Mac Barnett: Why a good book is a secret door

譯者: Fred Lee 審譯者: Regina Chu

Hi everybody. So my name is Mac.

大家好。我是麥克。

My job is that I lie to children,

我的工作是「哄」小孩，

but they're honest lies.

但那都是善意的謊言。

I write children's books,

我是童書作家，

and there's a quote from Pablo Picasso,

巴勃羅‧畢卡索曾說過：

"We all know that Art is not truth.

「我們都知道藝術是虛虛實實的。

Art is a lie that makes us realize truth

藝術是讓我們感悟真實的謊言

or at least the truth that is given us to understand.

或至少是讓我們領悟真實的事實。

The artist must know the manner whereby

藝術家必須瞭解這種方式

to convince others of the truthfulness of his lies."

讓人們明白其謊言的真意。」

I first heard this when I was a kid,

第一次聽說這句話時還很小，

and I loved it,

覺得超愛這句話，

but I had no idea what it meant.

儘管我一點都不了解其藴意。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

So I thought, you know what, it's what I'm here

所以，我想，大家肯定猜到了， 今天在這裡

to talk to you today about, though,

要與諸位分享的話題，

truth and lies, fiction and reality.

也就是真實與謊言，虛幻與現實。

So how could I untangle

那麼，我該從何入手

this knotted bunch of sentences?

來解析這句盤根錯節的句子呢？

And I said, I've got PowerPoint. Let's do a Venn diagram.

我準備了簡報， 和大家一起做個文氏圖。

["Truth. Lies."] (Laughter)

[真實、謊言。] （笑聲）

So there it is, right there, boom.

瞧這裡，變。

We've got truth and lies

這裡有真實與謊言

and then there's this little space,

和一小片空間，

the edge, in the middle.

邊緣，靠中間的位置。

That liminal space, that's art.

這片非常有限的空間，就是藝術。

All right. Venn diagram. (Laughter) (Applause)

好了。這就是文氏圖。 （笑聲）（掌聲）

But that's actually not very helpful either.

但其實也不太有用喔。

The thing that made me understand

讓我真正明白這句話

that quote and really kind of what art,

而且理解什麼是藝術，

at least the art of fiction, was,

至少理解虛幻藝術的事情，

was working with kids.

是和孩子們互動的時候。

I used to be a summer camp counselor.

我以前當過夏令營的輔導大哥哥。

I would do it on my summers off from college,

在大學暑期會做一些這樣的工作，

and I loved it.

而且非常熱愛。

It was a sports summer camp

記得有一次運動主題的夏令營

for four- to six-year-olds.

孩子們的年齡在 4-6 歲之間。

I was in charge of the four-year-olds,

當時我是 4 歲孩子的領隊，

which is good, because

很不錯，因為

four-year-olds can't play sports, and neither can I.

4 歲的小孩還不會運動， 正好我也不擅長。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

I play sports at a four-year-old level,

我就是玩玩 4 歲小孩的活動，

so what would happen is the kids would

他們的活動大不了就是

dribble around some cones, and then got hot,

繞著一些交通錐跑跑， 要是覺得熱了，

and then they would go sit underneath the tree

就去大樹下面乘乘涼，

where I was already sitting — (Laughter) —

而我老早就坐那等他們了。 （笑聲）

and I would just make up stories and tell them to them

我會編一些故事講給他們聽，

and I would tell them stories about my life.

給他們講一些我生活的故事。

I would tell them about how, on the weekends,

比如，我會告訴他們，週末時

I would go home and I would spy for the Queen of England.

我會回家，然後去做英國女王的特工。

And soon, other kids

不一會兒

who weren't even in my group of kids,

其它組的孩子們，

they would come up to me, and they would say,

也會不約而來，他們會問：

"You're Mac Barnett, right?

「你就是麥克‧巴內特吧？

You're the guy who spies for the Queen of England."

你就是那個替英國女王做特工的。」

And I had been waiting my whole life for strangers

我早就盼望有陌生人

to come up and ask me that question.

向我問這樣的問題了。

In my fantasy, they were svelte Russian women,

想像中，應該是些 身材苗條的俄羅斯姑娘，

but, you know, four-year-olds —

但 4 歲小孩也行啦，

you take what you can get in Berkeley, California.

在加州柏克萊這地方就將就一點。

And I realized that the stories that I was telling

我意識到我所講的故事

were real in this way that was familiar to me

從我所熟悉的角度來看是真實的

and really exciting.

