驱车送礼精灵

这是里亚。

This is Ria.

欢迎来到为小家伙们准备的小故事。

Welcome to little stories for tiny people.

今天我有一位客人。

I have a guest today.

有客人来真的很棒，因为我喜欢展示我小工作室里一些更有趣的部分。

It's really nice to have a guest because I love to get to show some of the more interesting aspects of my little studio.

所以，今天来参观工作室并听我们讲故事的，是一只名叫哦，抱歉。

So here for a studio tour and to listen to our story is an iguana named oh, sorry.

你叫什么名字？

What is your name?

哦，好吧。

Oh, okay.

我的客人是一只名叫Q的鬣蜥。

My guest is an iguana named Q.

等一下。

Hold on.

这很奇怪，因为今天我故事的主角也叫Q。

That's strange because the main character of my story today is also named q.

这可能会让人混淆。

This could get confusing.

我不能这样。

I can't have this.

这行不通。

This will not work.

让我改一下角色的名字。

Let me just I have to change the character's name.

好吧。

Okay.

这是

This is

要花好久。

gonna take forever.

Q，我做这件事的时候，你不如坐下来？

Q, while I'm doing this, why don't you take a seat?

嗯。

Yeah.

随便哪里都行，就是别坐在那儿。

Anywhere is fine except right there.

Q坐在了我工作室地板上摆放的折纸天鹅堆上。

Q just sat on the collection of origami swans that were arranged on the floor of my studio.

它们现在被压扁了。

They're now crushed.

不。

No.

没事。

It's okay.

没关系，Q。

It's okay, q.

我再重新做一遍就行了。

I will just remake them.

这大概会花我五周时间。

It'll just take me about five weeks.

好吧。

Alright.

你知道吗？

You know what?

让我再改几次角色的名字。

Let me just fix the character's name a few more times.

好了。

There we go.

我想我都改完了。

I think I got them all.

现在就不会混淆了。

Now it won't be confusing.

Q，你准备好听故事了吗？

Q, are you ready for the story?

太好了。

Yay.

它叫‘快餐店精灵’。

It's called the drive thru elf.

记住，没有图片。

Remember, there are no pictures.

你需要在脑海中想象这些画面。

You'll have to imagine the pictures in your mind.

你可以按照自己的方式想象。

You can imagine them however you want.

好的。

Okay.

我们开始吧。

Here we go.

不是每个精灵都在玩具店工作。

Not every elf works in a toy shop.

有些精灵做鞋子。

Some elves make shoes.

有些是歌剧歌手。

Some are opera singers.

有些铺设屋瓦，做自由职业者。

Some put out shingles and work as freelancers.

还有一些精灵，你可能不敢相信，但有些精灵生活在快餐窗口里并在那里工作。

And some elves, you are not gonna believe this, but some elves live and work inside drive throughs.

你听过他们的声音。

You've heard their voices.

欢迎来到咖啡乐园。

Welcome to Coffee Land.

请问您要点什么？

May I take your order?

你只是不知道跟你交谈的是个精灵。

You just didn't know it was an elf with whom you were conversing.

是的。

Yes.

嗨。

Hi.

我要一杯三重巨无霸摩卡抹茶珍珠奶茶咖啡。

I'll have a triple behemoth mocha matcha bubble tea coffee.

谢谢。

Thanks.

一共是13.42美元。

That'll be $13.42.

请前往

Please proceed to

下一个窗口。

the next window.

你觉得怎么样？

What did you think?

给你点单的是个普通人？

A normal sized person was taking your order?

里面确实是个普通人，但比你想象的要矮小得多。

It is a person in there, but it's a smaller person than you likely believed it to be.

事实上，他们个子这么小，真实的声音听起来就像这样。

So small, in fact, that their real voices sound like this.

欢迎来到Spaghetti2Go。

Welcome to Spaghetti2Go.

如果他们用真实的声音说话，你立刻就会知道他们是精灵。

If they spoke in their real voices, you'd know right away they were elves.

所以他们接受了训练。

So they train.

通过练习，他们学会用更低的音调说话。

And with practice, they learn to speak in a lower register.

