The morning ferry to the island left on time, but the sky was already a flat, heavy grey. Maddox had booked this trip weeks ago to spend four quiet days walking on the coast. He found a seat near a window, took out his book, and tried to ignore the wind.
开往岛上的早班渡轮准时出发了，可是天空已经是一片平板而沉重的灰色。马多克斯几个星期前就订好了这趟旅行，打算在海岸边安安静静地散步四天。他在靠窗的位置找了个座位，拿出书，努力不去理会风声。
Twenty minutes later, the captain's voice came over the speakers. "Good morning, everyone. The weather ahead is worse than we expected. For safety, we will turn back and try again tomorrow. Please stay in your seats. There is nothing to worry about."
二十分钟后，船长的声音从广播里传来。“各位早上好。前方的天气比我们预料的更糟。为了安全，我们将掉头返航，明天再试一次。请大家留在座位上。没有什么需要担心的。”
Nobody complained. The crew moved calmly along the aisles, handing out cups of water. They said it was only a precaution. Still, as the ferry turned, the waves grew bigger, and the whole boat began to rock.
没有人抱怨。船员们从容地沿着过道走动，分发一杯杯水。他们说这只是预防措施。可是，渡轮掉头的时候，海浪变大了，整艘船开始摇晃起来。
Across the aisle, a boy of about eight sat alone with a small backpack on his knees. His face had gone pale, and his hands gripped the straps. A crew member had told Maddox earlier that the boy was travelling alone to visit his grandmother.
过道对面，一个大约八岁的男孩独自坐着，小背包放在膝盖上。他的脸色发白，双手紧紧抓着背包带。早些时候，一位船员告诉马多克斯，这个男孩是独自去看望奶奶的。
Maddox moved to the seat next to him. "Rough ride," he said. "I don't like it much either."
马多克斯挪到了男孩旁边的座位上。“真是颠簸，”他说，“我也不太喜欢这样。”
"I want to get off," the boy whispered.
“我想下船。”男孩小声说。
"We will soon. Hey, I have an idea. Look out of the window. Every time a big wave hits the side of the boat, we count it. If we reach fifty before the harbour, I'll buy you a hot chocolate."
“很快就能下了。嘿，我有个主意。你看窗外。每当有一个大浪打在船边，我们就数一个。如果在回到港口之前数到五十，我就请你喝热巧克力。”
The boy looked doubtful, but he turned towards the window. "One," he said. Then, "Two." By ten, he was correcting Maddox when he missed one. By thirty, they were arguing about what counted as a big wave. The boat kept rocking, but the boy had let go of his backpack.
男孩看起来半信半疑，不过还是转向了窗户。“一，”他说。接着，“二。”数到十的时候，马多克斯要是漏数了一个，他就会纠正他。数到三十的时候，他们已经在争论什么才算大浪了。船还在摇晃，但男孩已经松开了他的背包。
They had reached forty-six when the harbour wall came into view. "Almost," the boy said. "That's not fair."
数到四十六的时候，港口的防波堤进入了视野。“就差一点了，”男孩说，“这不公平。”
Then four heavy swells rolled under the ferry as it slid towards the dock. "Fifty!" the boy shouted, and the people around them began to clap.
然后，渡轮滑向码头的时候，有四个大浪从船底涌过。“五十！”男孩喊了起来，周围的人开始鼓掌。
An hour later, they sat in the harbour café with two hot chocolates. The boy was waiting for his grandmother. "Same time tomorrow?" he asked.
一个小时后，他们坐在港口的咖啡馆里，面前各有一杯热巧克力。男孩在等他的奶奶。“明天这个时间还来吗？”他问。
"Same boat," Maddox said. "But I'll bring a better game."
“还是这条船，”马多克斯说，“不过我会带一个更好玩的游戏。”
