Sarah slid her arms into the sleeves. The coat swallowed her up, devouring her hands. She stood in front of the mirror. "I look like a barnyard," she mumbled. Her chin began to quiver .

萨拉把胳膊伸进袖子里。她的身子一下子就被那件衣服包了个严严实实，两只手也完全被盖住了。她站到了镜子前。“我看起来就像个谷仓小院。”她咕哝着，下巴开始微微颤动。

Perhaps the blue, said Mama, gently.

“要不试试蓝色的那件吧。”妈妈温柔地说。

Cer-OO-lee-aan, the clerk corrected. But when he slid the blue coat from its hanger, there on the rack behind all of the dark coats, hidden like a spring flower in winter darkness, there, as if by magic, was a pink coat.

“那是天——蓝——色。”售货员纠正道。但就在他把那件蓝色的衣服从衣架上拿下来时，在所有深色衣服后面的架子上，像变魔术似的出现了一件粉色的衣服，它就像在冬天的黑暗中隐藏着的一朵春天的花儿。

A pink coat! Sarah cried. "I want the pink coat."

“那儿有件粉色的衣服！”萨拉大叫道，“我想要那件粉色的衣服。”

That coat is smaller than the other ones, Papa said.

“那件衣服比其他的号要小。”爸爸说。

Sarah spoke up. "I'm small, too. The clerk said so. Papa, please let me try it on. Mama? Please?"

萨拉大声地说：“我也穿小号呀，售货员就是这么说的。爸爸， 求你让我试一下粉色的那件吧。妈妈？好不好？”

It wouldn't hurt to let her try it on, Mama said.

“让她试一下也没什么大不了的。”妈妈说。

Without a word, the clerk took the coat from its hanger and held it for Sarah.

售货员一句话也没说，把那件衣服从衣架上取了下来，递给萨拉。

Ohhh! Sarah said. The coat was slippery and shiny inside like her sister Sylvia's blouses. "Ahhh!" The coat was softer than a new flannel nightgown. There was lace all around the collar, and by the top button, right under her chin, were flowers—tiny ones like the wild primroses that grew behind the woodshed.

“哦！”萨拉说。这件衣服的内里光滑发亮，和她姐姐西尔维娅的那些衬衫一样。“啊！”这件衣服比新买的法兰绒睡袍还要柔软。领子上有一圈蕾丝花边，而且她下巴正下方最靠上的那颗纽扣周围有很多小花——那一朵朵小花就像柴房后面长着的那些野生报春花。

Sarah stood very still and looked in the mirror. She stared for a very long time. In the pink coat she looked like a spring flower.

萨拉站在那里一动不动，端详着镜子中的自己。穿着粉色衣服的她看起来就像是一朵春天的花儿。

Sarah! Mama said.

“萨拉！”妈妈说。

Sarah looked up. Mama was standing behind her. She was holding the brown coat.

萨拉抬起头来，妈妈正站在她身后，手里拿着那件棕色的衣服。

I'm afraid the pink coat will only fit one year, Mama said, taking a step closer.

“恐怕这件粉色的衣服你只能穿一年。”妈妈说着走近了一步。

And there's no one to pass it on to, said Papa.

“而且没人能接着穿这件衣服。”爸爸说。

And the clerk said, "It's wise to practice thrift and economy."

售货员说：“还是要讲求勤俭节约呀。”

Sarah backed away. No one was going to turn her into an ugly barnyard again. She wanted to be a flower.

萨拉向后退了退。谁也不能再把她变成一个丑陋的谷仓小院了， 她要做一朵花儿。

Sarah! It was Papa. He came over to her and knelt down. "You're old enough to know that you can't always have your own way," he said sternly.

“萨拉！”是爸爸的声音。他来到她的身边，跪在地板上。“你已经长大了，不可以老是想怎么样就怎么样。”爸爸严厉地说道。

Wise and true, said the clerk.

“言之有理。”售货员说。

Sarah slipped one arm from a sleeve.

萨拉把一只胳膊从袖子里褪了出来。

It is her color, though, Mama said.

“不过，粉色倒是适合她。”妈妈说。

Ahh, said the clerk. "Anyone can see how the pink of the coat brings out the roses in her cheeks."

“啊，”售货员说，“谁都能看出来这件衣服粉红的颜色衬得她面若桃花。”

It does have an ample hem and deep seams, Mama said. "Don't forget how good I am at taking down hems and letting out seams."

“这件衣服的褶边真宽，