I worked in the garden for the first two days.The weather was hot and sunny.I liked working with Mr Duncan,and he was pleased with my work.
头两天我在园子里干活。天气晴朗而炎热。我很喜欢与邓肯先生一块儿干活,他对我干的活也很满意。
‘You're a good gardener,’he said.
你是个好园丁,他说。
‘I've always liked gardening,’I said.‘But I'm studying at college to be a farmer.’
我一向喜欢园艺。我说,但我现在正上大学,以便当个农夫。
Sometimes I saw Greta Ross.
我有时见到格里塔·罗斯。
‘She likes to be alone,’I thought.Once or twice I saw Greta go out with her painting things.She went up on the hills or down to the beach.
她喜欢一个人独处,我想。有一两次我看见格里塔带着画具出去了。她到山上或到海滩去。
Mr Duncan took me to the farm and I met Dan and Stella Parks.They were very friendly.
邓肯先生带我到农场去,我见到了丹·帕克斯和斯特拉·帕克斯。他们非常友好。
‘You can work on the farm for the next three days,'said Day Parks.‘Mr Duncan says you're a good gardener.Are you a good farmer,too?’
接下来的这三天你可以在农场干活。丹·帕克斯说,邓肯先生说你是个好园丁。你也是个好农夫吗?
I smiled at him.‘I am,’I said.
我朝他笑了笑。是的,我说。
He smiled back.
他回笑了笑。
So I worked on the farm with Mr and Mrs Parks.They were nice people.I helped with the cows and the chickens,and went up on the hills with Mr Parks and his dog to look after the sheep.
这样我就和帕克斯夫妇一起在农场干活了。他们是好人。我帮着照看奶牛和小母鸡,还和帕克斯先生及他的狗一起上山去照看羊群。
One afternoon I went out riding. Smoke was a big, lazy,friendly horse.I enjoyed riding and Smoke knew his way around the island very well.I learned new places to go to.
一天下午,我骑马出去。烟是一匹懒散而友善的大马。我喜欢骑马,烟对岛上的路很熟。我知道了些新的去处。
I rode along the cliff top and then in between some trees.When we came out of the trees, I saw the house from the other side.I tried to find the window of my room.Which one was it?
我骑马沿着峭壁顶部走,然后在树林中间穿行。当我们从树林中出来时,我看到了那幢房子的另一面。我想找出我房间的窗子。是哪一扇呢?
Suddenly,I saw a face at one of the windows.The face was looking at me.It was there for just a second or two,then it moved away quickly.
突然我看见一扇窗子旁有一张脸。那人正看着我。那人只在那儿呆了一瞬间,接着很快就挪开了。
‘Who was thst?’I thought.‘Was it Mr Ross?And which room was it?’
那是谁?我想,是罗斯先生吗?又是哪个房间呢?
I didn't see my mother very much that first week.She worked all day and in the evenings.She wrote letters to South America,Japan,Canada and Australia. Sometimes,she worked after I was in bed.
第一个星期我没怎么见到妈妈。她整个白天还有晚上都在工作。她给南非、日本、加拿大和澳大利亚写信。有时我睡了之后她还在工作。
‘Mr Ross works hard,'she told me.‘He invests money in many companies and countries.But it's not his money.’
罗斯先生工作很努力。她告诉我,他给很多公司和国家投资。可那不是他的钱。
‘It's not?’I was surprised by this.
不是他的钱?对此我很惊讶。
‘No,it's his wife's money.And she bought the island.It's her island,her house,her farm.Everything belongs to her.’
不是他的,是他妻子的钱。并且是她买了这个岛。这是她的岛屿,她的房子,她的农场。所有的东西都属于她。
‘How strange!But why does Mr Ross always look sad?And why does he never leave the island?’I asked.
多奇怪呀!可为什么罗斯先生总显得那么忧郁呢?为什么他从不离开这个岛呢?我问道。
‘I don't know,'said my mother.‘He says he likes it here and likes working on his farm.It's strange,I know.’
我不知道。妈妈说,他说他喜欢这儿,喜欢在他的农场里干活。我知道,这的确有点儿怪。
Sometimes,when I finished work,I walked along the beaches or the cliffs.Or I went swimming in the sea.I liked swimming.Greta Ross often came to the beach to swim,but Mr Ross never came.
有时干完活以后,我就沿着海滩或峭壁散步,或者去海里游泳。我喜欢游泳。格里塔·罗斯常到海边去游泳,但罗斯先生从来不去。
‘Stay away from the rocks,Carol,’Greta Ross told me.‘They're very dangerous.’
离礁石远些,卡罗尔。格里塔·罗斯告诉我,它们很危险。
‘I will,’I said.
好吧,我说。
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