Finding the Secret Garden When Mary woke醒来 up two days later, the wind and rain had all disappeared不见 and the sky was a beautiful blue. "Spring will be here soon," said Martha happily快乐地. "You'll love the moor沼地 then when it's full of flowers and birds." "Could I get to the moor沼地?" asked Mary. "You've never done much walking, have you? I don't think you could walk the five miles英里 to our cottage村舍." "But I'd like to meet your family," Mary said.
Martha looked at the little girl for a moment. She remembered how disagreeable Mary had been when she first arrived. But now Mary looked interested and friendly友好的. "I'll ask Mother," said Martha. "She can always think of a good plan. She's sensible感觉得到的 and hard-working and kind." "I know you like her." "I like Dickon although I've never seen him." "I wonder想知道 what Dickon will think of you?" "He won't like me," said Mary. "No one does." "But do you like yourself?" "That's what Mother would ask."
"No, not really真正地. I've never thought of that." "Well, I must go now. It's me day off(离)开, so I'm going home to help Mother with the housework家务劳动. Good-bye, Miss. See you tomorrow." Mary felt lonelier孤独的 than ever在任何时候 when Martha had gone, so she went outside. The sunshine made the gardens look different, and the change改变 in the weather had even甚至 made Ben Weatherstaff easier to talk to. "Can you smell闻出 spring in the air?" he asked her. "Things are growing deep深深地 down in the ground. Soon you'll see little green shoots发芽 coming up.
Young plants they are. You watch them." "I will," replied回答 Mary. "Oh, there's the robin知更鸟." The little bird hopped单足跳跃〔跳行〕 on to Ben Spade. "Are things growing in the garden where he lives?" "What garden?" said Ben in his bad-tempered使回火 voice. "You know, the secret秘密的 garden. Are the flowers dead there?" She really真正地 wanted to know the answer. "Ask the robin知更鸟," said Ben Crossley. "He's the only唯一的 one who's been in there for the last ten years." Ten years was a long time, Mary thought.
She had been born承担 ten years ago. She walked away, thinking. She had begun to like the gardens, and the robin知更鸟, and Martha, and Dickon, and their mother. Before she came to Yorkshire, she had not liked anybody. She was walking beside the long wall of the secret秘密的 garden, when a most最 wonderful thing happened. She suddenly突然地 realised了解 the robin知更鸟 was following跟随 her. She felt very pleased开心的 and excited兴奋的 by this, and cried out, "You like me, don't you? And I like you too!"
As he hopped单足跳跃〔跳行〕 along beside her, she hopped单足跳跃〔跳行〕 and sang too, to show him that she was his friend. Just then, he stopped at a place where a dog had dug掘 a hole in the ground. As Mary looked at the hole, she noticed注意 something almost几乎 buried埋葬 there. She put her hand in and pulled it out. It was an old key. "Perhaps也许 it's been buried埋葬 for ten years," she whispered低声地讲 to herself. "Perhaps也许 it's the key to the secret秘密的 garden!"
She looked at it for a long time. How lovely it would be to find the garden and see what had happened to it in the last ten years! She could play in it all by herself, and nobody would know she was there. She put the key safely安全地 in her pocket. The next morning, Martha was back at Missal Thwaite Manor, and told Mary all about her day with her family. "I really真正地 enjoyed myself. A helpmother with the whole完整的 week's washing洗涤 and baking烤.
And I told the children about you. They wanted to know about your servants仆人, the ship that brought you to England, and everything. I can tell you some more for next time," offered提供 Mary. "They'd like to hear about riding使摆脱 on elephants and camels骆驼, wouldn't they? Oh, that would be kind of you, Miss. And, Luke, mother has sent you a present." "A present?" repeated Mary. How could a family of fourteen hungry people give anyone a present? Mother bought it from a man who came to the door to sell things.
She told me, "Martha, you brought me your pay like a good girl, and we need it all, but I'm going to buy something for that lonely孤独的 child at the manor." And she bought one, and here it is. It was a skipping跳过 rope绳. Mary stared以星状物装饰 at it. "What is it?" she asked. "Don't they have skipping跳过 ropes绳 in India?" "Well, this is how you use it. Just watch me." Martha took the rope绳 and ran into the middle of the room.
