A Christmas Surprise | 聖誕節的驚喜
It was two days before Christmas. Harry, Cornelius, Monty and I were busy building a snowman when Fritz appeared with his little niece Emily and introduced her.
那是聖誕節前兩天。哈利、科尼利厄斯、蒙蒂和我正忙著堆雪人，這時弗裡茨和他的小侄女艾米莉出現了，並向我們介紹了她。
“Emily is from the South and has never seen snow before,” Fritz told us. “She doesn’t know much about our winters.”
弗裡茨告訴我們：“艾米麗來自南方，以前從未見過雪。“她對這兒的冬天不太瞭解。”
It turned out that Emily didn’t know much about Christmas also. ”Who is Santa Claus, Waldo?” she asked me, shivering in the cold air.
艾米麗確實對聖誕節不太瞭解。“誰是聖誕老人，沃爾多？”她在冷空氣中顫慄著問我。
“Santa Claus,” I explained, “brings presents and toys to human children at Christmas time.”
“聖誕老人，”我解釋道，“在聖誕節給人類的孩子們帶來各種各樣的禮物和玩具。”
“Does he bring presents to animal children also?” Emily asked.
“他也給動物的孩子們帶禮物嗎？”艾米莉問。
“Well,” I said, “he hasn’t been around this part of the forest for many years. I guess he is too busy visiting all the human children to have much time left for animals.”
“好吧，”我說，“他已經很多年沒在這片森林裡呆過了。我猜想他太過忙於看望所有的人類孩子了而無暇顧及小動物們吧。”
“Do you think he will come if I write to him?” Emily asked.
“如果我寫信給他，你認為他會來嗎？”艾米莉問。
“I don’t think so,” said Monty. “I’ve never seen him, myself.”
“不大會吧，”蒙蒂說。“我自己也從沒見過他。”
“Neither have I,” Harry added, shaking his head.
“我也沒有，”哈利搖搖頭補充道。
“You see. Santa Claus is only for human children,” Fritz said to Emily. “So forget about the whole idea. Let’s go home now before you catch a cold.”
“你該知道聖誕老人只為了人類的孩子，”弗裡茨對埃米莉說。“所以忘掉這個想法吧。趕緊回家吧，免得感冒了。”
Early the next morning I saw Emily pulling Fritz toward the mailbox.
第二天一大早，我看見艾米莉拉著弗裡茨走向郵箱。
“I wrote a letter to Santa Claus,” she said, waving a large envelope, “and I asked him to come and bring me a present!”
“我給聖誕老人寫了一封信，”她揮舞著一個大信封說，“我叫他過來給我帶個禮物！”
“Good luck!” I said. “But don’t get your hopes up too high. I don’t want you to be disappointed if he doesn’t come.”
“祝你好運！“我說。“但不要抱太大希望。如果他不來，我希望你不要失望。”
“He will – you’ll see!” Emily cried.
“他會的-你會看到的！”艾米麗哭了。
Poor Emily, I thought. Christmas Day was tomorrow. She was setting herself up for a big disappointment. I was sure.
可憐的艾米麗，我想。明天就是聖誕節了。我想她一定會大失所望。我確定。
Suddenly I had an idea. If Emily wanted to see Santa, she would, I decided.
突然我有了個主意。如果艾米麗想見聖誕老人，她一定會見到的，我下定了主意。
I quickly went to town and bought a few things for a surprise. I was very pleased with my idea and could hardly wait to see Emily’s eyes on Christmas morning!
我很快就進城買了幾樣東西以備不時之需。我對自己的想法很滿意，迫不及待地想在聖誕節的早晨看到艾米麗的驚訝的眼神！
The next day, I got up very early to get ready. I put on the red Santa Claus suit that I had bought.
第二天，我很早就起床準備了。我穿上我買的紅色聖誕老人套裝。
I looked at myself in the mirror. I was delighted! Even my own mother wouldn’t have recognized me.
我看著鏡子裡的自己。我很高興！即使是我自己的母親也認不出我。
I put on my boots and tried out a few Ho, Ho, Hos. Then off I went, carrying a present for Emily.
我穿上靴子試了幾次。然後出發去給艾米麗派發禮物。
When I was near Fritz’s house, I noticed many other tracks in the snow leading to his front door.
