真正的珍珠項鏈(The Real Pearl Necklace )

何思逸 選譯Jenny was a bright-eyed, pretty five-year-old girl.One day when she and her mother were checking out at the grocery store, Jenny saw a plastic pearl necklace priced at $2.50. How she wanted that necklace, and when she asked her mother if she would buy it for her, her mother said, 「Well, it is a pretty necklace, but it costs an awful lot of money. I"ll tell you what. I"ll buy you the necklace, and when we get home we can make up a list of chores that you can do to pay for the necklace.And don』t forget that for your birthday Grandma just might give you a whole dollar bill, too. Okay?」 Jenny agreed, and her mother bought the pearl necklace for her.Jenny worked on her chores very hard every day, and sure enough, her grandma gave her a brand-new dollar bill for her birthday. Soon Jenny had paid off the pearls. How Jenny loved those pearls. She wore them everywhere to kindergarten, bed and when she went out with her mother to run errands.The only time she didn』t wear them was in the shower. Her mother had told her that they would turn her neck green!Jenny had a very loving daddy. When Jenny went to bed, he would get up from his favorite chair every night and read Jenny her favorite story.One night when he finished the story, he said, 「Jenny, do you love me? 」「Oh yes, Daddy, you know I love you, 」 the little girl said.「Well, then, give me your pearls. 」「Oh! Daddy, not my pearls!」 Jenny said. 「But you can have Rosy, my favorite doll. Remember her? You gave her to me last year for my birthday. And you can have her tea party outfit , too. Okay? 」「Oh no, darling, that"s okay.」Her father brushed her cheek with a kiss. 「Good night, little one. 」A week later, her father once again asked Jenny after her story, 「Do you love me? 」「Oh yes, Daddy, you know I love you. 」「Well, then, give me your pearls. 」「Oh, Daddy, not my pearls! But you can have Ribbons, my toy horse. Do you remember her? She』s my favorite. Her hair is so soft, and you can play with it and braid it and everything. You can have Ribbons if you want her, Daddy,」 the little girl said to her father.「No, that"s okay,」 her father said and brushed her cheek again with a kiss. 「God bless you, little one. Sweet dreams. 」Several days later, when Jenny』s father came in to read her a story, Jenny was sitting on her bed and her lip was trembling .「 Here, Daddy, 」 she said, and held out her hand. She opened it and her beloved pearl necklace was inside. She let it slip into her father』s hand.With one hand her father held the plastic pearls and the other he pulled out of his pocket a blue velvet box. Inside of the box were real, genuine , beautiful pearls. He had had them all along. He was waiting for Jenny to give up the cheap stuff so he could give her the real thing.五歲的珍妮長著一雙明亮的眼睛，是個非常漂亮的女孩。一天，珍妮和媽媽正在雜貨店結賬，這時她看見了一串標價為2.5美元的塑料珍珠項鏈。她實在太想要這串項鏈了！她問媽媽是否可以為她買下項鏈，媽媽說：「嗯，這項鏈很漂亮，不過它要花很多很多錢哪。我倒是有個主意。我幫你買下項鏈，回家後，我們列張清單，看看你能做哪些家務活兒來償還這串項鏈的錢。還有別忘了，祖母在你生日的時候可能會給你整整一美元哦。好嗎？」珍妮點頭答應，她媽媽就為她買下了這串珍珠項鏈。珍妮每天都非常努力地做家務，當然了，她過生日時祖母給了她一張簇新的一美元。沒過多久，珍妮就還清了買珍珠項鏈的錢。珍妮對這串項鏈愛不釋手。不管是去幼兒園、上床睡覺，還是和媽媽一起出門辦事，她隨時隨地都帶著它。只有洗澡的時候，她才會把項鏈取下來。媽媽告訴她，那樣項鏈會把她的脖子染成綠色！珍妮的爸爸非常愛她。每晚珍妮上床睡覺的時候，他都會離開他最愛的座椅，給珍妮讀她喜歡的故事。一天，爸爸讀完了故事，問道：「珍妮，你愛我嗎？」「哦當然了，爸爸，你知道我愛你，」小女孩回答說。「嗯，那把你的珍珠項鏈給我吧。」「啊！爸爸，珍珠項鏈不能給！」珍妮說。「但是你可以拿走蘿茜，那是我最心愛的玩具娃娃。你還記得她嗎？是你去年送我的生日禮物。你還可以把她的茶會服裝也拿走。好嗎？」「哦不用了，親愛的，沒關係。」爸爸親了親她的臉頰。「晚安，小寶貝。」一周之後，爸爸給珍妮讀完故事又問她。「你愛我嗎？」「啊，是的，爸爸，你知道我愛你。」「好啊，那你把珍珠項鏈給我吧。」「哦，爸爸，我的珍珠項鏈可不行！但是你可以要我的玩具馬羅賓斯。你記得她嗎？她是我的最愛。她的頭髮特別柔順，你可以和她玩、給她編辮子，做任何事情都可以。爸爸，如果你想要羅賓斯，你可以把她拿走。」小女孩對她爸爸說道。「不，沒關係。」爸爸回答說，又吻吻她的臉頰。「願上帝保佑你，小寶貝。做個好夢。」又過了幾天，珍妮的爸爸走進房間給她讀故事時，珍妮坐在床上，嘴唇不住地顫抖。「給你，爸爸，」她一邊說，一邊伸出手。她張開手掌，裡面放著她摯愛的珍珠項鏈。她悄悄把項鏈塞到爸爸手上。珍妮爸爸一手拿著塑料項鏈，另一隻手從口袋裡掏出一個藍色的天鵝絨盒子。盒子裡面是貨真價實、無比漂亮的珍珠。他一直把它們帶在身邊。他一直在等著珍妮放棄她那串廉價項鏈，好送給她真正的珍珠項鏈。（來源：英語學習雜誌 編輯：丹妮）
推薦閱讀：