02-07-格林·盖布尔斯来的安妮 [1]
'
The child stopped crying. 'Will you please call me Cordelia
' she asked.
'Call you Cordelia
Is that your name
'
'Well, no, it isn't, but it's a very beautiful name, isn't it
I like to imagine my name is Cordelia, because my real name is Anne Shirley—and that's not a very interesting name, is it
'
Marilla shook her head. 'The child has too much imagina-tion, 'she thought.
Later, when Anne was in bed, Marilla said to her brother, 'She must go back to the children's home tomorrow. '
'Marilla, don't you think…'began Matthew. 'she's a nice little thing, you know. '
'Matthew Cuthbert, are you telling me that you want to keep her
'asked Marilla crossly.
Matthew looked uncomfortable. 'Well, she's clever, and interesting, and—'
'But we don't need a girl! '
'But perhaps she needs us, 'Matthew replied, surprisingly quickly for him. 'She's had a very unhappy life up to now, Marilla. She can help you in the house. I can get a boy from the village to help me on the farm. What do you think
'
Marilla thought for a long time. 'All right, 'she said in the end, 'I agree. The poor child can stay. I'll look after her. '
Matthew smiled happily. 'Be as good and kind to her as you can, Marilla. I think she needs a lot of love. '
■ 1 卡斯伯特兄妹俩大吃一惊
马修·卡斯伯特和妹妹玛丽拉住在加拿大爱德华太子岛上他们的农场里。他们的农舍——格林·盖布尔斯，就在埃文利小村外。马修年近六旬，留着褐色的长胡子。妹妹玛丽拉比他小5岁。他俩身材瘦高，长着深色的头发。埃文利村的每一个人都知道，卡斯伯特兄妹是默默无闻、勤勤恳恳的庄户人。
一天下午，马修驾着马车来到火车站。“5点半的火车到了吗？”他向站长询问道。
“已经到了，”站长回答。“有一位乘客正在等您，是一个小姑娘。”
“小姑娘？”马修问道，“但我是来接一个小男孩！那孤儿院给我们送来一个孤儿，我们准备收养他。你看，我还指望他帮忙干农活呢。”
“也许那孤儿院没有男孩子，所以他们给你送来一个小姑娘，”站长漫不经心地答道，“她来了。”
马修讪讪地转过身去面对那孩子。女孩大约十一岁，梳着两条粗粗的红色发辫，长满雀斑的小脸又瘦又白，上面有一双灰绿色的大眼睛。她戴着一顶褐色的旧帽子，衣服已小得不合身。
“您是格林·盖布尔斯的卡斯伯特先生吗？”她问道，嗓音清晰甜美。“我很高兴能来和你们生活在一起，成为您家的一员。您看，我还从来没有真正成为哪家的成员呢。孤儿院的人都很好，但住在那种地方一点也不好玩，不是吗？”
马修很同情这孩子。他怎么能告诉她这一切都搞错了？他总不能把女孩一个人留在火车站。他决定先把孩子带回家，让玛丽拉向小姑娘解释。
让马修感到吃惊的是，在回家的路上他感觉非常愉快。他是个沉默、腼腆、少言寡语的人。但今天，他只要听就足够了，因为这小姑娘不停地说呀，说呀，说呀。一路上她向马修讲述关于自己的一切。
“爸爸妈妈在我还很小的时候就去世了。您知道吗，过去这3年我不得不自己挣钱养活自己。我曾在3个家庭里照看过孩子。我总是很穷，一件漂亮衣服也没有。我总是想像自己正穿着最漂亮的蓝衣服，戴一顶插满花的大帽子，还有蓝色的鞋子，这时我多高兴啊！您也经常幻想吗？”
“这，我……我……偶尔，”马修答道。
这时马车经过路边的一排老苹果树。树上开满了雪白而芬芳的花朵。小女孩欣赏着。
“这些树多美呀！”她感叹道。“可我是不是说得太多了？如果是，请您告诉我。您知道，我会停止的。”
马修冲她笑笑答道：“你继续说吧，我喜欢听。”
当他们到格林·盖布尔斯的时候，玛丽拉到门口迎接他们。但当她看见小女孩时，她惊讶地叫道：“马修，她是谁？男孩在哪儿？”
“孤儿院弄错了，送来一个女孩，不是男孩。”他不高兴地说。
孩子先是仔细地听着，突然双手捂住脸哭了起来。
“你们——你们不要我！”她哭泣着。“噢——噢！因为我不是男孩你们不要我了！”
“哦，别哭，”玛丽拉和蔼地说。
“您不理解吗？这是我一辈子遇到的最糟糕的事情！”
“那好吧，你可以呆在这里，但只能呆一个晚上，”玛丽拉说。“你叫什么名字？”
孩子停止哭泣。“您能叫我科黛拉吗？”她问道。
“叫你科黛拉？那是你的名字吗？”
“不，不是的，但那名字很好听，不是吗？我喜欢幻想着我的名字叫科黛拉，因为我的真名叫安妮·雪利——那名字没什么意趣，不是吗？”
玛丽拉摇摇头，“这孩子太爱幻想了，”她心里暗想。
稍晚些，等安妮睡着以后，玛丽拉对哥哥说：“明天这孩子必须回孤儿院去。”
“玛丽拉，你不认为……”马修说道。“这小家伙挺可爱的。”
“马修·卡斯伯特，你难道是想让她留下？”玛丽拉生气地说。
马修一副不知所措的样子。“可是，这小姑娘聪明、有趣，而且……”
“但我们不需要女孩！”
“但也许她需要我们，”马修的回答来得出奇的快。“玛丽拉，这孩子到现在为止生活一直很不幸。她可以帮助你干些家务活。我可以从镇上找一个男孩子帮我干农活。你觉得怎么样？”
玛丽拉想了很久。“好吧，”她终于说，“我同意。这可怜的孩子可以留下。我会照顾她的。”
马修高兴地笑了。“尽可能对她好些，玛丽拉。我想这孩子太需要人疼爱了。”
■ 2 At Green Gables
And so the next morning Marilla said, 'Well, Anne, Matthew and I have decided to keep you, only if you're a good girl, of course. Why, child, what's the matter
'
'I'm crying, 'sobbed Anne, 'because I'm very happy! It's beautiful here! People say I'm very bad, but I'll try very hard to be good. Oh, thank you! Thank you! '
'Now stop crying, child, 'said Marilla a little crossly, 'and listen. We're going to adopt you, and send you to school after the summer holidays. '
Anne stopped crying. 'Can I call you Aunt Marilla
I've never had any family at all, so I'd really like to have an aunt. We could imagine that you're my mother's sister. '
'I couldn't, 'answered Marilla firmly.
'Don't you imagine things
'asked Anne, surprised.
'No, I don't, 'Marilla replied. 'I do my housework, and look after Matthew, and go to church on Sunday. There's no time for imagining things in this house. Just remember that, Anne. '
Anne was silent for a few minutes. Then she said, 'Marillam do you think I'll find a best friend in Avonlea
Someone who really understands me and knows all my secrets. I've always wanted a friend like that. '