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She was six years oldwhenI first mether on the beachnearwhereI live. Idrive tothis beach, a distance ofthree or four miles,wheneverthe world begins to close inon me. She was buildingasandcastleor something and lookedup, her eyesasblueasthe sea.
我第一次和她在那個海灘上相遇時，她整六歲。這個海灘離我的住處約有三、四英里。每當（whenever）我心情壓抑，感到煩惱時，就驅(qū)車上那兒去。當時她正在用沙子堆積一個城堡似的東西。看到我來，她抬起頭來望著我，那雙眼睛像大海般深邃、湛藍。
“Hello,” she said. I answeredwitha nod,not really in the moodtobother with a small child.
“您好！”她說。我點了點頭作為回答，說實在的，我沒有心思跟一個小女孩費神(bother with)。
“I'm building,” she said. “我在蓋房子呢！”她又說。
“I seethat.What is it?” I asked, not caring.
“我看見了。這蓋的是什么房子呢？”我心不在焉（notcaring）地問道。
“Oh, I don't know,I just likethe feel of sand.” “噢，我不知道，我就是喜歡摸沙子的感覺。”
That sounds good, I thought, andslippedoffmy shoes. A sandpiper glided by.
這倒有意思，我邊想邊脫掉鞋子。驀地，一只磯鷂從一旁滑翔而過。
“That's a joy,” the child said. 孩子見了說：“那是快樂。”
“It's awhat?” “是什么？”
“It's a joy. My mama sayssandpiperscome to bring us joy.”“是快樂，磯鷂能給人們帶來快樂，媽媽說的。”
The bird wentglissadingdownthe beach. “Good-byejoy,” I mutteredtomyself, “hello pain,” andturnedto walk on. I was depressed; my life seemed completelyout of balance.
那只磯鷂順著海濱飛走了(glissade; v.下滑)。“再見了，快樂，”我自言自語道(I muttered to my self)，“痛苦來臨了。”并轉(zhuǎn)身走開(turned to walk on)。我很沮喪(depressed)，因為我現(xiàn)在的生活一團糟。
“What's your name?” Shewouldn't give up.
“您叫什么名字啊？”她還不罷休。
“Ruth,” I answered. “I'm Ruth Peterson.”
“魯思，”我回答，“我叫魯思·彼得森。”
“Mine'sWendy... I'm six.” “我叫溫迪，我六歲了。”
“Hi, Wendy.” “你好，溫迪。”我叫到。
She giggled. “You're funny,” she said.
“您真逗！”她咯咯地笑了。
In spite of mygloom I laughedtoo and walked on.
盡管心緒不佳，我也不由得笑了起來，一邊往前走著。
Her musical giggle followed me.
她那清脆悅耳的笑聲(her musical giggle)依然追隨著我。
“Come again, Mrs. P,” she called. “We'll haveanotherhappy day.” “您下次再來，彼太太。咱們再快樂地玩一天！”她喊著。
The days and weeks that followed belong to others:a group ofunruly Boy Scouts, PTA meetings, and ailing mother.
那以后的好幾個星期，我忙得不可開交，沒有一點閑暇：負責一群調(diào)皮搗蛋的童子軍，參加家長教師聯(lián)誼會(PTA: Parent-Teacher Association)，還要照顧生病的(ailing)母親。
The sun was shining one morningasI took my handsout of the dishwater. “I need asandpiper,” Isaid to myself,gatheringupmy coat.The ever-changingbalm of theseashore awaited me. The breeze was chilly, but Istrodealong,tryingtorecapture theserenity I needed.Ihadforgotten the child and wasstartled when she appeared.
一個陽光明媚的上午，我洗完碗碟，心想：“我需要一只磯鷂。”于是穿上外套向海灘走去。海岸不斷變化的芳香依然在等著(await=wait for)我。微風有些刺骨(the breeze was chilly)，但是我依然大步走著(stride–strode-stridden)，我多么渴望重新處于安靜寧謐(serenity)之中啊！我早已忘掉了那個孩子，所以當她出現(xiàn)在我面前時，不免吃了一驚(我被嚇了一跳)。
“Hello, Mrs. P,” she said. “Do you want to play?”
