水果摊上的炎热一天：流浪睡眠故事

大家好。

Hello, everyone.

我是Ria，来做个简短的说明。

This is Ria with a quick note.

这是一期完整剧集的预览，故事来自《睡前小故事》，这是一个专为我的高级订阅用户提供的独家睡前播客。

This is a full episode preview of a story featured on Little Stories for Sleep, an exclusive bedtime podcast just for my Little Stories premium subscribers.

今天我要分享的这个剧集，属于我称为“漫游睡前故事”的系列。

The episode I'm sharing with you today is part of a series I'm calling Wandering Sleep Stories.

这些新故事很宁静、很放松，特别适合放在睡前歌单的最后一首。

These new stories are peaceful, calming, and perfect for that last track on a bedtime playlist.

在《睡前小故事》这个系列里，《漫游睡眠故事》没有开场白也没有结束语。

On Little Stories for Sleep, Wandering Sleep Stories have no intro or outro.

只有故事本身，配上轻柔的音乐作为背景。

It's just the story framed by soft music.

现在，裹好你的加重毯，舒舒服服地躺好，听着这个温馨的故事入睡吧。

Now, grab your weighted blanket, snuggle up, and fall asleep to this sweet tale.

在远离市郊的乡下，方圆几里除了悠闲吃草的牛、天上盘旋的秃鹫，还有在玉米地里来回作业的拖拉机，几乎没什么可看的。

Way out in the country where there is nothing to see for miles except cows lazing in pastures, buzzards circling the skies, and tractors making passes through fields of corn.

在那儿，邻居们会在当地的小餐馆里喝着咖啡聊家常，而且一半的路都是碎石铺的。

Out where neighbors trade stories over coffee at the local diner and half the roads are laid with gravel.

镇子外面有个水果摊。

There is a fruit stand just outside of town.

说它是镇子，其实有点夸张了。

Town is a generous word.

这儿连一个红绿灯都没有，没有环岛，没有购物中心，只有几条交叉的街道，还有一家老得像是跟泥土一起就在那儿的老五金店，一个小集市，四周都是开阔的土地，头顶是连绵不绝的蓝天。

There's not a single stoplight, no roundabouts, no shopping mall, a few cross streets, a hardware store so old it looks like it was put there along with the dirt, a small market, all surrounded by open land beneath an unbroken expanse of blue sky.

很多路人经过这个村子，但都不会停下来。

Plenty of travelers pass through the village without stopping.

没什么特别吸引人的地方，除了那座看起来像是废弃了、但其实并没有荒废的老加油站。

Nothing beckons, save for the ancient gas station that is not abandoned, though appears so at first glance.

不过，大家都会在水果摊前停下脚步。

But everyone stops at the fruit stand.

几十英里外，地平线上除了静止在闷热空气中的风车，就是挤在狭小阴影里的绵羊，还有甩着尾巴赶苍蝇的驴子。

After miles of nothing on the horizon but windmills motionless in the stale air, sheep crowding in too small circles of shade, donkeys flicking their tails at biting flies.

那顶被风吹日晒褪成白色的帐篷格外显眼，至少它跟之前看到的一切都不一样。

That weather worn white tent stands out if for no other reason than it's different than what's come before.

老远就能看见牌子上写着：地球上最棒的蓝莓、最汁多的西瓜。

The signs start when it is a mere dot in the distance boasting of the world's best blueberries and juiciest watermelon on Earth.

当然，路过的人都会停下来。

Of course, the travelers stop.

当然，没人能忍住不停。

Of course, they do.

夏天热得发烫，今年这个时候尤其闷热。

The summer is blisteringly hot, certainly hotter than usual this time of year.

树荫底下几乎没啥凉意。

Shade offers next to nothing.

空气又沉又潮，像要烧开一样。

The air is dense with water on the verge of a boil.

一丝风都没有。

There's not a whisper of wind.

克里夫农夫一早就开了摊，瞥了一眼万里无云的天空，心里惦记着地里那几行快蔫了的生菜。

Farmer Cliff opens the stand at sunup, casts a sidelong glance at the cloudless sky, thinking of his rows of lettuce back at the farm threatening to wilt.

再不下雨可就麻烦了——他嘟囔着，话没说完，就不想再往下想了。

If we don't get some rain soon, he mutters, trailing off, not wanting to complete the thought.

他转过头，迎接第一位顾客，对方说她打算做个草莓奶油蛋糕。

He fixes his attention on his first customer who says she's aiming to make a strawberry shortcake.

