15 His Eighth Birthday

CHAPTER 15 His Eighth Birthday Ben took his boy and went back to his cattle ranch in California. He left with a big surprise. The Earl of Dorincourt said he wished to do something for the boy who might have been Lord Fauntleroy, so he decided to invest in a cattle ranch of his own, as long as Ben Tipton would run it. And so Ben became the master of a ranch. And his son, Tom, grew up into a fine young man who loved his father. But Dick and Mr. Hobbs did not return to

第十五章他的八岁生日本带着他的儿子回到了他在加利福尼亚的养牛场。 他带着一个大惊喜离开了。 多林科特伯爵说，他希望为这个可能成为方特勒罗伊勋爵的男孩做点什么，所以他决定投资自己的一个养牛场，只要本·蒂普顿经营就行。 就这样，本成了一个牧场的主人。 他的儿子，汤姆，成长为一个爱他父亲的优秀年轻人。 但是迪克和霍布斯先生没有回去

America for some time. The earl decided to provide for Dick and give him a good, solid education. And so Dick was sent away to school. And Mr. Hobbs, after spending time with Cedric and touring the castle and learning the history of all things that made lords into earls, softened a little on his view about the British royalty. Privately, Mr. Hobbs found that he was not so disgusted with earls as he used to be. He ended up staying for a long time at the Dorincourt Arms, visiting his young friend often. Then, to the great surprise of Cedric and everyone else who knew Mr. Hobbs, he decided to stay in England for good. He sold his shop in New York and opened another one in Erlseboro. The place became quite popular, since people from the castle shopped there all the time.

美国有一段时间了。伯爵决定供养迪克，让他接受良好而扎实的教育。 于是迪克被送去了学校。 霍布斯和塞德里克呆了一段时间，参观了城堡，了解了所有让领主变成伯爵的历史，他对英国皇室的看法有所软化。 私下里，霍布斯先生发现他不像过去那样厌恶伯爵了。 最后，他在多林古旅馆住了很长一段时间，经常去看望他的年轻朋友。 然后，让塞德里克和所有认识霍布斯先生的人大吃一惊的是，他决定永远留在英国。 他卖掉了在纽约的商店，在厄尔斯伯勒又开了一家。 这个地方变得很受欢迎，因为城堡里的人总是在那里购物。

Finally the day came when Cedric turned eight years old. All the lords and ladies were invited to his party, and everyone from the village, too. What a grand day it was, and how his young lordship enjoyed it! How beautiful the park looked, filled with people dressed in their colorful best. Flags were flying from the top of the castle. So many people were there, under the trees and in the tents and on the lawns. There were farmers and farmers' wives in their best clothes, and girls and their sweethearts, and children chasing one another about. And at the castle there were ladies and gentlemen who had come to see the fun. Lady Lorridaile was there, thrilled at the turn of events. Cedric was thrilled, too. His Dearest was with him, and everyone seemed so happy to celebrate his birthday. The sun shone and the flags fluttered and the games were played and the dances danced.

塞德里克八岁的那一天终于到来了。 所有的贵族和女士都被邀请参加了他的聚会，村里的每个人也都被邀请了。 这是多么盛大的一天啊，年轻的老爷多么高兴啊！公园看起来多么美丽啊，到处都是穿着五颜六色的衣服的人。 城堡顶上飘扬着旗帜。 那里有很多人，在树下，在帐篷里，在草坪上。 农夫和农夫的妻子穿着他们最好的衣服，女孩和她们的爱人，孩子们互相追逐。 在城堡里，有女士们和先生们来看热闹。 洛瑞黛尔夫人也在那里，为事态的转变而激动不已。 塞德里克也很激动。他最亲爱的和他在一起，每个人似乎都很高兴为他庆祝生日。 太阳照耀着，旗帜飘扬着，人们在做游戏，跳舞。

