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On Thursday afternoon, Edwin Jones was in the office of Sunshine Lotteries with Mr David Ray.
星期四下午，埃德温·琼斯和戴维·雷先生在阳光彩票公司的办公室。
He told Mr Ray the story of Emma Carter and her winning numbers.
琼斯把埃玛·卡特的事情以及她的中奖号码告诉了雷先生。
'Look, Mr Jones,' said Mr Ray. 'Mr Williams had the winning ticket, so we gave him a cheque for the money. I'm sorry, but I can't help you, or Mrs Carter.'
“是这样，琼斯先生，”雷先生说，“威廉斯先生持有中奖彩票，所以我们开给了他那笔钱的支票。对不起，我帮不了你，也帮不了卡特太太。”
'But it wasn't Williams's ticket. It was Mrs Carter's.'
“可那不是威廉斯的彩票，是卡特太太的。”
'You can't prove that, Mr Jones. All lottery tickets look the same. They don't have names on them.'
“你无法证明这一点，琼斯先生。所有的彩票看上去都一样。彩票上面没有名字。”
'I can prove it,' said Edwin Jones. 'Listen. Mrs Carter's ticket is different. You see, she always gets the same numbers. And every week she puts an X on her ticket.'
“我能证明。”埃德温·琼斯说，“听着，卡特太太的彩票是不一样的。你看，她总是买相同的号码，而且她每周都会在彩票上画个X。”
He told Mr Ray about Mrs Carter's son in Australia. Then he took a lottery ticket out of his pocket.
他向雷先生讲了卡特太太的儿子在澳大利亚一事。然后他从兜里掏出一张彩票。
'This is an old ticket. Look, Mrs Carter always puts an X, here... Please go and look at the winning ticket. Now!'
“这是张旧彩票。瞧，卡特太太总是画个X，这儿...请去看看那张中奖彩票，现在就去！”
Mr Ray went away and came back five minutes later. His face was unhappy.
雷先生走开了，五分钟后他回来了。他的脸色不太好。
'Well?' said Edwin Jones.
“怎么样？”埃德温·琼斯问。
'I don't know,' Mr Ray said. 'All the tickets go through the computer many times, so it's difficult to see...'
“我不知道。”雷先生说，“所有的彩票都进出电脑很多次，所以很难看到...”
'Mr Ray, is there an X on that ticket, or isn't there?'
“雷先生，彩票上是有个X还是没有？”
Mr Ray looked angrily at Edwin Jones.
雷先生怒气冲冲地看着埃德温·琼斯。
'Perhaps there is, and perhaps there isn't,' he said. 'But what does an X prove?
“或许有，或许没有。”他说，“但是一个X能够证明什么？
Perhaps hundreds of people write an X on their lottery ticket. Perhaps it's Mrs Carter's X, but how do we know? Tell me that, Mr Jones.'
没准有好几百人都在他们的彩票上画个X。那可能是卡特太太的X，但我们怎么知道？告诉我，琼斯先生。”
'I can't tell you, but the police can. Now, Mr Ray, please call your bank and stop that cheque.
“我无法告诉你，但警察可以。现在，雷先生，请给你们的银行打电话，冻结那张支票。
Next, give that lottery ticket to the police. They're going to want it.'
然后，把那张彩票交给警察。他们会需要的。”
Mr Ray looked unhappy. 'Yes, all right,' he said.
雷先生看起来很不高兴。“噢，好吧。”他说。
'Then you need a lawyer,' said Mr Jones. 'Because Mrs Carter wants her money, and she wants it now!'
“然后你们还需要一个律师。”琼斯先生说，“因为卡特太太想要她的钱，而且她马上就要！”
On Thursday afternoon, Jason Williams went to Sally Cash's office and told her about 'Help the Children' and the women in the shop. Sally looked tired.
星期四下午，贾森·威廉斯去了萨莉·卡什的办公室，把“儿童救助会”和慈善商店里女人的事情告诉了她。萨莉面露厌烦之色。
'Jason, Jason!' she said. 'What is all this? I don't want to listen to more lies.'
“贾森，贾森！”她说，“这都是些什么事？我不想再听谎话了。”
'I'm telling the truth! I went into the "Help the Children" shop, and they didn't believe me. They said, "You haven't got any money. Go away!"
“我说的是真的！我去了‘儿童救助会’的商店，可她们不相信我。她们说，‘你根本就没钱。走开！’
Please telephone them, Miss Cash. I want to give them one million pounds. Please tell them that.'
请给她们打个电话，卡什小姐。我想给她们一百万英镑。请将这事告诉她们。”
'But...' said Sally Cash. 'But your lottery cheque is at the court...'
“但是...”萨莉·卡什说，“但是你的彩票支票在法庭...”
'Yes, I know. But when I get the money, I want to give one million pounds to "Help the Children". I thought about it very carefully.
“对，我知道。不过拿到钱后，我想捐一百万英镑给‘儿童救助会’。这件事我很认真地想过了。
I won all this money in the lottery, and I want to do something good with it.
我的钱都是中彩票得的，我想用它做点好事。
All those little children in Africa and India, I want to help them.'
那些非洲和印度的小孩子，我想帮助他们。”
Sally looked at him for a minute.
萨莉看了他一会儿。
'Please,' said Jason. 'Please help me. You wanted to help me. You told me that.'
“求你了。”贾森说，“请帮帮我。你想要帮我的。你跟我说过的。”
'OK,' Sally said suddenly. 'I believe you. You want to give away a million pounds.'
“好吧。”萨莉突然说，“我相信你。你想捐一百万英镑。”
She thought for a second. 'Write a letter to "Help the Children". Write it here, now.
她想了片刻。“给‘儿童救助会’写封信。在这儿写，就现在。
Tell them about the million pounds, and put your name on the letter.
告诉她们你要捐一百万英镑的事，再在信上写下你的名字。
I'm going to put my name on the letter too, and take the letter to the charity's office now. OK?'
我也会把我的名字写在信上，然后马上把信送到这家慈善组织的办公室。好吗？”
