評論
打印
When they told their plans to Margaretta, she approved promptly. “It will not be any too easy,” she warned them, “for you boys must help your father in the busy summer season, and the girls must help me as usual. We will say nothing to Grandmother yet, until we see how things are going to turn out.”
當他們把計劃告訴瑪格蕾塔時，她立即同意了。“這不會太容易的，”她警告他們，“因為你們男孩子必須在繁忙的夏季幫助你們的父親，女孩子們必須像往常一樣幫助我。在我們知道事情的結果如何之前，我們什么也不會對祖母說。”
That very afternoon Margaretta wrote to Uncle Tony at Naples, asking if they would take in Grandmother and one of the children for a week or two in early September. She told him how homesick Grandmother was, and how she longed to see Naples again. After she had signed her name, she held her pen poised over the letter for some time. Then she wrote, a little shamefacedly, “If Vesuvius isn’t there. Grandmother will be disappointed.”
就在那天下午，瑪格蕾塔寫信給那不勒斯的托尼叔叔，問他們是否愿意在九月初收留祖母和其中一個孩子一兩個星期。她告訴他祖母是多么想家，多么想再去那不勒斯看看。簽完名后，她拿筆在信上平穩地寫了一會兒。然后她有點羞愧地寫道:“如果維蘇威火山不在那里的話。祖母會失望的。”
When, some days later, a reply came, Uncle Tony said they would be much pleased to have Grandmother and one of the children visit them. He, too, added a sentence after his name—”If Vesuvius isn’t there. I’ll fetch up Mount Aetna from Sicily; Grandmother shall not be disappointed.”
幾天后，托尼叔叔收到了回信，他說他們很高興有祖母和一個孩子來看望他們。他也在自己的名字后面加了一句話——“如果維蘇威火山不在那里的話。我要到西西里去把埃特納山找回來;奶奶不會失望的。”
