连载(七)Don't make me smile

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连载(七)Don't make me smile

王悦 2012-10-11 天之聪教育 447次

喜欢Barbara Park的作品，不仅因为她作为成年人，能够以孩童的视角洞察被大人忽略的情感，还因为作品中充满童趣。当然，英文表达比较简单，也是重要原因之一。下面这段摘自她的“Don't make me smile"一书，是讲述一个十一的岁男孩父母离婚以后，心里成长过程。试着将其翻译过来，权当练手，希望没把韩老师教的忘光，也欢迎各位同学指正。

RUNNING AWAY from home is something that I’d always wanted to try. I would have tried it a long time ago, but I never had a good enough reason. Until the divorce came along, my parents had never done anything bad enough to make me leave. I mean, once in a while I got sent to my room. And a couple of times they took my allowance away. But that’s about it. I always thought it would sound stupid if I had to tell my friends that I ran away from home because my parents wouldn’t give me the five bucks they owed me that week.
离家出逃这事，我一直都想试吧试吧。好早以前我就想干了，可惜没有一个足够好的借口。直到离婚这事出来之前，我爸妈的所作所为都还不至于让我离家。我是说，即使有点小过节，都被我压下来了。有好几次他们克扣了我的零花钱，我也没追究，就那样了。我总是觉得如果仅仅因为父母没给那每周的五块零花钱就离家，跟朋友们说起来也显得太白痴了。

But divorce….now there’s a reason to run away.
但是，离婚。。。。这事就是个足够的理由。

When I climbed out my window that night, I’ve got to admit, it was a pretty big thrill. Being out alone after dark is an exciting feeling. It makes you feel real sneaky, like a cat burglar or something.
那天晚上，爬出房间窗户的时候，我承认还是感觉挺刺激的。天黑后独自在外面混，这感觉真让人兴奋。它让你觉得自己偷偷摸摸的，像蒙面大盗什么的。

I started walking down the street very slowly. I didn’t run. When you run away from home, the worst possible thing you can do is actually run. Running makes you look like you’re doing something wrong. Personally, I think they ought to call it walking away from home. I bet a lot less kids would get caught if they knew they should walk.
我开始沿着马路慢吞吞地走。我才不跑呢。当你离家出逃的时候，最容易犯的错误就是跑。如果跑起来就会让别人以为你干了什么坏事。我个人以为应该把离家出逃称做离家出“走”。我敢说，如果那些离家的孩子要是用走的的话，很多就不会被抓回去了。

The most important thing about leaving home is that you’ve got to have a plan. If you don’t have a plan, you might as well stay put.
离家出走最重要的就是要有计划。如果没有计划的话，还不如不走。

As for me, I’ve always known exactly what I would do if I ever left home. I got the idea from a TV show I saw a couple of years ago.
对我来说，从离家出走开始，就很清楚下一步该怎么办。我是几年前从一个电视节目上学到的。

The show was about these two little kids who ran away from an orphanage. They didn’t have anywhere to go, so they decided to live in a tree in the park. It turned out to be perfect, too. No one found out about them for months.
这个节目讲的是两个从孤儿院跑出来的小孩子。他们无处可去，所以决定住在公园的一棵树上。实际上他们这个想法很棒。在树上住了好几个月都没被发现。

When I got to the end of my street, I turned and headed toward the park. We only live about three blocks from there, so it didn’t take long at all. And once I arrived, finding the tree I wanted to live in was simple. I chose the one next to the boy’s bathroom.
当我走到街道尽头的时候，就转向公园的方向。公园离我家只有大约三个街区远，所以用不了多长时间就到了。我一到公园，不费吹灰之力就找到了要住的那棵树。这棵树挨着男厕所。

It was a big tree with low branches, so I figured it would be pretty easy to climb. I held the shoe box under my arm and started up. I’ve always been a pretty good tree climber. My legs aren’t very long, but I have great balance.
这是棵大树，有很多小低杈，所以很容易爬。我把鞋盒子夹在胳肢窝底下就开动了。我特擅长爬树，虽然腿不是特别长，但是咱的平衡感好呀。

After I got up about ten feet, I stopped to look down. It was perfect. The limbs were so thick and bushy, I knew no one could spot me.
爬了大概三米多高，我停下来向下看。这地方真是太棒了。枝叶很厚实、茂密，别人根本不会看到我。

