Jude worked at the shipyard after school. It was a small yard at the edge of the bay. It had a long shed. Old boats sat on wooden stands.
裘德放学后在造船厂干活。那是海湾边上一个小船厂，有一间长长的棚屋，旧船都搁在木头支架上。
His job was easy. He swept the floor, carried tools and brought coffee to the workers. On quiet evenings he sat on a box. He read his English book. He wanted to pass the big exam in June.
他的活儿很轻松。他扫地，搬工具，给工人们端咖啡。安静的晚上，他就坐在一只箱子上读他的英语书。他想通过六月的那场大考。
The yard also had a loudspeaker. It hung on a pole by the front gate. The boss pressed a button and spoke into a small microphone. Then the loudspeaker spoke to the whole yard. But it had a problem. It mumbled.
船厂里还有一个扩音喇叭，挂在前门边的一根杆子上。老板按下按钮，对着一个小话筒讲话，喇叭就对整个船厂说话。可它有个毛病。它说话含含糊糊。
"Dorfor," it said now. "Op'n. Heerm tide."
“斯喔头。开喔。涨潮嗯。”它现在说。
"What did it say?" asked a worker.
“它说什么？”一个工人问。
"Dock four is open. The tide is high now," said Jude. He knew the words well. He heard them every day.
“四号码头开了。现在涨潮了，”裘德说。这些话他很熟。他每天都听见。
The workers went home at eight. The boss left at nine, and Jude stayed to lock the gate. He turned off the lights in the long shed. Then he heard an engine out on the water.
工人们八点回家。老板九点走，裘德留下来锁大门。他关掉了长棚屋里的灯。这时，他听见海面上传来发动机的声音。
It was a weak, coughing sound. Jude walked to the end of the dock. He looked into the dark. A small white sailboat came into the bay. It had one light on the boat. It moved slowly, and it moved in a strange line.
那声音微弱，一阵阵地咳嗽。裘德走到码头尽头。他朝黑暗里望去。一艘白色的小帆船驶进了海湾。船上亮着一盏灯。它开得很慢，走的是一条古怪的线。
Then the engine stopped.
然后发动机停了。
The boat did not move. Jude could see a person on the deck, waving both arms. A voice called out in a language he did not know. Then it called again, in English.
船不动了。裘德看见甲板上有个人，在挥舞着双臂。一个声音用一种他不懂的语言喊了一句。接着又用英语喊了一遍。
"Hello? Please! Where is the port?"
“喂？请问！港口在哪里？”
"Here!" Jude shouted. "This is the port! Wait there!"
“这里！”裘德喊道，“这就是港口！在那儿等着！”
The person did not answer. Perhaps she could not hear him over the water. Jude ran back along the dock. He pressed the button on the wall. He spoke into the small microphone. "Dock four! Come to dock four!" The loudspeaker clicked.
那个人没有回答。也许她隔着水面听不见他。裘德沿着码头跑回去。他按下墙上的按钮，对着小话筒说：“四号码头！到四号码头来！”喇叭咔嗒响了一声。
"Dorfor. Gate ent. Mmm wait," it said.
“斯喔头。门喔开。嗯等，”它说。
Jude put his hand on his head. Nobody could understand that. He tried the button again, and again it only mumbled.
裘德用手抱住了头。谁也听不懂这个。他又按了一次按钮，它仍然只是含糊地嘟囔。
He took a deep breath. He grabbed the big hand lamp from the hook. He ran to the small rowing boat tied below the dock. It belonged to the yard. Workers used it to look at the boats.
他深吸一口气。他从挂钩上抓起那盏大手提灯。他跑到拴在码头下面的那只小划艇边。它是船厂的，工人们用它来查看船。
He climbed in and untied the rope. His arms were not strong. But he pulled hard on the oars. The little boat went across the dark water.
他爬进去，解开了缆绳。他的胳膊没有什么力气。可他使劲拉着桨。小艇驶过漆黑的水面。
It was not far, but it felt long. The tide pulled the boat to the left. Jude had to fight it. Water splashed on his knees. His hands burned. He kept the lamp between his feet. He aimed the light at the white sail.
路不远，却觉得很漫长。潮水把小船往左边拽。裘德不得不跟它较劲。水花溅到他的膝盖上。他的手火辣辣地疼。他把灯夹在两脚之间，把光对准那面白帆。
"Hello!" he called.
“喂！”他喊道。
"I am here!" said the voice.
