VOA慢速英语2020 迷失的菲比

（单词翻译）

Old Henry Reifsneider and his wife Phoebe loved one another the way people do who have lived together a long, long time. They were simple farm people. Their world was their fruit trees, cornfield and backyard² with its pigs and chickens. The rest of the world was far away like stars in the sky. Sometimes, Henry worried about death. During his worries, he would raise his old voice and say: "Phoebe, where is my corn¹ pipe³? You are always taking things that belong to me." "Now you hush⁴, Henry," his wife would say, "if you keep talking like that, I will go away and then what would you do? There is nobody to look after you. Your corn pipe is on the table where you put it." Old Henry knew his wife would never leave him. The only leaving he feared was death. He often wondered how he could live without Phoebe. In the evening, when he went to the door to see that they were safely shut in, it warmed his heart to know Phoebe was there with him. When Henry moved during the night, she always spoke⁵ to him.

老亨利·雷夫斯奈德和妻子菲比相爱，就像那些在一起生活了很久的人一样。他们是淳朴的农民，他们的世界里是自己的果树、玉米地和后院，还有养的猪和鸡。世界的其他部分就像天上的星星一样遥远。有时，亨利担心死亡。在他担心时，会提高那苍老的声音说：“菲比，我的玉米烟斗呢？你总是拿走我的东西。”

"Now Henry, be quiet. You are as jumpy as a chicken." "Well, I cannot sleep, Phoebe." "If you stop rolling around so much, you will sleep. Then I can get some rest, too." Knowing she was there, beside him, in the dark, made Henry quiet again. When she wanted him to get a pail⁶ of water, Henry liked to say: "Do this, do that. Always asking me to do something, women are never satisfied⁷." Phoebe would smile. She could see the inner⁸ happiness⁹ shining in his eyes. Henry talked sharply¹⁰ but he never forgot to get water and wood for the fire. In this way, they lived happily in their simple world. One day, in the early spring, Phoebe became sick and died. Old Henry watched them put her body in the earth. Neighbors asked Henry to come and live with them but he would not leave. He wanted to be near the place where his Phoebe lay in the earth. He tried to walk around the farm but it was difficult to return to an empty house at night. At night, he read the newspaper but most of the time, he just sat, looking at the floor, wondering where Phoebe was and how soon he would die.

“现在你闭嘴，亨利，”他的妻子会说，“如果你继续这样说话，我就走了，那你该怎么办？没人照顾你。你的玉米烟斗就在桌子上。”老亨利知道妻子永远不会离开他，他唯一害怕的是死亡。他常常想知道，没有菲比他怎么能活下去。到了晚上，当他走到门口去看门是否关好时，知道菲比和他在一起，他心里感到很温暖。亨利晚上走动时，她总是和他说话。“现在亨利，安静点，你真是个胆小鬼。”“嗯，我睡不着觉，菲比。”“如果你不这么走来走去，就会睡着。那样我也能休息一下。”知道她在黑暗中陪在自己身边，亨利又安静了下来。当她想让他拿一桶水时，亨利会说：“做这个，干那个，总要我做点什么，女人永远不满足。”菲比会微笑，她能看到他眼中闪烁着内心的幸福。亨利言辞犀利，但他从不忘了给火做上些水，添些柴。他们就这样快乐地生活在简单的世界里。在早春的一天，菲比病了，然后去世了。老亨利看着他们把她的尸体埋在地里，邻居让亨利去和他们同住，但他不肯离开。他想靠近菲比安息的地方。他试图在农场里走动，但晚上回到一所空荡荡房子里去，实在很难办到。晚上，他看报纸。但大多数时间，他只是坐着，盯着地板，想知道菲比在哪里，他会多久死去。

For five months, he lived like this. Then there was a change. It happened one night after he had gone to bed. There was a bright moon in the sky. Its silver¹¹ light fell on the old chairs and table in the bedroom. The moonlight on the chair and the half-opened door made a shadow¹². The shadow looked like Phoebe. She was sitting by the table, the way she had done so many times before. "Phoebe," he called in a weak voice, "have you come back?" The shadow in the chair did not move. Henry got up and slowly walked toward¹³ it. When he came near the table, he saw that there was nothing on the chair but his old coat. Another night he thought he saw her again. He felt a soft wind blew in the room. When the wind blew away, the shadow of Phoebe went away, too. A third night, when he was sleeping, she came to the bed and put her hand on his head. "Poor Henry," she said gently¹⁴, "I am sorry you are alone." He awoke and was sure he saw her leave the room. Phoebe had come back. Night after night he waited. Then, one morning he awoke with a surprising new thought. Perhaps she was not dead. Perhaps Phoebe had just gone away. They had argued about the corn pipe and she had left the house. Yes, that was it. She was always making jokes about leaving him. This time, she had really gone. That morning, he started to walk to the nearest neighbors.

