It rained all night. In the morning, the sun came out. The world smelled fresh. Arlo ran to the kitchen window. The little stream behind Grandma's house was full and fast.
雨下了一整夜。早晨，太阳出来了。世界闻起来清新极了。阿尔洛跑到厨房的窗前。奶奶家后面的小溪涨满了水，流得很急。
"Bao!" he shouted. "Wake up! The stream is big!"
“鲍！”他喊道，“快起来！小溪涨水了！”
Bao was his cousin. He came to the kitchen with his hair standing up. He looked out and smiled. "A paper boat day," he said.
鲍是他的表弟。他头发翘着走进厨房，往外看了看，笑了。“纸船的好日子，”他说。
They sat at the table. They made boats from old newspaper. Arlo made a tall boat. It had a red mark on the side. Bao made a long, flat boat with a blue mark. Grandma gave them a candle to rub on the paper.
他们坐在桌边，用旧报纸折船。阿尔洛折了一条高高的船，船边有一个红色记号。鲍折了一条又长又扁的船，有一个蓝色记号。奶奶给了他们一截蜡烛，让他们在纸上擦一擦。
"Wax keeps the water out," she said. "Now go. And stay on the grass."
“蜡能挡水，”她说，“好了，去吧。要待在草地上。”
The boys ran to the stream. It was loud and brown. Leaves and small sticks floated on it.
两个男孩跑向小溪。溪水哗哗响，是浑浊的棕色。树叶和小树枝漂在上面。
"We race to the old stone bridge," said Arlo. "The first boat there wins."
“我们比赛，看谁先到老石桥，”阿尔洛说，“第一个到的船赢。”
"That is very far," said Bao.
“那太远了，”鲍说。
"Then it is a long race," said Arlo.
“那就是一场长跑比赛，”阿尔洛说。
They counted to three. Then they put the boats in the water together.
他们数到三，然后一起把船放进水里。
The boats shot away. The red boat went left. The blue boat went right. Arlo and Bao ran along the bank, shouting and laughing.
两条船飞快地冲了出去。红船往左，蓝船往右。阿尔洛和鲍沿着河岸边跑边喊边笑。
"Go, red!" shouted Arlo.
“加油，红船！”阿尔洛喊道。
"Go, blue!" shouted Bao.
“加油，蓝船！”鲍喊道。
At the first turn, the blue boat hit a branch. It turned round and round. Bao jumped over a rock. He pushed it free with a stick. The boat moved again.
在第一个拐弯处，蓝船撞上了一根树枝，开始团团打转。鲍跳过一块石头，用一根棍子把它拨了出来。船又动了起来。
The red boat dropped down a small waterfall. Arlo held his breath. The boat went under the water. Then it came up again, wet but still open.
红船从一个小瀑布上掉了下去。阿尔洛屏住了呼吸。船沉到了水下，然后又浮了上来，湿透了，但还是敞开的。
"It lives!" he shouted.
“它还活着！”他喊道。
Now the boats moved side by side. A green frog watched them from a stone. A duck swam away. It made an angry sound.
现在两条船并排前进。一只绿青蛙在石头上看着它们。一只鸭子游开了，发出生气的叫声。
Around the big field, the stream became wide and slow. The boats floated in the middle, close to each other. The boys ran as fast as they could. Their shoes were full of mud.
绕过大田野，小溪变得又宽又缓。两条船漂在中间，靠得很近。两个男孩使劲儿往前跑，鞋里灌满了泥。
Then Arlo saw the stone bridge ahead. It was very close. The water ran in a dark tunnel under it.
这时阿尔洛看到前面的石桥。已经很近了。溪水流进桥下一条黑漆漆的隧道。
The two boats went into the tunnel together. The boys stood at the end of the bridge. They waited. A minute passed. Then another.
两条船一起进了隧道。男孩们站在桥的另一头等着。过了一分钟，又过了一分钟。
"Where are they?" asked Bao.
“它们在哪儿？”鲍问。
Arlo looked into the dark. He saw a small white shape. "There!" he said.
阿尔洛朝黑暗里看去。他看到一个小小的白色身影。“在那儿！”他说。
But only one boat came out. It was the red one. The blue boat did not appear.
可是只有一条船出来了，是红船。蓝船没有出现。
"I win," said Arlo, but he did not feel happy. He walked into the cold water. He looked under the bridge.
“我赢了，”阿尔洛说，可他并不开心。他走进冰冷的水里，朝桥下看去。
The blue boat was stuck between two stones. It was wet, and the blue mark was nearly gone. Arlo took it out. He put it in Bao's hands.
蓝船卡在两块石头之间。它湿透了，蓝色的记号几乎没有了。阿尔洛把它拿出来，放到鲍的手里。
"It was a tie," he said. "Both boats got to the bridge."
“是平局，”他说，“两条船都到了桥边。”
Bao looked at the boat and then at Arlo. "No," he said. "Red won. But my boat was brave."
鲍看了看船，又看了看阿尔洛。“不，”他说，“红船赢了。不过我的船很勇敢。”
They walked home slowly with their wet shoes. In the kitchen, Grandma gave them hot milk. She gave them more newspaper too.
他们穿着湿鞋子慢慢地走回家。在厨房里，奶奶给他们倒了热牛奶，还给了他们更多的报纸。
"Again?" she asked.
“再来一次？”她问。
"Again," said Arlo. "But this time, a longer stream."
“再来一次，”阿尔洛说，“不过这次，要一条更长的小溪。”
