3 Kaa’s Hunting蟒蛇卡的狩猎-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《森林王子The Jungle Book》

Kaa's Hunting His spots are the joy of the Leopard:his horns are the Buffalo's pride. Be clean,for the strength of the hunter is known by the gloss of his hide. Ifye find that the Bullock can toss you,or the heavy-browed Sambhur can gore?; Ye need not stop work to inform us:we knew it ten seasons before. Oppress not the cubs of the stranger,but hail them as Sister and Brother, For though they are little and fubsy,it may be the Bear is their mother. "There is none like to me!"says the Cub in the pride of his earliest kill; But the jungle is large and the Cub he is small.Let him think and be still. Maxims of Baloo All that is told here happened some time before Mowgli was turned out of the Seeonee Wolf Pack,or revenged himself on Shere Khan the tiger.It was in the days when Baloo was teaching him the Law of the Jungle.The big,serious, old brown bear was delighted to have so quick a pupil,for the young wolves ·046· 蟒蛇卡的狩猎 猎豹以他的斑点为乐，野牛以他的双角为荣。 要保持清洁，猎手的毛皮是否光滑说明他的能 力大小。 ①to5s[tps]扔，抛 如果你发现小公牛能把你扔出去，眉毛浓重的 ②gore [g](长角动物) 用角（或獠牙）抵，刺 水鹿能用角顶伤你， 不用专门停下工作来告诉我们：早在十年前我 ③oppress[a'pres]g压迫， 们就已知道啦。 压制 ④hail[heil训g向…欢 不要欺负陌生的幼总，要叫他们“兄弟”或“姊妹”， 令 因为他们虽然又小又胖，却很有可能是熊的孩子。 ⑤fubsy[fabzi]a.[英国 第一次杀死猎物时，幼崽都会骄傲地大喊“谁 方言]肥胖的 也没有我这么厉害！” 但是丛林如此广衰，而幼崽如此渺小。让他好 好静静地思考。 巴鲁的格言 我们接下来要讲的故事发生在毛格利被赶出西翁尼 狼族之前，他也还没有去找老虎希尔汗报仇。那时他还 在跟着巴鲁学习丛林法则。块头巨大、生性严肃的老棕 ⑥pupil[pjupal]n.门生 弟子 1原文Ka是作者杜撰的名字，其发音类似大蛇张开嘴时发出的奇 特声音。 ·047· Kaa'sHunting will only learn as much of the Law of the Jungle as applies to their own pack and tribe,and run away as soon as they can repeat the Hunting Verse-"Feet that make no noise;eyes that can see in the dark;ears that can hear the winds in their lairs,and sharp white teeth,all these things are the marks of our brothers except Tabaqui the Jackal and the Hyaena whom we hate."But Mowgli,as a man-cub,had to learn a great deal more than this.Sometimes Bagheera the Black Panther would come lounging through the jungle to see how his pet was getting on,and would purr with his head against a tree while Mowgli recited the day's lesson to Baloo.The boy could climb almost as well as he could swim, and swim almost as well as he could run.So Baloo,the Teacher of the Law, taught him the Wood and Water Laws:how to tell a rotten branch from a sound one;how to speak politely to the wild bees when he came upon a hive of them fifty feet above ground;what to say to Mang the Bat when he disturbed him in the branches at midday;and how to warn the water-snakes in the pools before he splashed down among them.None of the Jungle People like being disturbed, and all are very ready to fly at an intruder.Then,too,Mowgli was taught the Strangers'Hunting Call,which must be repeated aloud till it is answered, whenever one of the Jungle-People hunts outside his own grounds.It means, translated,"Give me leave to hunt here because I am hungry."And the answer is,“Hunt then for food,but not