Here we are, madam.' The big black car stopped and a police officer opened the back door.
“我們到了,夫人。”黑色大轎車停了下來,一個(gè)警官打開了車的后門。
Thank you.' Helen Sandberg smiled at him as she got out. Another police officer opened the front door of her house.
“謝謝你。”海倫·桑德伯格一邊下車,一邊對他微笑著。這時(shí),另一個(gè)警官走過去打開了她家的前門。
Inside the house it was quiet. Her daughter was reading. She put the book down.
家里很安靜。女兒正在看書。她放下手中的書。
Hello, Mummy. You're late. You said you'd be home by ten o'clock. I wanted to talk to you about my homework, remember?'
“您好,媽媽。您遲到了,您說您10點(diǎn)之前到家的。我想跟您談?wù)勎业募彝プ鳂I(yè),您還記得嗎?”
Helen sat down. 'I'm sorry, Sarah. I did remember, really. But I had a very busy day. Anyway, I'm home now. What's the problem?'
海倫坐了下來。“對不起,薩拉。我當(dāng)然記得,真的。但是我今天太忙了。不過,我現(xiàn)在回家了。你有什么問題呢?”
It's this book,' said Sarah. 'I have to write about it at school on Friday, and I don't understand it.'
“是關(guān)于這本書,”薩拉說,“星期五我得在學(xué)校根據(jù)它寫一篇文章,但是我看不懂。”
All right,' said Helen. 'Bring the book into the kitchen and I'll look at it while you make me a cup of coffee.'
“好吧,”海倫說,“把它拿到廚房來,你給我煮一杯咖啡,我來給你看看。”
They sat in the kitchen and talked for nearly half an hour. Then Helen looked at her watch. 'OK, Sarah, that's enough for now. It's nearly midnight, and I must be up at six tomorrow. I'm going to bed. Goodnight.'
她們在廚房里坐下,談了將近半個(gè)小時(shí)。然后海倫看了看手表。“好了,薩拉,就談到這兒吧??彀胍沽耍颐魈煸绯?點(diǎn)就得起床。我要去睡覺了,晚安。”
Alone in her bedroom, she undressed and got into the big empty bed. She was very tired. She closed her eyes and in three minutes she was asleep.
她一個(gè)人回到臥室,脫下衣服,躺在空蕩蕩的大床上。她非常疲憊,閉上眼睛不到三分鐘就睡著了。
The phone rang at 12.15 a. m.
凌晨12:15的時(shí)候,電話鈴響了。
Helen groaned, and picked it up.
海倫嘴里嘟囔著,拿起了聽筒。
Hello... What?... Who?... Do you know what time it is?'
“喂……什么?……誰?……你知道現(xiàn)在幾點(diǎn)嗎?”
She ran her hand through her hair and turned the light on. 'What, now? I don't believe it. Are you sure?'
她用手理了理頭發(fā),打開了燈。“什么,現(xiàn)在?我不相信。你確定嗎?”
The voice on the telephone explained carefully. Helen groaned again, and sat up. 'I hope it is serious. If it isn't, somebody is going to be in big trouble... yes... All right... Send the car in fifteen minutes, then. And bring me some coffee! Goodbye.'
電話另一端的人在認(rèn)真地解釋著。海倫又嘟囔了幾句,坐了起來。“我希望這的確很嚴(yán)重。否則的話,有人可能會(huì)有大麻煩的……是的……好吧……那15分鐘之后把車開過來。再給我?guī)c(diǎn)兒咖啡來!再見。”
She put the phone down and got out of bed. Outside the window she could hear a strong wind blowing.
她放下電話,起了床。窗外,她能聽見狂風(fēng)怒吼。
Twenty minutes later she was sitting in the back of her big black car, drinking a cup of coffee and talking to the Chief of Airport Police on the car telephone. It was raining heavily.
20分鐘之后,她已經(jīng)坐在了她那輛黑色大轎車的后排座上,一邊喝著咖啡,一邊用車上的電話和機(jī)場警察局的局長通著話。車外大雨傾盆。