Papa's New Pants
爸爸的新褲子
Papa saw purple pants at the market. He told the shopkeeper, "We're having a picnic tomorrow. I must have those pants."
爸爸在商場看中了一條紫色的褲子，便對老闆說：“我們明天要去野餐，我一定要買下這條褲子。”
When Papa tried them on, the shopkeeper said, "A perfect fit. A little long, but don't worry. They need to be shortened only the length of a thumb."
他穿上褲子試了一下，老闆評價道：“真合身。稍微有點兒長， 不過別擔心，只要裁掉拇指那麼長就行了。”
Papa paid for them and went home. He asked his wife, "Can you hem my new pants before the picnic tomorrow? They need to be shortened only the length of a thumb. I'd do it myself, but I make such a mess when I sew ."
爸爸付錢買下褲子，回家去了。他問媽媽：“你可不可以趕在明天野餐之前幫我把新褲子扦一下褲邊呢？只需要裁掉拇指那麼長就行了。我本來想自己動手的，不過我每次做針線活兒都會弄得一團糟。”
Mama said, "Can't you see how busy I am? If we're going to have a picnic, first I must bake the cakes. Then I must cut tomatoes and cucumbers for the salad."
媽媽回答道：“你沒看見我有多忙嗎？咱們要去野餐的話，我得先把蛋糕烤好，還得把番茄和黃瓜切好，這樣才能做蔬菜沙拉。”
I can see how busy you are. Papa sighed. "I'll ask Nina."
“我知道你有多忙了，”爸爸嘆了口氣，“那我去問問尼娜吧。”
He found his oldest daughter going out the door with her satchel . "Nina, can you shorten my pants for tomorrow? They need to be cut only the length of a thumb."
他看見大女兒正揹著書包向門外走去。“尼娜，你可以幫爸爸把褲子改短一點嗎？我明天穿。只需要剪掉拇指那麼長就行了。”
Oh, Papa, Nina said, "look at this list Mama gave me. First I must go to the baker's and order fresh pita for tomorrow. Then I must buy drinks at the grocery store. Ask one of the twins."
“噢，爸爸，”尼娜說，“看看媽媽給我的購物清單。我得先去麵包店為明天的野餐預訂一些新鮮的空心圓麵包，接著還要去雜貨店買飲料。你讓雙胞胎中的哪個幫你弄一下吧。”
The twins were in their bedroom. Margot was braiding Becky's hair.
雙胞胎在她們的臥室裡，瑪戈正在給貝姬編辮子。
Can one of you fix my pants for the picnic? asked Papa. "They need to be shortened only the length of a thumb."
“你們誰能幫爸爸扦一下褲邊嗎？我明天要穿去野餐，”爸爸問道，“只需要裁掉拇指那麼長就行了。”
We want to look pretty for the picnic, Becky said. "When Margot finishes my hair, I'm going to braid hers."
“我們正在為明天的野餐梳妝打扮呢，”貝姬說，“瑪戈幫我編好辮子以後，我還要幫她編呢。”
Max tugged at his father's sleeve. "Let me shorten them. I know what to do."
馬克斯拽了拽爸爸的袖子。“讓我裁吧，我知道該怎麼弄。”
Nonsense, said Papa, laughing. You're too little."
“胡說，”爸爸笑著說，“你還太小吶。”
Papa was disappointed he wouldn't be able to wear his new pants to the picnic. He went outside to water the garden.
爸爸不能穿著新褲子去野餐了，他感到很失望，就到外面給花圃澆水去了。
Max lifted the pants off the hook. I'll show Papa that I'm not too young. After measuring the length of his thumb, Max cut a purple strip from each leg. Snip, snip. Then he folded the cut edges inside and stitched them with thread from Mama's sewing box. When Max hung the pants back on the hook in Papa's bedroom, he thought they looked as good as new.
馬克斯把爸爸的褲子從掛衣鉤上取了下來。我要向爸爸證明自己並不小。他先用拇指量了一下長度，然後從每條褲腿上剪下一塊紫色布料。咔嚓，咔嚓。接著他把剪好的褲邊摺進去，從媽媽的針線盒裡拿出針線把它們縫好。當馬克斯重新把褲子掛回爸爸臥室裡的掛衣鉤上時，他覺得這條褲子看起來就像新買的一樣好。
Papa is going to think we're selfish, Margot said to her sister. "Why don't we take a rest from this braiding? You hem one leg, and I'll hem the other."
