介绍:
Bert's face grew sober in a moment. "That's the question! Why don't I? I'll tell you why I don't. I've got the best mother in the world! What I want more than anything is to be with my mother and my two sisters again, and I am not ashamed to say so. "Bert's eyes grew very tender, and he went on; while his companion across the table watched him with a very gentle, searching look. "I haven't been with her now for two years—hardly at all since father died. Mom couldn't support my sisters and so I said, I'm a boy; I can do something to help. I'll go to work, and maybe help you a little, besides taking care of myself."
伯特突然变得严肃了起来。“这的确是个问题，为什么我没和妈妈一起共进晚餐呢？我来告诉你为什么我没有。我拥有世界上最好的妈妈。而我现在最想做的事就是跟妈妈和两个姐妹重聚，这么说我丝毫不觉得难为情。”伯特的眼神变得很温柔，并继续叙说着。坐在桌子对面的老人也投以温和的目光，注视着伯特。“我离开我妈妈生活已经有两年了，几乎是在父亲去世后就没有见过。妈妈独自一人支撑不起这个家庭，所以我对妈妈说，我是一个男孩，我可以帮上一些忙。我可以去工作，或许还可以帮助妈妈你一些，而且我也可以照顾好自己。”
"What could you do?" said the little old man.“
你那时能做什么呢？”那个消瘦的老人说。
"That's it; I was only eleven years old; and what could I do? So I started selling newspapers. I've sold newspapers ever since, and I shall be twelve years old next month."
“这就是问题所在，那时我只有11岁，我能做什么来补贴家里呢？所以我就开始卖报纸。从那时起我就一直卖报纸到现在，下个月我就要12岁了。”
"You like it?" said the old man.
“你喜欢这份工作吗？”老人问伯特。
"It's okay to help make my own living," replied Bert, proudly. "But what I want is, to learn some trade, or regular business, and settle down and make a home for my mother. But there's no use talking about that.""Well I've told you about myself," added Bert; "now suppose you tell me something?"
“它可以帮我维持生计”，伯特自豪地回答说。“但我真正需要的是学习一些交易或是常规生意方面的知识，并且能够安定下来给妈妈一个家。但是光说这些都没有用。”“好了，我已经告诉了你我的一些情况”，伯特补充说，“现在你可以跟我分享一些关于你的事情了吗？”
"About myself?"
“关于我的？”
"Yes. I think that would go pretty well with the pie."
“是的。我想我们可以一边聊一边品尝南瓜派。”
But the man shook his head. "Life isn't what we think it will be, when we are young. You'll find that out soon enough. I am all alone in the world now; and I am nearly seventy years old."
但是老人摇了摇头。“当我们年轻的时候，生活并不会时常如意。这个道理你将会很快领悟。如今我在这个世界上是孤身一人，而且即将步入七旬。”
"It must be so lonely, at your age! What do you do for a living?"
“在你这样的年纪，一定很孤单吧。那你靠什么来维持你的生活呢？”
"I have a little place in Devonshire Street. My name is Mr. Crooker. You'll find me up two flights of stairs, back room at the right. Come and see me, and I'll tell you all about my business and perhaps help you get a better job, for I know several business men." And Mr. Crooker wrote his address, with a little stub of a pencil, on a corner of the newspaper which had led to their acquaintance, tore it off carefully, and gave it to Bert.“
我在德文郡街有一间小住处。我叫克鲁克。我家在二楼，上楼后的右手边最里面的房间。来找我吧，我会跟你谈谈我的生意，或许还能帮你找到一份好工作，因为我认识几个商业人士。”克鲁克老先生握着一支短小的铅笔，在报纸上写下了地址，也正是这份报纸才让他们彼此熟悉起来。写完后，老人小心翼翼地撕下写着地址的报纸一角，把它递给了伯特。
"Well, Bert," said the old man, "I'm glad to make your acquaintance, and I hope you'll come and see me. You'll find me in very humble quarters. Now won't you let me pay for my dinner? I believe I have enough money. Let me see." And he put his hand in his pocket.“
好的，伯特。”老人说，“很高兴认识你，我也希望你可以来看我。你会发现我的小住处非常简陋。不过，现在你真的不用我付晚餐钱吗？我确信我有足够的钱来支付。让我来看看。”然后他把手伸进了口袋。
Bert would not hear of such a thing; but walked up to the desk, and paid the whole bill.
伯特不愿让老人付钱，于是他径直走到收银台前买了单。
When he looked around again, the little old man was gone.
而当他再次环顾四周时，老人已经不见了。
"I'll go and see him the first chance I have," said Bert, as he looked at the penciled strip of newspaper margin again before putting it into his pocket.
