Chapter2 The Shadow影子-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《彼得潘Peter Pan》

Chapter 2 The Shadow Mrs Darling screamed,and,as if in answer to a bell,the door opened,and Nana entered,returned from her evening out.She growled and sprang at the boy,who leapt lightly through the window.Again Mrs Darling screamed,this time in distress for him,for she thought he was killed,and she ran down into the street to look for his little body,but it was not there;and she looked up,and in the black night she could see nothing but what she thought was a shooting star. She returned to the nursery,and found Nana with something in her mouth, which proved to be the boy's shadow.As he leapt at the window Nana had closed it quickly,too late to catch him,but his shadow had not had time to get out;slam went the window and snapped it off. You may be sure Mrs Darling examined the shadow carefully,but it was quite the ordinary kind. Nana had no doubt of what was the best thing to do with this shadow.She hung it out at the window,meaning"He is sure to come back for it;let us put it where he can get it easily without disturbing the children." But unfortunately Mrs Darling could not leave it hanging out at the window;it looked so like the washing and lowered the whole tone of the house.She thought of showing it to Mr Darling,bat he was totting up winter greatcoats for John and Michael,with a wet towel round his head to keep his brain clear,and it seemed a shame to trouble him;besides,she knew exactly what he would say,"It all comes of having a dog for a nurse." ·018· 第二章影子 达林夫人尖叫了一声，发现好像有人按了门铃，接 ①growl[graul(狗等动 着育儿室的门开了，娜娜冲了进来。她晚上出去散步， 物)低声吼叫 刚回来。娜娜咆哮着向男孩儿扑了过去，男孩儿轻巧地 ②leap [li:p]跳 ③distress[dis'tres]t.悲伤 从窗户跳了出去。达林夫人又一次尖叫起来，这次是为 男孩儿难过，因为她以为男孩儿摔死了。她冲到街上去 寻找他小小的尸体，但是街上什么都没有；她拾起头， 在黑色的夜空中，除了一道流星，她什么都没看到。 她回到育儿室，发现娜娜的嘴里叼着一件东西。原 来，是那男孩儿的影子。在他从窗户跳出去的一刹那， 娜娜很快地关上了窗户，虽然没有抓住他，但他的影子 没来得及溜走。窗子砰的一声关上了，他的影子被扯了 ④snap[snep】“啪“地关 下来。 上 毫无疑问，达林夫人要仔仔细细地检查这个影子。 但是，它就是一个普普通通的影子而已。 娜娜最清楚该怎么处理这个影子了。她把它挂在窗 户外面，因为“他一定会回来找它，我们把他的影子挂 在一个他好拿的地方，这样就不会惊扰孩子们。” ⑤disturb[di'stob]g打扰 遗憾的是达林夫人不同意将影子在挂在窗户外面， 因为那样像是在晾晒洗好的衣物，会拉低整栋房子的品 ⑥tone[taun]n,基调，这里 位。她想把影子拿给达林先生看看，可惜达林先生这会 指品味 儿正忙着计算给约翰和迈克尔买冬天穿的大衣要花多少 钱。为了保持清醒，他还在头上缠了一条湿毛巾，真是 让人不好意思打扰他。而且她完全可以猜到达林先生会 怎么说：“这都怪那只保姆狗！” ·019· Chapter 2 The Shadow She decided to roll the shadow up and put it away carefully in a drawer, until a fitting opportunity came for telling her husband.Ah me! The opportunity came a week later,on that never-to-be-forgotten Friday.Of course it was a Friday. "I ought to have been specially careful on a Friday,"she used to say afterwards to her husband,while perhaps Nana was on the other side of her, holding her hand. "No,no,"Mr Darling always said,"I am responsible for it