Wolstencroft the Bear

Written by Karen Lewis
Illustrated by Michael S. Weber

作者：Karen Lewis
插画：Michael S. Weber

Wolstencroft the Bear 1

Not long ago and not far away there was a beautiful, big teddy bear who sat on a shelf in a drug store waiting for someone to buy him and give him a home.
不是很久之前，也不是很远的地方，在一个杂货店的货架上，有一只美丽的大号泰迪熊。他在等着有人买下它，给他一个家。

His name was Wolstencroft. And he was no ordinary bear.
他的名字是Wolstencroft， 它是一只不同寻常的熊。

His fur was a lovely shade of light grey, and he had honey colored ears, nose and feet. His eyes were warm and kind and he had a wonderfully wise look on his face.
他有着浅灰色的毛发，蜜色的耳朵、鼻子和四肢。他的眼睛透射出他的温暖和善良。从他的表情，你可以看出他很机灵。

Wolstencroft looked very smart in a brown plaid waistcoat with a gold satin bow tie at his neck.
他穿着一件棕色的格子呢西装背心，配上脖子上的一个金色缎带领结，这让他看起来特别聪明。

Attached to the tie was a tag with his name written in bold, black letters: Wolstencroft.
在它的领结上，贴着一张吊牌，上面用很粗的黑色字体写着它的名字：Wolstencroft。

Wolstencroft the Bear 2

He had arrived in the store just before Christmas when there had been a lovely big tree in the window, all decorated with fairy lights. Yards and yards of sparkling tinsel had been draped over everything, and holiday music had been playing all the time. Wolstencroft was especially fond of Jingle Bells. He liked its light, tinkling sounds. It always made him feel merry.
他是在上个圣诞节前夕才搬到店里来的，那时候，窗外还有一棵巨大而美丽的圣诞树，它的枝桠上挂满了彩色的小灯，四周的一切都闪闪的亮着光，整天播放着节日歌曲。Wolstencroft特别喜欢《铃儿响叮当》，他喜欢那轻快而有节奏的声音，一切都让他觉得很美好。

At that time there had been lots of other bears to keep him company. In fact, there had been so many teddy bears crowded onto that one narrow shelf that he had scarcely had room to move.
那时候，还有很多泰迪熊和他做伴。很多熊挤在一个狭窄的货架上，他甚至没有办法移动。

But, one by one they had all gone.Gleefully waving goodbye as they were carried off to their new homes. Until finally, he was the only teddy bear left in the entire store.
然而，渐渐的，他们一个个都被带走了。当被带去新家的时候，他们欢快的招手告别。到最后，整个商店就剩下他一只熊。

He had hoped that Santa Claus would drop by on Christmas Eve and deliver him to a good home. But he hadn't. Santa had been too busy that year, delivering even more presents than usual.
圣诞前夕，他曾希望圣诞老人能够路过把他带去新家。但是他的愿望没能实现。那年圣诞老人实在太忙了，他比以前送出了更多的礼物。

Wolstencroft felt sad and lonely sitting there all by himself on the shelf that was high above the Christmas cards. He longed to have a child take him home and love him and play with him. But, most of all, to hug him. For no hug is ever too big for a teddy bear.
在满是圣诞卡片的货架的上方，Wolstencroft独自坐着，他感到沮丧和孤独。他多么渴望有一个小孩来带他回家，爱他，和他玩耍。最重要的是，拥抱他。对泰迪熊来说，任何过分的拥抱都不算过分。

He was trying hard not to cry because he knew that tears would make his eyes all puffy and red and then he would have even less chance of finding a home.
他努力着，不让眼泪流下来，他知道，哭泣会让眼睛变得红肿，如果那样的话，他就再没有机会找到一个家了。

But why oh why didn't someone choose him?
可是为什么没有人选择他？

Why, he wondered, was he passed over so many times for other less beautiful bears?
为什么呢？他在想，没我好看的熊也都找到家了。

