Tome walked to the river every morning. Last spring, he could see small fish from the bank. Now the water was gray, and a plastic bag floated near the reeds. 'Where did the fish go?' he asked his teacher.
托梅每天早上都走到河边。去年春天，他还能从岸上看见小鱼。现在水是灰色的，一只塑料袋在芦苇边漂着。“鱼去哪儿了？”他问老师。
Ms. Ruiz did not answer at once. She pointed to the drain pipe, the snack wrappers in the grass, and the old tire half sunk in mud. 'Many small things,' she said. 'That is how a river gets tired.' Tome looked at his own empty juice box.
鲁伊斯老师没有马上回答。她指指排水管、草地上的零食包装，还有半陷在泥里的旧轮胎。“许多小事加在一起，”她说，“小河就是这样累坏的。”托梅看了看自己空空的果汁盒。
On Saturday, families came with gloves and bags. Tome worked beside old Mr. Lin, who had fished there for forty years. Near the reeds, they found a turtle with a plastic ring around its shell.
星期六，许多家庭带着手套和袋子来了。托梅在林爷爷身边干活。林爷爷在这条河边钓了四十年鱼。在芦苇附近，他们发现一只乌龟，壳上套着一个塑料环。
Mr. Lin cut the ring away with care while Tome held the turtle steady. Its legs moved weakly. 'Easy, little one,' Mr. Lin said. When the ring came free, the turtle took a long breath and crawled into the water.
林爷爷小心地把塑料环剪开，托梅稳稳地扶着乌龟。它的腿无力地动着。“别怕，小家伙，”林爷爷说。塑料环脱落后，乌龟深深吸了一口气，爬进了水里。
By noon, the bags were full. The river still looked gray, but a patch of blue showed near the bridge. Tome painted a sign with Ms. Ruiz: THIS RIVER IS OUR NEIGHBOR. PLEASE KEEP IT WELL.
到了中午，袋子都装满了。小河看上去还是灰的，但桥边已经露出一小片蓝色。托梅和鲁伊斯老师一起画了一块牌子：这条河是我们的邻居，请好好待她。
Mr. Lin nailed the sign to a post. 'A river cannot say thank you,' he said. 'So we say it for her.' Tome came back the next week with his cousin. They picked up three bags of litter and watched a fish turn under the bridge.
林爷爷把牌子钉在木桩上。“小河不会说谢谢，”他说，“所以我们替她说。”下一个星期，托梅带着表弟又来了。他们捡了三袋垃圾，还看见一条鱼在桥下翻了个身。