木偶奇遇記：Chapter 29

Mindful of what the Fisherman had said, Pinocchio knew that all hope of being saved had gone. He closed his eyes and waited for the final moment. Suddenly, a large Dog, attracted by the odor of the boiling oil, came running into the cave.

漁夫一舉手就要把皮諾喬扔進(jìn)油鍋，可正在這節(jié)骨眼上，一條大狗跑進(jìn)山洞來(lái)。它是給炸魚(yú)的濃烈香味招引來(lái)的。

"Get out!" cried the Fisherman threateningly and still holding onto the Marionette, who was all covered with flour.

“出去!”漁夫嚇唬著對(duì)狗吆喝，手里仍舊拎著滿身是面粉的木偶。

But the poor Dog was very hungry, and whining and wagging his tail, he tried to say:

可憐的狗實(shí)在太餓了，它搖晃著尾巴汪汪地叫，像是說(shuō)：

"Give me a bite of the fish and I'll go in peace."

“給我點(diǎn)油炸魚(yú)，我就不打擾你了。”

"Get out, I say!" repeated the Fisherman.

“我對(duì)你說(shuō)，出去!”漁夫再說(shuō)一遍，伸出腿來(lái)就給它一腳。

And he drew back his foot to give the Dog a kick. Then the Dog, who, being really hungry, would take no refusal, turned in a rage toward the Fisherman and bared his terrible fangs. And at that moment, a pitiful little voice was heard saying: "Save me, Alidoro; if you don't, I fry!"

狗到當(dāng)真餓了的時(shí)候，是不習(xí)慣于讓人這樣對(duì)待它的。它向漁夫轉(zhuǎn)過(guò)臉來(lái)，呲起兩排可怕的牙齒。正在這時(shí)候，它聽(tīng)見(jiàn)山洞里發(fā)出一個(gè)很微弱很微弱的聲音，說(shuō)：“救救我，阿利多羅!你不救我，我就要給油炸了!……”

The Dog immediately recognized Pinocchio's voice. Great was his surprise to find that the voice came from the little flour-covered bundle that the Fisherman held in his hand.

狗馬上聽(tīng)出了皮諾喬的聲音。它覺(jué)得最奇怪的是，這微弱聲音是漁夫手里那團(tuán)沾滿面粉的東西發(fā)出來(lái)的。

Then what did he do? With one great leap, he grasped that bundle in his mouth and, holding it lightly between his teeth, ran through the door and disappeared like a flash!

這時(shí)候它做了件什么事呢?這狗從地上猛地跳得半尺高，咬住那團(tuán)沾滿面粉的東西，用牙輕輕地叼著，就沖出山洞，像閃電似地溜掉了。

The Fisherman, angry at seeing his meal snatched from under his nose, ran after the Dog, but a bad fit of coughing made him stop and turn back.

漁夫一心想吃這條魚(yú)，眼看它打手里給搶走了，氣得發(fā)瘋，就想去追那條狗。可走了幾步，忽然咳嗽得沒(méi)辦法，只好回來(lái)，

Meanwhile, Alidoro, as soon as he had found the road which led to the village, stopped and dropped Pinocchio softly to the ground.

這時(shí)候阿利多羅又來(lái)到通村子的小道，停下腳步，把它的朋友皮諾喬小心翼翼地放在地上。

"How much I do thank you!" said the Marionette.

“我該怎么謝你呀!”木偶說(shuō)。

"It is not necessary," answered the Dog. "You saved me once, and what is given is always returned. We are in this world to help one another."

“不用謝，”狗回答說(shuō)，“你救過(guò)我的命，善有善報(bào)。要知道，在這個(gè)世界上大家應(yīng)該互相幫助。”

"But how did you get in that cave?"

“可你怎么會(huì)到這山洞來(lái)的?”

"I was lying here on the sand more dead than alive, when an appetizing odor of fried fish came to me. That odor tickled my hunger and I followed it. Oh, if I had come a moment later!"

“我一直在海邊直挺挺地躺著，半死不活的，忽然一陣風(fēng)打遠(yuǎn)處吹來(lái)了炸魚(yú)的香味。這股香味引起了我的食欲，我就跟著它走。要是來(lái)晚一分鐘就糟了!……”

"Don't speak about it," wailed Pinocchio, still trembling with fright. "Don't say a word. If you had come a moment later, I would be fried, eaten, and digested by this time. Brrrrrr! I shiver at the mere thought of it."

“別說(shuō)了，別說(shuō)了!”皮諾喬又嚇得渾身發(fā)抖，叫著說(shuō)，“你別說(shuō)了!你要是晚來(lái)一分鐘，這會(huì)兒我已經(jīng)給炸熟，被吃掉，消化了。啊!……一想到這個(gè)我就發(fā)抖啦!……”

Alidoro laughingly held out his paw to the Marionette, who shook it heartily, feeling that now he and the Dog were good friends. Then they bid each other good-by and the Dog went home.

阿利多羅笑著向木偶伸出右爪子，木偶使勁緊緊地握住它，表示極其友好的感情。接著他們就分手了。

Pinocchio, left alone, walked toward a little hut near by, where an old man sat at the door sunning himself, and asked:

狗重新取道回家。皮諾喬一個(gè)人留下來(lái)，向不遠(yuǎn)的一間小茅屋走去。小茅屋門(mén)口坐著一位老人，正在曬太陽(yáng)。木偶問(wèn)他說(shuō)：

"Tell me, good man, have you heard anything of a poor boy with a wounded head, whose name was Eugene?"

“請(qǐng)您告訴我，好心的老人家，您知道一個(gè)可憐孩子，叫埃烏杰尼奧的，腦袋給打傷了嗎?……”

"The boy was brought to this hut and now -- "

“一些打魚(yú)人把他送到這茅屋里來(lái)了?，F(xiàn)在他……”

"Now he is dead?" Pinocchio interrupted sorrowfully.

