2 The Puppies Arrive小狗出世-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《101条花斑狗The Hundred and One Dalmatians》

C The Puppies Arrive Cruella de Vil's dinner party took place in a room with black marble walls,on a white marble table. The food was rather unusual. The soup was dark purple. And what did it taste of? Pepper^{}! The fish was bright green. And what did it taste of? Pepper! The meat was pale blue. And what did that taste of? Pepper! Everything tasted of pepper, even the ice-cream-which was black There were no other guests. After dinner, Mr and Mrs Dearly sat panting②} in the red marble drawing-room, where an enormous③ fire was now burning. Mr de Vil panted quite a bit, too. Cruella, who was wearing a ruby satin dress with ropes of emeralds, got as close to the fire as she could. 'Make it blaze④for me,' she said, to Mr de Vil. Mr de Vil made such a blaze that the Dearlys thought the chimney would catch fire. 'Lovely, lovely! 'said Cruella, clapping}her hands with delight. 'Ah, but the flames never last long enough!' The minute they died down a little, she shivered* and huddled ^{} herself in her absolutely simple white mink cloak .022. C 小狗出世 克鲁略·戴维尔举行宴会的房间里有黑色大 理石墙壁和一张白色大理石桌。食物则实在非 同一般。 ① pepper /pepo/ n. 胡根 汤是暗紫色的。它是什么味道?胡椒! 鱼是鲜绿色的。它是什么味道?胡椒! 肉是淡蓝色的。那又是什么味道?胡椒! 什么都是胡椒的味道,甚至冰淇淋也是如此, ② pant /paent/v. 气喘.气促 黑乎乎的。 ③ enormous /t'no:mas/ a 极大 的 宴会上没有其他客人。饭后,甜来夫妇坐在 红色大理石客厅里直喘气,炉火烧得正旺。戴维 尔先生也嘴得挺厉害。克鲁略穿着红宝石色的纲 ④blaze /bleiz n. 能能燃烧的 子衣服,戴着几串绿宝石,紧挨火堆坐着。 火焰 “替我把火烧旺。”她对戴维尔先生说。 戴维尔先生把火烧得那么旺,以致甜来夫妇 clap /klaep/v. 拍手 认为烟肉都会着火了。 shiver /frvo/ v. 颤抖 “妙极了,妙极了!”克鲁略高兴地拍着手说 huddle /hadl/ v. 把.-卷作 一团 “俟,只是燃烧持续的时间总是不够长!”燃烧稍 ·023· TheHundredandOneDafmatians Mr and Mrs Dearly left as early as they felt was polite, and walked along the Outer Circle trying to get cool. 'What a strange name"de Vil" is,' said Mr Dearly. 'If you put the two words together, they make"devil". Perhaps Cruella's a lady-devil Perhaps that's why she likes things so hot!' Mrs Dearly smiled, for she knew he was only joking. Then she said: 'Oh, dear! As we've dined with them, we must ask them to dine with us. And there are some other people we ought to ask. We'd better get it over before Missis has her puppies. Good gracious, what's that?' Something soft was rubbing^{①} against her ankles{②. 'It's Cruella's cat,'said Mr Dearly. 'Go home, cat. You'll get lost.' But the cat followed them all the way to their house. 'Perhaps she's hungry,' said Mrs Dearly. 'Very probably, unless she likes pepper,' said Mr Dearly. He was still gulping③the night air to cool his throat. 