书城外语摇响青春的风铃
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第5章 妈妈说这是送给您的 (2)

“Oh, I promise,” said the little girl. Then, she suddenly became very still and quiet. There was something she had forgotten to ask. She looked up at Pappy with great concern, and again almost in a whisper, asked, “How much will it cost?”

“Well, let’s see. How much have you got to spend?” Pappy asked with a grin.

The child pulled a small coin purse from her pocket then reached up and emptied two dollars and forty-seven cents onto the counter. After briefly questioning his own sanity, Pappy said, “Little lady, this is your lucky day. That bell costs exactly two dollars and forty-seven cents.”

Later that evening as Pappy prepared to close up shop, he found himself thinking about his bell. Already he had decided not to put up another one. He thought about the child and wondered if her grandpa liked her gift. Surely, he would cherish anything from such a precious grandchild.

At that moment, just as he was going to turn off the light in memory hall, Pappy thought he heard his bell. Again, he questioned his sanity; he turned toward the door, and there stood the little girl. She was ringing the bell and smiling sweetly.

Pappy was puzzled as he strolled toward the small child. “What’s this, little lady? Have you changed your mind?”

“No,” she grinned, “Momma says it’s for you.”

Before Pappy had time to say another word, the child’s mother stepped into the doorway, and choking back a tear, she gently said, “Hello, Dad.”

The little girl tugged on her grandpa’s shirt tail, “Here, Grandpa. Here’s your hanky. Blow your nose.”

“小姑娘,你买什么?”

帕匹是位慈眉善目的老人。虽然头发已变白,但他依然把它修剪得整整齐齐;那双湛蓝的眼睛因年老而不再清澈,但依然和蔼可亲;脸上爬满了皱纹,但当他微笑时,那些皱纹似乎也变得柔和起来,绽放着笑意。他的口哨吹得很好,每天他总是一边打扫店铺,一边欢快地吹着口哨。即便如此,他心里还是忘不了那件伤心事,但是熟悉的人都很敬仰他。

帕匹的大多数顾客都是回头客。生意不是太好,但对此他并不太在意。对他来说,开店只是为了消遣,而并非以此谋生。

小店后面有个房间,在那里,他摆弄那些可爱的小玩意,称这间房为“记忆厅”。这里有怀表、钟、电子火车等等,还有小型蒸汽机,也有木头、锡、铸铁做成的古董玩具。在这里,他回忆起过去的珍贵时光,带给他极大的快乐。他小心翼翼地摆弄着每一件物品,偶尔,他也会闭目养神,重新追忆那甜蜜纯真的孩童时代。

一天,帕匹哼着铁路工人小曲,心满意足地组装一个铁路上用的旧灯,同时缅怀起过去当铁路工人的那段岁月。他像往常一样在店里待着。窗外,万里无云,阳光灿烂,微风轻轻吹拂着门口的屏风。天气好时,帕匹总是把里面的门敞着。呼吸着新鲜空气,那气味既像古董散发出的,又像旧火车的柴油味儿。

就在他擦拭刚修好的灯时,听到有人在按门铃。这只声音独特而悠扬的门铃已经在帕匹家待了一百多年。他对这只门铃视若珍宝,与迈进小店的每一位顾客分享着悦耳的铃声。尽管门铃挂在主门的背后,但帕匹还是用根电线,把它与屏风接了起来,因此,不管里边的门是否打开,那悦耳的铃声总会飘入耳畔。听到门铃响,他走出“记忆厅”去开门。

起初,他找不到人在哪里。客人柔亮的卷发还没有柜台高。

“买点什么,小姑娘?”帕匹的声音里充满愉悦。

“您好,先生!”小女孩轻柔地说。她小巧精致,天真单纯,又有些害羞。她那双褐色的大眼睛看着帕匹,然后环视着屋子,像是要找一件特别的东西。

她害羞地告诉帕匹:“我想买份礼物,先生。”

“好吧,我们来找找看,”帕匹说,“你想送给谁?”