所以他们听起来就像这样。

So that they sound like this.

欢迎来到快而美味。

Welcome to Fast and Tasty.

今天这么美好的早晨，您想吃点什么？

What can I get you this beautiful morning?

我想我之前提到过，这些速食精灵住在取餐窗口里。

I believe I mentioned that the drive thru elves live inside the drive thru.

你知道你停下的第一个位置吗？

You know that first stop you make?

那就像一个菜单面板。

It's like a menu panel.

你就在那里向精灵下单。

That's where you place your order with the elf.

那个小精灵就住在那个菜单面板里。

The elf lives inside that menu panel.

来吧。

Come on.

还有谁还能挤得进去呢？

Who else could fit in there?

一旦你仔细想想，这很明显。

It's obvious once you think it through.

那个菜单面板里面有个小小的房子，非常舒适。

There is a tiny little house inside of that menu panel, and it's quite cozy.

如果你能挤进去，你会喜欢那里的。

If you could fit in there, you'd like it.

虽然他们窗户不多，所以自然光很少。

Although they don't have many windows, so not a lot of natural light.

总之，既然我们已经确定了是小精灵在 Drive Through 接单

Anyway, now that we've established that elves are the ones taking your orders at the drive through

让我重复一遍给你听。

Let me repeat that back to you.

一根意大利面冰棒，两个玉米热狗奶昔，还有一份眼球。

One spaghetti popsicle, two corn dog milkshakes, and a side of eyeballs.

不好意思。

Excuse me.

我的意思是，来一份披萨。

I mean, a side of pizza.

是这样吗？

Is that right?

什么？

What?

我上周点过这个。

I ordered that last week.

这并不奇怪。

It's not weird.

所以我们已经确定，精灵会接收你的订单，而且他们就住在那些巨大的菜单板里。

So we've established that elves take your order and they also live inside those big menu panels.

现在我们可以关注其中一个得来速精灵了。

Now we can focus on one of those drive thru elves.

她的名字是昆泰拉·温彻斯特·史蒂文森森。

Her name is Quintella Winchester Stevenson son.

但这个名字太长了。

But that's a mouthful.

所以，我们不叫她昆泰拉·温彻斯特·史蒂文森，而叫她吉。

So instead of calling her Quintella Winchester Stevenson, we'll call her Gee.

就这样。

There we go.

吉住在一家甜甜圈店的得来速菜单里，并在那里工作。

G lived and worked inside the drive thru menu of a donut shop.

他们每天卖出数百个甜甜圈，还有咖啡、茶和橙汁。

They sold hundreds of donuts a day, plus coffee, tea, and orange juice.

吉住在drive-thru通道里一间小小的房子里。

Gee had a tiny little house inside the drive through.

每一天都差不多。

Every day was pretty much the same.

欢迎来到甜甜圈天堂。

Welcome to doughnuts galore.

今天您想点些什么？

What can I get you today?

我想买367个甜甜圈。

I'd like, 367 doughnuts, please.

这里没什么复杂的。

There's not a lot of complexity here.

她负责接收甜甜圈的订单。

She took orders for donuts.

也就是说，基本上就这些。

That's, I mean, that's basically it.

这没什么问题。

And it was fine.

这是一份工作。

It's a job.

当她需要休息时，G就会叫一位临时工来顶替。

And when she needed a break, g called in one of the floaters.

临时工是精灵，他们会在不同的快餐窗口之间流动，让全职精灵能够去吃午餐。

The floaters are elves who travel to different drive throughs and allow the full time elves to take their lunch breaks.

这完全说得通，显而易见。

This makes total sense, obviously.

但当然，偶尔这些临时工精灵会因为频繁旅行而忘记自己身在何处。

But of course, on occasion, the floater elves would forget where they were since they traveled so much.

所以在G吃午饭的时候，她的替班有时会说类似这样的话：

So during g's lunch break, sometimes her replacement would say something like

欢迎来到烤肉加一。

Welcome to kebabs Plus.

您要点什么？

What can I get for you?

我以为你们卖甜甜圈。

I thought you sold doughnuts.

哦，对了。

Oh, that's right.

