本帖最后由 ヮ成熟、羙° 于 2014-4-2 19:13 编辑
貓和老鼠搭伙 荷叶/译
一只猫结识了一只老鼠，向她大谈特谈对她产生的深情厚谊，最后老鼠同意她俩住在一起，合伙生活。“但我们得为冬天做些准备，否则那时我们会挨饿，”猫说：“你，一只小老鼠，不能到处去冒险，要不然总有一天你会被逮住的。” 老鼠采纳了这条好建议，于是他们买了一罐猪油，却不知放在哪里。经过慎重考虑，最后，猫说：“我想不出比存放在教堂更好的地方了，因为谁也不敢到那儿去偷东西。我们把它放在祭坛下面，不到万不得以不要去碰它。” 于是，这罐猪油被安全地存放起来，但没过多久，猫对这罐猪油产生了强烈的渴望，就对老鼠说：“我要告诉你件事，小老鼠，我堂兄生了个儿子，邀请我去做他的教母。他是只白猫，长着些棕色斑点。在洗礼仪式上，我得在受洗池前抱着他。让我出去一天，你自己照看家。”“好的，好的，”老鼠回答：“放心去吧，如果弄到什么好东西，想着点我，我也想喝点洗礼仪式上甜甜的红酒。” 然而，这一切都不是真的。猫没有堂兄，也没有被邀请去做教母。她径直去了教堂，偷偷找到那罐猪油，舔了起来，舔光了顶部。然后，他在城门顶上散了会儿步，寻找着机会，接下来她四脚朝天躺在阳光下，一想起这罐猪油就不由地舔起了嘴巴，直到傍晚才回到家里。 “啊，你可回来了，”老鼠说：“这一天你肯定过得很好。”“一切都很顺利，”猫回答。“你给孩子起得什么名字呀？”“吃掉顶！”猫漫不经心地答道。“吃掉顶！”老鼠叫道：“这个名字又古怪又反常，你们家里常起这样的名字吗？”“你什么意思？”猫说：“它一点也不比你给教子起的名字差，叫什么偷面包贼。” 不久，猫又被一阵渴望所控制。她对老鼠说：“你一定要帮我个忙，再自己照看一天家。我又一次被邀请去当教母，这个孩子脖子长着一圈白毛，我无法推托。”好心的老鼠答应了，但猫从后墙爬到了教堂，吞吃了半罐猪油。“没有比独吞更美妙地事了。”她说，对自己这一天做的事相当满意。当她回家时，老鼠问：“这个孩子的教名是什么呀？”“吃一半，”猫答道。“吃一半！你说什么？我从没听说过这样的名字。我也打赌日历上也不会有这样的名字。” 不久，猫又开始流口水了，想再去舔食猪油。“好事成三，”她说：“我又一次被邀请去做教母。这个孩子是全黑的，只有四只小白爪，除此之外，全身没有一根白毛。这种长象数年不遇，你会让我去，对吧？”“吃掉顶！吃一半！”老鼠回答：“好奇怪的名字，这使我深思。”“你坐在家里，”猫说：“穿着你的深灰色毛皮大衣，托着长长的尾巴，只会想入非非，这是因为你白天不出门的缘故。” 猫不在时，老鼠打扫了房间，把家收拾得井井有条。但这只贪婪的猫却彻底吃光了这罐猪油。“当吃掉一切时，才会消停。”猫自言自语。吃得饱饱的，直到天黑才回家。老鼠立刻问给这个孩子起了什么名字。“像其它两个一样，你不会满意的。”猫说：“他叫吃光光。”“吃光光，”老鼠叫了起来，“这是最令人生疑的名字！我从没在任何一个出版物上见过这个名字。吃光光，这会是什么意思呢？”她摇着头，蜷缩起来，躺下睡了。 此后，再也没有人邀请猫去做教母了，但当冬天来临时，外面再也找不到任何东西可吃了，老鼠想到了她们的备用物，就说：“来，猫，咱俩去找咱们贮藏的那罐猪油吧，我们该享受一下了。”“好，”猫说：“你会像把你娇小的舌头伸到窗外一样享受猪油的，” 她们动身上路，但当她们到达时，罐子当然还在原处，却是空的。“啊！”老鼠说：“现在我明白发生什么了，现在真相大白了！你这个真正的朋友！你去做教母时，吃光了一切。先吃掉顶，再吃一半，然后——”“你闭嘴吗？”猫喊道：“再说一句，我连你一起吃掉。”“吃光光”已到了老鼠嘴边，她刚说出口，猫就扑了上来，抓住老鼠，一口吞了下去。真的，这个世界就是这样的。 附：原文 A certain cat had made the acquaintance of a mouse, and had said so muchto her about the great love and friendship she felt for her, that at length themouse agreed that they should live and keep house together. "But we must make a provision for winter, or else we shall suffer from hunger," said the cat, "and you, little mouse, cannot venture everywhere, or you will be caught in a trap some day." The good advice was followed, and a pot of fat was bought, but theydid not know where to put it. At length, after much consideration, the catsaid, "I know no place where it will be better stored up than in thechurch, for no one dares take anything away from there. We will set it beneath the altar, and not touch ituntil we are really in need of it." So the pot was placed in safety, but it was not long before the cat had a great yearning for it, and said to the mouse, "I want to tell you something, little mouse; my cousin has brought a little son into the world, and has asked me to be godmother; he is white with brown spots, and I am to hold him over the font at the christening. Let me go out to-day, and you look after the house by yourself." "Yes, yes," answered the mouse, "by all means go, and if you get anything very good, think of me, I should like adrop of sweet red christening wine too." All this, however, was untrue; the cat had no cousin, and had not been asked to be godmother. She went straight to the church, stole to the potof fat, began to lick at it, and licked the top of the fat off. Then she took awalk upon the roofs of the town, looked out for opportunities, and then stretched herself in the sun, and licked her lips whenever she thought of thepot of fat, and not until it was evening did she return home. "Well, here you are again," said the mouse, "no doubt youhave