The next morning Martha said¹ that the children could² not go out. ' You can stay in and be good，' she said.

第二天早上马莎说孩子们不可以出去。“你们可以呆在家里，乖乖的。”她说。

' There's something that we all want，' said Robert. ' Can I just go out for half an hour to get it？' And Martha，who was³ really very kind，said that he could.

“有个东西我们都想要。”罗伯特说，“我能出去半个小时把它取来吗？”马莎的确是非常好心的，就答应了他。

Of course， they all wanted the day's wish. So Robert hur-ried to the sand-pit.

当然他们都希望实现那一天的愿望。所以罗伯特急忙向沙坑跑去。

The Psammead was waiting for him， but when Robert tried to think of a really good wish， he couldn't， and the others⁷ were not there to help him.

赛米德在等着他，但是罗伯特想要想出一个真正好的愿望时却想不出来了，而其他孩子又不在那儿不能帮他。

' Hurry up，'the Psammead said. ' I can't wait all day. '

“快点，”赛米德说，“我可不能等一整天。”

' Oh dear，'Robert said. ' I wish that we didn't have to come here to get our wish… Oh， don't！'

“天啊，”罗伯特说，“但愿我们不用跑到这儿来实现我们的愿望……噢，不！”

But it was too late. The Psammead was already⁸ making it-self big.

但是已经晚了。赛米德已经把自己变大了。

'There！' it said. ' That wasn't easy， but I've done it. You don't need to come here to have your wish. '

“好啦！”它说，“那可不容易呀，可我办好了。你们用不着来这儿实现愿望了。”

Robert thanked the Psammead and then hurried back to tell the other children. ' We must wish for something really good tomorrow，'he said.

罗伯特谢过赛米德后急忙回去告诉别的孩子。“明天，我们得有个真正妙的愿望，”他说。

The next morning they thought⁹ and thought，but they couldn't think of a really good wish，so they decided¹⁰ to go to the gravel-pit. Suddenly¹¹ they saw¹² a baker¹³'s boy，who was coming along¹⁴ the road with his basket of bread， and they decided to play a game with him.

第二天早上，他们想呀想呀，可也想不出一个真正的好愿望，所以他们决定到砾石坑去。突然他们看见面包师的儿子，他正拿着一篮子面包走过来，于是他们决定和他开个玩笑。

' Stop！' cried Cyril.

“站住！”西里尔喊。

' Your money or your life！'shouted Robert.

“拿钱或拿命来！”罗伯特喊。

And they stood¹⁶ on each side¹⁷ of the baker's boy.

他们分别站在面包师的儿子的两侧。

The baker's boy，who was tall and large， was not very interested¹⁸ and he pushed¹⁹ them both away.

面包师的儿子又高又大，对此不感兴趣，把他俩都推开了。

'Don't be stupid！' he said.

“别犯傻了！”他说。

But Robert pushed him back and knocked²¹ him over. The bread fell²² out of the boy's basket and went all over the road. The baker's boy was very angry. He hit Robert and they began to fight²³. But the baker's boy was much bigger and stronger than Robert. He was also not a nice fighter— he pulled²⁴ Robert's hair， kicked²⁵ him in the leg， and hit him hard in the stomach²⁷. Then he picked²⁸ up his bread， put it back in the basket， and went on his way.

可是罗伯特把他推搡回来并把他打倒了。面包从篮子里掉出来，撒了一地。面包师的儿子非常生气。他打了罗伯特一下，俩人打起架来。可面包师的儿子比罗伯特大得多，也强壮得多。他也不是个有教养的斗士——他揪罗伯特的头发，踢他的腿，使劲打他的肚子。然后他拣起面包，把它放回篮子里，又上路了。

Cyril wanted to help Robert， but the girls held his arms and stopped him. So Cyril was angry with the girls，and everybody²⁹ was unhappy³⁰. They went along to the gravel-pit， and Robert began to kick²⁶ the sand angrily. ' I'll teach that baker's boy a lesson one day，'he said. 'I wish I was bigger than him！'