“現(xiàn)在他死了!……”皮諾喬極其傷心地打斷他的話。

"No, he is now alive and he has already returned home."

“沒(méi)有，他現(xiàn)在活著，已經(jīng)回家去了。”

"Really? Really?" cried the Marionette, jumping around with joy. "Then the wound was not serious?"

“真的嗎，真的嗎?”木偶高興得跳起來(lái)，叫道，“這么說(shuō)，傷不重，……”

"But it might have been -- and even mortal," answered the old man, "for a heavy book was thrown at his head."

“它有可能造成嚴(yán)重后果，甚至死人，”老年人回答，“因?yàn)樗墙o一本厚板紙封面的大書(shū)打中了腦袋。”

"And who threw it?"

“誰(shuí)打傷他了，”

"A schoolmate of his, a certain Pinocchio."

“一個(gè)同學(xué)，叫皮諾喬的……”

"And who is this Pinocchio?" asked the Marionette, feigning ignorance.

“這皮諾喬是誰(shuí)，”木偶假裝不知道，問(wèn)道。

"They say he is a mischief-maker, a tramp, a street urchin -- "

“他們說(shuō)是個(gè)小壞蛋，是個(gè)小流氓，是個(gè)真正的小無(wú)賴……”

"Calumnies! All calumnies!"

“造謠!完全是造謠!”

"Do you know this Pinocchio?"

“你認(rèn)識(shí)這皮諾喬?”

"By sight!" answered the Marionette.

“見(jiàn)過(guò)!”木偶回答說(shuō)。

"And what do you think of him?" asked the old man.

“你看他怎么樣，”老年人問(wèn)他。

"I think he's a very good boy, fond of study, obedient, kind to his Father, and to his whole family -- "

“依我說(shuō)，他是個(gè)好極了的孩子，一心想讀書(shū)，又聽(tīng)話，又愛(ài)他的爸爸，又愛(ài)他的一家人……”

As he was telling all these enormous lies about himself, Pinocchio touched his nose and found it twice as long as it should be. Scared out of his wits, he cried out:

木偶正這樣一口氣地撒著謊，摸摸鼻子，發(fā)覺(jué)鼻子已經(jīng)長(zhǎng)了一個(gè)多手掌。他害怕得叫起來(lái)：

"Don't listen to me, good man! All the wonderful things I have said are not true at all. I know Pinocchio well and he is indeed a very wicked fellow, lazy and disobedient, who instead of going to school, runs away with his playmates to have a good time."

“好心的老人家，我扯了一通關(guān)于他的好話，您可全都別信。因?yàn)槲沂煜てぶZ喬，可以保證他真正是個(gè)小壞蛋，不聽(tīng)話，不學(xué)好，不去上學(xué)，卻跟著一幫子同學(xué)去東游西蕩!”

At this speech, his nose returned to its natural size.

這番話一說(shuō)完，他的鼻子就縮小，恢復(fù)了原來(lái)的樣子。

"Why are you so pale?" the old man asked suddenly.

“為什么你整個(gè)人白成這樣?”老年人忽然問(wèn)他。

"Let me tell you. Without knowing it, I rubbed myself against a newly painted wall," he lied, ashamed to say that he had been made ready for the frying pan.

“我告訴你……我沒(méi)留神，在一堵新刷白的墻上擦了一下，”木偶回答說(shuō)。他不好意思承認(rèn)他被當(dāng)作魚(yú)拌上面粉，預(yù)備扔進(jìn)油鍋里去炸。

"What have you done with your coat and your hat and your breeches?"

“噢，你的上衣，你的短褲，還有你的帽子，你都怎么啦?”

"I met thieves and they robbed me. Tell me, my good man, have you not, perhaps, a little suit to give me, so that I may go home?"

“我遇到了強(qiáng)盜，把我給剝了。您說(shuō)吧，好心的老人家，您沒(méi)有一點(diǎn)什么可以給我穿穿，讓我好回家去嗎?”

"My boy, as for clothes, I have only a bag in which I keep hops. If you want it, take it. There it is."

“我的孩子，說(shuō)到可以穿的東西，我只有那么個(gè)小口袋，裝扁豆的。你要就拿去吧。就在那兒。”

Pinocchio did not wait for him to repeat his words. He took the bag, which happened to be empty, and after cutting a big hole at the top and two at the sides, he slipped into it as if it were a shirt. Lightly clad as he was, he started out toward the village.

皮諾喬不等他說(shuō)第二遍，馬上拿起這個(gè)裝扁豆的空口袋，用剪刀在袋底開(kāi)了一個(gè)洞，在兩邊開(kāi)了兩個(gè)小洞，就當(dāng)襯衫穿。他一下子把腦袋和雙手鉆過(guò)那些洞，穿好了，就動(dòng)身上村里去。

Along the way he felt very uneasy. In fact he was so unhappy that he went along taking two steps forward and one back, and as he went he said to himself:

可他一路上感到心里不踏實(shí)。老實(shí)說(shuō)，他是進(jìn)一步又退一步。他一邊走一邊自言自語(yǔ)說(shuō)：

"How shall I ever face my good little Fairy? What will she say when she sees me? Will she forgive this last trick of mine? I am sure she won't. Oh, no, she won't. And I deserve it, as usual! For I am a rascal, fine on promises which I never keep!"