I picked out a nice fat branch to sit on and put the shoe box on my lap. I lifted the lid and looked inside. I had packed three pairs of underpants, a toothbrush, a pair of pajamas, and an old comic book.
我挑了个结实的树杈坐下来，把鞋盒放在膝盖上，打开盒盖子往里看。里面有三条内裤，一把牙刷，一套睡衣和一本旧漫画。

“Oh, man. What stupid stuff to pack,” I said right out loud.
我沮丧地大声说道：“噢，天哪。我都带了些什么蠢玩意。”

I sighed. Oh, well, it didn’t really matter, anyway. The important thing was that I didn’t have to eat macaroni or listen to any more divorce talk.
我叹了口气。唉，不过，带了什么倒无所谓。最重要的是，不用再吃通心粉，也不用再听那些离婚什么的话了。

I thought about my mother and wondered what she was doing. By now, she had probably discovered I was missing and called the police. I wasn’t worried, though. Not even the best detective in the world could have spotted me in such a thick tree. I was completely safe.
我开始想妈妈，想知道她在做什么。现在，她可能发现我不见了，叫警察了吧。但是我才不担心呢。待在这么茂盛的一棵树上，世界上最好的侦探也甭想找到我。

I leaned back and tried to make myself comfortable. Since it was too dark to read my comic book, I decided to figure out a way to sleep. On the TV show I had seen, the kids had built a tree house. I would start on that soon, but right now I had to do the best I could.
我斜靠在树上，极力让自己待得舒服些。因为太黑了，没法看漫画书，所以我打算先想个法子在这树上睡觉。电视上演那两个孩子搭了个树屋，我也打算尽快动手弄一个。但是，现在，先凑和一下，怎么舒服怎么来吧。

The first thing you need when you’re trying to get comfortable is a pillow. I took my shoes box and placed it between my head and the tree trunk. I tried to pretend it was soft.
想要舒服地睡，首先得弄个枕头。我拿起鞋盒子放在树权上，把头枕上去。脑袋里拼命假装鞋盒子很软。

“Ahhhh,” I said. “Now that’s more like it.”
“啊”我说：“嗯。挺像个枕头了。”

It wasn’t any use, though. I’ve never been much good at pretending. The shoe box didn’t feel at all like a pillow. It felt like a shoe box.
但是，根本没用，我就不擅长自欺欺人这事。鞋盒子怎么可能睡着像枕头呢，它就是个鞋盒子。

I would have used my pajamas for a pillow but I needed to use them as a blanket. It had really started to get chilly. Even though it was April, it felt more like January. This gave me one more reason to be angry at my parents. If they really loved me, they would have waited until July to get divorced.
我本想用睡衣做个枕头，但还得留着盖呢。天开始凉起来了。现在虽然是四月份，可到晚上咋就像是一月份呀。这让我更生我爸妈的气，如果他们真的爱我，怎么就不能等到七月再离婚呢。

I tried scrunching up into a ball to keep warm, but it didn’t help. Finally, I took two pairs of underpants out of the box and wrapped one around each hand. When I get cold, my hands are always the first part of my body to freeze. Next come my ears. And this time was no exception.
我蜷着身子缩成一个球来保暖，可还是不管用。最后，我只得从盒子里拿出两条内裤，在每只手上裹一条。我身体只要一冷，手是最怕冷的部位，然后是耳朵。这次也是这样。

I had no choice. I took off my beanie and put it in the box. Then I pulled out the last pair of underwear and put them on my head. I pulled them way down so they would cover my ears. I never thought I would do anything that dumb. But when you’re as cold as I was, you don’t care if you’re dumb.
没办法，我把螺旋浆帽子摘下来，放进鞋盒里。然后把最后一条内裢拉出来，套在头上。套的时候，把耳朵罩进去。我从来没想到自己会这么囧。但是你要像我这么冷，也就不在意自己啥形象了。

It wasn’t long before I started shivering. In science, Mrs. Fensel had told us that shivering is the way your body tries to warm itself. Well, I’m sorry to tell her, but she’s wrong. Shivering makes you feel even colder. There’s no way that you can hear your teeth chatting together and convince yourself that you’re getting all toasty warm. No way.
没过多久，我的身子开始打冷颤。在科学课上Fensel老师告诉我们打冷颤是身体给自己御寒的一种应激反应。但是，很抱歉的说，老师搞错了。打冷颤不但没让身体暖起来，反而感觉更冷。你不可能骗自己说，听到牙齿打架就是身体已经开始变暧了。不可能。