而且是令人興奮的。

I think the pinnacle of this for me — I'll never forget this —

我想這整件事最經典的， 我一輩子忘不了，

there was this little girl named Riley. She was tiny,

有位名叫萊莉的小女孩， 個子很小，

and she used to always take out her lunch every day

她每天總喜歡將午餐取出來

and she would throw out her fruit.

然後把水果扔掉。

She would just take her fruit,

她每次都把水果，

her mom packed her a melon every day,

她媽媽每天給她備一個甜瓜，

and she would just throw it in the ivy

她都把瓜扔到常春藤裡，

and then she would eat fruit snacks

然後開始吃水果糖

and pudding cups, and I was like, "Riley,

和布丁果凍，我告訴她：

「萊莉，這樣做不對啊，你得吃水果。」

you can't do that, you have to eat the fruit."

And she was like, "Why?"

她好奇地問道：「為什麼？」

And I was like, "Well, when you throw the fruit in the ivy,

我回答：「你把水果扔進長春藤裡，

pretty soon, it's going to be overgrown with melons,"

不久，就會到處長滿甜瓜。」

which is why I think I ended up

這也正是我後來寫童書

telling stories to children and not being a nutritionist for children.

而不去做兒童營養學家的原因。

And so Riley was like, "That will never happen.

萊莉回答道：「這不可能。

That's not going to happen."

哪有這樣的事情。」

And so, on the last day of camp,

夏令營的最後一天，

I got up early and I got a big cantaloupe

我起得很早，在商店

from the grocery store

買了個大哈密瓜

and I hid it in the ivy,

悄悄放在常春藤中。

and then at lunchtime, I was like,

到了午餐時間，我說：

"Riley, why don't you go over there and see what you've done."

「萊莉，去那邊瞧瞧， 看你做了什麼。」

And — (Laughter) —

然後...（笑聲）

she went trudging through the ivy, and then her eyes

她蹣跚地穿過常春藤，

眼睛瞪得大大的，

just got so wide, and she pointed out this melon

指著那個比她腦袋還大的哈密瓜，

that was bigger than her head,

and then all the kids ran over there and rushed around her,

這時，所有的小孩都蜂擁過去， 擁簇在萊莉周圍，

and one of the kids was like, "Hey,

其中一位小孩說：「咦，

why is there a sticker on this?"

為什麼甜瓜上會有張標籤貼紙呢？」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And I was like, "That is also why I say

這時我說：「不是告訴你們

do not throw your stickers in the ivy.

不要往常春藤裡扔貼紙嗎？

Put them in the trash can. It ruins nature when you do this."

應將它們扔進垃圾筒。 到處亂扔有害環境。」

And Riley carried that melon around with her all day,

那天，萊莉將她的甜瓜抱了一整天，

and she was so proud.

她覺得非常自豪。

And Riley knew she didn't grow a melon in seven days,

萊莉知道她並沒有 在 7 天內種出甜瓜，

but she also knew that she did,

但同時她知道自己確實又做到了，

and it's a weird place,

這就是奇怪的地方，

but it's not just a place that kids can get to.

不是只有孩子們可以到達，

It's anything. Art can get us to that place.

任何事情都可以。 藝術能夠讓我們到達此處。

She was right in that place in the middle,

那就是中間的那個位置，

that place which you could call art or fiction.

可以稱之為藝術或小說。

I'm going to call it wonder.

我將其稱之為奇蹟。

It's what Coleridge called the willing suspension of disbelief

英國湖畔詩人柯勒律治 將其稱之為「自願終止懷疑」

or poetic faith,

或詩意的信仰，

for those moments where a story, no matter how strange,

在傾聽故事的瞬間， 無論故事多麼奇怪，

has some semblance of the truth,

它們都與真實的意境有神似之處，

and then you're able to believe it.

能夠讓你相信故事中發生的事情。

It's not just kids who can get there.

不僅僅孩子們能夠做到。

Adults can too, and we get there when we read.

成人也可以， 我們在閱讀時就能做到。

It's why in two days, people will be

這正是為何在兩天內

descending on Dublin to take the walking tour

人們飛往都柏林 參加布魯姆日徒步導覽

of Bloomsday and see everything that happened in "Ulysses,"

並感受《尤利西斯》中 所發生的每個故事。

even though none of that happened.

Or people go to London and they visit Baker Street

或者就像人們去倫敦， 他們會到訪貝克街

to see Sherlock Holmes' apartment,

要去看看福爾摩斯的寓所一樣，

even though 221B is just a number that was painted

儘管 221B 僅僅是 漆塗在建築物上的編號，

on a building that never actually had that address.