for pleasure.” All this will show you how much Mowgli had to learn by heart,and he grew very tired of saying the same thing over a hundred times.But,as Baloo said to Bagheera,one day when Mowgli had been cuffed and run off in a temper,"A man's cub is a man's cub,and he must learn all the Law of the Jungle." "But think how small he is,"said the Black Panther,who would have spoiled Mowgli if he hadhad his own way."How can his little head carry all thy long talk?” "Is there anything in the jungle too little to be killed?No.That is why I teach him these things,and that is why I hit him,very softly,when he forgets." ·048· 蟒蛇卡的狩備 熊很喜欢这个敏捷的学生，因为其他的小狼只肯学习跟 他们自己族群相关的丛林法，一旦会背诵猎歌就会逃之 天天。猎歌是这么唱的：“我们的爪子悄无声息，我们 的双眼能穿透黑暗，我们的耳朵能捕捉巢穴里的微风， 我们的牙齿又白又尖利。这些都是我们弟兄的标志，除 了我们讨厌的土狼、鬣狗一塔巴奇”。但是毛格利作 为一个人崽要学的东西远远超出这些。有时黑豹巴格伊 ①lounge[laund闲荡， 闲逛 尔拉会穿过丛林来看看他的小宝贝学习进展如何。他会 一边把脑袋靠在树上打呼噜，一边听着毛格利给巴鲁背 诵当天学习的课程。这男孩爬树跟游泳一样棒，游泳又 几乎跟跑步一样棒。所以法则教师巴鲁就教给了他跟 森林和水域相关的法则：比如如何辨别腐朽的树枝和结 ②hive[haiv].蜂团，蜂群 实的树枝：如果在离地五十英尺高的地方遇见了一群野 蜂，该如何跟他们礼貌地打招呼：如果中午的时候打扰 了在叶子间休息的蝙蝠芒恩该怎么说话：在跳进池塘之 前又该怎么提醒底下的水蛇避开。丛林的民众没有谁愿 ③yat猛扑，猛烈攻击 意受惊扰，一有入侵者，都会在第一时间发动攻击。所 以毛格利也学了“外来者的求猎呼号”，凡是丛林居民， 无论谁离开自己的地盘打猎时都必须大声重复这个呼 号，直到得到应答。如果把它翻成人的语言，那就是“请 允许我在此狩猎，因为我饥肠辘辘”。回答则是“只可 猎取食物，不可以此取乐”。 我说这些是让你明白毛格利需要用心记住多少东 西，而且要把一件事情翻来覆去念上一百遍，他烦得不 ④cuff [kA用巴掌打， 掌击，掴 行了。但是就像巴鲁跟巴格伊尔拉说的那样，“人崽就 是人崽，他必须学会所有的丛林法则”。他说这话时， ⑤spoil[spoil],娇惯坏， 毛格利刚因为挨了一巴掌气呼呼地跑掉了。 宠坏 黑豹说：“可是想想他还这么小呢。他那小脑袋怎 么能装下你那些长篇大论呢？”要是让巴格伊尔拉来带 孩子，他肯定会把毛格利给惯坏了不可。 “丛林里有什么东西会因为太小而不被杀吗？没 有。所以我才要教他这些事情，所以他记不住的时候， ·049· Kaa'sHunting "Softly!What dost thou know of softness,old Iron-feet?"Bagheera grunted. "His face is all bruised today by thy-softness.Ugh." "Better he should be bruised from head to foot by me who love him than that he should come to harm through ignorance,"Baloo answered very earnestly. "I am now teaching him the Master Words of the Jungle that shall protect him with the birds and the Snake People,and all that hunt on four feet,except his own pack.He can now claim protection,if he will only remember the words, from all in the jungle.Is not that worth a little beating?" "Well,look to it then that thou dost not kill the man-cub.He is no tree trunk to sharpen thy blunt claws upon.But what are those Master Words?I am more likely to give help than to ask it"-Bagheera stretched out one paw and admired the steel-blue,ripping-chisel talons at the end of it-"still I should like to know.” "I will call Mowgli and he shall say them-if he will.Come,Little Brother!" "My head is ringing like a bee tree,"said a sullen little voice over their heads,and Mowgli slid down a tree trunk very angry and indignant, adding as he reached the ground:"I come for Bagheera and not for thee,fat old Baloo!" “That is all one to me⑦，”said Baloo,.though he was hurt and grieved. "Tell Bagheera,then,the Master Words of the Jungle that I have taught thee this day.” "Master Words for which people?"said Mowgli,delighted to show off. “The jungle has many tongues.I know them all.” "A little thou knowest,but not much.See,O Bagheera,they never thank their teacher.Not one small wolfling has ever come back to thank old Baloo for his teachings.Say the word for the Hunting-People,then-great scholar..” ·050· 蟒蛇卡的狩蓿 我才打他，轻轻地打一下。” ①bruise[brrz]使（皮 “轻轻地！