I checked the clock. I still had an hour, but my mom was well known for jumping the gun.

我看了一下钟。还有一小时的时间，可我妈"提前抢跑"那是出了名的。

Mom, Calm down. I'm writing right now. Don't do anything rash.

妈：您冷静冷静。我这就写。别做任何鲁莽的事情。

Bella.

贝拉。

I sent that, and began again.

把这个发了，我接着又开始写。

Mom, Everything is great. Of course it's raining. I was waiting for something to write about.School isn't bad, just a little repetitive. I met some nice kids who sit by me at lunch.

妈：一切都很好。当然在下雨喽。我在等可写的东西呀。学校还不错，就是课程上有点重复。我认识了几个很不错的同学，他们吃午饭都坐在我旁边。

 

 

Your blouse is at the dry cleaners - you were supposed to pick it up Friday.

您的衬衣在干洗店里——应该星期五去取。

Charlie bought me a truck, can you believe it? I love it. It's old, but really sturdy, which is good, you know, for me.

查理给我买了一辆卡车，您能相信吗?我很喜欢。是辆旧车，不过真的很结实，您知道，对我而言这是辆适合我的好车。

I miss you, too. I'll write again soon, but I'm not going to check my e-mail every fiveminutes. Relax, breathe. I love you.

我也想您。我会很快再给您写信的，但是我不会每5分钟查一次电子邮件的。深呼吸，放轻松。我爱您。

Bella.

贝拉。

I had decided to read Wuthering Heights — the novel we were currently studying in English — yet again for the fun of it, and that's what I was doing when Charlie came home. I'd losttrack of the time, and I hurried downstairs to take the potatoes out and put the steak in to broil.

我决定读《呼啸山庄》——我们目前英语课正在学这本小说——不过也是为了轻松一下，查理回家时我正好在读。我把时间给忘了，于是赶紧下楼把土豆取了出来，把牛排放了进去。

"Bella?" my father called out when he heard me on the stairs.

"是贝拉吗?"我父亲听见我下楼时喊了一声。

Who else? I thought to myself.

还能是谁呀?我心里想道。

"Hey, Dad, welcome home."

"嘿，爸，欢迎回家。"

"Thanks." He hung up his gun belt and stepped out of his boots as I bustled about thekitchen. As far as I was aware, he'd never shot the gun on the job. But he kept it ready. When I came here as a child, he would always remove the bullets as soon as he walked in the door. I guess he considered me old enough now not to shoot myself by accident, and not depressedenough to shoot myself on purpose.

"谢谢。"我在厨房里忙活的时候，他把佩枪皮带挂起来了，也脱掉了靴子。就我所知，他出警时还从未开过枪。不过，枪还都是上了膛的。小时候我来他这里的时候，他总是一进门就把子弹给卸了。我猜想，他觉得现在我已经够大了，不至于玩枪走火发生意外，也没有抑郁到自杀的程度。

"What's for dinner?" he asked warily. My mother was an imaginative cook, and her experiments weren't always edible. I was surprised, and sad, that he seemed to remember that far back.

"晚饭吃什么?"他警惕地问道。我母亲是个想象力丰富的厨子，而她试出来的饭菜并不总是容易下咽的。我感到惊讶，也感到难过，都这么长时间了，他似乎对此还记忆犹新。

"Steak and potatoes," I answered, and he looked relieved.

"土豆加牛排，"我回答说，他看上去宽心了。

He seemed to feel awkward standing in the kitchen doing nothing; he lumbered into the living room to watch TV while I worked. We were both more comfortable that way. I made a salad while the steaks cooked, and set the table.

他似乎觉得什么也不做，就那么傻站在厨房里，看着我忙前忙后有些不好意思，于是笨重地到起居室看电视去了。这样，我们都更自在。烤牛排的时候，我拌了一碗沙拉，摆好了桌子。

I called him in when dinner was ready, and he sniffed appreciatively as he walked into the room.

饭做好以后，我叫他进来，进来的时候，他拿鼻子闻了闻，看来很欣赏的样子。

"Smells good, Bell."

"很香嘛，贝拉。"

"Thanks."

"谢谢。"

We ate in silence for a few minutes. It wasn't uncomfortable. Neither of us was bothered by the quiet. In some ways, we were well suited for living together.

我们默默地吃了几分钟，没有觉得不自在。我们谁都不会因为安静而心烦。从某些方面来说，我们很适合住在一起。

"So, how did you like school? Have you made any friends?" he asked as he was taking seconds.

"哦，对了，你觉得学校怎样?交到了朋友没有?"他添菜的时候问道。

"Well, I have a few classes with a girl named Jessica. I sit with her friends at lunch. And there's this boy, Mike, who's very friendly. Everybody seems pretty nice." With oneoutstanding exception.

"噢，我和一个叫杰西卡的女孩有几门课同班。我和她的朋友们一块儿吃的午饭。还有一个男生，迈克，很友好。每个人似乎都非常不错。"只有一个，特别例外。

"That must be Mike Newton. Nice kid — nice family. His dad owns the sporting goods store just outside of town. He makes a good living off all the backpackers who come through here."

"肯定是迈克·牛顿。不错的孩子——家庭也不错。他爸爸开有一家体育用品商店，就在城外。靠着那些过往的背着背包徒步旅行的人，他可挣了不少钱啦。"