all.I,George Darling did it.Mea culpa,mea culpa!"He had had a classical education. They sat thus night after night recalling that fatal Friday,till every detail of it was stamped on their brains and came through on the other side like the faces on a bad coinage. "If only I had not accepted that invitation to dine at 27,"Mrs Darling said. "If only I had not poured my medicine into Nanas bowl,"said Mr Darling. "If only I had pretended to like the medicine,"was what Nana's wet eyes said. “My liking for parties,.George.” “My fatal gift of humour,,dearest..” "My touchiness about trifles,dear master and mistress." Then one or more of them would break down altogether;Nana at the thought,"It's true,it's true,they ought not to have had a dog for a nurse."Many a time it was Mr Darling who put the handkerchief to Nana's eyes. "That fiend!"Mr Darling would cry,and Nana's bark was the echo of it, but Mrs Darling never upbraided Peter;there was something in the right- hand corner of her mouth that wanted her not to call Peter names. They would sit there in the empty nursery,recalling fondly every smallest detail of that dreadful evening.It had begun so uneventfully,so precisely like a hundred other evenings,with Nana putting on the water for Michael's bath and carrying him to it on her back. "I won't go to bed,"he had shouted,like one who still believed that he had the last word on the subject,"I won't,I won't.Nana,it isn't six o'clock yet.Oh ·020· 第二章 聚彩子 达林夫人决定把影子卷起来，小心地放在抽屉里， opportunity [,opa'tju:nati] 等到有合适的机会再拿出来给丈夫看。直烦！ 2.机会 一周之后，机会来了，那是一个永不会被忘记的星 期五。没错，就是星期五。 “我本应该在周五加倍小心的，”事后她经常这样 跟她的丈夫说，而此时娜娜可能就站在她的另一边，握 着她的手。 “不，不，”达林先生总是这样说：“这都是我的 责任，是我乔治·达林的错。Mea culpa,Mea culpa(吾 ②mea culpa我的过失 之过，吾之过)。”他学过古典文学，喜欢这样文绉绉 ③fatal[feitl]a.后果极其 地说话。 严重的 ④stamp [staemp]打下 他们就这样一起坐着，度过了很多个夜晚，回想那 的印记 个黑色星期五，直到每一个细节都印在脑海里，并且从 ⑤coinage[koinid3n.硬币 另一面透出来，像是旧硬币上的头像。 “我要是没有接受邀请参加那个27号的晚宴就好 了，”达林夫人说 “要是那天我没把我的药倒在娜娜的碗里就好 了。”达林先生说。 “要是我假装喜欢吃药就好了，”娜娜眼睛里含着 泪花说道。 “都怪我喜欢参加聚会，乔治。” “都怪我那天生的该死的幽默感，亲爱的。” “都怪我对小事过分敏感，亲爱的主人和女主 人。 ⑥ccho[ekau]n.附和 随后他们一个接着一个忍不住都哭了起来。娜娜 ⑦upbraid[p'breid]v.责备 心想：“没错，没错，他们不该让一条狗给孩子们当护 工。”其间，达林先生不止一次拿起手帕为娜娜擦去眼 泪。 ⑧dreadful[dredfal]a.可怕 “那个讨厌鬼！”达林先生大叫，娜娜也跟着汪汪 的 叫应和着。但是达林夫人从没责怪过彼得。她右嘴角有 uneventful [,Ani'ventfol]a. 平静的 东西拦着她，不让她责备彼得。 precisely [pri'saisli]ad. 他们坐在空落落的育儿室里，充满深情地回想那 怡 个可怕夜晚的每一个琐碎的细节。那个夜晚起初非常平 静，一如既往，娜娜给迈克尔放了洗澡水，背着他准备 去洗澡。 “我不要去睡觉，”迈克尔喊道，就像他自己能说 ·021· Chapter 2 The Shadow dear,oh dear,I shan't love you any more,Nana.I tell you I won't be bathed,I won't,I won't!" Then Mrs Darling had come in,wearing her white evening-gown.She had dressed early because Wendy so loved to see her in her evening-gown,with the necklace George had given her.She was wearing Wendy's bracelet on her arm;she had asked for the loan of it.Wendy so loved to lend her bracelet to her mother. She had found her two older children playing at being herself and father on the occasion of Wendy's birth,and John was saying: "I am happy to inform you,Mrs Darling,that you are now a mother,"in just such a tone as Mr Darling himself may have used on the real occasion. Wendy had danced with joy,just as the real Mrs Darling must have done. Then John was born,with the extra pomp that he received due to the birth of a male,and Michael came from his bath to ask to be born also,but John said brutally that they did not want any more. Michael had nearly cried."Nobody wants me,"he said,and of course the lady in evening dress could not stand that. Ido,”she said,“I so want a third child.” "Boy or girl?"asked Michael,not too hopefully. “Boy.” Then he had leapt into her arms.Such a little thing for Mr and Mrs Darling and Nana to recall now,but not so little if that was to be Michael's last night in the nursery. They go on with their recollections. "It was then that I rushed in like a tornado,wasn't it?"Mr Darling would say,scorning himself;and indeed he had been like a tornado. Perhaps there was some excuse for him.He,too,had been dressing for the party,and all had gone well with him until he came to his tie.It is an astounding thing to have to tell,but this man,though he knew about stocks and shares, had no real mastery of his tie.Sometimes the thing yielded to him without a contest,but there were occasions when it would have been better for the house if he had swallowed his pride and used a made-up tie. ·022· 第二章 聚彩子 的算一样，“我不要！我不要！娜娜，现在还不到下午 六点呢。天哪！天哪！我再也不喜欢你了，娜娜。我告 evening-gown ['i:vningaun] 诉你，我不要洗澡，我不要，我不要！” n.晚礼服 达林夫人走了进来，穿着白色晚礼服。她早早就打 扮好是因为温迪喜欢看她穿晚礼服，另外，她还戴上了 ②bracelet[breislat]n.手镯 ③loan [laun]m,借用 达林先生送她的项链，手上带着从温迪那借来的手链， 温迪非常乐意把自己的手链借给妈妈。 达林太太看过两个大孩子玩游戏，他们在模仿温迪 出生那天，她和丈夫的样子。约瀚说：“我很高兴地通 知您，达林夫人，你现在是一位母亲了。”那语气好像 达林先生真是这样说的。 温迪则开心地跳着舞，好像达林夫人真是这样做 的。 ④pomp [pamp]n.盛大 后来，他们有了约翰，因为是个男孩儿，他的出生 场面很盛大。于是正在洗澡的迈克尔也跑过来，要求把 brutally ['bru:toli]ad. 他生下来。但是约翰粗鲁地对他说：“他们不想再要孩 鲁地 子了。” 迈克尔几乎要哭了。“没有人要我，”他说。这 时，站在一旁穿着晚礼服的达林夫人看不下去了。 “我要，”达林夫人说，“我很想要第三个孩 子。” “男孩还是女孩？”迈克尔不抱希望地问道。 “男孩。” 听到这里，迈克尔一下子扑到了母亲怀里。这些 回忆是小事，但是对于达林先生和达林夫人还有娜娜来 @recollection [reka'lekfn]n. 说，如果那一晚是迈克尔在育儿室的最后一晚，这就不 回忆 ⑦tornado[t:neidau]n,龙 是一件小事了 卷风 他们继续回忆。 “那个时候我像一阵龙卷风一样冲了进来，是不 8 astounding ['staundin]a. 是？”达林先生自嘲似的说道。事实上，当时他真的像 令人震惊的 是一阵龙卷风。 不过事出有因。当时达林先生也在为聚会着装打 @yield [j:ldv让步 扮。一切都很顺利，但等到打领带的时候却出了问题。这 @contest[kontest]n.搏斗 个懂得股票债券的男人，不太会打领带。有时候他还能应 付了事，但是在正式场合，出于体面的考虑，他还是收起 自己的骄傲，戴上一条已经打好的领带会比较好些。 ·023· Chapter 2 The Shadow This was such an occasion.He came rushing into the nursery with the crumpled little brute of a tie in his hand. "Why,what is the matter,father dear?" "Matter!"he yelled;he really yelled."This tie,it will not tie."He became dangerously sarcastic."Not round my neck!Round the bed-post!Oh yes, twenty times have I made it up round the bed-post,but round my neck,no!Oh dear no!Begs to be excused!" He thought Mrs Darling was not sufficiently impressed,and he went on sternly,"I warn you of this,mother,that unless this tie is round my neck we don't go out to dinner tonight,and if I don't go out to dinner tonight,I never go to the office again,and if I don't go to the office again,you and I starve,and our children will be flung into the streets" Even then Mrs Darling was placid."Let me try,dear,"she said,and indeed that was what he had come to ask her to do;and with her nice cool hands she tied his tie for him,while the children stood around to see their fate decided. Some men would have resented her being able to do it so easily,but Mr Darling was far too fine a nature for that;he thanked her carelessly,at once forgot his rage,and in another moment was dancing round the room with Michael on his back. "How wildly we romped!"says Mrs Darling now,recalling it. "Our last romp!"Mr Darling groaned. "O George,do you remember Michael suddenly said to me,'How did you get to know me,mother?"" "I remember!" "They were rather sweet,don't you think,George?" "And they were ours,ours,and now they are gone." The romp had ended with the appearance of Nana,and most unluckily Mr Darling collided against her,covering his trousers with hairs.They were not only new trousers,but they were the first he had ever had with braid on them, and he had to bite his lip to prevent the tears coming.Of course Mrs Darling brushed him,but he began to talk again about its being a mistake to have a dog ·024· 第二章 聚彩子 这次就是个正式场合。他冲进育儿室，手里抓者一 ①crumpled[krAmpld]a.皱 条被揉得皱巴巴的领带。 巴巴的 “怎么了，出什么事儿啦，亲爱的？” “什么事儿！”他吼道，一点不夸张他就是在吼。 2 yell [jel]叫喊 ③sarcastic[sa:kaestik]a.嘲 “这条领带，系不上。”接着，他的语气开始变得充满 讽的 了嘲讽的味道：“绕在我的脖子上不行！绕在床柱上就 行！哦，对了，我把它绕在床柱上20次都没问题，但是 一旦绕在我自己的脖子上，哦！老天，不，还是饶了我 吧！” 达林先生觉得自己的话并没有引起达林夫人足够的 注意，于是他坚称：“我提醒你，孩子他妈，这条领带 ④starve[sta:v]y挨饿 要是系不上，我们今晚绝不出门。如果我今晚不参加这 回fing[i]g扔在一边 个聚会的话，我就再也不去上班了。如果我不去上班， 你和我都得挨饿，我们的孩子就要流落街头了！” 即使这样，达林夫人仍然泰然自若。她说：“让我 试试，亲爱的，”她的话正中达林先生的下怀。接着， 她用那双微凉而又灵巧的手为他打好了领带，孩子们则 在一旁待命。有些男人们看到她能如此轻松搞定，会感 ⑥rage [reid3n.愤怒 到愤愤不平，但是达林先生确实是善良大气的人，他随 便地说了声谢谢，刚才的怒气立刻烟消云散了。不一会 儿，他已经开始背着迈克尔在房间里跳起舞来」 ⑦romp[romp)g嬉闹 达林夫人现在开口回忆道：“我们闹得真是开心 8 groan[groun]t叹息 啊！ 达林先生叹息着说道：“那是我们最后一次嬉 闹！” “哦，乔治，你还记得有一次迈克尔突然问我说， “你是怎么认识我的，母亲’吗？” “我记得！” “他们实在太可爱了，你说呢，乔治？” “他们曾经属于我们，是我们的，可是现在他们不 ⑨collide [ka1aid,相撞 见了。” braid[breid]n.带子 娜娜的出现打断这场嬉闹的场面，最槽糕的是达林 先生和她撞在了一起，他的裤子一下子沾满了狗毛。这 条裤子不仅是新裤子，还是他的第一条背带裤。他真是 咬着牙才没让自己哭出来。当然，达林夫人用刷子给他 清理干净了。