06 Six

'Sponge! Sponge! Come here at once and look at this!' 'At what?' 'It's a peach!' Aunt Spiker was shouting. 'A what?'

“海绵!海绵!马上过来看看这个!“什么?”“是桃子!”斯派克姨妈喊道。 “什么?”

'A peach! Right up there on the highest branch! Can't you see it?' 'I think you must be mistaken, my dear Spiker. That miserable tree never has any peaches on it.' 'There's one on it now, Sponge! You look for yourself!' 'You're teasing me, Spiker. You're making my mouth water on purpose when there's nothing to put into it. Why, that tree's never even had a blossom on it, let alone a peach. Right up on the highest branch, you say? I can't see a thing. Very funny… Ha, ha… Good gracious me! Well, I'll be blowed! There really is a peach up there!' 'A nice big one, too!' Aunt Spiker said. 'A beauty, a beauty!' Aunt Sponge cried out. At this point, James slowly put down his chopper and turned and looked across at the two women who were standing underneath the peach tree. Something is about to happen, he told himself. Some thing peculiar is about to happen any moment. He hadn't the faintest idea what it might

“桃子!就在最高的树枝上!你看不出来吗?“我想你一定搞错了，我亲爱的斯派克。” 那棵可怜的树从来没有结过桃子。“现在上面有一只了，海绵!”你自己找吧!“你在逗我，斯派克。” 你是故意让我流口水的，其实根本没有东西可放。 那棵树连一朵花都没开过，更别说桃子了。 你是说，就在最高的树枝上? 我什么也看不见。很有趣……哈，哈……天哪!好吧，那我就完蛋了!上面真的有一个桃子!“一个漂亮的大的!”斯派克姨妈说。 “一个美人，一个美人!”海绵姨妈叫道。 这时，詹姆斯慢慢地放下了他的斧头，转过身来，看着对面站在桃树下的两个女人。 事情就要发生了，他告诉自己。 一些奇怪的事情随时都可能发生。 他一点也不知道会发生什么

be, but he could feel it in his bones that something was going to happen soon. He could feel it in the air around him… in the sudden stillness that had fallen upon the garden… James tiptoed a little closer to the tree. The aunts were not talking now. They were just standing there, staring at the peach. There was not a sound anywhere, not even a breath of wind, and overhead the sun blazed down upon them out of a deep blue sky. 'It looks ripe to me,' Aunt Spiker said, breaking the silence. 'Then why don't we eat it?' Aunt Sponge suggested, licking her thick lips. 'We can have half each. Hey, you! James! Come over here at once and climb this tree!' James came running over. 'I want you to pick that peach up there on the highest branch,' Aunt Sponge went on. 'Can you see it?' 'Yes, Auntie Sponge, I can see it!'

但他能从骨子里感觉到，事情很快就要发生了。 他能从周围的空气中感觉到……在突然降临到花园里的寂静中……詹姆蹑手蹑脚地朝那棵树靠近了一点。 姨妈们现在不说话了。 他们只是站在那里，盯着桃子看。 四周一片寂静，甚至连一丝风也没有，头顶上深蓝色的天空中，太阳炙烤着他们。 “我看熟了，”斯派克姨妈打破沉默说。 “那我们为什么不吃呢?”海绵姨妈舔着厚厚的嘴唇建议道。 “我们每人可以吃一半。嘿,你!詹姆斯!马上过来，爬上这棵树!”詹姆斯跑了过来。 “我要你把那个桃子摘到最高的树枝上。”海绵姨妈继续说。 “你能看见吗?”“是的，海绵阿姨，我看到了!”

'And don't you dare eat any of it yourself. Your Aunt Spiker and I are going to have it between us right here and now, half each. Get on with you! Up you go!' James crossed over to the tree trunk. 'Stop!' Aunt Spiker said quickly. 'Hold everything!' She was staring up into the branches with her mouth wide open and her eyes bulging as though she had seen a ghost. 'Look!' she said. 'Look, Sponge, look!' 'What's the matter with you?' Aunt Sponge demanded. 'It's growing!' Aunt Spiker cried. 'It's getting bigger and bigger!' 'What is?' 'The peach, of course!' 'You're joking!' 'Well, look for yourself!' 'But my dear Spiker, that's perfectly ridiculous. That's impossible. That's – that's – that's – Now, wait just a minute – No – No that can't be right –

“你自己一点也不敢吃。 你的斯派克姨妈和我现在就把它分出去，一人一半。 加油!你上去吧!”詹姆斯走到树干旁。 “停!”斯派克姨妈赶紧说。 “拥有一切!”她抬头望着树枝，嘴巴张得大大的，眼睛凸出来，好像看见了鬼似的。 “看!她说。“看，海绵，看!”“你怎么啦?”海绵姨妈问。 “它日益增长的!”斯派克姨妈叫道。 “它越来越大了!”“是什么?”“当然是桃子了!”“你在开玩笑吧!”“好吧，你自己去找吧!”“可是，我亲爱的斯派克，这完全是无稽之谈。” 这是不可能的。那是-那是-那是-现在，等一下-不-不，那不可能是对的

No – Yes – Great Scott! The thing really is growing!' 'It's nearly twice as big already!' Aunt Spiker shouted. 'It can't be true!' 'It is true!' 'It must be a miracle!' 'Watch it! Watch it!' 'I am watching it!' 'Great heavens alive!' Aunt Spiker yelled. 'I can actually see the thing bulging and swelling before my very eyes!'

不，是的，天哪!这东西真的在成长!“它几乎已经是现在的两倍大了!”斯派克姨妈喊道。 “这不可能是真的!”“这是真的!”“这一定是个奇迹!”“小心!”小心!“我正在看呢!”“天哪!”斯派克姨妈喊道。 “我真的能看到它在我眼前鼓胀起来!”