Chapter3 The Wild Wood原始森林-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《柳林风声The Wind in the Willows》

Chapter Three The Wild Wood The mole had long wanted to make the acquaintance of the Badger.He seemed, by all accounts,to be such an important personage and,though rarely visible, to make his unseen influence felt by everybody about the place.But whenever the Mole mentioned his wish to the Water Rat he always found himself put off.'It's all right,'the Rat would say,Badger'll turn up some day or other-he's always turning up-and then I'll introduce you.The best of fellows!But you must not only take him as you find him,but when you find him.' 'Couldn't you ask him here-dinner or something?'said the Mole. 'He wouldn't come,'replied the Rat simply.Badger hates Society,and invitations,and dinner,and all that sort of thing.' 'Well,then,supposing we go and call on him?'suggested the Mole. 'Oh,I'm sure he wouldn't like that at all,'said the Rat,quite alarmed.'He's so very shy,he'd be sure to be offended.I've never even ventured to call on him at his own home myself,though I know him so well.Besides,we can't.It's quite out of the question,because he lives in the very middle of the Wild Wood.' 'Well,supposing he does,'said the Mole.'You told me the Wild Wood was all right,you know.' O,I know,I know,so it is,'replied the Rat evasively.But I think we ·054· 第三章 原始森林 鼹鼠一直都心心念念地想要结识獾。从大家谈论他 ①badger[bed3an.獾 ②personage[pa:sanid3】i. 的口气中，鼹鼠可以听出他是个重要人物，平时虽然很 要人，名流，大人物 少露面，却给所有人一种无形的影响力。但是每次鼹鼠 和河鼠说起他想结识獾的时候，河鼠总是推三阻四的。 “可以啊。”河鼠会说，“獾过几天就会出现的…他总 是会出现的…到时候我给你们俩介绍介绍。他可是最 棒的！不过你可不能只凭第一印象，日子越久你会越知 道他的好。” “你就不能请他过来吃个饭什么的吗？”鼹鼠说。 “他不会来的。”河鼠简短地回答道，“獾最讨厌社 交活动了，什么邀请啊聚餐啊之类的。” “那这样的话，要不我们上门去拜访他？”鼹鼠建 议道。 “噢，我肯定他不喜欢这样。”河鼠惊慌地说道，“他 非常非常害羞，我们要是贸然前往的话他肯定会很生气 的。虽然我和他很熟，但是我自己也不敢冒昧地去他家 拜访。而且，我们也去不了，他住在原始森林深处，我 们是不可能过去的。” “好吧，就算他是住在那里。”鼹鼠说，“你之前不 3 evasively [i'veisivli]ad. 是说原始森林挺不错的嘛。” 逃避地，推诿地 “噢我知道，我知道，是不错。”河鼠闪烁其词地说 ·055· Chapter Three The Wild Wood won't go there just now.Not just yet.It's a long way,and he wouldn't be at home at this time of year anyhow,and he'll be coming along some day,if you'll wait quietly.' The Mole had to be content with this.But the Badger never came along,and every day brought its amusements,and it was not till summer was long over,and cold and frost and miry ways kept them much indoors,and the swollen river raced past outside their windows with a speed that mocked at boating of any sort or kind,that he found his thoughts dwelling again with much persistence on the solitary grey Badger,who lived his own life by himself,in his hole in the middle of the Wild Wood. In the winter time the Rat slept a great deal,retiring early and rising late. During his short day he sometimes scribbled poetry or did other small domestic jobs about the house;and,of course,there were always animals dropping in for a