25 Tin Can Summer
有铁皮罐头陪伴的夏天
Honk! Honk! Grandma"s truck roars up the driveway. Mom waves. I fluff my skirt.
嘟！嘟！外婆的卡车沿着车道呼啸而来。妈妈招了招手。我则抖了抖裙子。
During summer vacations, my favorite place to sleep is inside a giant tin can. Actually, the "tin can" is what my family calls the big silver-colored trailer parked in our backyard. And when Grandma comes to visit, Mom lets me stay in it with her.
暑假的时候，我最喜欢睡在一个大铁皮罐里。其实，所谓“铁皮罐”就是停放在我家后院的一座大大的银色活动房，我们家里的人都这么叫它。每当外婆来做客的时候，妈妈就让我陪她住在那里。
Maggie! You"re wearing your best duds! Grandma jumps out and squeezes me like a loaf of bread. She points to the backseat of her truck, which is filled with bags of cans. "Three months of good eats," she says.
“玛吉！你穿了你最好的衣服！”外婆跳下车，紧紧地抱了我一下，我爱范文，就像抱一条面包。她的卡车后座上堆满了装着罐头的袋子，她朝那儿指了指，说：“这些好吃的足够吃三个月啦！”
Inside the trailer, Grandma adjusts her baseball cap, rolls up the sleeves of her worn-out shirt, and starts filling the cupboards. "A tin can filled with tin cans," she says.
在活动房内，外婆整了整她的棒球帽，卷起已经磨破了的衬衫袖子，开始往橱柜里摆罐头。“一个装满了铁皮罐头的铁皮罐。”她说。
Bimetal , I correct her, smiling, as I pick up some cans to help with stacking . Last year in science class, I learned that most cans are made from a combination of tin and steel, so they"re really a bimetal.
“是双金属罐头，”我一边笑着纠正她，一边拿起几个罐头帮她摆放。去年在自然课上，我知道了大多数罐头盒是用锡和钢的复合材料制成的，所以它们是名副其实的双金属罐头。
Bimetal? I buy lots of metal, Grandma chuckles as she points to a pyramid of cans.
“双金属罐头？我买了好多金属啊。”外婆指着堆成金字塔状的罐头咯咯地笑。
Where are all the labels? I say.
“这些罐头上的标签呢？”我问。
In the garbage. My roof sprang a leak and it rained all night on the canned goods. By morning, the labels were a soggy mess on the floor.Grandma places lettuce, milk, butter, and cheese in the refrigerator, "We have a trailer full of food. Who needs labels?"
“扔在垃圾堆里了。我的屋顶裂了条缝，雨下了一整夜，都淋在这些罐头上了。到第二天早晨，标签都脱落在地上，成了一堆湿乎乎的烂纸。”外婆把生菜、牛奶、黄油和奶酪都放进冰箱。“我们有满满一屋子的食物，谁还需要标签啊？”
I roll a can back and forth on its side. I trust my grandmother, but all those label-less cans concern me. Still, thinking about food makes my stomach rumble.
我把一个罐头放倒，来回滚着它。我相信外婆，但这些没有标签的罐头还是让我很不安。然而一想到吃的，我的肚子就“咕咕”叫了起来。
I heard that, says Grandma. "It"s time for lunch."
“我听到你的肚子叫了，”外婆说，“该吃午饭啦。”
While I set the table, Grandma holds the can opener like a magic wand and points to the cupboards. "Pick a can, any can."
当我摆放餐具的时候，外婆就好像拿着一根魔杖一样，拿着开罐头的起子指着壁橱说：“选一罐，哪罐都行。”
I know of only three canned things I like: green beans, black olives , and peaches.
我知道我只喜欢三种罐头：青刀豆、乌榄和桃子。
Whatever you select, I"ve got something to go with it. She points to the refrigerator.
“不管你选的是什么，我都有东西搭配。”她指了指冰箱。
I grab a can and shake it. "I don"t know what"s inside."
我抓起一罐晃了晃说：“我不知道里边是什么。”
Yes you do. Food! The only thing missing is the label. Grandma takes the can and slowly turns the can opener. "What"s inside is the same with or without a label."
“不，你知道。里边是吃的！只是少了标签而已。”外婆接过那罐罐头，慢慢地转动起子。“不论有没有标签，里边的东西都是一样的。”
I peer into the dark crack in the lid. Black olives!
我从盖子上那道黑乎乎的缝隙看进去。是乌榄！
Your favorite, Maggie! Grandma drains the dark liquid. "Now, a main course."
