The Back Door

Ana and Jess run down Bridge Street. The rain is very heavy now. Their shoes are wet. Their hair is wet. Ana’s new jacket is wet too.

Ana和Jess在Bridge Street上跑。现在的雨很大。她们的鞋湿了。她们的头发湿了。Ana的新衣服也湿了。

In the bakery, there is water on the floor. A lot of water. The back door is open, and the wind and the rain come in. Walter is at the door. He pushes it with his big hands, but it doesn’t close.

在bakery里，地上有水。很多水。后门开着，风和雨进来了。Walter在门那儿。他用他的大手推门，但是门关不上。

“Grandad! Are you OK?” Jess asks.

“爷爷！你好吗？”Jess问。

“I’m fine. The door isn’t fine. The wind opens it, and it doesn’t close. The wood is old.” He looks at the water. “The flour, Jess. The flour can’t get wet.”

“我很好。门不好。风吹开了门，它关不上。木头老了。”他看地上的水。“面粉，Jess。面粉不能湿。”

Jess and Ana carry the bags of flour upstairs. They are very heavy. Then Jess goes to her room. She has homework. Ana comes back down.

Jess和Ana拿面粉袋子上楼。它们很重。后来Jess去了她的房间。她有作业。Ana下来了。

“Walter, I can help with the door,” she says. “My father has a lot of tools. At home, I help him.”

“Walter，我能帮你修门，”她说。“我爸爸有很多工具。在家里，我帮他。”

Walter looks at her. Then he gives her a small box. “Tools,” he says. “Hold the door. I take out this piece of wood, and you put in the new one.”

Walter看她。然后他给她一个小盒子。“工具，”他说。“拿好门。我拿出来这块木头，你放进去新的。”

They work for an hour. The radio is on. Outside, the rain doesn’t stop. Walter’s hands shake, so Ana does the small things. Walter does the heavy things.

他们做了一个小时。收音机开着。外面，雨不停。Walter的手抖，所以Ana做小事情。Walter做重事情。

Then Walter talks. Not a lot, but more than every other day.

后来Walter说话了。说得不多，但是比平时多。

“My wife likes this song,” he says. “Mary. Mary likes all the old songs. She sings in the shop, and the customers sing too.”

“我太太喜欢这个歌，”他说。“Mary。Mary喜欢所有的老歌。她在店里唱歌，买东西的人也唱歌。”

“Where is she now?” Ana asks.

“她现在在哪儿？”Ana问。

“In the church yard. Up the hill. Twenty years now.” He is quiet for a moment. “Bread is easy, Ana. Flour, water, salt. Families are not easy.”

“在教堂后面。在山上。二十年了。”他不说话了一会儿。“做面包容易，Ana。面粉，水，盐。家人不容易。”

“I’m sorry, Walter.”

“对不起，Walter。”

“And you? Your family? Why are you here, at night, in the rain, in Hollin Bridge?”

“你呢？你的家呢？你为什么在夜里，在雨里，来Hollin Bridge？”