Zeynep sits at a long table in the church hall. In front of her is a pile of grey cloth. It is the fourth hour of the sewing circle.
泽伊内普坐在教堂礼堂里的一张长桌旁。她面前是一堆灰色的布。缝纫小组已经开到第四个钟头了。
She pushes a needle into the cloth. It makes no sound. Nothing in this room makes a sound.
她把针扎进布里。没有一点声音。这间屋子里什么都没有声音。
Next to her, Rolf cuts thread with a small pair of scissors. He yawns for the tenth time.
她旁边，罗尔夫正用一把小剪刀剪线。他打了第十个哈欠。
"I want an adventure," Zeynep whispers.
“我想要一场冒险，”泽伊内普小声说。
"Me too," says Rolf. "I want to climb a mountain. Or cross a desert."
“我也是，”罗尔夫说，“我想爬一座山。或者穿过一片沙漠。”
"Or find a lost city."
“或者找到一座失落的城市。”
"Or just leave this table."
“或者干脆离开这张桌子。”
They laugh quietly. Across the hall, the circle leader looks up. She has sharp eyes and a quick smile.
他们悄悄地笑了。礼堂另一头，小组负责人抬起头。她眼神锐利，笑起来很快。
"What is so funny over there?" she asks.
“那边有什么好笑的？”她问。
Zeynep stands up. Her heart beats fast, but she speaks anyway.
泽伊内普站了起来。她的心跳得很快，可还是开了口。
"Please, give us something exciting to do. Just once. We sew grey cloth all day."
“请给我们一件刺激的事做吧。就这一回。我们整天都在缝灰布。”
The room is quiet. The other members stop sewing and look at the two teens.
屋里一片安静。其他成员停下了针线，看着这两个少年。
The leader puts down her cup. "Something exciting," she says slowly. "Hmm. I may have a job for you."
负责人放下杯子。“刺激的事，”她慢慢地说，“嗯。我也许有件活儿给你们。”
She walks to a shelf by the window. On it sits a small round drum with a faded blue top. She picks it up and holds it out to Zeynep.
她走到窗边的一个架子旁。架子上放着一只小小的圆鼓，鼓面是褪色的蓝。她拿起来，递给泽伊内普。
"Our big banner is missing," she says. "We need it for the town fair this weekend. It hangs somewhere in the tower."
“我们那面大旗不见了，”她说，“这个周末的镇上集市要用。它挂在塔里的某个地方。”
"The tower?" says Rolf. His voice is a little high.
“塔里？”罗尔夫说。他的声音有点高。
"Yes. The door is behind the stage. The banner is at the top. Take the drum with you. When you find the banner, beat the drum three times. We will hear you down here."
“对。门在舞台后面。旗在最顶上。带上这面鼓。找到旗之后，敲三下鼓。我们在下面就能听到你们。”
Zeynep takes the drum. It is light, and the top feels warm. "That is the whole job?"
泽伊内普接过鼓。它很轻，鼓面摸上去是温的。“这就是全部的活儿？”
"That is the whole job," the leader says. "Be careful on the stairs."
“这就是全部的活儿，”负责人说，“楼梯上要小心。”
Behind the stage, there is a low wooden door. It looks like a door to a cupboard. Rolf pulls the handle, but it does not move.
舞台后面有一扇低矮的木门。看起来像个柜子门。罗尔夫拉了拉把手，可它纹丝不动。
"It is locked," he says.
“锁住了，”他说。
"Look up," says Zeynep.
“往上看，”泽伊内普说。
On a hook above the door hangs a key. It has a round head like a button. She stands on a chair and takes it down.
门上方的钩子上挂着一把钥匙。它的头是圆的，像一颗纽扣。她站到椅子上，把它取了下来。
The key turns with a loud click. The door opens, and a cold smell of dust comes out. Beyond it are stone stairs that go up in a tight circle.
钥匙转动时发出响亮的咔哒一声。门开了，一股冰冷的灰尘味扑面而来。门后是石头台阶，盘旋着向上，一圈紧挨着一圈。
"You go first," says Rolf.
“你先走，”罗尔夫说。
"No," says Zeynep. "We go together."
“不，”泽伊内普说，“我们一起。”
They climb. The stairs are narrow, and the walls are rough. A small window shows them a piece of blue sky. Zeynep counts the steps out loud. At forty, Rolf stops.
他们往上爬。楼梯很窄，墙壁粗糙。一扇小窗让他们看到一角蓝天。泽伊内普大声数着台阶。数到四十级时，罗尔夫停了下来。
"My legs hurt," he says.
“我的腿疼，”他说。
"Mine too," says Zeynep. "But this is an adventure. Adventures always hurt a little."
“我的也是，”泽伊内普说，“可这是冒险。冒险总是会疼一点。”
"Who told you that?"