chat,and consequently there was a good deal of story-telling and comparing notes on the past summer and all its doings. Such a rich chapter it had been,when one came to look back on it all! With illustrations so numerous and so very highly coloured!The pageant of the river bank had marched steadily along,unfolding itself in scene-pictures that succeeded each other in stately procession.Purple loosestrife arrived early,shaking luxuriant tangled locks along the edge of the mirror whence its own face laughed back at it.Willowherb,tender and wistful,like a pink sunset cloud was not slow to follow.Comfrey,the purple hand-in-hand with the white,crept forth to take its place in the line;and at last one morning the diffident and delaying dog-rose stepped delicately on the stage,and one knew,as if string-music had announced it in stately chords that strayed into a gavotte,that June at last was here.One member of the company was still awaited;the shepherd-boy for the nymphs to woo,the knight for whom the ladies waited at the window,the prince that was to kiss the sleeping summer back to life and love.But when meadowsweet,debonair and odorous in amber jerkin,moved graciously to his place in the group,then the play was ·056· 第三章原始森林 道，“不过我觉得我们现在还是不要去那里。现在还不行。 从这儿过去可有不少路呢，而每年这时候他都不会在家。 如果你安静耐心地等着，说不定哪天他就过来了。” 鼹鼠只能作罢。不过獾一直没有来。而鼹鼠每天都 有好玩的事情做，他也就不想这一茬了。随着日子一天 ①miry[maiari]a.泥泞的， 天过去，夏天带着火球般的太阳逐渐远去，天气渐渐冷 脏的 了下来，外面天寒地冻，满地泥泞，他们俩只能待在屋 子里哪儿也去不了。窗外漫涨的河水淌得飞快，划手都 不知道是自己在划水还是河流在划自己了，所以划船也 ②solitary['solitari]a.孤独 的，独居的 只好作罢。这时候，鼹鼠又执着地想起了子然一人的灰 獾，想到他在原始森林深处的洞穴中独自一人过着离群 索居的生活。 ③scribble['skribl]v.潦草 冬天的时候河鼠睡得特别多，每天早睡晚起。在短 地书写，胡写，乱画 短的一天里，他有时候写写小诗或者做做零碎家务。当 然了，总有动物过来串串门聊聊天，大家会讲很多故事， 聊聊这个夏天都做了些什么。 当你回头看看过去的这一整个夏天，会发现这是多 ④pageant[ped3onli.华 么精彩绝伦的一个章节！其中的一幅幅插图颜色明丽， 丽壮观的场面，壮丽的 多得让人目不暇接！河堤上的庆典游行队伍一个接着一 游行队伍 ⑤loosestrife ['lu:sstraif月n. 个地登台展现，宛如不断更迭的风景画一般。紫色的珍 珍珠菜 6 luxuriant [lAg'zjuariant] 珠菜到得最早，她们晃动着一头茂密纠缠的长发，站在 a.华丽的，华美的 镜子般的水面边上对着自己的倒影莞尔一笑。柳兰也紧 ⑦comfrey[kAmfri]n.紫 草科植物 随其后，那温婉沉思的样子像极了日落时天边粉色的云 彩。接着，紫色和白色的聚合草肩并着肩手拉着手，蹑 手蹑脚地混在了队伍后面走了上来。最后，一天清晨， ⑧gavotte[g3'vot]i.加沃 羞怯的犬蔷薇姗姗来迟，迈着曼妙优雅的步伐登上舞 特舞 ⑨ymph[nimf].(居于 台。她的登场犹如弦乐队从庄严的和声向欢乐的嘉禾舞 江河山林等中的)仙女 曲的转变一众所周知，六月来临了。不过，还有一位 00 meadowsweet [medauswi:)n.绣线菊 朋友让大家翘首以盼，他是仙女们追求示爱的牧羊少 属植物 D debonair [.deba'nea]n. 年，是少女们倚在窗边等待的英勇骑士，是吻醒了夏季 快活的，温文尔雅的 ②amber[emba]n琥珀色， 这位公主，让她重获新生的英俊王子。但是，当温文尔 (淡)黄色，黄褐色 雅香气扑鼻的绣线菊穿着琥珀色的短款上衣，步履优雅 ·057· Chapter Three The Wild Wood ready to begin. And what a play it had been!Drowsy animals,snug in their holes while wind and rain were battering at their doors,recalled still keen mornings,an hour before sunrise,when the white mist,as yet undispersed,clung closely along the surface of the water;then the shock of the early plunge,the scamper along the bank, and the radiant transformation of earth,air,and water,when suddenly the sun was with them again,and grey