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She was reading one of her new books to Becky just before they went to their respective beds, when her attention was attracted by a sound at the skylight.
就在他们各自上床睡觉之前，她正在给贝基读一本新书，这时她的注意力被天窗的声音吸引了。
When she looked up from her page she saw that Becky had heard the sound also, as she had turned her head to look and was listening rather nervously.
她从报纸上抬起头，发现贝基也听到了那个声音，因为她转过头去看，紧张地听着。
"Something's there, miss," she whispered. "Yes," said Sara, slowly.
“哪儿有什么东西，小姐，”她低声说。“是的，”萨拉慢慢地说。
"It sounds—rather like a cat—trying to get in." She left her chair and went to the skylight.
“听起来——很像一只猫——想要进去。”她离开椅子，走向天窗。
It was a queer little sound she heard—like a soft scratching.
她听到的是一种奇怪的声音——像轻柔的抓挠声。
She suddenly remembered something and laughed.
她突然想起一件事，笑了起来。
She remembered a quaint little intruder who had made his way into the attic once before.
她想起了一个古怪的小闯入者，它曾经进过阁楼一次。
She had seen him that very afternoon, sitting disconsolately on a table before a window in the Indian gentleman's house.
就在那天下午，她看见它愁眉苦脸地坐在那位印度绅士住宅窗前的一张桌子上。
"Suppose," she whispered in pleased excitement—"just suppose it was the monkey who got away again. Oh, I wish it was!"
“假设，”她兴奋地低声说，“假设是猴子又跑掉了。噢，但愿如此!”
She climbed on a chair, very cautiously raised the skylight, and peeped out.
她爬上一把椅子，小心翼翼地打开天窗朝外看。
It had been snowing all day, and on the snow, quite near her, crouched a tiny, shivering figure, whose small black face wrinkled itself piteously at sight of her.
雪下了一整天，在雪地上，离她很近的地方，蹲着一个瑟瑟发抖的小人儿，她那张黑乎乎的小脸一看见她就可怜巴巴地皱了起来。
"It is the monkey," she cried out. "He has crept out of the Lascar's attic, and he saw the light."
“是猴子，”她叫道。“它溜出了阁楼，看到了亮光。”
Becky ran to her side. "Are you going to let him in, miss?" she said.
贝基跑到她身边。“你打算让他进来吗，小姐？”她说。
"Yes," Sara answered joyfully. "It's too cold for monkeys to be out. They're delicate. I'll coax him in."
“是的，”萨拉高兴地回答。“太冷了，猴子们不能出来。它们是脆弱的。我去哄他进来。”
She put a hand out delicately, speaking in a coaxing voice—as she spoke to the sparrows and to Melchisedec—as if she were some friendly little animal herself.
她小心翼翼地伸出一只手，用哄人的声音说话——就像她对麻雀和梅基塞代克说话一样——仿佛她自己就是个友好的小动物。
"Come along, monkey darling," she said. "I won't hurt you."
“来吧，亲爱的猴子，”她说。“我不会伤害你的。”
