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"It's the right time to burn," Pa said. "I can't feel any wind. The brush has aged in these piles until it is as dry as powder."
“现在正是焚烧它们的好时机，”爸爸说，“我感觉不到有风。树枝堆积了这么长时间，已经干透了。”
Pa struck a match to the brush pile at the bottom of the clearing. The fire started with little heaps over the leaf-carpeted ground. Finn, Pa and I set fire to the bottom of the clearing until we had a continuous line of fire going up the slope. Then a wind sprang up from nowhere from nowhere. And when flames leaped from brush pile to brush pile, Pa looked at me.
在空地的底部，爸爸划着了一根火柴，点燃了树枝堆。火开始在铺满树叶的地上燃烧起来。我、父亲和芬恩继续在荒地的底部点火，直到形成一条火线，朝着坡上蔓延而去。突然，不知从哪儿刮来了一阵风。火焰从一堆树枝扑向另一堆树枝。爸爸看着我。
"This is out of control," Pa said. "Grab a hoe and start raking a ring."
“火势失控了，”爸爸盯着我说，“用锄头挖块环形隔离带吧。”
"I'm afraid we can't stop it," Finn said. "We'll have to work fast to save the orchards."
“恐怕我们阻止不了了，”芬恩说，“要挽救果园我们必须赶快行动。”
"Run to the house and get Sal and Glenna," Pa yelled.
“回家去叫萨尔和格伦，”爸喊道。
"Look, Pa," Finn said, pointing down the hill.
“看，爸爸。”芬恩指着山下说。
Mort Hinton was running up the hill. His three sons were running behind him, each with a hoe across his shoulder.
莫特?欣顿正朝山上跑来，后面跟着他的三个儿子，每个人肩上都扛着一把锄头。
"It's out of control," Pa shouted to Mort before he reached us.
“火势失控了。”欣顿还没跑到跟前爸爸就朝他大声喊道。
"We've come to help," Mort said.
“我们是来帮忙的。”欣顿回答说。
"Can we keep it from the orchards?" Pa asked.
“我们能阻止它烧到果园吗？”爸问道。
"Let's run to the top of the hill and fire against it," Mort said. "I've burnt hundreds of acres of clearings on hillsides and I always fire the top first and let it burn down! Maybe we'll not be too late to save the orchards!"
“我们跑到山顶去，从对面点火。”莫特说，“我在山坡上烧过成百上千亩的荒地。我总是从顶开始，让火向下烧！也许我们还来得及保住果园！”
Mort ran up the hill and we followed. Finn and I didn't speak to his boys, and they didn't speak to us.
莫特向山上跑去，我们跟在后边。芬恩和我都没有跟他的孩子们说话，他们也没有搭理我们。
