They say that blood is thicker than water, that our relatives are more important to us than others.
人们都说血浓于水，说明亲属比其他人重要。
Everyone wasso kind to the old lady on her birthday.
老太太生日这天，每个人都对她那么好。
Surelyher daughter would makean even bigger effort to please he?
无疑她的女儿将会锦上添花让更加高兴了？
The Present
It wasthe old lady's birthday.
这天是老太太的生日。
She got up early to be ready for the post.
为了静候邮件，她一早就起床了。
From the second floor flat she could seethe postman when he came down the street, andthe little boy from the ground floor brought upher letters on the rare occasions when anything came.
邮差打马路那头过来的时候，她从三楼的公寓里一眼就可以看到。她难得有信，偶尔有邮件寄来，总是由住在底楼的小男孩给送来。
Today she was sure there would be something.
她相信今天肯定会有邮件。
Myra wouldn't forgether mother's birthday, even ifshe seldom wrote at other times.
迈拉尽管在别的时候很少写信，可母亲的生日她是不会忘记的。
Of courseMyra was busy.
当然，迈拉很忙。
Her husband had been made Mayor, andMyra herself had gota medal for her work for the aged.
她丈夫当上了市长，迈拉自己也由于为老年人服务而获得了一枚奖章。
The old lady was proud ofMyra, butEnid wasthe daughter she loved.
老太太颇以迈拉自豪，但她真心疼爱的女儿却是伊妮德。
Enid had never married, but had seemedcontent to live with her mother, and teach in a primary school round the corner.
伊妮德始终没结婚，但与母亲住在一起，又在附近的一所小学教书，似乎已经心满意足。
One evening, however, Enid said, "I've arranged forMrs. Morrison to look after you for a few days, Mother. Tomorrow I have to go into hospital--just a minor operation, I'll soon be home."
然而，一天傍晚，伊妮德却说：“妈妈，我已安排了好让莫里森太太来照料你几天。明天我要去住院，只是动个小手术。我很快会回家来的。”
In the morning she went, but never came back--she died on the operating table.
第二天早上她去了，却再也没有回来。她死在手术台上，迈拉来参加了葬礼，还非常老练地安排莫里森太太每天来家生火，一并为老太太准备早餐。
Myra came to the funeral, and in her efficient way arranged for Mrs. Morrison to come in and light the fire and give the old lady her breakfast.
迈拉来参加了葬礼，还非常老练地安排莫里森太太每天来家生火，一并为老太太准备早餐。
Two years ago that was, and since thenMyra had been to see her mother three times, buther husband never.
那已是两年以前的事了。打那以后，迈拉来看过她母亲三次，可她丈夫却次也没来过。
The old lady was eighty today.
今天是老太太的八十寿辰。
She had put onher best dress.
她穿上了自己最好的衣裙。
Perhaps--perhapsMyra might come.
说不准，说不准迈拉会回来一趟呢。
After all, eighty wasa special birthday, another decade lined or endured just asyou chose to look at it.
不管怎么说，八十大寿毕竟非同一般。又活了十年，或者说又熬了十年，全在于你怎么看了。
Even ifMyra did not come, she would senda present.
即使迈拉不来，她也会寄件礼物来的。
The old lady wassure of that.
老太太对这点还是有数的。
Two spots of colour brightenedher cheeks.
脸颊上的两块红晕，使她满脸生辉。
She was excited--like a child.
她很激动，激动得像个小孩。
She would enjoyher day.
她的这个生日一定会过得很快活。
YesterdayMrs. Morrison had giventhe flatan extra clean, and today she had broughta card and a bunch of marigolds when she came to do the breakfast.
昨天，莫里森太太特意把这套公寓额外清扫了一遍，今天来准备早餐时还带来了一张生日贺卡和一束万寿菊。
marigold[5mAri^Euld]n.【植】金盏草, 万寿菊
Mrs. Grant downstairs had madea cake, and in the afternoon she was going down there to tea.
楼下的格兰特太太特地做了一只蛋糕，下午老太太要下楼到她家去吃茶点。
The little boy, Johnnie, had been up with a packet of mints, and saidhe wouldn't go out to play until the post had come.
小男孩约翰尼也上楼来过，送来了一盒薄荷糖，还说他要等邮件来了再出去玩。
"I guessyou'll get lots and lots of presents," he said, "I did last week when I was six."
lots and lots of 许许多多的, 大量的
What would she like? A pair of slippers perhaps. Or a new cardigan. A cardigan would be lovely. Blue's such a pretty colour. Jim had always liked her in blue.
她想要份什么礼物呢？也许是一双拖鞋，或者是一件新的羊毛衫，要真是一件羊毛衫那就太好了。蓝色的太好了。过去吉姆就总喜欢她穿蓝颜色的。
Or a table lamp. Or a book, a travel book, with pictures, ora little clock, with clear black numbers. So many lovely things.
或者是一盏台灯，一本书，一本带图片的旅行手册；一只小钟也行，那种有醒目的黑色数字的小钟。让人喜欢的东西可真多。
She stood by the window, watching.
她站在窗口张望着。
The postman turned roundthe corner on his bicycle.
邮差骑着自行车转过了拐角。
Her heart beat fast. Johnnie had seen him too and ran to the gate.
她心跳加快了。约翰尼也看到了邮差，立即向大门口跑去。
Then clatter, clatter up the stairs. Johnnie knocked ather door.
接着，楼梯上传来“得得得”的脚步声，约翰尼敲了敲她的门。
"Granny, granny," he shouted, "I've gotyour post."
“奶奶，奶奶，”他叫着说，“我给你送来了。”
He gave her four envelopes.
他交给她四个信封。
Three were unsealed cards from old friends.
三封没封口，是老朋友寄来的生日卡。
The fourth was sealed, in Myra's writing.
第四封是封口的，上面是迈拉的笔迹。
The old lady felta pang of disappointment.
失望的痛楚攫住了老太太的心。
"No parcel, Johnnie?"
“没有包裹吗，约翰尼？”
"No, granny."
“没有，奶奶。”
Maybethe parcel wastoo large to come by letter post.
也许是包裹太大了，没法随信件邮班同来。
That was it. It would come later by parcel post. She must be patient.
对了，准是这个缘故。待会儿会由包裹邮班送来的。她得耐心点。
Almost reluctantly she torethe envelope open.
她勉强地撕开了信封。
Folded in the card wasa piece of paper.
只见生日卡里夹着一张折叠起来的纸。
Written on the card wasa message under the printed Happy Birthday -- Buy yourself something nice with the cheque, Myra and Harold.
卡上印有“生日快乐”字样，下面写着一句附言：拿这张支票给自己买份称心的东西吧。迈拉和哈罗德。
The cheque fluttered to the floor like a bird with a broken wing.
支票像只断了翅膀的小鸟，飘落到地板上。
Slowlythe old lady stooped to pick it up. Her present, her lovely present. With trembling fingers she tore it into little bits.
stoop[stu:p]n.弯腰, 屈背, 屈服vi.弯下, 弯下上身, 屈服, 弯腰, 堕落vt.俯曲, 辱没
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