你可来对地方了，”克里夫说着，顺手把一大盒深红色的浆果往她那边推了推。

You've come to the right place, Cliff says and nudges a large carton of dark red berries in her direction.

生菜是有点扛不住，可这水果，甜得从来没这么过。

The lettuce might be struggling, but the fruit has never been so sweet.

早上渐渐热闹起来了。

The morning picks up.

人们从卡车和房车里出来，从凉爽的车厢一步迈进灼热的空气里，手里拿着地图、宣传单，能抓到啥就扇啥。

People emerge from their trucks and Winnebago's stepping out of chilled air into a wall of heat, fanning themselves with paper maps, brochures, whatever's on hand.

长途跋涉的旅客们伸展着僵硬的腿和胳膊，转转脚踝和手腕。

Road weary travelers stretch stiff legs and arms, rotate ankles and wrists.

一位留着胡子、穿着工装的男人，袖子卷到肘部，从皮卡驾驶室里慢慢起身。

A bearded man in coveralls, the sleeves rolled up to the elbows, unfolds himself from the cab of a pickup.

他得弯下腰才能穿过帐篷遮阳棚的帘子——这是最近加的，为的是给水果挡挡烈日。

He's got to duck under the flap of the tent's awning, a recent addition made in hopes of shielding the fruit from the blazing sun.

那儿堆着一大堆西瓜。

There's a mountain of watermelons.

西瓜在高温下长得特别好，旁边还有好几桶，再旁边是辆大木车，上面摆着几十个桃子、一篮篮浆果、一碗碗杏子。

They've taken well to the heat, and there are buckets of them beside a large wooden cart holding dozens of peaches, baskets of berries, bowls of apricots.

那人伸手去拿了一个西瓜。

The man reaches for a watermelon.

他一抓，手一滑，另一个西瓜就滚了出去。

As he grasps it, he upsets the careful balance and ascends a different melon tumbling.

西瓜撞上了木车的一条腿，在侧面留下了个凹痕。

It knocks against a wooden leg of the cart, leaving a dent in its side.

农场主克里夫过来整理这堆瓜。

Farmer Cliff arrives to put order to the pile.

那个穿工装的男人在口袋里翻钱包，想买下这个有凹痕的西瓜。

The man in coveralls scrounges in a pocket for his wallet to buy the dented watermelon.

克里夫摆摆手，让他别付钱。

Cliff waves him off.

我待会儿切开分点样品，他轻松地说着，把西瓜悄悄塞到了推车底下。

I'll cut it up later, hand out samples, he says easily, and tucks the watermelon out of sight beneath the cart.

两个人聊起了屋顶维修的事。

The two men strike up a conversation about roof repair.

无论是那个留胡子的男人、农场主，还是其他正在扇着风挑草莓、翻拣哈密瓜的顾客，都没察觉到不远处其实还有一个水果摊。

Neither the bearded man, nor the farmer nor the other customers fanning themselves as they pick baskets of strawberries and sift through buckets of cantaloupes have an inkling that there is another fruit stand very nearby.

要想发现它，他们只需要蹲下身，朝推车木腿旁那个阴凉处瞥一眼就行。

To chance upon it, all they'd have to do is crouch down and a glance beneath the cart, focus their eyes on a shaded place beside one of the cart's wooden legs.

但他们从来都没往下看。

But they never look.

他们根本没注意到。

They never notice.

他们全被克里夫农夫车上那堆诱人的水果吸引住了，根本想不到下面还藏着个水果摊。

They are much too taken by the glorious spread on farmer Cliff's cart to discover farmer spots fruit stand down below.

他干这行很久了，满身的毛发都磨得乱糟糟的，胡须也皱巴巴的。

He's been at it for ages, and it shows in his time scruffed fur and rumpled whiskers.

经过多年的犹豫，他终于妥协，戴上了老花镜，现在那副眼镜就架在鼻梁上那块白斑下方。

After years of reluctance, he gave in and allowed himself to be fitted for bifocals, which now perch just below the splotch of white above the bridge of his nose.

他的水果摊虽然比上面的小得多，但对那些小巧的顾客来说，一点不逊色。

His fruit stand may be miniature compared to the one above it, but it is no less impressive, not at least to its petite customers.

现在，斯波特农夫把老花镜往上推了推，盯着旁边突然出现的那颗巨大西瓜发愣。

Now, Farmer Spot pushes his bifocals up his nose and stares at the enormous watermelon that has miraculously appeared beside his fruit stand.

