Chapter11 Like Summer Tempests Came His Tears“他的眼泪如夏雨倾盆”-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《柳林风声The Wind in the Willows》

Chapter Eleven Like Summer Tempests Came His Tears' The rat put out a neat little brown paw,gripped Toad firmly by the scruff of the neck,and gave a great hoist and a pull;and the water-logged Toad came up slowly but surely over the edge of the hole,till at last he stood safe and sound in the hall,streaked with mud and weed to be sure,and with the water streaming off him,but happy and high-spirited as of old,now that he found himself once more in the house of a friend,and dodgings and evasions were over,and he could lay aside a disguise that was unworthy of his position and wanted such a lot of living up to. 'O,Ratty!'he cried.I've been through such times since I saw you last, you can't think!Such trials,such sufferings,and all so nobly borne!Then such escapes,such disguises,such subterfuges,and all so cleverly planned and carried out!Been in prison-got out of it,of course!Been thrown into a canal- swam ashore!Stole a horse-sold him for a large sum of money!Humbugged everybody-made'em all do exactly what I wanted!O,I am a smart Toad,and no mistake!What do you think my last exploit was?Just hold on till I tell you- 'Toad,'said the Water Rat,gravely and firmly,you go off upstairs at once, and take off that old cotton rag that looks as if it might formerly have belonged to some washerwoman,and clean yourself thoroughly,and put on some of my ·276· 第十一章“他的眼泪如 夏雨倾盆” ①scuf[skrAf]n.颈背，后 河鼠伸出一只干净的棕色小爪紧紧抓住蟾蜍的后脖 脖子，颈背皮 颈，使劲一提把他拽起来，于是被水浸透的蟾蜍缓慢稳当 地爬上了洞穴边缘，最终安然无恙地站在了门厅里，当然 他身上满是泥泞和野草，还不停地淌着水。但是心情像以 往一样高兴得不能自持，因为他知道到了朋友家里他就再 也不用东躲西藏担惊受怕了，那一身寒碜的伪装也可以扔 ②dodge[dbd3】闪身躲 开，闪开 掉了，终于不用绞尽脑汁地去伴装另一个身份了。 “噢河鼠兄弟！”他叫道，“自从上次和你见完面， 我过得那日子，真是，你简直没法想象！那些审判，那 些煎熬，我都从容不迫地挺了过来！接着我又越狱、乔 3 subterfuge ['sAbtofju:d3] 装打扮、略施计谋，这可都是我聪明的脑袋瓜想出来的， n遁辞，托辞，借口 最后无一例外地都成功了呢！我被扔进了水渠一可我 游上了岸！我偷了一匹马一卖了好多钱！我骗过了所 有人一让他们对我言听计从！噢，我真是个聪明的蟾 蜍，一点没错！你知道我最近一次冒险是什么吗？先别 动，听我慢慢和你说…” “蟾蜍，”河鼠严肃又坚定地说道，“你立刻去楼 上把身上这旧棉布破衣服给换掉，这衣服看上去像是 什么洗衣妇穿的。然后好好把你自己洗一洗，换上我 ·277· Chapter Eleven Like Summer Tempests Came His Tears clothes,and try and come down looking like a gentleman if you can;for a more shabby,bedraggled,disreputable looking object than you are I never set eyes on in my whole life!Now,stop swaggering and arguing,and be off!I'll have something to say to you later!' Toad was at first inclined to stop and do some talking back at him.He had had enough of being ordered about when he was in prison,and here was the thing being begun all over again,apparently;and by a Rat,too!However,he caught sight of himself in the looking-glass over the hat-stand,with the rusty black bonnet perched rakishly over one eye,and he changed his mind and went very quickly and humbly upstairs to the Rat's