我们卖甜甜圈。

We sell doughnuts.

要来些甜甜圈吗？

Can I get you some doughnuts?

好的。

Yes.

我要153个甜甜圈。

I'll have 153 doughnuts.

谢谢。

Thanks.

但系统运行得相当不错。

But the system worked pretty well.

有一天，g 像往常一样去上班。

One day, g was at work as usual.

欢迎来到甜甜圈天堂。

Welcome to doughnuts galore.

今天想买点什么？

What can I get you today?

好的。

Yes.

你好。

Hello.

我想买76个甜甜圈。

I'd like to have 76 doughnuts.

太好了。

Wonderful.

总共是4896元。

That'll be 4896.

你可以……突然间，g听到了另一个声音。

You can When out of nowhere, g heard another voice.

太好了。

Excellent.

总共是4896元。

That'll be 4896.

请前往下一个窗口。

You may proceed to the next window.

谢谢。

Thank you.

祝你今天愉快。

Have a fantastic day.

g感到十分困惑。

Gee was flummoxed.

那是谁？

Who was that?

她非常震惊。

She was so shocked.

她没意识到另一辆车已经停在了巨大的菜单前面。

She didn't realize another car had arrived in front of the enormous menu.

在她回过神来之前，她听到了‘你好’。

And before she could collect herself, she heard Hello.

欢迎来到甜甜圈天堂。

Welcome to Donuts Galore.

我可以为您点单吗？

May I take your order?

嗯。

Yeah.

嗨。

Hi.

你好吗？

How are you?

我没什么特别想买的。

I'd like to get nothing much.

就来83个甜甜圈。

Just 83 doughnuts.

您还需要加点别的吗？

Would you like to add anything else?

我想再加16杯咖啡。

I guess I'll add 16 coffees.

我再复述一遍给您听。

Let me repeat that back for you.

83个甜甜圈，16杯咖啡。

83 doughnuts, 16 coffees.

您的总计是92.11美元。

Your total comes to $92.11.

请前往下一个窗口，祝你今天愉快。

Please proceed to the next window, and have a fantastic day.

酷。

Cool.

谢谢。

Thanks.

吉没动。

Gee didn't move.

她没眨眼。

She didn't blink.

她无法说话。

She couldn't speak.

发生了什么？

What was happening?

她站在自己那间小屋子里，紧挨着麦克风，透过窗户凝视着，看着一辆辆汽车驶来。

She stood there inside her tiny little house next to her microphone and peered through the window she looked through to see the cars as they arrived.

她聆听着这个声音古怪的新机器人精灵，它已经取代了她的位置。

She listened to this strange new robotic sounding elf who had usurped her position.

让我再复述一遍给你听。

Let me repeat that back for you.

111个甜甜圈，三杯橙汁，还有一份g——她忍不住了。

111 doughnuts, three orange juices, and a side of g couldn't help herself.

她接下来的举动很冒险。

What she did next was risky.

这是她出于明显原因永远不该做的行为。

It was something she was never supposed to do ever for obvious reasons.

但她已经走投无路了。

But she was desperate.

吉悄悄从她那间小屋的后门溜了出去，沿着菜单板背面的狭窄边缘蹑手蹑脚地爬行。

Gee slipped out the back door of her tiny house and crept along the little ledge that ran across the back of the menu panel.

她违背了所有规定，爬到面板边缘，偷偷探头看向另一侧。

Breaking every rule in the book, she reached the edge of the panel and peeked around the other side.

一辆巨大的汽车直接停在菜单正前方。

There was an enormous car parked directly in front of the menu.

一个人正在快速报单。

A person was rattling off an order.

嗯，你好。

Yeah, hi.

我要22个甜甜圈，七十三个那种。

I'd like 22 doughnuts, seventy thirty two of those

应该是半杯低因咖啡，半杯普通咖啡，再加三个芝麻贝果。

should be half decaf, half regular, and three sesame bagels.

很抱歉。

I am sorry.

我们不卖贝果。

We do not sell bagels.

我们卖甜甜圈、咖啡、茶，和

We sell doughnuts, coffee, tea, and

好的。

Okay.