“我有什么臉去見(jiàn)我那好心的仙女呢?我見(jiàn)了她說(shuō)什么好呢?……我又做出這樁壞事，她會(huì)原諒我一次嗎?……可以打賭，她不會(huì)原諒了!……唉!她準(zhǔn)不會(huì)原諒我……這是我活該，因?yàn)槲沂莻€(gè)小壞蛋，答應(yīng)好了改過(guò)，結(jié)果又違背了諾言!……”

He came to the village late at night. It was so dark he could see nothing and it was raining pitchforks.

他來(lái)到村里，天已經(jīng)黑了。天氣很壞，下著瓢潑大雨。他徑直上仙女家，決定敲敲門(mén)，自己就開(kāi)門(mén)進(jìn)去。

Pinocchio went straight to the Fairy's house, firmly resolved to knock at the door.

可是一到那里，他覺(jué)得勇氣沒(méi)有了，不是去敲門(mén)，卻是往回跑了二十來(lái)步。

When he found himself there, he lost courage and ran back a few steps. A second time he came to the door and again he ran back. A third time he repeated his performance. The fourth time, before he had time to lose his courage, he grasped the knocker and made a faint sound with it.

他第二次走到門(mén)口，還是不敢敲門(mén)。他第三次走到門(mén)口，依然不敢敲門(mén)。第四次他才算發(fā)著抖，拿起鐵門(mén)錘，輕輕地把門(mén)敲了敲。

He waited and waited and waited. Finally, after a full half hour, a top-floor window (the house had four stories) opened and Pinocchio saw a large Snail look out. A tiny light glowed on top of her head. "Who knocks at this late hour?" she called.

他等啊，等啊，最后過(guò)了半個(gè)鐘頭，最高一層(這是座四層樓房)才打開(kāi)窗子，皮諾喬看見(jiàn)一只大蝸牛探出頭出來(lái)，頭上有盞點(diǎn)亮的小燈。這蝸牛說(shuō)：“這么晚了，是誰(shuí)呀?”

"Is the Fairy home?" asked the Marionette.

“仙女在家嗎?”木偶問(wèn)它。

"The Fairy is asleep and does not wish to be disturbed. Who are you?"

“仙女睡了，不要人叫醒她。你倒是誰(shuí)?”

"It is I."

“是我!”

"Who's I?"

“這個(gè)我是誰(shuí)?”

"Pinocchio."

“皮諾喬。”

"Who is Pinocchio?"

“皮諾喬是誰(shuí)?”

"The Marionette; the one who lives in the Fairy's house."

“是木偶，原先跟仙女住在一起的。”

"Oh, I understand," said the Snail. "Wait for me there. I'll come down to open the door for you."

“啊，我明白了，”蝸牛說(shuō)，“你等等我，我這就下來(lái)給你開(kāi)門(mén)。”

"Hurry, I beg of you, for I am dying of cold."

“謝謝你快一點(diǎn)，我都要冷死了。”

"My boy, I am a snail and snails are never in a hurry."

“我的孩子，我是一只蝸牛，蝸牛永遠(yuǎn)快不了的。”

An hour passed, two hours; and the door was still closed. Pinocchio, who was trembling with fear and shivering from the cold rain on his back, knocked a second time, this time louder than before.

過(guò)了一個(gè)鐘頭，過(guò)了兩個(gè)鐘頭，可門(mén)還沒(méi)有開(kāi)。皮諾喬又是冷，又是害怕，又是渾身水淋淋，因此直打哆嗦。于是他拿定主意再敲一次門(mén)，這回敲得比上一回響。

At that second knock, a window on the third floor opened and the same Snail looked out.

聽(tīng)見(jiàn)這第二次敲門(mén)聲，第四層下面一層的窗子打開(kāi)了，還是那只蝸牛探出頭來(lái)。

"Dear little Snail," cried Pinocchio from the street. "I have been waiting two hours for you! And two hours on a dreadful night like this are as long as two years. Hurry, please!"

“我的好蝸牛，”皮諾喬打下面街上叫，“我已經(jīng)等了兩個(gè)鐘頭了!這么可怕的夜，兩個(gè)鐘頭比這兩年還長(zhǎng)。幫幫忙，請(qǐng)您快一點(diǎn)。”

"My boy," answered the Snail in a calm, peaceful voice, "my dear boy, I am a snail and snails are never in a hurry." And the window closed.

“我的孩子，”這小生物不急不忙，十分平靜，在窗口回答說(shuō)：“我的孩子，我是一只蝸牛，蝸牛都是快不起來(lái)的。” 窗子又關(guān)上了。

A few minutes later midnight struck; then one o'clock -- two o'clock. And the door still remained closed!

不多一會(huì)兒就敲半夜十二點(diǎn)，接著半夜一點(diǎn)，接著是半夜兩點(diǎn)，門(mén)還是關(guān)著。

Then Pinocchio, losing all patience, grabbed the knocker with both hands, fully determined to awaken the whole house and street with it. As soon as he touched the knocker, however, it became an eel and wiggled away into the darkness.

皮諾喬可忍不住了。他氣得抓住門(mén)錘，就要用力撞門(mén)，讓整座房子給撞得搖晃起來(lái)?？设F門(mén)錘一下子變了活鰻魚(yú)，打他手里滑出來(lái)，鉆到路當(dāng)中的水坑里不見(jiàn)了。

"Really?" cried Pinocchio, blind with rage. "If the knocker is gone, I can still use my feet."

“啊!是這樣?”皮諾喬越發(fā)氣昏了，叫道，“門(mén)錘沒(méi)有了，我就用腳狠狠地踢。”

He stepped back and gave the door a most solemn kick. He kicked so hard that his foot went straight through the door and his leg followed almost to the knee. No matter how he pulled and tugged, he could not pull it out. There he stayed as if nailed to the door.