“外公。但我不知道送什么。”

帕匹给她出主意:“怀表怎么样?这块怀表很好,我亲手把它修好的。”帕匹的话语里充满了自豪感。

小女孩不做声,径直走到门口,把小手放在门上,轻轻地摆动着门,门铃响了起来。她激动地笑了,帕匹的心情也顿时灿烂起来。

“我买这个,”小姑娘咯咯地笑了起来,“妈妈说外公喜欢音乐。”

帕匹的表情顿时变了,他很怕伤了小姑娘的心,于是告诉她:“对不起,小姑娘,这个门铃不卖。或许你外公会喜欢这台收音机。”

小女孩看了看收音机,低下头,伤心地叹了口气:“不,我想他不会喜欢的。”

帕匹极力向小女孩解释道,这个门铃陪伴这个家很多年了,所以他不愿卖掉它。

小女孩抬起头,看看他,大颗泪珠从眼中落了下来,但仍然甜甜地说:“我想我懂了,不过还是要谢谢您。”

帕匹突然想起来,这个家除了一个远在他乡的女儿外,已没有其他人了,而他与女儿也已经有10年没见面了。他想,那么,为什么不把门铃卖给小女孩呢?为什么不把它传递给一位可以与自己所爱的人分享它的人呢?上帝知道应该把它交接给谁。

“等等,小姑娘。”帕匹叫道,这时,小姑娘正要出门——这是他最后一次听到门铃声了。“我决定卖掉这个门铃了。喏,手绢给你,擦擦鼻子。”

小女孩开心地拍着小手,说:“噢,谢谢您,先生。外公见到它,一定会很开心的。”

“是的,小姑娘,是的。”能帮上小女孩的忙,帕匹很高兴。然而,他知道,他会想念门铃的。“为你的外公,也为我,你必须保证好好爱护这个门铃,好吗?”他小心翼翼地把门铃放进一个褐色的纸袋。

“噢,我保证。”小女孩说。然后,她突然呆呆地站在那儿。她忘了问一件事了。她怯怯地抬头看看帕匹,声音低得几乎无法听到:“这个门铃多少钱?”

“哦,让我看看。你打算花多少钱?”帕匹笑着问。

小女孩从口袋里掏出小钱包,里面放满了硬币,挨着柜台倒出了自己所有的积蓄——2.47美元。帕匹定了定神,说道:“小姑娘,你真幸运,这个门铃正好是2.47美元。”

傍晚,当帕匹准备关店门时,突然想起门铃来。他已经决定不再挂了。他想起了小女孩,不知道她外公是否喜欢。当然,对于宝贝孙女送的任何东西,他都会视若珍宝的。

正当他要关上记忆厅的灯时,好像听到了门铃声,他怀疑是自己听错了。帕匹回头向门外望去,那个小女孩站在那里,正满面笑容地按着门铃。

帕匹感到纳闷,他走向小姑娘,问道:“怎么啦,小姑娘?你不要门铃了?”

“不是,”她笑着说,“妈妈说这是送给您的。”

帕匹还没来得及答话,小女孩的妈妈进了门,她忍住泪水,轻声说道:“您好,爸爸。”

小女孩拉了拉外公的衣角,说道:“外公,给您手帕,擦擦鼻子。”

记忆填空

1. Most of Pappy’s customers returned their good, and he did not do much , but he did not mind. To him, the was not a livelihood as much a welcome pastime.

2. In an to help her understand, Pappy her the story of how the bell had been in his family for many years, and that was why he didn’t to sell it.

3. At that , just as he was going to turn off the in memory hall, Pappy thought he heard his . Again, he questioned his sanity; he toward the door, and there stood the little girl. She was ringing the and smiling sweetly.

佳句翻译

1. 在这里,他回忆起过去的珍贵时光,带给他极大的快乐。

2. 为什么不把它传递给一位可以与自己所爱的人分享它的人呢?

3. 帕匹回头向门外望去,那个小女孩站在那里,正满面笑容地按着门铃。

短语应用

1. He referred to this back room as“memory hall”.

refer to:涉及,谈到,提到

2. She looked at Pappy with her big brown eyes, then slowly scanned the room in search of something special.

in search of:寻找,搜寻