15 THE MAGlC魔法-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《小公主A Little Princess》

15 THE MAGIC WHEN Sara had passed the house next door she had seen Ram Dass closing the shutters,and caught her glimpse of this room also. "It is a long time since I saw a nice place from the inside,"was the thought which crossed her mind. There was the usual bright fire glowing in the grate,and the Indian gentleman was sitting before it.His head was resting in his hand,and he looked as lonely and unhappy as ever. “Poor man！”said Sara,“I wonder what you are supposing..”And this was what he was "supposing"at the very moment. “Suppose①，"he was thinking,“suppose-even if Carmichael traces the people to Moscow-the little girl they took from Madame Pascal's school in Paris is not the one we are in search of.Suppose she proves to be quite a different child.What steps shall I take next?" When Sara went into the house she met Miss Minchin,who had come down-stairs to scold the cook. “Where have you wasted your time?”she demanded..“You have been out for hours..”" ·310· 15 魔法 萨拉经过邻居的那所房屋时，看见拉姆·达 斯在关百叶窗，她也向屋里扫了一眼。，“我已 经有很长时间不能从里面看这么漂亮的房子了，” 这一想法忽然涌上了她的心头。 壁炉内闪烁着常见的熊熊火焰，印度绅士正 坐在壁炉前。他用手托着头，看上去像以往一样 孤寂和忧郁 “可怜的人！”萨拉说，“不知道你在寻思什 么。” ①suppose/s3'pauz倘若，假 此时此刻，他正在“寻思”着这样一件事： 如 “倘若，”他想道，“倘若一即使卡迈克尔 追踪这些人到了莫斯科一他们从巴黎的帕斯卡 尔夫人的学校带走的那个小女孩并不是我们要寻 找的那一个。倘若她证明完全是另一个孩子。那 么下几步我该怎么办呢？ 萨拉走进屋子时，碰到了下楼训斥厨娘的明 钦小姐。 ·311· A Little Princess “It was so wet and muddy,”Sara answered,.“'it was hard to walk, because my shoes were so bad and slipped about." “Make no excuses,.”said Miss Minchin,“and tell no falsehoods." Sara went in to the cook.The cook had received a severe lecture and was in a fearful temper as a result.She was only too rejoiced 3 to have someone to vent 4 her rage on,and Sara was a convenience,as usual. “Why didn't you stay all night?”she snapped. Sara laid her purchases on the table. “Here are the things,”she said. The cook looked them over,grumbling5.She was in a very savage humor indeed. “May I have something to eat??”Sara asked rather faintly.“Tea's over and done with,"was the answer."Did you expect me to keep it hot for you?" Sara stood silent for a second. "I had no dinner,"she said next,and her voice was quite low.She made it low because she was afraid it would tremble."There's some bread in the pantry⑦，”said the cook.“That's all you'll get at this time of day." Sara went and found the bread.It was old and hard and dry.The cook was in too vicious a humor to give her anything to eat with it.It was always safe and easy to vent her spite on Sara.Really,it was hard for the child to climb the three long flights of stairs leading to her attic. She often found them long and steep when she was tired;but to-night it seemed as if she would never reach the top.Several times she was obliged to stop to rest.When she reached the top landing she was glad to see the glimmer of a light coming from under her door.That meant that ·312· 小公主 “你到哪儿浪费时间去啦？”