Ira found the jacket on a rack at the thrift store on Saturday afternoon. It was brown corduroy, soft at the elbows, and almost exactly the right size. The price tag said four dollars, which seemed too good to be true.
星期六下午，艾拉在旧货店的一个衣架上发现了这件夹克。它是棕色的灯芯绒做的，肘部很柔软，尺寸几乎正合适。价签上写着四美元，便宜得让人不敢相信。
In the left pocket, behind a crumpled tissue, was a ticket. Ira smoothed it flat. It was for a play at the Lantern Theater, row F, seat 12. The date on it was today. The show started at seven. It was already ten past six.
在左边的口袋里，一团皱巴巴的纸巾后面，有一张票。艾拉把它抚平。那是莱特恩剧院一场话剧的票，F排12号座。票上的日期就是今天。演出七点开始。现在已经六点十分了。
"Somebody will miss this," Ira said to the cashier, who only shrugged. "Not my problem. Four dollars, please."
“肯定有人会找这张票的，”艾拉对收银员说，收银员只是耸了耸肩。“不关我的事。请付四美元。”
Ira could have left the ticket in a drawer at home. Instead, Ira ran for the bus. A play about a lighthouse keeper was not what Ira usually chose. But a ticket found in a pocket was hard to ignore.
艾拉本可以把这张票放在家里的抽屉里。可是艾拉却跑去赶公交车。一部讲灯塔看守人的话剧，并不是艾拉平时会选的。但是一张在口袋里发现的票，让人很难不去理会。
At the theater, the usher checked the ticket and pointed to row F. In seat 11 sat a small old woman in a green coat, holding her program with both hands. She looked at the jacket, then at Ira, and her mouth fell open.
到了剧院，引座员检查了票，指了指F排。11号座上坐着一位身材瘦小的老太太，穿着绿色外套，双手捧着节目单。她看了看那件夹克，又看了看艾拉，惊讶得张大了嘴。
"That's my husband's jacket," she whispered. "I gave a bag of his clothes away on Thursday. I was cleaning the closet and I forgot the ticket was in the pocket. I thought I had lost it."
“那是我丈夫的夹克，”她小声说，“我星期四把他的一袋衣服捐出去了。我当时在清理衣柜，忘了票还在口袋里。我还以为把它弄丢了呢。”
"I can give the jacket back," Ira whispered. "It has only been mine for two hours."
“夹克我可以还给您，”艾拉小声说，“它归我才两个小时。”
"Please don't. He caught a cold and stayed home tonight, and he has never liked that jacket anyway. He says it makes him look like a sofa."
“千万别。他感冒了，今晚留在家里，而且他本来就不喜欢那件夹克。他说穿上它，自己就像一张沙发。”
Ira laughed so loudly that a man in front turned around. The lights went down, and the two of them sat quietly. On stage, the lighthouse keeper argued with the sea. The old woman shared her mints. Ira, who had never planned to enjoy the evening, forgot to check the time even once.
艾拉笑得很大声，前排的一位男士都转过头来。灯光暗了下去，两个人安静地坐着。舞台上，灯塔看守人在和大海争吵。老太太分给艾拉薄荷糖。艾拉本来没打算好好享受这个夜晚，结果一次也没想起来看时间。
Afterward, outside, she buttoned her coat and smiled. "My husband has a ticket for the next play too. If he refuses to come, would you like to join me?"
散场后，在外面，她扣好外套，微笑着说：“我丈夫下一场话剧也有票。如果他不肯来，你愿意和我一起去吗？”
Ira looked down at the corduroy sleeves and grinned. "Only if I can wear the jacket."
艾拉低头看了看灯芯绒的袖子，咧嘴笑了。“只要我能穿这件夹克就行。”