你这老铁掌，你知道什么叫轻轻地？” 肉)青肿，使受瘀伤 巴格伊尔拉不满地嘟囔着：“今天他的脸都肿了，就因 为你那‘轻轻的’一下。哼！” 巴鲁非常认真地回答道：“他就是从头到脚都被我 打肿了也比他因为无知而闯祸强，我这才叫爱他。我现 ②claim[kleim],要求（应 在教他的是丛林密语，能够保护他不受任何东西的伤 得权利) 害，不管是鸟、蛇，还是靠四条腿打猎的走兽，除了他 自己的族群以外。现在只要他能记住这些话，他就能免 ③blunt[blant]a.钝的，不 受丛林里任何动物的伤害。为了这个挨点打又算得了什 锋利的 么呢？” “呵呵，那你就小心点别把人崽给打死咯。他可 ④talon[taelan]m,[常作复 不是你拿来磨磨钝爪子的树干啊。话说回来，密语到 数]（尤指猛禽的）爪 底是什么啊？一向都是别人来求我帮忙，我还从来没 求过别人呢。不过，了解一下也不坏啊。”巴格伊尔拉 边说着，一边伸出一只脚，欣赏着脚尖上那闪着金 ⑤sullen[sAlon]a.愠怒 属般亮光、像细长凿一样锋利的爪子。 的，不高兴的 “我叫毛格利来说给你听吧，如果他愿意的话。来 6 indignant [in'dignant]a. 愤怒的，愤慨的 吧，小兄弟！” 他们头顶上传来一个小小的、闷闷不乐的声音：“我 这头还在嗡嗡响呢，就跟住了蜜蜂的空心树一样。”毛 ⑦that is all one to me对我 来说都一样 格利抱着满腹的委屈和怒火从树干上滑下来，踩到地上 时还加了一句：“我是为了巴格伊尔拉才来的，可不是 为了你，胖子老巴鲁！” “为谁来都一样。来吧，给巴格伊尔拉念念我今天 教你的丛林密语。”巴鲁说是这么说，其实心里还是挺 难过的。 “哪一族的密语呢？丛林里有那么多语言。我可全 都知道。”毛格利说着，很高兴有个机会能卖弄一下。 “你才知道一点点而已，哪有多少。你看看，巴格 伊尔拉，他们从来都不知道感谢老师。没有哪头小狼回 来感谢过老巴鲁的教诲。好吧，大学者，你就说说捕猎 ·051· Kaa'sHunting "We be of one blood,ye and I,"said Mowgli,giving the words the Bear accent which all the Hunting People use. "Good.Now for the birds." Mowgli repeated,with the Kite's whistle at the end of the sentence. "Now for the Snake-People,"said Bagheera. The answer was a perfectly indescribable hiss,and Mowgli kicked up his feet behind,clapped his hands together to applaud himself,and jumped on to Bagheera's back,where he sat sideways,drumming with his heels on the glossy skin and making the worst faces he could think of at Baloo. “There-there！That was worth a little bruise,”said the brown bear tenderly."Some day thou wilt remember me."Then he turned aside to tell Bagheera how he had begged the Master Words from Hathi the Wild Elephant, who knows all about these things,and how Hathi had taken Mowgli down to a pool to get the Snake Word from a water-snake,because Baloo could not pronounce it,and how Mowgli was now reasonably safe against all accidents in the jungle,because neither snake,bird,nor beast would hurt him. No one then is to be feared,”Baloo wound up②，patting his big furry stomach with pride. "Except his own tribe,"said Bagheera,under his breath;and then aloud to Mowgli,"Have a care for my ribs,Little Brother!What is all this dancing up and down?" Mowgli had been trying to make himself heard by pulling at Bagheera's shoulder fur and kicking hard.When the two listened to him he was shouting at the top of his voice,"And so I shall have a tribe of my own,and lead them through the branches all day long." "What is this new folly,little dreamer of dreams?"said Bagheera. “Yes,and throw branches and dirt at old Baloo,”Mowgli went on.“They have promised me this.Ah!" "Whoof!"Baloo's big paw scooped Mowgli off Bagheera's back,and as ·052· 蟒蛇卡的狩蓿 族的密语吧。” “你和我，我们拥有共同的血缘。”毛格利用熊的 口音念了一遍所有捕猎族都会的密语。 “好。现在说说鸟类用的。” 毛格利念了一遍，句尾带上了鸢鹰特有的口哨。 ①hiss[his]n.