?。每天夜里那個(gè)金發(fā)的阿利格拉都會(huì)出現(xiàn)在我房里，依舊穿著她的白色長(zhǎng)睡裙，央求我?guī)フ覌寢尅．?dāng)我拒絕時(shí)，她就會(huì)變得很生氣。

And every day I talked and played with the dark-haired Allegra, Chiara's daughter. I liked her a lot and she liked me. We were good friends. But she was like two different people. Sometimes she spoke to me angrily, like the other Allegra in the night. At other times she was a happy, sweet little girl of five again. I often asked her why she thought that she was going to die. She always answered with the same words: 'I know, I know.'

而在白天，我總是和黑發(fā)的阿利格拉——基婭拉的女兒——一同聊天、玩耍。我很喜歡她，她也喜歡我。我們成了好朋友。但是，阿利格拉表現(xiàn)得就像兩個(gè)截然不同的人一樣。有時(shí)她會(huì)帶著怒氣跟我說話，就像在夜里現(xiàn)身的那個(gè)阿利格拉；有時(shí)她又重新成為一個(gè)快樂可愛的5歲女孩。我常常問她為什么認(rèn)為自己會(huì)死，她每次的回答都是相同的：“我知道，我就是知道。”

During that week's holiday I began to feel love for Allegra Henderson. But there was the other Allegra who came at night. Who was she? I didn't believe in ghosts, but I was beginning to think that she was a ghost.

在那一周的時(shí)間里，我同阿利格拉·亨德森的感情愈來愈深，同時(shí)也為另外那個(gè)在夜里出現(xiàn)的阿利格拉所困擾。她到底是誰呢？我不相信有幽靈，卻禁不住開始覺得她就是個(gè)幽靈。

The day before we left, I wrote some notes:

在離開的前一天，我做了些記錄：

ALLEGRA HENDERSON

阿利格拉·亨德森：

— 5 years old. Tall, black hair, brown eyes, pale.

·5歲，高個(gè)兒，黑發(fā)，棕色的眼睛，皮膚蒼白。

— Speaks English and Italian,but can't say 'r'.

·會(huì)說英語和意大利語，但是不會(huì)發(fā)字母“r”的音。

— Mother's name Chiara. Calls her 'Mummy'.

·媽媽的名字是基婭拉，稱媽媽為“Mummy”。

— Wants to see her father, who lives in England.

·爸爸住在英國(guó)，想要見爸爸。

— Thinks she is going to die.

·認(rèn)為自己要死了。

ALLEGRA THE GHOST

幽靈阿利格拉：

— 5 years old. Tall, blond hair, blue eyes, pale.

·5歲，高個(gè)兒，金發(fā)，藍(lán)色的眼睛，皮膚蒼白。

— Speaks English and Italian, but can't say 'r'.

·會(huì)說英語和意大利語，但是不會(huì)發(fā)字母“r”的音。

— Mother's name Claire and lives at Bagno a Ripoli near Florence. Calls her 'Mamà'.

·媽媽的名字是克萊爾，住在佛羅倫薩附近的巴尼奧阿里波，稱媽媽為“Mamà”。

— Wants to see her mother, but her father says no.

·想要見媽媽，但爸爸不允許。

— Thinks she is going to die.

·認(rèn)為自己要死了。

I read these notes lots of times, but they didn't help me. Then I saw that I didn't know anything about the ghost Allegra's father. So I decided to ask her that night, which was our last night at the villa. I didn't sleep much that night; I waited and waited. But she didn't come. No, she didn't come and I was angry! I felt sure that her father was important.

我反復(fù)地看這些筆記，卻無法從中理出頭緒。不過，我發(fā)現(xiàn)自己對(duì)幽靈阿利格拉的爸爸一無所知，于是決定當(dāng)晚問問她。這是我們?cè)趧e墅的最后一夜，我?guī)缀鯖]怎么合眼，一直等著她。但是她沒有來。是的，她沒有出現(xiàn)，這讓我非常惱火。我確信她的爸爸是個(gè)關(guān)鍵人物。

Next morning we said goodbye to the Hendersons. When I said goodbye to Allegra, I felt sad. She was sad too, and she gave me a kiss.

第二天上午，我們向亨德森一家辭行。同阿利格拉告別時(shí)，我有些難過，她也很傷心，還親了我一下。

I hope that one day you will see your Daddy,' I said to her. 'Then you'll be happy.'

“希望有一天你能見到爸爸，”我對(duì)她說，“那樣你就會(huì)開心了。”

Oh no,' she answered in a strange voice. 'Papà is dead now. He was a famous lord and he took me away from my Mamà. But he's dead now.'

“哦，不，”她說，聲音很奇怪，“爸爸已經(jīng)死了。過去他是很有名的勛爵，他把我從媽媽身邊帶走。但現(xiàn)在他已經(jīng)死了。”

We were all very surprised.

我們都驚呆了。

What are you saying, Allegra?' Chiara said. 'Your father isn't a lord and he isn't dead! What a strange fantasy!'

“你在說什么啊，阿利格拉？”基婭拉說，“你爸爸不是勛爵，他也沒有死！真是胡言亂語！”

But Allegra only smiled; a sad smile. And that was the last time I saw her.

但是，阿利格拉沒作聲，只是笑了，是憂傷的笑。那是我最后一次見到她。