Bao and his grandfather lived on a farm. A wide river ran past it. There was no bridge. To go to town, they used a small ferry. A long rope crossed the water. A man pulled the ferry along the rope.
阿宝和爷爷住在一个农场里。一条宽阔的河从农场旁边流过，河上没有桥。他们进城要坐一条小渡船。一根长绳横跨河面，一个人沿着绳子把渡船拉过去。
The ferry man was Mr. Tran. He was a big, strong man. He crossed the river twenty times a day.
摆渡人是陈先生。他是个高大强壮的人，一天要过河二十次。
One Thursday morning, Bao and Grandfather came to the river. They had two baskets of eggs for the market. The ferry sat on their side of the water. But Mr. Tran was not there.
一个星期四的早晨，阿宝和爷爷来到河边。他们带了两篮鸡蛋，要拿去市场。渡船停在他们这一侧的岸边，可是陈先生不在。
A small boy ran up to them. "Mr. Tran is sick," he said. "His back hurts. He cannot work today."
一个小男孩跑过来对他们说：“陈先生病了。他的背很疼，今天不能干活。”
Grandfather looked at the river. "No ferry, no market," he said.
爷爷望着河水。“没有渡船，就去不了市场。”他说。
"Can we pull the rope ourselves?" asked Bao.
“我们自己拉绳子行吗？”阿宝问。
"I am too old," said Grandfather. "My arms are not strong now."
“我太老了，”爷爷说，“胳膊现在没力气了。”
Bao looked at the rope. It was thick and wet. He put his hands on it. It was heavy, but he could move it a little.
阿宝看着那根绳子。它又粗又湿。他把手放上去，绳子很重，但他能让它动一点点。
"I can try," he said.
“我可以试试。”他说。
"The river is deep," said Grandfather. "It is not a game."
“河很深，”爷爷说，“这不是闹着玩的。”
"I know," said Bao. "I will go slowly. You can hold the eggs."
“我知道，”阿宝说，“我会慢慢来。您帮我拿着鸡蛋就行。”
Grandfather thought for a long time. Then he nodded. "Let me see your hands," he said. Bao showed him. They were small, but they were hard from farm work.
爷爷想了很久，然后点了点头。“让我看看你的手。”他说。阿宝把手伸给他看。那双手不大，却因为干农活而变得结实。
"Wear these," said Grandfather. He took off his old gloves. They were too big for Bao, but they helped.
“戴上这个。”爷爷说着，摘下自己的旧手套。手套对阿宝来说太大了，但有点用。
They climbed on the ferry. It moved a little on the water. Grandfather sat in the middle. The baskets sat on his knees. Bao stood at the front and took the rope.
他们爬上渡船。船在水面上轻轻晃了晃。爷爷坐在中间，膝盖上放着篮子。阿宝站在船头，抓住了绳子。
He pulled. Nothing happened. He pulled again. The ferry moved one step.
他拉了一下，什么也没发生。他又拉了一下，渡船挪动了一步。
"Use your legs," said Grandfather. "Not only your arms."
“用腿使劲，”爷爷说，“别光用胳膊。”
Bao put his feet against the wood. He pulled with his whole body. The ferry slid forward. The water made a soft sound under it.
阿宝把脚抵在木板上，用全身的力气去拉。渡船向前滑去，船下的水发出轻轻的声音。
Pull, step. Pull, step. Bao counted in his head. His arms burned. The far side of the river looked very far away.
拉一下，走一步。拉一下，走一步。阿宝在心里数着。他的胳膊像火烧一样。河对岸看起来非常远。
In the middle, the water was fast. The ferry turned a little. Bao held the rope tight. A cold wind pushed against his face.
到了河中间，水流很急。渡船微微转了个方向。阿宝紧紧抓住绳子。一阵冷风扑在他脸上。
"Stop and rest," said Grandfather. "The rope will not move away."
“停下来歇一歇，”爷爷说，“绳子不会跑掉的。”
Bao stopped. He breathed deeply. A white bird flew over the water and called out. Then he pulled again.
阿宝停了下来，深深地呼吸。一只白色的鸟飞过水面，叫了一声。然后他又开始拉。
It took forty minutes. Mr. Tran did the same trip in ten. But at last, the ferry touched the far side. It made a soft bump.
一共用了四十分钟。陈先生同样的一趟只要十分钟。但最后，渡船还是碰到了对岸，发出轻轻的一声“咚”。
Bao fell down on the wood. His hands were red. He laughed and could not stop.
阿宝一下子倒在木板上。他的手红红的。他笑着，怎么也停不下来。
Grandfather stood up and put the baskets on the ground. "You are not a small boy now," he said. "You are a ferry man."
爷爷站起来，把篮子放到地上。“你现在不是小孩子了，”他说，“你是个摆渡人。”
At the market, a woman bought all the eggs. Bao took the money home. He put some in a small jar. Then he bought hot buns. They ate them on the road.
在市场上，一位女士把所有的鸡蛋都买下了。阿宝把钱带回家，留了一部分放进一个小罐子里，又买了热腾腾的包子。他们在路上吃了起来。
The next day, Mr. Tran was back at the river. His back was better. Bao stood on the bank. He watched Mr. Tran pull the rope. The ferry looked small and slow.
第二天，陈先生回到了河边。他的背好些了。阿宝站在岸上，看着陈先生拉绳子。渡船看起来又小又慢。
"Come," said Mr. Tran. "Take the other side. Let me see what you can do."
“来，”陈先生说，“你去拉另一边。让我看看你的本事。”
