Bert's face grew sober in a moment. "That's the question! Why don't I? I'll tell you why I don't. I've got the best mother in the world! What I want more than anything is to be with my mother and my two sisters again, and I am not ashamed to say so. "Bert's eyes grew very tender, and he went on; while his companion across the table watched him with a very gentle, searching look. "I haven't been with her now for two years—hardly at all since father died. Mom couldn't support my sisters and so I said, I'm a boy; I can do something to help. I'll go to work, and maybe help you a little, besides taking care of myself."

伯特突然變得嚴肅了起來。“這的確是個問題,為什么我沒和媽媽一起共進晚餐呢?我來告訴你為什么我沒有。我擁有世界上最好的媽媽。而我現在最想做的事就是跟媽媽和兩個姐妹重聚,這么說我絲毫不覺得難為情。”伯特的眼神變得很溫柔,并繼續敘說著。坐在桌子對面的老人也投以溫和的目光,注視著伯特。“我離開我媽媽生活已經有兩年了,幾乎是在父親去世后就沒有見過。媽媽獨自一人支撐不起這個家庭,所以我對媽媽說,我是一個男孩,我可以幫上一些忙。我可以去工作,或許還可以幫助媽媽你一些,而且我也可以照顧好自己。”

"What could you do?" said the little old man.“

你那時能做什么呢?”那個消瘦的老人說。

"That's it; I was only eleven years old; and what could I do? So I started selling newspapers. I've sold newspapers ever since, and I shall be twelve years old next month."

“這就是問題所在,那時我只有11歲,我能做什么來補貼家里呢?所以我就開始賣報紙。從那時起我就一直賣報紙到現在,下個月我就要12歲了。”

"You like it?" said the old man.

“你喜歡這份工作嗎?”老人問伯特。

"It's okay to help make my own living," replied Bert, proudly. "But what I want is, to learn some trade, or regular business, and settle down and make a home for my mother. But there's no use talking about that.""Well I've told you about myself," added Bert; "now suppose you tell me something?"

“它可以幫我維持生計”,伯特自豪地回答說。“但我真正需要的是學習一些交易或是常規生意方面的知識,并且能夠安定下來給媽媽一個家。但是光說這些都沒有用。”“好了,我已經告訴了你我的一些情況”,伯特補充說,“現在你可以跟我分享一些關于你的事情了嗎?”

"About myself?"

“關于我的?”

"Yes. I think that would go pretty well with the pie."

“是的。我想我們可以一邊聊一邊品嘗南瓜派。”

But the man shook his head. "Life isn't what we think it will be, when we are young. You'll find that out soon enough. I am all alone in the world now; and I am nearly seventy years old."

但是老人搖了搖頭。“當我們年輕的時候,生活并不會時常如意。這個道理你將會很快領悟。如今我在這個世界上是孤身一人,而且即將步入七旬。”

"It must be so lonely, at your age! What do you do for a living?"

“在你這樣的年紀,一定很孤單吧。那你靠什么來維持你的生活呢?”

"I have a little place in Devonshire Street. My name is Mr. Crooker. You'll find me up two flights of stairs, back room at the right. Come and see me, and I'll tell you all about my business and perhaps help you get a better job, for I know several business men." And Mr. Crooker wrote his address, with a little stub of a pencil, on a corner of the newspaper which had led to their acquaintance, tore it off carefully, and gave it to Bert.“

我在德文郡街有一間小住處。我叫克魯克。我家在二樓,上樓后的右手邊最里面的房間。來找我吧,我會跟你談談我的生意,或許還能幫你找到一份好工作,因為我認識幾個商業人士。”克魯克老先生握著一支短小的鉛筆,在報紙上寫下了地址,也正是這份報紙才讓他們彼此熟悉起來。寫完后,老人小心翼翼地撕下寫著地址的報紙一角,把它遞給了伯特