The people had a toast for his birthday, and Cedric stood and smiled. He bowed, flushing rosy red up to the roots of his bright hair. "Is it because they like me, Dearest?" he asked Mrs. Errol. "Is it, Dearest? I'm so glad!" And then the earl put a hand on his shoulder and said to him, "Cedric, tell them that you thank them for their kindness." Cedric glanced at his mother. "Must I?" he asked shyly. His mother nodded and smiled. So he stood and, with a very brave face, he spoke out in his ringing, childish voice. "Thank you so much!" he said. "And—I hope you'll enjoy my birthday—because I've enjoyed it so much. And I'm very glad I'm going to be an earl. I didn't think at first I should like it, but now I do—and—and when I am an earl, I will try to be as good as my

大家为他的生日干杯，塞德里克站起来微笑着。 他鞠了一躬，脸涨得通红，一直涨到鲜亮的发根。 “是因为他们喜欢我吗，最亲爱的？”他问埃罗尔太太。 “是吗，最亲爱的？”我太高兴了！”然后伯爵把一只手放在他的肩膀上，对他说：“塞德里克，告诉他们你感谢他们的好意。” 塞德里克瞥了母亲一眼。 “一定要吗？”他害羞地问。他的母亲点点头，微笑着。 于是他站了起来，带着一副非常勇敢的面孔，用他那洪亮的、孩子气的声音说了出来。 “非常感谢！”他说。 “还有——我希望你能享受我的生日——因为我太享受了。 我很高兴我要当伯爵了。 起初我不认为我会喜欢它，但现在我喜欢了——当我是伯爵的时候，我会努力像我的一样好

grandfather." People shouted and clapped, and Cedric stepped back with a sigh of relief. He put his hand into the earl's hand and stood close to him, leaning against his side. The whole world seemed beautiful to him. Someone else was just as happy: an old man who—though he had been rich and noble all his life—had not honestly been very happy before this. The earl loved Cedric. And he found that every day he was more and more pleased with the boy's mother. He liked to hear her gentle voice and see her sweet face. He liked to watch her when he sat in his armchair. He saw her with her son, and listened as she talked to him. He heard the loving words she used with her child, words the earl couldn't recall ever hearing before. He began to see why the little fellow who had lived on a New

祖父。”人们又喊又拍，塞德里克松了一口气，退了回去。 他把手放在伯爵的手里，靠在他身边站着。 整个世界在他看来都是美丽的。 另一个人也同样快乐：一个老人——尽管他一生富有而高贵——在此之前并没有真正地快乐过。 伯爵爱塞德里克。他发现他对男孩的母亲越来越满意了。 他喜欢听到她温柔的声音，看到她甜美的脸。 他喜欢坐在扶手椅上看着她。 他看见她和她儿子在一起，听着她和他说话。 他听到了她对孩子说的爱的话语，伯爵不记得以前听过的话。 他开始明白为什么那个住在新岛上的小家伙

York side street, and had known grocerymen and made friends with shoe-shine boys, was so well-bred. No one could be ashamed of him. It was really a very simple thing, after all. It was only that the little boy had lived near a kind and gentle heart. He had been taught to always think kind thoughts, and to care for others. It is a very little thing, perhaps, but it is the best thing of all. The boy had known nothing of earls and castles. He had hardly known about grand and splendid things. But he had always been loved because he was kind and loving. And to be so is like being born a king.

他认识杂货店的老板，和擦鞋的男孩交了朋友，所以很有教养。 没有人会为他感到羞耻。 毕竟，这真的是一件非常简单的事情。 这只是因为这个小男孩住在一颗善良而温柔的心附近。 他从小就被教导要总是往好的方面想，要关心别人。 这也许是一件微不足道的事情，但却是最好的事情。 这孩子对伯爵和城堡一无所知。 他几乎不知道什么是宏伟壮丽的东西。 但他总是被人爱着，因为他很善良，很有爱心。 这样就像生下来就是国王一样。