Every year at this time, the peasants began their long religious pilgrimage to Geed-leh, to visit the church there, and to pray for God's help. They walked or rode in wagons¹; they crowded the roads leading to the holy town, for Geed-leh was famous in Poland as a place where God did miracles. The cool autumn days also brought many beggars to Geed-leh. The peasants gave away more of their money on such a religious holiday as this. Some of the beggars were blind, some had no feet or arms. Some were very old and seemed like lost children looking for their mothers.

每年这个时候，农民们都开始前往Geed-leh的朝圣之旅，去拜访那儿的教堂，并祈祷上帝的庇护。他们或是走路或是乘车，人们挤满了通往圣城的道路，因为Geed-leh在波兰非常有名，那是一个上帝昭显神迹的地方。清冷的秋天也将很多乞丐赶到Geed-leh。农民们在这样的宗教节日会多施舍些钱。有些乞丐是瞎子，有些人没有了脚或胳膊，有些乞丐很老，看上去就像走失的孩子在寻找他们的母亲。

There was one among them who was called "the Mute Singer". He was given this name because he could not speak. There was a time when he was able to sing, while playing his guitar. But he lost his voice. Now he played the guitar and sang, but no sounds came from his throat. His lips just moved with the music.

乞丐之中有个人叫做“沉默的歌手”，人们之所以这样叫他，因为他不能说话。曾有一段时间他能边弹吉他，边唱歌。但是他后来哑了。现在他也弹奏吉他、唱歌，但是嗓子里不能发出声音，嘴唇却随着音乐张合。

The Mute Singer was a tall, strange-looking man. His face and hands were brown, like the color of copper². He had white hair and a white beard: he looked like one of the wise men you read about in the Bible.

“沉默的歌手”是个高个，面色有些古怪。他的脸和手都是棕色的，就像是铜的颜色。他有着白发和白色的胡须，他看起来就像你在圣经中读到过的智者。

Early one morning I saw the Mute Singer washing himself at the river. He smiled and touched the ground with his hand, meaning that I should sit down. Then, he pointed³ his finger straight up, to tell me that he had a surprise for me.

一天上午的早些时候，我看见沉默的歌手在河边洗漱。他微笑着并用手轻触着地面，示意我坐下。然后他竖起手指，表示他要给我个惊喜。

Suddenly, he put his hand into the water and rubbed two of his fingers together, making a strange sound, exactly like the sound of a croaking⁴ frog. He did it many times, then he lightly hit the top of the water, sending little ripples⁵ of waves across the water to the other side.

他突然将手放进手中，摩擦着2个手指，发出奇怪的声音，就像是哇哇叫的青蛙发出的声音。他这样做了很多次，然后轻轻击打水面，将荡起的涟漪传到河岸的另一侧。

Suddenly, everything around us seemed to be moving. I could not believe that it was real. Thousands of frogs came racing⁶ toward us, jumping, and swimming...under the water and on top of the water. I began to shake with excitement.

突然间，我们周围的一切仿佛都在移动，我甚至无法相信那是真的。成千只青蛙向我们蹦来，跳啊，游啊……在水里，在水面。我开始兴奋地颤抖。

The frogs crowded around us, I could see their heads and eyes showing above the top of the water.

青蛙围拢在我们周围，我可以看见它们露出水面的头和眼睛。

The Mute Singer found some snails⁷ and cut them into small pieces and began to feed the frogs. They came closer and closer, and the Mute Singer started to play his guitar. As he did so, the frogs became quiet and listened. And then they, too, started to sing. Young frogs, old frogs...every one of them began to sing. I never heard anything like it. Not a frog moved: they all just sat and sang.

他发现了一些蜗牛，便将蜗牛切成小片喂青蛙。青蛙靠得越来越近，沉默的歌手开始弹奏吉他，这时青蛙突然变得安静下来，静静地听着。青蛙也开始唱起歌来。年轻的，年老的，每只青蛙都唱起歌来，我从未听见过这样的歌声。没有一只青蛙移动，它们都坐在那里唱歌。