had a merry day." "All went off well," answered the cat."What name did they give the child?" "Top off!" said the cat quite coolly. "Top off!" cried the mouse, "that is a veryodd and uncommon name, is it a usual one in your family?" "What does it signify," said the cat, "it is no worse than Crumb-stealer, asyour god-children are called." Before long the cat was seized by another fit of longing. She said to the mouse, "You must do me a favour, and once more manage the house for a day alone. I am again asked to be godmother, and, as the child has a white ringround its neck, I cannot refuse." The good mouse consented, but the cat crept behind the town walls to the church, and devoured half the pot of fat."Nothing ever seems so good as what one keeps to oneself," said she,and was quite satisfied with her day's work. When she went home the mouse inquired, "And what was this child christened?""Half-done," answered the cat. "Half-done! What are you saying?I never heard the name in my life, I'll wager anything it is not in the calendar!" The cat's mouth soon began to water for some more licking. "All good things go in threes," said she, "I am asked to stand godmother again.The child is quite black, only it has white paws, but with that exception, ithas not a single white hair on its whole body; this only happens once every fewyears, you will let me go, won't you?" "Top-off! Half-done!"answered the mouse, "they are such odd names, they make me verythoughtful." "You sit at home," said the cat, "in your dark-grey fur coat and long tail, and are filled with fancies, that's because you do not go out in the daytime." During the cat's absence the mouse cleaned the house, and put it in order but the greedy cat entirely emptied the pot of fat. "When everything is eaten up one has some peace," said she to herself, and well filled and fat she did not return home till night. The mouse at once asked what name had been given to the third child. "It will not please you more than the others," said the cat. "He is called All-gone.""All-gone," cried the mouse, "that is the most suspicious name of all! I have never seen it in print. All-gone; what can that mean?" and she shook her head, curled herself up, and lay down to sleep. From this time forth no one invited the cat to be god-mother, but when the winter had come and there was no longer anything to be found outside,the mouse thought of their provision, and said, "Come cat, we will go toour pot of fat which we have stored up for ourselves -- we shall enjoythat." "Yes," answered the cat, "you will enjoy it as muchas you would enjoy sticking that dainty tongue of yours out of the window." They set out on their way, but when they arrived, the pot of fat certainly was still in its place, but it was empty. "Alas!" said the mouse,"now I see what has happened, now it comes to light! You are a true friend! You have devoured all when you were standing godmother. First top off,then half done, then --." "Will you hold your tongue," cried thecat, "one word more and I will eat you too." "All gone" wasalready on the poor mouse's lips; scarcely had she spoken it before the cat sprang on her, seized her, and swallowed her down. Verily, that is the way of the world.
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发表于 2014-4-2 19:07:25
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