翻譯《我們建了一座花園》Margery Fish
接上文
直到十一月，我們還奔波在找房子的路上，有一天，又經過在九月被我們一下子就否掉了的那座房子的附近，于是我們順著路標“離East Lambrrok一英里”所指的方向，再去看看那座房子，看看過了三個月它會有什么改變。
確實很大變化。前院的月桂樹叢被清理掉了，房子也好看多了。鐵瓦片不見了，換成了舊磚瓦，屋里墻壁油成粉色，木頭油上了光漆。
這房子是很典型的Somerset結構，正中間是一條通道，前后各有一個門，所以看些來很漂亮，可是住在里面會有穿堂風。那天我們只考慮到房子的美觀，那個黃昏，太陽西下，前后大門都打開著，我能瞥見夕陽下一棵樹影和它背后的綠色。
那天Walter終于肯走進屋內，我們巡視了廚房，那里有一個寬大的生火壁爐，低矮的橫梁天花，石頭地板，邊上還有一個可愛的小廳。隔壁是一間大點的房間，石頭地板，壁爐比廚房那個還大。最遠那頭是一間裝飾著鑲板的美觀的房間。
我們知道，不用再找了，我們到家了。
（待續）
We were still hunting in November when our way took us very near the old house so summarily dismissed in September, so we turned down the lane which said ‘East Lambrook one mile’, just to see what had been happening during those three months.?
Quite a lot had happened. The front garden had been cleared of its laurels and the house looked much better. Old tiles had replaced the corrugated iron on the roof, and inside the walls had been washed with cream and the woodwork with glossy paint.?
It is one of those typical Somerset houses with a central passage and a door at each end, so very attractive to look at and so very draughty for living. That day we thought only of the artistic angle. It was late afternoon and the sun was nearly setting. Both doors were open and through them we caught a glimpse of a tree and a green background against the sunlight.?
That day I got Walter further than the flagged passage, and we explored the old bakehouse, with its enormous inglenook and open fireplace, low beamed ceiling and stone floor, and a gay little parlour beyond. On the other side was another large room with stone floor and an even bigger fireplace, and at the far end a lovely room with wonderful panelling.
We both knew that our search had ended, we had come home.?
We Made a Garden, by Margery Fish, Publisher: Batsford (19 Dec 2011)