他退后兩步，然后沖過(guò)去在門(mén)上狠狠一腳。這一腳踢得可厲害，半條腳都插到門(mén)里去了。木偶想拔出腿，可用盡了力氣也拔不出來(lái)。這半條腿像敲彎的釘子似的，牢牢釘在那里了。

Poor Pinocchio! The rest of the night he had to spend with one foot through the door and the other one in the air.

請(qǐng)諸位想象一下這可憐的皮諾喬吧!整個(gè)下半夜他就這么一條腿站在地上，一條腿翹著。

As dawn was breaking, the door finally opened. That brave little animal, the Snail, had taken exactly nine hours to go from the fourth floor to the street. How she must have raced!

等到天亮，門(mén)終于開(kāi)了。蝸牛這要命的小生物整整花了九個(gè)鐘頭，才下完四層樓，來(lái)到臨街的大門(mén)口。得說(shuō)句老實(shí)話，它已經(jīng)走得滿身大汗了!

"What are you doing with your foot through the door?" she asked the Marionette, laughing.

“你干嗎把一條腿插在門(mén)里?”它笑著問(wèn)木偶。

"It was a misfortune. Won't you try, pretty little Snail, to free me from this terrible torture?"

“真倒霉。您倒瞧瞧，好蝸牛，看有什么辦法讓我不受這份罪。”

"My boy, we need a carpenter here and I have never been one."

“我的孩子，這件事得找木匠，我可從來(lái)沒(méi)當(dāng)過(guò)木匠。”

"Ask the Fairy to help me!"

“替我求求仙女吧!……”

"The Fairy is asleep and does not want to be disturbed."

“仙女睡了，不要人叫醒她，”

"But what do you want me to do, nailed to the door like this?"

“我整天釘在這門(mén)上，您叫我干什么呢?”

"Enjoy yourself counting the ants which are passing by."

“您就自得其樂(lè)，數(shù)數(shù)路上走過(guò)的螞蟻嗎。”

"Bring me something to eat, at least, for I am faint with hunger."

“您至少給我點(diǎn)什么吃吃，我都要餓死了。”

"Immediately!"

“馬上拿來(lái)!”蝸牛說(shuō)。

In fact, after three hours and a half, Pinocchio saw her return with a silver tray on her head. On the tray there was bread, roast chicken, fruit.

實(shí)際上又整整過(guò)了三個(gè)半鐘頭，皮諾喬才看見(jiàn)它頂著個(gè)銀托盤(pán)回來(lái)。托盤(pán)上有一個(gè)面包、一只炸雞和四個(gè)長(zhǎng)熟了的杏子。

"Here is the breakfast the Fairy sends to you," said the Snail.

“這是仙女給您送來(lái)的早飯，”蝸牛說(shuō)。

At the sight of all these good things, the Marionette felt much better.

木偶看到這頓大菜，感到渾身來(lái)勁了。

What was his disgust, however, when on tasting the food, he found the bread to be made of chalk, the chicken of cardboard, and the brilliant fruit of colored alabaster!

可等到他一吃，馬上就倒胃口，原來(lái)面包是白堊做的，炸雞是厚板紙做的，四個(gè)杏子是石膏做好，涂上顏色的!

He wanted to cry, he wanted to give himself up to despair, he wanted to throw away the tray and all that was on it. Instead, either from pain or weakness, he fell to the floor in a dead faint.

他失望得想哭，想把托盤(pán)邊同上面的東西一起甩掉，可不知是由于太傷心呢還是太餓，一下子昏倒了。

When he regained his senses, he found himself stretched out on a sofa and the Fairy was seated near him.

等到他醒來(lái)，他已經(jīng)直挺挺躺在一張沙發(fā)床上，仙女就在他身邊。

"This time also I forgive you," said the Fairy to him. "But be careful not to get into mischief again."

“這一回我也原諒了你，”仙女對(duì)他說(shuō)，“可你再給我來(lái)這么一次，就沒(méi)你好的!……”

Pinocchio promised to study and to behave himself. And he kept his word for the remainder of the year. At the end of it, he passed first in all his examinations, and his report was so good that the Fairy said to him happily:

皮諾喬賭咒發(fā)誓，說(shuō)他要用功讀書(shū)，做個(gè)很好很好的孩子。這一年下來(lái)，他都守住他的諾言。的確，他大考光榮地得了全校第一名，品行總的說(shuō)來(lái)也得到好評(píng)，令人滿意。因此仙女十分高興，對(duì)他說(shuō)：

"Tomorrow your wish will come true."

“你的愿望明天終于要實(shí)現(xiàn)了!”

"And what is it?"

“你說(shuō)什么?”

"Tomorrow you will cease to be a Marionette and will become a real boy."

“到明天你就不再是一個(gè)木偶，而要變成一個(gè)真的孩子了。”

Pinocchio was beside himself with joy. All his friends and schoolmates must be invited to celebrate the great event! The Fairy promised to prepare two hundred cups of coffee-and-milk and four hundred slices of toast buttered on both sides.

諸位沒(méi)看到皮諾喬那份樂(lè)勁!他一直盼望著這個(gè)消息，如今聽(tīng)了，他那份高興簡(jiǎn)直是無(wú)法想象的。為了慶祝這件大喜事，明天仙女家要舉行盛大的早宴，把他所有的朋友和同學(xué)都請(qǐng)來(lái)參加。仙女答應(yīng)準(zhǔn)備兩百杯牛奶咖啡和四百片面包，每片面包都兩面涂上黃油。沒(méi)問(wèn)題，這準(zhǔn)是個(gè)極其快活，極其美好的日子，可是……

The day promised to be a very gay and happy one, but --

真不幸，木偶一生中老這么可是，可是的，這一來(lái)，就把什么事情都給毀了。

Unluckily, in a Marionette's life there's always a BUT which is apt to spoil everything.

