003 突然的离别

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The children were gathered around Mother

孩子们围在母亲身边。

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They had found out Father had to leave suddenly on business

他们得知父亲必须突然出差。

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But why was Mother so upset?

但母亲为什么如此心烦意乱？

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And when would Father be back?

父亲什么时候会回来呢？

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" Please don't ask me any questions about this," Mother said

"请不要再问我关于这件事的任何问题了，"母亲说。

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" I'm sorry, but I can't answer them

"对不起，我没法回答。

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And please don't ask anyone else either."

也请你们不要问其他任何人。"

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Peter looked down, his cheeks flushed

彼得低下头，脸颊涨得通红。

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" You'll promise, won't you?" said Mother

"你们会保证的，对吧？"母亲说。

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" I asked Ruth," said Peter." I'm very sorry."

"我问了露丝，"彼得说，"非常对不起。"

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" What did she say?" Mother asked

“她说了什么？”母亲问道。

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" She said we would find out soon."

“她说我们很快就会知道。”

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" You don't need to know anything," said Mother," because it's about business

“你们不需要知道任何事情，”母亲说，“因为那是公事。

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Do you understand business?"

你们懂公事吗？”

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" No," answered Bobbie

“不懂，”博比回答。

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" Is it something to do with the government?"

“是和政府有关的事吗？”

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Father worked for the government

父亲为政府工作。

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" Yes," said Mother

“是的，”母亲说。

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" And don't you worry, everything will be fine."

“别担心，一切都会好起来的。”

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" Don't you worry either, Mother!" said Phyllis

“母亲，你也别担心！”菲利斯说。

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" We'll be as good as gold!"

“我们会很乖的！”

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Mother sighed and kissed them, and they went to bed

母亲叹了口气，亲了亲他们，然后他们上床睡觉了。

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Over the next few weeks, Mother was often out

接下来的几周里，母亲经常外出。

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Aunt Emma came to visit

艾玛姑妈来家里做客了。

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Aunt Emma was much older than Mother

艾玛姑妈比母亲年长许多。

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She was always busy sewing clothes and wasn't much fun

她总是在忙着缝衣服，没什么意思。

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The children preferred the company of the servants, who were more amusing

孩子们更喜欢和仆人待在一起，他们更有趣。

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If the cook was in a good mood, she would sing silly songs

如果厨娘心情好，她会唱些傻乎乎的歌。

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One day Peter made a booby trap

有一天，彼得做了一个恶作剧陷阱。

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He balanced a pail of flour over the bathroom door

他把一桶面粉稳稳地放在了浴室门上方。

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When Ruth moved the door, flour fell on her head

露丝一推门，面粉就洒到了她头上。

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" You'll be in trouble!" Ruth said furiously

“你会有麻烦的！”露丝愤怒地说。

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" If you don't behave yourself, you'll end up where your precious father's gone!"

“如果你不守规矩，就会落得和你那宝贝父亲一样的下场！”

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Peter wondered what Ruth was talking about

彼得纳闷露丝在说些什么。

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One morning Mother came down to breakfast. She smiled

一天早上，母亲下楼来吃早餐。她面带微笑。

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" Now, my darlings," she said

“好了，我的宝贝们，”她说。

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" We're going to leave this house, and go and live in the country

“我们要离开这座房子，搬到乡下去住。

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We'll move into a little white house

我们会搬进一栋白色的小房子。

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I know you'll love it."

我知道你们会喜欢的。”

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A busy week followed, with everyone packing up things in boxes

接下来是忙碌的一周，大家都忙着把东西打包进箱子里。

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They packed crockery and carpets, saucepans and candlesticks

他们打包了陶器和地毯，炖锅和烛台。

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" Are you going to take this, Mother?" Bobbie asked

“妈妈，这个要带走吗？”芭比问。

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She pointed to a beautiful cabinet of wood and brass

她指着一个漂亮的木制镶铜柜子。

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" We can't take everything!" Mother exclaimed

“我们不可能什么都带走！”妈妈大声说。

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" But we seem to be taking all the ugly things," said Bobbie

“但我们好像带的全是难看的东西，”芭比说。

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" We're taking all the useful things," said Mother

“我们带的是所有有用的东西，”妈妈说。

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" We don't have as much money now, Bobbie."

“我们现在没那么多钱了，芭比。”

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The next day the children said good-bye to their house

第二天，孩子们告别了他们的房子。

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They went with Mother to the train station

他们和妈妈一起去了火车站。

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Aunt Emma waved good-bye from the platform

艾玛姑妈在站台上挥手告别。

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The children were glad they wouldn't see her again!

孩子们很高兴再也不用见到她了！

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They were taking the train to their new home

他们要坐火车去新家了。

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At first the children enjoyed looking out the train window

一开始，孩子们很喜欢看火车窗外。

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But as dusk came, they grew sleepier and sleepier

但随着暮色降临，他们越来越困。

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Later Mother gently woke them and said," We're here!"

后来妈妈轻轻地叫醒他们说：“我们到了！”

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Soon Bobbie, Phyllis, and Peter stood shivering with their mother on the windy platform

很快，芭比、菲莉丝和彼得和妈妈站在刮着风的站台上，冻得发抖。

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The train, puffing steam, left the station

火车喷着蒸汽，驶离了车站。

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The children watched it go

孩子们目送它远去。

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It was the first train they watched on the railway

这是他们在这条铁路上看的第一列火车。

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They didn't know it yet, but the railway would soon become very special to them

他们还不知道，但这条铁路很快就会对他们变得非常特别。

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" Come on," said Mother." We have to walk

“来吧，”妈妈说。“我们得走路了。”

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There aren't any taxis here."

这儿没有出租车。”

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A cart carried their luggage

一辆马车拉着他们的行李。

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The children and Mother walked behind the cart

孩子们和妈妈跟在马车后面走。

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The evening was dark and cold and the road was muddy

夜晚又黑又冷，道路泥泞不堪。

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Finally Mother spoke again

终于，妈妈又开口了。

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" There's the house," she said

“房子就在那儿，”她说。