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'Well, Mrs Carter, how can I help you?'
“哦，卡特太太，有什么可以帮你的吗？”
It was Thursday morning and Emma was in Edwin Jones's office. Edwin Jones was a big man, with a red face and small blue eyes.
星期四早晨，埃玛来到埃德温·琼斯的办公室。埃德温·琼斯是个大块头男人，脸红彤彤的，有一双蓝色小眼睛。
'It's about a lottery ticket,' Emma began.
“一张彩票的事儿。”埃玛开口道。
'Ah, the lottery. Everybody wants to win the lottery!'
“啊，彩票。大家都想中彩票！”
'But I did!' said Emma. 'It was my ticket, my numbers.'
“但我中了！”埃玛说，“那是我的彩票，我的号码。”
'Tell me about it, Mrs Carter. From the beginning.'
“跟我说说这事儿，卡特太太。从头说起。”
So Emma told the lawyer everything, and he listened carefully.
于是，埃玛把所有的事都告诉了律师，他听得很认真。
When Emma finished, he said: 'Those numbers on the ticket, tell them to me again.'
埃玛说完后，他说：“彩票上的号码，再跟我说一次。”
'5, 12, 23, 24, 38, 41.'
“5，12，23，24，38，41。”
'And you always get a ticket with those numbers. Why, Mrs Carter?' asked the lawyer.
“你买彩票总是选这些号码，那是为什么，卡特太太？”律师问。
'All those numbers are important to me. I was born on 5th December, 1923.
“所有这些数字对我来说都很重要。我的生日是1923年12月5日。
I lived at number 24 Sandwich Road for 38 years. And my son Simon is 41 years old.'
我在桑威奇路24号住了38年。我儿子西蒙41岁。”
'I see. Well, Mrs Carter,' Mr Jones said. 'What do you want me to do?'
“我明白了。那么，卡特太太，”琼斯说，“你想让我做什么？”
'Please talk to Sunshine Lotteries, Mr Jones. They've got my ticket.'
“请和阳光彩票公司谈谈，琼斯先生。他们拿着我的彩票。”
'But, Mrs Carter, what can they do? All lottery tickets look the same.
“但是，卡特太太，他们能做什么？所有的彩票看上去都一样。
People don't write their names on their tickets... Perhaps it is your ticket, but we can't prove it.'
人们又不在彩票上写自己的名字...或许那是你的彩票，可我们无法证明这一点。”
'But we can! My ticket's different! Please listen! I always put a little kiss on my ticket... you know, an X.'
“但我们可以！我的彩票和其他的不一样！请听我说！我总是在我的彩票上画一个小小的亲吻符号...你知道的，一个X。”
'Why do you do that?'
“你为什么这样做？”
'My son lives in Australia with his family. I'd like to visit them, but aeroplane tickets are very expensive.
“我儿子和他的家人住在澳大利亚。我想去探望他们，但机票很贵。
So every week I get a lottery ticket and I think about Simon and his wife and my grandchildren, and I send them a kiss.
所以每周我都买一张彩票，我挂念西蒙、他的妻子和我的孙子们，所以我送给他们一个吻。
Simon's a wonderful son. He telephones me every week. He never forgets...'
西蒙是个很棒的儿子。他每周都给我打电话。他从来不会忘记...”
The lawyer smiled. 'Yes, yes, I understand,' he said. 'My mother lives in Wales, and I telephone her every week too.
律师笑了。“是的，是的，我理解。”他说，“我母亲住在威尔士，我每周也给她打电话。
Please go home now, Mrs Carter. I'm going to make some telephone calls. Come and see me again tomorrow.'
现在请回家吧，卡特太太。我要打几个电话。明天再来见我吧。”
