A Spring Coat for Sarah
薩拉的春裝
One winter-thawing morning in March, Sarah put on her old spring coat to go out and play.
三月的一天早晨，冬意褪去，薩拉穿上她那件舊春裝，準備出去玩兒。
These buttons don't work, Sarah said to Mama.
“這些釦子扣不上了。”薩拉對媽媽說。
Why, Sarah, you've sprouted up like a primrose in spring! Mama said. "After your sisters leave for school, we'll check the hand-me-downs for a coat that fits."
“哎呀，薩拉，你長得可真快，像春天的報春花一樣！”媽媽說，“等你姐姐她們去上學了，我們好好翻一下她們穿過的衣服，給你找件合適的。”
When the house was quiet, Mama went to the hall closet and pulled out all the old spring coats. But ...
等家裡安靜下來後，媽媽來到門廳的壁櫥前，把所有舊春裝都掏了出來。不過……
Sylvia's were too big, Susan's too stained, and Sally's too tattered . The coats were fine for play. But ...
西爾維婭的春裝太大了，蘇珊的春裝上面有很多洗不掉的汙漬， 薩莉的春裝又太破舊了。這些衣服穿著出去玩兒倒是還可以。可是……
Sarah has no coat for church and town and special occasions, Mama told Papa when he came in from the barn.
“薩拉沒有衣服可以穿去做禮拜、進城或者參加一些特殊的場合。”爸爸從穀倉走進屋裡時媽媽對他說。
Papa sat down at the table. "The cows can't be milked till after thecalves are born," he said. "Are you sure Sarah can't wear a hand-me- down?"
爸爸在桌邊坐了下來。“只有等奶牛產下小牛才能擠牛奶賣錢啊，”他說，“你確定她穿不了她姐姐們的舊衣服嗎？”
It's either a new coat or a ragged coat, Mama said.
“她姐姐們的衣服要麼是還沒穿過的，要麼就是已經穿破了的。”媽媽說。
Papa frowned. He stared out at the empty calf pasture.
爸爸皺起了眉頭，盯著屋外那空蕩蕩的牛犢牧場。
Mama said, "Sarah has never had a new coat."
媽媽說：“薩拉還從沒穿過一件新衣服呢。”
For a long while nobody spoke. The fire in the wood stove crackled. The soup in the kettle sputtered .
接下來的很長一段時間裡都沒有人說話。柴火爐裡的火焰噼啪作響，壺裡的湯四處亂濺。
At last Mama said, "Papa, how much can one small coat for our Sarah cost?"
最後，媽媽問：“孩子他爸，給我們薩拉買一件小衣服能花多少錢呢？”
Sarah looked closely at Papa.
薩拉緊盯著爸爸。
Then Papa cleared his throat. "A ragged coat won't do," he said. "Sarah, are you old enough to take care of a new coat?"
接著，爸爸清了清嗓子。“不能讓薩拉穿一件破破爛爛的衣服，”他說，“薩拉，你是不是已經長大了，可以愛惜新衣服了？”
Yes, Papa, Sarah said. "I'm old enough to do almost anything."
“是的，爸爸，”薩拉回答道，“我已經長大了，幾乎什麼事兒都能做。”
Papa gave her a serious look. "Very well," he said. "While we are in town today, we'll buy you a coat of your very own."
爸爸認真地看了她一眼。“很好，”他說，“今天進城以後，我們給你買一件只屬於你自己的衣服。”
Later, after they had eaten the soup, Papa backed the old automobile out of the garage, and Mama and Sarah climbed in. Sarah sat in the back so she would feel older.
過了一會兒，等大家都喝過湯，爸爸就把那輛舊車從車庫裡倒了出來，媽媽和薩拉坐了進去。薩拉坐在了後排，這樣她就會覺得自己長大了不少。
Papa drove past farms with muddy-brown barnyards, sheets flapping on clotheslines, sap buckets on every maple tree.
爸爸開車駛過一座座帶有暗棕色穀倉小院的農場，只見一條條床單在晾衣繩上飄動著，每棵楓樹上都掛著用邊材製成的木桶。
When they got to town, Papa parked their car. He put a penny in the meter, and they all went inside the store.