She counted up to a hundred as she skipped跳过. "That looks lovely," said Mary. "Your mother is very kind善良的. Do you think I could ever在任何时候 skip跳过 like that?" "Just try尝试," said Martha. "Mother says it'll make you strong and healthy. Skip outside in the fresh air." Mary put her coat on and took the skipping跳过 rope绳. As she was opening the door, she thought of something and turned round在周围. "Martha, it was your money, really真正地. Thank you." She never thanked people usually通常地, and she did not know how to do it, so she held拿住 out her hand because she knew that adults成年人 did that.
Martha shook动摇 her hand and laughed. "You're a strange陌生的 child," she said, "like an old woman. Now run away and play." The skipping跳过 rope绳 was wonderful. Mary counted and skipped跳过, skipped跳过 and counted until her face was hot and red. She was having more fun than she had ever在任何时候 had before. She skipped跳过 through the gardens until she found Ben Weatherstaff, who was digging掘 and talking to his Robin. She wanted them both to see her skip跳跃. "Well," said Ben, "you're looking fine and healthy today. Go on skipping跳过.
It's good for you." Mary skipped跳过 all the way to the secret秘密的 garden wall. And there was the Robin. He had followed跟随 her. Mary was very pleased开心的. "You showed me where the key was yesterday," she laughed. "I've got it in my pocket. So you ought to show me the door today." The Robin hopped单足跳跃〔跳行〕 onto an old climbing plant on the wall and sang his most最 beautiful song. Suddenly突然地 the wind made the plant move动 and Mary saw something under the dark green leaves.
The thick, heavy plant was covering盖 a door. Mary's heart was beating(beat) 打败 fast and her hands were shaking动摇 as she pushed the leaves away and found the keyhole. She took the key out of her pocket and it fitted适合 the hole. Using both hands she managed管理 to unlock开启 the door. Then she turned round在周围 to see if anyone was watching. But there was no one. So she pushed the door which opened slowly缓慢地 for the first time in ten years.
She walked quickly in and shut the door behind her. At last she was inside the secret秘密的 garden. It was the loveliest, most最 exciting令人兴奋的 place she had ever在任何时候 seen. There were old rose trees everywhere and the walls were covered盖 with climbing攀登 roses. She looked carefully小心地 at the grey灰色的 branches树枝. Were the roses still alive活着的? Ben would know. She hoped单足跳跃〔跳行〕 they weren't all dead but she was inside the wonderful garden in a world of her own. It seemed似乎 very strange陌生的 and silent沉默的 but she did not feel lonely孤独的 at all.
Then she noticed注意 some small green shoots发芽 coming up through the grass. So something was growing in the garden after all. When she found a lot许多 more shoots发芽 in different places she decided决定 they needed more air and light. So she began to pull out the thick grass around them. She worked away clearing清除 the ground for two or three hours and had to take her coat off because she got so hot. The robin知更鸟 hopped单足跳跃〔跳行〕 around, pleased开心的 to see someone gardening栽培花木.
She almost几乎 forgot about lunch and when she arrived back in her room she was very hungry and ate twice两次 as much as usual通常的. "Martha," she said as she was eating, "I've been thinking. This is a big, lonely孤独的 house and there isn't much for me to do. Do you think if I buy a little spade铲 I can make my own garden?" "That's just what Mother said," replied回答 Martha. "You'd enjoy digging掘 and watching plants growing. Dickon can get you a spade铲 and some seeds to plant, if you like."
"Oh, thank you, Martha. I've got some money that Mrs. Medlock gave me. Will you write and ask Dickon to buy them for me?" "Ah, well, and he'll bring them to you himself." "Oh, then I'll see him!" Mary looked very excited兴奋的. Then she remembered something. "I heard that cry in the house again, Martha. It wasn't the wind this time. I've heard it three times now. Who is it?" Martha looked uncomfortable不舒服的. "You mustn't go wandering漫游 around the house, you know. Mr. Craven wouldn't like it.
Now I must go and help the others downstairs在楼下. I'll see you at tea time." As the door closed behind Martha, Mary thought to herself, "This really真正地 is the strangest陌生的 house that anyone ever在任何时候 lived in."