Eira works in Booth Two at the Long Bridge. The bridge is three kilometres long. It crosses a wide, grey river, and every car must pay. Eira takes the coins, gives back change and says good morning. She does this again and again all day.
艾拉在长桥的二号收费亭工作。这座桥有三公里长，横跨一条宽阔的灰色大河，每辆车都得交费。艾拉收硬币，找零钱，说早上好。她一整天都这样周而复始。
She likes the job. The booth is small and warm. She has a radio, a cup holder and a good view. Most people say thank you. Some people sing. Once, a driver gave her a whole cake.
她喜欢这份工作。收费亭又小又暖和。她有一台收音机，一个杯架，还有一片好风景。大多数人都会说谢谢。有的人还会唱歌。有一次，一位司机送了她一整块蛋糕。
But nobody ever gave her a postcard. Until today.
可从来没有人送过她明信片。直到今天。
A white delivery truck stops at her window. The driver is a big man with a kind face. His name tag says Florin. He holds out one coin. In his other hand, he has a small square of card.
一辆白色送货卡车停在她的窗口前。司机是个高大的男人，面容和善。他的名牌上写着弗洛林。他递出一枚硬币，另一只手里拿着一小块方形卡片。
"Before I forget," he says. "This was in my mailbox yesterday. It has no stamp. Look at the address."
“趁我还没忘，”他说，“昨天我的信箱里有这个。没有贴邮票。你看看地址。”
Eira reads it. It says, "To the Keeper of Booth Two, Long Bridge."
艾拉读了起来。上面写着：“长桥二号收费亭看守人收。”
"That is me," she says.
“那是我，”她说。
"I thought so."
“我就想是你。”
She turns the card over. The picture shows a small bay with pale sand. Three striped umbrellas stand in a row. A white lamp hangs above a rock. There are four words above the picture, in curly letters. "Greetings from Saltmere Bay."
她把卡片翻过来。画面上是一个小海湾，沙滩淡淡的。三把条纹遮阳伞排成一排。一盏白色的灯悬在一块岩石上方。图画上方有四个字，是卷曲的字体：“盐湖湾问候你”。
On the back, someone wrote in blue ink. "Dear Keeper, the water is warm and the umbrellas are free. Come and see. Bring one coin for the gate."
背面有人用蓝墨水写着：“亲爱的看守人，海水很暖，遮阳伞免费。快来看看吧。请带一枚硬币过门。”
There is no name and no date.
没有署名，也没有日期。
"Where is Saltmere Bay?" Eira asks.
“盐湖湾在哪儿？”艾拉问。
"I don't know," Florin says. "I drive all over the country. I do not know it."
“我不知道，”弗洛林说，“我开车跑遍全国，也没听说过。”
Eira laughs. "Maybe it is a joke."
艾拉笑了。“也许是个玩笑。”
"Maybe." Florin looks at her. "But I want to know. Will you find it? I come across this bridge every week. I will ask you each time."
“也许吧。”弗洛林看着她。“可我想知道。你能找到它吗？我每周都要过这座桥。我每次都会问你。”
It is a silly thing to promise. Eira knows this. But Florin's face is so hopeful, and the picture is so pretty.
做出这样的承诺很傻，艾拉知道。可弗洛林脸上满是期待，而那张图画又是那么漂亮。
"All right," she says. "I promise. I will find Saltmere Bay."
“好吧，”她说，“我答应你。我会找到盐湖湾。”
"Good." Florin smiles and drives away.
“好。”弗洛林笑着开车走了。
That night, Eira looks at the map on her phone. She types the name. Nothing. She tries different spellings. Salt Mere. Saltmeer. Salt Mirror. Nothing.
那天晚上，艾拉在手机上看地图。她输入了这个名字。什么也没有。她试了不同的写法，什么也没有。
The next day, she calls the tourist office. A bored voice says, "We have no bay with that name, madam."
第二天，她给旅游办公室打电话。一个无精打采的声音说：“我们这里没有叫这个名字的海湾，女士。”
On the third day, she asks every driver in her line. A bus driver shakes his head. A woman on a motorbike thinks it sounds like a nice place. A young man in a sports car laughs. "On the moon," he says.
第三天，她问了排队的每一位司机。一位公交车司机摇了摇头。一位骑摩托车的女士觉得这听起来是个好地方。一个开跑车的年轻人大笑起来。“在月亮上吧，”他说。
Her boss walks past and sees her with the postcard. "A place that does not exist," he says.
她的老板走过，看见她拿着明信片。“一个不存在的地方，”他说。
"It is only a hobby," Eira says.
“这只是个爱好，”艾拉说。
But it is not only a hobby. A promise is a promise. Each time Florin comes, he lowers his window and asks, "Any news?" And each time, she has to say no.
可这不只是个爱好。承诺就是承诺。每次弗洛林来，他都会摇下车窗问：“有消息吗？”每一次，她都只能说没有。
After two weeks, Florin only smiles. "Don't worry," he says. "It is a mystery."
两周后，弗洛林只是笑笑。“别担心，”他说，“这是个谜。”
After three weeks, Eira is tired of the question. She puts the postcard on the shelf and looks at it. The three umbrellas. The little lamp. The pale sand.
