Yes dear, but don’t cry, I will be back soon.

是啊 親愛的，但別哭，我很快就回來了。

Once upon a time, a boy named Marco lived in a little port city in Italy.

從前，有個叫馬寇的男孩住在義大利的一個小港都。

His father was ill, and his mother had to work very hard to pay his medical bills and support the family.

他的爸爸生病了，而媽媽必須努力工作來負擔醫藥費和家裡的支出。

They were still very poor and in a lot of debt.

他們仍然很貧窮且負債。

Now, Marco’s mother had to go to Argentina to look for work there.

現在，馬寇的媽媽必須到阿根廷找工作。

Don’t worry about me. I will bring back money to pay our debts. Take care of your father.

別擔心我。我會賺錢回來支付我們的債務。好好照顧你們的爸爸。

Mom!!

媽！！

Look Dad! It’s a letter from Mom!

爸，你看！是媽媽寄來的信！

Oh, let’s see!

噢，我們來看看！

Here it is.

在這裡。

Marco, I am doing well.

馬寇，我過得很好。

I was able to find a good job through my cousin…

我透過表哥找到了一個好工作...

…I am working for a rich family.

...我為一個有錢的家庭工作

Marco, my baby, I think of you and miss you everyday…

馬寇，我親愛的寶貝，我每天都思念你...

Everyday, Marco waited impatiently for a new letter.

每天，馬寇都迫切的想收到新的信。

But the letters stopped coming,

但信沒有在寄來了，

and Marco hadn’t heard from his mother in months.

而且這幾個月中，馬寇不再聽到有關母親的消息。

Marco and his father were worried, so they went to talk to the people at the consulate.

馬寇和爸爸覺得很擔心，所以他們去找領事館的人談談。

They couldn’t find her anywhere. She had gone missing.

他們也找不到馬寇的母親，她不見了。

Dad, I have to go look for her.

爸，我必須去找媽媽。

You are too young, Marco, and Argentina is very far away.

你還太年輕了，馬寇，而且阿根廷很遠的。

Well you are ill, and Brother has to stay because of work.

但是您有病在身，而且哥哥因為工作必須留下。

It isn’t safe…

這樣不安全...

Please let me go. I know I am the only one who can find her.

拜託讓我走。我知道我是唯一一個能找到媽媽的人。

I know it! Please...

我很清楚！拜託...

Marco managed to gain passage on a ship heading for Argentina

馬寇開始打包行李，搭上了去阿根廷的船。

through the help of his father’s friend, a captain.

透過爸爸的一個船長好友。

Bye Dad, bye Brother! I will come home soon with Mom!

再見了爸爸，再見了哥哥！我很快就會帶著媽媽一起回來的！

OK. Take care, Marco.

好的，保重了，馬寇！

The journey lasted for a month.

這路途將近一個月。

Marco had nothing to look at on the ship except the endless expanse of the ocean,

在船上，馬寇除了一望無際的海洋，沒有其他可以看的。

and the dolphins that leapt beside the ship from time to time.

偶爾會有海豚在船邊躍起。

One night…

某一晚...

You are wasting your time Marco! Your mother is dead!! Ha ha ha!

你只是在浪費時間而已，馬寇。你媽媽已經死了！哈哈哈！

No!!! That’s not true! She isn’t dead!

不！！這不是真的！她沒有死！

I will find her…

我會找到她的...

oh…it was only a nightmare…

噢...只是個噩夢...

Every night, when everyone went to bed, Marco was tormented by frightening dreams.

每晚，當大家就寢後，馬寇總是被噩夢所折磨。

He refused to believe in them and swore that he would find his mother, no matter what.

他拒絕相信並且發誓，無論如何一定要找到母親。

Mom... I miss you.

媽...我想你。

Land!! It’s Argentina!!

到了！是阿根廷！

Argentina!!!

阿根廷！

Finally, Marco was in Argentina. Soon, he would see his Mother.

