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Yesterday Mrs. Morrison had given the flat an extra clean, and today she had brought a card and a bunch of marigolds when she came to do the breakfast. Mrs. Grant downstairs had made a cake, and in the afternoon she was going down there to tea. The little boy, Johnnie, had been up with a packet of mints, and said he wouldn't go out to play until the post had come.
昨天，莫里森太太把这套公寓房间额外打扫了一遍。今天来准备早餐时还带来一张生日卡和一束万寿菊。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。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以后再出去玩。
I guess you'll get lots and lots of presents, he said. "I did last week when I was six."
“我猜你准会收到好多好多礼物，”他说。“上个礼拜我六岁生日，就收到好多好多。”
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. Or a table lamp. Or a book, a travel book, with pictures, or a little clock, with clear black numbers. So many lovely things.
她想要样什么礼物呢？也许是一双拖鞋,或者是一件新的羊毛开衫。要真是一件羊毛开衫那就太好了,蓝盈盈的，那颜色该多么漂亮。过去吉姆就总喜欢她穿蓝的。再不就是一盏台灯，或者一本书，一本带照片的游记；一只小钟也行，钟面带醒目黑色数字的小钟。让人喜欢的东西可真多。
She stood by the window, watching. The postman turned round the corner on his bicycle. Her heart beat fast. Johnnie had seen him too and ran to the gate.
她站在窗口张望着。邮差骑着自行车过了拐角。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 at her 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 got your post."
“奶奶，奶奶，”他叫着说，“我拿到你的信了。”
He gave her four envelopes. Three were unsealed cards from old friends. The fourth was sealed, in Myra's writing. The old lady felt a pang of disappointment.
他交给她四封信。三封没封口，是老朋友寄来的生日卡。第四封是封口的，上面的字迹出自于迈拉之手。失望的痛楚攫住了老太太的心头。
No parcel, Johnnie?
“没有包裹吗，约翰尼？”
No, granny.
“没有，奶奶。”
Maybe the parcel was too large to come by letter post. That was it. It would come later by parcel post. She must be patient.
也许是包裹太大了，没有随信件邮班同来。对了，准是这个缘故。待会儿会由包裹邮班送来的。她一定要有耐心。
Almost reluctantly she tore the envelope open. Folded in the card was a piece of paper. Written on the card was a message under the printed Happy Birthday — Buy yourself something nice with the cheque, Myra and Harold.
她几乎是带着几分勉强之意撕开了信封。只见生日卡里夹着一张折叠起来的纸。卡上印有“生日快乐”的字样，下面写着一句附言——拿这张支票给自己买样称心的东西吧——迈拉和哈罗德。
The cheque fluttered to the floor like a bird with a broken wing. Slowly the old lady stooped to pick it up. Her present, her lovely present. With trembling fingers she tore it into little bits.
支票像只断了翅膀的小鸟似的飘落到地板上。老太太慢慢地弯下腰，把支票从地上捡了起来。她的礼物，她的可爱的礼物！她用颤抖的手指把支票撕了个粉碎。
