Chapter5 Dulce Domum温馨的家-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《柳林风声The Wind in the Willows》

Chapter Five Dulce Domum The sheep ran huddling together against the hurdles,blowing out thin nostrils and stamping with delicate fore-feet,their heads thrown back and a light steam rising from the crowded sheep-pen into the frosty air,as the two animals hastened by in high spirits,with much chatter and laughter.They were returning across country after a long day's outing with Otter,hunting and exploring on the wide uplands where certain streams tributary to their own river had their first small beginnings;and the shades of the short winter day were closing in on them,and they had still some distance to go.Plodding at random across the plough,they had heard the sheep and had made for them;and now,leading from the sheep-pen, they found a beaten track that made walking a lighter business,and responded, moreover,to that small enquiring something which all animals carry inside them, saying unmistakably,'Yes,quite right;this leads home!' 'It looks as if we were coming to a village,'said the Mole somewhat dubiously, slackening his pace,as the track,that had in time become a path and then had developed into a lane,now handed them over to the charge of a well-metalled road.The animals did not hold with villages,and their own highways,thickly frequented as they were,took an independent course,regardless of church,post office or public-house. 'Oh,never mind!'said the Rat.'At this season of the year they're all safe ·104· 第五章 温馨的家 ①hurdle[hadn.(临时) 在一个拥挤的羊圈里，羊群闹哄哄地簇拥在围栏边 围栏，树篱 上，探出细小的鼻孔，跺着纤细的前蹄。他们扬着头， 冰冷的空气中升腾起一片薄薄的水汽。而此时，两个动 物正兴致盎然地疾步从边上走过，互相聊着天打着趣 儿。他们和水獭出去郊游了一天，在辽阔的高地上打猎 探索，那儿有几处滑涓流淌的水源，已经潺潺地流动起 2 tributary ['tribjutori]n. (河)支流 来汇入他们的河流里去了。现在他们正往家里赶着。短 暂的冬日已一天天地远去，不过想要暖和起来还得等上 一段时间。他们刚随意地穿过一片耕地，听到羊群声， 便循声而来。在羊圈这边他们找到了一条踩踏出来的小 道，这让他们的步履轻快了许多，与此同时，动物的直 觉准确无误地告诉他们：“是的，没错，这条就是回家 的路！” “看样子我们好像正往一个村庄走着。”鼹鼠慢下 脚步来，有些拿不准地说道。因为那小道越走越宽， 从一条羊肠小道变成了一条宽宽的小路，走着走着他 们被带到了一条铺着碎石的大路上了。动物们对村庄 没什么好感，他们经常使用的大道，不管是通往教堂 也好，邮局也好，还是酒吧，都有自己的路线，不和 村庄里的混用。 “噢，不要担心！”河鼠说道，“每年这个时候， ·105· Chapter Five Dulce Domum indoors by this time,sitting round the fire;men,women and children,dogs and cats and all.We shall slip through all right,without any bother or unpleasantness, and we can have a look at them through their windows if you like,and see what they're doing.' The rapid nightfall of mid-December had quite beset the little village as they approached it on soft feet over a first thin fall of powdery snow.Little was visible but squares of a dusky orange-red on either side of the street,where the firelight or lamplight of each cottage overflowed through the casements into the dark world without.Most of the low latticed windows were innocent of blinds,and to the lookers-in from outside,the inmates,gathered round the tea-table, absorbed in handiwork,or talking with laughter and gesture,had each that happy grace which is the last thing the