花木兰

安静的织布机

The Quiet Loom

很久以前，在中国的北方，有一个年轻的女孩。她的名字叫花木兰。每天，她坐在门边的织布机前。整天，织布机都发出忙碌的声音：唧唧，复唧唧。

Long ago in northern China, there was a young girl. Her name was Mulan. Every day she sat at her loom near the door. All day the loom made its busy sound: click, clack, click, clack.

但是有一天，织布机很安静。花木兰的手没有动。她的家人从门边只听到了一种声音。那是花木兰长长的、难过的叹气声。

But one day the loom was quiet. Mulan’s hands did not move. Her family heard only one sound from the door. It was Mulan’s long, sad sighs.

她的母亲走过来，坐在她的身边。“我的女儿，你在想什么？”她问。“你的心里有什么事？”

Her mother came and sat beside her. “What are you thinking about, my daughter?” she asked. “What is in your heart?”

“没什么，母亲，”花木兰一开始回答。然后，她看着母亲亲切的脸，把一切都告诉了她。

“It’s nothing, Mother,” Mulan answered at first. Then she looked at her mother’s kind face and told her everything.

“昨天晚上，我看到了军人的名单，”她说。“可汗正在叫很多人去他的军队。有十二张名单，每张名单上都有父亲的名字。”

“Last night I saw the army lists,” she said. “The Khan is calling a lot of men to his army. There are twelve lists, and Father’s name is on every list.”

她母亲的脸变白了。花木兰的父亲老了，也很累。他不够强壮，不能去北方打很长时间的仗。

Her mother’s face went white. Mulan’s father was old and tired. He was not strong enough for a long war in the north.

“父亲没有长大的儿子，”花木兰轻轻地说。“我也没有哥哥。所以必须有人代替他去。”

“Father has no grown-up son,” Mulan said quietly. “And I have no older brother. So someone must go in his place.”

“但是谁去呢？”她的母亲问。花木兰从织布机前站了起来。

“But who?” asked her mother. Mulan stood up from the loom.

“我，”她说。“我要去买一匹马和一个马鞍。然后我要替父亲去打仗。”

“Me,” she said. “I’m going to buy a horse and a saddle. And then I’m going to go to war for Father.”