026 杰瑞的规则

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As I've said, Jerry Barker believed in having Sundays off

正如我说过的，杰瑞·巴克认为周日应该休息。

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Spending time with his family was worth more to him than any money he might earn

对他来说，陪伴家人的时光比任何能赚到的钱都更宝贵。

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One day he was hitching me to the cab when a gentleman walked into the stable yard

一天，他正把我套到马车上时，一位绅士走进了马厩院子。

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I recognized the man. We often carried him and his wife around town

我认出了那个人。我们经常载着他和他的妻子在镇上各处走。

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" Good morning, Mr. Briggs," Jerry said politely

“早上好，布里格斯先生，”杰瑞礼貌地说道。

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" Good morning," the gentleman replied

“早上好，”那位绅士回答。

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" I came to offer you a business arrangement

“我来是想跟你谈个生意安排。

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Mrs. Briggs and I have decided to try a new church, and it's too far to walk

布里格斯太太和我决定去一家新教堂看看，但走过去太远了。

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We'd like to have you drive us there each Sunday morning."

我们想让你每个周日上午都送我们过去。”

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" Thank you, sir," Jerry said." But I'm afraid I can't. I never work on Sundays."

“谢谢您，先生，”杰瑞说，“但恐怕不行。我周日从不工作。”

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" I understand, but of course we'd pay extra for your trouble," Mr. Briggs said

“我理解，但我们当然会为你的麻烦额外付钱，”布里格斯先生说。

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" It would only be a short trip."

“只是很短一段路。”

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Jerry shook his head." I'm sorry, sir

杰瑞摇了摇头。“对不起，先生。

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I used to work seven days a week, and it was miserable

我以前一周工作七天，那日子很难熬。

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Year in and year out, never a day's rest for me or the horses

年复一年，我和马从没有一天休息。

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I didn't get to spend any time with my wife and children

我根本没有时间陪妻子和孩子。

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For the past five years I've made it a rule not to work on Sundays, and we're all happier than we've ever been."

过去五年我一直把周日不工作当作规矩，我们全家比以往任何时候都快乐。”

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" I see." Mr. Briggs frowned." I suppose I'll have to find another cab."

“我明白了。”布里格斯先生皱起眉头。“看来我得另找一辆马车了。”

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He walked away, and Jerry gave me a pat

他走开了，杰瑞拍了拍我。

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" I'm afraid I've disappointed him, Jack," he said

“恐怕我让他失望了，杰克，”他说。

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" But we can't give up our Sundays."

“但我们不能放弃周日休息。”

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When Polly came outside, he told her what had happened

波莉出来后，他把事情的经过告诉了她。

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" It was difficult to say no," Jerry said

“说‘不’很难。”杰瑞说。

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" Mrs. Briggs is one of my best customers

“布里格斯夫人是我最好的顾客之一。

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She often goes shopping or visiting for hours at a time, and always pays the whole fare without arguing

她经常出去购物或做客，一去就是好几个小时，而且从不讲价，总是全价付清。

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She's never in a hurry, and driving her around is easy work for the horses

她从来不着急，拉着她四处转转对马来说也是个轻松活儿。

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We might lose her as a customer because of this. What do you think, Polly?"

我们可能会因为这个失去她这个顾客。你觉得呢，波莉？”

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" I think you did the right thing," Polly said

“我觉得你做得对。”波莉说。

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" I remember how things were when you worked all the time

“我还记得你以前整天工作的日子。

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I wouldn't go back to those days even if you earned twice what you do now!"

就算你挣的钱是现在的两倍，我也不愿意再回到那种日子去！”

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For three weeks after that, we saw no sign of Mrs. Briggs

在那之后的三周里，我们都没见到布里格斯夫人的踪影。

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I could tell Jerry missed both her company and her fares

我看得出杰瑞既想念她的陪伴，也惦记那份车费。

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One evening Polly announced that a servant had come that day to ask Jerry to pick up Mrs. Briggs the next morning

一天晚上，波莉说当天有个仆人来过，让杰瑞第二天早上去接布里格斯夫人。

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" I said you would, of course," Polly said

“我当然说你会去的，”波莉说道。

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" But I also said I was surprised, since we thought Mrs. Briggs had hired someone else."

