A Snowball

雪球

Friday, 16th.

星期五，16日。

It is still snow, snow. A shameful thing happened in connection with the snow this morning when we came out of school. A flock of boys had no sooner got into the Corso than they began to throw balls of that watery snow which makes missiles as solid and heavy as stones. Many persons were passing along the sidewalks. A gentleman called out, "Stop that, you little rascals!" and just at that moment a sharp cry rose from another part of the street, and we saw an old man who had lost his hat and was staggering about, covering his face with his hands, and beside him a boy who was shouting, "Help! help!"

雪还是不断地下着，今天从学校回来的时候，雪地里发生了一件可怜的事；小孩们一出街道，就将雪团成了石头一样硬的小球来往投掷，有许多人正在旁边通过。行人之中有的叱叫着说，“停止停止！他们大恶作剧了。”忽然听见惊人的叫声，急去看时，有一老人落了帽子双手遮了脸，在那里蹒跚着。一个少年立在旁边叫着：“救人啊！救人啊！”

People instantly ran from all directions. He had been struck in the eye with a ball. All the boys dispersed, fleeing like arrows. I was standing in front of the bookseller's shop, into which my father had gone, and I saw several of my companions approaching at a run, mingling with others near me, and pretending to be engaged in staring at the windows: there was Garrone, with his penny roll in his pocket, as usual; Coretti, the little mason; and Garoffi, the boy with the postage- stamps. In the meantime a crowd had formed around the old man, and a policeman and others were running to and fro, threatening and demanding: "Who was it? Who did it? Was it you? Tell me who did it!" and they looked at the boys' hands to see whether they were wet with snow.

人从四方集拢来，原来老人被雪球打伤了眼了！小孩们立刻四面逃散。我和父亲站在书店面前，向我们这边跑来的小孩也有许多。嚼着面包的卡隆、可莱谛、“小石匠”、收集旧邮票的卡洛斐，都在里面。老人已被人围住，警察也赶来了。也有向这里那里跑着的人。大家都齐声说：“是谁掷伤了的？”

Garoffi was standing beside me. I perceived that he was trembling all over, and that his face was as white as that of a corpse.

卡洛斐立在我旁边，颜色苍白，身体战抖着。

"Who was it? Who did it?" the crowd continued to cry.

“谁？谁？谁闯了这祸？”人们叫着说。

Then I overheard Garrone say in a low voice to Garoffi, "Come, go and present yourself; it would be cowardly to allow any one else to be arrested."

卡隆走近来，低声向着卡洛斐说：“喂！快走过去承认了，瞒着是卑怯的！”

"But I did not do it on purpose," replied Garoffi, trembling like a leaf.

“但是，我并不是故意的。”卡洛斐声音发抖地回答。

"No matter; do your duty," repeated Garrone.

“虽则不是故意的，但责任总须你负。”卡隆说。

"But I have not the courage."

“我不敢去！”

"Take courage, then; I will accompany you."

“那不成。来！我陪了你去。”

And the policeman and the other people were crying more loudly than ever: "Who was it? Who did it? One of his glasses has been driven into his eye! He has been blinded! The ruffians!"

警察和观者的叫声，比前更高了：一是谁投掷的？眼镜打碎，玻璃割破了眼，恐怕要变成瞎子了。投掷的人真该死！”