day 59

第二章

Mr Willy Wonka's Factory

In the evenings,after he had finished his supper of watery cabbage soup, Charlie always wentinto the room of his four grandparents to listen to their stories, and thenafterwards to say good night.

Every one of theseold people was over ninety. They were as shrivelled as prunes, and as bony asskeletons, and throughout the day, until Charlie made his appearance, they layhuddled in their one bed, two at either end, with nightcaps on to keep theirheads warm, dozing the time away with nothing to do. But as soon as they heardthe door opening, and heard Charlie's voice saying, 'Good evening, Grandpa Joeand Grandma Josephine, and Grandpa George and Grandma Georgina,' then all fourof them would suddenly sit up, and their old wrinkled faces would light up withsmiles of pleasure — and the talking would begin. For they loved this littleboy. He was the only bright thing in their lives, and his evening visits weresomething that they looked forward to all day long. Often, Charlie's mother andfather would come in as well, and stand by the door, listening to the storiesthat the old people told; and thus, for perhaps half an hour every night, thisroom would become a happy place, and the whole family would forget that it washungry and poor.

One evening, whenCharlie went in to see his grandparents, he said to them, 'Is it really truethat Wonka's Chocolate Factory is the biggest in the world?'

'True?' cried allfour of them at once. 'Of course it's true! Good heavens, didn't you know that?It's about fifty times as big as any other!'

'And is Mr WillyWonka really the cleverest chocolate maker in the world?'

'My dear boy,'said Grandpa Joe, raising himself up a little higher on his pillow, 'Mr WillyWonka is the most amazing, the most fantastic, the most extraordinary chocolatemaker the world has ever seen! I thought everybody knew that!'? 'I knew he was famous, Grandpa Joe, and Iknew he was very clever . . .'

'Clever!' criedthe old man. 'He's more than that! He's a magician with chocolate! He can makeanything — anything he wants! Isn't that a fact, my dears?'

The other threeold people nodded their heads slowly up and down, and said, 'Absolutely true.Just as true as can be.'

And Grandpa Joesaid, 'You mean to say I've never told you about Mr Willy Wonka and hisfactory?'

'Never,' answeredlittle Charlie.

'Good heavensabove! I don't know what's the matter with me!'

'Will you tell menow, Grandpa Joe, please?'

'I certainly will.Sit down beside me on the bed, my dear, and listen carefully.'

Grandpa Joe wasthe oldest of the four grandparents. He was ninety-six and a half, and that isjust about as old as anybody can be. Like all extremely old people, he wasdelicate and weak, and throughout the day he spoke very little. But in theevenings, when Charlie, his beloved grandson, was in the room, he seemed insome marvellous way to grow quite young again. All his tiredness fell away fromhim, and he became as eager and excited as a young boy.

'Oh, what a man heis, this Mr Willy Wonka!' cried Grandpa Joe. 'Did you know, for example, thathe has himself invented more than two hundred new kinds of chocolate bars, eachwith a different centre, each far sweeter and creamier and more delicious thananything the other chocolate factories can make!'

'Perfectly true!'cried Grandma Josephine. 'And he sends them to all the four corners of theearth! Isn't that so, Grandpa Joe?'

晚上吃過晚飯绣的，也就是那種清湯寡水的卷心菜湯柑晒，查理總是走進他的外公外婆、爺爺奶奶住的房間聽他們講故事膏斤，聽完故事再跟他們道聲晚安状共，然后他才去睡覺冻河。

老人們的年紀都過了九十歲精续，他們干癟得就象桃脯挠唆，憔悴得就象一具具骷髏贿条。每天雹仿，在查理去看望他們之前，他們就蜷縮在一張床上整以，兩個人睡一頭胧辽，戴著睡帽不讓頭受冷，就這么打著瞌睡消磨時光公黑，什么也干不了邑商。可只要查理打開門凡蚜，說：“喬爺爺人断，約瑟芬奶奶，喬治外公朝蜘，喬治娜外婆恶迈，晚上好∑状迹”頓時四位老人就會猛地坐起身來暇仲，枯老起皺的臉上光彩煥發(fā)步做，綻開愉悅的笑容。接著談話開始了奈附。他們都非常熱愛這個小男孩斥滤，是他照亮了他們的生命佑颇，他們整天盼望的就是晚上他的到來咨堤。時常，查理的父母也會一起進來漩符，站在門口一喘，聽老人講故事。就這樣嗜暴。每天晚上大約有半小時光景房間里一片歡樂凸克，全家人把饑餓和貧困都忘記了。

一天晚上闷沥，查理進來問候他的祖父母們舆逃，他問他們：“旺卡的巧克力工廠真是世界上最大的嗎蚂维？÷肥ǎ”

“怎么虫啥？”四位老人頓時一起叫了起來⊥孔眩“當然是真的评雌！天哪，你還不知道嗎直焙？它大約有其他工廠的五十倍那么大景东！”

“那么威利·旺卡真是世界上最最聰明的巧克力制造商嗎？”

“我親愛的孩子奔誓，”喬爺爺從枕頭上稍稍抬起一點身子說斤吐，“威利·旺卡先生是有史以來最令人驚嘆，最不可思議，也是最最杰出的巧克力制造商曲初！我想人人都知道這一點体谒！”

“我知道他很有名，爺爺臼婆，我也知道他非常聰明……”

“聰明抒痒！”老人叫了起來，“他豈止聰明颁褂！他是巧克力法師故响！他可以造出任何東西——只要他想造！這不是事實嗎颁独，我親愛的彩届？”

其余三個老人慢慢地點著頭說：“絕對沒錯，千真萬確誓酒≌寥洌”

喬爺爺又說道：“難道我還從沒把威利·旺卡先生和他工廠的事告訴過你嗎？”

“從沒講過靠柑≌纾”小查理回答道。

“天哪歼冰！我這是怎么搞的靡狞！”

“請你現(xiàn)在就告訴我好嗎，爺爺隔嫡？”

“當然甸怕。來，坐到我旁邊腮恩。親愛的梢杭，好好聽著∏炀荆”

四個老人中數(shù)喬爺爺最老式曲。他已經(jīng)九十六歲半了妨托，一般人最多也只能活到這么大年紀缸榛。就象所有年齡非常大的老人一樣，他十分虛弱兰伤，白天他幾乎不說什么話内颗。可到了晚上敦腔，只要他最鐘愛的孫子查理一進這間房間均澳，他就似乎變得十分年輕了，這真令人不可思議。他的疲頓一掃而光找前，他變得象個年輕人一樣熱切和興奮糟袁。

“哦，威利·旺卡先生真是個了不起的人躺盛！”喬爺爺贊嘆道项戴。“比方說吧槽惫，就是他發(fā)明了二百多種新的巧克力周叮，每一種的餡心都是不同的，每一種都比其他巧克力工廠生產(chǎn)的巧克力更甜界斜，奶油味更足仿耽，嘗起來更可口！”

“一點沒錯各薇！”約瑟芬奶奶喊道项贺，“他把這些巧克力送到世界各地，不是這樣嗎峭判，喬敬扛？”