I live on the first floor of an old building. Every evening at seven, a smell comes into my flat.
我住在一栋旧楼的一楼。每天晚上七点，都会有一种气味飘进我的家。
It is the smell of popcorn. It is warm and sweet. It makes me very hungry.
那是爆米花的味道。又暖又甜。它让我饿极了。
On Monday, I make my own dinner. I do not want popcorn for dinner. But the smell stays in my room for an hour.
星期一，我自己做晚饭。我不想晚饭吃爆米花。可是那股味道在我的房间里停了一个小时。
On Tuesday, the smell comes again. I look at the clock. It is seven exactly.
星期二，那股味道又来了。我看了看钟。正好七点。
"Who makes popcorn every night?" I say to the empty room.
“是谁每天晚上做爆米花？”我对着空房间说。
On Wednesday, I leave my flat at seven. I stand in the hall. The smell is strong here. It is stronger by the stairs.
星期三，七点我走出了家门。我站在走廊里。这里的味道很浓。楼梯边更浓。
I walk up to the second floor. A young woman opens her door. Her name is Nadine.
我走上二楼。一位年轻女子打开了她的门。她叫娜丁。
"Hello," I say. "Do you smell popcorn?"
“你好，”我说，“你闻到爆米花的味道了吗？”
"Yes!" Nadine says. "It comes every night. It is not from my kitchen."
“闻到了！”娜丁说，“每天晚上都有。不是从我的厨房来的。”
"Then I go up," I say.
“那我往上走。”我说。
"I come with you," she says.
“我跟你一起去。”她说。
We walk up to the third floor. The smell is stronger now. A man stands in the hall with a book. His name is Orson.
我们走上三楼。味道现在更浓了。一个男人拿着一本书站在走廊里。他叫奥森。
"Is it your popcorn?" Nadine asks him.
“是你做的爆米花吗？”娜丁问他。
"No," Orson says. "I only smell it. I think it comes from above."
“不是，”奥森说，“我只是闻到了。我想是从上面来的。”
"Come with us," I say.
“跟我们一起来吧。”我说。
Orson puts his book under his arm. He follows us up the stairs. Now we are three people on a hunt.
奥森把书夹在胳膊下。他跟着我们上楼。现在我们三个人一起去找了。
On the fourth floor, a woman sits on a step. She holds an empty bowl. She looks sad.
在四楼，一位女士坐在台阶上。她拿着一个空碗。她看起来很难过。
"Is it yours?" Nadine asks.
“是你的吗？”娜丁问。
"No," she says. "I wish it was. I smell it every night, and I get hungry. I wait here for the smell."
“不是，”她说，“我真希望是。我每天晚上都闻到，闻得好饿。我就在这儿等这股味道。”
"Then who makes it?" Orson asks.
“那是谁做的呢？”奥森问。
The woman points up. "The last floor," she says. "Only one man lives there."
那位女士指了指上面。“最顶层，”她说，“那里只住着一个男人。”
We climb the last stairs. Everyone is quiet. The smell is so strong now. Our noses lead the way.
我们爬上最后几级楼梯。大家都不说话。现在味道太浓了。我们的鼻子在带路。
At the end of the hall, there is one door. It is open a little. We hear a loud movie. We hear a big explosion and a happy song.
走廊尽头有一扇门。门开了一条缝。我们听见电影放得很响。听见一声巨大的爆炸，还有一首欢快的歌。
I knock on the door. A man opens it. He wears soft shoes and a funny hat. He holds a huge bowl of popcorn.
我敲了敲门。一个男人开了门。他穿着软软的鞋子，戴着一顶滑稽的帽子。他端着一大碗爆米花。
"Hello," he says. "Is the movie too loud?"
“你们好，”他说，“电影太吵了吗？”
"No," I say. "It is the popcorn. The smell goes down to every floor."
“不是，”我说，“是爆米花。味道飘到了每一层楼。”
The man looks at his kitchen. A small window is open. Under it, there is a wall vent. The smell goes out and down the building.
男人看了看他的厨房。有一扇小窗开着。窗下有一个墙上的通风口。味道就从那里出去，顺着楼往下飘。
"Oh no," he says. "My name is Quentin. I make popcorn every night at seven. I watch one movie and eat one big bowl."
“哎呀，”他说，“我叫昆廷。我每天晚上七点做爆米花。我看一部电影，吃一大碗。”
"Every night?" Nadine asks.
“每天晚上吗？”娜丁问。
"Every night," Quentin says. "It is my small rule."
“每天晚上，”昆廷说，“这是我的一条小规矩。”
Orson laughs. The woman with the empty bowl laughs too. I laugh so hard that I sit down.
奥森笑了。拿着空碗的女士也笑了。我笑得太厉害，坐到了地上。
"I am sorry," Quentin says. "I close the vent now."
“对不起，”昆廷说，“我现在就把通风口关上。”
"Please do not," the woman says fast. "I like the smell."
“请别关，”那位女士赶紧说，“我喜欢这味道。”
"I like it too," Nadine says. "But I want to eat it, not smell it."
“我也喜欢，”娜丁说，“可是我想吃，不想只是闻。”
Quentin looks at his bowl. Then he looks at all of us. We stand at his door like a small, hungry crowd.
昆廷看了看他的碗。然后他看了看我们所有人。我们像一小群饥饿的人，站在他的门口。
"Come in," he says. "I have a very big pot. Who wants to see the movie?"
“进来吧，”他说，“我有一口特别大的锅。谁想看电影？”
We all raise our hands. Quentin opens his door wide.
我们都举起了手。昆廷把门大大地打开。
"Bring some chairs," he says. "And bring a bowl."
“搬几把椅子来，”他说，“再带上一只碗。”