最後，馬寇到達阿根廷了。他很快就能看到媽媽了。

Everything seemed strange and new,

每樣東西都看似很新奇，

but Marco was not afraid, because he knew his mother was here somewhere.

但馬寇並不害怕，因為他知道媽媽就在某處。

Wait! Stop! That’s my money! Please! I need that money to find my mom!

等等！站住！這是我的錢！我需要這筆錢去找我媽媽，拜託！

Now Marco was alone in an unfamiliar country with no money and no friends,

馬寇現再獨自在一個不熟悉的國家，既沒有錢也沒有朋友。

but he refused to give up.

但他不會放棄。

He was on a mission.

他有任務在身。

Maybe I should ask for directions…

或許我該尋求一些指示

Finally, just before sunset, Marco reached the house of his mom’s employer.

最後，在日落前，馬寇到達了母親雇主的家。

He had nothing to eat all day since he had lost his money, but that didn’t matter now.

從他錢被偷走後就沒有吃任何東西了，但他不在乎。

All he wanted was to see his mother.

他只想要見到媽媽。

Is anybody in? Mother, it’s me, Marco!

有人在家嗎？媽，是我阿，馬寇！

Who are you?

你是誰？

I’m Marco. I have come to find my mother.

我是馬寇，我來找我的母親。

I am sorry, but we only moved in a few months ago.

我很抱歉，但我們才剛搬來幾個月而已。

Your mother must have left with the previous owners.

你媽媽想必跟前任雇主一起離開了。

Then…then…she isn’t here?

那...那麼...她不在這了？

I’m afraid not….Well…maybe I can write a letter for you.

恐怕不在...好吧...或許我可以為你寫封信。

Someone there might know where she is now.

某個可能會知道她在哪裡的人。

The gentleman gave him a letter and a loaf of bread for the journey, and Marco continued his search.

那位紳士給他一封信和一個麵包，馬寇繼續踏上尋找母親的旅程。

He walked for miles. The sun was scorching hot and his feet hurt but he couldn’t stop.

他走了好幾英哩。陽光炙熱而且他的腳很疼，但他不能停。

There was nothing he wanted more than to see his mother again.

沒有任何事比見到媽媽還重要。

He arrived at the address written on the letter, and a butler opened the door.

他找到了信紙上的地址，有個僕人幫他開了門。

Your mother’s employers have gone very far from here.

你母親的雇主已經走了，而且離這裡很遠。

You will need to take a train for three days and then walk for 10.

你必須搭三天的火車，而且走10多哩

Of course it will be less if you take a coach, two days maybe…

如果你搭馬車的話比較省時間，大概兩天吧

Now off with you!

快走吧你！

Marco understood that he wouldn’t find his mom there either.

馬寇明白就算到了那裏，也不見得找的到媽媽。

Disappointed and alone again, Marco stopped in the square to cry.

既失望又孤單，馬寇停在一個廣場上開始哭。

Oh…what do I do now…

噢　我現在該怎麼辦

I have no money for the train, or to get something to eat…

我沒有錢搭車，也沒錢買東西吃

…Mom!

...媽！

Suddenly, a nice gentleman Marco had gotten to know on the ship, saw him sitting there.

突然間，有個之前在船上認識的善良老先生看見他坐在那裡。

Oh…Marco! Marco, is that you?

噢...馬寇！馬寇，是你嗎？

Huh? Yes, it is.

噢？是我。

But haven’t you found your mother yet?

你還沒找到母親嗎？

No.

還沒。

Hmm....

嗯...

The old gentleman’s generosity meant Marco could take the train now.

老先生的慷慨代表現在馬寇可以搭車了。

Thank you so much!

真的很謝謝你！

As the train sped on, Marco watched the scenery rushing past,

當火車出發，馬寇看者窗外的風景急駛，

and imagined his long-awaited meeting with his mother.

想像他將可以見到期待已久的媽媽。

After leaving the train, Marco got lost on his way to the village.

下火車後，馬寇迷路了。

Night fell, and he had to sleep in the forest surrounded by the howls of hungry wolves.

