牛津書蟲系列 五個孩子和沙精 5 最后一個愿望

The next day there was a letter to say that the children's mother was coming home that afternoon. So they decided to wish for something for their mother. They were busy trying to think of something when Martha came into the room，very excited.

第二天來了一封信說孩子們的母親當(dāng)天下午要回來了。所以他們決定為媽媽想要點什么東西。他們正忙著想要想出些什么的時候，馬莎走進房間，很激動的樣子。

' There were thieves at Lady Chittenden's last night，'she said. ' They took all her jewels! She's got lots of beautiful dia-monds— they cost thousands of pounds， I've heard. '

“昨天夜里奇膝登夫人家里來了賊。”她說，“他們把她的珠寶首飾都拿走了!她有好多美麗的鉆石——我聽說它們值幾千鎊呢。”

' When I'm older，I'm going to buy Mother jewels like that ，'Robert said.

“我長大了，我要給媽媽買那樣的首飾。”羅伯特說。

' I'd lide Mother to have all Lady Chittenden's beautiful jewels now，'said jane. ' I wish she could. '

“我想讓媽媽現(xiàn)在就有奇膝登夫人的美麗的珠寶。”簡說，“我希望她能有。”

'Oh Jane !'cried the others. ' What have you said?'

“噢，簡!”其他的孩子叫起來，“你說了些什么呀?”

'Well， she will have them，'said Robert. ' You've wished!Everyont will think she stole them! We'll have to try to find the Psammead and ask it to take the wish back. '

“哦，她將會有的。”羅伯特說，“你已經(jīng)許愿了!大家會認(rèn)為是她偷的!我們得試著找到賽米德，讓它把愿望收回去。”

They hurried down to the gravel-pit，but they could not find the Psammead. So they hurried home again and looked in their mother's room for the jewels， but they were not there yet.

他們急忙跑到礫石坑，可是找不到賽米德。所以他們又急忙回家，在母親房里找珠寶，可珠寶還不在那里。

' Well， we'll tell Mother about the Psammead， and she'll give back the jewels when they come，'Anthea said.

“嗯，我們告訴媽媽賽米德的事，他們來時她會把珠寶還給他們的。”安西婭說。

Cyril shook his head slowly. ' She isn't going to believe us. Can anyone believe about a Psammead if they haven't seen it?And adults never believe things like that. No，she'll think we are the thieves and we'll all go to prison， and everything will be terrible!'

西里爾慢慢地搖頭。“她不會相信我們的。沒見過賽米德時人怎會相信呢?何況大人們從來不相信那類事情。不，她會認(rèn)為我們是賊，我們都會進監(jiān)獄，一切會糟得很!”

And that afternoon，when Mother came home， the children ran to meet her， and put their arms round her— and tried to stop her from going upstairs to her room.

那天下午，母親回家來了，孩子們跑著去迎接她，擁抱她——并且不想讓她上樓回自己房間去。

' But I must take my coat off， and wash my hands!'she cried， laughing. And she went up to her room.

“可我得脫掉外衣、洗洗手啊!”她笑著大聲說。于是她上樓回自己的房間去了。

The children went after her— and there， on the table， was a green box. Mother opened it.

孩子們跟著她——在那里，桌子上有個綠盒子。母親打開了它。

' Oh，how beautiful!' she cried.

“喲，真漂亮!”她喊道。

It was a ring. A beautiful diamond ring.

那是只戒指。一只美麗的鉆石戒指。

' Perhaps it's a surprise present from Father，' she said. ' But how did it get here?'

“可能是你父親給我的出乎意料的禮物，”她說，“可是它是怎么送到這兒來的?”

But then she found a diamond necklace— and brooches—and bracelets. There were jewels in every cupboard in her room. The children began to look unhappy， and Jane began to cry.

可后來她找到一條鉆石項鏈——還有許多胸針——還有許多手鐲。她房間的每個柜子里都有珠寶。孩子們開始愁眉苦臉的，簡哭起來了。

Mother was no longer smiling. ' Jane， what do you know about this?'she said slowly. ' The true story， please. '

母親不再微笑了。“簡，關(guān)于這些你知道什么?”她慢慢地講道，“請講真話。”

' We met a sand-fairy， Mother，'Jane began.

“我們遇到了一個沙精，媽媽。”簡開始說。

' Don't be stupid，Jane，'Mother said angrily.

“別說傻話，簡。”母親生氣地說。

'Some thieves stole all Lady Chittenden's jewels from her house last night，'Cyril said quickly. ' Perhaps these are her jewels!'

“昨天夜里一些賊從奇滕登夫人家里偷走了她所有的珠寶。”西望爾很快地說，“這些可能是她的珠寶!”

Then Mother called for Martha. ' Have any strangers been inthis room， Martha?' she asked.

于是母親叫來馬莎。“有陌生人到這房間來過嗎，馬莎?”她問道。

' Yes， but it was just my young man，' Martha answered，afraid. ' He was moving a heavy cupboard for me. '(This， of course，was Mr Beale，the vicar's nice young servant，who was now very friendly with Martha. )

“有，可只有我的男友。”馬莎回答，她害怕了。“他為我搬一個很重的柜子。”(當(dāng)然這是比伊爾先生了，那個牧師的年輕漂亮的仆人，他現(xiàn)在對馬莎很好。)

So，of course，Mother thought that he was one of the thieves. She would not listen to the children and decided to go at once into town to tell the police. The children could not stop her.