Mindful of what the Fisherman had said, Pinocchio knew that all hope of being saved had gone. He closed his eyes and waited for the final moment. Suddenly, a large Dog, attracted by the odor of the boiling oil, came running into the cave.

"Get out!" cried the Fisherman threateningly and still holding onto the Marionette, who was all covered with flour.

But the poor Dog was very hungry, and whining and wagging his tail, he tried to say:

"Give me a bite of the fish and I'll go in peace."

"Get out, I say!" repeated the Fisherman.

And he drew back his foot to give the Dog a kick. Then the Dog, who, being really hungry, would take no refusal, turned in a rage toward the Fisherman and bared his terrible fangs. And at that moment, a pitiful little voice was heard saying: "Save me, Alidoro; if you don't, I fry!"

The Dog immediately recognized Pinocchio's voice. Great was his surprise to find that the voice came from the little flour-covered bundle that the Fisherman held in his hand.

Then what did he do? With one great leap, he grasped that bundle in his mouth and, holding it lightly between his teeth, ran through the door and disappeared like a flash!

The Fisherman, angry at seeing his meal snatched from under his nose, ran after the Dog, but a bad fit of coughing made him stop and turn back.

Meanwhile, Alidoro, as soon as he had found the road which led to the village, stopped and dropped Pinocchio softly to the ground.

"How much I do thank you!" said the Marionette.

"It is not necessary," answered the Dog. "You saved me once, and what is given is always returned. We are in this world to help one another."

"But how did you get in that cave?"

"I was lying here on the sand more dead than alive, when an appetizing odor of fried fish came to me. That odor tickled my hunger and I followed it. Oh, if I had come a moment later!"

"Don't speak about it," wailed Pinocchio, still trembling with fright. "Don't say a word. If you had come a moment later, I would be fried, eaten, and digested by this time. Brrrrrr! I shiver at the mere thought of it."

Alidoro laughingly held out his paw to the Marionette, who shook it heartily, feeling that now he and the Dog were good friends. Then they bid each other good-by and the Dog went home.

Pinocchio, left alone, walked toward a little hut near by, where an old man sat at the door sunning himself, and asked:

"Tell me, good man, have you heard anything of a poor boy with a wounded head, whose name was Eugene?"

"The boy was brought to this hut and now -- "

"Now he is dead?" Pinocchio interrupted sorrowfully.

"No, he is now alive and he has already returned home."

"Really? Really?" cried the Marionette, jumping around with joy. "Then the wound was not serious?"

"But it might have been -- and even mortal," answered the old man, "for a heavy book was thrown at his head."

"And who threw it?"

"A schoolmate of his, a certain Pinocchio."

"And who is this Pinocchio?" asked the Marionette, feigning ignorance.

"They say he is a mischief-maker, a tramp, a street urchin -- "

"Calumnies! All calumnies!"

"Do you know this Pinocchio?"

"By sight!" answered the Marionette.

"And what do you think of him?" asked the old man.

"I think he's a very good boy, fond of study, obedient, kind to his Father, and to his whole family -- "

As he was telling all these enormous lies about himself, Pinocchio touched his nose and found it twice as long as it should be. Scared out of his wits, he cried out:

"Don't listen to me, good man! All the wonderful things I have said are not true at all. I know Pinocchio well and he is indeed a very wicked fellow, lazy and disobedient, who instead of going to school, runs away with his playmates to have a good time."

At this speech, his nose returned to its natural size.

"Why are you so pale?" the old man asked suddenly.

"Let me tell you. Without knowing it, I rubbed myself against a newly painted wall," he lied, ashamed to say that he had been made ready for the frying pan.

"What have you done with your coat and your hat and your breeches?"

"I met thieves and they robbed me. Tell me, my good man, have you not, perhaps, a little suit to give me, so that I may go home?"

"My boy, as for clothes, I have only a bag in which I keep hops. If you want it, take it. There it is."

Pinocchio did not wait for him to repeat his words. He took the bag, which happened to be empty, and after cutting a big hole at the top and two at the sides, he slipped into it as if it were a shirt. Lightly clad as he was, he started out toward the village.

Along the way he felt very uneasy. In fact he was so unhappy that he went along taking two steps forward and one back, and as he went he said to himself:

"How shall I ever face my good little Fairy? What will she say when she sees me? Will she forgive this last trick of mine? I am sure she won't. Oh, no, she won't. And I deserve it, as usual! For I am a rascal, fine on promises which I never keep!"

He came to the village late at night. It was so dark he could see nothing and it was raining pitchforks.

Pinocchio went straight to the Fairy's house, firmly resolved to knock at the door.

When he found himself there, he lost courage and ran back a few steps. A second time he came to the door and again he ran back. A third time he repeated his performance. The fourth time, before he had time to lose his courage, he grasped the knocker and made a faint sound with it.

He waited and waited and waited. Finally, after a full half hour, a top-floor window (the house had four stories) opened and Pinocchio saw a large Snail look out. A tiny light glowed on top of her head. "Who knocks at this late hour?" she called.

"Is the Fairy home?" asked the Marionette.

"The Fairy is asleep and does not wish to be disturbed. Who are you?"

"It is I."

"Who's I?"

"Pinocchio."

"Who is Pinocchio?"

"The Marionette; the one who lives in the Fairy's house."

"Oh, I understand," said the Snail. "Wait for me there. I'll come down to open the door for you."

"Hurry, I beg of you, for I am dying of cold."

"My boy, I am a snail and snails are never in a hurry."

An hour passed, two hours; and the door was still closed. Pinocchio, who was trembling with fear and shivering from the cold rain on his back, knocked a second time, this time louder than before.

At that second knock, a window on the third floor opened and the same Snail looked out.