“您好，彼太太！”她說，“你想玩嗎？”
“What did youhavein mind?” I asked,withatwinge of annoyance.
“你想玩什么？”帶著一絲厭煩(a twinge of annoyance)，我反問她。
“I don't know, you say.”“我不知道，您說吧。”
“How about charades?” I asked sarcastically.
“猜字謎怎么樣？”我挖苦地（sarcastically）問。
The tinkling laughter burst forth again. “Idon't knowwhatthat is.”
“我不知道那是什么，”她說著，又發(fā)出一陣銀鈴般的(tinkling)笑聲。
“Then let's just walk.”Lookingat her,I noticedthedelicate fairness of her face.
“那么，咱們一塊兒走走吧。”我望著她，看到了嬌嫩而白皙的臉。
“Where do you live?” I asked. “你住在哪兒？”我問她。
“Over there.” She pointed towarda row of summercottages. Strange, I thought, in winter.
“那邊！”她用小手指著遠處一排夏季避暑的小別墅。我感到納悶，現(xiàn)在是冬天啊。
“Where do you go to school?” “你在哪兒上學呢？”
“I don't go to school. Mommy says we'reon vacation.”“我不上學，媽媽說我們在度假。”
She chattered little girl talk as we strolled up the beach, but my mind wason other things. When Ileftforhome, Wendy saidit had been a happy day.Feelingsurprisingly better, Ismiledather and agreed.
我們漫步走上海灘，她一路上嘰嘰喳喳地說著小姑娘們的話（littlegirl talk）。可是，我卻心事重重。當我要回家時，溫迪說這是快樂的一天(it had been a happy day)。奇怪的是(surprisingly)，我的心情也感到舒坦多了。于是，我同意地報以一笑。
Three weeks later, Irushedtomy beach in a state of near panic. I wasin no moodtoevengreet Wendy. I thought I saw her motheron the porchandfeltlikedemandingshe keepher childat home.
三個星期后，我在近乎慌亂的心境下(in a state of near panic)直奔(rush to)海灘。我甚至沒心情跟溫迪打招呼。看見她媽媽在走廊上，我有一種去命令她讓她的小孩呆在家里的沖動。(feel like +doing sth v. 想要…; 有…的感覺; feel-felt-felt)
“Look,ifyou don't mind,” I saidcrosslywhen Wendycaught up with me, “I'd ratherbealone today.”
當溫迪趕上我時，我氣呼呼地（crossly）對她說：“要是你不介意，我今天想一個人待著。”(Look, if you don't mind, I'd rather be alonetoday.)
She seems unusually pale and out of breath.
她的臉看上去異常蒼白，還有點喘不過氣來(out of breath)。
“Why?” she asked. “為什么？”她問。
I turned to her and shouted, “Because my motherdied!” -and thought, my God,whywas I saying thistoa littlechild?
我轉(zhuǎn)身對她吼道：“因為我媽媽死了！”然后我又想：天啊，我為什么跟一個小孩講這些？
“Oh,”she saidquietly, “then this is a bad day.”“哦，”她輕輕地說，“這么說今天是個糟糕的日子。”
“Yes, and yesterday andthe day beforeand -oh, go away!”
“是，”我說，“昨天也是，前天也是--唉。你走開！”
“Did it hurt?” “很痛嗎？”她問。
“Did what hurt?” I wasexasperated with her, withmyself.
“什么？”我對她，對我自己都很惱火(exasperatewith 對…生氣)。
“When she died?” “她死的時候？”
“Of course it hurt!” I snapped, misunderstanding,wrappedup in myself.I strode off.
“當然痛了！”我怒氣沖沖地說(snap)，完全沉浸在自己的思緒中(wrap up in myself)。我誤會了她的意思。我大步走開了。
A month or so after that, when Inextwent to the beach, she wasn'tthere.Feelingguilty,ashamedandadmittingtomyself I missed her, Iwentup tothe cottageafter mywalkandknockedatthe door. A drawn lookingyoung womanwithhoney-colored hairopened the door.
