Chapter 7

Chapter 7 Soon Dink and Josh could follow Ruth Rose across her backyard without falling. "You guys learned fast," she said. "Why don't we ski to the fitness center? We can show Josh's picture around in the bowling alley." The kids skied around the school. Pal bounded after them, leaping high in the snow.

很快，丁克和乔希就可以跟着露丝·罗斯穿过后院而不摔倒了。 “你们学得很快，”她说。 “我们为什么不滑雪去健身中心呢?” 我们可以在保龄球馆到处展示乔什的照片。” 孩子们在学校周围滑雪。 帕尔在他们后面蹦蹦跳跳，在雪地上跳得很高。

When they reached Main Street, they waited for a snowplow to pass, then skied across to the other side. They stopped near the corner of Bridge Lane and Main. A man carrying a heavy-looking satchel and a pair of snowshoes came out of the fitness center. The man smiled at the kids. "Nice day to be out in the snow," he said. "We just learned how to ski," Josh said. The man flopped his snowshoes onto the snowy sidewalk and tried to strap them onto his boots with one hand. "Can I hold your bag for you?" Dink asked. "Thanks," the man said. "Don't drop it on your toe, it's my bowling ball." "Do you belong to a bowling team?" Josh asked. "Yep. I bowl with the Green Lawn Giants," he said. "Why, you thinking of joining a kids' league?" "No, but we were wondering if you know this guy." Josh pulled out his drawing of Joe and showed it to the man.

当他们到达主街时，他们等着一辆扫雪车经过，然后滑到另一边。 他们在桥巷和美因街的拐角处停了下来。 一个男人背着看起来很重的背包和一双雪地鞋从健身中心走了出来。 男人对孩子们笑了笑。 “在外面下雪真是个好天气，”他说。 “我们刚学会如何滑雪，”乔希说。 这个人把他的雪鞋扔到积雪的人行道上，试图用一只手把它们系在靴子上。 “我帮你拿包好吗?”丁克问道。 “谢谢，”那人说。“别砸到你的脚趾，这是我的保龄球。” “你是保龄球队的吗?”杰克问。 “是的。我在绿草坪巨人队打保龄球，”他说。 “怎么，你想加入儿童联盟吗?”“没有，但我们想知道你是否认识这个人。” 乔希拿出他画的乔给那人看。

"Hmmm," the man said, studying the picture. "He's not on our team, but he looks familiar." "His name is Joe," Ruth Rose said. The man shook his head and clicked his tongue. "I'm pretty sure I've seen this face before," he said. "Why don't you ask inside?" "Thanks, we will," Dink said. The man finished strapping on his snowshoes and took back his bowling bag. "Thanks for your help," he said, then clomped down Main Street. The kids brushed the snow off a bench and sat to remove their skis. They carried the skis and poles into the fitness center and walked down a set of stairs. Pal trotted right behind them. Two long bowling lanes took up most of the basement. A bunch of men and women were bowling. Some of them wore shirts with names over the pockets. There was a cart in one corner where a woman sold hot dogs and sodas. Josh and Pal stopped and stared at the cart. "Why don't we get some lunch?" Josh asked. "We ate lunch, remember?" Dink said, glancing around. "Do you see Joe anywhere?" Ruth Rose asked.

“嗯，”那人边说边研究那幅画。 “他不是我们队的，但他看起来很眼熟。” “他叫乔，”露丝·罗斯说。 那人摇了摇头，咂了咂舌头。 “我很确定我以前见过这张脸，”他说。 “你为什么不在里面问问呢?”“谢谢，我们会的，”丁克说。 这个人穿好雪鞋，拿回他的保龄球袋。 “谢谢你的帮助，”他说，然后迈着沉重的步子沿着主街走去。 孩子们拂去长凳上的雪，坐下来取下滑雪板。 他们带着滑雪板和滑雪杖进入健身中心，走下一段楼梯。 帕尔紧跟在他们后面。 两条长长的保龄球道占据了地下室的大部分空间。 一群男女在打保龄球。 他们中的一些人穿着口袋上印着名字的衬衫。 一个角落里有一辆手推车，一个女人在那里卖热狗和苏打水。 乔希和帕尔停了下来，盯着那辆车。 “我们为什么不去吃午饭呢?”杰克问。 “我们吃过午饭了，记得吗?”丁克环顾四周说。 “你看见乔了吗?”露丝·罗斯问。

Dink shook his head. Not one of the men looked like Josh's sketch. "Let's ask if anyone knows him," Josh said. The kids leaned their skis and poles in a corner and left Pal in charge. They began showing Josh's picture to anyone who wasn't bowling. A few people said Joe looked like someone they'd seen. One woman said Joe resembled her husband, George. A man said Joe had a face like a bank robber he'd seen on a MOST WANTED sign at the post office. But no one said they knew Joe. "Well, that was a big waste of time," Josh muttered. On the way out of the basement, the kids passed the hot dog stand. Josh unfolded his drawing. "Have you seen this guy?" he asked the woman. She laughed. "Are you trying to be cute with me, sonny boy?" "What do you mean?" Josh asked. "I mean," the woman said, tapping the drawing with one finger, "this is a picture of you, only older."

丁克摇了摇头。没有一个人长得像乔什的画像。 “我们问问有没有人认识他。”乔希说。 孩子们把滑雪板和滑雪杖放在一个角落里，让帕尔负责。 他们开始把乔什的照片给不打保龄球的人看。 有几个人说乔看起来像他们见过的人。 一位女士说乔长得像她的丈夫乔治。 一个人说乔的脸很像他在邮局的通缉令上看到的银行抢劫犯。 但是没有人说他们认识乔。 “好吧，那真是浪费时间。”乔什咕哝着。 在走出地下室的路上，孩子们经过了热狗摊。 乔希打开他的画。 “你见过这个人吗?”他问那个女人。 她笑了。“你是想跟我装可爱吗，小家伙?”“你是什么意思?”杰克问。 “我的意思是，”女人用一个手指敲着画说，“这是你的照片，只是比你老一点。”

The kids took a closer look at the sketch. "She's right!" Ruth Rose said. "It does look like Josh, except for the mustache." "That's why everyone said this guy looks familiar," Dink said. "He looks just like you!" Josh stared at his drawing. "So there is no Joe?" The woman behind the cart had been listening. "Sounds like you've been sent on a wild-goose chase," she said. "But why would Dot have us looking for some guy who isn't even real?" Josh asked. "I don't get it." Dink shrugged. "I don't, either," he said. "Why don't we ask her? The supermarket is right across the street."

孩子们仔细看了看素描。 “她是对的!”露丝·罗斯说。 “除了胡子，他看起来确实像乔希。” “这就是为什么每个人都说这家伙看起来很眼熟，”丁克说。 “他长得和你一模一样!”乔希盯着他的画。 “这么说没有乔了?”马车后面的女人一直在听。 “听起来你是被派去白费力气，”她说。 “可是多特为什么要让我们去找一个根本不存在的人呢?”杰克问。 “我不明白。”丁克耸耸肩。 “我也不知道，”他说。 “我们为什么不问问她呢?”超市就在街对面。”