dressing-room.There he had a thorough wash and brush-up,changed his clothes,and stood for a long time before the glass,contemplating himself with pride and pleasure,and thinking what utter idiots all the people must have been to have ever mistaken him for one moment for a washerwoman. By the time he came down again luncheon was on the table,and very glad Toad was to see it,for he had been through some trying experiences and had taken much hard exercise since the excellent breakfast provided for him by the gypsy. While they ate Toad told the Rat all his adventures,dwelling chiefly on his own cleverness,and presence of mind in emergencies,and cunning in tight places;and rather making out that he had been having a gay and highly coloured experience. But the more he talked and boasted,the more grave and silent the Rat became. When at last Toad had talked himself to a standstill,there was silence for a while;and then the Rat said,'Now,Toady,I don't want to give you pain,after all you've been through already;but,seriously,don't you see what an awful ass you've been making of yourself?On your own admission you have been handcuffed,imprisoned,starved,chased,terrified out of your life,insulted, jeered at,and ignominiously2 flung into the water-by a woman,too!Where's the amusement in that.Where does the fun come in?And all because you must needs go and steal a motor car.You know that you've never had anything but trouble from motor cars from the moment you first set eyes on one.But if you ·278· 第十一章 “他的眼目如夏雨倾盆” 的衣服，试着像个绅士一样下楼来。我这辈子还没见 ①disreputable 过比你现在这身更寒碜、邋遢、丢人现眼的行头了！ [dis'repjutobl]a.不名誉 的，有损名誉的 好了，别显摆，别和我争了，现在就去！我等下有话 和你说！” 蟾蜍本想停下和他顶两句嘴，他在监狱里的时候就 老被呼来喝去，看来现在又来了，还是被一只河鼠支 使！但是，当他看到帽架上镜子里自己的尊容，头上那 顶破旧的黑色软帽滑稽地扣在自己的一只眼睛上时，他 立刻改变了主意，二话不说，乖乖地上楼走进河鼠的衣 帽间。他彻彻底底地洗了个澡，换了身衣服，在镜子前 站了许久，满心骄傲和愉悦地欣赏着自己，心想那些人 居然把他错看成洗衣妇，真是愚盒极了。 当他下楼时，中饭已经摆在了桌子上，蟾蜍高兴地 不得了，因为自从吃过那顿吉普赛人的丰盛早餐后，他 经历了不少磨难费了不少力气，肚子早就空空的了。在 吃饭的时候，蟾蜍向河鼠讲述了他所有的冒险，重点放 在描述他自己如何聪明机智，在紧急时刻临危不惧，在 困境当中足智多谋。而且还强调自己所经历的这一切是 多么轻松快乐又丰富多彩。但是他越是口若悬河地讲个 不停，河鼠就越严肃，一言不发。 蟾蜍说着说着终于停了下来。沉默了片刻后，河 鼠说道：“好了，蟾蜍兄弟，看你经历了这么多，我不 想再给你平添痛苦。但是说真的，你没发现自己有多 自作自受吗？你自己也承认的，你被铐上手铐，锒铛 入狱，挨饿受冻，被人追捕，吓得屁滚尿流的，蒙受 侮辱戏弄不说，还被人可耻地扔进河里一还是被一 个女人！这是哪门子的乐趣？有什么好玩的？归根到 底，都是因为你硬要偷一辆汽车。你自己也清楚，自 ②ignominiously 打你第一眼看到汽车后，除了惹了一屁股麻烦，什么 [ignou'miniasli)ad.可耻 好处都没有得到。要是你非要玩汽车一你向来就是 地 ·279· Chapter Eleven Like Summer Tempests Came His Tears' will be mixed up with them-as you generally are,five minutes after you've started-why steal them?Be a cripple,if you think it's exciting;be a bankrupt, for a change,if you've set your mind on it;but why choose to be a convict?When are you going to be sensible,and think of your friends,and try and be a credit to them?Do you suppose it's any pleasure to me,for instance,to hear animals saying,as I go about,that I'm the chap that keeps company