但是他还是发牢骚，说养一条狗做保姆是 ·025· Chapter 2 The Shadow for a nurse. “George,.Nana is a treasure.” "No doubt,but I have an uneasy feeling at times that she looks upon the children as puppies" "Oh no,dear one,I feel sure she knows they have souls." “I wonder,”Mr Darling said thoughtfully,.“I wonder..”It was an opportunity,his wife felt,for telling him about the boy.At first he pooh-poohed the story,but he became thoughtful when she showed him the shadow. "It is nobody I know,"he said,examining it carefully,"but he does look a scoundrel2.” "We were still discussing it,you remember,"says Mr Darling,"when Nana came in with Michael's medicine.You will never carry the bottle in your mouth again,Nana,and it is all my fault." Strong man though he was,there is no doubt that he had behaved rather foolishly over the medicine.If he had a weakness,it was for thinking that all his life he had taken medicine boldly;and so now,when Michael dodged the spoon in Nana's mouth,he had said reprovingly,"Be a man,Michael." "Won't;won't,"Michael cried naughtily.Mrs Darling left the room to get a chocolate for him,and Mr Darling thought this showed want of firmness. “Mother,don't pamper⑦him,”he called after her..“Michael,.when I was your age I took medicine without a murmur.I said 'Thank you,kind parents,for giving me bottles to make me well.'" He really thought this was true,and Wendy,who was now in her night- gown,believed it also,and she said,to encourage Michael,"That medicine:you sometimes take,father,is much nastier,isn't it?" "Ever so much nastier,"Mr Darling said bravely,"and I would take it now as an example to you,Michael,if I hadn't lost the bottle." He had not exactly lost it;he had climbed in the dead of night to the top of the wardrobe and hidden it there.What he did not know was that the faithful Liza had found it,and put it back on his wash-stand. ·026· 第二章 聚彩子 个错误。 “乔治，娜娜是个宝贝。” “确实，但是我有时有种不舒服的感觉，她好像把 孩子们都当成了小狗。” ①puppy[ppi]n.小狗 “哦，不，亲爱的，我敢肯定她知道他们是有思想 的。” “我很纳闷，”达林先生沉思着说道：“很纳 闷。”达林夫人感到这是个把那男孩的事情告诉丈夫的 机会。起初，达林先生听完这故事只是哈哈一笑。但是 当达林夫人把影子拿给他看的时候，他也陷入了沉思。 scoundrel [skaundrol]n. “我不认识这个人，”他说，仔细审视一番之 坏蛋 后，说道：“但他看起来像个坏蛋。” “还记得吗，我们讨论的时候，”达林先生回忆 说，“娜娜正好把迈克尔的药拿来了。娜娜，以后你再 也不需要用嘴叼着药瓶了，这都是我的错。” 尽管他是一个坚强的人，但在吃药这件事上，他的 ③boldly ['bouldli]ad.勇敢 行为相当可笑。要说达林先生有什么弱点的话，那就是 地 他一直以为自己吃药从来都很勇敢。所以当他看到迈克 ④dodge[dbd3lg躲闪 尔躲避娜娜衔在嘴里的喂药匙的时候，他用责备的口气 reprovingly [ripru:vigli] ad责备地 说道：“有点儿男子汉的样子，迈克尔！” ⑥firmness[fb:mns]L.坚决 “不要嘛，不要嘛！”迈克尔哭闹着喊道。达林夫 ⑦pamper[pampo】g娇惯 人见状赶忙离开房间去给他找块巧克力。但是达林先生 认为这时候需要态度强硬些 “孩子他妈，不要宠着他，”他在达林夫人身后 喊，“迈克尔，我像你这大的时候，吃药从来不吭声。 我会说：‘亲爱的爸爸妈妈，谢谢你们给我吃药让我快 ⑧nasty[na:sti的a.令人生厌 快好起来。，” 他真以为自己说的是实话。已经换上睡衣的温迪也 认为达林先生说的是真的，为了鼓励迈克尔，她问道： “爸爸，有时候你吃的药比这个还难吃，是吗？” “难吃多了，”达林先生大义凛然地说，“要不是 wardrobe ['wo:droub]n. 衣桐 我把药瓶弄丢了，我现在就吃给你看，给你做个榜样。” wash-stand [wofstaend]n. 事实上，达林先生并没有真的弄丢掉药瓶。他深 洗脸架 夜爬到了衣橱顶层，把药瓶藏在那里了。可他没料到忠 心耿耿的女仆莉莎找到了它，并把它放回到他的洗脸池 上a ·027·