A StrangeStory /by O. Henry
https://americanliterature.com/author/o-henry/short-story/a-strange-story
Kî-koài ê Kò͘-sū/ 奇怪 ê 故事
Tâi-gí gí-im | 台語語音: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1fF2QGxdR8
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Kó͘-chá tī Austin pak-pō͘ tòa chi̍t hō͘ láu-si̍t-lâng, sèⁿ Smothers. Smothers in tau ê lâng ū: John Smothers, in bó͘, i ka-tī, in 5-hòe ê cha-bó͘-kiá, kap gín-á in pē-bú. Tī hō͘-kháu tiâu-cha ê sî, sǹg la̍k-ê tī pún-chhī jîn-kháu; m̄-koh sū-si̍t kan-ta ū saⁿ-ê lâng.
Chi̍t àm chia̍h-pá liáu, hit ê cha-bó͘-gín-á pak-tó͘ ká-thiàⁿ, John Smothers kóaⁿ-kín ji̍p siâⁿ khì bé io̍h-á. I chū án-ne bô koh tńg--lâi.
Cha-bó͘-gín-á bô tāi-chì, āu-lâi tōa-hàn ah. Hit ê lāu-bú in-ūi in ang sit-chong, hui-siông siong-sim, āu-lâi, i koh kè pat-lâng, poaⁿ-khì San Antonio. Cha-bó͘-gín-á āu-lâi mā kè ah, kòe kúi nî liáu-āu, i mā ū chi̍t ê cha-bó͘-kiáⁿ 5 hòe. I iáu toah tī in í-chêng tòa ê sî in lāu-pē lî-khui bô koh tńg-lâi ê hit keng chhù.
Chi̍t àm, chin tú-hó in cha-bó͘-kiáⁿ mā pak-tó͘ ká-thiàⁿ. Che sī John Smothers sit-chong ê chiu-nî-jit, chún i ū tī-leh, i tō sī chit ê cha-bó͘-gín-á ê a-kong.
“Góa ji̍p-siâⁿ khì bé io̍h-á,” in ang án-ne kóng.
“Bē-sái, John, lí m̄-mó khì,” in bó͘ ìn i. “Lí mā ū kó-lêng ē sit-chong, bē-kì-tit tńg-lâi.”
Só͘-í, John Smith bô khì, in chí sī chē tī cha-bó͘-kiáⁿ Pansy ê chhêng-piⁿ.
Keh chi̍t chūn-á, Pansy koh khah thiàⁿ, John koh boeh khì bé io̍h-á, tān-sī in bó͘ m̄-chún.
Hut-jiân-kan, mn̂g khui--khui, chi̍t ê khiau-ku, pe̍h thâu-chang tn̂g-tn̂g ê lāu-lâng ji̍p--lâi.
“Halo, A-kong lâi ah,” Pansy kóng. I thong tāi-seng jīn--chhut-lâi.
Lāu-lâng ùi tē-á-té liú-chhut chi̍t ê io̍h koán-á, hō͘ Pansy lim chi̍t thng-sî. I sûi hó--khí-lâi.
“Góa chiah bān tńg-lâi,” John Smothers kóng, “sī in-ūi teh tán kong-chhia lah.”
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古早 tī Austin 北部 tòa 一戶老實人, 姓 Smothers. Smothers 怹兜 ê 人有: John Smothers, 怹某, 伊家己, 怹 5 歲 ê 查某囝, kap 囡仔怹爸母. Tī 戶口調查 ê 時, 算六个 tī 本市人口; 毋過事實干焦有三个人.
一暗食飽了, 彼个查某囡仔腹肚絞疼, John Smothers 趕緊入城去買藥仔. 伊自 án-ne 無 koh 轉來.
查某囡仔無代誌, 後來大漢 ah. 彼个老母因為怹翁失蹤, 非常傷心, 後來, 她 koh 嫁別人, 搬去 San Antonio. 查某囡仔後來 mā 嫁 ah, 過幾年了後, 她 mā 有一个查某囝 5 歲. 她猶 tòa tī 怹以前 tòa ê 時怹老爸離開無 koh 轉來 ê 彼間厝.
一暗, 真拄好怹查某囝 mā 腹肚絞疼. 這是 John Smothers 失蹤 ê 周年日, 準伊有 tī-leh, 伊 tō 是這个查某囡仔 ê 阿公.
“我入城去買藥仔,” 怹翁 án-ne 講.
“袂使, John, 你 m̄-mó 去,” 怹某應伊. “你 mā 有可能會失蹤, 袂記得轉來.”
所以, John Smith 無去, 怹只是坐 tī 查某囝 Pansy ê 床邊.
隔一陣仔, Pansy koh 較疼, John koh 欲去買藥仔, 但是怹某毋准.
忽然間, 門開開, 一个曲痀, 白頭鬃長長 ê 老人入來.
“Halo, 阿公來 ah,” Pansy 講. 她通代先認出來.
老人 ùi 袋仔底扭出一个藥罐仔, 予 Pansy 啉一湯匙. 她隨好起來.
“我 chiah 慢轉來,” John Smothers 講, “是因為 teh 等公車 lah.”
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In the northern part of Austin there once dwelt an honest family by the name of Smothers. The family consisted of John Smothers, his wife, himself, their little daughter, five years of age, and her parents, making six people toward the population of the city when counted for a special write-up, but only three by actual count.
One night after supper the little girl was seized with a severe colic, and John Smothers hurried down town to get some medicine.
He never came back.
The little girl recovered and in time grew up to womanhood.
The mother grieved very much over her husband's disappearance, and it was nearly three months before she married again, and moved to San Antonio.
The little girl also married in time, and after a few years had rolled around, she also had a little girl five years of age.
She still lived in the same house where they dwelt when her father had left and never returned.
One night by a remarkable coincidence her little girl was taken with cramp colic on the anniversary of the disappearance of John Smothers, who would now have been her grandfather if he had been alive and had a steady job.
"I will go downtown and get some medicine for her," said John Smith (for it was none other than he whom she had married).
"No, no, dear John," cried his wife. "You, too, might disappear forever, and then forget to come back."
So John Smith did not go, and together they sat by the bedside of little Pansy (for that was Pansy's name).
After a little Pansy seemed to grow worse, and John Smith again attempted to go for medicine, but his wife would not let him.
Suddenly the door opened, and an old man, stooped and bent, with long white hair, entered the room.
"Hello, here is grandpa," said Pansy. She had recognized him before any of the others.
The old man drew a bottle of medicine from his pocket and gave Pansy a spoonful.
She got well immediately.
"I was a little late," said John Smothers, "as I waited for a street car."
--
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