Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO Dame Washalot's Good Idea That night they went to see if Dame Washalot had finished the washing. She had. It was washed and beautifully ironed and folded up in the basket, ready to be taken away. I've had a lovely time, said the old dame, beaming at Silky. "My, the water I've poured down the tree today." "Yes, I've heard the Angry Pixie shouting like anything because he got soaked at least four times," said Moon-Face with a grin. "He's got plums growing on the tree just outside his house- and each time he went

第二章 洗衣大妈的好主意 那天晚上，他们去看洗衣大妈是不是已经把衣服洗完了。 她洗完了。 衣服都洗好了，还熨得平平整整，叠得整整齐齐放在篮子里，就等着被拿走了。 我过得可开心啦，老大妈对着希尔基笑眯眯地说。 “天呐，我今天往树下倒了好多好多水呀。” “是啊，我听见生气小精灵喊得可凶了，因为他至少被淋了四回，”月亮脸咧嘴笑着说。 “他家门口的树上结了李子——每次他刚走出去

out to pick them he got soaked with your water. You be careful he doesn't come up and shout at you." "If he does I'll put him into my next tub of dirty water and empty him down the tree with it, said Dame Washalot.

摘李子，就被你倒的水淋得透湿。 你可要小心点，别让他上来找你吵架哦。” “他要是敢来，我就把他扔进我接下来要洗的那桶脏水里，连着脏水一起把他从树上倒下去，”洗衣大妈说。

"Oooh, I wish I could see you do that," said Silky, tying a rope to the basket of washing, so that she could let it down the tree to the bottom. "Well, Dame Washalot, thank you very much. The person who usually does this washing is ill in bed and can't seem to get better. It's such a pity. I wish I could make her well."

“哇，我真希望能亲眼看到你这么做，”希尔基一边说，一边把绳子系在装着洗好的衣服的篮子上，这样她就能把篮子顺着树放到最底下了。 “好啦，洗衣大妈，太谢谢你啦。 平时负责洗这些衣服的人现在卧病在床，怎么都好不了。 真的太遗憾了。 我真希望能让她好起来。”

"Why, Silky, the Land of Magic Medicines is coming tomorrow," said the old dame. "You could get any medicine you like there, and your friend would soon get better. Why don't you visit the land and get some?" "That's a really good idea!" said Silky happily, letting down the basket bit by bit. Moon-Face had gone to the bottom of the tree to catch it. "I'll tell Moon-Face, and maybe he and I could go and get some medicine." She slipped down the tree and told Moon-Face what the old dame had said. Moon-Face put the basket of washing on his shoulder and beamed at Silky.

“哎呀，希尔基，魔法药水国度明天就要来了呀，”老大妈说。 “你在那儿想要什么药水都能拿到，你的朋友很快就能好起来啦。 你干嘛不去那个国度买点药水呢？” “这真是个好主意！”希尔基开心地说，一边一点点把篮子往下放。 月亮脸已经到树底下去接篮子了。 “我要告诉月亮脸，说不定我和他可以一起去拿药水。” 她顺着树滑下去，把老大妈说的话都告诉了月亮脸。 月亮脸把装着衣服的篮子扛在肩膀上，对着希尔基笑得乐呵呵的。

"That's good news for the children," he said. "Come on, we'll hurry and tell them." The children were delighted to have the washing back so quickly, all washed and ironed. Rick set off with it to Mrs Jones. Beth ran to tell her mother that she needn't worry any more about it.

“这对孩子们来说可是好消息呀，”他说。 “走，我们快点去告诉他们。” 看到衣服这么快就洗好熨好送回来了，孩子们都特别高兴。 里克拿着衣服出发给琼斯太太送去了。 贝丝跑去告诉妈妈，她再也不用为衣服的事操心啦。

Silky told Joe and Frannie about the Land of Magic Medicines coming the next day to the top of the Faraway Tree. They listened in surprise. "Well, I vote we go there," said Joe at once. "I'd made up my mind none of us would go while Mother was ill- but if there's a chance of getting something to make her better, we'll certainly go!"

希尔基告诉乔和弗兰妮，明天魔法药水国度会降临到遥远树的树顶。 他们听完都惊讶极了。 “哇，我提议我们去那儿，”乔立刻说。 “我之前已经决定了，妈妈生病的时候我们谁都不去冒险——但现在有机会拿到能让妈妈好起来的东西，我们肯定要去！”