“但我也说很意外，因为我们以为布里格斯夫人已经雇了别人。”

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" What did the servant say?" Jerry asked

“仆人怎么说？”杰瑞问道。

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" He said Mr. Briggs was annoyed that you wouldn't work on Sundays, so he'd been trying other cabs," Polly reported

“他说布里格斯先生因为你周日不肯工作很恼火，所以一直在试别的马车，”波莉转述道。

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" But Mrs. Briggs wasn't happy with any of them

“但布里格斯夫人对哪一辆都不满意。

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Some drove too fast, some too slow, and none were as nice and clean as yours

有的跑得太快，有的太慢，哪一辆都不如你的干净整洁。

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So she insisted they hire you again!"

所以她坚持要他们再来雇你！”

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Jerry was glad to have his favorite customer back

能再次为最喜欢的老主顾服务，杰瑞很高兴。

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He was just as glad he'd stood by his decision not to work on Sundays

他同样庆幸自己坚持了周日不工作的决定。

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But one day soon after that, he made an exception to his Sunday rule

但之后不久的一天，他却为自己的周日规矩破了一次例。

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A neighbor needed a ride out into the country to visit her dying mother, and he agreed to take her

一位邻居需要搭车去乡下探望她病危的母亲，杰瑞答应载她去。

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" It's the right thing to do," Polly agreed when he told her

“这是应该做的，”他把事情告诉波莉时，波莉也赞同。

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" Poor Dinah has no other option

“可怜的黛娜没有别的办法。”

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And we should always try to treat others as we'd like to be treated

我们总该设身处地为别人着想。

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I would certainly appreciate a ride to visit my own mother if I needed it."

要是我需要搭车去看我自己的母亲，我肯定会非常感激。”

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I was chosen for the journey, and we set out

我被选中执行这趟旅程，于是我们就出发了。

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I was tired from the work week, but Jerry had borrowed a lighter cart for the trip

忙碌了一周，我有些疲惫，好在杰瑞为这次出行借了一辆比较轻便的马车。

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After the heavy four-wheeled cab, it felt easy to pull

比起沉重的四轮出租马车，这辆车拉起来感觉轻松多了。

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It was a fine May day, and it was nice to leave the city behind and breathe the fresh country air

那是个晴朗的五月天，离开城市，呼吸着乡间新鲜的空气，感觉真好。

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Dinah's family lived in a small farmhouse

黛娜的家人住在一座小小的农舍里。

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Two cows were grazing peacefully in the grassy field behind it

农舍后面的草地上，两头奶牛正安详地吃着草。

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" You can tie your horse in the cowshed while you wait," a young man said

“您可以把马拴在牛棚里等着，”一个年轻人说。

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" I wish we had a better stable to offer you."

“真希望我们能有个好点的马厩给您用。”

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" If your cows wouldn't mind, I'm sure there's nothing my horse would like better than an hour or two out in the grass," Jerry said

“只要你们的奶牛不介意，我相信我的马最喜欢的事，莫过于在草地上待上一两个小时了，”杰瑞说。

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The young man agreed gladly

年轻人欣然同意了。

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Jerry led me into the field, removed my harness, and set me free

杰瑞把我牵到田里，卸下马具，让我自由活动。

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I could hardly believe my good fortune!

我简直不敢相信自己运气这么好！

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At first I wasn't sure what to do. Should I graze? Roll in the soft grass?

一开始，我竟不知该做什么。是该吃草呢？还是在柔软的草地上打个滚？

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Lie down to rest? Or gallop across the field out of sheer freedom?

是躺下来休息？还是纯粹为了享受自由，在田野上飞奔一番？

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I did all those things

我把所有这些事都做了个遍。

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Jerry smiled as he watched me, and I knew he was glad we had come — even on a Sunday

杰瑞看着我，面带微笑，我知道他很高兴我们来了——即便是在周日。