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Daddy's Nurse.
爸爸的看護者
(Monthly Story.)
（每月例話）
One morning, on a rainy day in March, a lad dressed like a country boy, all muddy and saturated with water, with a bundle of clothes under his arm, presented himself to the porter of the great hospital at Naples, and, presenting a letter, asked for his father. He had a fine oval face, of a pale brown hue, thoughtful eyes, and two thick lips, always half open, which displayed extremely white teeth. He came from a village in the neighborhood of Naples. His father, who had left home a year previously to seek work in France, had returned to Italy, and had landed a few days before at Naples, where, having fallen suddenly ill, he had hardly time to write a line to announce his arrival to his family, and to say that he was going to the hospital. His wife, in despair at this news, and unable to leave home because she had a sick child, and a baby at the breast, had sent her eldest son to Naples, with a few soldi, to help his father--his daddy, as they called him: the boy had walked ten miles.
正當三月中旬，春雨綿綿的一個早晨，有一鄉下少年滿身沾透泥水，一手抱了替換用的衣包，到了耐普爾斯市某著名的病院門口，把一封信遞給管門的，說要會他新近入院的父親。少年生著圓臉孔，面色青黑，眼中好像在沉思著什么，厚厚的兩唇間露出雪白的牙齒。他父親去年離了本國到法蘭西去做工，前日回到意大利，在耐普爾斯登陸后忽然患病，進了這病院，一面寫信給他的妻，告訴她自己已經回國，及因病人院的事。妻得信后很擔心，因為有一個兒子也正在病著，還有正在哺乳的小兒，不能分身，不得已叫大兒子到耐普爾斯來探望父親——家里都稱為爸爸。少年天明動身，步行了十英里才到這里。
The porter, after glancing at the letter, called a nurse and told him to conduct the lad to his father.
管門的把信大略瞥了一眼，就叫了一個看護婦來，托她領少年進去。
"What father?" inquired the nurse.
“你父親叫什么名字？”看護婦問。
The boy, trembling with terror, lest he should hear bad news, gave the name.
少年恐病人已有了變故，暗地焦急狐疑，顫抖地說出他父親的姓名來。
The nurse did not recall such a name. "An old laborer, arrived from abroad?" he asked.
看護婦一時記不起他所說的姓名，他問：“是從外國回來的老年職工嗎？”
"Yes, a laborer," replied the lad, still more uneasy; "not so very old. Yes, arrived from abroad."
“是的，職工呢原是職工，老還不十分老的，新近從外國回來。”少年說時越加擔心。
"When did he enter the hospital?" asked the nurse.
“幾時入院的？”
The lad glanced at his letter; "Five days ago, I think."
“五天以前。”少年看了信上的日期說。
The nurse stood a while in thought; then, as though suddenly recalling him; "Ah!" he said, "the furthest bed in the fourth ward."
看護婦想了一想，好像突然記起來了，說：“是了，是了，在第四號病室的床位里。”
"Is he very ill? How is he?" inquired the boy, anxiously.
“病得很厲害嗎？怎樣？”少年焦急地問。
The nurse looked at him, without replying. Then he said, "Come with me."
看護婦注視著少年，不回答他，但說：“跟了我來！”
They ascended two flights of stairs, walked to the end of a long corridor, and found themselves facing the open door of a large hall, wherein two rows of beds were arranged. "Come," repeated the nurse, entering. The boy plucked up his courage, and followed him, casting terrified glances to right and left, on the pale, emaciated faces of the sick people, some of whom had their eyes closed, and seemed to be dead, while others were staring into the air, with their eyes wide open and fixed, as though frightened. Some were moaning like children. The big room was dark, the air was impregnated with an acute odor of medicines. Two sisters of charity were going about with phials in their hands.
少年和看護婦上了樓梯，到了長廊盡處一間很大的病室里，病床分左右排列著。“請進來，”看護婦說。少年鼓著勇氣進去，但見左右的病人都臉色發青，骨瘦如柴。有的閉著眼，有的向上凝視，又有的小孩似的在那里哭泣。薄暗的室中充滿了藥氣，兩個看護婦拿了藥瓶匆忙地走來走去。
