When I was quite young my family had one of the first telephones in our neighborhood.
当我十分小的时候，我的家有了在我家附近最早的一部电话。
I remember well the polished oak case fastened to the wall on the lower stair landing.
我记得很清楚，擦得亮亮的橡木盒子固定在楼梯下方的平台的墙壁上。
The shiny receiver hung on the side of the box.
光亮的听筒挂在盒子的侧面。
I even remember the number -- 105.
我甚至记得电话号码 -- 105号。
I was too little to reach the telephone, but used to listen with fascination when my mother talked to it. Once she
  lifted me up to speak to my father, who was away on business. Magic!
我太小拿不到电话，但当我妈妈对着它说话时，我经常着迷地听着。有一次她把我举起来对外出办事的爸爸说话，真是妙极了!。
Then I discovered that somewhere inside that wonderful device lived an amazing person -- her name was "Information
  Please" and there was nothing she did not know.
以后我发现那个奇妙的装置里面的什么地方住了一个令人惊奇的人 -- 她的名字叫做「询问处」，而且她没有什么不知道的事。
My mother could ask her for anybody's number; when our clock ran down, Information Please immediately supplied the
  correct time.
我妈妈可以询问她任何人的电话号码；我们的钟停了，询问处立刻提供正确的时间。
My first personal experience with this genie-in-the-receiver came one day while my mother was visiting a neighbor.
我第一次和听筒里的神仙接触的经历有一天来到了，那时我妈妈正在拜访一位邻居。
Amusing myself at the tool-bench in the basement, I whacked my finger with a hammer.
我在地下室工作木马的地方自我玩乐时，用槌子槌到了手指头。
The pain was terrible, but there didn't seem to be much use crying because there was no one home to offer sympathy.
痛得太厉害了，但哭似乎没有多大用处，因为没有人在家可以表示同情。
I walked around the house sucking my throbbing finger, finally arriving at the stairway.
我吸吮着剧痛的手指头在屋子里走来走去，最后到了楼梯口。
The telephone! Quickly I ran for the footstool in the parlor and dragged it to the landing.
电话！我很快地跑去拿客厅里的脚凳，而且把它拖到楼梯的平台处。
Climbing up, I unhooked the receiver and held it to my ear.
爬上去，我伸手钩下听筒，抓着它靠近耳边。
"Information Please," I said into the mouthpiece just above my head.
「询问处吗？」我对着刚好在我头上的对讲口说着。
A click or two, and a small, clear voice spoke into my ear. "Information."
一两声喀喀声，接着就是细小而清楚的声音对着我的耳朵说，「(这是)询问处」。
"I hurt my fingerrr --" I wailed into the phone.
「我伤了我的手指头 --」，我对着电话哀号。
The tears came readily enough, now that I had an audience.
眼泪流得够快了，因为我有了听众。