I checked the clock. I still had an hour, but my mom was well known for jumping the gun.
我看了一下鐘。還有一小時的時間,可我媽"提前搶跑"那是出了名的。
Mom, Calm down. I'm writing right now. Don't do anything rash.
媽:您冷靜冷靜。我這就寫。別做任何魯莽的事情。
Bella.
貝拉。
I sent that, and began again.
把這個發(fā)了,我接著又開始寫。
Mom, Everything is great. Of course it's raining. I was waiting for something to write about.School isn't bad, just a little repetitive. I met some nice kids who sit by me at lunch.
媽:一切都很好。當然在下雨嘍。我在等可寫的東西呀。學校還不錯,就是課程上有點重復。我認識了幾個很不錯的同學,他們吃午飯都坐在我旁邊。
Your blouse is at the dry cleaners - you were supposed to pick it up Friday.
您的襯衣在干洗店里——應該星期五去取。
Charlie bought me a truck, can you believe it? I love it. It's old, but really sturdy, which is good, you know, for me.
查理給我買了一輛卡車,您能相信嗎?我很喜歡。是輛舊車,不過真的很結實,您知道,對我而言這是輛適合我的好車。
I miss you, too. I'll write again soon, but I'm not going to check my e-mail every fiveminutes. Relax, breathe. I love you.
我也想您。我會很快再給您寫信的,但是我不會每5分鐘查一次電子郵件的。深呼吸,放輕松。我愛您。
Bella.
貝拉。
I had decided to read Wuthering Heights — the novel we were currently studying in English — yet again for the fun of it, and that's what I was doing when Charlie came home. I'd losttrack of the time, and I hurried downstairs to take the potatoes out and put the steak in to broil.
我決定讀《呼嘯山莊》——我們目前英語課正在學這本小說——不過也是為了輕松一下,查理回家時我正好在讀。我把時間給忘了,于是趕緊下樓把土豆取了出來,把牛排放了進去。
"Bella?" my father called out when he heard me on the stairs.
"是貝拉嗎?"我父親聽見我下樓時喊了一聲。
Who else? I thought to myself.
還能是誰呀?我心里想道。
"Hey, Dad, welcome home."
"嘿,爸,歡迎回家。"
"Thanks." He hung up his gun belt and stepped out of his boots as I bustled about thekitchen. As far as I was aware, he'd never shot the gun on the job. But he kept it ready. When I came here as a child, he would always remove the bullets as soon as he walked in the door. I guess he considered me old enough now not to shoot myself by accident, and not depressedenough to shoot myself on purpose.
"謝謝。"我在廚房里忙活的時候,他把佩槍皮帶掛起來了,也脫掉了靴子。就我所知,他出警時還從未開過槍。不過,槍還都是上了膛的。小時候我來他這里的時候,他總是一進門就把子彈給卸了。我猜想,他覺得現(xiàn)在我已經夠大了,不至于玩槍走火發(fā)生意外,也沒有抑郁到自殺的程度。
"What's for dinner?" he asked warily. My mother was an imaginative cook, and her experiments weren't always edible. I was surprised, and sad, that he seemed to remember that far back.
"晚飯吃什么?"他警惕地問道。我母親是個想象力豐富的廚子,而她試出來的飯菜并不總是容易下咽的。我感到驚訝,也感到難過,都這么長時間了,他似乎對此還記憶猶新。
"Steak and potatoes," I answered, and he looked relieved.
"土豆加牛排,"我回答說,他看上去寬心了。
He seemed to feel awkward standing in the kitchen doing nothing; he lumbered into the living room to watch TV while I worked. We were both more comfortable that way. I made a salad while the steaks cooked, and set the table.
他似乎覺得什么也不做,就那么傻站在廚房里,看著我忙前忙后有些不好意思,于是笨重地到起居室看電視去了。這樣,我們都更自在??九E诺臅r候,我拌了一碗沙拉,擺好了桌子。
I called him in when dinner was ready, and he sniffed appreciatively as he walked into the room.
飯做好以后,我叫他進來,進來的時候,他拿鼻子聞了聞,看來很欣賞的樣子。
"Smells good, Bell."
"很香嘛,貝拉。"
"Thanks."
"謝謝。"
We ate in silence for a few minutes. It wasn't uncomfortable. Neither of us was bothered by the quiet. In some ways, we were well suited for living together.
我們默默地吃了幾分鐘,沒有覺得不自在。我們誰都不會因為安靜而心煩。從某些方面來說,我們很適合住在一起。
"So, how did you like school? Have you made any friends?" he asked as he was taking seconds.
"哦,對了,你覺得學校怎樣?交到了朋友沒有?"他添菜的時候問道。
"Well, I have a few classes with a girl named Jessica. I sit with her friends at lunch. And there's this boy, Mike, who's very friendly. Everybody seems pretty nice." With oneoutstanding exception.
"噢,我和一個叫杰西卡的女孩有幾門課同班。我和她的朋友們一塊兒吃的午飯。還有一個男生,邁克,很友好。每個人似乎都非常不錯。"只有一個,特別例外。
"That must be Mike Newton. Nice kid — nice family. His dad owns the sporting goods store just outside of town. He makes a good living off all the backpackers who come through here."
"肯定是邁克·牛頓。不錯的孩子——家庭也不錯。他爸爸開有一家體育用品商店,就在城外??恐切┻^往的背著背包徒步旅行的人,他可掙了不少錢啦。"