書(shū)蟲(chóng)四級(jí)《三怪客泛舟記》：第十二章 “元帥”和貓

Chapter 12 Montmorency and the cat

第十二章 “元帥”和貓

On Monday morning, we got up quite early and we went to swim before breakfast. On the way back, Montmorency behaved very stupidly.

星期一早晨，我們起得很早，早飯前在河里洗了一個(gè)澡。就在回來(lái)的路上，“元帥”干了一件天大的蠢事。

The only thing that Montmorency and I disagree about is cats. I like cats. Montmorency does not.

我和“元帥”只在一個(gè)問(wèn)題上存在分歧，那就是對(duì)貓的看法：我喜歡貓，而“元帥”卻不。

When I meet a cat, I say hello to it. Then I bend down and I stroke it gently, behind the ears and along the side of its head. The cat likes this. It puts its tail up and it pushes itself against my legs. And there is love and peace. When Montmorency meets a cat, everybody knows about it, and a lot of bad words are used.

我每次遇到貓，總會(huì)親切地招呼它，俯下身輕輕撫摸它，摸摸它的耳后和腦袋旁邊。貓呢，喜歡的就是這一套，它會(huì)豎起尾巴，把身體在我的腿上蹭蹭，充滿了溫柔和恬靜的感覺(jué)?？墒侨绻?ldquo;元帥”遇見(jiàn)貓，那準(zhǔn)會(huì)攪得四鄰不安，直招別人的罵。

I do not really blame Montmorency(usually I just hit him, or throw stones at him),because dogs are like that. They hate cats. But that morning, Montmorency wished that he had not argued with a cat.

我倒并不責(zé)怪“元帥”(通常不過(guò)敲它一下，或者用石子扔它)，因?yàn)楣返谋拘跃褪沁@樣，它們就是恨貓。但那天早上，它卻寧可自己沒(méi)有去招惹那只貓。

As we were coming back from the river, a cat ran out from one of the houses, and it began to walk across the road. Montmorency saw the cat, gave a shout of real happiness, and ran after it.

我們從河邊回來(lái)時(shí)，一只貓從某間屋子里躥出來(lái)，橫著過(guò)馬路。“元帥”一看見(jiàn)貓，無(wú)比幸福地發(fā)出一聲歡呼，就追了下去。

It was a big, black cat. I have never seen a bigger cat. It had lost half its tail and one of its ears, but it looked calm and happy.

那是一只又大又黑的貓。我從來(lái)沒(méi)有見(jiàn)過(guò)這么大的貓，雖然掉了半只尾巴和一只耳朵，看上去還是一副泰然自若，滿不在乎的樣子。

Montmorency ran at that cat as fast as he could, but the cat did not hurry. It did not seem to understand that its life was in danger. It walked on quietly until the enemy was near it. Then it turned and sat down in the middle of the road. It looked at Montmorency in a quiet way, and it seemed to say,' Yes? You want me?'

“元帥”使足了勁去追那只貓，可貓卻不慌不忙，若無(wú)其事的，似乎沒(méi)有意識(shí)到生命已受到威脅。它仍然不動(dòng)聲色地走著，直到敵人走近了才轉(zhuǎn)過(guò)身，坐在馬路中間，冷靜、地看著“元帥”，好象在說(shuō)：“怎么，你找我嗎?”

Montmorency is quite a brave dog, but there was something in the way the cat looked at him. It frightened him.He stopped suddenly, and he looked at the cat. They did not speak, of course, but it was easy to imagine their conversation.

“元帥”向來(lái)是只勇猛頑強(qiáng)的狗，可那只黑貓凜然看他的眼神卻使這條英勇非凡的狗嚇得矮了半截。它突然站住，瞪著眼看著黑貓。當(dāng)然雙方一言不發(fā)，但很容易想象它們倆的談話內(nèi)容。

THE CAT: Can I do anything for you?

黑貓：“我能為您效勞嗎?”

MONTMORENCY: No...no, thanks.

“元帥”：“沒(méi)……沒(méi)什么事，謝謝。”

THE CAT: Do please tell me if there is something you want, won't you?

黑貓：“您有什么要求，就請(qǐng)?zhí)孤实卣f(shuō)，好嗎?”

MONTMORENCY (who moves backwards down the road): Oh, no. Not at all...certainly...I... I'm afraid I've made a mistake. I thought I knew you...I'm sorry.

“元帥”(身子沿著馬路退后幾步)：“不，一點(diǎn)也沒(méi)有。我……恐怕……是個(gè)誤會(huì)。我還以為認(rèn)識(shí)您的……對(duì)不起。”

THE CAT: Not at all. Are you quite sure you don't want anything now?

黑貓：“沒(méi)關(guān)系。您當(dāng)真沒(méi)什么要求嗎?”

MONTMORENCY(who continues to move back): Not at all...thanks...not at all...very kind of you...Good morning.

“元帥”(還往后退著)：“沒(méi)……沒(méi)有。什么也沒(méi)有……謝謝……沒(méi)有……您真太好了，再見(jiàn)。”

THE CAT: Good morning.

黑貓：“再見(jiàn)。”

Then the cat stood up and continued along the road. Mont-morency, with his tail between his legs, walked behind us. He hoped that nobody would notice him.

于是黑貓站起來(lái)，繼續(xù)沿著馬路往前走。“元帥”尾巴夾在兩腿之間，躲在我們身后，盼著別人都沒(méi)有注意到它。

Now, if you say' Cats!' to Montmorency, he looks up at you, and his eyes beg you,' No, please!'

