Fabrice and Amit were cadets at the fire station. Every week, the cadets ran a hose race in the yard. The winner wore a gold star on his helmet.
法布里斯和阿米特是消防站的学员。每个星期，学员们都要在院子里举行一场水带比赛。获胜的人，头盔上会戴一颗金星。
Fabrice won on Monday. Amit won on Tuesday. On Wednesday, they crossed the line at the same moment. They argued about it for an hour.
星期一，法布里斯赢了。星期二，阿米特赢了。星期三，他们同时冲过了终点线。两人为此争论了一个小时。
"My foot was first," Fabrice said.
“是我的脚先到的，”法布里斯说。
"My hose was first," said Amit. "Hoses count more than feet."
“是我的水带先到的，”阿米特说，“水带比脚算数。”
They did not speak for the rest of the day.
那天剩下的时间，他们谁也没和谁说话。
On Thursday, the station cook came running into the yard. She held a big green recipe book in both hands. Her face was white.
星期四，站里的厨师跑进了院子。她双手捧着一本厚厚的绿色食谱。她脸色煞白。
"Cadets!" she cried. "Stop. I need your help."
“学员们！”她喊道，“停下。我需要你们帮忙。”
The cadets came close. Fabrice stood on one side of the circle. Amit stood on the other.
学员们围拢过来。法布里斯站在圈子的一边。阿米特站在另一边。
"Open Day starts at six," the cook said. "Many people come to visit. I must make my famous chili for all of them. But page fourteen is gone!"
“开放日六点开始，”厨师说，“会有很多人来参观。我得给他们所有人做我的招牌辣味炖豆。可是第十四页不见了！”
She opened the book. Between pages thirteen and fifteen, a thin line of torn paper showed. The old page was always loose.
她翻开书。在第十三页和第十五页之间，露出一道细细的撕痕。那一页一直都是松的。
"I wrote that recipe forty years ago," she said. "I do not remember the numbers. How many beans? How many onions? How much spice? Only the page knows."
“那份食谱是我四十年前写的，”她说，“我记不得那些数目了。放多少豆子？多少洋葱？多少香料？只有那一页知道。”
"When did you see it last?" asked Fabrice.
“您最后一次看到它是什么时候？”法布里斯问。
"At breakfast," said the cook. "I left the book on the bench. The wind opened it. I went to help the captain. When I came back, the page was gone."
“早饭的时候，”厨师说，“我把书放在长凳上。风把它吹开了。我去帮队长的忙。等我回来，那一页就不见了。”
Everybody looked at the bench. It stood next to the practice tower. The cadets ate their snacks there.
大家都看向那条长凳。它就在训练塔旁边。学员们在那儿吃点心。
"Amit sat there at ten," Fabrice said.
“阿米特十点钟坐在那里，”法布里斯说。
"And you sat there at eleven," said Amit.
“你十一点钟坐在那里，”阿米特说。
They began to argue again.
他们又吵了起来。
The captain stepped out of the station door. He was a tall man with a very quiet voice. The cadets stopped talking at once.
队长从站里的门口走了出来。他是个高个子，声音很轻。学员们立刻安静了下来。
"Here is what we will do," the captain said. "Fabrice and Amit will find the page. They will work as a pair. In my yard, nobody works alone."
“我们这样办，”队长说，“法布里斯和阿米特去找那一页。你们结成搭档。在我的院子里，没有人单独行动。”
"With him?" said Fabrice.
“跟他？”法布里斯说。
"With him?" said Amit.
“跟他？”阿米特说。
"With him," said the captain. "You have two hours. After that, the cook starts from nothing. She will not be happy."
“跟他，”队长说，“你们有两个小时。过了这个时间，厨师就得从头开始。她会不高兴的。”
The two cadets stood side by side. They looked at the empty bench. They did not look at each other.
两个学员并肩站着。他们看着空荡荡的长凳。谁也没看对方。
"Let us start with facts," Amit said at last. "The page was white. It was thin. It could fly."
“我们从事实开始，”阿米特终于说，“那一页是白色的。很薄。会飞。”
"Or it could stick," said Fabrice. He bent down and touched the bench. The wood was wet. "Look. Someone sprayed water here."
“也可能会粘住，”法布里斯说。他弯下腰摸了摸长凳。木头是湿的。“看。有人在这儿喷过水。”
"The hose crew did the drill at eleven thirty," said Amit slowly. "They pulled the wet hose across this bench. The wind pulled out the loose page. The wet hose took it. Then they hung the hose up to dry."
“水带组十一点半做过演练，”阿米特慢慢地说，“他们把湿水带从这条长凳上拖了过去。风把松掉的那一页吹了出来。湿水带把它带走了。然后他们把水带挂起来晾干。”
"Where?" asked Fabrice.
“挂在哪儿？”法布里斯问。
They both turned and looked up at the practice tower. A long fire hose hung from the top rail. It was three floors up. It moved a little in the air, like a very long snake.
他们俩同时转身，抬头望向训练塔。一条长长的消防水带挂在顶层的栏杆上。离地三层楼高。它在空气中微微晃动，像一条很长很长的蛇。
Amit pointed. "I see something white on it," he said.
阿米特指了指。“我看到上面有个白色的东西，”他说。
Fabrice shaded his eyes. "That is a page," he said. "That is our page."