"Dear little Snail," cried Pinocchio from the street. "I have been waiting two hours for you! And two hours on a dreadful night like this are as long as two years. Hurry, please!"

"My boy," answered the Snail in a calm, peaceful voice, "my dear boy, I am a snail and snails are never in a hurry." And the window closed.

A few minutes later midnight struck; then one o'clock -- two o'clock. And the door still remained closed!

Then Pinocchio, losing all patience, grabbed the knocker with both hands, fully determined to awaken the whole house and street with it. As soon as he touched the knocker, however, it became an eel and wiggled away into the darkness.

"Really?" cried Pinocchio, blind with rage. "If the knocker is gone, I can still use my feet."

He stepped back and gave the door a most solemn kick. He kicked so hard that his foot went straight through the door and his leg followed almost to the knee. No matter how he pulled and tugged, he could not pull it out. There he stayed as if nailed to the door.

Poor Pinocchio! The rest of the night he had to spend with one foot through the door and the other one in the air.

As dawn was breaking, the door finally opened. That brave little animal, the Snail, had taken exactly nine hours to go from the fourth floor to the street. How she must have raced!

"What are you doing with your foot through the door?" she asked the Marionette, laughing.

"It was a misfortune. Won't you try, pretty little Snail, to free me from this terrible torture?"

"My boy, we need a carpenter here and I have never been one."

"Ask the Fairy to help me!"

"The Fairy is asleep and does not want to be disturbed."

"But what do you want me to do, nailed to the door like this?"

"Enjoy yourself counting the ants which are passing by."

"Bring me something to eat, at least, for I am faint with hunger."

"Immediately!"

In fact, after three hours and a half, Pinocchio saw her return with a silver tray on her head. On the tray there was bread, roast chicken, fruit.

"Here is the breakfast the Fairy sends to you," said the Snail.

At the sight of all these good things, the Marionette felt much better.

What was his disgust, however, when on tasting the food, he found the bread to be made of chalk, the chicken of cardboard, and the brilliant fruit of colored alabaster!

He wanted to cry, he wanted to give himself up to despair, he wanted to throw away the tray and all that was on it. Instead, either from pain or weakness, he fell to the floor in a dead faint.

When he regained his senses, he found himself stretched out on a sofa and the Fairy was seated near him.

"This time also I forgive you," said the Fairy to him. "But be careful not to get into mischief again."

Pinocchio promised to study and to behave himself. And he kept his word for the remainder of the year. At the end of it, he passed first in all his examinations, and his report was so good that the Fairy said to him happily:

"Tomorrow your wish will come true."

"And what is it?"

"Tomorrow you will cease to be a Marionette and will become a real boy."

Pinocchio was beside himself with joy. All his friends and schoolmates must be invited to celebrate the great event! The Fairy promised to prepare two hundred cups of coffee-and-milk and four hundred slices of toast buttered on both sides.

The day promised to be a very gay and happy one, but --

Unluckily, in a Marionette's life there's always a BUT which is apt to spoil everything.

漁夫一舉手就要把皮諾喬扔進(jìn)油鍋，可正在這節(jié)骨眼上，一條大狗跑進(jìn)山洞來(lái)。它是給炸魚(yú)的濃烈香味招引來(lái)的。

“出去!”漁夫嚇唬著對(duì)狗吆喝，手里仍舊拎著滿身是面粉的木偶。

可憐的狗實(shí)在太餓了，它搖晃著尾巴汪汪地叫，像是說(shuō)：

“給我點(diǎn)油炸魚(yú)，我就不打擾你了。”

“我對(duì)你說(shuō)，出去!”漁夫再說(shuō)一遍，伸出腿來(lái)就給它一腳。

狗到當(dāng)真餓了的時(shí)候，是不習(xí)慣于讓人這樣對(duì)待它的。它向漁夫轉(zhuǎn)過(guò)臉來(lái)，呲起兩排可怕的牙齒。正在這時(shí)候，它聽(tīng)見(jiàn)山洞里發(fā)出一個(gè)很微弱很微弱的聲音，說(shuō)：“救救我，阿利多羅!你不救我，我就要給油炸了!……”

狗馬上聽(tīng)出了皮諾喬的聲音。它覺(jué)得最奇怪的是，這微弱聲音是漁夫手里那團(tuán)沾滿面粉的東西發(fā)出來(lái)的。

這時(shí)候它做了件什么事呢?這狗從地上猛地跳得半尺高，咬住那團(tuán)沾滿面粉的東西，用牙輕輕地叼著，就沖出山洞，像閃電似地溜掉了。

漁夫一心想吃這條魚(yú)，眼看它打手里給搶走了，氣得發(fā)瘋，就想去追那條狗?？勺吡藥撞剑鋈豢人缘脹](méi)辦法，只好回來(lái)，

這時(shí)候阿利多羅又來(lái)到通村子的小道，停下腳步，把它的朋友皮諾喬小心翼翼地放在地上。

“我該怎么謝你呀!”木偶說(shuō)。

“不用謝，”狗回答說(shuō)，“你救過(guò)我的命，善有善報(bào)。要知道，在這個(gè)世界上大家應(yīng)該互相幫助。”

“可你怎么會(huì)到這山洞來(lái)的?”

