The Railway Children
Chapter 1
The Beginning of Things
They were not
railway (鐵路) children
to begin with (起初).
I don’t suppose (我想……應該沒有)
they had ever thought
about railways (鐵路)
except as (除了把它當作)
a means of (一種……的方式)
getting to
Maskelyne and Cook’s
(馬斯基林與庫克魔術表演場),
the Pantomime
(英國傳統童話歌舞劇),
Zoological Gardens
(動物園),
and Madame Tussaud’s
(杜莎夫人蠟像館).
They were just
ordinary (普通的)
suburban (郊區的)
children,
and they lived
with their Father
and Mother
in an ordinary
red-brick-fronted
villa (紅磚外牆的別墅),
with colored glass (彩色玻璃)
in the front door,
a tiled passage (鋪著磁磚的走廊)
that was called a hall (門廳),
a bathroom
with hot and cold water,
electric bells (電鈴),
French windows (落地玻璃門窗),
and a good deal of (許多)
white paint,
and ‘every modern
convenience’ (各種現代化便利設施),
as the house-agents (房屋仲介) say.
There were three of them.
Roberta was the eldest (年紀最大的).
Of course,
Mothers never have
favorites (最偏愛的孩子),
but if their Mother
HAD had a favorite,
it might have been Roberta.
Next came Peter,
who wished (希望)
to be an Engineer (工程師)
when he grew up (長大);
and the youngest (年紀最小的)
was Phyllis,
who meant
extremely well (總是一片好心).
Mother did not spend
all her time
in paying dull calls (無聊的拜訪)
to dull (乏味的) ladies,
and sitting dully (無聊地)
at home
waiting for dull ladies
to pay calls (來拜訪)
to her.
She was almost always there,
ready to play
with the children,
and read to them,
and help them
to do
their home-lessons (家庭作業).
Besides this (除此之外)
she used to (過去常常)
write stories for them
while they were at school,
and read them aloud (大聲讀出來)
after tea (下午茶後),
and she always made up (創作)
funny pieces of poetry (有趣的詩)
for their birthdays
and for other
great occasions (重要場合),
such as the christening (命名儀式)
of the new kittens (小貓),
or the refurnishing (重新布置)
of the doll’s house (娃娃屋),
or the time
when they were
getting over
the mumps
(腮腺炎快要康復的時候).
The End
The Railway Children
Chapter 1
The Beginning of Things
They were not
railway (鐵路) children
to begin with (起初).
I don’t suppose (我想……應該沒有)
they had ever thought
about railways (鐵路)
except as (除了把它當作)
a means of (一種……的方式)
getting to Maskelyne
and Cook’s (馬斯基林與庫克魔術表演場),
the Pantomime (英國傳統童話歌舞劇),
Zoological Gardens (動物園),
and Madame Tussaud’s (杜莎夫人蠟像館).
They were just
ordinary (普通的)
suburban (郊區的) children,
and they lived
with their Father and Mother
in an ordinary
red-brick-fronted
villa (紅磚外牆的別墅),
with colored glass (彩色玻璃)
in the front door,
a tiled passage (鋪著磁磚的走廊)
that was called a hall (門廳),
a bathroom
with hot and cold water,
electric bells (電鈴),
French windows (落地玻璃門窗),
and a good deal of (許多)
white paint,
and ‘every modern
convenience’ (各種現代化便利設施),
as the house-agents (房屋仲介) say.
There were three of them.
Roberta was the eldest (年紀最大的).
Of course,
Mothers never have
favorites (最偏愛的孩子),
but if their Mother
HAD had a favorite,
it might have been Roberta.
Next came Peter,
who wished (希望)
to be an Engineer (工程師)
when he grew up (長大);
and the youngest (年紀最小的)
was Phyllis,
who meant
extremely well (總是一片好心).
Mother did not spend
all her time
in paying dull calls (無聊的拜訪)
to dull (乏味的) ladies,
and sitting dully (無聊地)
at home
waiting for dull ladies
to pay calls (來拜訪)
to her.
She was almost always there,
ready to play
with the children,
and read to them,
and help them
to do
their home-lessons (家庭作業).
Besides this (除此之外)
she used to (過去常常)
write stories for them
while they were at school,
and read them aloud (大聲讀出來)
after tea (下午茶後),
and she always made up (創作)
funny pieces of poetry (有趣的詩)
for their birthdays
and for other
great occasions (重要場合),
such as the christening (命名儀式)
of the new kittens (小貓),
or the refurnishing (重新布置)
of the doll’s house (娃娃屋),
or the time
when they were
getting over
the mumps (腮腺炎快要康復的時候).