直到今天，只要你對(duì)“元帥”一提“貓!”它就會(huì)仰頭望著你，可憐巴巴的樣子好像在說(shuō)：“請(qǐng)別……”

After this we did our shopping, went back to the boat, and moved off along the river again. However, at Hambledon lock, we found that we had no water. So we went to ask the lock-keeper for some. George spoke for us. He said,' Oh, please, could you give us a little water?' 'Of course,' the old man replied. 'Just take what you want and leave the rest.'

這番歷險(xiǎn)之后，我們?nèi)ベI東西，買完?yáng)|西又上了船，起航。不久到了漢布爾登水閘才發(fā)現(xiàn)水喝光了。我們到水閘看守人那里要些水，喬治是我們的發(fā)言人。他說(shuō)：“請(qǐng)您幫個(gè)忙，給我們一點(diǎn)水，好嗎?”“當(dāng)然可以，”老漢答道，“要多少拿多少，剩下的還放在那兒就行了。”

'Thank you very much, 'George said, and he looked round. 'But where is it?'

“太謝謝您啦，”喬治向兩邊看了看，“可您的水在哪兒?”

'It's where it always is, my boy, 'the lock-keeper answered. 'It's behind you.'

“總在那個(gè)老地方嘛，我的孩子，”看閘人說(shuō)，“就在你背后。”

George looked round again.' I can't see it,' he said.

喬治又看看四周：“我還是看不見(jiàn)啊!”他說(shuō)。

'Why? Where are your eyes?' the man said, and he turned George towards the river.

“怎么，你的眼睛長(zhǎng)哪兒去了?”老漢說(shuō)著把喬治的身子轉(zhuǎn)向河面。

'Oh!' George cried.' But we can't drink the river, you know.'

“哦!”喬治喊了一聲，“可您知道，我們總不能把河水都喝了呀!”

'No, but you can drink some of it,' the old man replied.' That's what I've drunk for fifteen years.'

“是啊，可是你可以喝一點(diǎn)啊!”老人回答，“我喝這水喝了十五年了。”

We got some water from another house.

最后，還是從另外一家討來(lái)點(diǎn)水。

After we had got our water, we went on towards Wargrave, but before we got there, we stopped for lunch.

水有了，我們又駛向沃格雷夫。還沒(méi)有到那里，我們就停船吃午餐。

We were sitting in a field near the river, and we were just going to start eating. Harris was preparing the food, and George and I were waiting with our plates.

坐在水邊的草地上，大家準(zhǔn)備吃午餐。哈里斯正在做飯，喬治和我拿著盤(pán)子等著。

'Have you got a spoon?' Harris asked. 'I need a spoon.'

“你們誰(shuí)有一把勺子?”哈里斯問(wèn)，“我要個(gè)勺子。”

The basket was behind us, and George and I both turned to get a spoon. It took about five seconds. When we looked back again, Harris and the food had gone. It was an open field, and there were no trees. There was nowhere to hide. He had not fallen in the river, because we were between him and the water.

籃子就放在我們身后，喬治和我轉(zhuǎn)身去拿勺子。統(tǒng)共不到五秒鐘，我們回身一看，哈里斯和吃的東西都不見(jiàn)了。那是一片空蕩蕩的草地，周圍沒(méi)有一棵樹(shù)，沒(méi)有地方可以躲藏。他也不可能掉進(jìn)河里，因?yàn)槲覀冏谒秃铀g。

George and I looked round. Then we looked at each other. Harris had gone—disappeared! Sadly, we looked again at the place where Harris and the food had been. And then, to our horror, we saw Harris's head-and only his head-in the grass. The face was very red and very angry.

喬治和我四周看了看，又相對(duì)瞠目而視。哈里斯不見(jiàn)了!——失蹤了!我們傷心地轉(zhuǎn)過(guò)頭看看剛才哈里斯和午飯還在的地方。不看還罷，這一看嚇得我們魂飛天外!——我們看見(jiàn)哈里斯的頭——只有一個(gè)腦袋在草地上，臉脹得通紅，十分生氣的樣子。

George was the first to speak.

喬治首先恢復(fù)神態(tài)，說(shuō)了話：

'Say something!' he cried. 'Are you alive or dead? Where is the rest of you?'

“快說(shuō)!”他喊道，“你到底活著，還是死了，你的身體哪兒去了?”

'Oh, don't be so stupid!' Harris's head said. 'It's your fault. You made me sit there. You did it to annoy me! Here, take the food!'

“呸!別裝傻了，”哈里斯的腦袋開(kāi)口說(shuō)，“還不是你們搞的鬼，逼我坐在這里，不讓我有好日子過(guò)!快，拿著飯!”

And from the middle of the grass the food appeared, and then Harris came out, dirty and wet.

草地中間出來(lái)了午飯，隨后哈里斯也爬了出來(lái)，渾身上下又臟又濕。

Harris had not known that he had been sitting on the edge of a hole. The grass had hidden it. Then, suddenly, he had fallen backwards into it. He said he had not known what was happening to him. He thought, at first, that it was the end of the world.

哈里斯沒(méi)有意識(shí)到剛才坐在一個(gè)洞口上。茂草掩蓋了洞口，他突然就向后掉了下去。他說(shuō)起初也想不明白到底怎么回事，只道是世界末日來(lái)臨了!

Harris still believes that George and I planned it.

哈里斯至今仍然以為是喬治和我搞的陰謀。