Wolstencroft the Bear 3

Then one day, shortly before Easter, three bunny rabbits were placed on the shelf beside him.
又过了一些时候，在复活节前不久的某天，三只兔子也被放上了货架，在他的旁边。

They all had very big ears and feet and long legs. All three were wearing woolen sweaters.
他们都有着大大的耳朵和脚掌，还有着长长的腿。三只兔子都穿着羊毛衫。

Rita Rabbit wore a pink sweater. Roger Rabbit a green one. And Ronnie wore blue.
兔子Rita穿了一件粉色的，Rogar穿的是绿色的，Ronnie则穿着件蓝色的。

Roger and Ronnie were twins, and Rita was their sister.
Roger和Ronnie是一对双胞胎，Rita是姐姐。

"My you are a handsome bear," Rita told Wolstencroft after the store had closed for the night. "I'm surprised that no one has bought you and taken you home."
“哦，你真是只好看的熊，”那天晚上商店关门后，Rita这么说；“很奇怪啊，为什么没有人来买你把你带回家呢？”

"So am I," replied Wolstencroft and, although he tried very hard to stop it, a tear rolled down hisfurry cheek.
“我也想知道，”Wolstencroft回答，虽然他很努力的控制，可是一滴泪珠还是滑过了他毛茸茸的脸颊。

Ronnie and Roger had jumped down off the shelf and were tag up and down the aisles.
Ronnie和Rogar从货架上跳了下来，他们在走廊里玩弄起标签来。

"Be careful and don't knock anything over," Rita called to them.
“小心点哦，不要把东西碰倒了。”Rita提醒他们。

Rita looked closely at Wolstencroft from every angle. She peered into his face and circled around him, her nose twitching. He had noticed that bunnies' noses twitch a lot. Then she sat down and remained deep in thought for a very long time.
Rita开始细细地从各个角度观察Wolstencroft。她细细地看着他的脸，绕着他不停的走动，不时抽动两下鼻子。Wolstencroft也注意到了这一点。Rita看了一会，坐下来，陷入了沉思之中。

"Well," he asked her, unable to stand the suspense any longer. "What do you think is wrong with me? Why doesn't anyone want to buy me?"
“好啦，”他受不了这种气氛了，“你觉得我是哪里有问题啊，为什么没有人愿意要我呢？”

"It must be your name," Rita answered.
“你的名字。”Rita回答。

"My name!" exclaimed Wolstencroft. "Why, what's wrong with my name?"
“我的名字！”Wolstencroft叫出来了。“为什么，我名字有问题？”

"Oh, there's nothing wrong with your name," Rita replied. "Wolstencroft is a wonderful name, but it's too long for some people to say. Not everyone can pronounce it properly."
“噢，那倒不是你名字的问题，”Rita回答，“那是个好名字，只是念起来实在太长了，而且不是每个人都能够准确的读出来。”

Now Wolstencroft had always been able to say his name correctly. But then, it was his very own name and everyone can say his or her own name. At least he thought that they could. Not when they are very little, of course. He couldn't say his name when he was a tiny baby bear. But after he had started going to school he knew it very well.
Wolstencroft现在能正确说出他的名字了，这是他自己的名字。每个人都应当有能力说出自己的名字。但是当Wolstencroft很小时，他还不会这些。而当他学会说自己名字时，就到了上学的年龄了。

"Wolstencroft," the teacher would call out. "Will you recite the alphabet for us today?"
“Wolstencroft”老师叫他，“你能给我们背诵一下字母表吗？”

And he would name all the letters from A to Z. All 26 of them. He was a very smart bear.
他可以读出从A到Z的所有字母。他是一只非常聪明的小熊。

Wolstencroft the Bear 4

On Easter Sunday, very early just after the store had opened, a Mommy and Daddy bought Roger and Ronnie for their twin boys.
复活节那天，商店刚开门没多久，一对夫妇为他们的双胞胎儿子买走了Rogar和Ronnie。

"They look nice," Rita said. She was happy that her brothers had found a good home but felt sad, too, because she was beginning to miss them already.
“他们看起来真棒！”Rita说。她很开心她的双胞胎兄弟能够找到一个很好的归宿，然而，她又很想他们，不由有点伤心了。