刚才他还正把黑莓一瓣一瓣剥出来，摆盘给顾客尝。

One minute, he'd been removing the segments of a blackberry to set out in a dish for his customers.

一眨眼的工夫，这颗又大又沉的西瓜就出现了，侧面有点凹陷，其他地方却完美无缺。

The next, this gargantuan fruit arrived, dented in the side, but otherwise perfect.

老斑农好多年没在摊子上卖过西瓜了。

It's been a long time since farmer Spot sold watermelon at his stand.

搬起来太费劲，切开更是难上加难。

Difficult to transport, nearly impossible to cut.

他早就放弃卖这玩意儿了。

He'd given up on it long ago.

这么大的瓜，本该是小老鼠们的活儿，可它就这么摆在眼前了。

Fruit that size is a young mouse's game, and yet here it is for the taking.

天还没亮透，空气还温乎着没发烫，老斑农就已经起身忙活了。

Farmer Spot has been up since well before the sun when the air was warm but not yet steaming.

他打了个哈欠，把一辆破手推车装满：一颗泛着红晕的大橙子，一打超大蓝莓，两颗黑莓，还有四颗深红的草莓。

Yawning, he'd filled his rickety wheelbarrow with a large blush orange peach, a dozen oversized blueberries, two blackberries, and four deep crimson strawberries.

他看着晨光洒在平坦的草场上，吸了一口附近野地里飘来的花香，心里满是感激，觉得新的一天有无限可能。

He watched dawn break over the flat pasture, breathed in the scent of wildflowers from a nearby meadow and felt a deep sense of gratitude for the possibilities offered by a new day.

他压根儿没想过，西瓜会突然出现。

He'd never imagined the possibility of a watermelon.

早上的顾客一散去，老斯波特就用毛巾擦了擦汗。

Once the early rush of customers peters out, Farmer Spot mops his brow with a kerchief.

就算在阴凉处，这热气也躲不掉。

Even in the shade, there is no escaping this heat.

他挑了把趁手的工具，开始切这颗大西瓜。

He finds the most suitable tool and gets to work splitting the giant melon.

就在斯波特摆出第一块深粉红色瓜肉时，多尔姆斯奶奶带着孙女露西来了。

Granny Dormouse arrives with her granddaughter, Ruthie, just as Farmer Spot sets out the first several hunks of dark pink fruit.

露西用一只爪子领着奶奶，另一只爪子拉着小车。

Ruthie guides her grandmother with one paw and tugs a cart with the other.

奶奶眼睛是不行了，可鼻子还是灵得很。

The elder Dormouse's eyes may be failing, but her nose is sharp as ever.

你什么时候开始卖西瓜了？

Since when do you have watermelon?

斯波特咧嘴笑了。

Farmer Spot grins.

小露西的眼睛一下子亮了起来。

Little Ruthie's eyes light up.

多尔姆斯奶奶叹了口气。

Granny Dormouse sighs.

我本来只是来买蓝莓的。

I only came for for blueberries.

明天我要教露西做果酱。

Tomorrow, I'm teaching Ruthie to make jam.

多尔姆斯奶奶的蓝莓果酱可是出了名的，可这西瓜实在让人舍不得错过。

Bright and early, Granny Dormouse is known for her blueberry jam, but I'm not sure I can resist a piece of watermelon.

农夫斯波特帮这对祖孙把一大块西瓜塞进购物车，旁边还放着几大把蓝莓。他欣然收下了一罐她招牌的蓝莓果酱，看着她们手牵着手慢慢走远。

Farmer Spot helps the dormice wedging a large piece of melon into their cart alongside several large berries, he gladly accepts a jar of her famous blueberry jam as payment and watches them amble away paw in paw.

又来了几位顾客：一只骑着自行车的松鼠，篮子里稳稳地放着一大块西瓜；还有一家小老鼠，搬走了四厚片桃子。

More customers turn up, a squirrel on a bicycle who manages to fit a sizable hunk of watermelon in its basket, basket, a family of mice who carry away four hefty slices of peach.

种萝卜出名的老鼠农夫弗林特也来了，提着一桶蔬菜，想换点水果。

Farmer Flint, a rat known for his radishes, stops by with a bucket of vegetables to exchange for fruit.

他挑了挑眉，看着那硕大的西瓜。

He raises a brow at the hulking watermelon.

