精美英文欣赏:奇迹的价格(上)（在线收听）

the price of a miracle

奇迹的价格

Tess was a precocious eight-year-old girl when she heard her Mom and Dad talking about her little brother, Andrew.

听爸爸妈妈谈起小弟安德鲁的事情时，苔丝已是一个早熟的8岁小女孩。

All she knew was that he was very sick and they were completely out of money.

她只知道弟弟病得很厉害，父母却无钱给他医治。

They were moving to an apartment complex next month because Daddy didn't have the money for the doctor's bills and our house.

下个月他们要搬到一个公寓房，因为爸爸已经无力支付医药费和我们的房款。

Only a very costly surgery could save him now and it was looking like there was no-one to loan them the money.

“现在唯一可以救他的办法就是做手术，但手术费用非常昂贵，没有人肯借钱给我们。”

She heard Daddy say to her tearful Mother with whispered desperation, “Only a miracle can save him now.”

她听到爸爸对满含泪水的妈妈低声而绝望地说：“现在只有奇迹可以救他了。”

Tess went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet.

苔丝回到房间，从壁橱一个隐藏的地方拿出一个玻璃瓶子，

She poured all the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Three times, even. The total had to be exactly perfect. No chance here for mistakes.

把里面所有的零钱倒在地上并仔细数了3次，直到确定无误。

Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap,

她仔细地把硬币放回瓶子并把盖子拧好

she slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexall's Drug Store with the big red Indian Chief sign above the door.

悄悄地从后门溜出去，穿过六条街区，来到门上有红色印地安语大标志的Rexall药店。

She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention but he was too busy at this moment.

她耐心地等待着药剂师，可是药剂师非常忙，并没有注意她。

Tess twisted her feet to make a noise. Nothing. She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster. No good.

她耐心地等待着药剂师，可是药剂师非常忙，并没有注意她。

Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it!

最后，她从瓶子里拿出个2角5分的硬币摔在玻璃柜台上，弄出清脆的响声。成功了！

“And what do you want?” the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice.

“你需要点什么？”药剂师不耐烦地问，

“I'm talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven't seen in ages, “he said without waiting for a reply to his question.”

“我要去接我的弟弟，他从芝加哥来，我们很多年没见了。”他没等苔丝说话就接着说起来。

“Well, I want to talk to you about my brother,” Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone. “He's really, really sick... and I want to buy a miracle.”

“我要去接我的弟弟，他从芝加哥来，我们很多年没见了。”他没等苔丝说话就接着说起来。

“I beg your pardon?” said the pharmacist.

“你说什么？”药剂师问到，

“His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost?”

“他叫安德鲁，他病得很厉害，爸爸说现在只有奇迹能救他。所以，请问奇迹多少钱？”

“We don't sell miracles here, little girl. I'm sorry but I can't help you,” the pharmacist said, softening a little.

“我们这里不卖奇迹，小女孩，很抱歉不能帮助你，”药剂师稍带温和地说。

“Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn't enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs.”

“听着，我有很多钱，如果这里的不够，我就回去取剩下的，请告诉我奇迹多少钱？”