1. "I think the kitty wants to come in," said Mother Golden. "I hear him crying somewhere. Won't you go and let him in, Adam?" Adam laid down his book and went out; the whole family looked up cheerfully, expecting to see Aladdin, the great Maltese cat, enter. There was a pause; then Adam came back with a white, scared face, and looked at his father without speaking.
“我覺(jué)得小貓想要進(jìn)來(lái)，”母親說(shuō)，“我聽(tīng)到它在外面叫呢。難道你不想去把它放進(jìn)來(lái)嗎，亞當(dāng)？”亞當(dāng)放下手中的書(shū)，走出了房門(mén)。全家人都高興地抬起頭，期待著看到那只名叫阿拉丁的馬耳他貓進(jìn)到屋里來(lái)。過(guò)了一會(huì)兒，亞當(dāng)面色蒼白，表情驚恐地回到屋里，一言不發(fā)地看著父親。
2. "What is the matter, my son?" asked Father Golden. "Is Kitty hurt?" asked Mother Golden, anxiously. "Was it that dog of Jackson's?" cried Lemuel, Mary, Ruth, and Joseph. "The cat isn't there!" said Adam. "It's-- a basket, father." "A basket? What does the boy mean?" "A long basket, with something white inside; and--it's crying!"
“怎么了，兒子？”父親問(wèn)道。“是小貓受傷了嗎？”母親焦急地問(wèn)道。“是不是杰克遜家的狗在叫？”萊繆爾、瑪麗、露絲和約瑟夫喊道。“那只貓不在那里！”亞當(dāng)說(shuō)。“是……一個(gè)籃子，爸爸。”“一個(gè)籃子？小伙子，你想表達(dá)什么？”“是一個(gè)長(zhǎng)長(zhǎng)的籃子，里面有個(gè)白色的東西；而且，那東西在哭！”
3. "My heart!" said Mother Golden; and she was out of the door in a flash. The children tumbled headlong toward the door, but were met by Mother Golden returning, bearing in her strong arms a long basket, in which was indeed something white and fluffy that cried. "A baby!" exclaimed Father Golden. "A baby!" echoed Mary, Lemuel, Ruth, and Joseph. "Well, I knew it was a baby," protested Adam; "but I didn't like to say so."
“我的天！”母親驚嘆道，與此同時(shí)，迅速地沖出了門(mén)外。孩子們也慌慌張張、跌跌撞撞地奔向了門(mén)口，但還沒(méi)出去就遇到了往回走的母親。母親強(qiáng)壯的手臂上正挎著個(gè)長(zhǎng)長(zhǎng)的籃子，里面的確有一個(gè)松松軟軟的白色東西在哭。“是個(gè)嬰兒！”父親驚呼。“是個(gè)嬰兒！”瑪麗、萊繆爾、露絲和約瑟夫也跟著驚呼起來(lái)。“嗯，我知道是個(gè)嬰兒，”亞當(dāng)抗議道，“不想這么說(shuō)而已。”
4. "My heart!" said Mother Golden again. "Oh, mother, mayn't we keep it?" cried both girls at once. “Here's a note!" Said mother Golden. She opened a folded paper, and read: "His mother is dead. Ask the woman with the kind eyes to take care of him." "My heart!" said Mother Golden, again.
“我的天！”母親再次驚嘆道。“哦，媽媽，我們不能留下他嗎？”兩個(gè)女孩立刻喊道。“這有一張紙條！”母親說(shuō)。她打開(kāi)了折疊的紙條，上面寫(xiě)著：“他的母親死了。請(qǐng)這位目光慈祥的女士照顧好他。”“我的天！“母親又一次驚嘆道。
5. "It's a boy, then!" said Father Golden, brightening. He came forward, the boys edging forward too, encouraged by another masculine presence. "It's a boy, and a beauty!" said Mother Golden, wiping her eyes. " Poor mother, to have to go and leave him. Father, what do you say?..."
“那么，他是個(gè)男孩！”父親高興地說(shuō)。受到家里又要增加一位男性成員的鼓舞，父親湊上前來(lái)，男孩們也緩緩地湊了過(guò)來(lái)。“是個(gè)男孩，一個(gè)俊小伙子！”母親邊說(shuō)，邊擦了擦眼眶上得淚水，“可憐的母親，不得不離他而去。孩子爸爸，你說(shuō)該怎么辦？”

6. (10 Years later…) "Father, may I come in, if you are not busy?" It was Mary who spoke; Mary, the eldest daughter, now a woman grown. "What is it, daughter Mary?" "The same old story, father dear; Benny in mischief again. This time he has rubbed soot on all the door-handles, and the whole house is black with it. I hate to trouble you, father, but I expect you'll have to speak to him."
