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The old woman led the boy to a room at the back of her house; it was separated from her living room by a curtain of colored beads.
老婦人領著男孩走進最里面的房間，那里與客廳只隔著一道用彩色珠子制成的簾子。
The room's furnishings consisted of a table, an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and two chairs.
房間里有一張桌子，一幅耶穌圣心像，還有兩把椅子。
The woman sat down, and told him to be seated as well.
老婦人坐下來，讓男孩也坐下。
Then she took both of his hands in hers, and began quietly to pray. It sounded like a Gypsy prayer.
然后，她握住男孩的雙手，輕聲禱告起來。似乎是吉卜賽人的一種祈禱詞。
The boy had already had experience on the road with Gypsies; they also traveled, but they had no flocks of sheep.
男孩在途中遇到過許多吉卜賽人。他們云游四方，但從不放牧羊群。
People said that Gypsies spent their lives tricking others.
人們說吉卜賽人靠騙人為生，
It was also said that they had a pact with the devil,
還說他們與魔鬼訂有契約，
and that they kidnapped children and, taking them away to their mysterious camps, made them their slaves.
拐騙兒童，讓孩子們在他們神秘的帳篷里當奴隸。
As a child, the boy had always been frightened to death that he would be captured by Gypsies,
男孩小時候一直非常害怕被吉卜賽人拐走。
and this childhood fear returned when the old woman took his hands in hers.
當老婦人拉住他的雙手時，以前那種恐懼感又出現了。
But she has the Sacred Heart of Jesus there, he thought, trying to reassure himself.
不過這里有耶穌圣心像呢，男孩想，極力使自己鎮定些。
He didn't want his hand to begin trembling, showing the old woman that he was fearful.
他不想自己的手發抖，不想讓老婦人覺察出他很害怕。
He recited an Our Father silently.
他默默地念誦了一遍主禱文。
"Very interesting," said the woman, never taking her eyes from the boy's hands, and then she fell silent.
“太有意思了。”老婦人說道，兩眼一直盯著男孩的手，接著沉默了。
The boy was becoming nervous. His hands began to tremble, and the woman sensed it. He quickly pulled his hands away.
男孩十分緊張，雙手不由自主顫抖起來。老婦人感覺到了。他急忙把手抽出來。
"I didn't come here to have you read my palm," he said, already regretting having come.
“我不是來這里看手相的。”他說，開始對走進這所房子感到后悔。
He thought for a moment that it would be better to pay her fee and leave without learning a thing,
有那么一會兒他想付了錢馬上走人，哪怕一無所獲呢。
that he was giving too much importance to his recurrent dream.
可他太在乎那個夢了，那個夢他做了兩遍。
"You came so that you could learn about your dreams," said the old woman.
“你是來這兒解夢的。”老婦人說，
"And dreams are the language of God. When he speaks in our language, I can interpret what he has said.
“夢是上帝的語言。如果上帝用的是塵世間的語言，我就能解你的夢。
But if he speaks in the language of the soul, it is only you who can understand.
但是，如果上帝用的是魂靈的語言，那就只有你自己能理解了。
But, whichever it is, I'm going to charge you for the consultation."
但不管哪種情況，我都要收咨詢費。”
Another trick, the boy thought. But he decided to take a chance.
男孩心想，是一個圈套。盡管如此，他還是決定冒一下險。
A shepherd always takes his chances with wolves and with drought, and that's what makes a shepherd's life exciting.
牧羊人總會遇到風險，要么是狼群，要么是干旱，恰恰是這些使放牧生涯更刺激。