“Brr!” I said, “ Brr, brr, brr!”
“得”我嘴里说着：“得，得，得”

When you’re freezing, saying brr is about all you can do.
当你觉得冻惨了的时候，嘴里只能得得得的了。

I promised myself that the next morning, I would sneak home and bring back a blanket. Meanwhile, I tried not to think about how cold and uncomfortable I was. The main thing was that I was out of the house and no one could find me.
我一边跟自己保证，明天一早就溜回家，带条毛毯回来。一边拼命不去想在这有多冷多不舒服。想也没用，关键是我已经出来了，没人能找到。

“BRR!” I said louder.
我大声说：“得得。”

“Cold up there?” asked a voice.
一个声音传来“那很冷吧？”

I panicked. Who said that? Who was down there?
我吓坏了。谁在说话？谁在下面？

I got very quiet and listened.
我不敢出声，竖着耳朵听。

“Yooo-hooo,” said the voice, again. “I see you, Charlie Hickle.”
“嘿，嘿”这个声音又说了：“我看见你了，Charlie Hickle。”

No. This was impossible. No one could have possible seen me in that tree. Carefully, I looked through the branches. It was dark, but I could see someone’s shadow.
不。这不可能。没有人会看到我在树上的。我很小心地透过树枝向下望去。下面很黑，但是我还是可以看到一个人影。

“Charrrrrrrrrlie….”
“查。。。。。。。。。理。”

Oh no! It was my mother. But how could that be? There was no way she could see me through braches that thick. I was sure of it.
噢，不！是我老妈。怎么可能呢？我敢说，透过那么密实的树枝，她不可能看见我呀。

Wait a minute, I thought. Maybe she’s just bluffing. Yes, of course. That was it! When my mother found me missing, she came to the park and started calling my name. She was hoping that I would give myself away.
我心想，等一会，兴许她在诈我呢。对，就是那样！老妈发现我不见了，就跑到公园里，开始叫我名字找我。她指望我自己投降。

“Hey up there,” Mom called. “You with the underwear on your head.”
“嘿，你在树上呢。”妈妈喊道：“头上套着条内裤。”

She wasn’t bluffing.
看来她没诈我。

This was, without a doubt, the most embarrassing thing that had ever happened to me. It was even worse than singing in the chorus with my zipper down.
毫无疑问，这是我到目前为止，最囧的时候了。这比上次在合唱团唱歌没拉拉链还尴尬。

“Go home!” I yelled. “Leave me alone!”
“回家去！”我大喊：“别管我！”

“Don’t be silly, Charlie,” she said. “You can’t stay in a tree all night. If you don’t come down, I’m going to call the fire department.”
“别傻了，查理”老妈说：“你不能一晚上都待在树上。如果你不下来，我就去叫消防队了。”

Geez. She was treating me like a cat.
天哪，她把我当成一只被困在树上的猫了。

“Go home,” I yelled again. “I mean it, Mother! I’m going to live up here for a while. And stop treating me like a cat.”
“回家去”我又喊道：“我说真的呢，妈妈！我要在这住上一阵子。另外，不许把我当猫对待。”

“For heaven’s sake, Charlie. You’re being ridiculous!” she shouted back. “You can’t live in a tree. Just think about how crazy that is. How will you keep warm?”
“看在上帝的份上，查理。你这样太荒唐了。”她也冲我喊：“你不能住在树上。你想想这有多不靠谱，树上那么冷，你怎么保暖呀？”

“I’ll shiver,” I said. “I learned it in science.”
“我会打寒颤”我说：“我们科学课上教的。”

“Oh, wonderful,” said Mom. “And what exactly do you plan to eat?”
“噢，很好。“妈妈说：“那你又打算吃什么东西活着呢？”

“Nuts and berries.”
“坚果和树莓。”

Right away, I wished I hadn’t said that. Now I sounded like a squirrel.
一说完，我就后悔了。那让我听起来像一只松鼠。

“This is absurd,” said my mother. “You leave me no other choice, Charlie. I’m going to go call the fire department to get you down.”
“这太扯了”老妈说：“你让我没别的办法了，查理。我现在就去叫消防队把你弄下来。”

She started to walked away. I didn’t really think that she would call the fire department, but there are some things you just don’t want to risk. And having a big hook-and-ladder truck come drag you out of a tree is one of them.
她开始动身了。我倒不信她真会去叫消防队，但是一想到她把带着大钩梯的消防车整来，把我从树上拽下去，这样的冒险还是算了吧。

