Red Gloves

Nobody tells you how dirty a church hall is. I swept it on Thursday evening, after the rehearsal, with Mr Doyle’s old broom. There were biscuits under the piano from 2019. There was a shoe. There was a very old sandwich.

没有人告诉你,教堂的礼堂有多脏。星期四晚上排练以后,我用Doyle先生的旧扫帚打扫了礼堂。钢琴下面有2019年的饼干。有一只鞋。还有一块很旧很旧的三明治。

Then I took some thin wire from the kitchen drawer and tied the tin star to the top of the little stable, round and round, very tight. Nobody could take that star now. I locked the door with my key, and I checked it twice. At seven Marco came with his key to build, and at ten he locked it again. I know, because I walked past at ten, in my coat, with my list. He didn’t see me. I felt stupid and I walked past anyway.

然后我从厨房的抽屉里拿了一些细铁丝,把锡做的星星绑在小马厩的上面,一圈又一圈,绑得很紧。现在没有人能拿走那颗星星了。我用我的钥匙锁了门,还检查了两次。七点Marco用他的钥匙来做东西,十点他又锁了门。我知道,因为十点我穿着外套,拿着我的表,从门前走过。他没有看见我。我觉得自己很傻,可是我还是走过去了。

On Fridays Ruth’s choir practises in the hall. This Friday she came early. At half past three she came into my classroom, which she has never done before.

星期五Ruth的合唱队在礼堂练习。这个星期五她来得很早。三点半她走进我的教室,她以前从来没有这样做过。

“Miss Novak,” she said. “Your star is gone.”

“Novak老师,”她说。“你的星星不见了。”

The tin star was gone. My wire hung open from the corner of the stable. Somebody untied it, slowly, round and round, in the dark.

锡星星不见了。我的铁丝开着挂在马厩的角上。有人在黑暗中慢慢地把它一圈一圈解开了。

“There are two keys now,” I said. “Mine and his.”

“现在有两把钥匙,”我说。“我的和他的。”

“Yes,” said Ruth. “I can count too.”

“是的,”Ruth说。“我也会数数。”

The end of my wire was sharp. On it there was something red. A short red wool thread. I took it off and put it in an envelope, and wrote the date on the envelope.

铁丝的一头很尖。上面有一点红色的东西。是一根短短的红毛线。我把它拿下来,放进一个信封,在信封上写了日期。

“Very good,” said Ruth. “Now you are a detective.”

“很好,”Ruth说。“现在你是侦探了。”

At half past four the parents came for the choir children. Diane Price came in red gloves. She always wears red gloves. They are very good gloves, of soft red wool.

四点半,家长们来接合唱队的孩子。Diane Price戴着红手套来了。她总是戴红手套。那是很好的手套,是软软的红毛线做的。

Sophie told her mother about the star before Diane had her coat off. Diane looked at the crib and then at all the parents.

Sophie在Diane脱外套以前,就把星星的事告诉了她。Diane看了看马槽,又看了看所有的家长。

“This is a scandal,” she said loudly. “On Tuesday Father Tom told the council about one little doll. One doll, he said, and Miss Novak is looking for it. Now the angels and the star too?”

“这太丢脸了,”她大声说。“星期二Tom神父对教区委员会说,只丢了一个小娃娃。他说就一个娃娃,Novak老师在找。现在天使和星星也不见了?”

“I am looking,” I said.

“我在找,”我说。

“You are looking,” said Diane, to everybody. “Well. The bishop is coming in three weeks. I am asking for a meeting of the parish council. On Monday evening.”

“你在找,”Diane对大家说。“好。主教三个星期以后要来。我要求开教区委员会的会。星期一晚上。”