“我一直在海邊直挺挺地躺著，半死不活的，忽然一陣風(fēng)打遠(yuǎn)處吹來(lái)了炸魚(yú)的香味。這股香味引起了我的食欲，我就跟著它走。要是來(lái)晚一分鐘就糟了!……”

“別說(shuō)了，別說(shuō)了!”皮諾喬又嚇得渾身發(fā)抖，叫著說(shuō)，“你別說(shuō)了!你要是晚來(lái)一分鐘，這會(huì)兒我已經(jīng)給炸熟，被吃掉，消化了。啊!……一想到這個(gè)我就發(fā)抖啦!……”

阿利多羅笑著向木偶伸出右爪子，木偶使勁緊緊地握住它，表示極其友好的感情。接著他們就分手了。

狗重新取道回家。皮諾喬一個(gè)人留下來(lái)，向不遠(yuǎn)的一間小茅屋走去。小茅屋門(mén)口坐著一位老人，正在曬太陽(yáng)。木偶問(wèn)他說(shuō)：

“請(qǐng)您告訴我，好心的老人家，您知道一個(gè)可憐孩子，叫埃烏杰尼奧的，腦袋給打傷了嗎?……”

“一些打魚(yú)人把他送到這茅屋里來(lái)了?，F(xiàn)在他……”

“現(xiàn)在他死了!……”皮諾喬極其傷心地打斷他的話。

“沒(méi)有，他現(xiàn)在活著，已經(jīng)回家去了。”

“真的嗎，真的嗎?”木偶高興得跳起來(lái)，叫道，“這么說(shuō)，傷不重，……”

“它有可能造成嚴(yán)重后果，甚至死人，”老年人回答，“因?yàn)樗墙o一本厚板紙封面的大書(shū)打中了腦袋。”

“誰(shuí)打傷他了，”

“一個(gè)同學(xué)，叫皮諾喬的……”

“這皮諾喬是誰(shuí)，”木偶假裝不知道，問(wèn)道。

“他們說(shuō)是個(gè)小壞蛋，是個(gè)小流氓，是個(gè)真正的小無(wú)賴……”

“造謠!完全是造謠!”

“你認(rèn)識(shí)這皮諾喬?”

“見(jiàn)過(guò)!”木偶回答說(shuō)。

“你看他怎么樣，”老年人問(wèn)他。

“依我說(shuō)，他是個(gè)好極了的孩子，一心想讀書(shū)，又聽(tīng)話，又愛(ài)他的爸爸，又愛(ài)他的一家人……”

木偶正這樣一口氣地撒著謊，摸摸鼻子，發(fā)覺(jué)鼻子已經(jīng)長(zhǎng)了一個(gè)多手掌。他害怕得叫起來(lái)：

“好心的老人家，我扯了一通關(guān)于他的好話，您可全都別信。因?yàn)槲沂煜てぶZ喬，可以保證他真正是個(gè)小壞蛋，不聽(tīng)話，不學(xué)好，不去上學(xué)，卻跟著一幫子同學(xué)去東游西蕩!”

這番話一說(shuō)完，他的鼻子就縮小，恢復(fù)了原來(lái)的樣子。

“為什么你整個(gè)人白成這樣?”老年人忽然問(wèn)他。

“我告訴你……我沒(méi)留神，在一堵新刷白的墻上擦了一下，”木偶回答說(shuō)。他不好意思承認(rèn)他被當(dāng)作魚(yú)拌上面粉，預(yù)備扔進(jìn)油鍋里去炸。

“噢，你的上衣，你的短褲，還有你的帽子，你都怎么啦?”

“我遇到了強(qiáng)盜，把我給剝了。您說(shuō)吧，好心的老人家，您沒(méi)有一點(diǎn)什么可以給我穿穿，讓我好回家去嗎?”

“我的孩子，說(shuō)到可以穿的東西，我只有那么個(gè)小口袋，裝扁豆的。你要就拿去吧。就在那兒。”

皮諾喬不等他說(shuō)第二遍，馬上拿起這個(gè)裝扁豆的空口袋，用剪刀在袋底開(kāi)了一個(gè)洞，在兩邊開(kāi)了兩個(gè)小洞，就當(dāng)襯衫穿。他一下子把腦袋和雙手鉆過(guò)那些洞，穿好了，就動(dòng)身上村里去。

可他一路上感到心里不踏實(shí)。老實(shí)說(shuō)，他是進(jìn)一步又退一步。他一邊走一邊自言自語(yǔ)說(shuō)：

“我有什么臉去見(jiàn)我那好心的仙女呢?我見(jiàn)了她說(shuō)什么好呢?……我又做出這樁壞事，她會(huì)原諒我一次嗎?……可以打賭，她不會(huì)原諒了!……唉!她準(zhǔn)不會(huì)原諒我……這是我活該，因?yàn)槲沂莻€(gè)小壞蛋，答應(yīng)好了改過(guò)，結(jié)果又違背了諾言!……”

他來(lái)到村里，天已經(jīng)黑了。天氣很壞，下著瓢潑大雨。他徑直上仙女家，決定敲敲門(mén)，自己就開(kāi)門(mén)進(jìn)去。

可是一到那里，他覺(jué)得勇氣沒(méi)有了，不是去敲門(mén)，卻是往回跑了二十來(lái)步。

他第二次走到門(mén)口，還是不敢敲門(mén)。他第三次走到門(mén)口，依然不敢敲門(mén)。第四次他才算發(fā)著抖，拿起鐵門(mén)錘，輕輕地把門(mén)敲了敲。

他等啊，等啊，最后過(guò)了半個(gè)鐘頭，最高一層(這是座四層樓房)才打開(kāi)窗子，皮諾喬看見(jiàn)一只大蝸牛探出頭出來(lái)，頭上有盞點(diǎn)亮的小燈。這蝸牛說(shuō)：“這么晚了，是誰(shuí)呀?”

“仙女在家嗎?”木偶問(wèn)它。

“仙女睡了，不要人叫醒她。你倒是誰(shuí)?”

“是我!”

“這個(gè)我是誰(shuí)?”

“皮諾喬。”

“皮諾喬是誰(shuí)?”