skilled actor shall capture-the natural grace which goes with perfect unconsciousness of observation.Moving at will from one theatre to another,the two spectators,so far from home themselves,had something of wistfulness in their eyes as they watched a cat being stroked,a sleepy child picked up and huddled off to bed,or a tired man stretch and knock out his pipe on the end of a smouldering log. But it was from one little window,with its blind drawn down,a mere blank transparency on the night,that the sense of home and the little curtained world within walls-the larger stressful world of outside Nature shut out and forgotten-most pulsated.Close against the white blind hung a birdcage,clearly silhouetted,every wire,perch and appurtenance distinct and recognisable, even to yesterday's dull-edged lump of sugar.On the middle perch the fluffy occupant,head tucked well into feathers,seemed so near to them as to be easily stroked,had they tried;even the delicate tips of his plumped-out plumage pencilled plainly on the illuminated screen.As they looked,the sleepy little fellow stirred uneasily,woke,shook himself,and raised his head.They could see the gape of his tiny beak as he yawned in a bored sort of way,looked round, and then settled his head into his back again,while the ruffled feathers gradually subsided into perfect stillness.Then a gust of bitter wind took them in the back of ·106· 第五章盟餐的家 男人，女人，小孩子，小猫啊小狗啊之类的都安安稳稳 地围炉而坐。我们偷偷溜过去肯定没问题，不会发生什 么不愉快的事情。要是你想看看他们都在干什么，我们 可以从窗户外边瞧上一瞧。” 时值十二月中旬，他们迈着轻巧的步伐踩在薄薄的 雪地上，走进了村庄。夜幕已经降临，包围了整个村子。 除了街道两旁昏黄的橘红色火光或灯光从小屋的窗扉中 照射出来之外，其他都是黑漆漆的一片，什么也看不到。 D casement ['keismant]n. 窗扉 大多数低矮的格子窗都没有挂窗帘，隔着玻璃向里面望 ②latticed[latist)a.装有 格子的，制成格状的 去，就好像在剧场看话剧一般，屋里的人们一起围坐在 ③inmate[inmeit)]n.同住 桌边，有的专心致志地做着手工活，有的做着手势笑谈 (一屋)者 着，不过演技再好的演员也演不出他们每个人身上那从 容优雅的气质—这种自然的气质源于对观察者的注视 浑然不知。就这样，这两个远离家园的观众从一个剧院 转移到另一个剧院，充满渴望的眼神停留在一个个温馨 暖人的场景：一个猫咪被主人轻抚拍打着，一个睡眼朦 胧的小孩被抱起来放到床上去安睡，一个疲倦的男人伸 手拿烟管在将要熄灭的木柴一端敲了敲。 1smouldering ['smauldarin] a.(无火苗地)闷烧的， 但偏偏是一扇拉上了窗帘的小窗户最让他们为之心 阴燃的 动，那四面墙壁和小小的窗帘将那令人紧张的偌大世界 关在窗外，抛到了脑后。紧靠着白色的窗帘，挂着一只 鸟笼，映在窗帘上的轮廓清晰可见，笼中的金属丝、栖 5 silhouette [.silu:'et]v. 木和其他配件也看得一清二楚，甚至看得到昨天放在上 把…用侧影显示，使 现出轮廓（或影像） 面的那块已经有点化了的方糖。鸟儿站在中间的栖木上， ⑥appurtenance 脑袋埋在羽毛中，看上去近在咫尺，触手可及。他的羽 ['pa:tinans]n.从属物， 附属物，附加物 毛蓬松鼓起，上面纤细的毛尖儿像是铅笔画一样清晰得 ⑦uffy[nfa.绒毛的， 绒毛状的 勾勒在明亮的幕布上。正当他们入神地瞧着他时，这个 8 plumage ['plu:mid3]n. 睡得迷迷糊糊的小家伙儿似乎被他们的眼神吵醒了，抖 羽衣，（鸟的）全身羽 了抖羽毛，抬起脑袋。他们见他张开细小的嘴慵懒地打 ⑨beak[bik]n.喙（尤指 猛禽如鹦鹉、鹰等的角 了一个哈欠，扭头四下里瞅了瞅，接着又把头埋了起来， 喙)，鸟嘴 竖起的羽毛渐渐收拢，又一动不动的了。这时，一阵凛 洌的寒风灌进他们的后颈，冰冷的雪花扎在脸上寒得刺 ·107· Chapter Five Dulce Domum the neck,a small sting of frozen sleet on the skin woke them as from a dream,and they knew their toes to be cold and their legs tired,and their own home distant a weary way. Once beyond the village,where the cottages ceased abruptly,on either side of the road they could smell through the darkness the friendly fields again;and they braced themselves for the last long stretch,the home stretch,the stretch that we know