Estival Warm Pick Berry　夏季的溫馨：采漿果

Estival Warm Pick Berry　夏季的溫馨：采漿果

◎ Nancy Sweetland

Sweet, wild berries plucked from roadside patches are a delightful side benefit of camping. Each summer, my husband Bob and I would send the kids off with their little metal buckets and the next day we would all enjoy the fruits of their labor: raspberry pancakes turned on the grill or firm blackberries to dot a hot cooked-on-the-campfire peanut butter sandwich.

香甜的野生漿果散落在路邊，點綴成一片露營的好地方。每年夏天，我和我的丈夫鮑博就會讓孩子們帶上他們的金屬小籃出去采漿果，第二天我們就會享受這勞動的果實：烤架上的梅子煎餅，或是黑莓花生醬三明治。

The children looked forward to picking. We could usually find just about anything, from blueberries in early summer to raspberries and blackberries in August. Every year—except one.

孩子們也都很期待出去采漿果。很多時候我們會什么都沒有采到，從初夏的藍莓到懸鉤子到八月的黑莓。

“There’s nothing around here to pick!” five-year-old Julie complained, poking a stick into the dying fire one late summer evening.

一個夏日的夜晚，5歲的朱莉抱怨道：“這里什么都沒有啊！”說著就一棍子捅進了已經熄滅的火堆里。

The season had been too dry; what few blackberries were left on the bushes were hard as marbles.

這個季節(jié)太干燥了，只剩下了很少一些黑莓，還硬得像彈珠似的。

“Yeah. I looked all over,” added four-year-old Brian. “Wish there was something.”

4歲的布萊恩說：“是啊，我到處都找過了。”接著他補充道，“希望還會有一些。”

That night, after the kids were zipped into their sleeping sacks and I was sure they weren’t awake, I handed Bob a bag of large marshmallows and I grabbed a bag of the miniatures.

那天晚上，當孩子們鉆進他們的睡袋以后，我確信他們已經睡著了，就遞給鮑博一袋大漿果，然后我抓起一袋小的。

“Get the lantern and follow me,” I said. “We’re going to make a memory.”

“拿上燈籠，跟我走，”我說，“我們要去創(chuàng)造記憶了。”

“What?” He looked puzzled.

“什么？”他看著我迷惑地問。

I told him about the kids’ campfire conversation and Bob grinned, “Let’s go!”

我把孩子們的篝火對話告訴了他，他咧嘴笑了，說：“走！”

The next morning over pancakes, I said, “Kids, I think you’re going to have something to pick today.”

第二天早飯時，我說：“孩子們，我想今天你們一定可以采到一些野果了。”

“Really!” Julie’s eyes shone. “What?”

“真的！”朱莉的眼睛閃耀著光芒。“什么？”

“What?” echoed Brian.

“什么？”布萊恩回應著。

“Marshmallows.” I said, as though I’d said it every summer. “Last night Daddy and I walked down toward the lake and it looks as though they’re just about ready to pick. It’s a good thing we’re here now. They only come out one day a year.”

“漿果啊。”我說，就像每年夏季一樣。“昨天晚上我和爸爸順著小溪散步，好像那里就是有很多東西啊。我們現(xiàn)在能在這里太好了，因為它們每年只出現(xiàn)一天。”

Julie looked skeptical, and Brian giggled. “You’re silly, Mom! Marshmallows come in bags from the store.”

朱莉看上去有點懷疑，布萊恩卻咯咯地笑了。“你真傻，媽媽。漿果是從商店里買來的。”

I shrugged. “So do blackberries, but you’ve picked those, haven’t you? Somebody just puts them in bags.”

我聳了聳肩膀。“那么，黑莓也是，但是你也已經摘了，不是嗎？有人把它們裝進了袋子而已。”

“Daddy, is that true?” He demanded.

“爸爸，那是真的嗎？”他好像還不甘心。

Bob was very busy turning pancakes. “Guess you’ll just have to go find out for yourself,” he answered.

鮑博正在忙著翻煎餅。他答道：“我想，你得自己去看看能不能采到吧。”

“Okay!”

“好！”

They were off in a flurry, little metal buckets reflecting the morning sun.

他們提著小籃，在陽光明媚的早晨蹦蹦跳跳地跑去。

“You nut.” Bob said to me, laughing. “It won’t work.”

“你這個笨蛋。”鮑博笑著對我說，“那沒用的。”

“Be a believer,” I answered.

“要相信別人。”我答道。

Minutes later our two excited children rushed into the clearing.

很快，這兩個興奮的孩子跑了回來，開始清算自己的成果。

“Look! I got some that were just babies!” Julie held up a miniature.

“看！我采到一些小嬰兒漿果！”朱莉提著那些迷你小漿果說。

“I picked the big ones!” said Brian. “Boy, I want to cook one! Light the fire, Daddy, quick!”

“我摘到大的！”布萊恩也快活地說。“爸爸，快點生火，我想做一些，快?。?rdquo;

“All right, all right, settle down.” Bob winked at me. “They won’t spoil.” He lit some small sticks while the kids ran for their hot dog forks.

“好的，好的，等著啊，”鮑博朝我眨了眨眼睛，“他們沒有失望。”趁著孩子們跑去拿烤熱狗的叉子時，他點燃了一些小木棒。

“Mine will be better because they’re so little,” predicted Julie. Brian shrugged, mashing two large ones on his fork.

“我的肯定更好，因為它們很小！”朱莉說。布萊恩聳聳肩，用他的叉子穿了兩個大果子。

We waited for the culinary verdict.

我們等著做好了之后來裁決。

“Wow!” Brian’s eyes rounded with surprise. “These are sure better than those old ones in the bags!” He reached for another. “These are so good!”

“哇！”布萊恩的眼睛里閃爍著驚奇。“這些肯定比那舊袋子里裝的要好得多！”他拿起了另一個，說道，“太好了！”

“Of course,” I said. “These are really fresh!”

“當然了，”我說，“它們真的很新鮮！”

Julie looked puzzled. “How come all those marshmallow bushes don’t have the same kinds of leaves?”

朱莉看上去有點困惑。“為什么它們都沒有相同的葉子呢？”

“Just different kinds, that’s all,” I replied quickly. “Like flowers.”

“種類不同的，孩子，”我趕快回答道，“就像花朵一樣。”

“Oh.” She licked her fingers, seemingly satisfied with my answer. Then, studying the next marshmallow before she popped it into her mouth, she looked up with the sweetest smile and said softly, “We’re so lucky that they bloomed today!”

“哦。”她舔著她的手指，看上去似乎對我的回答很滿意。然后，她開始研究下一個漿果，然后急忙塞到嘴里。她抬起頭來，甜美地笑著，輕聲說，“我們太幸運了，它們今天全都開了！”

超多雙語閱讀，盡在聽力課堂