Episode 23 The Community Center ACT II 社区中心 第二幕

In Act Two, Nat and Grandpa talk about fixing up the old library. And Robbie and Alexandra offer to help too. So they agree to meet the next day. But the next day ... Where could they be?

[ On the patio. Grandpa, Nat, Robbie, and Alexandra are discussing the community center plans. ]

Nat: There is a way, Malcolm. We get our friends to roll their sleeves up and get to work.

马尔科姆,办法是有的。咱们发动朋友们卷起袖子干起来。

Grandpa: It's certainly a good idea. If I could take a look at the place, I could probably tell what it requires to fix it up. How much paint, how many hours of work...

这绝对是个好主意。要是我能实地去看一眼,大概就能估算出翻修需要准备些什么了——用多少油漆、需要干多少工时……

Nat: That's what I came to ask you to do, Malcolm. If you would supervise the refurbishing, I'll find the people to help do it.

马尔科姆,我今天过来就是想请你帮这个忙!只要你愿意指导翻修工作,我就能叫人来帮忙干活。

Robbie: I'll help too, Mr. Baker. I can get some of my friends to go around the neighborhood and collect the furniture we need.

贝克先生,我也来帮忙!我可以叫上朋友们在附近街区转转,募集咱们需要的家具。

Alexandra: I'll help.

我也帮忙。

Grandpa: Tomorrow. Yes. We'll meet tomorrow morning, right here.

明天,对,咱们明天早晨就在这儿集合商量。

Robbie: Can we help?

我们能帮忙吗?

Alexandra: I'd really like to.

我是真的挺想帮忙的。

Grandpa: Sure.

当然可以。

Nat: We might need you to come through with your friends, Robbie. Not just to go around the neighborhood asking for furniture, but to help with the paint job. That's backbreaking work and may be too much for us.

罗比,到时候我们可能真得靠你和你的朋友们帮忙了。不单单是去街区募集家具,还得帮忙刷油漆。这可是个累人的苦力活,对我们这把年纪来说可能有点吃不消。

Robbie: I'll do it. I'll talk to them.

没问题,包在我身上!我去跟他们说。

Alexandra: And tomorrow morning we'll all meet here to discuss the plan?

那明天早晨咱们大家都在这儿集合讨论计划,对吧?

[ Next morning. Grandpa is at home welcoming Nat and two other community members. ]

Grandpa: Come in, come in. Please, come in.

快请进,快请进!

Nat: I'd like you to meet my friend Malcolm Stewart. Malcolm, this is Joanne Thompson.

我来介绍一下,这位是我的好朋友马尔科姆·斯图尔特。马尔科姆,这位是乔安妮·汤普森。

Grandpa: Hello, Joanne. Nice to meet you.

你好,乔安妮,很高兴认识你。

Joanne: My pleasure, Malcolm.

我也很高兴认识你,马尔科姆。

Nat: And this is Abe Lucas. You must remember Abe. He ran the drugstore and used to play drums with the jazz band on weekends.

这位是阿布·卢卡斯。你肯定记得阿布,他以前经营过药房,周末还在爵士乐队里打鼓呢。

Grandpa: Oh, sure I do. Hi, Abe.

噢,我当然记得!嗨,阿布。

Abe: Hello, Mr. Stewart.

您好,斯图尔特先生。

Grandpa: Malcolm, please.

叫我马尔科姆就行。

Abe: Hello, Malcolm.

你好,马尔科姆。

Grandpa: Sit down, sit down. Have some coffee. And I've got some delicious Danish pastry for you.

快请坐,快请坐!喝点咖啡,我还给你们准备了美味的丹麦面包。

Nat: Where's your grandson Robbie and his friend Alexandra? Weren't they going to be here this morning?

你孙子罗比和他的朋友亚历山德拉呢?他们今天早晨不是也要来吗?

Grandpa: I thought so, too. I'm surprised they're not here. Robbie left early this morning to meet Alexandra. Frankly, I thought they'd be here, but...

我也以为他们会在呢,这会儿还没出现我也挺意外的。罗比今天大早上的就出门去找亚历山德拉了。坦白讲,我以为他们早就到了,不过……

Nat: It's OK. I'm sure they meant well, but they probably had other things on their minds.

没事儿,我相信孩子们心是好的,可能临时有别的顾不上的事了吧。

Joanne: I understand you used to be in the construction business, Malcolm.

马尔科姆,我听说你以前是干建筑这一行的?

Grandpa: I was, indeed.

确实是,一点不假。

Joanne: I wonder if you would take a look at the old library and make sure that it is in good condition so that we don't have to worry about any structural problems.

不知道你愿不愿意帮我们去实地排查一下旧图书馆,确认它的房屋状况良好,免得咱们以后担心配套的房屋结构安全问题。

Grandpa: When can I do that? I'd be happy to.

什么时候能去?我乐意效劳。

Abe: We've got permission to go inside the old building during the week—Tuesday or Wednesday.

咱们已经拿到许可证了,工作日期间——周二或周三都可以进到楼里去。

Grandpa: That's fine with me. I can do it either day.

我没问题,这两天哪天都行。

Joanne: That would be very helpful.

那可真是帮了大忙了。

Nat: I think the building just needs a good cleaning.

我看那栋楼主要就是缺一次彻底的大打扫。

Abe: And a good paint job.

还有好好刷一遍油漆。

Joanne: Then we have to furnish it.

然后咱们还得添置家具软装。

Grandpa: I wish Robbie and Alexandra had come to this meeting. They had some ideas about getting the place fixed up.

真希望罗比和亚历山德拉今天能来参会,他们俩对这地方的布置翻修也有不少灵感呢。

Joanne: Perhaps they'll show up. In the meantime, let me give you some additional thoughts and ideas I have.

也许他们待会儿就赶到了。趁这工夫,我先来补充分享一下我的一些想法和建议吧。

Grandpa: OK.

好的。

Nat: Go ahead, Joanne.

请说吧,乔安妮。

Joanne: As I said, mostly the building just needs a good cleaning.

就像我刚才说的,这栋楼本质上只需要好生打扫整理一番。

Nat: This place can be developed with one real intergenerational program.

这地方完全可以打造成一个真正促进几代人互动共融的活动中心。

Grandpa: That's an idea I like. A community center with the kinds of programs that fit everyone.

这个想法深得我心!一个拥有适合所有人参与的项目设施的社区中心。

Nat: And programs that don't leave anyone out.

一个不落下任何年龄段人群的项目。

Joanne: It's asking a lot. But we can't do it without talking to the young people. Finding out what they want.

这要求可挺高的。但要做到这一点,咱们可少不了和年轻人沟通沟通,了解了解他们到底想要什么。

Grandpa: If only Robbie and Alexandra were here.

要是罗比和亚历山德拉在这儿就好了。

Nat: Don't be upset, Malcolm. We'll have a chance to talk to them later.

别灰心,马尔科姆,咱们回头有的是机会跟他们沟通。

Grandpa: It's not like Robbie. If he says he's going to be here, he's here. I wonder what the problem is.

这可不像罗比平时做事的风格。他只要答应了要来,就一定会准时到。我真纳闷到底是出什么事了。