A-Yue and her brother flew a paper kite in the square behind their house. It was shaped like a swallow, with a long red tail. The wind lifted it higher and higher. Then the string snapped, and the kite sailed over the rooftops.
阿月和弟弟在他们家后面的小广场上放纸风筝。风筝是燕子的形状，拖着一条长长的红尾巴。风把它越托越高。后来线断了，风筝越过屋顶飞走了。
They found it at last, stuck between two chimneys on the roof of the empty house next door. Xiaoman wanted to climb up at once. A-Yue caught his sleeve and said no. The tiles were old, and the sky was turning gray.
他们终于找到了它，卡在隔壁空屋屋顶的两个烟囱之间。小满想马上爬上去。阿月抓住他的袖子，说不行。瓦片旧了，天色也暗了下来。
Their neighbor Uncle Chen ran a small repair shop. He listened to their story and brought out a long bamboo pole with a hook at one end. He did not climb onto the roof either. Instead, he opened a high window and leaned out carefully.
他们的邻居陈叔叔开着一家小修理铺。他听完他们的故事，拿出一根长长的竹竿，一头带着钩子。他也没有爬到屋顶上去。他打开一扇高窗，小心地把身子探出去。
The hook caught the kite's tail on the third try. A-Yue held the pole steady while Xiaoman cheered. When the kite dropped into Uncle Chen's hands, it was dusty but whole. The swallow's painted eye still looked surprised.
第三次尝试时，钩子钩住了风筝的尾巴。阿月稳稳扶着竹竿，小满在一旁欢呼。风筝落进陈叔叔手里时，满是灰，却完好无损。燕子画上去的眼睛还是一副吃惊的样子。
Uncle Chen mended the string and added a small strip of cloth to the tail. They carried the kite back to the square. This time, A-Yue held the string while Xiaoman ran with it. The swallow rose in a wide, wobbling circle.
陈叔叔接好线，又在尾巴上加了一小条布。他们把风筝带回广场。这一次，阿月拿着线，小满拉着风筝跑。燕子摇摇晃晃地画了一个大圈，飞了起来。
Above them, the rooftops turned gold in the evening light. The kite looked happy to be flying again. Xiaoman asked if they could tie a note to the tail next time. She said yes, and they walked home arguing happily about what the note should say.
在他们头顶，屋顶在暮色里变成了金色。风筝看起来很高兴又能飞了。小满问，下次能不能在尾巴上系一张纸条。她说好，两个人一路争论着纸条上该写什么，快快乐乐地走回家。