五个月来，他一直这样生活。后来发生了变化。事情发生在他上床后的一天晚上。那天，天空中有一轮明月，银色的月光照在卧室里的旧桌椅上。椅子上的月光和半开的门形成一个阴影。那影子看起来像是菲比，她就像以前那样坐在桌旁。“菲比，”他用微弱的声音喊道，“你回来了吗？”椅子上的影子一动不动。亨利站起来，慢慢地朝它走去。他走近桌子时，看到椅子上除了自己的旧外套外，什么也没有。又一个晚上，他以为又见到了她。他感到房间里刮起了一阵微风。风吹走时，菲比的影子也消失了。第三天晚上，他睡着时，她来到床上，把手放在他的头上。“可怜的亨利，”她温柔地说，“我很抱歉你现在一个人。”他醒来，确信看见她离开了房间。菲比回来了，他日夜等待。后来，有一天早上，他醒来时有了一个令人惊讶的新念头。也许她没死，也许菲比只是离开了。他们为玉米烟斗争吵过，之后她就离开了家。是的，就是这样。她总是开玩笑说要离开他。这次，她真的走了。那天早上，他开始向最近的邻居家走去。

"Why? Hello Henry," said farmer Dodge¹⁵ who was taking grain¹⁶ to market, "where are you going this morning?" "Have you seen Phoebe?" asked Henry. "Phoebe? Who?" Farmer Dodge knew Henry’s Phoebe was dead. "My Phoebe," Henry said sharply, "who do you think I mean?" "You must be joking," said Farmer Dodge, "you cannot be talking about your Phoebe. She is dead." "Dead? Not my Phoebe. She left me this morning while I was sleeping. We argued about my corn pipe last night and that is why she left. But I can find her. She went over to Matilda Race’s farm. Yes, that is where she is." Henry started to walk fast down the road. "The poor old man is sick in his mind," Dodge said to himself. "He has been living alone too long." Henry met no one until he reached Matilda's farm. His Phoebe and Matilda Race had been good friends. Phoebe must be here. He opened the gate and walked to the house. Matilda opened the door. "Why, Henry Reifsneider. What a surprise!" "Is Phoebe here?" Henry asked. "Phoebe? Which Phoebe?" "Why, my Phoebe, of course," Henry smiled a little, "you do not have to keep it a secret. She is here, isn't she?" He looked inside the house. "Well," Matilda Race said, "you poor old man. Come in and sit down while I get you some coffee and food. I will take you to Phoebe. I know where she is."

“为什么？你好，亨利，”农夫道奇说，他正在把粮食运往市场，“你今天早上要去哪里？”“你见过菲比吗？”亨利问。“菲比？谁？”农夫道奇知道亨利的妻子菲比去世了。“我的菲比，”亨利尖利地说，“你以为我是指谁？”“你一定是在开玩笑，”农夫道奇说，“你不能再谈论你的菲比了，她死了。”“死了？不是我的菲比。今天早上我睡觉时，她离开了我。昨晚我们为我的玉米烟斗争吵，所以她离开了，但我能找到她。她去了玛蒂尔达的农场。是的，她就在那儿。”亨利开始沿着路快步疾行。“那个可怜的老人脑子有病，”道奇自言自语。“他一个人住太久了。”亨利到了马蒂尔达农场后，才看到人。他的菲比和玛蒂尔达是好朋友。菲比一定在这儿。他打开门，向房子走去。玛蒂尔达打开了门。“为什么，亨利·雷夫斯内德。真是个惊喜！”“菲比在这儿吗？”亨利问。“菲比？哪个菲比？”“为什么，当然是我的菲比，”亨利微微一笑，“你不必保守秘密，她在这儿，对吗？”他往屋里看了看。“好吧，”玛蒂尔达·瑞斯说，“你这个可怜的老头，进来坐会，我给你拿些咖啡和食物。我带你去菲比那，我知道她在哪里。”