was gold and colour was born and sprang out of the earth once more.They recalled the languorous siesta of hot midday,deep in green undergrowth,the sun striking through in tiny golden shafts and spots;the boating and bathing of the afternoon,the rambles along dusty lanes and through yellow cornfields;and the long,cool evening at last,when so many threads were gathered up,so many friendships rounded,and so many adventures planned for the morrow.There was plenty to talk about on those short winter days when the animals found themselves round the fire;still the Mole had a good deal of spare time on his hands,and so one afternoon,when the Rat in his armchair before the blaze was alternately dozing and trying over rhymes that wouldn't fit,he formed the resolution to go out by himself and explore the Wild Wood,and perhaps strike up an acquaintance with Mr Badger. It was a cold still afternoon with a hard steely sky overhead,when he slipped out of the warm parlour into the open air.The country lay bare and entirely leafless around him,and he thought that he had never seen so far and so intimately into the insides of things as on that winter day when Nature was deep in her annual slumber and seemed to have kicked the clothes off. Copses,dells,quarries and all hidden places,which had been mysterious mines for exploration in leafy summer,now exposed themselves and their secrets pathetically,and seemed to ask him to overlook their shabby poverty for a while,till they could riot in rich masquerade as before,and trick and entice him with the old deceptions.It was pitiful in a way,and yet cheering-even exhilarating.He was glad that he liked the country undecorated,hard,and stripped of its finery.He had got down to the bare bones of it,and they were ·058· 第三章 原台森林 地加入到队伍中时，好戏便开演了。 那是多么精彩的一出戏啊！当风雨在外面敲打着动 物们的门窗时，昏昏沉沉的他们懒洋洋地睡在洞穴中， 回忆着那平静的早晨。在日出前一小时，雾气尚未散去， 整条河流被笼罩在蒙蒙的雾霭中，突然太阳从云层中喷 ①scamper[skaemp3]n.蹦 跳，奔跑 薄而出，水中扑通一声响，岸边有动物蹦哒着跑过，大 地、空气和河流都一改刚才的容貌，顿时容光焕发起来。 2 languorous [lengoras]a. 那灰蒙蒙的一切都洒满了金光，五彩缤纷的颜色染满了 软弱无力的，引起倦怠 每个角落。他们还想起那酷热难耐的午后，在幽深的灌 ③siesta[si'esta]n.午休，午 木丛中睡上一个慵懒的午觉，灿烂的阳光透过茂密的枝 睡 叶，洒下晃眼斑驳的光点。下午在河上划船，在河里洗 澡，走过尘土飞扬的小巷，在金黄的玉米地里穿行。最 后终于迎来了漫长凉爽的夜晚，大家都聚在一起谈天说 地，朋友们叙叙旧聊聊天，为明天的探险做着打算。在 冬季短暂的日子里，动物们围在火炉边上总有说不完的 话，聊不完的天。但尽管如此，鼹鼠还是有大把空闲的 时间。一天下午，河鼠坐在火炉边的扶手椅上，斟酌着 小曲儿里蹩脚的声韵，时不时地打打瞌睡。鼹鼠则下了 决心打算去原始森林探探险，没准儿能遇上獾，和他交 个朋友 那天下午，鼹鼠从温暖的客厅里溜了出来。外面寒 冷而寂静，头顶上的天空像涂了铅一样沉闷。在他四周， 树叶调敝，所有一切都光秃秃地展现在他眼前，让他觉 得视野从未如此开阔过。大自然像是在一年一度的郁睡 ④slumber['slamba】n.蛰 中踢掉了身上的衣服和被子，让鼹鼠特别亲近地看到了 伏，休眠，不活跃 ⑤shabby ['fabi]a.破旧的， 她的真面目。夏日里那些枝叶茂密的神秘探险基地，像 破破烂烂的 6 masquerade [.mesk 'reid] 杂树林啊，小山谷啊，乱石坑啊，现在都连同他们那些 几化装，伪装 小秘密被袒露得一览无余，他们似乎在可怜巴巴地恳求 着鼹鼠别再看他们现在这副空空荡荡、贫困潦倒的窘迫 相，等来年夏天待他们重新盛装打扮，戴上魅惑的假面 7 exhilarate [ig'ziloreit]v. 之后，再来和他玩捉迷藏的游戏。这一切看上去让人觉 使高兴，使振奋，使愉快 得有些可惜，但是又让人开心，甚至让人欢欣鼓舞。