小斯普特露出憨厚的笑容，耸了耸肩。

Farmer Spot gives an awe shucks smile and shrugs.

趁着顾客不多，他把这大西瓜切开，一块块摆到小桌上。

Between customers, he splits the enormous fruit arranging pieces on his little table.

累得够呛，再加上天这么热，更让人吃不消。

It's exhausting, and the heat makes it more so.

等没人来的时候，斯普特就往后头的折叠椅一坐，闭上眼睛。

When there is a lull, Spot eases into a folding chair he keeps behind his stand and closes his eyes.

把他们抓起来吧。

Just arrest them.

他打了个长长的哈欠，放松下来，听着顾客们在水果摊前的脚步声、低声聊着天气，还有头顶上农用飞机掠过的轰鸣。

He yawns heavily and relaxes to the sounds of feet shuffling at the people's fruit stand, muffled conversations about the weather, the of a crop plane passing overhead.

不知不觉间，斯普特在椅子上睡着了。

Without meaning to, farmer Spot falls asleep in his chair.

天气越来越热，简直像要烤焦一样。

The day heats up till it's scorching.

人们来来往往，光顾着上面的农家摊位。

People come and go to the farm stand above.

西瓜的数量少了三分之一。

The number of watermelons drops by a third.

蓝莓也快卖光了。

The blueberries dwindle.

桃子一箱一箱地被买走，都是去做派和甜点的。

Peaches are whisked away a dozen at a time for cobblers and pastries.

几缕灰云缓缓飘过，正好遮住了毒辣的太阳。

Wisps of gray clouds drift overhead crowding mercifully over the sun.

空气里弥漫着一股紧张的气息。

The air stirs charged.

感觉马上就要打雷了。

It seems like a good spark.

一阵低沉而悠长的轰隆声传来。

There comes a deep, drawn out rumble.

就在声音消散的瞬间，斯波特农夫猛地惊醒。

At the tail end of it, Farmer Spot startles awake.

他揉了揉眼镜后的眼睛，慢悠悠地站起来，走出帐篷的遮蔽，抬头眯眼看了看天空，估算着太阳的位置。

He rubs his eyes behind his glasses and slowly staggers to his feet, steps out from beneath the cover of the tent, enough to squint up at the sky, note the position of the sun.

他这一觉睡得可真够久的。

He's been asleep for quite a stretch.

真没想到你这儿还有西瓜。

I can't believe you have watermelon.

天哪。

Oh, boy.

这可真是难得的享受。

This is a treat.

斯波特转过身，看见多丽丝花栗鼠的小尾巴正兴奋地来回甩动。

Spot turns to see Doris Chipmunk's little tail whipping back and forth in delighted surprise.

她带着年幼的儿子来了，孩子站在她身旁，正俯身看着那块水果，眼睛瞪得大大的。

She's arrived with her young son who stands next to her leaning over a hunk of the fruit, eyes enormous.

不过我不确定能不能拿得动，多莉斯说道，指了指她右前爪，那只爪子正放在一个绕在肩上的吊布里。

Though I'm not sure I can lift it, Doris says, gesturing to her right paw, which is held in a sling that loops around her shoulder.

我来帮你拿吧。

Let me get that for you.

斯波特搬了几块水果放到多莉斯的小推车上，小心地摆放好，确保东西都放稳当。

Spot carries several pieces of fruit to Doris' small cart and takes care arranging them to keep everything balanced.

这个角落还能再塞点东西，他说。

You can fit something more in this corner here, he says.

哦，妈妈，我们能买颗草莓吗？

Oh, mommy, can we please get a strawberry?

我从来没见草莓红成这样。

I've never seen them so red.

一整颗草莓？

A whole strawberry?

多丽丝咬着下唇，犹豫着说。

Doris says, nibbling her bottom lip.

我怕肥皂没剩多少了，不够用。

Not sure I have quite enough soap for that.

天色不早了。

It's getting late in the day.

草莓得赶紧卖完才行。

The strawberries need to be sold.

没关系，有多少都够了，”斯波特农夫温和地点点头。

Whatever you've got is quite enough, farmer Spot says with a kind nod.

多丽丝笑了。

Doris smiles.

她的儿子高兴地拍打着爪子。

Her son claps his paws with glee.

斯波特让那只小老鼠挑了剩下最大的一颗草莓，放在多丽丝推车里西瓜旁边。

Spot lets the little mouse pick the largest remaining strawberry and wedge it beside the watermelon in Doris' cart.