is bound to end,some time,in the rattle of the door-latch, the sudden firelight,and the sight of familiar things greeting us as long-absent travellers from far oversea.They plodded along steadily and silently,each of them thinking his own thoughts.The Mole's ran a good deal on supper,as it was pitch-dark,and it was all a strange country to him as far as he knew,and he was following obediently in the wake of the Rat,leaving the guidance entirely to him.As for the Rat,he was walking a little way ahead,as his habit was,his shoulders humped,his eyes fixed on the straight grey road in front of him;so he did not notice poor Mole when suddenly the summons reached him,and took him like an electric shock. We others,who have long lost the more subtle of the physical senses,have not even proper terms to express an animal's inter-communications with his surroundings,living or otherwise,and have only the word 'Smell,for instance, to include the whole range of delicate thrills which murmur in the nose of the animal night and day,summoning,warning,inciting,repelling.It was one of these mysterious fairy calls from out the void that suddenly reached Mole in the darkness,making him tingle through and through with its very familiar appeal, even while as yet he could not clearly remember what it was.He stopped dead in his tracks,his nose searching hither and thither in its efforts to recapture the fine filament,the telegraphic current,that had so strongly moved him.A moment, and he had caught it again;and with it this time came recollection in fullest flood. Home!That was what they meant,those caressing appeals,those soft touches wafted through the air,those invisible little hands pulling and tugging,all one way!Why,it must be quite close by him at that moment,his old home that he ·108· 第五章盟餐的家 骨，他们这才如梦初醒，感觉脚趾已经冻僵，双腿也累 得发软，而他们离家还有一段长长的路要走。 出了村庄，道路两边的小屋一下都不见了。黑夜中， 他们又可以闻到田野那熟悉的味道了。他们打起精神， 开始了最后一段回家的路，他们知道过不了多久就能结 束这段旅程了一只要听到门栓的咔哒声，看到炉火瞬 间被点燃，见到熟悉的一切映入眼帘，仿佛在问候从远 ①rattle[retl发出嘎嘎 声（或得得声等） 方归来的旅人一样的时候一那就是到家了。他们俩稳 ②latch [laet]n.门闩，插 销 步地沿着道路走着，谁都没有说话，脑袋里想着各自的 事情。鼹鼠一心惦记着晚餐，因为在这完全陌生又黑得 伸手不见五指的地方，他只有顺从地跟着河鼠，全仰仗 着他带路。稍稍走在前面的河鼠习惯性地耸着肩，专心 3obediently [au'bi:diantli] 致志地盯着前方那条笔直的灰蒙蒙的道路。所以当可怜 ad.顺从地，服从地，忠 的鼹鼠像受到了电击一样，突然感受到那个召唤时，他 顺地 根本没有注意。 动物与其周围环境之间的交流是异常细微敏锐的， 像我们这些人类早已丧失了诸如此类敏感的生理感知， 连确切形容这些交流的术语都没有。比如，我们单用 “嗅”一个字笼统地概括了鼻子的功能，但对于动物来 说，不管白天还是黑夜，他们的鼻子都能感受到微妙的 悸动，或是警告，或是激励，抑或是抵触。正是其中一 种悸动在黑暗中抓住了鼹鼠的鼻子，让他激动得不能自 己，不过一时间他想不起来这究竟是什么。于是他一动 不动地站在原地，用鼻子嗅嗅这里，蹭蹭那里，试图捕 捉刚刚那如一缕游丝、一股微弱的电流般让他感动不已 的感觉。一瞬间他又找到了，记忆像开了闸的洪水一样 倾斜而出。 家！那充满爱抚的呼唤，那从空气中送过来的温柔 ④filament[filamant]n.细 丝，丝线 的触摸，那些看不见的小手正把他往一个方向拖！哎呀， ⑤wan[waf),飘荡，吹 他应该是离老家不远了。自从找到河流之后，他连匆匆 要 ⑥tug [tAg】g用力拉（或 告别都没有，再也没回去找过老家！而现在，它正派遣 拖)，拖曳 它的侦察兵和信使想要捕获他，把他带回去。