西里尔想帮助罗伯特，但女孩于们拉着他的胳膊阻止了他。所以西里尔生她们的气；大家都不高兴。他们一起向砾石坑走去；罗伯特开始生气地踢沙子。“早晚有一天我要教训教训面包师的儿子。”他说，“真希望我比他个子高！”

Just then they saw that the Psammead was sitting behind them， and was watching them！

就在这时，他们看见赛米德正坐在他们后面注视着他们！

The next minute， Robert had³¹ his wish. He was bigger than the baker's boy！ Much， much bigger！ He was now more than three metres³² tall！He was not pleased³³ because he looked very strange³⁴ next to the others， who were still small.

罗伯特的愿望马上实现了。他比面包师的儿子个子还高，高得多得多！他现在有三米多高！他不高兴，因为呆在其他几个孩子身旁他看起来很古怪，他们还是那么小。

The others felt sorry for him then， and asked the Psammead for another wish . But the Psammead was very cross and un-helpful. 'Why don't you think before you wish？'it said. ' He's a wild， noisy boy， and he can stay like that for the day. It will do him good. Now go away and leave me alone！'

其他孩子于是为罗伯特感到遗憾，要赛米德再实现一个愿望。但赛米德很生气，不肯帮忙。“为什么你不事先想好？”它说，“他是个放肆的、吵吵闹闹的男孩子，就让他整个白天都这个样子吧。这对他有好处。现在走开吧，别打扰我了！”

The others turned back to their enormous³⁸ brother. ' What are we going³⁹ to do？'They asked.

这几个孩子转身回到他们的大个子兄弟那里。“我们怎么办呢？”他们问。

'First，'said Robert，' I'm going to get that baker's boy！'And because he had very long legs， he arrived at the bottom⁴⁰ of the hill long before the baker's boy， who was stopping at the houses along the road to leave the bread.

“首先，”罗伯特说，“我要去找面包师的儿子！”因为他的腿很长，所以他远比面包师的儿子早到山脚下；那时那男孩还在沿路一家家地送面包呢。

Robert hid⁴¹ behind a haystack and waited for the boy . When he saw the baker's boy coming，he jumped out from behind the haystack and the boy's mouth fell open in surprise. Then Robert took⁴² hold of him and put him on top of the haystack.

罗伯特藏在一个干草堆后，等着那男孩子。他看见那面包师的儿子走来时，就从草堆后边跳了出来，那男孩惊奇地张大嘴巴。罗伯特抓住他，把他放在草堆顶上。

' Now get down from there，if you can！' Robert said.

“你能下来就从那儿下来吧！”罗伯特说。

It was very late when the baker's boy got⁴³ back to the shop，and the baker was very angry！

面包师儿子回到店里时已很晚了，面包师很生气！

Then Robert and the others went home，and down to the bottom of the garden. Anthea asked Martha to bring their lunch out there. She knew that Robert was too big to get into the house. Of course， Martha could not see that Robert was much bigger than before， and she only gave⁴⁴ him as⁴ much meat and potatoes as usual— and no more. Poor Robert was very hungry.

罗伯特和其他几个孩子回到家，一直走到花园尽头。安西娅要马莎把午饭拿到外边那里去。她知道罗伯特个子太高进不了屋子。当然了，马莎看不出罗伯特比原来高得多，她只给他与平时一样多的肉和土豆——一点儿也没多给。可怜的罗伯特非常饿。

The others were feeling⁴⁵ unhappy too because there was a fair⁴⁶ in town and they wanted to go to it. ' We can't go anywhere⁴⁷ now，'Cyril said. ' Not with Robert like this. '

其他孩子也不高兴，因为城里有集市而且他们想去。“我们现在哪儿也去不了，”西里尔说，“不能带着罗伯特这个样子去。”

Suddenly Jane cried，'I know！ Let's take Robert to the fair！Someone⁴⁸ there will pay⁴⁹ us to show him to people. We can make a lot of money. '

突然简叫起来：“我知道了！带罗伯特去集市！那儿有人会为将罗伯特展出而付给我们钱的。我们能挣好多钱。”

The others thought that this was a good plan， and they left at once. When they arrived， they asked to see the head man. His name was Bill，and when he saw Robert， he got very excited⁵².

