‘Where are we going? Not up in the air, surely! ’And Scrooge, terribly frightened, looked down as they flew over the land and then over the sea. It was stormy, windy weather, and the waves crashed violently underneath them.
“我们要去哪儿?当然不会是去天上吧!”斯克罗吉吓得要命,当他们飞过田野然后又飞过海洋的时候,他朝下看着。风雨交加,海浪在他们下面咆哮。
The spirit took Scrooge to a lighthouse built on a lonely rock, several miles from land. A light was kept burning at the top, in order to warn sailors to keep away from the dangerous rocks. Two men lived here in this cold, unfriendly place, far away from their families, but the spirit smiled to see them shake hands, wish each other a merry Christmas, and sing a carol together in front of their fire.
幽灵带着斯克罗吉来到了一座建在一块孤零零的礁石上的灯塔上,礁石距陆地有数英里之遥。灯塔顶上有一盏灯一直亮着,为的是提醒水手们远离那些危险的岩石。在这个冰冷荒凉的地方住着两个男人,他们远离自己的家人,但当幽灵看见他们握手,彼此祝福圣诞快乐并一起在炉火前唱着颂歌时,它笑了。
Again the spirit and Scrooge flew on, and together they landed on a ship in the middle of the sea. Here every man, although many miles from home, had a kind word for his friend, or thought warmly of his family, because it was Christmas.
幽灵和斯克罗吉继续向前飞,他们又都同时落在了大海中央的一条船上。在这儿,虽然离家甚远,但每个人都向朋友说了一句祝福的话,或者向自己的家人给以温馨的祝福,因为今天是圣诞节。
It was a great surprise to Scrooge, while listening to the noise of the wind and waves, to hear a happy laugh. He recognized it as his nephew's, and found himself, with the smiling spirit beside him, in his nephew's bright, warm sitting-room.
当斯克罗吉正听着风的吼叫和浪涛的汹涌时,他很吃惊地听到了笑声。他听出这是他外甥的笑声,他发现他和面带微笑的幽灵一起来到了他外甥明亮温暖的起居室。
When Scrooge's nephew laughed, everybody who was with him wanted to laugh too. He had that kind of laugh. And at the moment, his very pretty wife and several of his friends were laughing with him.
斯克罗吉的外甥笑着,和他在一起的人也都想笑,他的笑就具备这样的感染力。此刻,他漂亮的妻子和他的几个朋友和他一起在笑。