書蟲三級 鐵路少年：7.可怕的秘密

7．The terrible secret
7．可怕的秘密

When the children first went to live at the white house, they talked about Father a lot and were always asking questions about him. But as time passed, their questions seemed to make Mother unhappy, so they stopped asking them. But they never forgot him.

孩子們剛住進白色小屋的時候，他們經(jīng)常談到爸爸，也經(jīng)常問起爸爸的情況。可是隨著時間的流逝，他們發(fā)現(xiàn)這些問題好像總是讓媽媽很傷感，所以他們也就不再問這一類的問題了。但是他們從來沒有忘記他。

Bobbie thought about Father often. She knew her mother was unhappy, and she worried a lot about that. And why was Father away for so long? Was there something that Mother wasn't telling them?

博比常常思念爸爸。她知道媽媽心里不高興，她一直在為此擔心。而且爸爸為什么離開這么長時間呢？是不是有什么事情媽媽在瞞著他們呢？

The answer came on the day she went to the station, to fetch the magazines. They were old magazines which people left on trains or in the waiting room. Perks said the children could have them to read, and one day Bobbie went to fetch them.

她在去車站取雜志的那天找到了答案。這些都是人們丟棄在火車上或者候車室里的舊雜志。珀克斯說，孩子們可以拿回去看，博比這天就過來取了。

I'll just put some newspaper round them to keep them together,' said Perks. And he took an old newspaper from the heap.

“我用報紙把它們包一包吧。”珀克斯邊說邊從一堆舊報紙上拿起一張。

The magazines were heavy, and Bobbie stopped to rest on the way home. She sat on the grass and dropped them beside her. As she did this, she looked at the newspaper and read some of the words on the page... and it was like a terrible dream.

這些雜志很重，回家的路上，博比停下來休息。她坐在草地上，把雜志就放在了自己旁邊。這時，她朝報紙上掃了一眼，有一行字映入她的眼簾……這簡直像一場噩夢。

She never remembered how she got home. But she went to her room and locked the door. Then she took the newspaper off the magazines and looked at it again. The words seemed to jump at her:

她都不記得她是怎么回到家里的了。她進了自己的房間，鎖上房門。然后把那張報紙從雜志上拿下來，重新看了起來。有一行字映入她的眼簾：

FIVE YEARS IN PRISON FOR SPY!

因間諜罪入獄五年！

And the name of the 'spy' was the name of her father.

這個“間諜”的名字正是她爸爸的名字。

Bobbie was very quiet at tea-time.

喝茶的時候，博比看上去非常沉默。

Is anything wrong?' Mother asked her.

“出什么事兒了嗎？”媽媽問她。

I'm all right,' said Bobbie.

“我沒事兒。”博比答道。

But after tea, Mother went up to Bobbie's room. 'What's the matter?' she wanted to know.

但是，喝完茶，媽媽還是上樓來到了博比的房間。“怎么了？”她想知道。

For an answer, Bobbie took the newspaper from under her bed and showed it to her mother.

為了講清事情的緣由，博比從床底下取出那張報紙，讓她的媽媽看。

Oh, Bobbie!' cried Mother. 'You don't believe it, do you? You don't believe Daddy is a spy?'

“噢，博比！”媽媽哭了，“你不相信這上面說的，對嗎？你不相信爸爸真的是間諜，是嗎？”

No!' said Bobbie.

“我不相信！”博比回答。

He's good and honest and he's done nothing wrong,' said Mother. 'We have to remember that.'

“他是個好人，他很誠實，沒有做錯任何事情，”媽媽說，“我們得牢記這一點。”

What happened?' asked Bobbie.

“究竟發(fā)生了什么？”博比問。

You remember the two men who came to see Daddy at the old house, don't you?' said Mother. 'They said he was a spy, and that he'd sold Government secrets to another country. There were some letters in Daddy's desk at his office. When the police saw them, they were sure Daddy was a spy.'

“你還記得在老房子的時候那兩個來找爸爸的人嗎？”媽媽說，“他們說他是個間諜，說他把政府的機密出賣給了別的國家。在爸爸辦公室的書桌里有一些信件。警察看到了這些信件，就斷定爸爸是間諜。”

But how did the letters get into his desk?' asked Bobbie.

“可是，那些信怎么會到了他的書桌里呢？”博比問。

Somebody put them there,' said Mother. 'And that person is the real spy.'

“有人放進去的，”媽媽說，“那個人才是真正的間諜。”

Who?' said Bobbie. 'Who put the letters there?'

“誰？”博比問，“誰把信放進去的？”

I don't know,' said Mother. 'But the man who got Daddy's job never liked him, and he always wanted Daddy's job.'

“我還不清楚，”媽媽說，“不過現(xiàn)在接替爸爸工作的那個人與爸爸的關系一直不好，他一直想得到爸爸的職位。”

Is he an honest man?' asked Bobbie.

“那個人誠實嗎？”博比問。

Daddy was never really sure,' said Mother.

“爸爸從來也不確信。”媽媽說。

Can't we explain all this to someone?' said Bobbie.

“難道我們不能跟人解釋嗎？”博比問。

I've tried, but nobody will listen,' said Mother sadly. 'I've tried everything. There's nothing we can do except be brave and patient. Now we won't talk of this anymore, my darling. Try not to think of it. It's easier for me if you can be happy and enjoy things.'

“我已經(jīng)努力過了，但沒人愿意聽，”媽媽傷心地說，“我已經(jīng)試過了所有的辦法。我們現(xiàn)在所能做的就是要勇敢地去面對，要有耐心。親愛的，我們不要再說這些了。別再去想它了。如果你們幸福快樂的話，我會感到輕松一些的。”

But Bobbie did think about it. She did not talk to Peter or Phyllis, but she wrote a letter—to the old gentleman.

但是博比仍在想著這件事。她沒有跟彼得和菲利斯商量，但她偷偷寫了一封信——寫給那位老先生。

My Dear Friend,

我親愛的朋友：

You see what is in this newspaper. It is not true. Father never did it. Mother says someone put the letters in Father's desk, and she thinks it is the man who got Father's job. But nobody listens to her. You are good and clever. Can you find out the name of the real spy? It is not Father!

請看看這張報紙上的內(nèi)容。這不是真的。爸爸從來沒做過這樣的事情。媽媽說是有人把信放到爸爸的書桌里的，而且她認為這件事是接替爸爸工作的那個人干的。但是沒有人愿意聽媽媽的解釋。您是個好人，又那么聰明。您能找出真正的間諜嗎？真的不是爸爸！

Peter and Phyllis don't know he is in prison. Can you help me? Oh, do help me!

彼得和菲利斯還不知道他被關進了監(jiān)獄。您能幫幫我嗎？噢，請一定幫幫我！

With love from your friend,

愛您的朋友

Bobbie

博比

She put the page of the newspaper with her letter and took it to the station. Bobbie asked the Station Master to give it to the old gentleman the next morning.

她把信和那張報紙裝在一起，拿到了車站。博比請站長第二天早晨把信轉(zhuǎn)交給老先生。

Now she could only wait and see what happened.

現(xiàn)在她只能耐心等待，以觀事態(tài)了。

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