木偶奇遇記：Chapter 30

Coming at last out of the surprise into which the Fairy's words had thrown him, Pinocchio asked for permission to give out the invitations.

當然，皮諾喬馬上就得到仙女同意，進城去把要請的人都給請來。臨走時仙女對他說：

"Indeed, you may invite your friends to tomorrow's party. Only remember to return home before dark. Do you understand?"

“那你就去請你的同學們明天來參加早宴吧。可你記住了，天黑前就得回家。明白了嗎?”

"I'll be back in one hour without fail," answered the Marionette.

我保證一個鐘頭就回來，木偶回答說。

"Take care, Pinocchio! Boys give promises very easily, but they as easily forget them."

“留神點，皮諾喬：孩子們總是答應起來很爽快，可做起來卻慢騰騰的。”

"But I am not like those others. When I give my word I keep it."

“我跟別人可不一樣，我說到做到。”

"We shall see. In case you do disobey, you will be the one to suffer, not anyone else."

“咱們看吧。萬一你不聽話，你就要吃更大的苦頭。”

"Why?"

“為什么?”

"Because boys who do not listen to their elders always come to grief."

“因為孩子不聽比他們懂得多的人勸，總是要倒霉的。”

"I certainly have," said Pinocchio, "but from now on, I obey."

“我已經嘗到過滋味!”皮諾喬說，“現(xiàn)在我不會再犯老毛病了!”

"We shall see if you are telling the truth."

“我說的話是真是假，咱們看吧。”

Without adding another word, the Marionette bade the good Fairy good-by, and singing and dancing, he left the house.

木偶二話不說，就跟做他媽媽的好心仙女告了別，又唱又跳地出門去了。

In a little more than an hour, all his friends were invited. Some accepted quickly and gladly. Others had to be coaxed, but when they heard that the toast was to be buttered on both sides, they all ended by accepting the invitation with the words, "We'll come to please you."

一個鐘頭多一點，所有的朋友他都請到了。有人一聽就高興地接受邀請。有人還得先求一求，可一聽說有牛奶咖啡喝，還有兩面涂黃油的面包吃，就都說：“我們?yōu)榱俗屇愀吲d，要來的。”

Now it must be known that, among all his friends, Pinocchio had one whom he loved most of all. The boy's real name was Romeo, but everyone called him Lamp-Wick, for he was long and thin and had a woebegone look about him.

現(xiàn)在諸位要知道，皮諾喬在他的朋友和同學中間，有一個最知己最要好的，名字叫羅梅奧，可大家給他取了個綽號叫“小燈芯”，因為他又干又瘦，活像晚上小油燈點的一根新燈芯。

Lamp-Wick was the laziest boy in the school and the biggest mischief-maker, but Pinocchio loved him dearly.

小燈芯在全校學生當中最懶情最搗蛋，可皮諾喬卻很喜歡他。事實就是這樣，他一開頭就上他家去找他，要請他赴早宴，可沒碰到。他第二次去，小燈芯不在家。他第三次去，還是白跑。

That day, he went straight to his friend's house to invite him to the party, but Lamp-Wick was not at home. He went a second time, and again a third, but still without success.

哪兒能找到他呢?這里找，那里找，最后總算看見他躲在一間農舍的門廊里。

Where could he be? Pinocchio searched here and there and everywhere, and finally discovered him hiding near a farmer's wagon.

“你在這兒干嗎?”皮諾喬走過去問他。

"What are you doing there?" asked Pinocchio, running up to him.

“等半夜好離開這里……”

"I am waiting for midnight to strike to go -- "

“上哪兒去?”

"Where?"

“上很遠很遠的地方去!”

"Far, far away!"

“我可是上你家找你三次了!……”

"And I have gone to your house three times to look for you!"

“你找我干嗎?”

"What did you want from me?"

“你不知道這個重要消息嗎?你不知道我交的好運嗎?”

"Haven't you heard the news? Don't you know what good luck is mine?"

“什么好運?”

"What is it?"

“趕明兒我就不再是木偶，要變成一個真孩子，像你，像大家一樣了。”

"Tomorrow I end my days as a Marionette and become a boy, like you and all my other friends."

“恭喜恭喜。”

"May it bring you luck!"

“就為了這件事，希望你明天上我家赴早宴。”

"Shall I see you at my party tomorrow?"

