帕特里克·斯图尔特爵士 | 倾情献声《我们的记忆（17-21）》

十七

We’d actually got out alive! We were somewhere deep in the countryside. There was a homely looking cottage. The old couple who lived there were both wearing black and white. Our red clothes stood out a mile and we worried they’d turn us in.

我们活着出来了！我们流落到郊野深处，附近有一间普通的小屋。住在里面的老夫妇都穿着黑白相间的衣服，我们的红衣服太过显眼，我们也担心他们会拒绝我们。

But they brought us indoors. They showed us to their attic and gave us a meal. But we couldn’t help thinking about her grandpa at home. He wasn’t safe and warm at that moment. The next day the old couple were concerned as they waved us off. We were returning to the city for her grandpa, facing almost certain death.

但他们让我们进屋了，他们把我们领到了阁楼上，并用食物款待了我们。但我们还是禁不住想起她的爷爷，那一刻他既不温饱，又不安全。第二天，老夫妇友善地跟我们挥手道别。即使要面对必死的命运，我们还是决定返回城里去找她的爷爷。

十八

Her grandfather was gone forever, and we were alone, underground, hiding away from the horrible noises above. What was going on up there? Though the odds were terrible, the people fought back. Even though some said it was hopeless and much too late. Their weapons were puny compared with their oppressors’, but their spirits hadn’t been  totally crushed.

她的爷爷永远地离开了。我们孤独地藏在地下，躲避着地面上那些恐怖的声音。上面在发生什么？尽管没有胜算，但大人们还在反击，即使有人说毫无希望为时已晚。他们的武器与压迫者相比微不足道，但他们的精神没有崩溃。

They fought on but there was no escape in the end. The last of the red folk were rounded up and taken away. We heard terrible noises as we squeezed through the sewers. I heard the full story much later. I also heard that there was truth in the old rumours we’d heard of the people beyond the wall, people who could change your color.

他们继续战斗着，然而身后并没有退路。最后一个红人被包围，被带走。当我们挤下水道时，听到了可怕的声音。许久之后，我听到完整的故事。我还听说了关于围墙外那些人旧传闻真相——可以改变你颜色的人！

十九

We found the little girl and she told us her tale. She used to live in the orphanage, where Janusz was in charge. And she had stayed right there with the kids as he had promised. When the robots came to take them away, he refused to leave their aside. He held their hands as they all stood together, then the robot guards led them all away. Even though the resistance could have saved Janusz. Even though he could have escaped, he kept his promise. And he went along with the children into the flying train.

我们找到了那个小女孩儿，她给我们讲了她的故事。她曾经生活在Janusz所负责的孤儿院。他留在那里陪着孩子们，正如他所承诺的那样。当机器人来带走孩子们时，他拒绝抛下他们。他牵着孩子们的手，与他们站在一起，然后机器人警卫就把他们全部都带走了。尽管抵抗组织本有机会营救Janusz，尽管他本有机会可以逃走，但他遵守了承诺。他与孩子们一起进入了飞翔的火车。

It took off and none of them were ever seen again. But this little girl - she was the only one who got away. And now she was talking about a couple on the other side of the wall. Somehow she knew that if she could get to them they would adopt her and perhaps change her colour, and then she would be safe. Her eyes brimmed with hopeful tears as she said:"Maybe they would adopt you two as well?"

它开动了，人们从此再也没有见过他们。但这个小女孩儿——她是唯一幸免于难的人。现在，她正在诉说着围墙另一侧的一对夫妇。她知道如果她能找到他们，他们会收养她，可能还会改变她的颜色，那样她就会安全了。她眼里泛着希望的泪光说道：“也许他们也会收养你俩？”

二十

The couple were keen to make my friend part of their lives. I was so glad for her. She would be safe at last in the world beyond the wall. But there was only room for one child, so it was time for the two of us to part. We had come through so much together. She took out the photograph of the two of us, the one that had been taken on the last day before the invasion. She tore it in two so we’d both have half, to remind us of each other. Then she went away and I never saw her again.

这对夫妇渴望让我的朋友走进并成为他们生活的一部分。我替她感到高兴，她终于在墙外的世界安全了。但那里只能容纳一个孩子，所以我们是时候分开了。我们一起经历了那么多。她取出了我们俩的照片，我们在敌人入侵前一天拍的照片。她把它撕成两半，一人一半，这样我们就能永远记住彼此了。然后她走了，我再也没有见过她。

After that I had many more adventures, of course, but that is all a story for another time, perhaps. And maybe one day - I told the girl in my bookstore - you will hear it, my dear. She was looking at me, thunderstruck:” I’ve heard that story before!” She said, “about the girl and the boy and - the photograph from my grandma...” Downstairs, the shop doorbell rang.

当然了，在那之后我还经历了更多的冒险，但剩下的故事恐怕要改天再讲起了。也许有一天，我会告诉书店里的小女孩儿，你会听到的，亲爱的。她惊愕地看着我，“我听过这个故事！”她说，“关于那个女孩儿和男孩儿，还有那张照片。”这时候，楼下书店的门铃响了。

二十一

There was some kind of magic at work, perhaps. Magic that brought her grandmother to my door that every night. We went downstairs and I saw her waiting. At first, I frozen. The girl pushed me closer, and then I recognised my friend. We hugged and all that time simply dropped away.

也许是某种魔法生效了，恰好是那个夜晚，魔法将她的祖母带到了我的门前。我们下楼，看到了正在门前等待的她。一开始，我这个人都僵住了。女孩儿将我向前推，随后我认出了我的朋友。我们拥抱在一起，那些时光均已消逝。

After all the adventure and the changes that everyone must face we were the same two kids all over again. That’s what I mean when I say life can be still surprise us on even every ordinary days. And now my story is done. I dedicate it to anyone who’s been forced to part from their loved ones, and who has survived long enough to see them again.

在每个人都必须去面对的所有历险和变故结束之后，我们依然是那两个孩子。这就是我为什么说，即使在平凡的日子里生活也会带给我们惊喜。现在我的故事讲完了，我把它献给那些被迫离开自己今生至爱，并活了足够长的时间才能见到他们的人！

艾琳娜·森德勒 （Irena Sendler）——波兰的“女辛德勒”，曾冒死从纳粹手中救下2500多名犹太儿童。她建立了一个帮助犹太儿童逃跑的网络，并利用“社会工作者”的身份进入犹太人区，连续18个月，每天冒着生命危险，来回集中营数次，每次掩护几个孩子离开，将2500多名犹太儿童藏在担架下、手提箱里、甚至棺材、尸体袋中，甚至后来她把有些孩子装成生了传染病的样子，用救护车运走，偷偷带出了犹太人区，送往天主教会。在帮助这些孩子逃离后，她还设法为他们伪造姓名及出生证明，并将他们送到福利院，或寄养到波兰的平民家庭中。2006年7月30日，96岁高龄的艾琳娜在德国慕尼黑举行的纪念仪式上接受荣誉勋章。2008年5月12日，艾琳娜在波兰逝世，享年98岁。