到了城裡，爸爸把車停好，往停車計時收費器裡投了一便士，然後三個人一起走進了商店。
Inside was gloomy; racks of coats seemed to rustle and whisper like the bats that flew out of the barn at night.
商店裡一片昏暗，一排排貨架上的衣服似乎在沙沙作響、竊竊私語，就像夜晚從穀倉裡飛出來的蝙蝠一樣。
A tall, skinny salesclerk in a black suit and bow tie sidled up to them. "May I assist you?" he asked.
一位售貨員悄無聲息地向他們走了過來，他個子高挑，身材瘦削，穿著一套黑色西裝，打著一個蝶形領結。“有什麼需要幫忙的嗎？”他問道。
Our Sarah needs a good coat, Papa said.
“我們的薩拉需要一件好衣服。”爸爸說。
A spring coat for church and special occasions, Mama added.
“要一件去做禮拜或參加特殊場合可以穿的春裝。”媽媽補充道。
Spring coat, you say? The clerk slipped a measuring tape from around his neck.
“你說的是春裝嗎？”售貨員把掛在自己脖子上的一條皮尺拽了下來。
Stand tall, miss-sseee, he said, squatting to measure her.
“抬頭挺胸，小——姑——娘。”他說著蹲了下來給薩拉量尺寸。
Sarah stood very still.
薩拉站在那兒一動不動。
Oh, dear, said the clerk. "Oh, dear, dear, dear." He wagged his head. "Small …"
“喔，天哪，”售貨員說，“喔，天哪，天哪，天哪。”他搖了搖頭。“小號……”
The clerk gave a great sigh as he stood. "Small," he said again, as if Sarah were a very tiny toad. "In small we have chocolate, cerulean , and charcoal ."
售貨員站起來的時候深深地嘆了一口氣。“小號。”他又說了一遍，好像薩拉是一隻非常小的蟾蜍。“小號衣服的話，我們有巧克力色、天藍色和深灰色可以選擇。”
But all Sarah could see were brown and blue and black coats. Nothing so wonderful as chocolate or cerulean.
但是薩拉能看到的無非是棕色、藍色和黑色的衣服，根本沒有巧克力色或天藍色那麼漂亮的顏色。
We'll try the brown one, Mama said to the clerk.
“那我們就試試棕色的那件吧。”媽媽對售貨員說。
The chocolate one it is, he said, whisking it off the hanger.
“那是巧克力色。”他說道，並迅速把它從衣架上取了下來。
But it wasn't chocolate at all. It was muddy, barnyard brown. Sarah looked down at the oily wood floor.
可這件衣服根本就不是巧克力色。而是像泥濘的穀倉小院那樣的棕色。薩拉低下了頭，看著沾滿油汙的木地板。
Sarah, the clerk is waiting, Papa said.
“薩拉，售貨員在等著呢。”爸爸說。
Sarah slid her arms into the sleeves. The coat swallowed her up, devouring her hands. She stood in front of the mirror. "I look like a barnyard," she mumbled. Her chin began to quiver .
薩拉把胳膊伸進袖子裡。她的身子一下子就被那件衣服包了個嚴嚴實實，兩隻手也完全被蓋住了。她站到了鏡子前。“我看起來就像個穀倉小院。”她咕噥著，下巴開始微微顫動。
Perhaps the blue, said Mama, gently.
“要不試試藍色的那件吧。”媽媽溫柔地說。
Cer-OO-lee-aan, the clerk corrected. But when he slid the blue coat from its hanger, there on the rack behind all of the dark coats, hidden like a spring flower in winter darkness, there, as if by magic, was a pink coat.
“那是天——藍——色。”售貨員糾正道。但就在他把那件藍色的衣服從衣架上拿下來時，在所有深色衣服後面的架子上，像變魔術似的出現了一件粉色的衣服，它就像在冬天的黑暗中隱藏著的一朵春天的花兒。
A pink coat! Sarah cried. "I want the pink coat."
“那兒有件粉色的衣服！”薩拉大叫道，“我想要那件粉色的衣服。”
That coat is smaller than the other ones, Papa said.
“那件衣服比其他的號要小。”爸爸說。
Sarah spoke up. "I'm small, too. The clerk said so. Papa, please let me try it on. Mama? Please?"