别要芝麻的了。

Forget the sesame.

三个蓝莓贝果。

Three blueberry bagels.

对不起。

I am sorry.

我们不卖贝果。

We do not sell bagels.

我们卖甜甜圈、咖啡。

We sell donuts, coffee.

吉听到了从菜单面板传来的声音。

Gee listened to the voice emanating from the menu panel.

声音是从哪里传来的？

Where was it coming from?

她的间谍行动根本没有获得任何信息。

Her spy session was yielding no information at all.

她越看这个奇怪的场景展开，就越有被发现的危险。

And the longer she watched this bizarre scene unfold, the more at risk she was of being discovered.

她不情愿地沿着小窗台悄悄爬回了家。

She reluctantly crept back along the little ledge and into her house.

吉很快就得出了答案。

Gee got her answers soon enough.

这是一个机器人，”她的老板不久后来访时说道。

It's a robot, said her boss who visited shortly thereafter.

等等。

Wait.

这是一个机器人？

It is a robot?

这是一个机器人。

It's a robot.

嗯。

Yeah.

她的名字叫米米。

Her name is Mimi.

好的。

Okay.

你被开除了。

And you're fired.

抱歉。

Sorry.

等等。

Wait.

什么？

What?

G的老板哈罗德，本身也是一个精灵，站在G的对面，而G正站在她那家快餐店里的小屋里。

G's boss, Harold, an elf himself, stood across from G inside her little home within the drive through.

他们交谈时，能听到梅梅不断与顾客交谈的低语声。

As they talked, they could hear the constant murmur of me me conversing with the customers.

欢迎来到甜甜圈天堂。

Welcome to Donuts Galore.

今天有什么可以帮您的？

How may I help you today?

哈罗德叹了口气。

Harold sighed.

嗯。

Yeah.

你被解雇了。

You're fired.

抱歉啊。

Sorry about that.

这不是我的决定。

Not my call.

吉盯着他。

Gee just stared.

让我再重复一遍给你听。

Let me repeat that back to you.

922个甜甜圈，而且你不能再住在这里了。

922 Doughnuts Also, you can't live here anymore.

这这是我的房子。

That This is my house.

实际上，这是甜甜圈天堂的房子。

Actually, it's doughnuts galore's house.

他们打算让一群鼩鼱搬进来。

They're planning on moving a family of shrews in here.

他们做的是袜子生意之类的。

They run a tail sock business or something.

总之，你今天下午就得搬走。

Anyway, you're gonna have to leave, this afternoon.

已经中午了。

It was already noon.

吉感到自己可能要晕倒了。

Gee felt like she might faint.

哈罗德还在说着话，但对吉来说，他听起来像是在千里之外。

Harold was still talking, but to Gee, he sounded miles away.

我发誓我今天早上才得知这件事。

I swear I only learned of it this morning.

嗯，实际上是昨天。

Well, actually, yesterday.

可能是前天，但最终哈罗德还是离开了。

Might have been the day before, but, eventually, Harold left.

吉知道自己时间所剩无几。

Gee knew she had a very little time.

她知道应该开始收拾自己的东西了。

She knew she should begin to pack up her life.

但有一段时间，她只是站在自己那间位于快餐车道内的小家中，听着她那个机器人替代品的声音。

But for a while, she just stood in the middle of her tiny home inside the drive through, listening to the sound of her robotic replacement.

祝你今天愉快。

Have a splendid day.

G搬进了她表姐的家。

G moved into her cousin's house.

她的表姐塞西莉亚在一家玩具店工作，住在森林里的一座小木屋里。

Her cousin, Cecilia, worked in a toy shop and lived in a small log cabin in the forest.

塞西莉亚天没亮就出门，日落后才回来。

Cecilia left home before dawn and returned after sundown.

G几乎见不到她，但这无所谓。

G barely saw her, no matter.

反正她也不打算和任何人说话。

She wasn't up to talking to anyone anyway.

几周过去了。

Weeks passed.

结果发现，有很大一部分快餐车精灵失去了工作。

It turned out that a large percentage of the drive thru elves had lost their jobs.