三周后，艾拉受够了这个问题。她把明信片放在架子上，盯着它看。三把遮阳伞。小小的灯。淡淡的沙滩。
Then she sees something new.
然后她看到了新的东西。
The lamp in the picture is round at the top. It has a thin iron arm. She knows this lamp. It hangs on the south side of the bridge. It is near the old stairs. And the rock under it is the big stone. It is at the bottom of the stairs. Nobody ever goes there.
图画里的灯，顶部是圆的，有一条细细的铁臂。她认得这盏灯。它挂在桥的南侧，靠近那道旧楼梯。灯下面的岩石，就是楼梯脚下的那块大石头。从来没有人去那里。
She looks at the card for a long time. Then she looks at the clock. Her shift ends in ten minutes.
她盯着卡片看了很久。然后看了看钟。她的班还有十分钟结束。
At six o'clock, she takes the key from her booth. It opens the door to the service stairs. She goes down 112 steps. The stairs are narrow and cold. At the bottom, she steps onto a small stretch of grey stones.
六点钟，她从收费亭里取下钥匙。那把钥匙能打开通往检修楼梯的门。她走下一百一十二级台阶。楼梯又窄又冷。到了底下，她踏上一小片灰色的石头滩。
There are no umbrellas. There is no sand. There is only a rusty post and a pile of old rope. The view of the river is good.
没有遮阳伞，没有沙滩。只有一根生锈的柱子和一堆旧绳子。不过，河景很不错。
But the rock is the same. The lamp is the same. Even the shape of the water is the same.
但岩石是一样的。灯是一样的。就连水的形状也是一样的。
Eira sits down on the cold stones. She says it out loud. "I found it, and it is a mess."
艾拉在冰冷的石头上坐了下来。她大声说了出来。“我找到了，可这里乱七八糟。”
She sits there for a long time. Then she has a very strange idea.
她在那里坐了很久。然后她冒出了一个很奇怪的念头。
The next morning, Florin comes through. Before he speaks, she holds up her hand.
第二天早上，弗洛林开过来。他还没开口，她就举起了手。
"I found Saltmere Bay," she says. "But it needs some things. Do you have a spare umbrella?"
“我找到盐湖湾了，”她说，“可是它还缺些东西。你有备用的遮阳伞吗？”
Florin stares. "You must be joking."
弗洛林瞪大了眼睛。“你一定是在开玩笑。”
"I never joke about a promise."
“我从不拿承诺开玩笑。”
He thinks. Then he laughs. "I know a garden shop. The owner is my friend. Three striped umbrellas? I can find those."
他想了想，然后笑了。“我认识一家园艺店。老板是我朋友。三把条纹遮阳伞？我能找到。”
That is how it begins.
事情就这样开始了。
Over the next month, every driver who knows Eira hears the story. A man with a truck of sand brings six sacks. He leaves them at the stairs. A bus driver gives her an old deckchair. A young man from the sports car gives her a plastic crab. A man who sells tools gives her an old tin. A woman who paints signs makes a wooden board in blue letters. The board says, "Saltmere Bay. Entry: one coin."
接下来的一个月里，每个认识艾拉的司机都听说了这个故事。一位运沙子的卡车司机送来六袋沙，放在楼梯旁。一位公交车司机给了她一把旧躺椅。那个开跑车的年轻人给了她一只塑料螃蟹。一个卖工具的人给了她一只旧铁盒。一位画招牌的女士做了一块木牌，上面用蓝色的字写着：“盐湖湾。入场：一枚硬币。”
One afternoon, the boss walks past. He sees a driver pass a sack through the window.
一天下午，老板走了过来。他看见一个司机正从窗口递进来一袋东西。
"What is happening here?" he asks.
“这里在干什么？”他问。
"A small project," Eira says.
“一个小项目，”艾拉说。
He looks at her, then at the line of cars. He shrugs. "As long as the booth is clean."
他看看她，又看看那一长串车流。他耸了耸肩。“只要收费亭保持干净就行。”
On the last day, Florin arrives with the three umbrellas. They are bright blue and white. They look just like the picture.
最后一天，弗洛林带着三把遮阳伞来了。它们是鲜艳的蓝白色，和图画上一模一样。
Eira closes her booth early. They carry the umbrellas down the stairs together. They open them one by one on the new sand. The white lamp shines above their heads.
艾拉提前关了收费亭。他们一起把遮阳伞抬下楼梯，在新铺的沙滩上一把一把撑开。白色的灯在他们头顶闪着光。
Florin stands very still. He takes out a coin. He drops it into a tin on the rusty post. It makes a happy sound.
弗洛林一动不动地站着。他掏出一枚硬币，投进生锈柱子上的铁盒里。它发出了愉快的声响。
"It's perfect," he says. "It really is Saltmere Bay."
“太完美了，”他说，“这真的是盐湖湾。”
He looks to the left and to the right. Then he looks at the river. It is grey and wide and not very warm.
他往左看，往右看。然后看向河面。它灰蒙蒙，宽阔，水也不怎么暖。
"One question, though," he says. "Where is the sea?"
“不过有个问题，”他说，“海在哪儿？”
Eira smiles and opens a deckchair. "I found the bay, Florin," she says. "I never promised you a sea."
艾拉微微一笑，打开一把躺椅。“我找到了海湾，弗洛林，”她说，“可我从没答应过你大海。”
