有鐵皮罐頭陪伴的夏天

Honk1)! Honk! Grandma's truck roars up the driveway. Mom waves. I fluff2) my skirt.

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 trailer3) parked in our backyard. And when Grandma comes to visit， Mom lets me stay in it with her.

\"Maggie! You're wearing your best duds4)!\" 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 eats5)，\" she says.

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.

\"Bimetal6)，\" I correct her， smiling， as I pick up some cans to help with stacking7). 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.

\"Bimetal? I buy lots of metal，\" Grandma chuckles as she points to a pyramid of cans.

\"Where are all the labels?\" I say.

\"In the garbage. My roof sprang8) a leak and it rained all night on the canned goods. By morning， the labels were a soggy9) mess on the floor.\" Grandma places lettuce， milk， butter， and cheese in the refrigerator， \"We have a trailer full of food. Who needs labels?\"

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 rumble10).

\"I heard that，\" says Grandma. \"It's time for lunch.\"

While I set the table， Grandma holds the can opener like a magic wand and points to the cupboards. \"Pick a can， any can.\"

I know of only three canned things I like: green beans， black olives11)， and peaches.

\"Whatever you select， I've got something to go with it.\" She points to the refrigerator.

I grab a can and shake it. \"I don't know what's inside.\"

\"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.\"

I peer into the dark crack in the lid. Black olives!

\"Your favorite， Maggie!\" Grandma drains12) the dark liquid. \"Now， a main course.\"

I pick a can from the top of the pyramid. As we open it， a pink， mushy concoction13) oozes14) from the opening. \"Refried beans，\" says Grandma. \"My favorite.\" She ignores my wrinkled nose and opens a package of tortillas15).

Someone knocks on the trailer door. It's my friend Troy. I set one more place.

Grandma says， \"Troy! Choose our dessert.\"

Troy and I open his can while Grandma finishes rolling burritos16). I cross my fingers17)， hoping it won't be lima beans18). It's pear halves. Yum.

Troy and I pop black olives on our fingers and pretend they're puppets.

Later， as we kick his soccer ball around the yard， Troy says， \"Your grandma dresses funny.\"

I pretend to ignore him.

\"She wears strange old shirts and hats，\" he continues.

\"So? Maybe she likes those clothes!\" I kick his ball over the fence.

That night， as I snuggle19) into the trailer's bed， I tell Grandma what Troy said.

\"I wear Grandpa's old clothes because I miss him.\" She points to her threadbare flannel20) shirt. \"Clothes are just wrappers， like labels on tin cans.\"

\"Bimetal， Grandma.\" I smile and close my eyes.

The next day， while we open cans of vegetable soup and cherry-pie filling， I tell Troy， \"It's what's inside that counts.\"

\"Yeah， I see that，\" he says， grinning21) as we spoon22) out dessert.

After weeks of mystery meals， Grandma's cupboards are bare.

\"Let's go buy more bimetal，\" I say.

Grandma hugs me. \"I'm sorry， honey. When the cans are gone， so am I.\"

Our last meal is brown bread (from a can!)， peaches， and lima beans that I gobble23) down to make Grandma happy.

\"See you later，\" says Grandma as she waves and toots24) her truck horn. Her truck roars down the driveway.

I peer into the empty trailer. A single can sits on the counter next to a note.

嘟！嘟！外婆的卡車沿著車道呼嘯而來。媽媽朝著它招了招手。我則抖了抖我的裙子。

暑假的時候我最喜歡睡在一個大鐵皮罐里。其實，所謂“鐵皮罐”就是停放在我家后院的一座銀色活動房，我們家的人都這么叫它。每當外婆來做客的時候，媽媽就讓我陪她住在那里。

“瑪吉！你穿了你最好的衣服！”外婆跳下車，緊緊地擁抱了我一下，簡直把我當成了一大塊面包。她的卡車后座上堆滿了裝著罐頭的袋子，她朝那兒指了指，說：“這些好吃的足夠吃三個月啦！”

在活動房內(nèi)，外婆整了整她的棒球帽，卷起已經(jīng)磨破了的襯衫袖子，開始往櫥柜里擺罐頭?！耙粋€裝滿了鐵皮罐頭的鐵皮罐。”她說。

“是雙金屬罐頭。”我一邊笑著糾正她，一邊拿起幾個罐頭幫她擺放。去年在自然課上，我知道了大多的罐頭盒是用錫和鋼的復合材料制成的，所以它們是名副其實的雙金屬罐頭。

“雙金屬罐頭？我買了好多金屬啊?！蓖馄胖钢切┒殉山鹱炙畹墓揞^咯咯地笑。

“這些罐頭上的標簽呢？”我問。

“扔在垃圾堆里了。我的屋頂裂了個縫兒，雨下了一整夜，都淋在這些罐頭上了。到第二天早晨，上面的標簽都脫落在地上，成了一堆濕乎乎的爛紙。”外婆把生菜、牛奶、黃油和奶酪都放進冰箱。“我們有滿滿一屋子的食物，誰還需要標簽??？”

