The Andersons lived in a medium-sized house in London, Great Britain in 1939. Benevolence ran in the family, Mr. Anderson was an honest merchant with a curly moustache on his lips and a beard, who owned a small stall in the city centre. Mrs. Anderson was a gentlewoman with large, round eyes, who often helped out her husband in their stall or stayed at home to manage domestic affairs.
安德森家庭住在1939年英國倫敦市的一間不大不小的房子裏。他們一家都很善良，安德森先生是一個誠實的商人，他留著一個捲捲的鬍鬚，還擁有一間位在市中心區的小店。安德森太太是一個溫柔的妻子，她有著圓圓的大眼睛；有時，她在店裏工作幫助丈夫，有時，她在家打點家務事。
They had a son, whom they named Gerald, after his great grandfather. Gerald had large round eyes, just like those of his mother. He studied in one of the most decent local grammar schools at the time.
他們有一個兒子，名叫傑瑞德。傑瑞德和他的媽媽一樣，有著一雙圓圓的大眼睛。他就讀一所在當時算是很好的當地的學校。
One day, when Gerald was in school, it was announced that school would end on the following day.
有天，傑瑞德在上學時，學校突然宣布隔天起學校即將停課。
"I wonder why they suddenly called off school!" Daniel, whom Gerald had been best friends with ever since their infancy, inquired inquisitively.
「到底爲甚麼會停課呀？」丹尼爾，傑瑞得最好的朋友，問道。
"Perhaps they've finally discovered that children do not need to go to school after all, and we can stay at home to play!! Hooray!!" Cheered Gerald.
「說不定他們終於覺悟到小孩是不需要上學的了！這樣我們就可以每天在家裏玩了！耶！」傑瑞德歡呼道。
However, things never seemed to turn out the way we have expected.
可是，世事難料，不會所有的事都如我們所期許的一樣。
"As you may have heard from reading the newspapers already," Ms. Cheshire, their teacher, announced in her solemn tone, "The Second World War has recently started between the Central Powers and Axis Alliance. From now on, London, being the capital of Great Britain, will be constantly bombed by the opponents, as a result, many buildings will be destroyed. Therefore, it is no longer safe for you to stay here anymore. Tomorrow, you will all be evacuated to the countryside to escape the bombing for the time being, until the war has been announced to have ended. We do not know how long this would last, perhaps months, or even longer. When you are evacuated, you have to leave London alone, without your parents or any relatives, so, you will have to be strong, remember to bring your gas masks........."
「你們可能也從報紙裏看到了.....」雀時爾老師說道。「第二次世界大戰已經開始了！從現在起，倫敦市將會頻頻的被敵軍丟炸彈攻擊，因此，很多的建築物都會被毀滅。這裡已經不再像以前那麼安全，所以，明天，你們通通都要被疏散到鄉下去，直到戰爭被宣布停止為止。我們無法預料這場戰爭會持續多久，短的話可能幾個月，長的話可能要幾年。你們被疏散時，大人是無法陪同的，所以你們一定要堅強、獨立，絕對不要忘記了你們的防毒面具.......」
Ms. Cheshire's voice seemed to fade off to the overwhelmed Gerald, who, in his nine years of life in this world, had never lived away from his family for more than a day. The thought of leaving them for months was just too much for him, his eyes started to blur and tears trickled down his cheek after his eyes could hold no more. In fact, he was not the only one that began to cry after hearing this tragic news, by the time Ms. Cheshire has finished, the classroom was filled with crying and sobbing children, who had to face this cruel fact at such a young age.
驚嚇過度的傑瑞德感到雀時爾老師的話漸漸淡去，因爲他根本無法想像没有父母的日子要如何度過。一滴眼淚悄悄地從他的臉頰滑下來。事實上，他不是唯一在哭的人，等到雀時爾老師講完後，全班已經哭得一團亂了。這些孩子在這麼小的年紀就得承受這麼殘忍的事實。
When Gerald returned home with a heavy heart, he perceived his mother to be already packing his things into a large carpetbag.
當傑瑞德提著一顆沉重的心回到家後，他發現媽媽已經在整理他的行李了。
"Jerry," his mother called him by his nickname, which only she used, "Remember, you have to be strong! After all, it would only be a few months, I am sure that this war would not last for too long."
「傑瑞，記得，你一定要堅強呀！只是幾個月，一下子就過了！我確定這場戰爭不會持續太久的！」
Mrs. Anderson said, trying to conceal the doubt in her voice and tears in her eyes, "In fact, it would be like an adventure!" she continued in a more cheerful tone, "You could imagine yourself as Tom Sawyer.....or even Huckleberry Finn, going on a quest!"
安德森太太試圖隱藏自己的疑惑以及在眼裏不停打轉的眼淚繼續說道：「你可以想像自己是湯姆歷險記裏的湯姆呀.....或者是哈克！這就像是一個歷險一樣！」
"Yes, mummy, I will!" Though unconvinced by his mother, Gerald tried to act calm so as not to add on to her worries.
「好的，我會的！」雖然還是感到很害怕，傑瑞德爲了不要讓媽媽擔心，假裝鎮定的回答道。
On the following morning, Gerald bid farewell to his mother whilst holding his carpetbag which was filled with his belongings. He simply could not imagine what life would be like without his family, and all the things he had been so familiar with for the past nine years of his life.
隔天一大早，傑瑞德和媽媽道別後，便拿著手提袋出發了。離開了熟悉的家人以及環境，他完全無法想像未來的日子將會變得怎樣。
~To be Continued~
～待續～
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