“谁告诉你的？”
"I just decided it."
“我刚决定的。”
He laughs and starts to climb again. At sixty steps, they reach a small room full of old chairs. A pigeon sits on a table. It looks at them with one round eye. Then it flies out of a hole in the wall.
他笑了，又开始往上爬。走到六十级，他们到了一个堆满旧椅子的小房间。一只鸽子停在桌子上。它用一只圆圆的眼睛看着他们。然后它从墙上的一个洞里飞了出去。
At ninety steps, the stairs end. In front of them is a wooden ladder. It goes up to a square door in the ceiling.
走到九十级，楼梯到头了。面前是一架木梯。它通向天花板上的一扇方形小门。
Rolf looks at the ladder. His face is pale.
罗尔夫看着那架梯子。他的脸色发白。
"I do not like heights," he says.
“我恐高，”他说。
"I know," says Zeynep. "I will go first. You can hold the drum."
“我知道，”泽伊内普说，“我先上。你拿着鼓。”
She gives him the drum. She climbs the ladder, one hand after the other. She pushes the door open with her shoulder. Light falls on her face.
她把鼓交给他。她爬上梯子，一手接一手。她用肩膀顶开了那扇门。光落在她脸上。
"Rolf, come up. You must see this."
“罗尔夫，上来。你一定要看看这个。”
He closes his eyes and climbs. Zeynep takes his hand at the top and pulls him through.
他闭上眼睛往上爬。到了顶上，泽伊内普拉住他的手，把他拽了上来。
They are in the bell room. There are open arches on every side. Below them lies the whole town. The roofs look like toys. The river shines like a silver thread. Far away, a train crosses a long bridge.
他们在钟室里。四面都是敞开的拱门。脚下是整座小镇。屋顶看起来像玩具。河流像一条银线闪着光。远处，一列火车正驶过一座长桥。
"Wow," says Rolf. He forgets to be afraid.
“哇，”罗尔夫说。他忘了害怕。
"We are higher than the trees," Zeynep says. "We are higher than everything."
“我们比树还高，”泽伊内普说，“比所有东西都高。”
In the middle of the room hangs a huge old bell. Around the bell, someone tied a long, heavy roll of cloth. It is dusty. But Zeynep sees a stripe of gold at the edge.
房间中央挂着一口巨大的旧钟。有人在钟的周围绑了一大卷又长又重的布。上面落满了灰。但泽伊内普看见边缘有一道金色的条纹。
"The banner," she says. "It was here all the time."
“那面旗，”她说，“它一直就在这儿。”
"Somebody hid it," says Rolf. "Or forgot it."
“有人把它藏起来了，”罗尔夫说，“或者忘了它。”
"Does it matter?"
“这重要吗？”
"No." He grins. "We found it."
“不重要。”他咧嘴笑了。“我们找到了。”
Together they pull the cloth. It falls to the floor in a heavy wave. Dust jumps up and makes them cough. Under the dust, the banner shines. It shows a blue river and a white bird. Tiny lines of thread cover it.
两人一起拉那块布。它像一道沉重的浪落到地上。灰尘腾起来，呛得他们直咳嗽。灰尘下面，旗子闪着光。上面是一条蓝色的河和一只白鸟。旗面上布满了细细的针脚。
Zeynep touches the white bird. "Look at the thread. The circle made this."
泽伊内普摸了摸那只白鸟。“看这线。是小组缝的。”
"Maybe the leader sewed it herself," says Rolf. "Many years ago."
“也许是负责人自己缝的，”罗尔夫说，“很多年前。”
"Maybe she wanted us to see the town from here."
“也许她想让我们从这里看看小镇。”
"Maybe she planned the whole thing."
“也许整件事都是她安排的。”
Zeynep thinks about the leader's quick smile. She thinks about the grey cloth and the long boring hours. Today she wants a lost city. Instead she gets ninety steps and a view of the river.
泽伊内普想起负责人那很快的笑容。她想起灰色的布和漫长无聊的钟点。今天她想要一座失落的城市。结果她得到的是九十级台阶，和一片河流的景色。
It is not the adventure she wanted. It is better, because it is real.
这不是她想要的那种冒险。它更好，因为它是真的。
"We still have a job," says Rolf. He holds out the drum.
“我们还有活儿要干，”罗尔夫说。他把鼓递了过去。
Zeynep takes it and steps close to the open arch. The wind pulls at her hair. Below her, the church hall is a small grey square.
泽伊内普接过来，走近敞开的拱门。风拉扯着她的头发。她脚下，教堂礼堂是一小块灰色的方块。
She lifts the drum high above her head. She hits it three times.
她把鼓高高举过头顶。她敲了三下。
Boom. Boom. Boom.
咚。咚。咚。
