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"It's the right time to burn," Pa said. "I can't feel any wind. The brush has aged in these piles until it is as dry as powder."
“現在正是焚燒它們的好時機，”爸爸說，“我感覺不到有風。樹枝堆積了這么長時間，已經干透了。”
Pa struck a match to the brush pile at the bottom of the clearing. The fire started with little heaps over the leaf-carpeted ground. Finn, Pa and I set fire to the bottom of the clearing until we had a continuous line of fire going up the slope. Then a wind sprang up from nowhere from nowhere. And when flames leaped from brush pile to brush pile, Pa looked at me.
在空地的底部，爸爸劃著了一根火柴，點燃了樹枝堆。火開始在鋪滿樹葉的地上燃燒起來。我、父親和芬恩繼續在荒地的底部點火，直到形成一條火線，朝著坡上蔓延而去。突然，不知從哪兒刮來了一陣風。火焰從一堆樹枝撲向另一堆樹枝。爸爸看著我。
"This is out of control," Pa said. "Grab a hoe and start raking a ring."
“火勢失控了，”爸爸盯著我說，“用鋤頭挖塊環形隔離帶吧。”
"I'm afraid we can't stop it," Finn said. "We'll have to work fast to save the orchards."
“恐怕我們阻止不了了，”芬恩說，“要挽救果園我們必須趕快行動。”
"Run to the house and get Sal and Glenna," Pa yelled.
“回家去叫薩爾和格倫，”爸喊道。
"Look, Pa," Finn said, pointing down the hill.
“看，爸爸。”芬恩指著山下說。
Mort Hinton was running up the hill. His three sons were running behind him, each with a hoe across his shoulder.
莫特?欣頓正朝山上跑來，后面跟著他的三個兒子，每個人肩上都扛著一把鋤頭。
"It's out of control," Pa shouted to Mort before he reached us.
“火勢失控了。”欣頓還沒跑到跟前爸爸就朝他大聲喊道。
"We've come to help," Mort said.
“我們是來幫忙的。”欣頓回答說。
"Can we keep it from the orchards?" Pa asked.
“我們能阻止它燒到果園嗎？”爸問道。
"Let's run to the top of the hill and fire against it," Mort said. "I've burnt hundreds of acres of clearings on hillsides and I always fire the top first and let it burn down! Maybe we'll not be too late to save the orchards!"
“我們跑到山頂去，從對面點火。”莫特說，“我在山坡上燒過成百上千畝的荒地。我總是從頂開始，讓火向下燒！也許我們還來得及保住果園！”
Mort ran up the hill and we followed. Finn and I didn't speak to his boys, and they didn't speak to us.
莫特向山上跑去，我們跟在后邊。芬恩和我都沒有跟他的孩子們說話，他們也沒有搭理我們。