“只要一有机会我一定去看望他”，伯特又看了眼那条用铅笔写过地址的报纸边角，然后把它塞进了口袋里。
On the following Monday, Bert went to call on his new friend in Devonshire Street. Having climbed the two flights, he found the door of the back room at the right ajar, and, looking in, saw Mr. Crooker at a desk, in the act of receiving a roll of money from a well-dressed visitor. Bert entered unnoticed, and waited till the money was counted and a receipt signed. Then, as the visitor departed, Mr. Crooker noticed the boy, offered him a chair, and then turned to place the money in the safe.
在紧接着的礼拜一，伯特去德文郡街上拜访了他的新朋友。爬了两段楼梯之后，他右转发现了里屋的门，门半掩着。朝里看，就看见克鲁克老先生坐在一张桌子前，从一个衣冠楚楚的来访者那收下了一叠钞票。伯特轻手轻脚地进了房间，等待克鲁克老先生数好钱并填好收据。直到后来来访者离开，老先生才发现伯特的到来并请他就座，然后又转身把钱存在保险箱里。
"So this is your place of business?" said Bert, glancing about the plain office room. "What do you do here?"
“所以这里是您工作的地方吗？”伯特环视了一周这间简朴的办公室，接着问道：“您在这里是做什么工作呢？”
"I buy real estate, sometimes—sell—rent—and so forth."
“我是做房地产生意的，有时会卖掉、租赁房子等等。”
"Who for?" asked Bert.“
那是为谁打工呢？”伯特问。
"For myself," said the old gentleman, with a smile.“
“给我自己打工”，老先生微笑着说。
Bert was shocked! This was the man whom he had invited to dinner last Thursday!?
伯特很震惊。这真的是上周四他邀请一起吃晚餐的老人吗！？
"I—I—I thought—you were a poor man!"
“我——我——我以为——你是一个贫穷的人！”
"I am a poor man," said Mr. Crooker, locking his safe. "Money doesn't make a man rich. I've enough money. I own houses in the city. They give me something to think about and keep me busy. I had truer riches once, but I lost them long ago."
“我的确是一个穷人”，克鲁克先生一边说说，一边锁上了他的保险箱。“金钱并不会使一个人富有。我有足够的钱，在城里也有几套房子，我每天都要忙碌于管理这些财产。但实际上我曾经拥有更真实的财富，可惜我在很久之前就失去了他们。”
From the way the old man's voice trembled and eyes glistened, Bert thought he must have meant by these riches, the friends he had lost, wife and children, perhaps.
说到这里，老人的声音开始颤抖，眼里也闪现出了泪光，伯特意识到了这些所谓的“财富”其实有更深的含义，也许是指他失去的朋友，妻子和孩子。
"To think of me inviting you to dinner!"
“想想我还请你吃过饭呢！”
"It was odd. But it may turn out to have been a lucky circumstance for both of us. I like you. I believe in you, and I've an offer to make you. I want a trusty, bright boy in this office, somebody I can bring up in my business, and leave it with, as I get too old to run it myself. What do you say?"
“说来奇怪。不过对于我们两个来说也很有缘。我喜欢你，也信任你，因此我也想为你提供一个工作的机会。我想聘用一个可靠开朗的男孩在这间办公室工作，不仅能辅助我工作，也能在工作时间之外相互照应。如今我年事已高，无法自己运作它。你觉得怎么样呢？”
What could Bert say?
面对这样一个难得的机会，伯特又怎么会拒绝呢？
The lonely, childless old man, who owned so many houses, wanted a home and a family. One of his houses he offered to Bert's mother, with ample support for herself and children if she would allow him to live with them like a grandfather.
这样一个孤独，没有子女陪伴的老人，即便拥有很多房子，但内心更加渴望有一个真正的家，有一个完整的家庭。老人把很多房子中的一套给了伯特的母亲，也给她和她的孩子提供了充足的物质支持，不过前提是她同意老人跟他们住在一起，就像孩子的祖父一样。
Of course she accepted; and Bert soon saw all his dreams come true. He had employment, which promised to become a profitable business, as indeed it did in a few years. The old man and the boy proved very useful to each other; and, more than that, he was united once more with his mother and sisters in a happy home, where he has since had many Thanksgiving dinners.
当然她接受了，与此同时，伯特也很快就看见了他所有的梦想都逐渐成真。他顺利就业，从事着一项利益颇丰的生意，而这的确让伯特在几年里获益不少。老人和这个男孩也渐渐离不开彼此，更重要的是，他能够在这样一个幸福的家庭里常常跟母亲和姐妹见面，也自从那以后，他每年都能跟家人一起过感恩节了。
声明：本双语文章的中文翻译系沪江英语原创内容。
Music:
Ludovico Einaudi - Divenire
Lakatos,Jazzband - Season Of The Rain
ED:
James Blunt - 1973
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