
The next morning Martha took Baby out with her and the children decided to go back to the gravel-pit to look for the Psammead again. At first they could not find it. 'Per-haps it wasn't really here,'Robert said . But they began to dig into the sand with their hands and suddenly they came to the brown furry body of the Psammead. It sat up and shook the sand out of its fur.
第二天早晨,馬莎帶著小弟弟出去了,孩子們決定回礫石坑那兒再去找賽米德。開頭他們沒有找到。“也許它不一定真在這里,”羅伯特說。可他們還是開始用手挖沙子,忽然他們觸到了賽米德褐色的、毛絨絨的身體。它坐起來抖掉毛上的沙子。
'How are you today?' Anthea asked.
“你好嗎?”安西婭問。
'Well,I didn't sleep very well,but thank you for asking,' the Psammead answered.
“嗯,我沒睡好,但謝謝你的問候。”賽米德回答。
'Can you give wishes today?' Robert said. 'Because we'd like to have two,if we can. But one is a very little wish.'
“今天你能給人實現愿望嗎?”羅伯特說,“因為如果可以的話我們想要實現兩個愿望。不過有一個是非常小的愿望。”
'Well, all right,' said the Psammead, looking at Robert with its long eyes. ‘Let's have the little wish first.'
“那么,好吧。”賽米德說,用它的柄眼看著羅伯特。“先來實現這個小愿望吧。”
'Martha mustn't know about the wishes,' Robert said. 'I mean, she mustn't see anything different about us. And can you do that for every wish on every day?'
“不能讓馬莎知道愿望的事。”羅伯特說,“我的意思是她不能看出我們有什么變化。你能每天對每個愿望都這樣辦嗎?”
The Psammead went a little bigger and then went small again. 'I've done that,'it said. ' It was easy. What's the next wish?'
賽米德變大了一點兒,然后又變小了。“我把那個辦好了。”它說,“這容易。下一個愿望是什么?”
'We wish,' said Robert slowly,'to be very rich.'
“我們希望,”羅伯特慢慢地說,“變得非常有錢。”
'How much money do you want?' asked the Psammead. 'It won't do you much good, of course,' it said quietly to itself. 'Well, how much——and do you want it in gold or notes?'
“你們想要多少錢?”賽米德問道。“這當然對你們沒什么好處,”它在心里默念著。“好吧,要多少——還有,想要金子還是鈔票?”
'Gold, please,' Robert said. 'Millions!'
“請給我們金子,”羅伯特說,“幾百萬!”
'A full gravel-pit,all right?' said the Psammead,sounding bored. ' But get out before I begin, or you'll die underneath it. '
“滿滿一礫石坑,行了吧?”賽米德說,聽起來它不耐煩了。“可在我開始之前先走開,不然你們會被壓死的。”
Its thin arms got very long and it began to move them about. The children were afraid, and ran as fast as they could up to the road. When they were there, they turned to look back. They had to close their eyes and open them again very slowly. The gravel-pit was full, right up to the top, with new,shining,gold coins!
它把細胳膊變得很長并揮動起來。孩子們害怕了,盡快地跑到上邊路上去。在那兒時他們扭頭看了看。他們不得不閉上眼睛,再慢慢睜開。礫石坑滿滿的,到頂上都是閃閃發光的、嶄新的金幣!