在那个阳 ·109· Chapter Five Dulce Domum had hurriedly forsaken and never sought again,that day when he first found the river!And now it was sending out its scouts and its messengers to capture him and bring him in.Since his escape on that bright morning he had hardly given it a thought,so absorbed had he been in his new life,in all its pleasures,its surprises, its fresh and captivating experiences.Now,with a rush of old memories,how clearly it stood up before him,in the darkness!Shabby indeed,and small and poorly furnished,and yet his,the home he had made for himself,the home he had been so happy to get back to after his day's work.And the home had been happy with him,too,evidently,and was missing him,and wanted him back,and was telling him so,through his nose,sorrowfully,reproachfully,but with no bitterness or anger;only with plaintive reminder that it was there,and wanted him. The call was clear,the summons was plain.He must obey it instantly,and go.'Ratty!'he called,full ofjoyful excitement,hold on!Come back!I want you, quick!' 'Oh,come along,Mole,do!'replied the Rat cheerfully,still plodding along. 'Please stop,Ratty!'pleaded the poor Mole,in anguish of heart.'You don't understand!It's my home,my old home!I've just come across the smell of it,and it's close by here,really quite close.And I must go to it,I must,I must!Oh,come back,Ratty!Please,please come back!' The Rat was by this time very far ahead,too far to hear clearly what the Mole was calling,too far to catch the sharp note ofpainful appeal in his voice.And he was much taken up with the weather,for he too could smell something-something suspiciously like approaching snow. Mole,we mustn't stop now,really!'he called back.'We'll come for it tomorrow,whatever it is you've found.But I daren't stop now-it's late,and the snow's coming on again,and I'm not sure of the way!And I want your nose, Mole,so come on quick,there's a good fellow!'And the Rat pressed forward on his way without waiting for an answer. Poor Mole stood alone in the road,his heart torn asunder,and a big sob gathering,gathering,somewhere low down inside him,to leap up to the surface ·110· 第五章盟餐的家 ①forsake[fo'seik]g离开， 光明媚的早晨，他离家出走后，完全沉浸在快乐、新鲜、 遗弃，背弃 ②scout[skaut]v.寻找，搜 充满惊喜又扣人心弦的新生活中，对于这个老家，他几 来 乎连想都没想起过。现在，回忆如潮水般涌来，在暗夜 中他似乎能看得清清楚楚！老家的确有些破旧、狭小， 装修得也不好，但无论如何，这是他自己的家，是他为 自己而建的，是每天下班后最想回去的地方。而且，他 的老家显然也很乐意与他为伴，思念着他，想要他回来， 所以散发出气息来，通过他的鼻子，忧伤又略有责备地 向他诉说，但是，既没有刻薄的话语，也没有大发雷霆， 只是悲伤地提醒他，它就在那儿，在那儿等着他回来。 ③plaintive[pleintiv]a.哀 这呼唤是如此清晰，这召唤是如此直白，他必须立 伤的，悲哀的 刻服从，马上回家去。“河鼠兄弟！”他高兴又激动地 叫道，“等一下！快回来！快到我这儿来！” “噢，快走吧，鼹鼠，快点！”河鼠轻快地回答道， 头也不回地继续赶着路。 “河鼠兄弟，快停下，求你了！”可怜的鼹鼠痛苦 地恳求道，“你不明白！这是我的家，我的老家！我刚 碰巧闻到了，就在这儿附近，特别近。我必须过去，我 必须，必须这样做！噢，回来啊河鼠兄弟！求你了，求 你了，快回来！” 那时，河鼠已经走得很远了，远得都听不清楚鼹鼠 在叫什么，也听不到苦苦恳求声中那凄厉的声调。他一 门心思想着要变天了，因为他也嗅到了什么一像是要 下雪了。 “鼹鼠，我们真的不能停下！”他回头喊道，“不 管你找到了什么，我们明天再过来瞧。现在我可不敢停 下一天色这么晚了，又要下雪的样子，而且我也不确 定这条路对不对！你的鼻子好使，赶快过来，好伙计！” 还没等鼹鼠回答，河鼠又向前赶起路来。 可怜的鼹鼠孤零零地站在路当中，难过得心都要碎 ④asunder[a'sAnd]ad.成 了，他知道，眼泪在他内心深处不断地酝酿酝酿，即刻 数部分，成数块，分成碎 片 就要涌上来，酣畅淋漓地爆发出来了。