with gaol-birds?' Now,it was a very comforting point in Toad's character that he was a thoroughly good-hearted animal,and never minded being jawed by those who were his real friends.And even when most set upon a thing,he was always able to see the other side of the question.So although,while the Rat was talking so seriously,he kept saying to himself mutinously,But it was fun,though!Awful fun!'and making strange suppressed noises inside him,k-i-ck-ck-ck,and poop- p-p,and other sounds resembling stifled snorts,or the opening of soda-water bottles,yet when the Rat had quite finished,he heaved a deep sigh and said,very nicely and humbly,'Quite right,Ratty!How sound you always are!Yes,I've been a conceited old ass,I can quite see that;but now I'm going to be a good Toad,and not do it any more.As for motor cars,I've not been at all so keen about them since my last ducking in that river of yours.The fact is,while I was hanging on to the edge of your hole and getting my breath,I had a sudden idea-a really brilliant idea-connected with motorboats-there,there!don't take on so,old chap,and stamp,and upset things;it was only an idea,and we won't talk any more about it now.We'll have our coffee,and a smoke,and a quiet chat,and then I'm going to stroll gently down to Toad Hall,and get into clothes of my own, and set things going again on the old lines.I've had enough of adventures.I shall lead a quiet,steady,respectable life,pottering about my property,and improving it,and doing a little landscape gardening at times.There will always be a bit of dinner for my friends when they come to see me;and I shall keep a pony2- chaise to jog about the country in,just as I used to in the good old days,before I got restless,and wanted to do things.' 'Stroll gently down to Toad Hall?'cried the Rat,greatly excited.'What are ·280· 第十一章 “他的眼目如夏雨倾盆” 这样，只要玩上五分钟你就上瘾一干嘛去偷呢？你 ①cripple[kripl]n.跛子， 要觉得残废了很刺激，那你就变残废好了：你要是铁了 瘸子 心地要尝尝身无分文的滋味，那就去破产好了。但是 你为什么偏偏要犯罪呢？你到什么时候才能理智一点， 为你的朋友着想，为他们争口气？我出门在外，听到 有动物在背后说我就是和惯犯交朋友的那种动物，你 觉得我心里好受吗？” 蟾蜍的性格中有一点是令人欣慰的，那就是他心地 非常善良，从不介意被真正的朋友唠叨几句。即使他对 一件事情迷恋至深，也总能看到问题的另一面。当河鼠 在一旁如此严肃地说着话时，他还在小声嘟囔着：“但 是这就是好玩！好玩极了！”并且压低嗓门，发出类似 啼啼啼、噗噗噗的噪音，还有类似沉闷的鼻息声，或开 汽水瓶的声音。不过，当河鼠说完的时候，他长长地叹 了口气，温和又谦恭地说道：“河鼠兄弟，你真是说得 太对了！你总是这么有道理！是的，我一直就是个狂妄 自大的蠢蛋，这点我算是明白了。但是我现在要变成一 个好蟾蜍了，再也不会做那样的事情。至于汽车，自从 我掉进你的那条河里以后，我已经不怎么对它感兴趣 了。其实，刚刚我趴在你洞穴边上喘气时，我突然想 到一一个主意一一个超棒的主意一和汽船有关…好 啦，好啦！别变脸，老伙计，别跺脚嘛，小心碰翻了东 西：这只是个想法，我们现在不聊这个，还是喝点咖啡 吧，来抽支烟，安安静静聊会儿天，然后我回我的蟾蜍 庄园去，换上自己的衣服，所有一切都会重新走上正轨 了。我冒险也冒够了，该安安稳稳悠悠闲闲地好好过日 子了，没事的时候就去庄园四周转转，打理打理家产， 捯伤捯伤小花小草什么的。朋友要是来串门，肯定少不 2 mutinously ['mju:tinasli] ad.骚动地，哗变地 了酒水饭菜好好招待他们。我还要备辆小马车，乘着它 ③pony[pauni]]n.矮种马， 小马 去外面四处转转，就像以前美好的旧时光一样。等歇够 ④chaise[feiz]n.两轮或 了，我再大显身手去做些什么。” 四轮轻便马车 “回你的蟾蜍庄园？”河鼠激动地大叫道，“瞎扯 ·281· Chapter Eleven Like Summer Tempests Came His Tears' you talking about?Do you mean to say you haven't heard?' 