'You stroke her while I get her some food,' said Mrs Dearly. And she went down the area steps and into the kitchen on tiptoe, so as not to wake Pongo and Missis who were asleep in their baskets. Soon she came up with some milk and half a tin of sardines④. The white cat accepted both, then began to walk down the area steps. 'Does she want to live with us?' said Mrs Dearly. It seemed as if the white cat did. But just then Pongo woke up and barked loudly. The white cat turned and walked away into the night 'Just as well,'said Mr Dearly. 'Cruella would have the law on us if we took her valuable cat.' Then they went down into the kitchen to receive the full force of Pongo's welcome. Missis, though sleepy, was fairly formidable, too. .024. 101条花斑狗 弱的时候,她就哆咳着用那件纯白韶皮的斗篷裹 紧全身。 甜来先生和甜来夫人在他们觉得并不失礼的 情况下尽早离开了,他们顺着园外环形道走去 想凉快一些。 “戴维尔’这个姓多怪,”甜来先生说,“要 是你把这几字凑在一起就成了魔鬼'。也许克鲁 略是个魔女!也许这就是她喜欢那么热辣的东西 的原因!” 甜来夫人微微一笑,因为她知道他只是在开 ①nub /rAb/v. 磨 ② ankle /aenkal/ n. 脚腕 玩笑。接着她说:“哎哟!因为他们请我们吃了饭, 我们也得请他们来我们这里吃饭。我们还有另外 一些人得请一下。最好是在密西斯生小狗之前就 把这事办了。天哪,这是什么?” 有什么软乎乎的东西正摩擦着她的脚腕 “这是克鲁略的猫,”甜来先生说,“回家去 ③gulp/gAlp/v一口吞下,狼 吧,猫眯。你会迷路的。” 吞虎咽地吃 但是这只猫还是一直跟着他们回了家。 “也许她饿了,”甜来夫人说。 “很可能,除非她喜欢胡椒。”甜来先生说 ④sardine /sa:'di:n/n. 沙T鱼 他仍在大口吸进夜间的空气使喉咙凉一些。 “你摸摸她,我去给她弄点吃的来。”甜来夫 人说。她顺着空地的台阶走下去,踮起足尖走进 厨房,以免吵醒睡在狗窝里的庞果和密西斯。她 很快就拿着一些牛奶和半罐沙丁鱼回来了。白猫 把它们全吃了,而后开始从空地台阶上往下走。 “难道她想住在我们这里吗?”甜来夫人问道。 formidable /'fo:mudabl a 看来白猫是打算这样。但正在这时,庞果醒 难以应付的 来了,高声大叫着。自猫转身消失在夜色中。 .025· The.HundredandOneDafmatian There Was a whirling^{①} mass of humans and dogs on the kitchen hearthrug②-until Mrs Dearly remembered, far too late, that Mr Dearly's dress-suit would be covered with white hairs. It must have been about three weeks later that Missis began to behave in a very peculiar③ manner. She explored every inch of the house, paying particular attention to cupboards and boxes. And the place that interested her most was a large cupboard④ just outside the Dearlys' bedroom. The Nannies kept various buckets and brooms in this cupboard and there wasn't a spare inch of space. Every time Missis managed to get in, she knocked something over with a clatter} and then looked very ill- treated. 'Bless me, she wants to have her puppies there,' said Nanny Cook. 'Not in that dark, stuffy cupboard, Missis, love,' said Nanny Butler. 'You need light and air.' But when Mrs Dearly consulted^{} the Splendid Veterinary Surgeon, he said what Missis needed most was a small, enclosed place where she would feel safe, and if she fancied{} the broom cupboard, the broom cupboard she'd better have. And she'd better have it at once and get used to it-even though the puppies were not expected for some days. So out came the brooms and buckets and in went Missis, to her great satisfaction. Pongo was a little hurt that he was not allowed to go with her, but Missis explained to him that mother dogs like to be by themselves when puppies are expected, so he licked his wife's ear tenderly, and said he quite understood 'I hope the dinner party won't upset Missis,'said Mr Dearly, when he came home and found Missis settled in the cupboard. 