評(píng)論
打印
'Don't you like giving wishes？'Anthea asked.
“你不喜歡幫人實(shí)現(xiàn)愿望嗎？”安西婭問。
'No， I don't，'he said . ' Go away and leave me alone！'
“對(duì)，不喜歡。”它說，“走開，別打擾我！”
But Anthea went on. ' Listen，'she said. ' If you do what we want today，we'll never ask you for another wish. '
可安西婭接著說了下去。“聽著，”她說，“如果你實(shí)現(xiàn)了我們今天的愿望，我們就再也不要?jiǎng)e的了。”
'I'll do anything for that，'it said. ' I really don't enjoy giv-ing wishes. It's very hard work， you know， and I get so tired. '
“那樣的話我可以做任何事情。”它說，“我實(shí)在是不喜歡實(shí)現(xiàn)人們的愿望。這是件難事，你知道，我變得這么累了。”
'Well， first I wish that Lady Chittenden will find that she has never lost her jewels. '
“唔，首先我希望奇滕登夫人發(fā)現(xiàn)她的珠寶從沒丟。”
The Psammead got bigger， and then went small again. 'Done！'it said.
賽米德變大，又變小。“辦好了！”它說。
'I wish that Mother won't get to the police. '
“希望媽媽別到警察局去。”
'Done！'the Psammead said again.
“辦好了！”賽米德又說。
'And I wish，' said Jane suddenly，'that Mother and Martha will forget all about the jewels. '
“我還希望，”簡(jiǎn)突然說，“媽媽和馬莎把珠寶的事全忘了。”
'Done！'the Psammead said， but its voice was tired. 'Now，it went on ，' will you wish something for me？'
“辦好了！”賽米德說，可它的聲音顯得很累。“現(xiàn)在你們能為我許愿嗎？”
'Can't you give yourself wishes？' asked Cyril.
“你不能為自己實(shí)現(xiàn)愿望嗎？”西里爾問。
'Of course not，'the Psammead said. 'Wish that you will never tell anyone about me. '
“當(dāng)然不能。”賽米德說，“希望你們別把我的事告訴任何人。”
'Why？' asked Robert.
“為什么？”羅伯特問。
'Well， you children always ask for stupid things. But adults aren't like that. If they get hold of me，they'll want to wish for real， important things—
“唉，你們孩子們老要愚蠢的東西。大人們可不那樣。要是他們抓住我，他們就希望要真正的、重要的東西
like free houses for poor people，and new schools for children everywhere in the country，and money to give to old people. Boring things like that.
——比方給窮人免費(fèi)住房啦，給全國(guó)各地的孩子建新學(xué)校啦，給老人們錢啦。就那種使人厭煩的事。
And they'll find a way to keep them after the sun goes down. And what will happen to the world if all those changes come at once？
而且他們會(huì)想辦法在日落后留住它們。如果所有的那些變化立刻發(fā)生，世界會(huì)怎么樣？
There'll be terrible trouble. So go on ， wish it！ Quick！'
那可就會(huì)有麻煩了。所以接著許愿！快點(diǎn)！”
Anthea said the Psammead's wish，and it got very，very big. When it was small again， it said，' Now， I'm very tired. Do you want one last wish？'
安西婭說出了賽米德的愿望，它變得非常非常大。當(dāng)它又變小了時(shí)，它說：“現(xiàn)在我很累了。你們想要最后一個(gè)愿望嗎？”
'Thank you for everything，'said Jane. ' Have a good long sleep— and I wish that we'll see you again someday. '
“感謝你做的一切。”簡(jiǎn)說，“美美地睡一覺——我還希望有一天能再見到你。”
Then，for the last time， the Psammead went big，then small again. It looked at them all once more with its long eyes，and then dug itself quickly into the sand.
然后賽米德最后一次變大又變小。它用柄眼把他們?nèi)挚戳艘槐椋缓蠛芸斓劂@進(jìn)沙子里去了。
And when they arrived home again，everything was all right. Mother came home and she and Martha remembered nothing， and Lady Chittenden found that her jewels were not lost.
當(dāng)他們又到家里時(shí)，一切都是好好的。母親回到家，她和馬莎什么都忘了，而且奇滕登夫人發(fā)現(xiàn)她的珠寶沒丟。
'Will we ever see the Psammead again， do you think？'Jane said to the others， later in the garden.
“你們認(rèn)為我們究竟還能再見到賽米德嗎？”晚些時(shí)候簡(jiǎn)在花園里對(duì)其他孩子們說。
And，of course，they did， but not in this story. It was in a very， very different place. It was in a… But I must say no more.
當(dāng)然嘍，他們又見到它了，可不是在這個(gè)故事里見到的。是在與這里很不一樣的一個(gè)地方。那是在一個(gè)……可我不該再多說了。