他们开始每周举行会议，但这些会议大多只是不断的抱怨。

They began holding weekly meetings, but the meetings were mostly just strings of complaints.

他们怎么能解雇我们？

How could fire us?

这太不公平了。

It's so unfair.

现在我得和我叔叔住在一起，而他喜欢吹小号。

Now I have to live with my uncle, and he plays the trumpet.

我喜欢为高个子顾客服务。

I liked taking tall people's orders.

我在这方面很在行。

I was good at it.

这让人很沮丧。

It was a downer.

吉停止了出席。

Gee stopped attending.

她开始在森林里散步。

She went for walks around the forest.

她的路线和她的生活一样漫无目的。

Her routes as aimless as her life.

然后，多年后的一天，在吉逐渐开始为森林里的生物做零工之后，她收到了一封信。

Then, one day, years later, after G had gotten into a rhythm of doing odd jobs for the forest creatures, she received a letter in the mail.

信上写着：昆泰拉·温彻斯特·斯蒂芬森，魔法森林568号小木屋。

It was addressed to Quintella Winchester Stephenson, Log Cabin Number 568, the magical forest.

吉从未收到过信。

Gee had never received a letter.

这感觉像是一个重要的时刻。

It felt like a momentous occasion.

邮箱位于森林里一棵古老的橡树上。

The mailbox was located in an old oak tree in the forest.

Gee蹦跳着跑回家，心中充满期待，仿佛每一寸肢体都在悸动。

And G skipped home, feeling anticipation fill her every limb.

回到小屋后，G坐进一把大扶手椅里，手里捧着一杯热气腾腾的柠檬姜茶。

Back in the cabin, G settled into a big armchair with a mug of steaming hot lemon ginger tea.

她小心翼翼地拆开信封，将信纸轻轻铺平。

She carefully opened the letter and smoothed it out.

她开始阅读。

She began to read.

亲爱的温彻斯特·史蒂文森女士：

Dear Ms.

您已被认定在公共演讲领域拥有特殊才能。

Winchester Stephenson, you have been identified as having particular talents in the realm of public speaking.

公共演讲？

Public speaking?

Gee啜了一口茶，继续往下读。

Gee took a sip of her tea and kept reading.

你作为快餐窗口精灵的多年经验并未被忽视。

Your years of experience as a drive through elf have not gone unnoticed.

高精灵委员会最近召开了五年来的首次会议。

The high elf panel recently convened our first meeting in five years.

会议安排上出现了大量冲突和场地变更，其中一次甚至是因为乌鸦泛滥。

There were a large number of scheduling conflicts and venue changes, one due to an infestation of crows.

我们

We

是

are

现在很高兴宣布一项全新的精灵高个子行业合作项目。

now thrilled to announce a brand new elf tall person industry partnership.

我们希望你，昆泰拉·温彻斯特·史蒂文森，你好，温彻斯特，加入我们新组建的吉团队。吉差点被茶呛到。

We want you, Quintella Winchester Stevenson Hello Winchester to join our new team of Gee nearly choked on her tea.

她刚刚读到的，真的是她以为自己读到的内容吗？

Had she just read what she thought she'd read?

她又看了一眼。

She looked again.

是的。

Yes.

这太不可思议了。

This was incredible.

她迅速浏览了信的其余部分，心花怒放。

She quickly scanned the rest of the letter, her heart soaring.

她从扶手椅上跳起来，一口喝光了剩下的茶，咕咚一声。

She leapt up from the armchair, gulped down the rest of her tea Gulp.

收拾好行李，启程开始她的新生活。

Packed up her things, and set off to begin her new life.

她给表亲写了一张便条：谢谢一切。

She scribbled a note for her cousin Thanks for everything.

吉。

Gee.

然后她就走了。

And then she was gone.

下午好，欢迎乘坐982号航班。

Good afternoon, and welcome to flight number 982.

请确保您的小桌板处于竖起位置，准备起飞。

Please make sure your tray tables are in the up position for take off.

此时，请系好安全带。

At this time, seat belts should be buckled.

请关注过道中即将进行的安全演示。

Please turn your attention to the safety demonstration that will take place in the aisle.