'I shall be glad when it's over.' It was to be that very night. As there were quite a lot of guests the ·026. 101条花斑狗 ① whirling /hwa:ln/a. 混成 “这样也好,”甜来先生说, “如果我们收留 一团的 了克鲁略值钱的猫,她该控告我们了。” ② hearthrug /ha:rAg/ n. 炉边 地毯 随后他们下到厨房,接受庞果最热烈的欢迎。 密西斯虽然昏昏欲睡,却也实在充满热情让人难 以对付。在厨房的炉边地毯上,人和狗转成了一 ③ peculiar /pr'kju:lja/ a. 奇怪 团,等甜来夫人想到甜来先生的大礼服将粘满白 的 毛时已为时太晚 大约过了三个星期,密西斯的举止就开始显 ④ cupboard /kAbod/ n. 碗E 得非常古怪。她把家里的每一处地方都搜索到了 对碗柜和箱子特别注意。她最感兴趣的地方是甜 来夫妇卧房外的一只大碗柜。两个南呢在这个柜 clatter /klaeta/ n. 清脆、连 里放着水桶和扫带,挤得满满当当。每当密西斯 续的撞击声 好不容易钻进去时,总要弄得叮当乱响,然后就 露出备受虐待的神情。 “我的天哪,她想在那里生小狗。”南娓·库克 说。 stuffy/stAfr/a. 闷热的,气 闷的 “别在那个黑暗闷热的碗柜里,密西斯,亲爱 的,”南娓·巴特勒说,“你需要亮光和空气。” consult /kan'salt/ v. 咨询 但当甜来夫人向史普菜兽医请教的时候,他 却说密西斯最需要的,是她感到安全的一个密闭 ⑧fancy /faensi/ v. 爱好,欢喜 的小空间,要是她看中了那个放扫带的柜子,最 好就给她,而且最好是立刻给她,使她习惯- 虽然生小狗还得过几天 于是,把扫 和水桶清除出来后,密西斯就 非常满意地住了进去。庞果有点儿不痛快,因 为密西斯不让他跟着一起进去。密西斯向他解 释说,要做母亲的狗在要生小狗的时候喜欢独 自待着,所以他温柔地舔舔妻子的耳朵,说他 完全理解。 “我希望宴会不会打扰密西斯。”甜来先生说。 他到家时,发现密西斯已经住进了碗柜。“等这 ·027· TheHundredandOneDafmatian food had to be normal, but Mrs Dearly kindly put tall pepper grinders^{①} in front of the de Vils. Cruella ground so much pepper that most of the guests were sneezing②, but Mr de Vil used no pepper at all. And he ate much more than in his own house. Cruella was busy peppering her fruit salad when Nanny Butler came in and whispered③ to Mrs Dearly. Mrs Dearly looked startled, asked the guests to excuse her, and hurried out. A few minutes later, Nanny Butler came in again and whispered to Mr Dearly. He looked startled④. excused himself, and hurried out. Those guests who were not sneezing made polite conversation. Then Nanny Butler came in again 'Ladies and gentlemen,' she said, dramatically,'puppies are arriving earlier than expected. Mr and Mrs Dearly ask you to remember that Missis has never before been a mother. She needs absolute quiet.' There was an instant silence, broken only by a stifled^{} sneeze. Then the guests rose, drank a whispered toast to the young mother, and tiptoed from the house. .028. 101条花斑狗 ① grinder /grainda/ n. 研磨机 件事了结了,我就高兴了。” 宴会在当晚举行。因为客人相当多,只能做 ② sneeze /sni:z/ y. 打喻 普通的菜着,但是甜来夫人出于好心把高高的胡 椒研磨机放在戴维尔夫妇前面。克鲁略磨了那么 多胡椒,使大多数客人都直打喷,但是戴维尔 先生根本一点儿胡椒也没用。他吃得要比在自己 ③whisper /(h]wIspo/ v. 耳语 家里多得多。 克鲁略正忙着往她的水果沙拉上撒胡椒,这 ④startle /'sta:tl/v. 霞惊 时南呢·巴特勒走了进来,低声向甜来夫人说着什 么。甜来夫人露出吃惊的神色,在向客人们说抱 歉之后就匆忙地走了出去。几分钟以后,南呢·巴 特勒又走了进来,低声向甜来先生说着什么。他 露出吃惊的神情,向客人们说了声请原谅,也急 匆匆地走了出去。没有打喷健的客人们正客气地 交谈。