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The Story-Teller
讲故事的人
It was a hot， airless afternoon.
这是一个炎热无风的下午。
The train was slow and the next stop was nearly an hour away.
火车缓慢行进，离下一站还有将近一个小时的路程。
The people in the train were hot and tired.
火车里的人又热又累。
There were three small children and their aunt， and a tall man， who was a bachelor.
有三个孩子和他们的姑妈，以及一个单身高个子男人。
The bachelor did not know the little family，and he did not want to know them.
单身男人不认识这个小家庭，也不想认识他们。
The aunt and the children talked， but it was not a real conversation.
姑妈在和孩子们说话，但算不上真正的交谈，
It was more like a battle with a small housefly which will not go away.
更像和一只不愿离开的小家蝇的打斗。
When the aunt spoke to the children，she always began with 'Don't… '
姑妈对孩子们说话时总是用"不许……"几个字开头，
When the children spoke to her， they always began with 'Why…'
孩子们对她说话时总是用"为什么……"开头。
The bachelor said nothing aloud.
单身男人没有出声。
The small boy opened his mouth and closed it again.
小男孩张开嘴又闭上，
It made an interesting little noise， so he did it again.
发出一种有趣的、小小的响声，于是他又这样做了一遍。
Open. Close. Open. Close.
张嘴。闭嘴。张嘴。闭嘴。
'Don't do that， Cyril，'said the aunt.
"不许那样做，西里尔，"姑妈说。
' Come and look out of the window.
"来看看窗外。"
'The boy closed his mouth and sat next to the window.
男孩闭上嘴靠窗而坐。
He looked out at the green fields and trees.
他向外面的绿地和树木张望。
'Why is that man taking those sheep out of that field？'he asked suddenly.
"为什么那个人把羊带出田地？"他突然问。
'Perhaps he's taking them to another field where there is more grass，'said the aunt.
"可能他正带它们去另外一块草多的田地，"姑妈说。
It was not a very good answer，and the boy knew it.
这不是一个很好的答案，男孩知道这一点。
'But there is lots of grass in that field，' he said.
"可是那块地里的草很多，"他说。
'The field is full of grass， Aunt.
"地里全是草，姑妈。
Why doesn't the man leave his sheep in that field？'
为什么那个人不把羊留在那块地里呢？"
'I suppose the grass in the other field is better， ' answered the aunt.
"我想别的地里的草更好，"姑妈回答。
'Why is it better？'asked Cyril at once.
"为什么更好？"西里尔马上问。
'Oh， look at those cows！'cried the aunt.
"哎哟，看那些牛！"姑妈喊道。
There were cows in nearly all the fields along the railway line.
铁路沿线几乎所有的地里都是牛。
Cyril did not look at the cows.
西里尔不看牛，
He wanted an answer to his question.
他想得到问题的答案。
'Why is the grass in the other field better？' he said again.
"为什么别的地里的草更好？"他又说。
The bachelor gave them an angry look.
单身男人生气地看了他们一眼。
The aunt saw him.
姑妈看见了他，
He's a hard， unkind man， she thought.
认为他是一个严厉、不和善的男人。
He doesn't like children.
他不喜欢孩子。
She searched for a suitable answer to Cyril's question， but could not find one.
她在思索西里尔问题的合适答案，但是没找到。
The smaller girl began to say some words from a song：
小女孩开始说歌词：
'On the road to Mandalay， where the happy children play，'she began.
"在去曼德雷的路上，快乐的孩子在玩耍，"她开始说。
Then she stopped.
然后她停住了，
She could not remember any more words，
她记不住更多的词，
so she said the first words again， quietly but very clearly.
于是又说前面几句词，声音不大但很清楚。
Then she said them again. And again. And again.
然后她又一遍又一遍地说这几句词。
The bachelor looked angrily at the girl， and then at the aunt.
单身男人生气地看着女孩，又生气地看着她的姑妈。
'Come here and sit down quietly，'the aunt said quickly to the children.
"到这儿来安静地坐着，"姑妈马上对孩子们说。
'I'm going to tell you a story.
"我给你们讲个故事。"
The children moved slowly towards the aunt's seat.
孩子们慢慢挪向姑妈的座位。
They already looked bored.
他们已经感到无聊了。
Clearly， the aunt was not a famous story-teller.
很明显姑妈不是讲故事的好手。
