MOTHER, let us imagine we are travelling, and passing through a strange and dangerouscountry.
媽媽,讓我們想象我們正在旅行,經(jīng)過(guò)一個(gè)陌生而危險(xiǎn)的國(guó)土。
You are riding in a palanquin and I am trotting by you on a red horse.
你坐在一頂轎子里,我騎著一匹紅馬,在你旁邊跑著。
It is evening and the sun goes down. The waste of Joradighi lies wan and grey before us. Theland is desolate and barren.
是黃昏的時(shí)候,太陽(yáng)已經(jīng)下山了。約拉地希的荒地疲乏而灰暗地展開(kāi)在我們面前,大地是凄涼而荒蕪的。
You are frightened and thinking--"I know not where we have come to."
你害怕了,想道——“我不知道我們到了什么地方了。”
I say to you, "Mother, do not be afraid."
我對(duì)你說(shuō)道:“媽媽,不要害怕。”
The meadow is prickly with spiky grass, and through it runs a narrow broken path.
草地上刺蓬蓬地長(zhǎng)著針尖似的草,一條狹而崎嶇的小道通過(guò)這塊草地。
There are no cattle to be seen in the wide field; they have gone to their village stalls.
在這片廣大的地面上看不見(jiàn)一只牛;它們已經(jīng)回到它們村里的牛棚去了。
It grows dark and dim on the land and sky, and we cannot tell where we are going.
天色黑了下來(lái),大地和天空都顯得朦朦朧朧的,而我們不能說(shuō)出我們正走向什么所在。
Suddenly you call me and ask me in a whisper, "What light is that near the bank?"
突然間,你叫我,悄悄地問(wèn)我道:“靠近河岸的是什么火光呀?”
Just then there bursts out a fearful yell, and figures come running towards us.
正在那個(gè)時(shí)候,一陣可怕的吶喊聲爆發(fā)了,好些人影子向我們跑過(guò)來(lái)。
You sit crouched in your palanquin and repeat the names of the gods in prayer.
你蹲坐在你的轎子里,嘴里反復(fù)地禱念著神的名字。
The bearers, shaking in terror, hide themselves in the thorny bush.
轎夫們,怕得發(fā)抖,躲藏在荊棘叢中。
I shout to you, "Don't be afraid, mother. I am here."
我向你喊道:“不要害怕,媽媽,有我在這里。”
With long sticks in their hands and hair all wild about their heads, they come nearer and nearer.
他們手里執(zhí)著長(zhǎng)棒,頭發(fā)披散著,越走越近了。
I shout, "Have a care! you villains! One step more and you are dead men."
我喊道:“要當(dāng)心!你們這些壞蛋!再向前走一步,你們就要送命了。”
They give another terrible yell and rush forward.
他們又發(fā)出一陣可怕的吶喊聲,向前沖過(guò)來(lái)。
You clutch my hand and say, "Dear boy, for heaven's sake, keep away from them."
你抓住我的手,說(shuō)道:“好孩子,看在上天面上,躲開(kāi)他們罷。”
I say, "Mother, just you watch me."
我說(shuō)道:“媽媽,你瞧我的。”
Then I spur my horse for a wild gallop, and my sword and buckler clash against each other.
于是我刺策著我的馬匹,猛奔過(guò)去,我的劍和盾彼此碰著作響。
The fight becomes so fearful, mother, that it would give you a cold shudder could you see itfrom your palanquin.
這一場(chǎng)戰(zhàn)斗是那么激烈,媽媽,如果你從轎子里看得見(jiàn)的話,你一定會(huì)發(fā)冷戰(zhàn)的。
Many of them fly, and a great number are cut to pieces.
他們之中,許多人逃走了,還有好些人被砍殺了。
I know you are thinking, sitting all by yourself, that your boy must be dead by this time.
我知道你那時(shí)獨(dú)自坐在那里,心里正在想著,你的孩子這時(shí)候一定已經(jīng)死了。
But I come to you all stained with blood, and say, "Mother, the fight is over now."
但是我跑到你的跟前,渾身濺滿了鮮血,說(shuō)道:“媽媽,現(xiàn)在戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)已經(jīng)結(jié)束了。”
You come out and kiss me, pressing me to your heart, and you say to yourself,
你從轎子里走出來(lái),吻著我,把我摟在你的心頭,你自言自語(yǔ)地說(shuō)道:
"I don't know what I should do if I hadn't my boy to escort me."
“如果我沒(méi)有我的孩子護(hù)送我,我簡(jiǎn)直不知道怎么辦才好。”
A thousand useless things happen day after day, and why couldn't such a thing come true bychance?
一千件無(wú)聊的事天天在發(fā)生,為什么這樣一件事不能夠偶然實(shí)現(xiàn)呢?
It would be like a story in a book.
這很像一本書(shū)里的一個(gè)故事。
My brother would say, "Is it possible? I always thought he was so delicate!"
我的哥哥要說(shuō)道:“這是可能的事么?我老是在想,他是那么嫩弱呢!”
Our village people would all say in amazement, "Was it not lucky that the boy was with hismother?"
我們村里的人們都要驚訝地說(shuō)道:“這孩子正和他媽媽在一起,這不是很幸運(yùn)么?”