'Heard what?'said Toad,turning rather pale.'Go on,Ratty!Quick!Don't spare me!What haven't I heard?" 'Do you mean to tell me,'shouted the Rat,thumping with his little fist upon the table,'That you've heard nothing about the Stoats and Weasels?' 'What,the Wild Wooders?'cried Toad,trembling in every limb.'No,not a word!What have they been doing?' -And how they've been and taken Toad Hall?'continued the Rat. Toad leaned his elbows on the table,and his chin on his paws;and a large tear welled up in each of his eyes,overflowed and splashed on the table,plop! plop! 'Go on,Ratty,'he murmured presently;'Tell me all.The worst is over.I am an animal again.I can bear it.' 'When you-got-into that-that-trouble of yours,'said the Rat slowly and impressively;'I mean,when you-disappeared from society for a time,over that misunderstanding about a-a machine,you know- Toad merely nodded. 'Well,it was a good deal talked about down here,naturally,'continued the Rat,'not only along the riverside,but even in the Wild Wood.Animals took sides,as always happens.The River-bankers stuck up for you,and said you had been infamously treated,and there was no justice to be had in the land nowadays.But the Wild Wood animals said hard things,and served you right, and it was time this sort of thing was stopped.And they got very cocky,and went about saying you were done for this time!You would never come back again,never,never!' Toad nodded once more,keeping silence. "That's the sort of little beasts they are,'the Rat went on.'But Mole and Badger,they stuck out,through thick and thin,that you would come back again ·282· 第十一章 “他的眼目如夏雨倾盆” 什么呀？你不会什么都还没听说吧？” “听说什么了？”蟾蜍说道，脸色煞白，“快说 河鼠兄弟！快说！别怕我受不了！我还没听说什么？” “你是说，”河鼠用他的小拳头锤着桌子，大声叫 道，“你还没听说白鼬和黄鼠狼干的好事？” “什么？原始森林的动物？”蟾蜍叫道，双手双 脚都颤抖起来，“没，我什么都没听说呀！他们都干了 什么？” “没听说他们干了好多坏事，还霸占了蟾蜍庄园？” 河鼠继续说道。 蟾蜍把手肘撑在桌子上，双爪托着下巴，眼泪一 下子充盈了双眼，大滴大滴地涌出来啪嗒啪嗒落在了 桌子上。 “河鼠兄弟，你继续说。”过了一会儿，他喃喃说道， “把所有都告诉我。最糟糕的时刻已经过去了。我缓过 劲儿来了，我能承受得住。” “当你…麻烦…麻烦缠身…的时候，”河鼠 谨慎挑着适合的说辞，缓慢地说道，“我是说，当你因 为那辆…汽车…引起的纠纷…从大家的视野里暂 时…消失的时候，你知道…” 蟾蜍只是点了点头。 “这里自然炸开了锅一样。”河鼠继续说道，“不仅 仅是河堤上，甚至是原始森林里也是。动物们照例分成 了两派。河岸边的动物站在你这边，说你受到了不公正 ①cocky [kaki]a.骄傲的， 自命不凡的，自满的 的对待，说现在这片土地上己经没什么正义可言了。但 是原始森林动物说了很多难听的话，觉得你罪有应得， 说是到了治治你的时候了。他们非常嚣张，四下里到处 散播说你这次是玩完了！你再也不会回来了，永远永远 回不来了！” 蟾蜍又点了点头，一言不发。 “那帮小禽兽一贯如此。”河鼠继续说道，“鼹鼠和 獾一直坚持着不动摇，不辞劳苦地为你四处奔波，告诉 ·283· Chapter Eleven Like Summer Tempests Came His Tears soon,somehow.They didn't know exactly how,but somehow!' Toad began to sit up in his chair again,and to smirk a little. They argued from history,'continued the Rat.'They said that no criminal laws had ever been known to prevail against cheek and plausibility such as yours,combined with the power of a long purse.So they arranged to move their things into Toad Hall,and sleep there,and keep it aired,and have it