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It was dark and cold outside. Scrooge did not want to go anywhere, and for a moment he thought about pretending to be too ill to go out.
外面又黑又冷。斯克羅吉哪兒也不想去，所以一時間他想裝成病入膏盲的樣子無法出去，
But he did not like to refuse, so he said nothing, and got out of bed.
但他又不愿拒絕，所以他什么也沒說就下了床。
Together they passed through the wall of the house out into the darkness.
他們一起穿過房子的墻壁來到了夜色中。
Suddenly Scrooge realized they were standing on an open country road, with fields on each side.
忽然斯克羅吉發覺他們來到了一條空曠的鄉間馬路上，兩邊都是田野。
London, the fog, and the darkness had all disappeared, and it was a clear, cold, winter day, with snow on the ground.
倫敦、濃霧和黑夜都已消失，現在是一個晴朗、寒冷的冬日，地上覆蓋著積雪。
'Good Heavens!' cried Scrooge. 'I was born near here! I remember it well!'
“天哪！”斯克羅吉喊道。“我出生在這兒附近，我記得很清楚！”
The spirit looked kindly at the old man.
幽靈友善地看著這位老人。
'How strange that you've forgotten it for so many years!
“奇怪得很，這么多年你都把這忘記了！
What is that on your face? Are you crying?'
你臉上是什么？你哭了嗎？”
Scrooge put a hand over his eyes.
斯克羅吉用一只手捂住他的眼。
'It's nothing—I've got a cold, that's all. Take me where you want, spirit!'
“沒事兒——只是我得了感冒。幽靈，帶我去你想去的地方吧！”
Scrooge recognized every field, post, and tree, as they walked along the road towards a little market town.
在他們去往一個小集鎮的路上，斯克羅吉認出了每一片田野，每一處城堡和每一棵樹木。
All around them were young schoolboys on horses and in farmers'carts, laughing and wishing each other a merry Christmas, as they travelled to their homes for the Christmas holiday.
他們周圍到處都是學校的男孩子們，他們有的騎在馬上，有的坐在農夫的馬車里，在他們趕回家過圣誕節的路上，他們笑著并彼此祝愿圣誕快樂。
'They are only shadows from the past,' said the spirit. 'They cannot see us.'
“他們只不過是過去的影子，”幽靈說。“他們看不見我們。”
Scrooge knew and named all of them.
斯克羅吉全都認識他們，并能叫出他們的名字。
Why was he so delighted to see them?
為什么他看見他們這么高興？
Why did his cold heart beat faster when they went past, shouting'Merry Christmas!'?
為什么當他們走過，高喊著“圣誕快樂”時，他冷酷的心跳得快了？
What was'merry Christmas'to Scrooge? What good had it ever done to him?
“圣誕快樂”對斯克羅吉意味著什么？它給他帶來了什么好處？
'Not everyone has left the school,' said the ghost.
“不是所有的孩子們都離開了學校，”鬼魂說。
'There is one lonely child there still, one child whose friends have all gone.'
“那兒還有一個孤獨的孩子，他的朋友們全都走了。”
'I know!' said Scrooge. And now he was crying openly.
“我知道！”斯克羅吉說。現在他毫不掩飾地哭了。
They turned into a smaller road, and soon came to the school.
他們拐到了一條更小的路上，不一會兒就來到了學校。
Inside, in the long, cold, silent classroom, a lonely boy sat reading near a small fire.
在那間狹長、寒冷、寂靜的教室里，一個孤獨的孩子正坐在微弱的火旁著書。
When he saw his poor forgotten past self, Scrooge sat down at one of the desks, put his head in his hands and cried.
當他看見自己那寒酸的、已被忘卻的過去的自己時，斯克羅吉坐在一張課桌旁，雙手抱頭哭了。
'Poor boy! I wish — but it's too late now.'
“可憐的孩子啊！我希望——但現在太晚了。”
'What's the matter?' asked the spirit.
“什么事？”幽靈問。
'There was a boy singing Christmas carols at my door yesterday.
“昨天有一個男孩子在我的門口唱圣誕頌歌，
I'm sorry I didn't give him anything, that's all.'
很抱歉我什么也沒給他，就是這事兒。”
The ghost smiled, and lifted its hand, saying, 'Let's see another past Christmas!'
鬼魂笑了，舉起一只手說，“咱們再去看看另外一個昔日圣誕節。”