我把一個罐頭放倒來回地翻滾著。我相信外婆，但這些沒有標簽的罐頭還是讓我很不安。然而一想到吃的，我的肚子就 “咕咕”地叫了起來。

“我聽到你的肚子叫了，”外婆說，“該吃午飯啦?！?/p>

在我擺餐具的時候，外婆就好像拿著一根魔杖一樣，拿著起子指著壁櫥說：“選一罐，哪罐都行?！?/p>

我知道我只喜歡三種罐頭：青刀豆、烏欖和桃子。

“不管你選的是什么，我都有東西搭配?！彼噶酥副洹?/p>

我抓起一罐晃了晃說：“我不知道里邊是什么?！?/p>

“不，你知道。里面是吃的！只是少了標簽而已?！蓖馄沤舆^那罐罐頭慢慢地轉(zhuǎn)動起子?！安徽撚袥]有標簽，里邊的東西都是一樣的?！?/p>

我從蓋子上那道黑乎乎的縫隙看進去。是烏欖！

“你的最愛，瑪吉！”外婆把那深色的液體倒出來?！艾F(xiàn)在，選一道主菜。”

我從金字塔頂部選了一罐。當我們打開它的時候，一種粉色的糊狀物從開口處緩緩滲出來?！罢ǘ鼓?，”外婆說，“我的最愛。”她并不理會我皺起的鼻子，又打開一包玉米粉圓餅。

這時有人敲了敲活動房的門，是我的朋友特洛伊。我又多加了一個座位。

外婆說：“特洛伊！為我們選一份甜點吧?！?/p>

當外婆卷完面卷餅時，特洛伊和我打開了他選的那個罐頭。我交叉著手指祈禱，希望那罐子里不是青豆。是切成兩半的梨。好極了。

特洛伊和我把烏欖抹在手指上，假裝它們是木偶。

后來，當我和特洛伊在院子里踢他的足球時，他說：“你外婆穿得很好笑。”

我假裝沒聽到他的話。

“她穿著很奇怪的舊襯衫，還戴著老式的帽子。”他繼續(xù)說道。

“那又怎樣？可能她喜歡那些衣服呢！”我把他的球踢出了柵欄。

那天晚上，我躺在活動房的床上，把特洛伊說的那些話告訴了外婆。

“我穿你外公的舊衣服是因為我很想念他，”她指著那件已經(jīng)磨破了的法蘭絨襯衫說，“衣服只不過是包裝而已，就像鐵皮罐頭上的標簽一樣?！?/p>

“雙金屬罐頭，外婆?！蔽椅⑿χ]上了眼睛。

第二天，我們打開了兩罐罐頭，里面裝的是蔬菜湯和櫻桃派的餡兒。開罐頭時我對特洛伊說：“里面的東西才是最重要的?！?/p>

“是，我知道了。”他咧著嘴笑著說道。我們邊說邊用湯匙把甜點舀出來。

吃了幾周神秘的菜品后，外婆的櫥柜空了。

“我們再去買些雙金屬罐頭吧?！蔽艺f。

外婆抱了抱我：“很遺憾，寶貝兒。罐頭吃完了，那我也得走了?！?/p>

我們吃的最后一餐飯是黑面包(居然是從罐頭中拿出來的！)、桃子和青豆。為了讓外婆高興，我大口地把青豆吃完了。

“再見?！蓖馄艙]手告別道，卡車的喇叭給按得嘟嘟響。她的卡車呼嘯著開走了。

我仔細地瞧了瞧空空的活動房。桌上還有一罐罐頭，罐頭旁邊有一張字條。

Troy holds the can while I crank25) the opener. What if it's apricots or tuna fish? A dark liquid sloshes26) onto my jeans. I smile. Time for another puppet show.

特洛伊扶著罐頭，我轉(zhuǎn)動著起子。如果里邊裝的是杏子或金槍魚怎么辦呢？一股深色的液體濺到我的牛仔褲上，但我卻笑了。又一場木偶戲?qū)⒁涎堇病?/p>

Maggie，

If black olives are inside this bimetal can， you can bet I'll be back next summer!

Love， Grandma

瑪吉：

如果這個雙金屬罐頭里裝的是烏欖，那么你可以肯定明年夏天我還會再來！

愛你的外婆

1.honk [h??k] n. (汽車)喇叭聲

2.fluff [fl?f] vt. 拍松，抖松(頭發(fā)、羽毛等)

3.trailer [?tre?l?(r)] n. <美> (用汽車拖行的)活動房屋

4.dud [d?d] n. [～s] <口>衣服

5.eat [i?t] n. [常作～s] <口> <美俚> 吃的東西，食物

6.bimetal [ba??metl] n. 雙金屬材料；雙金屬器件

7.stack [st?k] v. 把……疊成堆；堆放于

8.spring [spr??] vt. 使裂開

9.soggy [?s?ɡi] adj. 浸水的；濕透的

10.rumble [?r?mbl] vi. 發(fā)隆隆聲

11.black olive: 烏欖

12.drain [dre?n] vt. 使慢慢流出；使流光

13.concoction [k?n?k?k?n] n. 混合物

14.ooze [u?z] vi. 滲出，冒出

15.tortilla [t???ti??] n. 玉米粉圓餅(墨西哥人的主食)

16.burrito [b??ri?t??] n. (以肉、豆、奶酪等作餡通常烤制的)面卷餅

17.cross one's fingers: 把中指與食指交叉以祈求好運

18.lima bean: 青豆

19.snuggle [?sn?ɡl] vi. 舒適地蜷伏；偎依；躺下

20.flannel [?fl?nl] n. 法蘭絨

21.grin [ɡr?n] vi. 咧嘴而笑，露齒而笑

22.spoon [spu?n] vt. 用匙舀；舀取

23.gobble [?ɡ?bl] vt. 大口大口地吞

24.toot [tu?t] vt. 使發(fā)出嘟嘟聲

25.crank [kr??k] vt. 用曲柄啟動(或轉(zhuǎn)動)

26.slosh [sl??] vi. 溢出