While Matilda worked in the kitchen, she talked to Henry, but he was not listening. He was thinking¹⁷ about Phoebe. He decided¹⁸ she was not there. "I will go now," he said, getting up, "I think she went over to the Murray Farm." Then he was out on the road again. It was like this for many weeks. Every night he returned to his house to see if Phoebe had come back. Soon everyone in the area knew old Henry and answered his questions. "I have not seen her," they would say, or "No Henry, she has not been here today." For several years, Henry walked in the sun and rain, looking for Phoebe. His white hair grew longer and longer. His black hat was the brown color of the earth and his clothes were dusty¹⁹ and torn²⁰. It was in the seventh year of looking when Henry came to Red Hill. It was late at night and he was tired and sleepy. Years of walking and very little food had made him thin. Each passing year seemed to bring him closer to Phoebe. Tonight, he felt that Phoebe was nearer than she had ever been before.

玛蒂尔达在厨房工作时，她和亨利说话，但他没听。他在想菲比，他认定她不在那里。“我现在要走了，”他说着站起身来，“我想她去了默里农场。”然后他又上路了。好几个星期都是这样，每天晚上他都回到家里，看看菲比是否回来了。不久，这个地区的每个人都认识了老亨利，并回答了他的问题。“我没见过她，”他们会说，“不，亨利，她今天没来过这儿。”几年来，亨利在风雨中行走，寻找菲比。他的白发越来越长，黑帽子是土褐色的，衣服上满是灰尘，破破烂烂的。亨利来到红山时，已经是第七年了。夜深了，他又累又困。多年的步行，再加上很少进食，让他很消瘦。每过一年，他似乎都离菲比更近了。今晚，他觉得菲比相比以前离自己更近了。

After a while, he fell asleep with his head resting on his knees. When he awoke, it was still dark. The moon shone brightly through the trees. Henry saw a light move across the road. It danced thought the woods. Was it Phoebe? He jumped up. He was sure he could see her in that light. Yes, there she was. The young Phoebe he had known²¹ many years ago. Suddenly, he remembered her young beauty²², her warm friendly smile, the blue dress she had worn²³ the day he first met her. "Phoebe," he called, "Have you really come? Have you really answered me?" He began to feel young and strong again. He ran to follow the moving light. Then a soft wind blew through the leaves and she was gone. "Phoebe," he cried, "Do not leave me. Please, please stay with me."

过了一会儿，他头枕着膝盖睡着了。他醒来时，还是一片漆黑，月光明亮地穿过树林。亨利看见马路对面有一盏灯在移动，它在树林里跳舞。那是菲比吗？他跳了起来，确信在那种光线下他能看见她。是的，她就在那儿。他多年前认识的那个年轻的菲比。突然，他想起她年轻时的美丽，她热情友好的微笑，他第一次见到她那天穿的蓝色衣服。“菲比，”他喊道，“你真的来了吗？你真的回答我了吗？”他开始感觉自己年轻又强壮，他跟着移动的灯光奔跑。随后，一阵微风吹过树叶，她走了。“菲比，”他喊道，“别离开我，求你了，请留下来陪我。”

He ran as fast as his old legs would go. When he came to the top of the hill, he looked down into the valley²⁴ of shadows²⁵ below. Tears²⁶ of happiness came into his eyes when he saw Phoebe again. Yes, there she was, down in the valley, smiling up at him. She was in the same blue dress. She waved a hand and seemed to say, "Come. Come with me." Henry felt the strong pull of a new world where he and Phoebe would always be together. He gave a happy cry, "Wait, Phoebe, wait, I’m coming." The next day, some farmer boys found Henry at the bottom²⁷ of the hill. His body was broken²⁸. There was a soft, happy smile on his face. The same smile he had known when Phoebe was alive.

他竭尽全力用那老旧的双腿快跑。当他来到山顶时，他向下面布满阴影的山谷望去。当他再次见到菲比时，眼中涌出幸福的泪水。是的，她就在那儿，站在山谷里向他微笑。她穿着同样的蓝色连衣裙，挥了挥手，似乎在说：“来吧，跟我来。”亨利感受到了新世界的强大影响力，他和菲比将永远在一起。他高兴地喊道：“等等，菲比，等等，我来了。”第二天，一些农场里的小伙子在山脚下发现了亨利。他的身体已经伤残了，脸上带着温柔、幸福的微笑，和菲比活着时的笑容一样。