並非是該建築物的實際地址。

We know these characters aren't real,

我們知道這些人物都是虛擬的，

but we have real feelings about them,

但我們卻能真實感受到 這些人物的存在，

and we're able to do that.

我們能夠做到這一點。

We know these characters aren't real,

我們知道這些人物並非真實存在，

and yet we also know that they are.

但我們能感受到他們的存在。

Kids can get there a lot more easily than adults can,

兒童比成年人更容易 感受到虛擬人物的存在，

and that's why I love writing for kids.

這正是我喜歡寫童書的原因。

I think kids are the best audience

我認為兒童是 嚴肅文學小說的忠實讀者。

for serious literary fiction.

When I was a kid,

孩童時，

我沉迷於神秘之門這類小說，

I was obsessed with secret door novels,

things like "Narnia,"

比如《納尼亞傳奇》，

where you would open a wardrobe and go through to a magical land.

打開一扇衣櫥，就能進入魔幻世界。

And I was convinced that secret doors really did exist

當時我確信真的存在神秘之門，

and I would look for them and try to go through them.

我四處尋找並企圖穿越神秘之門。

I wanted to live and cross over into that fictional world, which is —

我想要穿越到科幻世界， 並在那裡生活，

I would always just open people's closet doors. (Laughter)

所以我總是去開別人的衣櫥門。 （笑聲）

I would just go through my mom's boyfriend's closet,

我恰巧打開了我母親男朋友的衣櫥，

and there was not a secret magical land there.

衣櫥裡並沒有發現神秘的魔幻世界，

There was some other weird stuff that I think my mom should know about.

卻發現了些怪異的東西， 我想我母親應該要知道。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And I was happy to tell her all about it.

我高興地告訴她所有這些事。

After college, my first job was working

大學畢業後，我的第一份工作

是在一扇神秘之門後面工作。

behind one of these secret doors.

This is a place called 826 Valencia.

這個地方叫做「瓦倫西亞 826 號」。

It's at 826 Valencia Street

位於瓦倫西亞大街 826 號，

in the Mission in San Francisco,

就在舊金山米遜區。

and when I worked there, there was a publishing company

我在那裡工作時， 有一家總部設在此處

headquartered there called McSweeney's,

名為麥斯威尼的出版公司，

a nonprofit writing center called 826 Valencia,

一個非盈利性的寫作中心， 名為瓦倫西亞 826 號，

but then the front of it

但寫作中心的前面

was a strange shop.

卻有一家奇怪的商店。

You see, this place was zoned retail,

這地方是零售店區，

and in San Francisco, they were not going to give us a variance,

在舊金山，這類零售店大同小異，

and so the writer who founded it, a writer named Dave Eggers,

因此該店創始人兼作家大維‧艾格斯

to come into compliance with code, he said, "Fine,

賦予了這家店特色，他說，

「好吧，我正好把這家店 改建成一家海盜用品店。」

I'm just going to build a pirate supply store."

And that's what he did. (Laughter)

他真的改建成了海盜用品店。（笑聲）

And it's beautiful. It's all wood.

商店很漂亮，全實木。

There's drawers you can pull out and get citrus

有些抽屜，你可以打開， 並在抽屜裡找到柑橘，

so you don't get scurvy.

這樣你就不會得壞血病。

They have eyepatches in lots of colors,

店裡出售各種顏色的眼罩，

because when it's springtime, pirates want to go wild.

因為春天的時候，海盜都會想瘋一下。

You don't know. Black is boring. Pastel.

誰知道。黑色很無趣。要柔和色系的。

Or eyes, also in lots of colors,

或者出售各種顏色的眼睛，

just glass eyes, depending on how you want

都是玻璃而已啦， 或如果你想入戲一點也可以。

to deal with that situation.

And the store, strangely,

奇怪的是，

people came to them and bought things,

居然有人光顧這家商店，並購買物品，

and they ended up paying the rent

到後來，盈餘居然可以為

for our tutoring center, which was behind it,

商店後面的寫作中心支付租金。

but to me, more important was the fact

但對我來說，更重要的是

that I think the quality of work you do,

所從事工作的性質，

kids would come and get instruction in writing,

孩子們能夠從這裡獲得寫作指導，

and when you have to walk this weird, liminal, fictional space like this to go do your writing,

當你寫作前得先經過 這怪異中介的虛構空間時，

it's going to affect the kind of work that you make.

將對你的作品產生影響。

It's a secret door that you can walk through.