这时南婉·巴特勒又进来了 “女士们,先生们,”她激动人心地宣布:“小 狗提前降生了。甜来先生和甜来夫人请你们记住 密西斯以前从来没有做过母亲。她需要绝对安 静。” 人们雾时安静下来,只有一声捂住的喷嚷打 破静寂。接着客人们起立,轻声地为祝贺这位 年轻的母亲而干杯,随后踮起足尖,离开了这嶂 房子。 大家都走了,只有克鲁略·戴维尔没走。她来 到门厅,径自走到正在送客人的南婉·巴特勒那 里,问道: “那些小狗在什么地方?” 南呢·巴特勒不打算告诉她,但是克鲁略听到 甜来夫妇的说话声,就跑上楼去。这一回,她身 stifled/starfld/a. 压低了的 (声音) 穿黑级子衣服,挂着几串珍珠,但还是披着那件 ·029· The 3HundredfandOneDafmatians All except Cruella de Vil. When she reached the hall she went straight to Nanny Butler, who was seeing the guests out, and demanded: 'Where are those puppies?' Nanny Butler had no intention^{} of telling, but Cruella heard the Dearlys' voices and ran upstairs. This time she was wearing a black satin dress with ropes of pearls, but the same absolutely simple white mink cloak. She had kept it round her all through dinner, although the room was very warm (and the pepper very hot). 'I must, I must see the darling puppies,' she cried. The cupboard door was a little open. The Dearlys were inside, soothing{② Missis. Three puppies had been born before Nanny Butler, on bringing Missis a nourishing③ chicken dinner, had discovered what was happening. Cruella flung④ open the door and stared down at the three puppies. 'But they're mongrels}-all white, no spots at all!'she cried. 'You must drown them at once.' 'Dalmatians are always born white,' said Mr Dearly, glaring at Cruella. 'The spots come later.' 'And we wouldn't drown them even if they were mongrels,' said Mrs Dearly, indignantly. 'It'd be quite easy,' said Cruella. 'I've drowned dozens and dozens of my cat's kittens. She always chooses some wretched^{} alley-cat^{ for their father so they're never worth keeping.' 'Surely you leave her one kitten?' said Mrs Dearly. 'If I'd done that, I'd be overrun with cats,' said Cruella. 'Are you sure those horrid little white rats are pure Dalmatian puppies?' 'Quite sure,'snapped^{}Mr Dearly. 'Now please go away. You're upsetting Missis.' ·030· 101条花斑狗 纯白韶皮的斗篷。她在吃饭时一直披着它,虽然 房间里很暖和(胡椒也很辣) “我必须要,必须要看看可爱的小狗。”她喊道。 碗柜的门开着一点儿。甜来夫妇都在里面抚 ①intention /tn'tenfan/n. 意图 慰密西斯。刚才南呢·巴特勒把密西斯的晚餐- 一只营养丰富的鸡送来时,才发现已经有三条小 狗出生了。 克鲁略拉开柜门,凝视着三条小狗 “但他们是杂种狗,全是白的,根本没有斑 点!”她大声喊道,“你们应该立刻淹死他们。” “达尔马提亚狗出生时总是百的。”甜来先生 ② sooth /su:/ v. 抚慰 怒视着克鲁略说,“以后才出现斑点。” ③ nourishing /nArrfrp/ a. 滋养 的,滋补的 “即使是杂种狗我们也不淹死它们。”甜来夫 人愤怒地说。 ④fling/fln/v扔,抛,掷,此 “这很容易,”克鲁略说, “我已经淹死过好 处为摔门 mongrel /mAngral/ n. 杂种 几十只我的猫生的小猫。她总是挑选街头航脏的 动物 猫做他们的父亲,所以都不值得留下来。” “你肯定给她留了一只小猫吧?”甜来夫人说。 “要是我这样做的话,我的猫该泛滥成灾了,” 克鲁略说,“你们肯定这些可怕的小白鼠是纯种 indignantly /in'dignantlr/ ad 达尔马提亚小狗吗?” 愤慨地 “十分肯定,”甜来先生厉声说道, “现在请 wretched /retfrd/ a. 卑劣 的;十分讨厌的 你走开。你使密西斯不安了。” ⑧ alley-cat 野猫 密西斯确实感到不安。纵使有甜来夫妇在那 里保护她和她的小狗,她还是有点害怕这个虎视 眈眈,头发半黑半白的高个子女人。那只可怜的 描失去了她所有的小猫!密西斯永远、永远不会 snap /snaep/v. 呵斥,突然目 忘记这件事!(总有一天她会对自己记住这件事 严厉地说 感到高兴。) .031·