夜晚來臨，馬寇必須睡在餓狼叫聲圍繞的森林。

Mom...

媽...

Marco’s shoes were worn out from walking, there were blisters on his feet,

馬克的鞋因走路磨損了，腳上也起了水泡。

and legs were as heavy as lead, but he pushed on.

雙腿也像鉛一般的沉重，但他繼續走。

He couldn’t stop until he had found his mother.

找到媽媽前他不能停下來。

He was very tired and his steps grew slower.

他非常疲累，腳步也慢了下來。

Mom....

媽...

..until he collapsed on the road.

...直到他倒在路邊。

A passing peasant chanced to see him there.

一個路過的農夫恰好看見他。

He felt sorry for Marco and gave him a drink of water.

他很憐憫馬寇並給他水喝。

Poor child…

可憐的孩子...

Marco told him where he was going, and the man promised to take him there in his wagon.

馬寇告訴他自己要去哪，農夫答應用推車帶著他去。

One more day…and we will be together at last!

只要再一天，我們就能相聚了。

Marco couldn’t sleep that night.

當晚馬寇睡不著。

He gazed at the pale full moon and thought of his mother.

他望著天上的明月想著媽媽。

Mom... Please be alive. You have to be alive...

媽... 求您一定要好好的活著

Meanwhile, Marco’s mother had fallen very ill, and couldn’t get out of bed.

期間，馬寇的媽媽已病得相當嚴重，而且也下不了床。

She is fading, I’m afraid.

我很害怕，他越來越虛弱了。

What can we do?

我們能做什麼呢？

She has been away from her family for too long. She is homesick.

她已經和家人分開好久了，非常的思鄉。

Will I get better, Doctor? Please tell me.

我的情況會好轉嗎，醫生？ 拜託告訴我

Listen Josephine, you must be strong! Keep fighting! Don't give up.

約瑟芬，聽著，你會好轉的！加油！不要放棄！

I just wish…I could see my little Marco one last time…

我只希望...我最後能再看一次我的小兒子馬寇。

Don’t say that, Josephine! Don’t give up…you’ll be alright!

別這麼說，約瑟芬！不能放棄，你會沒事的！

Exhausted and worn out by his long journey,

長遠的路途使馬寇精疲力盡，

Marco still ran though the forest, knowing his mother was near.

但知道媽媽就在不遠處，他仍在森林裡奔跑著。

As he left the forest, a large mansion appeared before him.

當他出了森林，一棟大房子在他面前。

That’s where my mom is...That's where she is...

我媽媽就在這裡...就在這裡了...

Please, please, let my Mom be there! Let her be okay!

求求您，媽媽一定要在這裡！一定要好好的沒事！

Marco prayed and hoped with all his heart. Then the door opened…

馬寇誠心的祈求，而門開了...

What?

咦？

When Marco followed her in and saw his mother lying in bed, he burst into tears.

當馬寇跟著替他開門的女士走進去，他看見媽媽臥病在床，而眼淚也不由自主的落下。

Mom!!!! Mom!!!

媽！！媽！！

...Marco....?

馬寇？

Mom!

媽！

Marco! I can't believe is you.

馬寇！真不敢相信是你。

But how on earth did you get here? Are you here all by yourself!?

但你究竟是如何來到這裡的？你全靠自己嗎？

I did…I missed you so much! Mom!

我是阿　我好想你啊媽媽！

My darling...

親愛的...

...your face!

...你的臉！

I’m okay…everything is okay now!

我沒事的...　現在一切都沒事了！

Please don’t ever leave me again… Let’s stay together, always! Mom.....

請不要再離開我了　讓我們一直在一起好嗎，一直喔！媽

I promise, Marco.

我答應你，馬寇。

Strengthened by the love of her son, Marco’s mother recovered quickly.

馬寇的媽媽因為受到兒子的愛，復原的很快。

They returned home together, and lived happily ever after.

他們一起回家，從今以後快樂的住在一起。