吉喜欢她的新工作。

Gee loved her new job.

她得以运用多年训练磨砺出的嗓音，还能说一些有趣的话，比如

She got to use her voice honed from years of training, and she got to say fun things like

此时，所有乘客应就座并系好安全带。

At this time, all passengers should be in their seats with their seat belts fastened.

我们即将进入一段约八分四十二秒的颠簸气流。

We are heading into a patch of turbulence, which will last for approximately eight minutes and forty two seconds.

有时，吉会怀念她过去当快餐柜台精灵的日子。

There were times when Gee missed her old life as a drive thru elf.

但作为飞机精灵，她有机会环游世界。

But as an airplane elf, she had the opportunity to travel the world.

如果你坐过飞机，可能听过她的声音。

If you've flown on an airplane, you may have heard her voice.

这份工作永远无法由机器人完成。

And this job could never be done by a robot.

对吧？

Right?

对吧？

Right?

好吧，q。

Okay, q.

你觉得这个故事怎么样？

What did you think of the story?

嗯嗯。

Uh-huh.

好吧。

Okay.

真的吗？

Really?

哦，这倒是真的。

Oh, that's true.

嗯，显然，我在匆忙更改我们角色名字的时候忽略了一些事情。

Well, apparently, I overlooked something in my haste to change our character's name.

Q听得很认真，这当然很好，但我真不敢相信我竟然犯了这种错误。

Q listened very closely, which is great, of course, but I can't believe I did this.

Q立刻注意到，我确实把角色的名字从q改成了g，但我一开始给她的名字是Quintella。

Q noticed right away that I did manage to switch the character's name from q to g, but I started out with her name as Quintella.

这个名字是以q开头的。

That starts with a q.

她的昵称是g根本说不通，但没人注意到这一点。

Doesn't really make sense for her nickname to be g, but no one else noticed that.

对吧？

Right?

对吧？

Right?

总之，我是说g，不对，是q。

Anyway, g I mean, q.

感谢你作为我的嘉宾参与。

Thank you for joining as my guest.

继续。

Moving on.

我来告诉你这个故事的由来。

I'll let you in on the origin of this story.

多年前，我儿子三岁时，我带着他坐在后座，开车经过一个快餐车窗口。

Years ago, when my son was three, I headed through a drive through with him in the back seat.

在我通过菜单面板点完单后，我随意告诉他，刚刚有个小精灵接了我的单。

After I gave my order at the menu panel, I casually told him that an elf had just taken my order.

我瞥了一眼后视镜，看见他带着怀疑的眼神盯着我。

I glanced in the rearview mirror and saw him peering at me with suspicion.

你在说什么？

What are you talking about?

他问道。

He asked.

我告诉他，有个小精灵住在快餐车窗口的菜单面板里。

There's an elf that lives inside the drive through menu panel, I told him.

还有谁能挤得进那里？

Who else could fit inside there?

那个声音还能从哪儿来？

Where else could that voice be coming from?

他不相信我。

He did not believe me.

我知道这很令人震惊。

Shocking, I know.

在三岁这个年纪，他不知道那个声音是怎么进到点餐面板里的，但他确信那不是精灵。

At the ripe age of three, he did not know how that voice got in that menu panel, but he was certain it was not an elf.

我坚持认为，我们无法确定那里是否真的有精灵。

I maintain we have no way of knowing for sure whether there is an elf in there or not.

你怎么看？

What do you think?

《给小人物的小故事》由我，里亚·赫克托尔，撰写、表演并制作。

Little Stories for Tiny People is written, performed, and produced by me, Rhea Hector.

我的内部技术总监彼得·凯负责运营我的网站，并将我的故事上传到互联网，供你们所有人欣赏。

My in house tech director, Peter Kay, runs my website and puts my stories in the Internet for all of you to enjoy.

如果你想解锁完整的《小故事》库，并访问独家睡前播客《小故事助眠》，请访问 littlestoriespremium.com。

If you'd like to unlock the full Little Stories library and access Little Stories for Sleep, an exclusive bedtime podcast, visit littlestoriespremium.com.