鼹 ·059· Chapter Three The Wild Wood fine and strong and simple.He did not want the warm clover and the play of seeding grasses;the screens of quickset,the billowy drapery of beech and elm seemed best away;and with great cheerfulness of spirit he pushed on towards the Wild Wood,which lay before him low and threatening,like a black reef in some still southern sea. There was nothing to alarm him at first entry.Twigs crackled under his feet, logs tripped him,funguses on stumps resembled caricatures,and startled him for the moment by their likeness to something familiar and far away;but that was all fun,and exciting.It led him on,and he penetrated to where the light was less,and trees crouched nearer and nearer,and holes made ugly mouths at him on either side. Everything was very still now.The dusk advanced on him steadily,rapidly, gathering in behind and before;and the light seemed to be draining away like flood-water. Then the faces began. It was over his shoulder,and indistinctly,that he first thought he saw a face: a little evil wedge-shaped face,looking out at him from a hole.When he turned and confronted it,the thing had vanished. He quickened his pace,telling himself cheerfully not to begin imagining things,or there would be simply no end to it.He passed another hole,and another, and another;and then-yes!-no!-yes!certainly a little narrow face,with hard eyes,had flashed up for an instant from a hole,and was gone.He hesitated- braced himself up for an effort and strode on.Then suddenly,and as if it had been so all the time,every hole,far and near,and there were hundreds of them, seemed to possess its face,coming and going rapidly,all fixing on him glances of malice and hatred:all hard-eyed and evil and sharp. If he could only get away from the holes in the banks,he thought,there would be no more faces.He swung off the path and plunged into the untrodden places of the wood. ·060· 第三章原台森林 鼠喜欢这种未加装饰、素面朝天、返璞归真的样子，他 ①billowy[bilaui]a.汹涌 触及到了大自然最真实的一面，它是那么美好、坚韧又 澎湃的，波涛汹涌的，巨 浪翻腾的 如此简单。他不想要温暖的三叶草，也不想玩播种小草 ②elm [elm]n.榆树，榆木 的把戏：他也不想要一道道树篱屏风，瀑布般的毛山榉 和帘幕般浓密的榆树最好也离他远远的。鼹鼠就这样兴 高采烈地向前面的原始森林走去。但那原始森林却低匐 着身体，气势汹汹地看着他，像隆起在平静南海上的一 ③fungus[fgps]n.真菌， 霉菌，菌类 片黑色礁石。 caricature ['karikatfual n.漫画 刚进森林里的时候没什么可怕的。树枝在他脚下吱 嘎作响，横躺着的木头结结实实地绊他了好几下，长在 树桩上的菌菇像信手拈来的抽象画，似曾相识却又遥不 可及，倒是把他吓了一跳。但是所有这些又好玩又令人 兴奋，他就继续向前走着，渐渐地光线越来越暗，树枝 凑得越来越近越来越低，两旁的洞穴朝着他张着丑陋的 大嘴。 四周万籁俱寂。黄昏的雾霭迅速地朝他逼拢过来， 包围在他前后，而亮光像落潮的海水般逐渐褪去。 然后，那些面孔出现了 一开始，他模模糊糊地看到肩后有一张邪恶的锥子 样小脸，从一个洞穴中向外望着他。当他转头想看个究 竞时，它就消失不见了。 他加快了脚步，强作镇定地安慰自己不要乱想，不 然就没完没了了。他经过一个洞穴，是的！又经过一个， 不是！又经过一个，是的！啊哟！那绝对是一张窄窄的 ⑤brace for准备接受某事 物，准备迎接（困难）， 小脸，两眼尖锐，在洞口闪了一下又不见了。他迟疑了 使振作精神 ⑥malice[melis]m.恶意， 一下，接着又鼓起勇气来大步向前走。突然一瞬间，又 怨恨 好像自始至终，远远近近几百个洞穴中都有一张面孔， 在洞口一闪而过，对他狠狠地盯上一眼，眼神邪恶、冷 峻又凶残。 untrodden [.An'trodon]a. 鼹鼠想，要是他能摆脱掉土坡上的这些洞穴，那就 未被踩踏过的，人迹罕 至的 不会再看到这些面孔了。这样想着，他拐了个弯，离开 小路，一头扎进了杏无人迹的林子深处。 ·061· Chapter Three The Wild Wood Then the whistling began. Very faint and shrill it was,and far behind him,when first he heard it;but somehow it made him hurry forward.Then,still very faint and shrill,it sounded far ahead of him,and made him hesitate and want to go back.As he halted in indecision it broke out on either side,and seemed to be caught up and passed on throughout the whole length of the wood to its furthest limit.They were up and alert and ready,evidently,whoever they were!And he-he was alone,and unarmed,and far from any help;and the night was closing in. Then the pattering began. He thought it was only falling leaves at first,so slight and delicate was the sound of it.Then as it grew it took a regular rhythm,and he knew it for nothing else but the pat-pat-pat of little feet,still a very long way off.Was it in front or behind?It seemed to be first one,then the other,then both.It grew and it multiplied,till from every quarter as he listened anxiously,leaning this way and that,it seemed to be closing in on him.As he stood still to hearken,a rabbit came running hard towards him through the trees.He waited,expecting him to slacken pace,or to swerve from him into a different course.Instead,the animal almost brushed him as he dashed past,his face set and hard,his eyes staring.'Get out of this,you fool,get out!'the Mole heard him mutter as he swung round a stump and disappeared down a friendly burrow. The pattering increased till it sounded like sudden hail on the dry-leaf carpet spread around him.The whole wood seemed running now,running hard, hunting,chasing,closing in round something or-somebody?In panic,he began to run too,aimlessly,he knew not whither.He ran up against things, he fell over things and into things,he darted under things and dodged round things.At last he took refuge in the deep dark hollow of an old beech tree, which offered shelter,concealment-perhaps even safety,but who could tell? Anyhow,he was too tired to run any further,and could only snuggle down ·062· 第三章 原台森林 然后，响起了哨声。 乍听到时，那哨声微弱尖细，在他身后很远的地方 响起，但他仍紧张地迈着大步朝前赶。接着那相同的哨 声在他前面很远的地方也响了起来，他犹豫着要不要往 回走。当他停住脚步艰难抉择的时候，那声音在两头同 时响了起来，一声接着一声此呼彼应，穿透了整个森林 直到尽头。很明显他们都竖着耳朵警惕着准备好了！不 管他们是谁！而他…他就一个人，手无寸铁，孤立无 援。而夜幕开始降临了。 这时，响起了啪嗒啪嗒的声音。 起初，他以为那不过是落叶的声音，因为很轻很弱。 但接着，那声响开始变为有规律的节奏，毫无疑问那是 远处一双小脚爪踩在地上的脚步声，它到底是在前面还 是后面？好像是前面，又好像在后面，不对，两面都 有。他焦虑不安地听听这边，又听听那边，脚步声越米 ①hearken[hakn]倾 越大，越来越多，从四面八方朝他聚拢起来。当他正原 听，听给予注意 地站着一动不动侧耳倾听时，一只兔子从树丛间急速向 他跑来。鼹鼠愣在原地，想着兔子应该会慢下脚步或转 弯跑到另一条路上。可恰恰相反，那兔子从他身边蹿过， 差点没把他撞倒了。他瞪着眼睛，一脸固执冷酷。鼹鼠 ②burrow[bArau]n.(孤 听到他咕脓着：“离开这里，你个笨蛋，离开！”见他绕 兔等小动物挖的)洞， 过一个树桩，消失在附近的一个兔子洞里。 地洞，穴，窟 那啪嗒啪嗒的脚步声越来越响，像是突如其来的 冰雹砸在他周围的枯叶堆上。整个森林好像都在奔跑， 跑得飞快，似乎在符猎，在追逐，在四面包抄着什么 东西或什么人？惊慌失措的鼹鼠于是也开始没头没脑 ③whither[hwioo]ad.往何 处，向哪里 地狂奔，一点方向都没有。他不是撞上了什么，就是 ④dart[dc)k猛冲，飞奔， 急驰 跟头翻进了什么里面，不是从什么东西底下飞奔而 ⑤beech[bit!]n.山毛榉 过，就是躲闪着绕开了什么。最后，他找到了一处藏 ⑥snuggle['snagl]v:躺，舒 服地倦伏，偎依 身的地方一在一棵老榆树幽深的黑洞里。那儿挺 隐蔽的一没准儿会很安全，但是谁知道呢？不管怎 样，他已经跑得精疲力竭，一点儿力气都没有了，只 ·063·