Chapter 3

Chapter 3 "Got it," Dink said when he returned a few minutes later. "Lucky's grandfather is Hector O'Leary. He lives at Atrium, the elderly-housing building. Let's go see him." "My mom says it's not good to drink too fast," Josh muttered. He licked his whipped-cream mustache and slid out of the booth. "Makes you burp," he added with a burp. The kids headed down Main Street. Snow was falling steadily, and the sidewalk was turning white. Pal tried to bite the flakes as they fell past his nose. The windows of the elderly-housing building were decorated with wreaths. A sign on the door said:

“明白了，”几分钟后丁克回来时说。 “Lucky的祖父是Hector O’leary。 他住在老年人住宅大楼中庭。 我们去看看他吧。”“我妈妈说喝得太快不好，”乔希喃喃地说。 他舔了舔他的奶油胡子，溜出了电话亭。 “让你打嗝，”他打了个嗝补充说。 孩子们朝主街走去。 雪不停地下着，人行道渐渐变白了。 当雪花从他的鼻子边落下时，帕尔试图咬一口。 老人院的窗户上装饰着花圈。 门上的牌子上写着:

WELCOME TO ATRIUM— GOOD LIVING FOR GOOD PEOPLE Inside the lobby, a Christmas tree stood in the center of the floor. Christmas carols came from a CD player. "Can I help you?" A white-haired woman in a wheelchair came wheeling up to them. "We're here to see Mr. O'Leary," Dink said. The woman smiled. "Hector's in the atrium," she said, pointing. "Just go through the swinging doors and look for a guy wearing a yellow baseball cap. But your doggy has to wait here. I'll watch him for you." "Thanks," Josh said, handing over the leash. "His name's Pal, and he's real friendly." The woman leaned down and patted Pal's head. "I could tell that just by looking at him," she said. The kids headed for the swinging doors. A note on one door said DON'T LET THE BIRDS OUT! "Birds?" Josh said. "What birds?" Dink shrugged. He pushed open one of the heavy wooden doors, and the kids entered the

欢迎来到中庭-好人的美好生活在大厅里，一棵圣诞树矗立在地板的中央。 圣诞颂歌来自CD播放机。 “我能帮你吗?”一位坐着轮椅的白发妇女向他们走来。 “我们是来见奥利里先生的，”丁克说。 女人笑了。“赫克托耳在中庭，”她指着说。 “只要穿过旋转门，找一个戴黄色棒球帽的人。 但你的狗必须在这里等。 我会替你照看他的。”“谢谢。”乔希说着，把皮带递给他。 “他叫帕尔，他真的很友好。” 女人俯下身来，拍了拍帕尔的头。 “我看着他就知道了，”她说。 孩子们朝旋转门走去。 一扇门上贴着一张纸条，上面写着“不要让鸟出来!”“鸟?”杰克说。 “什么鸟?”丁克耸耸肩。 他推开一扇沉重的木门，孩子们走进了房间

atrium. The room felt warm and moist, like a tropical rain forest. Sunlight poured in through the glass ceiling and walls. In one corner, a fountain bubbled over smooth stones. Everywhere the kids looked they saw plants. Most were in hanging pots, but others stood in large tubs. One tree grew right through an opening in the floor. Its branches and leaves were like a huge green umbrella. Among the plants flew scores of parakeets. With their green, blue, and yellow feathers, they looked like flying jewels. "This is awesome!" Josh said, ducking as a parakeet flew past his head. He took off his jacket, hat, and mittens.

心房。房间里又暖和又潮湿，像热带雨林。 阳光透过玻璃天花板和墙壁倾泻进来。 在一个角落里，一个喷泉从光滑的石头上喷涌而出。 孩子们所到之处都看到了植物。 大多数被放在吊盆里，但也有一些被放在大盆里。 有一棵树正好从地板上的一个开口里长出来。 它的枝叶像一把巨大的绿伞。 许多长尾小鹦鹉在植物间飞来飞去。 它们长着绿色、蓝色和黄色的羽毛，看起来就像会飞的珠宝。 “这太棒了!”当一只长尾小鹦鹉从他头顶飞过时，乔希一边说一边躲了起来。 他脱下夹克、帽子和连指手套。

Dink removed his coat as he looked around the room. Elderly men and women were feeding the birds, playing cards, or just snoozing. He saw one man with a parakeet on his head! "I see a yellow cap," Ruth Rose said, pointing to a man standing at a workbench. The kids walked over. Hector O'Leary wore a baggy sweatshirt and old jeans. He was nailing the roof onto a small bird- house. He looked up when the kids approached. "Well, hello there!" Hector said. "Are you selling candy? I'll buy one of each!" Dink shook his head. "We're friends of Lucky's," Dink said. "He told us about the lottery ticket you sent him." The man's friendly eyes suddenly turned fiery. "I'm so mad I could spit!" he said. "What's this world coming to when burglars steal Christmas cards! If I get my hands on that gangster, he'll wish he never met Hector Francis O'Leary!" "Lucky asked us to try to find out who stole it," Ruth Rose said. "Can we ask you some questions?"

丁克脱下外套，环视了一下房间。 年长的男人和女人在喂鸟，打牌，或者只是打盹。 他看见一个人头上顶着一只长尾小鹦鹉!“我看到一顶黄色的帽子，”露丝·罗斯指着站在工作台前的一个人说。 孩子们走了过来。赫克托·奥利里穿着宽松的运动衫和旧牛仔裤。 他正在把屋顶钉在一个鸟舍上。 孩子们走近时，他抬起头来。 “嗯，大家好!”赫克托耳说。 “你在卖糖果吗?”我每种买一个!”丁克摇了摇头。 “我们是幸运儿的朋友，”丁克说。 “他告诉我们你寄给他的彩票。” 那人友好的眼神突然变得暴躁起来。 “我气得都吐了!”他说。 “当窃贼偷走圣诞贺卡时，这个世界会变成什么样子!”如果我抓到那个歹徒，他会后悔没见过赫克托·弗朗西斯·奥利里的!”露丝·罗斯说:“幸运儿让我们找出是谁偷走了它。” “我们能问你几个问题吗?”

"Okey-dokey," Hector said, laying down his hammer. "Follow me." Lucky's grandfather led them to a circle of chairs around a low table. A blue parakeet landed on the table, carrying a small nail in his beak. "Now, where did you get that?" Hector took the nail and put it in his pocket. "Blue Boy loves anything shiny," he said. "Okey-dokey, ask away." "Someone knew that you sent lottery tickets to Lucky's house," Dink said. "We were wondering if you told anyone, like a friend." "Well, of course I told someone!" Hector said. He waved his arm toward the other people in the atrium. "I told everyone!"

“好吧，好吧，”赫克托耳放下他的锤子说。 “跟我来。”幸运的爷爷把他们带到一张矮桌子周围的一圈椅子旁。 一只蓝色的长尾小鹦鹉落在桌子上，嘴里叼着一颗小钉子。 “喂，你从哪儿弄来的?”赫克托耳拿起钉子放进口袋里。 “蓝男孩喜欢任何闪亮的东西，”他说。 “好吧，好吧，问吧。”“有人知道你把彩票寄到了幸运的家里，”丁克说。 “我们想知道你有没有告诉任何人，比如朋友。” “嗯，我当然告诉别人了!”赫克托耳说。 他向大厅里的其他人挥了挥手。 “我告诉了所有人!”