At the front of the store a table had been set up with chocolate Easter eggs. And as it was now Easter Sunday, they had been marked down to half price.
商店前面摆了一张桌子，上面放满了复活节巧克力彩蛋。由于已经是复活节了，它们都被标注上了半价。

After everyone had gone home for the day, Wolstencroft picked the nicest egg he could find and gave it to Rita, to cheer her up.
那天，所有的人都回家了以后，Wolstencroft选了一只最漂亮的彩蛋给了Rita作为节日礼物。

They shared the egg, sucking on the sweet creamy chocolate and making sure it didn't get onto their clothes.
他们分享了那只蛋，慢慢吮吸着香甜的奶油巧克力，确保不会弄脏衣服。

Then they started to talk about the name Wolstencroft again.
然后他们又开始讨论Wolstencroft这个名字了。

"I wouldn't want to change it," Wolstencroft declared. " I mean it's me. I've had it all my life.
“我不想换。”Wolstencroft宣布。“它就是我，我这辈子都会用这个名字。”

"But if it's stopping you from getting a home," Rita insisted. "You may have to."
“但是这会妨碍你找到一个新家的。”Rita坚持说，“你得换了它。”

Shehopped over to the book department and returned with a book called What to Name Baby.
她跳到了图书柜台，回来的时候，手上多了一本书《如何帮孩子取名字》。

Wolstencroft the Bear 5

Then she began reading out the names she thought might suit Wolstencroft.
她开始读她觉得适合Wolstencroft的名字。

"What about Adrian?" she suggested. "It's a lovely name, very dignified."
“Adrian怎么样？这个名字很好听很有气质的。”

But Wolstencroft shook his head.
Wolstencroft摇头。

"Well, what do you think of Bernard? It actually means brave as a bear."
“好吧。那么Bernard怎么样。它的意思刚好就是要像一只熊一样勇敢。”

But Wolstencroft was not impressed.
Wolstencroft还是没有兴致。

So Rita left the B's and began flipping through the pages of the book, reading out a name for each letter of the alphabet starting with C.
Rita跳过了B开头的名字，开始迅速往后面翻书，从C开始按字母顺序开始念名字。

"Clive, David, Edwin, Francis, Graham, Howard, Ivan, Jeremy, Keith, Leonard, Miles, Nathan, Oliver, Percy, Quentin, Rodney, Selwyn, Timothy, Ulysses, Vincent, Winston."

And here she stopped because the names beginning with X, Y and Z: Xavier, Yves and Zachary, were too difficult to pronounce. There was no sense in taking a name that was even harder to say than the one he already had.
她停住了，剩下的这些用X,Y,Z开头的名字，比如说，Xavier, Yves and Zachary，念起来都太难了。根本没必要选一个比他现在名字还难发音的名字。

But Wolstencroft didn't like any of the names she suggested. At least not for himself.
Wolstencroft不喜欢她挑的这些名字。没有一个能够代表他。

"They're all fine names," he said, popping a piece of chocolate into his mouth then dabbing his mouth with a napkin. "But, they're just not me."
“这些都是好名字。”他喃喃自语，掰开一块巧克力放入嘴里，用一块纸巾轻轻擦了擦嘴，“但是，这些名字都不属于我。”

Rita stayed lost in thought for a very long time, tapping her cheek with her finger. And it wasn't until the big clock behind the pharmacy counter struck ten that she finally spoke.