她斥责道。 “你 已经出去好几个小时了。” “路太湿，又全是泥浆，”萨拉答道，“很不 falsehood /'fo:lshud/n. 言，虚假 好走，因为我的鞋太破，总是打滑。” 2 lecture /lektfa/n.演讲 “别找借口，”明钦小姐说，“也别扯谎。” ③rejoice/rid3ois/g.使.…欢 喜，高兴 萨拉向屋里的厨娘走去。厨娘刚挨过一顿严 ④vent /vent/发泄 厉的训斥，正憋着一肚子火气，很乐意有个人撒 撒气，萨拉像往常一样是最合适的人选。 “你为什么不整夜呆在外边？”她厉声说。 萨拉把买来的东西放到桌上。“这是你要的 东西，”她说 5 grumbling /grAmblin/a. 厨娘望了望那些东西，一边嘟囔着，她的情 喃喃鸣不平的，出怨言的 绪真是坏极了。 ⑥humor/hju:m3/.心情 “我可以吃点东西吗？”萨拉有气无力地问道。 “下午茶的时间已过，什么都没有了，”她这 样回答道。“难道你还指望我给你留着热茶么？” 萨拉默默地站了一会儿。 “我还没吃饭哪，”她接着说，她的声音非常 低。她说得轻是因为她怕声音会发抖。 “食品室那儿有点面包，”厨娘说。“到了这 种时候，那就是今天你能得到的一切了。” pantry'paentri/n.食品室 萨拉走过去找到了面包。那是块陈面包，又 硬又干。厨娘的心肠太凶狠了。不肯给萨拉什么 东西就着面包吃。拿萨拉出气，总是既方便又安 全。这个孩子爬上到阁楼去的三长段楼梯的确是 很艰难的。当萨拉疲倦时，常常觉得那些楼梯又 长又陡；而今天晚上，她似乎总也走不到顶层 了。有几次她不得不停下来休息一下。在她走到 最上一层的楼梯平台时，她高兴地看到房门底下 透出一丝光线。那意味着厄门加德已经设法到阁 楼上来看她了。这给了她几分安慰。总比孤身走 进屋里，感到屋里空寂荒凉要好些。仅仅是这个 ·313· A Little Princess Ermengarde had managed to creep up to pay her a visit.There was some comfort in that.It was better than to go into the room alone and find it empty and desolate.The mere presence of plump,comfortable Ermengarde,wrapped in her red shawl,would warm it a little. Yes;there Ermengarde was when she opened the door.She was sitting in the middle of the bed,with her feet tucked safely under her. She had never become intimate with Melchisedec and his family,though they rather fascinated her.When she found herself alone in the attic she always preferred to sit on the bed until Sara arrived.She had,in fact,on this occasion had time to become rather nervous,because Melchisedec had appeared and sniffed about a good deal,and once had made her utter a repressed squeal by sitting up on his hind legs and,while he looked at her,sniffing pointedly in her direction. “oh,Sara,”she cried out,“I am glad you have come..Melchy would sniff about so.I tried to coax him to go back,but he wouldn't for such a long time.I like him,you know;but it does frighten me when he sniffs right at me.Do you think he ever would jump?" “No,”answered Sara. Ermengarde crawled forward on the bed to look at her. “You do look tired,.Sara,”she said,.“you are quite pale." “I am tired,”said Sara,dropping on to the lop-sided②footstool. "Oh,there's Melchisedec.poor thing.He's come to ask for his supper." Melchisedec had come out of his hole as if he had been listening for her footstep Sara was quite sure he knew it.He came forward with an affectionate,expectant4 expression as Sara put her hand in her pocket and turned it inside out,shaking her head. “T'm very sorry,”she said.