但是即使是在这 ·111· Chapter Five Dulce Domum presently,he knew,in passionate escape.But even under such a test as this his loyalty to his friend stood firm.Never for a moment did he dream of abandoning him.Meanwhile,the wafts from his old home pleaded,whispered,conjured, and finally claimed him imperiously.He dared not tarry longer within their magic circle.With a wrench that tore his very heartstrings he set his face down the road and followed submissively in the track of the Rat,while faint,thin little smells,still dogging his retreating nose,reproached him for his new friendship and his callous forgetfulness. With an effort he caught up the unsuspecting Rat,who began chattering cheerfully about what they would do when they got back,and how jolly a fire of logs in the parlour would be,and what a supper he meant to eat;never noticing his companion's silence and distressful state of mind.At last,however,when they had gone some considerable way further,and were passing some tree-stumps at the edge of a copse that bordered the road,he stopped and said kindly,'Look here,Mole,old chap,you seem dead tired.No talk left in you,and your feet dragging like lead.We'll sit down here for a minute and rest.The snow has held off so far,and the best part of our journey is over.' The Mole subsided forlornly on a tree-stump and tried to control himself, for he felt it surely coming.The sob he had fought with so long refused to be beaten.Up and up,it forced its way to the air,and then another,and another,and others thick and fast;till poor Mole at last gave up the struggle,and cried freely and helplessly and openly,now that he knew it was all over and he had lost what he could hardly be said to have found. The Rat,astonished and dismayed at the violence of Mole's paroxysm of grief,did not dare to speak for a while.At last he said,very quietly and sympathetically,'What is it,old fellow?Whatever can be the matter?Tell us your trouble,and let me see what I can do.' Poor Mole found it difficult to get any words out between the upheavals of his chest that followed one upon another so quickly and held back speech and choked it as it came.'I know it's a-shabby,dingy little place,'he sobbed forth at last, ·112· 第五章盟餐的家 样一个纠结的时刻，他对他朋友的衷心依旧没有动摇， 他做梦都未想过要抛弃河鼠。而同时，老家轻声细语的 ①conjure[knd3】]念咒 恳求在他耳边萦绕，像咒语一样召唤着他，迫切地命令 召唤 ②tary[terg迟延，耽 着他。他不敢在这个设有魔法的地方再逗留下去，于 搁 是一狠心，挣断了心弦，低下头顺从地往河鼠的方向赶 ③wrench[rentf]n.猛扭， 扭转，猛拧 去，而那隐约细微的气息仍执着地追随着他刻意回避的 ④submissively [sb'misivli]ad.顺从地， 鼻子，责备他的喜新厌旧。 谦恭地 鼹鼠紧赶慢赶终于追上了河鼠，毫不知情的河鼠兴 ⑤callous [kaelas]a.无情 的，无同情心的 致勃勃地聊起他们到家后要做些什么，在客厅里点上炉 火会是多么愉悦，晚餐要吃得如何丰盛，却没注意到他 的同伴对他滔滔不绝的话语一声不吭，一脸苦恼的样 子。他们走了相当长一段路，最后看到一片树丛边上有 几个树桩，河鼠这才停下来和蔼地说：“鼹鼠老弟，你 看起来累坏了，话也不说，腿像灌了铅似的。我们在这 里坐一会儿休息一下吧。这会儿雪还不会下，我们也走 了一大半路了。” 鼹鼠伤心地一屁股坐在树桩上，竭力想要控制住情 绪，但是之前压抑了这么久的眼泪还是憋不住。那哽咽 ⑥forlomly [fa'lo:nli]ad..可 的情绪一点点地从心底爬到喉咙，越积越多，越积越 怜地，孤苦伶仃地 厚，终于，鼹鼠实在忍不住，无助地放声大哭起来。那 一刻，他知道这一切都结束了，那东西恐怕是再也找不 回来了。 河鼠被鼹鼠这伤心的爆发吓了一跳，连大气都不 敢喘。过了一会儿，他才同情地轻声说道：“怎么了 老伙计？到底是什么事情呀？告诉我，让我替你想想 7 paroxysm ['paraksizam] n(笑声、怒声等感情 办法。” 的)一阵发作 可怜的鼹鼠抽泣得胸膛起起伏伏，刚要说话就被 一个哽咽呛住了：“我知道它是个…简陋昏暗的小地 方，”过了好一会儿，他才缓过一点来，长吐了一口气， 断断续续地说道，“不像你住的屋子…这么温馨… 也比不上蟾蜍漂亮的豪宅…或者獾的大房子…可 ⑧dingy[dind3i]a.昏暗的， 肮脏的 ·113·