all ready for you when you turned up.They didn't guess what was going to happen,of course; still,they had their suspicions of the Wild Wood animals.Now I come to the most painful and tragic part of my story.One dark night-it was a very dark night, and blowing hard,too,and raining simply cats and dogs-a band of weasels, armed to the teeth,crept silently up the carriage-drive to the front entrance. Simultaneously,a body of desperate ferrets,advancing through the kitchen- garden,possessed themselves of the back-yard and offices;while a company of skirmishing stoats who stuck at nothing occupied the conservatory and the billiard-room,and held the French windows opening on to the lawn. 'The Mole and the Badger were sitting by the fire in the smoking-room, telling stories and suspecting nothing,for it wasn't a night for any animals to be out in,when those bloodthirsty villains broke down the doors and rushed in upon them from every side.They made the best fight they could,but what was the good?They were unarmed,and taken by surprise,and what can two animals do against hundreds?They took and beat them severely with sticks,those two poor faithful creatures,and turned them out into the cold and the wet,with many insulting and uncalled-for remarks!' Here the unfeeling Toad broke into a snigger,and then pulled himself together and tried to look particularly solemn. 'And the Wild Wooders have been living in Toad Hall ever since,'continued the Rat;'and going on simply anyhow!Lying in bed half the day,and breakfast at all hours,and the place in such a mess(I'm told)it's not fit to be seen!Eating your grubs,and drinking your drink,and making bad jokes about you,and singing vulgar songs,about-well,about prisons,and magistrates,and ·284· 第十一章 “他的眼目如夏雨倾盆” 大家无论怎么样你迟早都会回来的。他们也不知道到底 ①smirk[smck]g傻笑，得 要多久，但相信你一定会回来！” 意地笑 ②prevail[pri'veil]v.胜，胜 蟾蜍开始直起了身子，得意地笑了笑。 过，优胜 plausibility [plazabilati] “他们根据以往的历史案例来论证，”河鼠继续说， 几.善辩，似乎有理，貌似 “他们说，就你顶撞警察的那些事，根本没有刑法能给 可信 你定罪，再加上你又有财力，你回来是早晚的事。于 是他们把东西都搬进了蟾蜍庄园，睡在那里，每天给 房子通风换气，把一切都准备妥当，就等你回来。虽 然他们对原始森林动物们心存芥蒂，但也没料想到之 ④weasel[wi:zal]n.鼬鼠， 黄鼠狼 后会发生那样的事情。我要讲到最痛苦悲惨的部分了。 一个月黑风高的晚上一黑得伸手不见五指，狂风大 ⑥ferret[ferit]n.雪貂 作，下着倾盆大雨一一路全副武装的黄鼠狼悄悄地 从马车道上爬到了前门。同时，一大群穷凶极恶的雪 貂从菜园子那头偷袭上来，占领了后院和房间，一帮 ⑥skirmish[skami/]进 行接触战，小规模冲突 打打闹闹肆无忌惮的白鼬占据了温室和台球房，把守 ⑦conservatory [k3n's3 va.to:ri]n.(玻璃) 了朝向草坪的法式窗户。” 暖房，温室 “而鼹鼠和獾当时正坐在吸烟室的火炉旁谈天说 地，没起一点疑心。因为那样一个天气恶劣的晚上，动 物们一般都不会轻易出门。那些残忍的暴徒破门而入， 把他俩团团围住，他们奋力抵抗，但是有什么用呢？这 两只手无寸铁的动物怎么敌得过几百号动物的偷袭？恶 棍们抓住他俩狠狠地打了一顿，然后把这两个可怜又忠 心耿耿的动物扔到了凄风苦雨的屋外，还说了许多不堪 入耳的污言秽语！” 听到这儿，没心没肺的蟾蜍居然吃吃地笑了出来， 但立马又板起脸装出一副非常严肃的样子。 “从那以后，那些原始森林动物在那儿住了下来。” 河鼠继续说道，“再也没挪过窝！他们在床上躺到中午 ⑧grub[qrab]h.食物 才起，什么时候醒就什么时候吃早饭，听说那地方简直 ⑨vulgar[vlg]a.粗俗 乱得不成样子，简直看不得！他们吃你的，喝你的，讲 的，相鄙的，庸俗的 (0 magistrate ['maedsistreit] 着你的坏笑话，唱着粗俗的歌曲，是关于…额，什么 n地方官员（法官），治 安官 监狱啦，法官啦，警察啦，都是些无聊透顶的骂人话， ·285·