4.Cat and Mouse in Partnership猫和老鼠交朋友-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《格林童话精选Grimms'FairyTales》

Cat and Mouse in Partnership A certain cat had made the acquaintance of a mouse,and had said so much to her about the great love and friendship she felt for her,that at length the mouse 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 they did not know where to put it.At length,after much consideration,the cat said,"I know no place where it will be better stored up than in the church,for no one dares take anything away from there.We will set it beneath the altar3,and not touch it until 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 today,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 a drop 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 pot of fat,began to lick at it,and licked the top of the fat off.Then she took a walk upon the roofs of the ·050· 猫和老鼠交朋友 D acquaintance ['kweintans] 一只猫认识了一只老鼠，她说了好多甜言蜜语，说 :(对某人)相识，认识 自己多么多么爱她，多么多么想和她做朋友，最后，老 鼠同意和猫一起住，一起料理家务。“但是我们得为冬 2 provision [prau'visan]n. 供应：食物，给养 天做好准备，否则到时候会挨饿受苦的，”猫说，“你， 小老鼠，千万不要到处乱跑，否则总有一天会被老鼠夹 夹住。”老鼠听了猫的话，她们买了一罐肥油，但是她 们不知道放在哪里好。最后，经过认真考虑，猫说：“我 觉得再也没有比教堂更适合藏东西的地方了，因为没有 人敢从那里拿任何东西。我们把肥油放在圣坛下面，不 ③altar[oIta]n.(教堂、寺 到万不得已的时候，谁也不许去碰它。”于是装肥油的 院内的)圣坛，祭坛 罐子被放在了安全的地方，可是过了没多久，猫就开始 ④yeam [jxn]渴望；向往 馋得不行了，她对老鼠说：“小老鼠，我想告诉你件事 儿，我的表妹刚刚生了一个儿子，她想让我给他当教母。 这小宝贝一身白毛，上面有些褐色的小点点，他受洗的 ⑤font [font]n.【宗教】洗 礼盘：圣水盘 时候我要抱着他。就让我今天出去，你一个人在家照看 6 christening ['krisanin]n. 房子吧。”“好的，好的，”老鼠回答道，“你尽管去吧， (基督教)洗礼 如果你找到什么好东西，千万要想着我，我也想尝一滴 洗礼时用的香甜的葡萄酒。”可是，这些都是假话。猫 并没有什么表妹，也没人让她去当什么教母。她径直去 了教堂，偷偷打开罐子，开始舔啊舔，把肥油最上面一 层全舔光了。然后，她在镇上的屋顶上逛了一圈，想找 ·051· Cat and Mouse in Partnership town,looked out for opportunities,and then stretched herself in the sun,and licked her lips whenever she thought of the pot of fat,and not until it was evening did she return home."Well,here you are again,"said the mouse,"no doubt you have 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 very odd and uncommon name,is it a usual one in your family?""What does it signify2,"said the cat,"it is no worse than Crumb-stealer,as your 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 ring round 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 wager5 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,it has not a single white hair on its whole body;this only happens once every few years,you will let me go, won't you?""Top-off!Half-done!"answered the mouse,"they are such odd names, they make me very thoughtful.”“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 ·052· 猫和老鼠交朋友 点儿乐子，她在太阳下伸着懒腰，一想到那罐肥油就忍 不住直咂嘴巴，她一直等到天黑才回家。“哦，你回来 了，”老鼠说，“你今天肯定过得很开心。”“一切都很圆 满。”猫回答说。“他们给那孩子起了什么名字？“去顶！” 猫非常冷静地回答。“去顶！”老鼠叫起来，“这可真是 ①odd[bda.奇怪的，古 个非常奇怪非常不同寻常的名字，这在你们家族里很常 怪的 见吗？”“这有什么奇怪的？”猫说，“这和你们老鼠家 ②signify[signifail】表 族里叫‘偷屑者’的教名差不多。” 示…的意思 过了没多久，猫又嘴馋得难受。她对老鼠说：“你 ③ft[]n(突然)心血 定要帮我一个忙，你再一个人管一天家。又有人要我 来潮：突然发作 去当教母了，因为这孩子脖子上有一道白色的圈圈，我 无法拒绝。”好心的老鼠同意了，可是猫偷偷地爬过小 镇的围墙跑到教堂，把半罐子肥油都吃了。“什么东西 都没有比吃进自己肚子里的好。”她说，对自己这一天 干的活非常满意。她回到家后，老鼠问她：“这个孩子 ④inquire[in'kwaio]询问 起了什么教名？”“去半。”猫回答说。“去半！你说什 么呀？我从来没有听过这种名字，我敢打赌历书里根本 ⑤wager[wcid3a]打赌 就没有这种名字！” ⑥calendar[kaelinda]n.日 很快，猫的嘴巴又馋得直流口水。“都说好事成三， 历 我又被邀请去当教母了，这个孩子很黑，只有爪子是白 的，除此之外，全身也找不到一根白毛，这种事要好多 年才会有一次，你会让我去的，对吧？”“去顶！去半！” 老鼠回答说，“这真是奇怪的名字，让我好费心思。”“你 成天待在家里，”猫说，“穿着深灰色的皮大衣，拖着 一根长尾巴，脑子里尽是胡思乱想。这都是因为你白天 不出门的缘故。”猫不在的时候，老鼠把房子打扫干净， 把东西收拾整齐，而那只贪婪的猫却把整罐肥油都独吞 了。“全部吃光，心里不慌。”她自言自语道，她肚子吃 得饱饱，一身肥膘，到了晚上才回家。老鼠马上就问她 第三个孩子叫什么名字。“这个名字和其他名字一样不 ⑦suspicious[s3'spifas】a. 讨你喜欢，”猫说，“他叫‘去光’。”“去光，”老鼠叫起来， 可疑的，容易引起怀疑 的 “这个名字是最最奇怪的名字了！我从来没有看见书上 ·053· Cat and Mouse in Partnership 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 to our pot of fat which we have stored up for ourselves-we shall enjoy that.""Yes,"answered the cat, "you will enjoy it as much as 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 the cat,"one word more and I will eat you too.""All gone"was already on the poor mouse's lips;scarcely had she spoken it before the cat sprang on2 her,seized her,and swallowed her down.Verily 3,that is the way of the world. ·054· 猫和老鼠交朋友 有这样的名字。去光，这是什么意思？”她摇摇头，缩 ①curl up蜷缩 成一团，躺下去睡了。 从那以后，再也没有人邀请猫去当教母了。冬天来 了，外面再也找不到任何可吃的东西，老鼠想起了她们 的储备，她说：“亲爱的猫，我们去找那罐藏在那里的 肥油吧一我们可以好好享用一番了。”“没错，”猫回 答说，“你肯定会喜欢，就像你喜欢把尖尖的舌头伸到 窗外一样。”她们上了路，到了教堂一看，那罐肥油当 然还在老地方，可是已经空了。“天哪！”老鼠说，“现 在我知道是怎么回事了，现在终于真相大白了！你可真 是个好朋友啊！你来当教母的时候把肥油全吃了，先是 去顶，然后去半，然后一”“你给我闭嘴，”猫大叫着， “再说一个字，我就把你也吃了。”“去光”这两个字己 经到了可怜的老鼠嘴边，话刚出口，猫就扑了上来，抓 ②spring on扑向 ③verily[verali]ad.[古] 住她，把她整个吞了下来。可不是嘛，生活就是这个样 确实地，真正地 子！ ·055·