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Christmas Day in the Morning
圣诞节的早晨
Pearl S. Buck
赛珍珠
He woke suddenly and completely. It was four o'clock, the hour at which his father had always called him to get up and help with the milking. Strange how the habits of his youth clung to him still! His father had been dead for thirty years, and he still woke at four o'clock in the morning. But this morning, because it was Christmas, he did not try to sleep again.
他猛然彻底醒了过来。四点钟，以前这个时候他的父亲总是会叫他起床，帮忙挤牛奶。令人奇怪的是，他年轻时的习惯仍然保留着！他的父亲已经去世三十年了，然而他仍然会在清晨四点钟醒过来。但是因为今天是圣诞节，他不想再睡了。
Yet what was the magic of Christmas now? His childhood and youth were long past, and his own children had grown up and gone.
然而，现在圣诞节还有什么魅力呢？他的童年和青春已经逝去很久了，他自己的孩子都已经长大并离开了他。
Yesterday his wife had said, "It isn't worthwhile, perhaps—"
昨天他的妻子说：“圣诞不值得过的，也许……”
And he had said, "Yes, Alice, even if there are only the two of us, let's have a Christmas of our own."
他说道：“不，值得的，艾丽丝，即使只有我们两个人，我们也要过一个属于我们的圣诞节。”
Then she had said, "Let's not trim the tree until tomorrow, Robert. I'm tired."
然后她说：“罗伯特，我们明天再装饰圣诞树吧。我累了。”
He had agreed, and the tree was still out by the back door.
他同意了，树仍然放在外面，在后门旁。
He lay in his bed in his room. The door to her room was shut because she was a light sleeper. Years ago they had decided to use separate rooms. Neither of them slept as well as they once had. They had been married so long that nothing could really separate them.
他躺在自己房间的床上。她房间的门关着，因为她的睡眠很轻。多年前他们就决定分房睡。他俩睡眠质量都不如从前了。结婚这么久，久到没有什么能真正把他们分开。
Why did he feel so awake tonight? For it was still night, a clear and starry night.
为什么今晚他会睡不着呢？因为这是一个寂静的夜晚，明朗的繁星之夜。