“I haven't one crumb left..Go home, ·314· 小公主 裹着红披肩的、胖乎乎的、令人安慰的厄门加德 的出现，就会使屋里温暖一些。 没错，萨拉打开门看见厄门加德是在屋里。 她正稳稳当当地盘着双腿坐在床中央。她从来没 有和梅尔基塞德克及其家属变得亲近，尽管它们 强烈地吸引住她。每当厄门加德独自在阁楼里 时，总宁愿坐在床上直到萨拉回来。事实上这一 次，她有时觉得很紧张，因为梅尔基塞德克钻出 洞来，一个劲儿嗅来嗅去；它还垫着后腿坐了起 来，一边看着她，一边冲着她那个方向嗅个不 停，曾使得她压低声音尖叫一声。 “哎呀，萨拉，”她喊道，“你回来了我真高 兴。梅尔基老是这么到处嗅着。我试着要哄它回 洞里去，可是有好长时间它就是不想回去。我喜 pointedly /pointidli/ad. 欢它，这你知道，可它直冲着我嗅的时候，真把 尖锐地 我吓坏啦。你说它真的会跳上来吗？” “不会，”萨拉回答。 厄门加德在床上爬上前去端详着她。 “你看来的确很疲倦，萨拉，”她说，“你的 脸色很苍白。” “我是累了，”萨拉说着。一下子坐在歪歪斜 斜的脚凳上。“哦，梅尔基塞德克来了，可怜的 家伙。它是来讨晚饭吃的。” ②lop-sidely编向一边的，不 梅尔基塞德克从洞里出来，仿佛它是在留神 平衡的 听萨拉的脚步声。萨拉十分肯定它熟悉她的脚步 声。它带着一种亲近的、期待的神态走上前来， ③footstep/futstep/m.脚步 这时萨拉把手伸进衣袋，又把它里朝外翻过来， (声足迹 摇了摇头。 expectant /iks'pektant/a. 期待的 “很抱歉，”她说，“我一点面包屑也没剩 ⑤inside out里面翻到外面 下，回家去吧，梅尔基塞德克，告诉你的妻子 我的衣袋里什么也没有。我想是我忘了这件事 ·315· A Little Princess Melchisedec,and tell your wife there was nothing in my pocket.I'm afraid I forgot because the cook and Miss Minchin were so cross." Melchisedec seemed to understand.He shuffled resignedly,if not contentedly,back to his home. "I did not expect to see you to-night,Ermie,"Sara said. Ermengarde hugged herself in the red shawl. "Miss Amelia has gone out to spend the night with her old aunt," she explained."No one else ever comes and looks into the bedrooms after we are in bed.I could stay here until morning if I wanted to." She pointed toward the table under the skylight.Sara had not looked toward it as she came in.A number of books were piled upon it. Ermengarde's gesture was a dejected one."Papa has sent me some more books,Sara,”she said.“There they are." Sara looked round and got up at once.She ran to the table,and picking up the top volume,turned over its leaves quickly.For the moment she forgot her discomforts. “Ah,”she cried out,“how beautiful！Carlyle's‘French Revolution..' I have so wanted to read that!" “I haven't,”said Ermengarde.“And papa will be so cross if I don't, He'll expect me to know all about it when I go home for the holidays. What shall I do?” Sara stopped turning over the leaves and looked at her with an excited flush on her cheeks. “Look here,”she cried,“if you'll lend me these books,I'll read them-and tell you everything that's in them afterward-and I'll tell it so that you will remember it,too." “Oh,goodness!”exclaimed Ermengarde..“Do you think you can?”" ·316· 小公主 儿，因为厨娘和明钦小姐都那么生气。” 梅尔基塞德克似乎听懂了。即使它并不满 意，但还是顺从地拖着脚步回家去了。 “我没有想到今天晚上会见到你，厄梅，”萨 ①content/kan'tent/a.满足 的 拉说。 厄门加德用红披肩裹紧身子。 “阿米莉亚小姐到她的老姑母家去过夜了，” 她解释说，“我们睡下之后，绝不会有别人来查 看卧室。如果我愿意，我可以在这儿一直呆到天 亮。” 她指指天窗下边的桌子。萨拉进屋时未曾向 那里看过。有许多书堆在桌上。厄门加德的神情 是沮丧的。 ②dejected/di'jektid/a.泪 “爸爸又送给我一些书，萨拉，”她说。“就 丧的，灰心的 在那桌子上。” 