“我在这里！”那个声音说。
The sailboat was close now. A young woman stood at the side. She was about his age. She had short dark hair and a heavy jacket. Her face was tired, but her eyes were bright.
帆船现在很近了。一位年轻女子站在船边。她和他年纪差不多。短短的黑发，穿着一件厚外套。她的脸很疲倦，眼睛却很明亮。
"My engine is dead," she said slowly. "I sail alone. I come from the north, three days. The radio is broken."
“我的发动机坏了，”她慢慢地说，“我一个人航行。我从北边来，三天。无线电也坏了。”
"Do not worry," said Jude. "I will take your rope."
“别担心，”裘德说，“我来接你的缆绳。”
She threw him a thick rope. He tied it to the back of his rowing boat. Then he began to pull. The sailboat was heavy, and the oars bent. For a long time they did not move at all.
她抛给他一根粗缆绳。他把它系在划艇的后面。然后他开始拉。帆船很重，桨都弯了。很长一段时间，他们完全没有挪动。
"Stop," the young woman said. "It is too much for one person. I can help."
“停下，”年轻女子说，“一个人太吃力了。我可以帮忙。”
She jumped into the rowing boat. It rocked, and Jude almost fell. She laughed and sat next to him. She took one oar, and he took the other.
她跳进了划艇。船摇晃起来，裘德差点摔倒。她笑着坐到他身边。她拿起一支桨，他拿起另一支。
"On three," she said. "One, two, three."
“数三下，”她说，“一，二，三。”
They pulled together. Slowly, the sailboat followed them across the water.
他们一起划。帆船慢慢地跟着他们驶过水面。
"I am Roxana," she said between breaths.
“我叫罗克萨娜，”她在喘息间说。
"I am Jude."
“我叫裘德。”
"Where do I put my boat, Jude?"
“我的船该停在哪里，裘德？”
"Dock four," he said. "It is the one with the green light. The tide is high now. We can reach it."
“四号码头，”他说，“就是亮着绿灯的那个。现在涨潮了。我们能到那里。”
"Dock four," she repeated. She frowned. "I heard a word from the pole, I think. It sounded strange. Dorfor."
“四号码头，”她重复道。她皱起眉。“我好像听到杆子上有一个词。听起来很奇怪。斯喔头。”
Jude laughed so hard that he almost lost his oar. "That is the loudspeaker. It always sounds like that."
裘德笑得太厉害，差点把桨弄丢。“那是扩音喇叭。它总是这样说话。”
"I thought it was your name for a place."
“我以为那是你们对某个地方的叫法。”
"No. The boss never fixes it."
“不是。老板从来不修它。”
Roxana laughed too. They kept rowing, and it was easier now.
罗克萨娜也笑了。他们继续划着，现在轻松多了。
At last they reached dock four. Jude jumped onto the wooden steps. He tied the rope to a thick post. Roxana climbed after him. For a moment she just stood still and breathed.
终于，他们到了四号码头。裘德跳上木台阶。他把缆绳系在一根粗桩上。罗克萨娜跟在他后面爬上来。她静静地站了一会儿，喘着气。
"Thank you," she said. "I was very afraid. I could not see the port in the dark."
“谢谢你，”她说，“我很害怕。我在黑暗里看不见港口。”
"I could not do it alone," Jude said. "You were a good rower."
“我一个人做不到，”裘德说，“你划得真好。”
"My father has a boat. I row since I am small."
“我爸爸有一条船。我从小就划船。”
Jude brought her a blanket from the shed. He brought hot water too. She sat on a box and held the cup with both hands. Behind her, the white boat floated safely.
裘德从棚屋里给她拿来一条毯子。他还拿来了热水。她坐在一只箱子上，双手捧着杯子。她身后，白色的小船安稳地漂浮着。
"I will call my cousin in the morning," she said. "He knows a man who fixes engines."
“明天早上我给我表哥打电话，”她说，“他认识一个修发动机的人。”
"There is also a man here who fixes engines," said Jude. "He starts at seven."
“这里也有个修发动机的人，”裘德说，“他七点上班。”
"Maybe I stay one week."
“也许我会住一个星期。”
"Then I can show you the town."
“那我可以带你逛逛这座小镇。”
She smiled. Then she looked up at the pole by the gate.
她笑了。然后她抬头看了看大门边的杆子。
"Jude," she said, "what does that loudspeaker really say?"
“裘德，”她说，“那个喇叭到底在说什么？”