“Okay,okay!” I yelled. “You win. Don’t call the fire department. I’m coming.”
“好，好”我喊着：“算你狠。别去叫消防队了，我下来了。”

I started down the branches. On the way, I remembered to grab my pajamas and my shoe box. Unfortunately, I didn’t remember to take the underwear off my head.
我开始从树上下来。在这期间，我还没忘记拿上睡衣和鞋盒子。但倒霉的是，我忘了把内裤从头上扯下来了。

When my mother saw me, she started to laugh. She tried not to, I think. But let’s face it, I looked like an idiot.
我妈一看见我，就开始笑。我想她是要拼命忍着来着。不过，说老实话，我那模样真是不能恭维，肯定像个白痴一样。

“I’m sorry, honey,” she said, puling it off my head. “I know you must be freezing.”
“对不起，宝贝儿”老妈说着，把内裤帮我拽下来。“我知道，你一定冻坏了。”

She put her arm around me, and we began walking home. For once in her life, she didn’t start lecturing me.
她伸手搂着我，我们向家走去。这是人生第一次，老妈没有教训我，给我讲大道理。

When we got to the house, I headed for the front door, but my mom grabbed my hand and walked me to the car. We both got in.
我们到家的时候，我走向大门。但老妈抓着我，朝车子走去。我们上了车。

She drove to the grocery store and gave me some money.
她把车开到杂货店，然后给了我点钱。

“I’ll wait here, “she said. “Go get us many cans of chicken noodle soup as you want.”
“我在这等着，”她说：“去，买鸡肉面条汤，想拿多少罐拿多少。”

On the way home, we stopped at Burger King and got a couple of Whoppers.
回家的路上，我们在汉堡王前停下，买了几个汉堡。

By this time, I was feeling better about things. But I was still very curious about how Mom had spotted me in that tree.
这会儿，我感觉好多了。但仍然很好奇，在那棵树上老妈是怎么看见我的。

“So how did you do it” I asked at last. “How did you know where to find me?”
最后，我还是忍不住问：“你怎么弄的？怎么知道我在那的？”

“It was simple,” she said. “I followed you.”
“很简单”她说：“我就跟在你后面。”

“You followed me? You mean that you were behind me the whole time and I didn’t even know it?” I asked.
“你跟着我？”我问：“你是说，一直在我后面跟着，而我却没发觉？”

“Yup,” she said. “When I heard your bedroom window open, I went to see what you were doing. Just as I looked in your room, you were climbing out. So I followed you.”
“对呀。”她说：“当我听到你打开卧室窗户，就去看你在干嘛。我走到你房间时，你正往外爬。然后我就跟着你了。”

I rolled my eyes. “Man, some cat burglar,” I mumbled.
我翻个白眼，嘴里嘀咕着“天哪，还什么蒙面大盗呢。”

That night, when I got in bed, I have to admit it felt a lot better than the tree. I fluffed my pillow like never before. Those poor squirrels don’t know what they’re missing.
那天晚上，我躺在床上的时候，不得不承认，床上确实比树上舒服多了。我把枕头拍松，就好像以前从来没用过枕头似的。唉，松鼠们真可怜，从来没枕过枕头睡觉，是多么可惜啊。

My mother came in to say good night. She finally gave me the lecture on how we’re supposed to talk about our problems, not run away from them. She said if there was anything else bothering me, I should share it with her.
老妈走进来道晚安。她还是忍不住又教训了我一番。说什么对于眼下的问题，我们应该好好谈谈，彼此沟通，而不是离家出走。她说，如果我还有什么烦心事，一定要告诉她。

Well, I hated to tell her, but there was a lot else bothering me. I still didn’t feel like sharing it, though. That is, except for one thing.
好吧，我不想告诉她，不过，真的还有好多事让我心烦。但我现在还不想说。但是，有一件事，可以。

“Mom,” I said as she was leaving.
当她要出去的时候，我说：“妈”

“Yes, Charlie?” she answered. “What is it?”
“查理”她说：“怎么了？”

“I just hope we don’t have chicken noodle soup five nights in a row, either,” I said.
我说：“我只是希望，咱们不要再连着五晚，都吃鸡肉面条汤了。”

My mother shook her head and shut the door.
老妈摇摇头，然后，把门关上了。

翻译:学员王悦

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