萨拉掉过头来望了一下，立刻就站起身来。 她奔到桌子边，拿起最上边的一本，飞快地翻起 ③volume /'volju:m:(US)-am/n. 来，她暂时忘掉了自己的不幸。 卷，册 “嗨，”她喊道，“好极了！是卡莱尔的《法 discomfort /dis'kAmfat/n. 不便之处，不适 国大革命》。我一直很想读这本书来着。” “我可不想读，”厄门加德说，“如果我不 读，爸爸会很生气的。他希望我回家度假时已经 了解这本书的全部内容。我该怎么办呢？” 萨拉停止翻书，她两颊泛出兴奋的红晕望着 厄门加德。 “你听着，”她大声说，“如果你把这些书借 给我，我会读它们一然后我就把书里的一切讲 给你听一我要讲得你以后都能记住。” “啊呀，老天爷！”厄门加德喊了出来。“你 想你能做到吗？” “我知道我能，”萨拉回答。“小家伙们总记 住我给她们讲的故事。” ·317· A Little Princess “I know I can,”Sara answered.“The little ones always remember what I tell them.” “Sara,”said Ermengarde,hope gleaming in her round face,“if you'll do that,and make me remember,I'll-I'll give you anything." “Tdon't want you to give me anything,”said Sara.“I want yours books-I want them!"And her eyes grew big,and her chest heaved. “Take them,then,”said Ermengarde..“I wish I wanted them一butI don't.I'm not clever,and my,father is,and he thinks I ought to be." Sara was opening one book after the other."What are you going to tell your father?"she asked,a slight doubt dawning in her mind. “Oh,he needn't know,”answered Ermengarde.“He'll think I've read them.” Sara put down her book and shook her head slowly."That's almost like telling lies,"she said."And lies-well,you see,they are not only wicked 2they're vulgar.Sometimes"-reflectively-"I've thought perhaps I might do something wicked-I might suddenly fly into a rage and kill Miss Minchin,you know,when she was ill-treating3 me-but I couldn't be vulgar.Why can't you tell your father I read them?" "He wants me to read them,"said Ermengarde,a little discouraged by this unexpected turn of affairs. “He wants you to know what is in them,”said Sara..“And if I can tell it to you in an easy way and make you remember it,I should think he would like that." "He'll like it if I learn anything in any way,"said rueful 5 Ermengarde.“You would if you were my father.” "It's not your fault that-"began Sara.She pulled herself up and stopped rather suddenly.She had been going to say,"It's not your fault that you are stupid.”" ·318· 小公主 “萨拉，”厄门加德说，圆脸上显露出希望的 光芒，“如果你能做到，还能让我记住，我 会一我会把什么都给你。” “我不想要你给我什么东西，”萨拉说，“我 要你的书一我需要它们！”她的眼睛张得大大 的，胸脯上下起伏着。 “那么你就拿去吧，”厄门加德说，“我希望 我需要它们一但我不需要。我不聪明，我的爸 爸聪明，他认为我也应该聪明。” 萨拉一本接一本地翻着书。“你打算怎么对 ①draw /dro:/v.挨近 你爸爸说呢？”她问，心中有些疑惑。 “噢，他不需要知道，”厄门加德回答。“他 会认为我已经读了那些书。” 萨拉放下书，缓缓地摇摇头。“这差不多像 是说谎，”她说，“而说谎一哦，你知道，说谎 ②wicked /wikid/a.环的， 不仅很坏，而且是卑鄙的。有时候”—她沉思 邪恶的 地说一“我曾想过，我或许也会干些坏事一当 明钦小姐虐待我的时候，你知道，我可能一下子 3l4neat虐待 勃然大怒杀了她—但我不能成为卑鄙的人。你 为什么不对你爸爸说是我读了那些书呢？” “他要我读那些书，”厄门加德说，事态的意 ④um作3n/北转变 外变化使她有些垂头丧气。 “他要你知道那些书的内容，”萨拉说，“要 是我能用简便的方法把内容讲给你听，让你记 住，我认为他可能喜欢这种办法。” “他喜欢我用任何方法学习任何东西，”可怜 ⑤rueful/ru:fal/a.可怜的 巴巴的厄门加德说道。“你要是我爸爸，你也会 的。” ⑥pull oneself up克制 “那并不是你的过错，至于一”萨拉开口 说。她克制住自己，突然缄口不语了。她本来想 说：“至于你笨，并不是你的过错。” ·319·