“爸爸會覺得咱們很自私，”瑪戈對妹妹說，“要不咱倆先別編辮子了，一人負責縫一條褲腿怎麼樣？”
Becky agreed.
貝姬同意了。
Each girl measured the length of her thumb. Snip, snip. Off came a purple strip from the left leg. Snip, snip. Off came a strip from the right. They folded the rough edges under and, with purple thread from the sewing box, hemmed the pants.
她倆每人都用拇指量好長度。咔嚓，咔嚓。一條紫色布料從左邊褲腿上掉了下來。咔嚓，咔嚓。又一條紫色布料從右邊褲腿上掉了下來。她們把參差不齊的褲邊摺進去，從針線盒中取出紫色的線把褲邊縫好。
Don't say a word! said Becky. "It will be a surprise."
“一個字都不許說哦！”貝姬說，“這是一個驚喜。”
When Nina came home from shopping, the pants were back on their hook. I hope Papa didn't think I was rude, rushing off like that. I can fix them now. Nina measured the length of her thumb. Snip, snip. When she finished hemming the pants, she returned them to Papa's room.
當尼娜採購完回到家時，褲子又重新被掛回了衣鉤上。尼娜想，剛剛我急匆匆地就跑了，希望爸爸不會覺得我很沒禮貌，現在我有時間縫褲邊了。尼娜用拇指比劃了一下。咔嚓，咔嚓。她把褲邊縫好以後，又把褲子放回了爸爸的房間。
After everyone had gone to sleep, Mama put the last of the food in the refrigerator. She sat down to rest. Poor Papa, she thought. I'll fix those pants so he can wear them tomorrow. She snipped and stitched until the job was done.
大家都睡了，媽媽把準備好的最後一部分野餐放進冰箱，這才坐下來休息。可憐的爸爸，她心想，我幫他把褲子改改吧，這樣他明天就能穿了。媽媽剪剪縫縫，直到把褲子改好。
When Papa woke up in the morning, he saw his new pants and sighed. Maybe no one will notice they're a bit too long, he thought. He pulled the pants on. What's going on here? He wondered. The family found him standing in front of the mirror.
爸爸早上醒來看到自己的新褲子，嘆了口氣。他想，也許沒人會注意到這褲子有點兒長吧。他穿上了新褲子。可現在這是怎麼回事呢？爸爸很納悶。全家人都看見爸爸站在鏡子前面。
Papa, what happened to your pants? everyone asked.
“爸爸，你的褲子是怎麼回事兒呀？”大家都問他。
I just took off a bit, Max said.
“我只剪短了一點點。”馬克斯說。
You? Papa asked us to shorten them, the twins said.
“你？爸爸叫我倆改來著。”雙胞胎說。
You also shortened them? said Nina. "So did I."
“你們也把這條褲子改短了？”尼娜問，“我也改了呀。”
And so did I! Mama said, suppressing a laugh.
“還有我！”媽媽補充道，忍著沒笑出聲來。
Oh, Papa, what will you do? Nina cried. "We can't make them longer."
“噢，爸爸，那你要怎麼辦呢？”尼娜大聲喊道，“我們也沒法把褲子改長了呀。”
Papa laughed so hard that tears rolled down his cheeks. When at last he could speak, he said, "Nobody wanted to disappoint me. What a great family I have."
爸爸笑得眼淚都順著臉頰流下來了。等他終於止住笑可以說話時，他說：“你們每個人都不想讓我失望，我擁有一個多麼棒的家庭呀！”
Wait, said Margot. "I have an idea. If everyone helps, we can have those pants ready in time."
“等等，”瑪戈說，“我有一個主意。如果大家都來幫忙的話，我們還來得及把褲子改好。”
Max ran for the sewing basket. The twins measured and cut. Mama hemmed the left leg, Nina the right. When they finished sewing, Mama said, "Go try on your new shorts."
馬克斯跑去拿針線筐，雙胞胎量尺寸做裁剪，媽媽給左邊的褲腿縫邊，尼娜負責右邊。兩人把褲子縫好後，媽媽對爸爸說：“快去試試你的新短褲。”
Papa went into the bedroom to put them on, then came back out.
爸爸走進臥室把短褲換上，然後走了出來。
Max said, "Shorts are great to wear to a picnic."
馬克斯說：“穿短褲去野餐才合適呢。”
Perfect, Papa agreed.
“簡直是太完美了！”爸爸表示贊同。
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