Tony worked and worked. He got up at six every morning. He worked on the farm until four o'clock in the afternoon. But every minute of the day, music filled his mind.
托尼勤勤懇懇地干著活兒。他每天早晨6點(diǎn)起床,在農(nóng)場(chǎng)里一直工作到下午4點(diǎn)。然而,日間的每一分鐘,他的腦海里都充滿著音樂之聲。
At four o'clock he cycled to his piano lesson with Mr Gordon. He practised until seven o'clock, then he cycled back to the farm for supper. After supper he read Mr Gordon's music books. Often he fell asleep at the kitchen table.
他每天下午4點(diǎn)騎車到學(xué)校,上戈登先生的音樂課。他練琴一直練到7點(diǎn),然后再騎車回農(nóng)場(chǎng)吃晚餐。晚餐過后,他就閱讀戈登先生給他的音樂書籍。他常常一直看到趴在廚房的桌子上睡著。
At night, while he slept, his mind was still full of music. Small black notes danced in front of his eyes. When he woke up the music was still there. Tony lived in a world of music.
哪怕晚上睡覺的時(shí)候,他的腦子里面仍舊裝滿了音樂。小小的黑色音符在他眼前跳躍。等他醒來的時(shí)候,音樂也還在那兒繚繞不絕。托尼生活在一個(gè)音樂的世界里。
The leaves fell from the trees. Winter came. It was dark when Tony got up in the mornings. It was dark when he cycled to his piano lesson, and it was dark when he cycled back to the farm again. Sometimes it snowed. Then he had to walk to and from the school. But he never missed a lesson.
樹木落葉了,冬天來了。托尼每天早晨起床時(shí),天還沒亮;他騎車去上鋼琴課時(shí),天已經(jīng)黑了;他騎車回農(nóng)場(chǎng)時(shí)也仍舊伴著夜色。有時(shí)候天會(huì)下雪,他便不得不走去走回。但是他從沒有落過一次課。
'How's the boy getting on?' the farmer asked Mr Gordon one day.
“小家伙學(xué)得怎么樣了?”一天,農(nóng)場(chǎng)主問戈登先生。
'Very well,' said the teacher. 'But he's too quick for me. Soon he'll need a real teacher.'
“學(xué)得很好,”老師答道,“可是他學(xué)得太快了,我教不了他了。用不了多久,他就會(huì)需要一位真正的老師了。”
Spring came, and the trees were green again.
春天來了,樹葉又發(fā)出了綠芽。
'There's a music competition in the town on June 12th,' said Mr Gordon one evening.
“6月12日,城里有一場(chǎng)音樂比賽。”一天晚上戈登先生說道。
'Can I go and listen?' asked Tony.
“我能去聽聽嗎?”托尼問道。
'No,' said his teacher. 'I will go and listen. You are going to play in the competition.'
“不,”他的老師說道,“我去聽,而你要去參加比賽。”
'But I can't do that! I need to practise more. I'm not ready!' said Tony.
“可是我不行!我需要更多地練習(xí),我還沒有準(zhǔn)備好!”托尼嚷道。
'You will be ready,' said his teacher quietly.
“你會(huì)作好準(zhǔn)備的。”他的老師平靜地說。
Mr Gordon was a kind old man. But he made Tony practise for four hours every day. Another boy helped Mr Wood on the farm while Tony practised for the competition.
戈登先生是一位和藹的老人,但他要求托尼每天練習(xí)四個(gè)小時(shí)。托尼準(zhǔn)備比賽的時(shí)候,另有一個(gè)孩子幫著伍德先生干農(nóng)活。
'Two weeks to go before the competition,' said Mr Gordon one evening. 'Look, this is the programme.'
“距離比賽只有兩個(gè)星期了,”一天晚上,戈登先生說道,“看看節(jié)目單吧。”
The programme was big and beautiful and expensive. Tony looked for his name. He found it. 'Anthony Evans, aged 15. Piano.'
節(jié)目單很大,漂亮而且華貴。托尼尋找著自己的名字,它就在那兒。“安東尼·埃文斯,15歲。比賽項(xiàng)目:鋼琴。”
'Nobody calls me Anthony,' he said. 'Why can't they call me Tony?'
“沒有人叫我安東尼,”他詫異道,“他們?yōu)槭裁床荒芙形彝心?”
'Tony is a boy's name,' said Mr Gordon. 'Anthony is a man's name. Tony Evans was a farm boy. Anthony Evans is a musician. One day, Anthony Evans will be famous all over the world. And from today I'm going to call you Anthony.'
