They huddled inside the storm door -- two children in ragged outgrown coats.

他們蜷縮著相互偎依在我家的擋風門棟里——兩個衣衫襤褸的孩子，他們的衣服小得不能再小了。

"Any old papers, lady?"

“太太，請問您有舊報紙嗎?”

I was busy. I wanted to say no -- until I looked down at their feet. Thin little sandals, sopped with sleet.

當時，我正忙著，本來想對他們說沒有，但當我看到他們腳上只穿著一雙被冰雪浸濕得再單薄不過的便鞋時，我再也說不出口了。

"Come in and I’ll make you a cup of hot cocoa."

“進屋來吧，我來給你們煮一杯熱可可茶。”

There was no conversation. Their soggy sandals left marks upon the hearthstone. I served them cocoa and toast with jam to fortify against the chill outside.Then I went back to the kitchen and started again on my household budget.

默默地他們跟我進了屋，爐邊他們浸濕的便鞋留下了一串腳印。我給他們端上可可茶和果醬面包，我想這能幫助他們抵御外面的風寒。然后我回到了廚房，像往常一樣，為了明天的生活而精打細算。

The silence in the front room struck through to me. I looked in. The girl held the empty cup in her hands, looking at it. The boy asked in a flat voice," Lady ... are you rich?"

前屋里沒有一點聲音，這讓我感到很奇怪。我向屋里望去，小女孩手里正端著那個已經喝完了的茶杯，認真地凝視著，“太太，您富有嗎?”男孩子語氣平緩地問道。

"Am I rich? Mercy, no!" I looked at my shabby slipcovers. The girl put her cup back in its saucer -- carefully.

"Your cups match your saucers."

“我富有嗎?”我看了看沙發上那寒酸的裝飾布，回答說，“天哪，我可算不上。”這時，那個小女孩非常小心地把杯子放回到茶碟里。“您的杯子和茶碟非常相配。”

Her voice was old, with a hunger that was not of the stomach. They left then, holding their bundles of papers against the wind. They hadn’t said thank you.

她說話的聲音聽起來不像是個孩子，帶著一種對食物以外的東西的渴望。然后，他們抱著舊報紙，頂著風雪離開了。他們甚至沒有說一聲“謝謝”，是的，他們根本沒有必要說，實際上他們所做的比道謝更重要。非常平常的一對蘭色陶瓷杯碟，但它們確實很相配。

They didn’t need to. They had done more than that. Plain blue pottery cups and saucers. But they matched.I tested the potatoes and stirred the gravy. Potatoes and brown gravy, a roof over our heads, my man with a good steady job -- these things matched, too.

我查看了一下鍋里煮著的土豆然后又攪拌了幾下肉汁。有土豆和棕色肉湯可以吃，有房子可以住，我的丈夫有一份很好很穩定的工作--這一切的一切同樣也很匹配。

I moved the chairs back from the fire and tidied the living room. The muddy prints of small sandals were still wet upon my hearth. I let them be.I want them there in case I ever forget again how very rich I am。

我把椅子從爐邊向后拉開些，然后把起居室整理干凈。地面上留下的泥腳印還沒干。是的，我想讓它們留在那里，提醒我不要忘了我是多么的富有。