其他人觉得这是个好计划，于是他们马上出发了。他们到了时就要见班主。他叫比尔。当他看见罗伯特时，他非常激动。

' How much do you want for him？'he asked.

“你们想把他卖多少钱？”他问。

' You can't buy me，'said Robert，' but I'll come and show myself⁵³ this afternoon，if you give me fifteen pounds—and some food！'

“你不可以买我。”罗伯特说，“今天下午我来展览自己，如果你给我15镑——和一些食物的话！”

' Right！'Bill⁵¹ agreed⁵⁵.

“好吧！”比尔同意了。

So Bill took Robert inside⁵⁶ one of the big fair tents⁵⁸ and gave him something to eat. But while⁵⁹ Robert was eating， Bill put men outside to stop him from escaping⁶⁰.

于是比尔把罗伯特带到其中的一个大的集市帐篷里，给他东西吃。可罗伯特吃东西时，比尔在外边安排些人以防止他逃跑。

Then Bill stood outside the tent⁵⁷ and began to shout to the crowds⁶¹. ' Come and see the biggest man in the world！'he cried.

然后比尔站在帐篷外并开始对着人群叫喊。“来瞧瞧世界上个子最高的人！”他喊道。

Very soon， people began to stop and listen. A young man and his girlfriend⁶² were the first to go and look at Robert. They paid⁶³ their money to Bill and wnet in . The people outside heard a loud scream⁶⁴ from the girl，and then they all wanted to go in too.

很快，人们开始停下来听他说。一个青年和他的女朋友第一个去看罗伯特。他们把钱付给比尔就进去了。外边的人听到女孩一声尖叫，他们就也都想进去了。

Soon Robert was the most exciting thing to see at the fair，and Bill was making a lot of money. ' Much more than fifteen pounds！' Cyril said to the girls.

不久罗伯特就成了集市上最让人看了感到激动的东西了，而且比尔赚了很多钱。“比15镑多得多！”西里尔对女孩们说。

Poor Robert got very bored⁶⁵. He had to shake⁶⁶ hands with everybody and talk， to show that he was real⁵. And how could he escape⁶⁷ at the end of the day？' They'll kill⁶⁸ us when I go small again，' he said.

可怜的罗伯特觉得很厌烦。他得和每一个人握手、讲话，以表示他是真人。还有，天黑时他怎么才能逃跑呢？“我又变小的时候他们会杀死我们的，”他说。

Cyril thought for a minute. Then he said，' I've got a plan，'and he went outside the tent to talk to Bill. 'Look here，' he said，' my brother must be alone³⁷ when the sun goes down. He gets very strange and angry then. I don't know why， but you must leave him alone， or he'll hurt someone. '

西里尔想了一下。然后他说：“我有一个办法。”他去帐篷外对比尔谈起来。“你听着，”他说，“太阳落下去时我哥哥必须独自一人在那儿。那个时候他既古怪又生气。我也不知道是怎么回事，但你决不可打扰他，不然他会伤着谁。”

Bill was not very happy about this， but he agreed， and when the sun went down， they left Robert alone. Robert quickly got out under the back wall of the tent， and no one knew who he was because he was just a small boy again.

对于这一点比尔不太高兴，可他同意了。太阳落下去时，他们将罗伯特一个人留在帐篷里。罗伯特很快地从帐篷后壁下面出来，谁也不认识他，因为他又是个小男孩了。

The children ran³⁵ all the way home— and we do not know what Bill said when he found⁶⁹ that Robert was not there！

孩子们一路跑回家——我们不知道比尔发现罗伯特不见了时说了些什么！