21 Someone Else in the Garden

CHAPTER 21 Someone Else in the Garden Dickon pushed Colin around the garden. Colin wanted to hear about every tree, flower, and blade of grass. Sometimes he laughed at Dickon's stories and Mary had to remind him to speak softly. They finally stopped under the apple tree. Colin noticed something new. "That old tree over there," he inquired, "is it quite dead?" "Aye," Dickon said. "But the roses have climbed over it. When the flowers bloom,

第二十一章花园里的其他人狄肯推着柯林在花园里转了一圈。 科林想听每棵树、每朵花和每一片草的故事。 有时他听了狄肯的故事会笑，玛丽不得不提醒他轻声说话。 他们终于在苹果树下停了下来。 科林注意到一些新的东西。 “那边的那棵老树，”他问，“死了吗？”“是啊。”狄肯说。 “但是玫瑰已经爬过了它。 当花儿盛开，

it'll be the prettiest in the garden." "It looks like a big branch has broken off," Colin remarked. "I wonder how that happened." Mary felt uneasy because she didn't want her cousin to know about his mother's accident. She was relieved when the robin distracted Colin by darting over to its nest with a fat worm in its beak. Colin chuckled softly. "He's taking an afternoon snack to his mate. I could use some tea and biscuits myself." Maybe the garden was magical, Mary thought. Colin seemed like a completely different boy. His face glowed, and he laughed; it was as though nothing could make him angry or afraid. "I don't want this afternoon to end," Colin said, "but I'll come back tomorrow and the day after, and every day after that. I'll see

它会是花园里最漂亮的。” “看起来像是一根大树枝断了。”科林说。 “我想知道这是怎么发生的。” 玛丽感到不安，因为她不想让她的表弟知道他母亲的事故。 知更鸟嘴里叼着一条肥虫，飞快地飞回自己的巢，分散了科林的注意力，她松了一口气。 科林轻声笑了。“他正在给他的同伴带下午点心。 我自己也需要一些茶和饼干。” 也许这个花园有魔力，玛丽想。 科林看起来完全变了一个人。 他脸上容光焕发，哈哈大笑；好像没有什么能使他生气或害怕似的。 “我不想今天下午就这样结束，”科林说，“但我明天和后天都会回来，之后的每一天都会回来。 我将会看到

spring and summer here. I'll watch everything grow—I'll grow here myself!" Dickon said, "We'll have you walking and digging before long." Colin's face flushed. "You think so?" Dickon answered cautiously, "Well, you've got legs, same as other folks." Mary was nervous until Colin said, "There's nothing really wrong with them, except they're very weak and thin. I'm afraid to stand because they shake so much." "You'll stop being afraid after a while," Dickon smiled. They were all quiet for some time. They wanted to enjoy every last minute of the afternoon. But their silence was broken when Colin said in an alarmed whisper, "Who's that man?" while pointing to the high wall. Mary and Dickon instantly turned around. It was Ben Weatherstaff on a ladder,

这里的春天和夏天。我要看着它们长大——我要自己在这里长大！”狄肯说：“过不了多久，我们就会让你边走边挖了。” 科林的脸涨得通红。“你这么认为？”狄肯谨慎地回答：“嗯，你也有腿，和其他人一样。” 玛丽很紧张，直到科林说：“它们没什么问题，只是很弱很瘦。 我不敢站起来，因为它们抖得太厉害了。” “过一会儿你就不会害怕了。”狄肯笑着说。 他们都沉默了一段时间。 他们想要享受下午的每一分钟。 但他们的沉默被打破了，科林指着那堵高墙，惊慌地低声说：“那个人是谁？” 玛丽和狄肯立刻转过身来。 站在梯子上的是本·威瑟斯塔夫，

peering down at them. He shook his fist at Mary. "I should have known it was you! You're a bad one—always poking your nose where it doesn't belong!" Mary called back, "It was the robin who showed me the way!" This made old Ben madder. "Don't you be blaming the robin!" he bellowed. Then his curiosity got the best of him and he asked, "How did you get in?" Before Mary could reply, Ben saw something coming across the grass: it was Colin in his wheelchair. Ben's jaw dropped in astonishment. "Do you know who I am?" Colin demanded.

低头看着他们。他向玛丽挥动拳头。 “我早该知道是你！”你真是个坏蛋——总爱在不该管闲事的地方多管闲事！”玛丽喊道：“是知更鸟给我指的路！”这使老本更生气了。 “别怪知更鸟！”他吼道。 这时他的好奇心压倒了他，问道：“你是怎么进来的？”玛丽还没来得及回答，本就看见有什么东西从草地那边走过来：那是坐在轮椅上的科林。 本惊讶得张口结舌。 “你知道我是谁吗？”科林问道。

Ben was so shocked, he could hardly speak. He hadn't seen Colin since he was a baby and had only heard the stories people told. At last Ben said without thinking, "Aye, I know you. You have your mother's eyes. You're the poor crippled lad!" Colin's face turned beet red. He sat up and yelled, "I am not a cripple!" "You don't have crooked legs?" Ben asked in a hoarse voice. This was too much for Colin. His anger

本震惊得几乎说不出话来。 他从小就没见过科林，只听过别人讲的故事。 最后，本不假思索地说：“是啊，我认识你。 你的眼睛像你妈妈。 你就是那个可怜的瘸子！”科林的脸涨得通红。 他坐起来喊道：“我不是跛子！”“你的腿没有弯吧？”本用嘶哑的声音问道。 科林受不了了。 他的愤怒

and pride made him forget everything else. He threw the blanket off his legs and called to Dickon for help. Colin grabbed Dickon's arm, stuck out his thin legs on the grass, and stood up—tall and straight as an arrow. "Look at me!" he shouted. What Ben did next was even more surprising to Mary. The old man choked and gulped, and tears ran down his wrinkled cheeks. Ben gasped out, "You're as thin and white as a ghost, but there's not a bump on you. Bless you, boy—you'll be a man yet!" Colin stayed standing. In his rajah voice he said, "When my father's away, you have to obey me. This is my garden. Get down from that ladder—Miss Mary will show you inside. Now that you've seen us, you'll have to keep our secret." Ben could hardly take his eyes off the boy.

骄傲使他忘记了其他一切。 他掀开腿上的毯子，向狄肯呼救。 柯林抓住狄肯的胳膊，把细腿伸到草地上，站了起来——又高又直，像一支箭。 “看着我！”他喊道。本接下来做的事更让玛丽吃惊。 老人哽咽着，泪水顺着他布满皱纹的脸颊流下来。 本喘着气说：“你又瘦又白，像个鬼，但你身上没有肿块。 上帝保佑你，孩子——你终究会长大成人的！”科林仍然站着。 他用王公的声音说：“我父亲不在的时候，你必须听我的话。 这是我的花园。从梯子上下来，玛丽小姐会带你进去的。 既然你见过我们，你就得替我们保守秘密。” 本目不转睛地盯着那个男孩。