這是一扇能夠穿越的神秘之門。

So I ran the 826 in Los Angeles,

後來我到洛杉磯成立 826 號分店，

and it was my job to build the store down there.

我需要在那裡創立一家門店。

So we have The Echo Park Time Travel Mart.

所以就有了 「回聲公園時光旅行商店」。

That's our motto: "Whenever you are, we're already then."

我們的座右銘是： 「不管什麼時代我們都去過了。」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And it's on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles.

這家店位於洛杉磯日落大道。

Our friendly staff is ready to help you.

我們和藹可親的店員已經在等您了。

They're from all eras,

店員們來自各個時代，

including just the 1980s, that guy on the end,

比如，來自 1980 年代的店員， 圖中最左側的那位，

he's from the very recent past.

這位員工所處時代距離現在最近。

There's our Employees of the Month,

我們的每月最佳員工

including Genghis Khan, Charles Dickens.

有成吉思汗、查爾斯‧狄更斯等。

Some great people have come up through our ranks.

一些偉人出現在我們的店員中。

This is our kind of pharmacy section.

這是我們的藥品區域。

We have some patent medicines,

我們有些專利藥品，

Canopic jars for your organs,

用於存儲你器官的卡諾卜罈罐，

communist soap that says,

還有共產主義肥皂，上面寫：

"This is your soap for the year." (Laughter)

「今年你只配發到這一塊肥皂。」 （笑聲）

Our slushy machine broke

開張之夜，

on the opening night and we didn't know what to do.

我們的冰沙機出現故障， 我們當時不知所措。

Our architect was covered in red syrup.

我們的建築師渾身沾滿 冰沙的紅糖水。

It looked like he had just murdered somebody,

看起來就像剛殺了人，

which it was not out of the question

對這位特別的建築師來說，

for this particular architect,

這不是不可能，

and we didn't know what to do.

當時我們真不知道如何是好。

It was going to be the highlight of our store.

這都快成為我們店的頭等大事了。

So we just put that sign on it that said,

於是我們在機器上貼上標示：

"Out of order. Come back yesterday." (Laughter)

「功能紊亂，請昨天再光顧。」 （笑聲）

And that ended up being a better joke than slushies,

這笑話後來比冰沙機本身還好笑，

so we just left it there forever.

所以我們就把標示一直貼著。

Mammoth Chunks. These things weigh, like, seven pounds each.

我們出售猛獁象厚片。 每罐 7 磅重。

Barbarian repellent. It's full of salad

還有野人驅蟲劑， 瓶內裝滿了沙拉和百花香，

and potpourri — things that barbarians hate.

野人最討厭這類東西。

Dead languages.

還賣死掉的語言。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Leeches, nature's tiny doctors.

店內還售有水蛭， 大自然的微小醫生。

And Viking Odorant, which comes in lots of great scents:

還有海盜香氛，有很多種刺鼻味道：

toenails, sweat and rotten vegetables, pyre ash.

腳趾甲、汗水、 腐爛的蔬菜，以及柴堆灰。

Because we believe that Axe Body Spray

因為我們認為

你應該在戰場上去找斧牌香體噴霧，

is something that you should only find on the battlefield,

not under your arms. (Laughter)

而不是在你的腋下去找。 （笑聲）

And these are robot emotion chips,

我們還出售機器人情感晶片，

so robots can feel love or fear.

有了晶片，機器人就能 感受到愛或恐懼。

Our biggest seller is Schadenfreude,

店內最暢銷產品是「幸災樂禍」，

which we did not expect.

這是我們沒有想到的。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

We did not think that was going to happen.

我們從未想過會如此暢銷。

But there's a nonprofit behind it,

但這家店後面的寫作中心 是非盈利性質的，

and kids go through a door that says "Employees Only"

孩子們進入門上貼有 「非員工勿進」標示的寫作中心，

and they end up in this space

然後就在這裡

where they do homework and write stories

做功課、編故事、製作電影，

and make films and this is a book release party

照片上的是新書發佈會，

where kids will read.

孩子們會在這裡朗讀。

There's a quarterly that's published

這裡每季度都要發行

with just writing that's done by the kids

孩子們利用每天放學後的時間

who come every day after school,

在這裡完成的寫作作品，

and we have release parties

我們還舉行發佈會，

and they eat cake and read for their parents

孩子們一邊吃著蛋糕， 一邊把作品讀給父母聽，

and drink milk out of champagne glasses.