“可我跟你說了，我今天夜里就得離開這里!”

"But I'm telling you that I go tonight."

“幾點鐘?”

"At what time?"

“半夜十二點。”

"At midnight."

“上哪兒?”

"And where are you going?"

“上一個國家……這是全世界最美的國家，一個真正的快樂的國家!……”

"To a real country -- the best in the world -- a wonderful place!"

“這國家叫什么名字?”

"What is it called?"

“叫‘玩兒國’。你干嗎不跟我一起去呢?”

"It is called the Land of Toys. Why don't you come, too?"

“我，我可不去!”

"I? Oh, no!"

“那你就大錯特錯了，皮諾喬!你相信我的話，不去你要后悔的。對我們孩子來說，哪兒還能找到一個更好的國家呢?那兒沒有學校，那兒沒有老師，那兒沒有書本。在這幸福國家里永遠不要學習。星期四不用上學，一個星期有六個星期四和一個星期日。你想象一下吧，秋假從一月一號放到十二月最后一天。這個國家真配我胃口!一切文明國家都該像它這樣才好!……”

"You are making a big mistake, Pinocchio. Believe me, if you don't come, you'll be sorry. Where can you find a place that will agree better with you and me? No schools, no teachers, no books! In that blessed place there is no such thing as study. Here, it is only on Saturdays that we have no school. In the Land of Toys, every day, except Sunday, is a Saturday. Vacation begins on the first of January and ends on the last day of December. That is the place for me! All countries should be like it! How happy we should all be!"

“在‘玩兒國’里日子是怎么過的?”

"But how does one spend the day in the Land of Toys?"

“就玩著過，從早玩到晚。晚上睡一覺，第二天早晨又重新開始玩。你覺得怎么樣?”

"Days are spent in play and enjoyment from morn till night. At night one goes to bed, and next morning, the good times begin all over again. What do you think of it?"

“嗯!……”皮諾喬嗯了一聲，輕輕點點頭，像是說：“這種日子我也真想過。”

"H'm -- !" said Pinocchio, nodding his wooden head, as if to say, "It's the kind of life which would agree with me perfectly."

“那么，我想跟我一起去嗎?去還是不去?你拿主意吧。”

"Do you want to go with me, then? Yes or no? You must make up your mind."

“不去，不去，不去，我不去。如今我已經答應過我的好心仙女，說我要做個好孩子，說了就要算數(shù)。再說，我看太陽正在落下去，我得馬上離開你，趕緊走了。好，再見，祝我一路平安。”

"No, no, and again no! I have promised my kind Fairy to become a good boy, and I want to keep my word. Just see: The sun is setting and I must leave you and run. Good-by and good luck to you!"

“你這么急急忙忙的上哪兒啊?”

"Where are you going in such a hurry?"

“回家。我的好仙女要我天黑前回家。”

"Home. My good Fairy wants me to return home before night."

“再等兩分鐘吧。”

"Wait two minutes more."

“那太晚了。”

"It's too late!"

“就那么兩分鐘嘛，”

"Only two minutes."

“萬一仙女罵我呢?”

"And if the Fairy scolds me?"

“讓她去罵好了。她罵夠了會不罵的，”小燈芯這小壞蛋說。

"Let her scold. After she gets tired, she will stop," said Lamp-Wick.

“你怎么?一個人去還是跟大伙兒一起去，”

"Are you going alone or with others?"

“一個人去?有百來個孩子呢?”

"Alone? There will be more than a hundred of us!"

“走著去嗎?”

"Will you walk?"

“半夜有一輛車子經過這里，要把我們一直送到這個無比幸福的國家去。”

"At midnight the wagon passes here that is to take us within the boundaries of that marvelous country."

“現(xiàn)在是半夜就好了，那我什么都愿意給!……”

"How I wish midnight would strike!"

“為什么?”

"Why?"

“為了看看你們大伙兒動身。”

"To see you all set out together."

“在這兒再等一會兒，你就看見了。”

"Stay here a while longer and you will see us!"

“不行不行，我得回家了，”

"No, no. I want to return home."

“就等那么兩分鐘吧。”

"Wait two more minutes."

“我已經呆得太久了。仙女要想我啦。”

"I have waited too long as it is. The Fairy will be worried."

“可憐的仙女!她是怕蝙蝠吃了你嗎?”