薩拉大聲地說：“我也穿小號呀，售貨員就是這麼說的。爸爸， 求你讓我試一下粉色的那件吧。媽媽？好不好？”
It wouldn't hurt to let her try it on, Mama said.
“讓她試一下也沒什麼大不了的。”媽媽說。
Without a word, the clerk took the coat from its hanger and held it for Sarah.
售貨員一句話也沒說，把那件衣服從衣架上取了下來，遞給薩拉。
Ohhh! Sarah said. The coat was slippery and shiny inside like her sister Sylvia's blouses. "Ahhh!" The coat was softer than a new flannel nightgown. There was lace all around the collar, and by the top button, right under her chin, were flowers—tiny ones like the wild primroses that grew behind the woodshed.
“哦！”薩拉說。這件衣服的內裡光滑發亮，和她姐姐西爾維婭的那些襯衫一樣。“啊！”這件衣服比新買的法蘭絨睡袍還要柔軟。領子上有一圈蕾絲花邊，而且她下巴正下方最靠上的那顆紐扣周圍有很多小花——那一朵朵小花就像柴房後面長著的那些野生報春花。
Sarah stood very still and looked in the mirror. She stared for a very long time. In the pink coat she looked like a spring flower.
薩拉站在那裡一動不動，端詳著鏡子中的自己。穿著粉色衣服的她看起來就像是一朵春天的花兒。
Sarah! Mama said.
“薩拉！”媽媽說。
Sarah looked up. Mama was standing behind her. She was holding the brown coat.
薩拉抬起頭來，媽媽正站在她身後，手裡拿著那件棕色的衣服。
I'm afraid the pink coat will only fit one year, Mama said, taking a step closer.
“恐怕這件粉色的衣服你只能穿一年。”媽媽說著走近了一步。
And there's no one to pass it on to, said Papa.
“而且沒人能接著穿這件衣服。”爸爸說。
And the clerk said, "It's wise to practice thrift and economy."
售貨員說：“還是要講求勤儉節約呀。”
Sarah backed away. No one was going to turn her into an ugly barnyard again. She wanted to be a flower.
薩拉向後退了退。誰也不能再把她變成一個醜陋的穀倉小院了， 她要做一朵花兒。
Sarah! It was Papa. He came over to her and knelt down. "You're old enough to know that you can't always have your own way," he said sternly.
“薩拉！”是爸爸的聲音。他來到她的身邊，跪在地板上。“你已經長大了，不可以老是想怎麼樣就怎麼樣。”爸爸嚴厲地說道。
Wise and true, said the clerk.
“言之有理。”售貨員說。
Sarah slipped one arm from a sleeve.
薩拉把一隻胳膊從袖子裡褪了出來。
It is her color, though, Mama said.
“不過，粉色倒是適合她。”媽媽說。
Ahh, said the clerk. "Anyone can see how the pink of the coat brings out the roses in her cheeks."
“啊，”售貨員說，“誰都能看出來這件衣服粉紅的顏色襯得她面若桃花。”
It does have an ample hem and deep seams, Mama said. "Don't forget how good I am at taking down hems and letting out seams."
“這件衣服的褶邊真寬，線縫也縫得特別靠裡，”媽媽說，“別忘了我可是非常擅長把褶邊弄窄、把線縫往外挪些尺寸的。”
Papa looked thoughtful for a moment and rubbed his chin. He looked from the brown coat to the pink coat. "The cows will give milk soon enough," he said. "But how can we let Sarah wear a brown coat when she looks like a flower in this one?"
爸爸看起來深思了一會兒，然後摸了摸下巴。他看了看那件棕色的衣服，又看了看那件粉色的衣服。“奶牛馬上就要產奶了，”他說，“不過既然薩拉穿上這件粉色衣服看起來像一朵花兒，我們怎麼能讓她穿那件棕色的呢？”
Papa! Sarah cried, slipping her arm back into the empty sleeve. She threw her arms around Papa's neck. "I do look like a flower, don't I?" she whispered.
“爸爸！”薩拉尖叫道，把胳膊又伸進那條空空的袖子裡。她用胳膊摟著爸爸的脖子。“我看起來真的就像一朵花兒，是吧？”她小聲 說。
Like a primrose in spring, Papa said.
“就像春天的一朵報春花。”爸爸說。
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