"I think I have the answer," she said. "You could have a name that's easy to say and keep your name at the same time."
Rita托腮思考了很长时间，直到药房后面的大钟敲响10点的钟声，她说：“我想我有办法了。你可以保留这个名字，但同时别人也能方便的读出来。“

Wolstencroft looked puzzled. "That doesn't make sense," he replied.
Wolstencroft 困惑了：“那应该没什么意思吧”

"Oh, but it does," Rita insisted. "You only have to shorten the name you have."
“确实。你只要缩短你的名字就好啦。”

Wolstencroft began to look interested. "You mean I would still be Wolstencroft, but I'd have a shorter, easier to pronounce name for those who preferred it."
Wolstencroft 开始有兴趣了：“你是说，我依然可以用Wolstencroft 这个名字，但是，我可以缩短它的发音。”

"That's right," she cried excitedly. "And you have such a long name that there are several choices." And she began ticking them off on her fingers.
“对的。”Rita激动地说，“你看你名字这么长，你有很多种选择呢。”她开始扳着手指罗列这些名字。

"Woolly, Wolsten, Sten or Croft. Which one do you like best?"
“Woolly, Wolsten, Sten or Croft. 你喜欢哪个？”

Wolstencroft thought very carefully, mulling over each name in his mind.
Wolstencroft非常认真的思考，仔细地琢磨了每个名字。

"I like Croft," he decided at last. It's very dignified.
“我喜欢Croft。”他最终决定了，这个名字非常帅气。

Rita looked disappointed. "I like Woolly best," she said. "It's so cuddly and friendly. And you are woolly, you have a lovely thick coat."
Rita很失望。“我最喜欢Woolly，这个名字非常友好，让人欢喜。而且你也毛茸茸的，还有一件非常可爱的厚夹克。”

Wolstencroft looked uncertain.
Wolstencroft有点难以决定了。

"You would still be Wolstencroft," Rita reminded him. "And that's a very dignified name indeed. Woolly would be a nice contrast."
Rita提醒它说“你仍旧是Wolstencroft。 Wolstencroft是个很帅气的名字，Wolly则刚好相反.

They talked it over for well into the night as this was a very important decision. There are very few things as important as one's name.
他们谈到了深夜，毕竟更改名字是件大事。再没什么事情会比名字更加重要了。

Wolstencroft the Bear 6

But finally, just before the dawn rose in the eastern sky, Rita had convinced him that Woolly was the best choice.
最后，就在复活节的天空呈现出第一缕玫瑰色的阳光时，Rita让他确信，Woolly就是最好的选择。

"You're right," Wolstencroft said as he closed his eyes and prepared to sleep. "It's nice to be dignified, but not to be stuffy."
“你是对的，”Wolstencroft闭上眼睛，他准备睡觉了，“这个名字很帅气但又不呆板。”

And so it was that Wolstencroft became known as Woolly for short.
Wolstencroft开始以Wolly做简称了。

"I bet someone will come along and buy you tomorrow," Rita predicted as she fetched a black felt pen from the stationery department and underneath Wolstencroft, wrote Woolly for short.
“我打赌明天一定有人出现把你买走的。”RITA一边从文具柜取出黑色的毛笔，一边预言道。然后，她在Wolstencroft的下面，写上了作为缩写的Wooly.”

But Rita was wrong. It was she, and not Wolstencroft, who went to a new home the next day.
Rita错了。第二天，被买走带去新家的是她，而不是Wolstencroft。

Nobody bought Wolstencroft that day. Or the next day. Or the day after that.
那天没有人买Wolstencroft，那以后的一天，也没有。一直也没有。

In fact, all through that entire year, which felt very long indeed to Wolstencroft, nobody took him home to love and to hug him. And by this time he longed to be hugged so badly that sometimes he thought he just couldn't stand it any longer. Because, of course, no hug is too big for a teddy bear.
事实上，经过这整整一年，Wolstencroft已经深深的感觉到，没有人会带他回家，没有人会爱他，也没有人会来和他拥抱。即使有时候他真的不再相信了，可是心里还是会很强烈的想要有个拥抱。对泰迪熊来说，任何过分的拥抱都不算过分。

Soon it was almost Christmas time again. And the tinsel and the holly were decorating the drug store. And the shoppers were all very merry and wearing gaily colored scarves and mittens. But still no one bought Wolstencroft, who was feeling extra sad and lonely sitting there all by himself high above the Christmas cards and wrapping paper.
又快到圣诞节了。杂货店又被装饰满了冬青树和闪闪的金片。所有来买东西的人都看起来喜气洋洋，他们穿戴着各种披肩和手套，他们都非常的快乐。但是仍然没有人来买Wolstencroft。在满是圣诞卡和精美包装纸的货架上方，他仍然独自坐在那里，他感到特别的悲伤和孤独。

