Ivy hid a ring inside a wooden fish. She painted the fish gold. She tied the ring to its belly with thread. Then she put it in the water with forty plain fish. She had one hour before the festival began.
艾薇把一枚戒指藏进了一条木头鱼里。她把鱼漆成金色，用线把戒指拴在鱼肚子上。然后她把它放进水里，和另外四十条普通的鱼放在一起。离节日开始只剩一个小时了。
The village square was already busy. Children ran between the stalls. Men carried boxes of lanterns. In the middle of the square stood the old stone well. Next to it sat a long trough of water.
村里的广场上已经热闹起来。孩子们在摊位之间跑来跑去。男人们搬着一箱一箱的灯笼。广场中央立着那口古老的石井，旁边是一条长长的盛水的水槽。
Every year, the village held a fishing game at the trough. You paid a coin and took a net on a pole. You caught one wooden fish and kept it as a prize. It was the oldest game of the festival, and Thea loved it.
每年，村里都会在水槽边玩钓鱼游戏。你付一枚硬币，拿一张绑在杆子上的网，捞起一条木头鱼，作为奖品带走。这是节日里最古老的游戏，西娅很喜欢。
Ivy had a plan. Thea always played the game first. She always tried to catch the biggest fish. This year, the biggest fish was gold. It carried the ring. Thea found it in front of the whole village.
艾薇有一个计划。西娅总是第一个玩这个游戏，而且总是想捞最大的那条鱼。今年最大的鱼是金色的，它带着戒指。西娅会在全村人面前发现它。
Ivy stood by the trough and checked her work. The gold fish floated near the edge. It was fat and shiny. She smiled and let out a long breath.
艾薇站在水槽边，检查自己的杰作。那条金鱼漂在靠近边缘的地方，又肥又亮。她笑了笑，长长地舒了一口气。
"You look happy," said a voice behind her.
“你看上去很开心。”身后传来一个声音。
Ivy jumped. Thea stood there with two paper cups of apple juice. Her hair was full of flowers.
艾薇吓了一跳。西娅站在那里，手里拿着两只装苹果汁的纸杯。她的头发里插满了花。
"I am always happy," said Ivy. "Is that bad?"
“我一直都很开心，”艾薇说，“这不好吗？”
"It is, with that face," said Thea. "What is your plan?"
“摆着这副表情就不好了，”西娅说，“你有什么计划？”
"Nothing," said Ivy. "Drink your juice. The game starts soon."
“没什么，”艾薇说，“喝你的果汁吧。游戏快开始了。”
The bell in the square rang twice. The old woman who ran the game stepped up to the trough. She held a pile of nets on long poles.
广场上的钟敲了两下。负责游戏的老太太走到水槽边，手里拿着一摞绑在长杆上的网。
"Who wants to go first?" she called.
“谁想第一个来？”她喊道。
"Thea does," said Ivy, and pushed her forward.
“西娅来。”艾薇说着，把她推上前去。
Thea laughed and took a net. She looked at the fish. The gold fish drifted slowly toward her. Ivy held her breath.
西娅笑着拿起一张网。她看着那些鱼。金鱼缓缓地朝她漂来。艾薇屏住了呼吸。
Thea dipped the net into the water. The gold fish floated in. She lifted the pole with a cry of joy.
西娅把网伸进水里。金鱼漂了进去。她欢呼一声，提起了杆子。
Then the fish slid out of the net. It fell back in the water with a plop.
然后那条鱼从网里滑了出去。它扑通一声掉回水里。
"A hole!" said Thea. She turned the net over. A hole as big as a hand sat in the middle. "This net is broken."
“有个洞！”西娅说。她把网翻过来。网中间有一个手掌大的洞。“这张网是坏的。”
"Try again," said Ivy. Her voice was very high. "Try again, quick."
“再试一次，”艾薇说，她的声音很尖，“再试一次，快。”
But the gold fish already floated away. A small boy bumped the trough with his elbow. The water shook, and the gold fish floated toward the far end. There, a narrow stone arch led under the wall. The fish slipped through it.
可是金鱼已经漂走了。一个小男孩用胳膊肘撞了一下水槽。水晃动起来，金鱼朝远处的另一头漂去。那里有一个狭窄的石拱，通到墙下面。鱼从里面滑了过去。
Ivy stopped breathing.
艾薇停住了呼吸。
Under the arch, the trough joined the well. The water ran into the dark hole in the ground. Nobody could reach that part, not even with a long pole.
在拱洞下面，水槽和水井连在一起。水流进了地下那个黑黑的洞里。那一段谁也够不着，就算用长杆子也不行。
"Oh no," said Ivy. "Oh no, oh no."
“哦，不，”艾薇说，“哦，不，不，不。”
"It is only a wooden fish," said Thea. "Do not worry. There are forty more."
“只是一条木头鱼，”西娅说，“别担心。还有四十条呢。”
"It is not only a fish," said Ivy.
“不只是一条鱼。”艾薇说。
Thea looked at her. "What do you mean?"