（十年后......） “爸爸，你不忙的話，我可以進(jìn)去嗎？”瑪麗說(shuō)——家里最大的女兒，瑪麗，現(xiàn)在已是一個(gè)成年女性了。“什么事，瑪麗？”“本尼又搞惡作劇了，親愛(ài)的老爸。這次他把所有的門(mén)把手都抹上煙灰了，整棟房子都被弄黑了。我不愿意給您添麻煩，爸爸，但我希望您能和他談?wù)劇！?br />7. "I'll speak to the child, Mary," he said. "I'll see that this does not happen again. What is it, Ruthie?" "I was looking for Mary, father. I wanted--oh, Mary! what shall I do with Benny? he has tied Rover and the cat together by their tails, and they are rushing all about the garden, almost crazy. I wish you would speak to him, father." "I will do so, Ruth, I will do so. Don't be distressed, my daughter."
“我會(huì)和這孩子談?wù)劦模旣悾备赣H說(shuō)。“我保證這樣的事情不會(huì)再發(fā)生了。什么事，露絲？”“我正在找瑪麗，爸爸。我想要——哦，瑪麗！我該拿本尼怎么辦呢？他把魯弗和那只貓的尾巴捆在一起了，它們正在花園里像瘋了一樣的四處亂竄。爸爸，我希望您能和他談?wù)劇！?“我會(huì)的，露絲，我會(huì)這樣做的。別擔(dān)心，閨女。”
8. Then, Adam walked in and said in an earnest, grave tone: "Something must be done about that boy, father!" he said. "He is the torment of the whole family." "No one can live a day in peace!" said Lemuel who joined. "No creature's life is safe!" said Joe. "He breaks everything he lays hands on," said Ruth, "and he won't keep his hands off anything."
此時(shí)，亞當(dāng)走了進(jìn)來(lái)，用一種非常嚴(yán)肅、認(rèn)真的語(yǔ)氣說(shuō)：“爸爸，必須對(duì)那小子做點(diǎn)兒什么了！。他把全家人都折磨得夠嗆。”“家里每個(gè)人都不得安寧！”萊繆爾也加入了投訴的隊(duì)伍。“家里的人和寵物都沒(méi)有安全感！”約瑟夫說(shuō)。“他手碰到的東西一定會(huì)壞，”露絲說(shuō)，“而且，什么東西都逃脫不了他的毒手。”
9. "You were all little once, boys!" said Mary. "We never behaved in this kind of way!" said the brothers. "Something must be done!" "You are right," said Father Golden. "Something must be done." Glancing once more at the portrait of Mother Golden, he turned and faced his children with grave looks. "Sit down, sons and daughters!" said the old man. "I have something to say to you." The young people obeyed, wondering, but not questioning.
“你們都曾是小孩，男孩們！”瑪麗說(shuō)。“可我們從來(lái)沒(méi)有像他這樣過(guò)！”男孩們說(shuō)，“必須做點(diǎn)兒什么了！”“你們是對(duì)的，”父親說(shuō)，“必須做點(diǎn)兒什么了。”他再次瞥了一眼孩子們母親的畫(huà)像，然后轉(zhuǎn)過(guò)身來(lái)，面對(duì)他的孩子們，表情十分嚴(yán)肅。“孩子們，都坐下來(lái)！”這位老人說(shuō)，“我有話要對(duì)你們說(shuō)。”幾個(gè)年輕人都照做了。他們心中都充滿了疑惑，但沒(méi)人提出疑問(wèn)。
10. He paused for a moment; then said: "Ten years ago today, that child was left on our door-step." "It doesn't seem so long!" interrupted Adam. "It seems longer!" said Mary. "I keep forgetting he came that way!" murmured Joe. "I felt doubtful about taking him in," Father Golden went on. "But your mother wished it; you all wished it. We decided to keep him, and give him a good start in life, and we have kept him till now. Little Benjamin is now ten years old, more or less," said Father Golden. "You are men and women grown; even Joseph is seventeen. The troublemaker is little Benjamin, a child of ten years. The time has come to decide what shall be done with the child. He is turning out wild and mischievous, and you all, except Mary, come to me often with complaints of him.”