大約一個月以后，我再次到海灘上去，她卻不在那兒。我感到自責和羞愧（guilty, ashamed），同時也承認(admit to)我有點想她了，于是就在散步之后走到那所房子前，敲了敲門。一個有著蜜色頭發(fā)（with honey-colored hair）、看上去很憔悴的女人(a drawn looking youngwoman)把門打開了。
“Hello,” I said. “I'm Ruth Peterson. I missed yourlittle girl today and wonderedwhereshe was.”
“你好。”我說，“我是魯思·彼得森。我很想念你的女兒，她在哪兒呢？”
“Oh yes, Mrs. Peterson, please come in.Wendytalked of youso much.I'm afraidI allowed her to bother you.If she was a nuisance, please, accept my apologies.”
“哦，是，彼得森太太，請進。溫迪經(jīng)常說起你。恐怕她給你添麻煩了。如果她打擾到了你，我向你道歉。”
“Not at all-she's adelightfulchild,” Isaid, suddenlyrealizingthatI meant it. “Where is she?”
“哪兒的話！她很可愛的。”我說著，突然意識到自己也真的是這么想的。“她在哪兒呢？”
“Wendy died last week, Mrs. Peterson. She had leukemia. Maybe she didn't tell you.”
“溫迪上周去世了，彼得森太太。她有白血病，可能她沒告訴你。”
Struck dumb, Igropedfora chair. My breathcaught.
我目瞪口呆，摸索(grope for)著找了一把椅子，感覺自己透不過氣來。
“She loved this beach; sowhenshe asked to come, wecouldn't say no. She seemedso muchbetterhere and had a lot ofwhatshe calledhappy days. Butthelast few weeks, she declined rapidly...” her voice faltered, “She left something for you...if only I can find it. Could youwait a momentwhileI look?”
“她喜歡這片海灘，所以當她請求我們到這兒來的時候，我們沒法說不。在這兒，她的情形好像改善了許多，她還說她過得很開心(had a lot of happy days)。但是上幾周(the last few weeks)，她的情況急劇惡化……”她的聲音顫抖起來(falter)，“她給你留了一樣東西。要是我能找到它就好了。你能稍等一下嗎？我這就去找。”
I nodded stupidly,my mindracingfor something, anything,tosay to this lovely young woman.
我呆呆地點點頭，心中急切地搜尋著(my mind racing for)此刻可以跟這位可愛的年輕女士講的詞句。
She handed measmeared envelope,withMRS. P printedin bold, childish letters.Inside was a drawing in brightcrayon hues-a yellow beach, a blue sea, and a brown bird.Underneathwascarefullyprinted:
她把一個字跡模糊的信封遞給了我。信封上“彼太太”這幾個字用得是孩子氣的黑體字。信封里是一張用亮色蠟筆畫的畫--黃色的海灘，藍色的海，還有一只棕色的鳥。下方認真地寫著：
A SANDPIPER TO BRING YOU JOY 磯鷂帶給你快樂。
Tears welled up in my eyes, and a heartthathadalmost forgotten to loveopened wide. ItookWendy's mother in my arms. “I'm so sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry,” I muttered over and over, and we wept together.
淚水涌上了我的眼睛(well up v. 涌出,涌現(xiàn))，一顆幾乎已經(jīng)忘記去愛的心扉開了。我擁抱了溫迪的母親(took Wendy's mother in my arms; I take sb in my arms.)，不停地小聲說道(mutter)：“對不起，對不起，對不起！”我們都哭了（weep-wept-wept）。
The precious littlepictureisframed now and hangsin my study. Six words - one foreach year of her life - that speak to me of harmony, courage, undemanding love. A gift from a childwithsea-blue eyesandhairthe color sand-whotaught me the gift of love.
我把這張寶貴的畫裱了框，掛在我的書房里。六個字，每一個字代表她生命里的一年。這六個字對我訴說著和諧、勇氣、無私的愛(undemanding love)。這個禮物來自一個眼睛碧藍似海、發(fā)色如沙的小女孩，是她教給了我愛的意義。
