評論
打印
The boy's name was Santiago.
這個男孩名叫圣地亞哥。
Dusk was falling as the boy arrived with his herd at an abandoned church.
夜幕降臨時，圣地亞哥趕著羊群來到一座廢棄的老教堂前。
The roof had fallen in long ago, and an enormous sycamore had grown on the spot where the sacristy had once stood.
很久以前，教堂的屋頂就塌掉了。原來圣器室的位置長出了一棵高大的無花果樹。
He decided to spend the night there.
男孩決定在這里過夜。
He saw to it that all the sheep entered through the ruined gate,
他把羊群全部趕緊破爛不堪的大門，
and then laid some planks across it to prevent the flock from wandering away during the night.
隨即擋上幾塊木板，防止它們夜間出逃。
There were no wolves in the region, but once an animal had strayed during the night,
這個地區沒有狼，但有一次一只羊在晚上逃了出去，
and the boy had had to spend the entire next day searching for it.
害得他花了一整天時間去尋找。
He swept the floor with his jacket and lay down, using the book he had just finished reading as a pillow.
圣地亞哥將自己的外套鋪在地上，躺了下來，把剛剛讀完的一本書當作枕頭。
He told himself that he would have to start reading thicker books: they lasted longer, and made more comfortable pillows.
睡著之前，他提醒自己，必須開始讀一些更厚的書籍：讀厚書能消磨更多的時間，夜間當枕頭用也更舒服。
It was still dark when he awoke, and, looking up, he could see the stars through the half-destroyed roof.
醒來時，天還沒亮。透過殘破的屋頂，他看到星星在閃爍。
I wanted to sleep a little longer, he thought.
他心說：“真想多睡一會兒?！?/div>
He had had the same dream that night as a week ago, and once again he had awakened before it ended.
他做了個夢，和上周做的夢一模一樣，而且又是夢沒做完就醒了。
He arose and, taking up his crook, began to awaken the sheep that still slept.
男孩爬起來，然后拿起牧羊棍，呼喚仍在沉睡的羊群。
He had noticed that, as soon as he awoke, most of his animals also began to stir.
他早已注意到，只要他一醒，大多數的羊也都開始醒過來，
It was as if some mysterious energy bound his life to that of the sheep,
仿佛有種神秘的力量把他的生命同那些羊的生命聯系在一起。
with whom he had spent the past two years, leading them through the countryside in search of food and water.
兩年來，那些羊跟著他走遍了這片大地，四處尋找水和食物。
"They are so used to me that they know my schedule," he muttered.
這些羊太熟悉我了，已經了解我的作息時間了?！彼哉Z。
Thinking about that for a moment, he realized that it could be the other way around:
略加思索，他又想，事情也可能正相反：
that it was he who had become accustomed to their schedule.
是他已經熟悉了羊群的生活習性。
But there were certain of them who took a bit longer to awaken.
然而，總有一些羊會拖延一會兒才醒。
The boy prodded them, one by one, with his crook, calling each by name.
男孩就用牧羊棍挨個捅醒它們，同時呼喚著羊的名字。
He had always believed that the sheep were able to understand what he said.
他一直堅信，羊能聽懂他說的話。
So there were times when he read them parts of his books that had made an impression on him,
因此，他時不時給羊群讀一些給他留下深刻印象的書籍的章節，
or when he would tell them of the loneliness or the happiness of a shepherd in the fields.
或者對羊群訴說自己在野外的孤獨和快樂，
Sometimes he would comment to them on the things he had seen in the villages they passed.
或者評論一下在經常路過的城鎮見到的新鮮事。
But for the past few days he had spoken to them about only one thing:
不過，最近兩天，他的話題只有一個，
the girl, the daughter of a merchant who lived in the village they would reach in about four days.
就是那個女孩，一個商人的女兒，住在距離這里四天路程的一個鎮上。
He had been to the village only once, the year before.
他只到那里去過一次，是在去年。
The merchant was the proprietor of a dry goods shop,
那個商人是一家紡織品店的老板。
and he always demanded that the sheep be sheared in his presence, so that he would not be cheated.
他喜歡看人當著他的面剪羊毛，以防別人弄虛作假。
A friend had told the boy about the shop, and he had taken his sheep there.
一個朋友指點男孩去那家店鋪，于是他便趕著羊群到了那里。