It's my name he decided sadly, as a tear rolled down his furry cheek. I hate it. And so does everyone else. I wish I were called anything but Wolstencroft. Even though it's now Woolly for short.
都怪我的名字。他伤心的想，泪水从茸茸的脸颊滑落。我讨厌那个名字，随便什么名字都好，除了Wolstencroft什么名字都可以。尽管现在已经有Woolly做缩写了，可是又有什么用呢？

Wolstencroft the Bear 7

Then one frosty evening when the stars were sparkling in the night sky and snowflakes were dancing past the windows, a little boy and his daddy came into the store.
在一个寒冷的晚上，星星在夜空中一闪一闪，雪花也开始在窗外飘舞，有一个小男孩和他的爸爸来到了这个杂货店。

"Hey look at this," said the daddy when he noticed Wolstencroft's name tag. "This teddy bear has the same name as you! Only you're called Sten for short and he's called Woolly."
“嘿，看这个。这只泰迪熊和你有一样的名字呢。唯一的不同就是你用Sten做缩写而他叫Woolly。”爸爸注意到了Wolstencroft的姓名牌。

"What?" The boy called out in surprise. "I didn't think anyone else in the whole great big world was called Wolstencroft."
“什么！”小男孩惊喜的叫了出来。“真难相信这世界上还有人和我叫一样的名字 Wolstencroft.”

And just like Wolstencroft the bear, he was beginning to hate his name.
和Wolstencroft一样，他开始很讨厌这个名字。

"Why don't you two get to know each other?" the daddy suggested as he lifted Wolstencroft down from the shelf.
“你们两个为什么不互相认识一下？”爸爸把Wolstencroft从货架上拿下来，递给小男孩。

And the little boy wrapped his arms around his namesake, which means someone who has the same name as yourself, and stroked his soft fur. And they both loved each other from that moment on.
小男孩伸出手臂紧紧的搂着小熊的脖子，他们有着同样的名字，他轻轻的摸着他的毛发。从那一刻开始，他们俩就互相喜欢上对方了。

"I love him daddy, can I have him for Christmas?" he asked hopefully. And when his daddy said yes, danced around the store with Wolstencroft, almost colliding with other shoppers as he did so.
“爸爸，我爱他，我可以要他作为我的圣诞礼物么？”小男孩充满渴望的问。当他爸爸说了可以之后，他抱着小熊高兴地在店里跳起舞来，差点撞到商店里的其他客人。

Wolstencroft really wasn't such a bad name after all they both decided as they whirled around the Christmas tree at the front of the store. In fact, it was starting to sound better all the time now that they had found each other in this wonderful way.
在商店前面，他们围绕着圣诞树快乐的转着圈儿，这时候，他们再也不认为Wolstencroft是个很糟糕的名字了。他们以这样的方式找到了彼此，现在，他们觉得这个名字比以前更好听了。

Wolstencroft the bear had never remembered feeling this happy before. Indeed, he felt so chock-full of joy that he thought he just might burst. He was going to a new home at last. And he knew that this little boy, who was called Sten, would be his very best friend forever.
小熊Wolstencroft从没有感到这样快乐过。他觉得整个心里都充满着欢乐，甚至这种快乐要把他的心都撑破了。他终于要去一个新家了。在这个新家里，他会和这个叫Sten的小男孩成为最好的朋友，永远的朋友。

Then Sten gave him a hug so big that his tummy was squished. But, of course, Wolstencroft didn't care. Because no hug is too big for a teddy bear.
Stan大大的拥抱了他，他抱的好紧，小熊觉得自己的肚子都快要被压破了。但是，他根本不会介意的，因为，对于泰迪熊来说，任何过分的拥抱都不过分。