當我到弗裡茨家附近的時候，我注意到雪地裡有許多別人的腳印通向他的前門。
I guessed Fritz was having a big Christmas party. It’s strange that I didn’t get an invitation, I thought. But it was Christmas, and Santa was always welcome on a day like that!
我猜弗裡茨一定在開一個盛大的聖誕派對。奇怪的是我沒有收到邀請。但那是聖誕節，在那樣的日子裡聖誕老人總是會受到歡迎的！
Then I knocked.
然後我敲門了。
I could hear little Emily’s footsteps coming to the door.
我能聽到小埃米莉的腳步聲越來越近。
“Hi, Waldo!” Emily cried as she opened the door. “I’m so happy you could come too. We were expecting you. Please come in.”
“嗨，沃爾多！”艾米麗開門時哭了起來。“我很高興你也能來。我們在等你。請進來。”
Expecting me? Waldo? How did she know it was me? Didn’t I look like Santa Claus?
在等我嗎？沃爾多？她怎麼知道是我？我不是看起來像聖誕老人嗎？
I didn’t even have the time to try out any of my Ho, Ho, Hos but followed her into the living room.
我甚至沒有時間試一下我的“呵呵，呵呵”，便跟著她進了客廳。
There were Fritz, Monty, Cornelius, and Harry, sitting on the sofa and having tea. And each one was dressed up as Santa Claus!
弗裡茨、蒙蒂、科尼利厄斯和哈利已經坐在沙發上喝茶。每個人都打扮成聖誕老人！
“We didn’t want Emily to be disappointed!” Monty explained.
“我們不希望艾米麗失望！蒙蒂解釋說。
“I know, I know!” I said. “I thought of the same surprise. Merry Christmas to all of you!”
“我明白了，我明白了！“我說。“我也想給她同樣的驚喜。祝大家聖誕快樂！”
Soon Emily opened all her presents. There was a beautiful jacket from Fritz, a pair of warm winter pants from Monty, a woolen cap from Harry, and mittens from Cornelius.
很快埃米莉打開了所有的禮物。弗裡茨送了一件漂亮的夾克，蒙蒂送了一條暖和的冬褲，哈里送了一頂羊毛帽子，科尼利厄斯送了一雙手套。
Then Emily opened my gift. “Oh, red boots – my favorite color!” she said happily. “Let’s all go outside and play in the snow. I won’t be cold now!” she added.
然後艾米莉打開了我的禮物。“哦，紅靴子——我最喜歡的顏色！”她高興地說。“我們都到外面雪地裡去玩吧。我現在不冷了！她補充道。
Suddenly there was a loud knock at the door.
突然有人大聲敲門。
“Who could that be?” asked Fritz. “Everybody is here already.”
“那可能是誰？弗裡茨問道。“大家都來了。”
We cautiously went to the door.
我們小心翼翼地走到門口。
But by the time Fritz opened the door, the visitor had already left. We could see the back of his sleigh disappearing behind the snow-covered tops of the fir trees.
但當弗裡茨開門時，這個神秘的客人已經離開了。我們看到他的雪橇正漸漸消失在覆蓋著雪的冷杉樹頂後。
“Santa Claus!” called Emily as loud as she could. But all we heard was a faint “Ho, ho, ho!”
“聖誕老人！”艾米麗大聲地叫道。但我們只聽到一聲微弱的“啊，啊，啊！”
“Look, he brought me a present!” Emily said. She pointed to a beautiful red sled. Hanging from it was a label that read FOR EMILY FROM SANTA CLAUS.
“瞧，他給我帶來了一份禮物！”艾米莉說。她指著一個漂亮的紅色雪橇。上面掛著一個標籤，上面寫著“FOR EMILY FROM SANTA CLAUS”。
“I knew he would come! I knew it!” cried Emily as she danced around her new sled.
“我就知道他會來的！我就知道！” 艾米麗在她的新雪橇周圍邊跳舞邊喊道。
This was certainly one of the best Christmas Days we had ever had! And Emily enjoyed riding on her special sled – pulled by five Santa Clauses!
這無疑是我們過得最棒的聖誕節之一！而艾米麗很享受這個由五個聖誕老人來拉動的特殊雪橇！
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