“你的最爱，玛吉！”外婆把那深色的液体倒出来。“现在，选一道主菜。”
I pick a can from the top of the pyramid. As we open it, a pink, mushy concoction oozes from the opening. "Refried beans," says Grandma. "My favorite." She ignores my wrinkled nose and opens a package of tortillas .
我从金字塔顶部选了一罐。当我们打开它的时候，一种粉色的糊状物从开口处渗出来。“炸豆泥，”外婆说，“我的最爱。”她并不理会我皱起的鼻子，又打开一包玉米粉圆饼。
Someone knocks on the trailer door. It"s my friend Troy. I set one more place.
有人敲活动房的门，是我的朋友特洛伊。我多加了一个座位。
Grandma says, "Troy! Choose our dessert."
外婆说：“特洛伊！为我们选一份甜点吧。”
Troy and I open his can while Grandma finishes rolling burritos . I cross my fingers , hoping it won"t be lima beans . It"s pear halves. Yum.
当外婆卷完面卷饼时，特洛伊和我打开了他选的那个罐头。我交叉着手指祈祷，希望那罐子里不是青豆。是切成两半的梨。好极了。
Troy and I pop black olives on our fingers and pretend they"re puppets.
特洛伊和我把乌榄抹在手指上，假装它们是木偶。
Later, as we kick his soccer ball around the yard, Troy says, "Your grandma dresses funny."
后来，当我和特洛伊在院子里踢他的足球时，他说：“你外婆穿得很好笑。”
I pretend to ignore him.
我假装没听到他的话。
She wears strange old shirts and hats, he continues.
“她穿着很奇怪的旧衬衫，还戴着老式的帽子。”他继续说。
So? Maybe she likes those clothes! I kick his ball over the fence.
“哦？可能她喜欢那些衣服呢！”我把他的球踢出了栅栏。
That night, as I snuggle into the trailer"s bed, I tell Grandma what Troy said.
那天晚上，我躺在活动房的床上，把特洛伊说的话告诉了外婆。
I wear Grandpa"s old clothes because I miss him. She points to her threadbare flannel shirt. Clothes are just wrappers, like labels on tin cans."
“我穿你外公的旧衣服是因为我想念他，”她指着那件已经磨破了的法兰绒衬衫说，“衣服只不过是包装而已，就像铁皮罐头上的标签一样。”
Bimetal, Grandma. I smile and close my eyes.
“双金属罐头，外婆。”我微笑着闭上了眼睛。
The next day, while we open cans of vegetable soup and cherry-pie filling, I tell Troy, "It"s what"s inside that counts."
第二天，我们打开的罐头里装的是蔬菜汤和樱桃派的馅儿。我告诉特洛伊：“里面的东西才是最重要的。”
Yeah, I see that, he says, grinning as we spoon out dessert.
“是，我知道了。”他咧着嘴笑着说道。我们边说边用汤匙把甜点舀出来。
After weeks of mystery meals, Grandma"s cupboards are bare.
吃了几周神秘的菜品后，外婆的橱柜空了。
Let"s go buy more bimetal, I say.
“我们再去买些双金属罐头吧。”我说。
Grandma hugs me. "I"m sorry, honey. When the cans are gone, so am I."
外婆抱了抱我：“很遗憾，宝贝儿。罐头吃完了，那我也得走了。”
Our last meal is brown bread (from a can!), peaches, and lima beans that I gobble down to make Grandma happy.
我们吃的最后一餐饭是黑面包(居然是从罐头中拿出来的！)、桃子和青豆。为了让外婆高兴，我大口地把青豆吃完了。
See you later, says Grandma as she waves and toots her truck horn. Her truck roars down the driveway.
“再见。”外婆挥手告别，把卡车的喇叭按得嘟嘟响。她的卡车呼啸着开走了。
I peer into the empty trailer. A single can sits on the counter next to a note.
我瞧了瞧空空的活动房。桌上还有一罐罐头，罐头旁边有一张字条。
Maggie,
玛吉：
If black olives are inside this bimetal can, you can bet I"ll be back next summer!
如果这个双金属罐头里装的是乌榄，那么你可以肯定明年夏天我还会再来！
Love, Grandma
爱你的外婆
Troy holds the can while I crank the opener. What if it"s apricots or tuna fish? A dark liquid sloshes onto my jeans. I smile. Time for another puppet show.
特洛伊扶着罐头，我转动着起子。如果里边装的是杏子或金枪鱼怎么办呢？一股深色的液体溅到我的牛仔裤上。我笑了。再次上演木偶戏的时候来啦。
(By Kimberlee Esselstrom)