"Poor Fairy! Is she afraid the bats will eat you up?"

“不過，”皮諾喬又說，“你斷定這國家沒學校嗎?……”

"Listen, Lamp-Wick," said the Marionette, "are you really sure that there are no schools in the Land of Toys?" "Not even the shadow of one."

“連學校的影子也沒有，”

"Not even one teacher?"

“也沒有老師嗎?……”

"Not one."

“一個也沒有。”

"And one does not have to study?"

“也不要學習嗎?……”

"Never, never, never!"

“不要，不要，不要!”

"What a great land!" said Pinocchio, feeling his mouth water. "What a beautiful land! I have never been there, but I can well imagine it."

“多美的國家呀!”皮諾喬說，覺得口水都要流下來了。“多美的國家呀!我沒到過那里，可我完全能想象出來!……”

"Why don't you come, too?"

“那你干嗎不也上那兒去嗎?”

"It is useless for you to tempt me! I told you I promised my good Fairy to behave myself, and I am going to keep my word."

“你引不動我!如今我已經答應我的好仙女，要做個有頭腦的孩子，我不想說話不算數(shù)。”

"Good-by, then, and remember me to the grammar schools, to the high schools, and even to the colleges if you meet them on the way."

“那就再見吧，代我向初級中學致敬!……要是你在路上碰到一些高級中學，也代我向它們致敬。”

"Good-by, Lamp-Wick. Have a pleasant trip, enjoy yourself, and remember your friends once in a while."

“再見，小燈芯，一路平安，祝你快活，常常想到朋友們。”

With these words, the Marionette started on his way home. Turning once more to his friend, he asked him:

木偶說著就要走，走了兩步又停下來，向他這位朋友回過身子，問道：

"But are you sure that, in that country, each week is composed of six Saturdays and one Sunday?"

“你真的斷定，這國家個個星期都是六個星期四和一個星期日嗎?”

"Very sure!"

“完全斷定。”

"And that vacation begins on the first of January and ends on the thirty-first of December?"

“你真的知道，年年的假期都是從一月一號放到十二月最末了一天嗎?”

"Very, very sure!"

“一點不假!”

"What a great country!" repeated Pinocchio, puzzled as to what to do.

“多美的國家呀!”皮諾喬又說一遍，太高興了，吐了口口水。

Then, in sudden determination, he said hurriedly:

接著他又拿定主意，狠了狠心，很快地又說了一句：

"Good-by for the last time, and good luck."

“好，真的再見了，一路平安。”

"Good-by."

“再見。”

"How soon will you go?"

“你們多咱動身?”

"Within two hours."

“就在兩個鐘頭之內!”

"What a pity! If it were only one hour, I might wait for you."

“真可惜!要是只有一個鐘頭，我還可以等等。”

"And the Fairy?"

“那仙女呢?”

"By this time I'm late, and one hour more or less makes very little difference."

“不過現(xiàn)在反正晚了……回家早一個鐘頭晚一個鐘頭沒什么兩樣。”

"Poor Pinocchio! And if the Fairy scolds you?"

“可憐的皮諾喬!萬一仙女罵你呢?”

"Oh, I'll let her scold. After she gets tired, she will stop."

“沒法子!讓她罵吧。罵夠了會不罵的。”

In the meantime, the night became darker and darker. All at once in the distance a small light flickered. A queer sound could be heard, soft as a little bell, and faint and muffled like the buzz of a far-away mosquito.

這時天已經全黑，黑得伸手不見五指了。忽然只見遠遠有一點燈光在移動……還聽到鈴鐺聲和喇叭聲，聲音很輕很悶，似是蚊子嗡嗡叫!

"There it is!" cried Lamp-Wick, jumping to his feet.

“來了!”小燈芯叫著跳起來。

"What?" whispered Pinocchio.

“誰來了?”皮諾喬低聲問。

"The wagon which is coming to get me. For the last time, are you coming or not?"

“來接我的車子。好，你要去嗎?去還是不去?”

"But is it really true that in that country boys never have to study?"

“可你說的是真話嗎?”木偶問道，“在那個國家里孩子都不要學習?”

"Never, never, never!"

“不要，不要，不要!”

"What a wonderful, beautiful, marvelous country! Oh -- h -- h!!"

“多美的國家呀!……多美的國家!……多美的國家呀!……”