Mrs White looked at the stranger and she thought, "Perhaps he has the money... but why Maw and Meggins? And his face is very unhappy... Why?" suddenly the old woman was afraid.
懷特太太看著陌生人,想道,“也許,他很有錢……但為什么來自莫和麥金森?從他的臉色看他并不高興……為什么?”突然,老婦人很害怕。
'Please sit down,' Mr White began, but now his wife could not wait.
“請坐。”懷特先生說,但她妻子已經(jīng)等得不耐煩了。
'What's the matter?'she cried.'Is Herbert…'she could not finish the question.
“出了什么事?”她叫了起來,“是不是赫伯特……”她幾乎不能把話問完。
The stranger did not look at their faces—and Mr White began to be afraid too.
陌生人并不瞧他們的臉,懷特先生也開始害怕了。
'Please, tell us!' he said.
“請告訴我們!”他說。
'I'm very sorry,' the man from Maw and Meggins began. He stopped for a minute and then he began again.'I'm very sorry, but this morning there was an accident at the factory…'
從莫和麥金森來的人停了好一會兒才開始說,“對不起,非常對不起,今天早晨,工廠發(fā)生了一起事故……?!?/div>
?
'What's the matter? Is Herbert OK?' Mrs White cried a gain.
“到底出了什么事,赫伯特還好嗎?”懷特太太又叫了起來。
'Well…' the man began slowly.
“是這樣……”陌生人慢慢地說。
'Is he in hospital? the old woman asked, very afraid now.
“他住院了嗎?”老婦人問,現(xiàn)在她非常害怕。
'Yes, but…' the stranger looked at Mrs White's face and stopped.
“但是……”陌生人看了一眼懷特太太的臉又停了下來。
'Is he dead? Is Herbert dead? Mr White asked quietly.
“他死了嗎?赫伯特死啦?”懷特先生平靜地問。
'Dead!' Mrs White cried.'Oh no… please…not dead! Not Herbert! Not our son!'
“死啦,”懷特太太哭叫著?!安?,請不要這樣說……,不,赫伯特不會死,我們的兒子不會死!”
Suddenly the old woman stopped because she saw the stranger's face. Then the two old people knew. Their son was dead! Old Mrs White began to cry quietly and Mr White put his arm round her.
突然,老婦人不喊了,因為她看見了陌生人的表情。兩個老人明白,他們的兒子已經(jīng)死了!老懷特太太嗚咽著,懷特先生傷心地?fù)е?/div>
Some time later the man from Maw and Meggins said,'It was the machinery—an accident Herbert called, "Help!". The men heard him—and ran to him quickly, but they could do nothing.
過了一會兒,從莫和麥金森來的男人說,“那是一起機(jī)器事故,聽到赫伯特喊救命,工友們跑過去,可一點辦法也沒有。
The next minute he was in the machinery. I'm very, very sorry,' he finished.
只能眼睜睜地看著赫伯特在機(jī)器里。對不起,非常對不起?!彼Y(jié)束一了講話。
For a minute or two the room was quiet. At last Mrs White said,'Our son! Dead! We're never going to see him again.What are we going to do without him?'
剎那間,屋子里非常安靜。最后,懷特太太說,“我們的兒子,死了,我們再也不能見到他了,沒有他,我們以后的日子怎么過?”
Her husband said, 'He was our son. We loved him.'
他丈夫說,“他是我們的兒子,我們愛他?!?/div>
Then Mrs White asked the stranger, 'Can we see him?Can we see our son? Please take me to him. I want to see my son.'
接著,懷特太太問陌生人,“我們能看看他嗎?我們能不能看看我們的兒子?請帶我去,我想去看看我的兒子?!?/div>
But the stranger answered quickly, 'No!' he said. 'It's better not to see him. They couldn't stop the machinery quickly. He was in there for a long time.
但陌生人很快答道,“不行,最好不要去看他,他們不能快速把機(jī)器停下來,赫伯特在里面呆了很長時間,
And at first they couldn't get him out.He was... 'the man stopped. Then he said, 'Don't go to see him!'
并且開始的時候弄不出來,他……”陌生人停了下來,接著他說,“還是別去看他吧!”
The stranger went over to the window because he did not want to see the faces of the two old people. He said nothing, but he stood there for some time and he waited.
陌生人走到窗戶邊,因為他不想看到兩位老人的痛苦的表情,他什么也沒說,站在那兒等了好長時間。
Then he went back to the old people and began to talk again.'There's one more thing,' he said. 'Your son worked for Maw and Meggins for six years and he was a good worker.
然而,他又回過身來開始和兩位老人談話。“但是,你們的兒子是一個好工人,他為莫和麥金森工作了6年。
Now Maw and Meggins want to help you at this unhappy time.'Again the stranger stopped.After a minute he began again.'
現(xiàn)在,莫和麥金森要在這個不幸的時候幫助你們。”陌生人又停了下來,過了一會兒又說,
Maw and Meggins want to give you some money.' Then he put something into Mr White's hand.
“莫和麥金森想給你們一些錢?!闭f完,他把一些東西交到懷特先生手上。
Old Mr White did not look at the money in his hand. Slowly he stood up and looked at the stranger, afraid. 'How much?' Mr White asked, very quietly. He did not want to hear the answer.
老懷特先生沒有看手里的錢,他慢慢地站起來,害怕地看著陌生人,“多少錢?”懷特先生非常平靜地問。其實他并不想聽到答案。
'Thirty thousand pounds,' the stranger said.
“30 000英鎊。”陌生人說。

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