父親停頓了一會(huì)兒，然后開(kāi)口說(shuō)：“十年前的今天，那個(gè)孩子被人放在了咱家門(mén)口的臺(tái)階上。”“感覺(jué)沒(méi)那么久！”亞當(dāng)插話說(shuō)。“感覺(jué)比十年還長(zhǎng)！”瑪麗說(shuō)。“我都快忘了他是這么來(lái)的了！”約瑟夫低聲說(shuō)。“我當(dāng)初不太確定我們是否應(yīng)該把他帶到咱們家，”父親接著說(shuō)，“但你們的母親希望這樣做，你們也都希望把他留下來(lái)。于是，我們決定留下了他，給他一個(gè)良好的人生起點(diǎn)。從那時(shí)起，他一直都在和我們一起生活。小本杰明現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)差不多十歲了，你們也都成年了，最小的約瑟夫也17歲了。給家里帶來(lái)麻煩的是小本杰明，一個(gè)十歲的孩子。現(xiàn)在是決定我們應(yīng)該拿這孩子怎么辦的時(shí)候了。事實(shí)證明，他很不好管教，是個(gè)十足的淘氣包。而且，你們中除了瑪麗之外，都經(jīng)常來(lái)我這投訴他。”
11. "Now, this thing has gone far enough”, he continued. One of two things: either this boy is to be sent away to some institution, to take his place among other orphans and foundlings, or - he must be one of you for now and always, to share everything with you while I live, as if he was your own blood, and to have his share of the property when I am gone. Sons and daughters, this question is for you to decide. I shall say nothing. Benjamin becomes my own son, to be received and treated by you as your own brother, or he goes."
“現(xiàn)在，這件事得做個(gè)了結(jié)了”，父親繼續(xù)說(shuō)道，“兩個(gè)選項(xiàng)：要么將這個(gè)孩子送到某個(gè)機(jī)構(gòu)去，讓他與其他孤兒和棄兒生活在一起；要么他就必須永遠(yuǎn)成為你們中的一員，在我活著的時(shí)候與你們一起分享一切，把他當(dāng)作你們的親生弟弟，在我離世后他還會(huì)分到自己的那份財(cái)產(chǎn)。孩子們，這個(gè)選擇由你們來(lái)做。我不發(fā)表任何意見(jiàn)。要么本杰明成為我的兒子，被你們所接納，并被你們當(dāng)作親弟弟一樣對(duì)待，要么就讓他離開(kāi)這個(gè)家。”
12. A silence followed; but it was broken soon by a lively whistle, shrilling out a rollicking tune; the next moment a boy came running into the room. Curly, rosy, dirty, ragged, laughing, panting, little Benjamin stood still and looked round on all the earnest, serious faces. "What's the matter, all you folks?" he asked. "I should think you was all in meeting, and sermon just beginning. Ruth, I tied up Kitty's leg all right; and I'll dig greens to pay for the glass, Joe. Say, Bro'rer-Adam-an'-Lem (Benny pronounced this as if it were one word), did you forget it was April Fool's Day? Didn't I fool you good? And--say! there's a fierce breeze and my new kite's a buster. Who'll come out and fly her with me?" "I will, Benny!" said Adam, Lemuel, Mary, Ruth, and Joseph at the same time, and out the door they all ran.
接下來(lái)是一陣沉默，但很快沉默就被活潑的口哨聲打破了，這聲音尖銳但非常歡快。緊跟著，一個(gè)男孩跑進(jìn)了房間，他頭發(fā)卷曲，面容紅潤(rùn)，全身臟兮兮的，衣服破爛不堪，一邊大笑，一邊氣喘吁吁。小本杰明站在那里，一動(dòng)不動(dòng)，環(huán)顧著四周那一張張認(rèn)真、嚴(yán)肅的面孔。“你們大家都怎么了？” 他問(wèn)道。“我覺(jué)得你們是在開(kāi)會(huì)，而且布道才剛剛開(kāi)始。露絲，我把小貓的腿捆好了。喬，我會(huì)挖些綠葉蔬菜用來(lái)賠償那個(gè)玻璃杯。還有，亞當(dāng)萊繆哥哥（本尼總是這樣把他們連在一起說(shuō)），你沒(méi)有忘記今天是愚人節(jié)吧？難道我沒(méi)把你們愚弄得很好嗎？嗯，還有！外面風(fēng)變大了，我的新風(fēng)箏將大有作為。誰(shuí)愿意和我出去放風(fēng)箏？” “我去，本尼！” 亞當(dāng)、萊繆爾、瑪麗、露絲和約瑟夫異口同聲地說(shuō)，然后他們一起跑出門(mén)外。