還用香檳酒杯喝牛奶。

And it's a very special space,

這裡真的是一個很特別的地方，

because it's this weird space in the front.

完全是因為前面的那家怪異商店。

The joke isn't a joke.

笑話不再是笑話。

You can't find the seams on the fiction,

小說裡看不出拼接的痕跡，

and I love that. It's this little bit of fiction

我超愛這點。正是這種小小說

that's colonized the real world.

俘獲了現實世界。

I see it as kind of a book in three dimensions.

我覺得它有點像三維立體書。

There's a term called metafiction,

有個詞叫「元小說」，

and that's just stories about stories,

即講述小說的小說，

and meta's having a moment now.

現在「元」的概念非常熱門。

Its last big moment was probably in the 1960s

上次流行的時候可能是 1960 年代，

with novelists like John Barth and William Gaddis,

以小說家約翰‧巴思 和威廉‧加迪斯為代表，

but it's been around.

這個技法現在還有人在用。

It's almost as old as storytelling itself.

它的歷史幾乎和講故事一樣久遠。

And one metafictive technique

其中有一個元小說技巧

is breaking the fourth wall. Right?

是打破第 4 堵牆。對吧？

It's when an actor will turn to the audience

舉個例子，演員面向觀眾，

and say, "I am an actor,

說道：「我是個演員，

these are just rafters."

他們只是些椽木。」

And even that supposedly honest moment,

即使是這種看似誠實的介紹，

I would argue, is in service of the lie,

在我看來，也是為了揭露謊言，

but it's supposed to foreground the artificiality

使小說人為的虛構性

of the fiction.

更加突出。

For me, I kind of prefer the opposite.

對我而言，我喜歡反其道而行之。

If I'm going to break down the fourth wall,

如果我要拆除第 4 堵牆，

I want fiction to escape

我希望小說逃離

and come into the real world.

進入現實世界。

I want a book to be a secret door that opens

我希望書籍能成為一扇秘密之門，

開啟故事王國，再進入現實世界。

and lets the stories out into reality.

And so I try to do this in my books.

寫自己的書時我一直努力這樣做。

And here's just one example.

舉個簡單的例子。

This is the first book that I ever made.

這是我寫的第一本書。

It's called "Billy Twitters and his Blue Whale Problem."

書名叫《比利推特和他的藍鯨問題》。

And it's about a kid who gets a blue whale as a pet

故事講述一個小孩， 養了一條藍鯨當寵物，

but it's a punishment

後果可想而知，

and it ruins his life.

毀了他整個人生。

So it's delivered overnight by FedUp.

所以這隻藍鯨以肥死快遞送到。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And he has to take it to school with him.

他還得帶藍鯨去學校。

He lives in San Francisco —

他住在舊金山，

very tough city to own a blue whale in.

這個城市能養條藍鯨很不容易。

A lot of hills, real estate is at a premium.

那裡山多，房價高。

This market's crazy, everybody.

市場簡直不可理喻，各位。

But underneath the jacket is this case,

書的封套下面是這個盒子，

and that's the cover underneath the book, the jacket,

那是書下面的封面，封套，

and there's an ad

上面是一則廣告，

that offers a free 30-day risk-free trial

30 天免費試養藍鯨，

for a blue whale.

當然沒有任何危險。

And you can just send in a self-addressed stamped envelope

讀者只需寄來一個含郵資信封， 寫上自己的姓名和地址，

and we'll send you a whale.

我們將給您寄去一條藍鯨。

And kids do write in.

還真有孩子寫信過來。

So here's a letter. It says, "Dear people,

這是其中的一封。 上面說道：「敬啟者，

I bet you 10 bucks you won't send me a blue whale.

我賭 10 美元， 你們肯定不會給我寄藍鯨。

Eliot Gannon (age 6)."

艾略特‧甘農（6 歲）。」

(Laughter) (Applause)

（笑聲）（掌聲）

So what Eliot and the other kids

艾略特和其他寫信給我們的孩子

who send these in get back

收到的是

is a letter in very small print from a Norwegian law firm —

一封小號字體打印的信， 由挪威一家法律事務所寄出。

(Laughter) —

（笑聲）

that says that due to a change in customs laws,

信上說，由於海關法修訂後，

their whale has been held up in Sognefjord,

他們的藍鯨滯留在松恩峽灣，

which is a very lovely fjord,

挪威最美麗的峽灣之一。

and then it just kind of talks about Sognefjord

信中接著聊了一會松恩峽灣

and Norwegian food for a little while. It digresses.