“托尼是用來稱呼孩子的,”戈登先生答道,“安東尼是大人的名字,過去的托尼·埃文斯是個(gè)鄉(xiāng)下孩子,現(xiàn)在的安東尼·埃文斯是一位音樂家。有朝一日,安東尼·埃文斯將會(huì)舉世聞名。從今天開始,我要叫你安東尼。”
On the morning of the competition Mr and Mrs Wood and Anthony went into town in the car. While Mr Wood had a drink with some friends, Mrs Wood took Anthony shopping. She bought him a new brown suit and a new white shirt. Then she took him into a shoe shop — and Pip's father sold her some new shoes for Anthony.
比賽那天的早晨,伍德夫婦和安東尼一起坐著汽車進(jìn)了城。伍德先生和一些朋友去喝酒,伍德太太則帶著安東尼去買衣服。她給安東尼買了一件嶄新的褐色外套和一件白色的新襯衫,然后她又帶著安東尼進(jìn)了一家鞋店——皮普的父親幫她給安東尼挑了雙新皮鞋。
They were beautiful shoes. They shone like glass and Mrs Wood liked them very much. The shoes were too small and they hurt Anthony's feet. But he did not say anything — what could he say?
皮鞋很漂亮,鞋面光可鑒人,伍德太太很喜歡??墒切×?,把安東尼的腳擠得生疼。但他什么也沒說——他能說什么呢?
Mrs Wood paid for the shoes, and Pip's father put them in a box.
伍德太太付了鞋錢,皮普的父親把皮鞋放到盒子里。
'I hear you're playing in the music competition tonight,' he said to Anthony. 'I saw your name in the programme. Anthony Evans — it sounds wonderful. Good luck!'
“我聽說你要參加今晚的音樂比賽,”他對(duì)安東尼說道,“我在節(jié)目單上看到了你的名字。安東尼·埃文斯一一聽起來真帥。祝你好運(yùn)!”
In the evening the Wood family and Anthony drove to Mr Gordon's house. Mr Gordon came out. He was wearing his best suit.
晚上,伍德一家和安東尼開車到了戈登先生的住處。戈登先生一身盛裝地走出門來。
'You look wonderful, Mr Gordon!' laughed Mrs Wood. 'Are you getting married?'
“你看起來可真精神,戈登先生!”伍德太太笑著說道,“是要當(dāng)新郎官嗎?”
The old man got into the car and they all drove to the competition. The Woods went to their seats, but Mr Gordon took Anthony through the stage door. He took him to a room behind the stage. A lot of musicians were waiting there. The women were wearing long dresses. The men were wearing evening suits. Nobody spoke to Anthony.
老人坐進(jìn)汽車,他們一起驅(qū)車去比賽的地方。伍德一家找到他們的座位,戈登先生則領(lǐng)著安東尼穿過劇院后門來到后臺(tái)的一個(gè)房間。不少音樂家都等在那里,女士們身著長裙,男士們則穿著晚禮服。沒有人搭理安東尼。
'Goodbye, my boy,' said Mr Gordon, 'and good luck.'
“再會(huì),我的孩子,”戈登先生說道,“祝你好運(yùn)。”
Anthony sat in the waiting room for a long time. His feet hurt. They burned like fire. His hands felt cold. They were shaking. From a long way away he heard the sound of a piano. Every few minutes a man came in and called someone's name. After a long time the man came in and said, 'Mr Evans, please.' Anthony did not move. Nobody usually called him Mr Evans!
安東尼坐在房間里等了好久,他的腳生疼,感覺火辣辣的。他的手冷冰冰的,瑟瑟發(fā)抖。他聽見從很遠(yuǎn)的地方有琴聲傳來。有個(gè)人每隔幾分鐘就進(jìn)來報(bào)個(gè)名字。過了好久,這個(gè)人進(jìn)來叫道:“埃文斯先生,請(qǐng)上場(chǎng)。”安東尼沒有動(dòng)。平??蓮臎]有人叫他埃文斯先生!
'Mr Anthony Evans, please!' said the man again. 'Come along — we haven't got all night!'
“安東尼·埃文斯先生,請(qǐng)上場(chǎng)!”那人重復(fù)道,“快點(diǎn),我們可等不了你一晚上!”
Anthony got up. 'Oh, my feet hurt!' he thought. He followed the man up some stairs. 'I'm walking like Charlie Chaplin,' he thought. 'Everybody will laugh at me.'
