A Little Girl’s Dream 一个小女孩的梦想

　　The promise was a long time keeping. But then, so was the dream.

　　承诺需要永久地遵守。梦想也是如此。

　　In the early 1950s in a small Southern California town, a little girl hefted yet another load of books onto the tiny library's counter. The girl was a reader. she'd make her weekly trek to the yellow library with the brown trim, the little one-room building where the children's library actually was just a nook. Frequently, she ventured out of that nook in search of heftier fare.

　　20世纪50年代早期，在加利福尼亚南部的一个小镇上，一个小女孩将一叠书放在图书馆的小柜台上。小女孩是这里的读者。每周，她都千辛万苦来到这个黄色的、有着棕色装饰的图书馆。在这个小小的单间建筑里。儿童读物区仅仅占据了一个角落，为了找到更多的精神食粮，她经常迈出那个角落。

　　As the white-haired librarian hand-stamped the due dates in the ten-year-old's choice, the little girl looked longingly at "The New Book" prominently displayed on the counter. She marveled again at the wonder of writing a book and having it honored like that, right there for the world to see.

　　当那个满头白发的图书管理员在这个10岁小女孩的选书单上贴上还书日期的时候。小女孩久久凝视着“新书展区”，她觉得能写书真是了不起，居然能被赋予如此荣耀，高高地摆放在那儿供全世界欣赏。

　　That particular day, she confessed her goal. "When I grow up," she said, "I'm going to be a writer. I'm going to write books."

　　就在那个特别的日子，她说出了自己的目标。“等我长大以后，”她说，“我要当一位作家，我要写书。”

　　The librarian looked up from her stamping and smiled, not with the condescension so many children receive, but with encouragement.

　　那个图书管理员停下手中粘贴的活，抬起头来看着她微笑。这种笑不是大多数小孩收到的那种恩赐的笑，而是鼓励的笑。

　　"When you do write that book," she replied, "bring it into our library and we'll put it on display, right here on the counter."

　　“等你真的出书时。”她回答道，“把它带到我们的图书馆来。我们会把它陈列出来，就摆在这边的柜台上。”

　　The little girl promised she would.As she grew, so did her dream.

　　小女孩保证说她一定会这么做。女孩在成长，她的梦想也在成长。

　　Inside the big new library, She introduced a reporter from the local newspaper — a descendant10 of the paper she'd begged a chance to write for long ago.

　　图书馆里，管理员热情地欢迎她。她将当地报社的一位记者介绍给大家。很久之前，女孩曾在这家报社前身的报社企求过写稿的机会。

　　Then she presented her books to the librarian, who placed them on the counter with a sign of explanation. Tears rolled down the woman's cheeks.

　　接着，她将她的书展示给管理员。管理员为书附上解说文字，将它们摆放在柜台上。泪水顺着这位女士的脸颊滚落下来。

　　Then she hugged the librarian and left, pausing for a picture outside, which proved that dreams can come true and promises can be kept. Even if it takes thirty-eight years.

　　她离开之前拥抱了图书管理员，还在门外照了张相。这张照片就能证实，梦想是可以成真的，诺言也是可以信守的尽管事隔38年之久。

　　The ten-year-old girl and the writer she'd become posed by the library sign, right next to the reader board, which said:

　　那张10岁小女孩的照片，以及她成为作家以后在图书馆标志旁边照的那张照片，都被贴在读者阅览板旁边。那张阅览板上写着:

　　WELCOME BACK, JANN MITCHELL.

　　欢迎回来，简·米歇尔。

　　词汇注释

　　nook n. 角落，隐蔽处

　　prominently adv. 显著地

　　marvel vi. 惊奇

　　condescension n. 谦虚，屈尊

　　encouragement n. 鼓励

　　descendant n. 子孙，后代

　　hug vt. 紧抱，拥抱

（实习编辑：王晓晓）