CONVALESCENCE.

痊愈

Thursday, 20th.

周四，二十日

Who could have told me, when I returned from that delightful excursion with my father, that for ten days I should not see the country or the sky again? I have been very ill--in danger of my life. I have heard my mother sobbing--I have seen my father very, very pale, gazing intently at me; and my sister Silvia and my brother talking in a low voice; and the doctor, with his spectacles, who was there every moment, and who said things to me that I did not understand. In truth, I have been on the verge of saying a final farewell to every one. Ah, my poor mother! I passed three or four days at least, of which I recollect almost nothing, as though I had been in a dark and perplexing dream. I thought I beheld at my bedside my kind schoolmistress of the upper primary, who was trying to stifle her cough in her handkerchief in order not to disturb me. In the same manner I confusedly recall my master, who bent over to kiss me, and who pricked my face a little with his beard; and I saw, as in a mist, the red head of Crossi, the golden curls of Derossi, the Calabrian clad in black, all pass by, and Garrone, who brought me a mandarin orange with its leaves, and ran away in haste because his mother is ill.

和父亲作了快乐的旅行回来，十天之中，竟不能见天地，这真是做梦也料不到的事情。我在这几天内，病得几乎没有命了。只蒙睛地记得母亲曾暖泣，父亲曾脸色苍白地守着我，雪尔维姊姊和弟弟低产谈着。戴眼镜的医生守在床前，向我说着什么，但我全不明白。只差一些，我已要和这世永别了。其中有三四天什么都茫然，像在做黑暗苦痛的梦！记得我二年级时的女先生曾到床前，把手帕掩住了口咳嗽。我的先生曾弯下上身和我接吻，我脸上被须触着觉得痛。克洛西的红发，代洛西的金发，以及着黑上衣的格拉勃利亚少年，都好像在云雾中。卡隆曾拿着一个带叶的夏橘来赠我，他因母亲有病，记得立刻回去了。

Then I awoke as from a very long dream, and understood that I was better from seeing my father and mother smiling, and hearing Silvia singing softly. Oh, what a sad dream it was! Then I began to improve every day. The little mason came and made me laugh once more for the first time, with his hare's face; and how well he does it, now that his face is somewhat elongated through illness, poor fellow! And Coretti came; and Garoffi came to present me with two tickets in his new lottery of "a penknife with five surprises," which he purchased of a second-hand dealer in the Via Bertola. Then, yesterday, while I was asleep, Precossi came and laid his cheek on my hand without waking me; and as he came from his father's workshop, with his face covered with coal dust, he left a black print on my sleeve, the sight of which caused me great pleasure when I awoke.

等得从长梦中醒来，神志清了，见父亲母亲在微笑，雪尔维姊姊在低声唱歌，我才知道自己的病已大好了。啊！真是可悲的噩梦啊！从此以后每日转好。等“小石匠”来装兔脸给我看，我才开笑脸。那孩子从病以后，脸孔长了许多，兔脸比以前似乎装得更像了。可莱谛也来了，卡洛斐来时，把他正在经营的小刀的彩票送了我两条。昨天我睡着的时候，泼来可西来，据说将我的手在自己的颊上触了一下就去了。他是从铁工场来的，脸上泊着煤炭，我轴上也因而留下了黑迹。我醒来见着很是快活。