安東尼站起身來。“天哪,我的腳可真疼!”他心想。他跟著那人上了幾級(jí)樓梯。“我走路的樣子簡直就像查理·卓別林,”他想,“所有人都會(huì)笑話我的。”
He walked on to the stage and sat down at the big piano. The dark wood shone like glass. He could see his face in it. He turned round and looked at the sea of faces. He could not see the Wood family. He could not see Mr Gordon. But suddenly Anthony felt their love and their kindness. His feet stopped hurting, his hands stopped shaking. He touched the piano. It was much bigger than the old piano in the classroom. The keys looked very clean and new. He wanted to touch them.
他走上舞臺(tái),坐在那架巨大的鋼琴前。深色的木頭亮得像鏡面一樣,能照出他的臉。他轉(zhuǎn)過身來,看著臺(tái)下的人山人海。他看不到伍德一家坐在哪兒,也找不著戈登先生。但他忽然間感覺到了他們的愛與心意。他的腳不疼了,手也不抖了。他碰了碰鋼琴,這臺(tái)鋼琴比鄉(xiāng)下教室里那臺(tái)舊的可大多了,琴鍵看上去很干凈,是嶄新的。他很想去觸摸那些琴鍵。
'Well,' he said to himself, 'of course I want to touch them. That's why I'm here!' And he began to play. He forgot about himself. He forgot about all the strange people in the theatre, and he just played for his friends. He played for Mr and Mrs Wood. He played for Linda. He played for Mr Gordon. And he played for old Mrs Lark.
“是的,”他心想,“我當(dāng)然想觸摸它們,我就是為此而來的!”于是,他開始演奏,他完全忘記了自己的存在,忘記了劇院里的陌生人群,他只為自己的朋友們演奏。他為伍德先生和伍德太太演奏,為琳達(dá)演奏,為戈登先生演奏,也為年邁的拉克夫人演奏。
'Where are you now, Mrs Lark?' he thought. 'Do you remember Tony Evans? You gave us a lot of happiness, Mrs Lark. Thank you. Thank you.' His hands flew over the piano keys. Beautiful sounds filled the theatre.
“這會(huì)兒您在哪兒呢,拉克夫人?”他心想,“您還記得那個(gè)叫托尼·埃文斯的孩子嗎?您給我們帶來了那么多的歡樂,拉克夫人,謝謝您,謝謝您。”他的雙手在琴鍵上飛舞,美妙的樂聲充滿了整個(gè)劇院。
'He's going to win the competition,' Mr Gordon said to himself. 'And this is the happiest day of my life.'
“他會(huì)贏得這場(chǎng)比賽的,”戈登先生對(duì)自己說道,“這是我一生中最高興的一天。”
And Anthony won the competition. He knew that he was the winner because he saw his photograph in the newspaper the next day. But he could not remember anything about it. All he remembered was his feet.
安東尼確實(shí)贏得了這場(chǎng)比賽。他是第二天在報(bào)紙上看到了自己的照片才知道自己贏了的。但他什么也不記得了,只記得自己的腳痛。
When he got out of the car, he could not walk. His new shoes hurt him too much. Mr Wood helped him into the kitchen while Mrs Wood filled an old tin bath with warm water. Linda took Anthony's shoes off. His feet were very hot and red. He put them in the warm water.
當(dāng)他邁出車子的時(shí)候,他一步也走不動(dòng)了,新鞋子實(shí)在太擠腳了。伍德先生扶著他走進(jìn)廚房,伍德太太則用一只舊錫盆盛滿熱水。琳達(dá)幫安東尼把鞋子脫下來,他的腳紅腫發(fā)燙。他把腳放到熱水里。
'This is wonderful,' he said.
“真舒服。”他說道。
'You've won!' shouted Mrs Wood. 'Forget about your feet, boy — you've won the competition! This is the most important night in your life!'
“你贏了!”伍德太太嚷道,“孩子,忘掉你的腳痛吧,你贏了這場(chǎng)比賽啊!這是你一生當(dāng)中最重要的一個(gè)晚上!”
But Anthony was too tired to answer. They helped him up to bed, and he slept until nine o'clock the next morning.
但是安東尼已經(jīng)疲倦得說不出話來。他們扶著他上了床,他一直睡到第二天早上9點(diǎn)。
Linda brought him breakfast in bed. He felt very strange and uncomfortable. 'I've never had breakfast in bed before,' he told her.
琳達(dá)將早餐給他送到床上。他感覺怪怪的,很不自在。“我以前從來沒有在床上吃過早餐。”他對(duì)她說。