所以，母親當(dāng)然認(rèn)為他是小偷之一了。她不聽孩子們的話，決定馬上進城去報告警察。孩子們阻止不了她。

' This is terrible!' said Anthea. ' Poor Martha! And poor Mr Beale—he isn't a thief! What are we going to do?' Then she cried，' Come on! We must find the Psammead!'

“這太糟了!”安西婭說，“可憐的馬莎!還有可憐的比伊爾先生——他不是小偷!我們怎么辦?”然后她喊道：“快!我們必須找到那個賽米德!”

They all hurried down to the gravel-pit， and this time they found the Psammead， sitting on the sand and enjoying the evening sun. When it saw them， it tried to get away， but Anthea put her arms round it. ' Dear，kind Psammead…'she began.

他們都急忙朝礫石坑跑去，這次他們找到了賽米德，它正坐在那兒看夕陽。看見他們時它想走開，但安西婭摟住它。“親愛的、好心的賽米德……”她開腔道。

' Oh， you want something， don't you?' it said. 'Well，I can't give you any more wishes today. '

“哦，你想要東西，是不是?”它說，“可我今天再不能實現(xiàn)你的愿望了。”

' Don't you like giving wishes?'Anthea asked.

“你不喜歡幫人實現(xiàn)愿望嗎?”安西婭問。

' No， I don't，'he said . ' Go away and leave me alone!'

“對，不喜歡。”它說，“走開，別打擾我!”

But Anthea went on. ' Listen，'she said. ' If you do what we want today，we'll never ask you for another wish. '

可安西婭接著說了下去。“聽著，”她說，“如果你實現(xiàn)了我們今天的愿望，我們就再也不要別的了。”

'I'll do anything for that，'it said. ' I really don't enjoy giv-ing wishes. It's very hard work， you know， and I get so tired. '

“那樣的話我可以做任何事情。”它說，“我實在是不喜歡實現(xiàn)人們的愿望。這是件難事，你知道，我變得這么累了。”

'Well， first I wish that Lady Chittenden will find that she has never lost her jewels. '

“唔，首先我希望奇滕登夫人發(fā)現(xiàn)她的珠寶從沒丟。”

The Psammead got bigger， and then went small again. 'Done!'it said.

賽米德變大，又變校“辦好了!”它說。

'I wish that Mother won't get to the police. '

“希望媽媽別到警察局去。”

'Done!'the Psammead said again.

“辦好了!”賽米德又說。

' And I wish，' said Jane suddenly，'that Mother and Martha will forget all about the jewels. '

“我還希望，”簡突然說，“媽媽和馬莎把珠寶的事全忘了。”

'Done!'the Psammead said， but its voice was tired. 'Now，it went on ，' will you wish something for me?'

“辦好了!”賽米德說，可它的聲音顯得很累。“現(xiàn)在你們能為我許愿嗎?”

'Can't you give yourself wishes?' asked Cyril.

“你不能為自己實現(xiàn)愿望嗎?”西里爾問。

'Of course not，'the Psammead said. 'Wish that you will never tell anyone about me. '

“當(dāng)然不能。”賽米德說，“希望你們別把我的事告訴任何人。”

' Why?' asked Robert.

“為什么?”羅伯特問。

' Well， you children always ask for stupid things. But adults aren't like that. If they get hold of me，they'll want to wish for real， important things—like free houses for poor people，and new schools for children everywhere in the country，and money to give to old people. Boring things like that. And they'll find a way to keep them after the sun goes down. And what will happen to the world if all those changes come at once ? There'll be terrible trouble. So go on ， wish it! Quick!'

“唉，你們孩子們老要愚蠢的東西。大人們可不那樣。要是他們抓住我，他們就希望要真正的、重要的東西——比方給窮人免費住房啦，給全國各地的孩子建新學(xué)校啦，給老人們錢啦。就那種使人厭煩的事。而且他們會想辦法在日落后留住它們。如果所有的那些變化立刻發(fā)生，世界會怎么樣?那可就會有麻煩了。所以接著許愿!快點!”

Anthea said the Psammead's wish，and it got very，very big. When it was small again， it said，' Now， I'm very tired. Do you want one last wish?'

安西婭說出了賽米德的愿望，它變得非常非常大。當(dāng)它又變小了時，它說：“現(xiàn)在我很累了。你們想要最后一個愿望嗎?”

'Thank you for everything，'said Jane. ' Have a good long sleep— and I wish that we'll see you again someday. '

“感謝你做的一切。”簡說，“美美地睡一覺——我還希望有一天能再見到你。”

Then，for the last time， the Psammead went big，then small again. It looked at them all once more with its long eyes，and then dug itself quickly into the sand.

然后賽米德最后一次變大又變校它用柄眼把他們?nèi)挚戳艘槐?，然后很快地鉆進沙子里去了。

And when they arrived home again，everything was all right. Mother came home and she and Martha remembered nothing， and Lady Chittenden found that her jewels were not lost.

當(dāng)他們又到家里時，一切都是好好的。母親回到家，她和馬莎什么都忘了，而且奇滕登夫人發(fā)現(xiàn)她的珠寶沒丟。

' Will we ever see the Psammead again， do you think?'Jane said to the others， later in the garden.

“你們認(rèn)為我們究竟還能再見到賽米德嗎?”晚些時候簡在花園里對其他孩子們說。

And，of course，they did， but not in this story. It was in a very， very different place. It was in a… But I must say no more.

當(dāng)然嘍，他們又見到它了，可不是在這個故事里見到的。是在與這里很不一樣的一個地方。那是在一個……可我不該再多說了。