西娅看着她。“你是什么意思？”
Ivy sat down on the edge of the well. Her knees were weak. "I put something in it," she said. "I wanted to ask you a question. I wanted it to be a nice surprise. Now it is at the bottom of the well."
艾薇在井沿上坐下。她的膝盖发软。“我在里面放了东西，”她说，“我想问你一个问题。我想给你一个美好的惊喜。现在它在井底了。”
Thea stared at her. Slowly, her face changed. "Ivy," she said. "Is it a ring?"
西娅盯着她。慢慢地，她的表情变了。“艾薇，”她说，“是一枚戒指吗？”
"It was a good plan," said Ivy. "It was a really good plan."
“这本来是个很棒的计划，”艾薇说，“真的是个很棒的计划。”
Thea started to laugh. She laughed so hard that she had to hold the well wall. Ivy stared at her. Then she laughed, too. They both laughed until their sides hurt.
西娅笑了起来。她笑得那么厉害，不得不扶着井壁。艾薇看着她。然后她也笑了。她们俩笑得肚子都疼了。
"All right," said Thea at last. She wiped her eyes. "We cannot leave it down there. Think. What do we have?"
“好吧，”西娅终于说，她擦了擦眼睛，“我们不能把它留在下面。想想办法。我们有什么？”
They looked around. The old woman gave them a worried look from the stall. The children crowded around. A tall girl said, "What is in the well?"
她们环顾四周。老太太从摊位那边投来担心的目光。孩子们围了上来。一个高个子女孩问：“井里有什么？”
"A ring," said Thea. "A very important one."
“一枚戒指，”西娅说，“一枚非常重要的戒指。”
The children gasped. In a minute, everybody knew.
孩子们倒吸了一口气。不到一分钟，人人都知道了。
Ivy looked down into the well. The water was dark and still. A spot of gold sat on the water, far from the edge. The fish floated there and turned slowly in a small circle.
艾薇低头看着井里。水又黑又静。远离井边的水面上，有一点金色。那条鱼漂在那里，缓缓地绕着一个小圈打转。
"It floats," said Ivy. "It is not on the bottom. We only need to reach it."
“它浮着，”艾薇说，“它没有沉到井底。我们只需要够到它。”
"The net is too short," said Thea. "And it has a hole."
“网太短了，”西娅说，“而且还有个洞。”
"Then we fix the hole," said Ivy.
“那就把洞补上。”艾薇说。
She took the scarf from her own neck. She tied the scarf over the hole in the net. She pulled the knot tight.
她解下自己脖子上的围巾，把围巾绑在网上的洞上，把结拉紧。
"Now it is too short," said Thea.
“现在它太短了。”西娅说。
"Then we make it long," said Ivy. She turned to the crowd. "Please, who has a long pole?"
“那就把它接长。”艾薇说。她转向人群。“请问，谁有长杆子？”
A man ran off. He came back with a long pole from a lantern stall. Two girls tied the net pole to its end with a belt. A boy found a ball of string and tied the knots tighter. Soon the net on the pole was twice as long as before.
一个男人跑开了。他从灯笼摊那里拿回一根长杆子。两个女孩用一条腰带把网杆绑在它的一头。一个男孩找来一团细绳，把结扎得更紧。很快，杆子上的网就比原来长了一倍。
Ivy took it in both hands. She leaned over the well wall. The old woman held her belt from behind.
艾薇用双手握住它。她探身越过井壁。老太太从后面抓住她的腰带。
"Left," called Thea. "A little more left."
“往左，”西娅喊道，“再往左一点。”
Ivy moved the net. The scarf trailed in the water. The gold fish turned toward it. Thea watched without a word.
艾薇移动着网。围巾拖在水里。金鱼朝它转了过来。西娅一言不发地看着。
"Now," said Thea. "Lift. Slowly."
“现在，”西娅说，“提起来。慢一点。”
Ivy lifted. The net rose from the well with water pouring from the scarf. The gold fish sat in it like a small king. The crowd cheered. A bird flew up from the church roof.
艾薇提起杆子。网从井里升了起来，水从围巾上哗哗流下。金鱼坐在网里，像一位小国王。人群欢呼起来。一只鸟从教堂屋顶上飞起。
Ivy brought the pole in and put the net on the stones. She shook all over. She bent down and cut the thread with her teeth. She pulled the ring free. It was wet and shiny.
艾薇把杆子收回来，把网放在石头上。她浑身发抖。她弯下腰，用牙咬断了线。她把戒指取了下来。它湿漉漉的，闪闪发亮。
She stood up and turned to Thea. She wanted to give a long speech. She practiced it for a week. She forgot every word.
她站起来，转向西娅。她本来想说一大段话。她练习了整整一个星期。可是她把每个字都忘光了。
"Thea," she said. "Will you marry me?"
“西娅，”她说，“你愿意嫁给我吗？”
Thea did not answer with words. She took the ring from Ivy's hand. Then she held out her hand to the whole square. She slid the ring on her own finger.
西娅没有用言语回答。她从艾薇手里拿过戒指。然后她朝整个广场伸出手，把戒指戴在了自己的手指上。
