It is the hottest week of the summer. The grass is yellow, and the river is low. Esme has a small garden at the edge of town. Today she goes there with a heavy bucket.
这是夏天最热的一周。草是黄的，河水很浅。艾斯梅在镇边有一小块菜园。今天她提着一只沉重的水桶去了那里。
Her tomatoes are sad. Their leaves are soft and tired. Esme pours water on each plant. The water goes into the dry ground in two seconds.
她的番茄看起来很可怜，叶子软塌塌的，没精打采。艾斯梅给每一棵植物浇水。水渗进干裂的土里，只要两秒钟就不见了。
"Please grow," she says. "Just a little more."
“求你们长大吧，”她说，“再长一点点就好。”
She sits on a box and wipes her face. Then she sees something strange. Above her head, there is a small white cloud. It is not big. It is the size of a bed.
她坐在一个箱子上，擦了擦脸。接着，她看见了一样奇怪的东西。在她头顶上，有一朵小小的白云。它不大，只有一张床那么大。
"Hello, cloud," says Esme. She wants someone to talk to.
“你好，云朵。”艾斯梅说。她想找个人说说话。
The cloud does not say anything. Of course not. But it moves a little closer.
云朵什么也没说。当然了。可是它往她这边挪近了一点。
She stands up. She picks up her bucket and walks to the beans. The cloud follows her. She walks to the carrots. The cloud follows her again, slowly, like a dog.
她站起来，拿起水桶，走向豆子地。云朵跟着她。她走向胡萝卜地，云朵又慢悠悠地跟了过来，像一条小狗。
Esme stops. "You follow me," she says.
艾斯梅停下脚步。“你在跟着我。”她说。
A drop of water falls on her nose. Then another. Then it starts to rain, softly. It rains only on Esme. The rain falls on her hat and her shoes. It falls on the plants around her. Past her feet, the ground is dry and hot.
一滴水落在她的鼻子上，接着又是一滴。然后轻轻地下起雨来。雨只下在艾斯梅身上。雨落在她的帽子上、鞋子上，也落在她周围的植物上。越过她的脚边，地面依旧又干又热。
She looks at her tomatoes. They stand up a little, as if they drink. Esme laughs loudly. She takes off her hat. She puts her face up to the rain.
她看着自己的番茄。它们微微挺直了身子，好像在喝水。艾斯梅大声笑了起来。她摘下帽子，仰起脸迎着雨。
An old man from the next garden looks over. He holds a hose in his hand. "Do you see that?" he asks.
隔壁菜园的一位老先生探头看过来，手里拿着一根水管。“你看见了吗？”他问。
"Yes," says Esme.
“看见了。”艾斯梅说。
"It is only over your plants."
“雨只下在你的菜上面。”
"I know," says Esme.
“我知道。”艾斯梅说。
The old man looks at his dry beans. He looks at the cloud. Then he looks at Esme. "Does it listen to you?" he asks.
老先生看看自己干枯的豆子，又看看那朵云，然后看向艾斯梅。“它听你的话吗？”他问。
"I do not know," she says. "Let me try." She walks across the garden to the old man's side. The cloud floats after her. The rain falls on his dry beans. They shine in the light.
“我不知道，”她说，“让我试试。”她穿过菜园，走到老先生这一边。云朵飘着跟了过来。雨落在他干枯的豆子上，豆子在阳光下闪闪发亮。
The old man says nothing for a long time. Then he takes off his cap. "Thank you, young lady," he says.
老先生很久都没有说话。然后他摘下帽子。“谢谢你，小姑娘。”他说。
"Thank the cloud," says Esme.
“该谢谢云朵。”艾斯梅说。
On the first day, Esme tells nobody. On the second day, the whole street knows.
第一天，艾斯梅没有告诉任何人。第二天，整条街都知道了。
For three days, the cloud follows her. It goes to the garden in the morning. It waits near the gate. It sits over the bus stop. The people there stay cool in its shade. When Esme goes shopping, the cloud floats above the market.
一连三天，云朵都跟着她。早上它跟她去菜园，在门口等着，又停在公交车站上空。站里的人在它的影子下很凉快。艾斯梅去买东西时，云朵就飘在市场上方。
On the fourth day, Esme goes to the garden early. The cloud is not there. The sky is empty and hard and blue.
第四天，艾斯梅一早就去了菜园。云朵不在那里。天空空荡荡的，又硬又蓝。
She looks up for a long time. Then she sees a line of dark clouds far away. They are big, and they move toward the town. The wind smells of water.
她抬头看了很久。然后她看见远处有一排乌云，又大又黑，正朝小镇移动。风里带着水的气味。
Esme climbs on her box and waves. "Go home!" she shouts. "Your friends are here!"
艾斯梅爬上她的箱子，挥着手。“回家吧！”她喊道，“你的朋友们来了！”
The small cloud floats up to the hills. It looks gray and tired. It touches the big clouds, and then it is gone.
小云朵飘向山丘，看起来灰灰的，很疲倦。它碰到了那些大云，然后就不见了。
An hour later, the big rain comes. It falls on the roofs and the streets. It falls on the old man's beans. Esme stands in her garden with her arms open. Her tomatoes drink.
一个小时后，大雨来了。雨落在屋顶上、街道上，也落在老先生的豆子上。艾斯梅站在她的菜园里，张开双臂。她的番茄喝饱了水。