多丽丝递上一篮自制香皂，脸上带着感激的微笑。

Doris hands over a basket of homemade soap and a grateful smile.

我下周再来。

I'll be back next week.

斯波特深吸了一口那款带有柠檬味的野花姜香皂的香气。

Spot inhales the scent of the wildflower ginger soap with a touch of lemon.

太美妙了。

Heavenly.

他挥挥手，看着多丽丝和她儿子推着那辆沉甸甸的推车离开，身后是逐渐暗沉的天空，远处又传来一阵低沉的轰鸣。

He waves as Doris and her son head out, trundling the weighed down cart behind them beneath a darkening sky as it emits another low rumble.

一阵微风吹过帐篷，掀得遮阳篷呼呼作响。

A breeze ripples over the tent sending the awning flapping.

有那么一瞬间，四周突然安静下来。

There is a brief moment during which everything goes quiet.

水果摊周围的土地也仿佛屏住了呼吸，一片寂静。

The land surrounding the fruit stand hushes.

人们默默地走动。

The people shuffle about in silence.

农夫斯波特凝视着远处树梢上方那一片炭灰色的云层。

Farmer Spot peers out at the charcoal clouds above the distant tree line.

空气骤然凝固，伴随着噼啪的雷鸣，天空倾泻而下。

The air goes still, and with a crackling rumble, the sky opens.

雨水如斜织的帘幕般倾泻，顺着遮阳篷流淌，在帐篷周围积成水洼。

Rain cascades in diagonal sheets, streams down from the awning, pools around the tent.

大家惊呼着抓起买好的东西，跑向汽车，浑身湿透却笑得开心。

The people yelp and grab their purchases, sprint to cars, soaked and laughing.

两位农民，一个高个儿，一个矮个儿，都松了一口气。

The two farmers, one tall, one small, sigh with relief.

下雨了。

Rain.

终于下雨了。

Finally, rain.

这场雨来得短，但特别给力，足够浇灌数英里外干渴的植物，也能救下一批快要蔫掉的生菜。

The shower is brief but potent, enough to water parched plants for miles, enough to save a harvest of lettuce from wilting.

雨一停，云也散了，水果摊安静了下来。

The fruit stand sits quiet for a spell as the rain moves away and the clouds clear.

连那闷热的空气好像也被带走了，留下的是恰到好处的暖意。

It seems they've taken the sweltering air with them, leaving a comfortable warmth.

顾客们慢慢回来，悠闲地挑着剩下的水果，不再被身后烈日催着赶路。

Customers trickle back, taking their time lingering over the remaining fruit, no longer rushed by a burning sun at their backs.

在农夫斯波特的摊子旁，堆起了一小堆东西：向日葵种子、腌芦笋罐头、线团、手工编织的袜子，都是顾客们表达谢意的交换物。

A pile forms beside farmer spots stand, pouches of sunflower seeds, jars of pickled asparagus, balls of twine, paw knitted socks, all trades from thankful customers.

他所有东西都卖光了，就剩西瓜，不过他的老主顾们还是带走了不少。

He sells out of everything except watermelon, though his regulars carry away plenty of that as well.

太阳刚落到西边的树后，西瓜就卖掉一半了。

It's half gone by the time the sun dips below the westward trees.

天色渐暗，他收拾手推车，最后看了一眼那堆西瓜，知道只能任它留在这儿了。

He packs up his wheelbarrow when the sky turns dim, takes a last look at the watermelon knowing he can do nothing but leave it.

也许这对某个路过的生灵来说，会是一份意外的惊喜，在漫长的黑夜中添上一抹甜美的光亮。

Perhaps it will be an unforeseen treat for a wandering creature, a bright sweet spot in a long stretch of night.

农夫斯波特把手推车从帐篷下推出来，仰头望着满天繁星，打了个大哈欠，踏着湿漉漉的土地回家去了。

Farmer Spot pushes his wheelbarrow out from beneath the tent, takes in the beautiful star filled sky, and yawning heartily heads home across the rain soaked land.

明天太阳升起的时候，他还会回来。

He will be back in the morning with the rising sun.

以上是这段漫游睡眠故事的特别完整版预告。

This has been a special full episode preview of a wandering sleep story.

想听更多漫游睡眠故事，欢迎访问 littlestoriespremium.com，加入 Little Stories 会员。

To hear more wandering sleep stories, you can join Little Stories Premium by visiting littlestoriespremium.com.

一如既往，感谢你的收听。

And thank you, as always, for listening in.