法布里斯遮住眼睛上方。“那是一页纸，”他说，“那就是我们要找的那一页。”
For a moment, neither of them moved. Then both ran to the ladder. Both tried to climb it together. They pushed and pulled in the narrow space.
一时间，两个人谁也没动。接着两人同时跑向梯子。两人都想一起往上爬。他们在狭窄的空间里推推拉拉。
"I go first," said Fabrice.
“我先上，”法布里斯说。
"I am taller," said Amit. "I can reach the top rail."
“我个子更高，”阿米特说，“我够得到顶层栏杆。”
"I am faster."
“我更快。”
"The captain said we work as a pair," said Amit. He stopped pulling. "One climbs and one holds the ladder. That is the rule."
“队长说过我们要结成搭档，”阿米特说。他不再拉扯了。“一个人爬，一个人扶梯子。这是规矩。”
Fabrice looked at him. Then he looked at the ladder, which shook a little.
法布里斯看着他。接着又看了看梯子，梯子微微晃动着。
"You climb," he said. "I will hold. I am heavier, and I hold better."
“你爬，”他说，“我来扶。我比较重，扶得更稳。”
Amit blinked. It was the first kind thing Fabrice said all week.
阿米特眨了眨眼。这是法布里斯整整一个星期来说的第一句好话。
"Thank you," he said. He put on a safety belt. Then he began to climb.
“谢谢你，”他说。他系上安全带。然后开始往上爬。
Fabrice stood at the bottom and held the ladder with both arms. He called out advice. "Left hand now. Not that step, the next one. Do not look down."
法布里斯站在底下，用两只胳膊扶住梯子。他大声喊着建议。“现在迈左手。不是这一级，是下一级。别往下看。”
"I do not look down," said Amit. "I look at you. Your hands shake."
“我没往下看，”阿米特说，“我在看你。你的手在抖。”
"They are not," said Fabrice. "It is the ladder."
“才没有，”法布里斯说，“是梯子在抖。”
Amit climbed three floors. It felt like thirty. At the top, he reached out and found the page. It was wet and soft. The ink ran across the paper in blue lines. He folded it carefully and put it inside his shirt.
阿米特爬了三层楼。感觉像爬了三十层。到了顶上，他伸出手，摸到了那一页纸。它又湿又软。墨水在纸上洇成一道道蓝线。他小心地把它折好，塞进衬衫里。
On the ground, the two cadets sat down and opened the page. They looked sad.
回到地面，两个学员坐下来，展开那一页。他们神情沮丧。
"The numbers are unclear," said Fabrice. "I can see a three, or maybe an eight."
“数字看不清了，”法布里斯说，“我看到一个三，也可能是八。”
"I see one cup of something," said Amit. "Or is it one carrot?"
“我看到一杯什么东西，”阿米特说，“或者是一根胡萝卜？”
They put the page in the sun and held it flat. Fabrice read the left side. Amit read the right side. They shouted the numbers to each other. When one was not sure, the other leaned close. Together they decided.
他们把纸放在阳光下压平。法布里斯读左半边。阿米特读右半边。他们互相喊着数字。一个人拿不准的时候，另一个人就凑近些。他们一起做出决定。
"Eight onions," said Fabrice.
“八个洋葱，”法布里斯说。
"Two spoons of spice," said Amit. "No, three."
“两勺香料，”阿米特说，“不对，三勺。”
"The cook always makes it hot," said Fabrice. "Three."
“厨师做得总是很辣，”法布里斯说，“三勺。”
After half an hour, they had a whole recipe on clean paper. They carried it to the cook. She sat on the steps with her head in her hands.
半小时后，他们在干净的纸上写出了一份完整的食谱。他们把它拿给厨师。她正坐在台阶上，双手捧着头。
She read the list. She read it again. Then she jumped up and hugged them both. Their helmets fell off.
她读了一遍清单。又读了一遍。然后她一跃而起，把两人都抱住了。他们的头盔掉了下来。
"You saved Open Day!" she said. "Oh, this is exactly right. Come inside. You must help me cook."
“你们拯救了开放日！”她说，“哦，这完全正确。进来吧。你们得帮我做饭。”
For hours, the two cadets chopped onions and stirred the pot. Fabrice cut the onions. Amit counted out the spice. The chili smelled wonderful. Their eyes watered, but they laughed.
好几个小时里，两个学员一直在切洋葱、搅锅。法布里斯切洋葱。阿米特量香料。炖豆的味道香极了。他们被熏得眼泪汪汪，却笑个不停。
At last, the cook looked at the bottom of the old page. One line of her own writing was still clear. She read it out loud.
最后，厨师看了看那张旧纸页的底部。她自己写的一行字还很清晰。她把它大声念了出来。
"Serves a big crowd. Whoever loses this page must wash the pot."
“可供一大群人食用。谁弄丢了这一页，谁就得洗锅。”
The kitchen went quiet. The pot was as big as a bathtub.
厨房里安静了下来。那口锅有浴缸那么大。
The cook smiled and held out one small sponge.
厨师微笑着，递过来一块小海绵。
"There is only one sponge," Amit said.
“只有一块海绵，”阿米特说。
"I know," said the cook.
“我知道，”厨师说。
