Hugo lived in a small house by the sea. One Saturday, his niece Cleo came to stay.
雨果住在海边的一座小房子里。一个星期六，他的侄女克莱奥来和他住几天。
"Can we see the seals today?" Cleo asked.
“我们今天能去看海豹吗？”克莱奥问。
"Yes," said Hugo. "But we must go at the right time."
“可以，”雨果说，“不过我们得在合适的时间去。”
He took a paper from the kitchen table. It showed the times of the tide. "The sea goes out at ten," he said. "Then we can walk to the sandbar."
他从厨房的桌子上拿起一张纸，上面写着潮汐的时间。“海水十点退下去，”他说，“那时我们就能走到沙洲上。”
"What is a sandbar?" asked Cleo.
“沙洲是什么？”克莱奥问。
"It is a long road of sand. It goes to a small island. The seals sleep there."
“是一条长长的沙子路，通向一座小岛。海豹就睡在那儿。”
"Does the sea come back?"
“海水会回来吗？”
"Yes. At noon it comes back fast. We must leave before twelve."
“会的。中午它涨得很快。我们必须在十二点以前离开。”
Cleo looked at the clock. It was nine thirty. "Let's go now," she said.
克莱奥看了看钟，才九点半。“我们现在就走吧。”她说。
They put on old shoes. Hugo put water and bread in a bag. Cleo took a small notebook and a pencil.
他们穿上旧鞋。雨果往包里放了水和面包。克莱奥拿了一个小笔记本和一支铅笔。
At ten o'clock, the beach was very wide. The sea was far away. The sand was wet and hard. Little shells lay everywhere. A white bird walked in front of them.
十点钟，海滩变得非常宽阔，海水退得很远。沙子又湿又硬，到处都是小贝壳。一只白色的鸟在他们前面走着。
"The road is open," said Hugo. "Stay next to me."
“路开了，”雨果说，“紧跟着我。”
Cleo found a blue shell. She held it up to the light. "Can I keep it?" she asked.
克莱奥找到一枚蓝色的贝壳。她把它举到光下。“我可以留着它吗？”她问。
"Yes," said Hugo. "The sea gives us many gifts. But only take one."
“可以，”雨果说，“大海送给我们许多礼物，但只能拿一份。”
She put the shell in her pocket. It felt cold and smooth.
她把贝壳放进口袋，摸起来又凉又光滑。
They walked for twenty minutes. The sand was cold under their feet. Cleo stopped many times. She looked at the crabs in the small pools. She drew them in her notebook.
他们走了二十分钟。沙子踩在脚下冰凉。克莱奥停了好几次，看小水洼里的螃蟹，还把它们画在笔记本上。
At last, they came to the island. Hugo put a finger on his mouth. "Now we are quiet," he said.
终于，他们来到了小岛上。雨果把一根手指放在嘴上。“现在我们要安静。”他说。
Behind a big rock, six seals lay in the sun. Two were big and grey. Four were small and brown. One small seal looked at Cleo. Its eyes were round and black.
一块大石头后面，六只海豹正躺着晒太阳。两只又大又灰，四只又小又棕。一只小海豹看着克莱奥，它的眼睛又圆又黑。
Cleo did not say a word. She sat down and drew the little seal. Hugo ate some bread and watched the water far away.
克莱奥一句话也没说。她坐下来，画那只小海豹。雨果吃了一些面包，望着远处的海水。
After an hour, Hugo looked at his watch. It was eleven fifteen. "We need to go," he said.
过了一个小时，雨果看了看手表，已经十一点一刻了。“我们该走了。”他说。
"Five more minutes, please," said Cleo.
“再给我五分钟，求你了。”克莱奥说。
"Five," said Hugo. "Not six."
“五分钟，”雨果说，“不能是六分钟。”
He laughed, but he looked at the water again. It was still far away. But it came closer.
他笑了笑，却又看了一眼海水。它还很远，但在慢慢靠近。
Cleo drew one more seal. Then she closed her notebook. They said goodbye and walked back to the sandbar.
克莱奥又画了一只海豹，然后合上了笔记本。他们向海豹道别，走回沙洲。
But the sea came faster than Hugo thought. Water ran over the sand in thin silver lines. Soon the sand was wet and soft. A small wave touched Hugo's shoe.
可是海水涨得比雨果想的快。水在沙子上漫开，像一条条细细的银线。很快，沙子变得又湿又软。一个小浪碰到了雨果的鞋。
"Walk fast," said Hugo. "Do not run."
“快走，”雨果说，“别跑。”
Cleo took his hand. They walked and walked. The water reached their ankles. It was cold, and it made Cleo shout. The beach was only fifty steps away.
克莱奥拉住他的手。他们走啊走啊。水没到了脚踝，又冰又凉，让克莱奥大叫起来。离海滩只有五十步了。
"Forty," said Hugo. "Thirty. Twenty."
“四十，”雨果说，“三十，二十。”
At last, their feet touched dry sand. They sat down and laughed. Their shoes were full of water.
终于，他们的脚踩到了干沙子。他们坐下来，笑了起来。鞋里灌满了水。
"We were lucky," said Hugo. "Next time we leave at eleven."
“我们真走运，”雨果说，“下次我们十一点就离开。”
"Next time I draw faster," said Cleo.
“下次我画快一点。”克莱奥说。
She opened her notebook and held it up. On the page, the little seal held one flipper up. It looked like a wave goodbye.
她打开笔记本，举了起来。纸上，那只小海豹举着一只鳍，看起来像是在挥手告别。