和挪威的美食。律師也離題了。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

But it finishes off by saying that

信最後說道：

your whale would love to hear from you.

「藍鯨期待收到你的回信。

He's got a phone number,

他有電話號碼，

and you can call and leave him a message.

歡迎你來電留言。」

And when you call and leave him a message,

當孩子們真的來電留言時，

you just, on the outgoing message,

電話這頭的錄音

it's just whale sounds and then a beep,

是鯨的聲音，然後是「嗶」的一聲，

which actually sounds a lot like a whale sound.

確實很像鯨的聲音。

And they get a picture of their whale too.

他們還收到一張藍鯨的照片。

So this is Randolph,

照片裡是倫道夫，

and Randolph belongs to a kid named Nico

倫道夫屬於一位叫尼科的小朋友，

who was one of the first kids to ever call in,

他也是第一位打進電話的小讀者，

and I'll play you some of Nico's message.

現在我給大家放一些尼科的留言。

This is the first message I ever got from Nico.

這是我收到尼科的第一條留言。

(Audio) Nico: Hello, this is Nico.

（錄音）尼科：你好！我是尼科。

I am your owner, Randolph. Hello.

我是你的主人，倫道夫。你好啊。

So this is the first time I can ever talk to you,

嗯，這是我第一次和你聊天，

and I might talk to you soon another day. Bye.

呃，改天我再找你聊了。拜。

Mac Barnett: So Nico called back, like, an hour later.

馬克‧巴內特：然後呢， 大概過了一個小時尼科又打過來。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And here's another one of Nico's messages.

這是尼科的另一條留言。

(Audio) Nico: Hello, Randolph, this is Nico.

（錄音）尼科：你好， 倫道夫，我是尼科。

I haven't talked to you for a long time,

好久沒和你聊天了，

but I talked to you on Saturday or Sunday,

我週六還是週日找你聊過吧，

yeah, Saturday or Sunday,

沒錯，週六或週日，

so now I'm calling you again

所以我才又給你打電話了，

to say hello and I wonder what you're doing right now,

你好嗎，我想知道你現在幹嘛呀。

and I'm going to probably call you again

我大概會在明天或者今天

tomorrow or today,

再給你打電話。

so I'll talk to you later. Bye.

到時我再跟你聊咯。拜。

MB: So he did, he called back that day again.

麥克：果然，他當天又打過來了。

He's left over 25 messages for Randolph

他一共給倫道夫錄了25 條留言，

over four years.

持續四年的時間。

You find out all about him

你會非常了解他

and the grandma that he loves

和他喜愛的奶奶，

and the grandma that he likes a little bit less —

他外婆呢，他比較不喜歡。

(Laughter) —

（笑聲）

and the crossword puzzles that he does,

還有，知道他做的填字遊戲。

and this is — I'll play you one more message from Nico.

讓我們聽聽另一則尼科的留言。

This is the Christmas message from Nico.

這是尼科的聖誕留言。

[Beep] (Audio) Nico: Hello, Randolph,

[嗶]（錄音）尼科：你好，倫道夫，

sorry I haven't talked to you in a long time.

對不起，我好久沒有和你聊天了。

It's just that I've been so busy

主要是我一直很忙，

because school started,

因為開學了，

as you might not know, probably,

你可能不明白，也許吧，

since you're a whale, you don't know,

畢竟你是鯨魚，自然不知道了。

and I'm calling you to just say,

我打電話給你，是想說，

to wish you a merry Christmas.

想祝你聖誕快樂。

So have a nice Christmas,

聖誕快樂啊，

and bye-bye, Randolph. Goodbye.

拜拜，倫道夫。拜拜。

MB: I actually got Nico,

麥克：我實際上發現尼科

I hadn't heard from in 18 months,

已經 18 個月沒有捎來消息。

and he just left a message two days ago.

不過就在兩天前，他留言了。

His voice is completely different,

他的聲音變化很大，

but he put his babysitter on the phone,

他也讓保姆講電話，

and she was very nice to Randolph as well.

她對倫道夫也很好。

But Nico's the best reader I could hope for.

實際上，我覺得尼科是最好的讀者。

I would want anyone I was writing for

我希望我的每位讀者

to be in that place emotionally

都能用心感受

with the things that I create.

我創造的東西。

I feel lucky. Kids like Nico are the best readers,

我覺得很幸運。 像尼科這樣的小朋友是最好的讀者，

and they deserve the best stories we can give them.

他們值得我們給他們創作最好的故事。

Thank you very much.

謝謝各位。

(Applause)

（掌聲）