“是木偶，原先跟仙女住在一起的。”

“啊，我明白了，”蝸牛說(shuō)，“你等等我，我這就下來(lái)給你開(kāi)門(mén)。”

“謝謝你快一點(diǎn)，我都要冷死了。”

“我的孩子，我是一只蝸牛，蝸牛永遠(yuǎn)快不了的。”

過(guò)了一個(gè)鐘頭，過(guò)了兩個(gè)鐘頭，可門(mén)還沒(méi)有開(kāi)。皮諾喬又是冷，又是害怕，又是渾身水淋淋，因此直打哆嗦。于是他拿定主意再敲一次門(mén)，這回敲得比上一回響。

聽(tīng)見(jiàn)這第二次敲門(mén)聲，第四層下面一層的窗子打開(kāi)了，還是那只蝸牛探出頭來(lái)。

“我的好蝸牛，”皮諾喬打下面街上叫，“我已經(jīng)等了兩個(gè)鐘頭了!這么可怕的夜，兩個(gè)鐘頭比這兩年還長(zhǎng)。幫幫忙，請(qǐng)您快一點(diǎn)。”

“我的孩子，”這小生物不急不忙，十分平靜，在窗口回答說(shuō)：“我的孩子，我是一只蝸牛，蝸牛都是快不起來(lái)的。” 窗子又關(guān)上了。

不多一會(huì)兒就敲半夜十二點(diǎn)，接著半夜一點(diǎn)，接著是半夜兩點(diǎn)，門(mén)還是關(guān)著。

皮諾喬可忍不住了。他氣得抓住門(mén)錘，就要用力撞門(mén)，讓整座房子給撞得搖晃起來(lái)。可鐵門(mén)錘一下子變了活鰻魚(yú)，打他手里滑出來(lái)，鉆到路當(dāng)中的水坑里不見(jiàn)了。

“啊!是這樣?”皮諾喬越發(fā)氣昏了，叫道，“門(mén)錘沒(méi)有了，我就用腳狠狠地踢。”

他退后兩步，然后沖過(guò)去在門(mén)上狠狠一腳。這一腳踢得可厲害，半條腳都插到門(mén)里去了。木偶想拔出腿，可用盡了力氣也拔不出來(lái)。這半條腿像敲彎的釘子似的，牢牢釘在那里了。

請(qǐng)諸位想象一下這可憐的皮諾喬吧!整個(gè)下半夜他就這么一條腿站在地上，一條腿翹著。

等到天亮，門(mén)終于開(kāi)了。蝸牛這要命的小生物整整花了九個(gè)鐘頭，才下完四層樓，來(lái)到臨街的大門(mén)口。得說(shuō)句老實(shí)話，它已經(jīng)走得滿身大汗了!

“你干嗎把一條腿插在門(mén)里?”它笑著問(wèn)木偶。

“真倒霉。您倒瞧瞧，好蝸牛，看有什么辦法讓我不受這份罪。”

“我的孩子，這件事得找木匠，我可從來(lái)沒(méi)當(dāng)過(guò)木匠。”

“替我求求仙女吧!……”

“仙女睡了，不要人叫醒她，”

“我整天釘在這門(mén)上，您叫我干什么呢?”

“您就自得其樂(lè)，數(shù)數(shù)路上走過(guò)的螞蟻嗎。”

“您至少給我點(diǎn)什么吃吃，我都要餓死了。”

“馬上拿來(lái)!”蝸牛說(shuō)。

實(shí)際上又整整過(guò)了三個(gè)半鐘頭，皮諾喬才看見(jiàn)它頂著個(gè)銀托盤(pán)回來(lái)。托盤(pán)上有一個(gè)面包、一只炸雞和四個(gè)長(zhǎng)熟了的杏子。

“這是仙女給您送來(lái)的早飯，”蝸牛說(shuō)。

木偶看到這頓大菜，感到渾身來(lái)勁了。

可等到他一吃，馬上就倒胃口，原來(lái)面包是白堊做的，炸雞是厚板紙做的，四個(gè)杏子是石膏做好，涂上顏色的!

他失望得想哭，想把托盤(pán)邊同上面的東西一起甩掉，可不知是由于太傷心呢還是太餓，一下子昏倒了。

等到他醒來(lái)，他已經(jīng)直挺挺躺在一張沙發(fā)床上，仙女就在他身邊。

“這一回我也原諒了你，”仙女對(duì)他說(shuō)，“可你再給我來(lái)這么一次，就沒(méi)你好的!……”

皮諾喬賭咒發(fā)誓，說(shuō)他要用功讀書(shū)，做個(gè)很好很好的孩子。這一年下來(lái)，他都守住他的諾言。的確，他大考光榮地得了全校第一名，品行總的說(shuō)來(lái)也得到好評(píng)，令人滿意。因此仙女十分高興，對(duì)他說(shuō)：

“你的愿望明天終于要實(shí)現(xiàn)了!”

“你說(shuō)什么?”

“到明天你就不再是一個(gè)木偶，而要變成一個(gè)真的孩子了。”

諸位沒(méi)看到皮諾喬那份樂(lè)勁!他一直盼望著這個(gè)消息，如今聽(tīng)了，他那份高興簡(jiǎn)直是無(wú)法想象的。為了慶祝這件大喜事，明天仙女家要舉行盛大的早宴，把他所有的朋友和同學(xué)都請(qǐng)來(lái)參加。仙女答應(yīng)準(zhǔn)備兩百杯牛奶咖啡和四百片面包，每片面包都兩面涂上黃油。沒(méi)問(wèn)題，這準(zhǔn)是個(gè)極其快活，極其美好的日子，可是……

真不幸，木偶一生中老這么可是，可是的，這一來(lái)，就把什么事情都給毀了。