嘶晴声 巴格伊尔拉说：“现在该蛇族了。” 回答他的是一声完全无法形容的咝咝声。毛格利 往后踢踢脚，又给自己鼓掌喝彩，还跳到巴格伊尔拉 的背上，侧坐着用脚后跟在黑豹光滑的皮毛上敲着鼓 点，一边还对着巴鲁做出各种各样他能想出来的最最 难看的鬼脸。 棕熊温柔地说：“好了，好了，能念成这样，受点 轻伤完全值得嘛。总有一天你会记得我的。”说完，他 转过脸去跟巴格伊尔拉说起他是怎么去求野象哈提'教 他这些密语的，对这一类事情哈提可是了如指掌。因为 巴鲁不会蛇族密语，所以哈提又带着毛格利到池塘边去 向一条水蛇请教。现在毛格利在丛林里可以说是几乎来 ②wind up结束（讲话等） 去无碍了，因为无论鸟、蛇，还是走兽都不会伤害他。 “再也不用害怕谁了。”巴鲁总结说，骄傲地拍了 拍他那毛茸茸的大肚皮。 “除了他自己的族群，”巴格伊尔拉低声接了一句， 又提高嗓门对毛格利说道：“小兄弟，小心我的肋骨！ 这么跳上跳下的干吗啊？” 为了让黑豹和棕熊听他说话，毛格利刚才一直在拉 扯巴格伊尔拉肩膀上的毛，还使劲儿踢他。等他们俩注 意听时，他放声大喊：“这样我就会有我自己的一个部 落了，我可以带着他们成天在树上跑来跑去。” 巴格伊尔拉问：“这又是什么新把戏啊，小小梦想家？” 毛格利接着说：“对，还要冲老巴鲁扔树枝和泥巴。 他们都跟我说好了。啊！” ③scoop[skup](敏捷 地)抱起，搂起 “噗一”巴鲁的大掌一下把毛格利从巴格伊尔拉 1原文Hahi在印度语里是大象的意思。 ·053· Kaa'sHunting the boy lay between the big fore-paws he could see the Bear was angry. "Mowgli,"said Baloo,"thou hast been talking with the Bandar-log-the Monkey People.” Mowgli looked at Bagheera to see if the Panther was angry too,and Bagheera's eyes were as hard as jade stones. "Thou hast been with the Monkey People-the gray apes2-the people without a law-the eaters of everything.That is great shame." “When Baloo hurt my head,”said Mowgli(he was still on his back),“T went away,and the gray apes came down from the trees and had pity on me.No one else cared."He snuffled a little. “The pity of the Monkey People!"Baloo snorted.“The stillness④of the mountain stream!The cool of the summer sun!And then,man-cub?" "And then,and then,they gave me nuts and pleasant things to eat,and they-they carried me in their arms up to the top of the trees and said I was their blood brother except that I had no tail,and should be their leader some day." "They have no leader,"said Bagheera."They lie.They have always lied." "They were very kind and bade me come again.Why have I never been taken among the Monkey People?They stand on their feet as I do.They do not hit me with their hard paws.They play all day.Let me get up!Bad Baloo,let me up!I will play with them again." "Listen,man-cub,"said the Bear,and his voice rumbled like thunder on a hot night."I have taught thee all the Law of the Jungle for all the peoples of the jungle-except the Monkey-Folk who live in the trees.They have no law.They are outeasts.They have no speech of their own,but use the stolen words which they overhear when they listen,and peep,and wait up above in the branches.Their way is not our way.They are without leaders.They have no remembrance.They boast and chatter and pretend that they are a great people about to do great affairs in the jungle,but the falling of a nut turns their minds to laughter and all is forgotten.We of the jungle have no dealings with them.We ·054 蟒蛇卡的狩楷 的背上扯下来。当男孩儿朝天躺在大大的熊掌之间时， 他看出来棕熊发火了。 巴鲁说：“毛格利，你一直在跟邦达-罗格—猴 民来往呢。” ①jade[deid]n玉石，翡翠 毛格利看看巴格伊尔拉，想知道黑豹是否也在生 ②ape [eip].黑猩猩，大 气，只见巴格伊尔拉的眼睛变得像翡翠一样又冷又硬。 猩猩，猩猩 “你跟猴民混在一起，那些灰猿—什么都吃一 ③shame [feim]n.耻辱， 无耻行为 无法无天，真是丢脸！” 毛格利（还仰面躺着）说：“巴鲁那会儿把我的头 打伤了，我就跑掉了。然后那些灰猿就从树上下来安慰 我。除了他们，谁也不管我。”他轻轻地抽了一下鼻子。 ④stillness['stilnis】n.静 巴鲁哼了一声，说：“猴民的怜悯！就跟说山溪也 止，不动 会静止，夏日也会清凉一样！后来呢，人崽子？” “后来，后来，他们就给我吃坚果还有别的好吃的， 他们还一还用胳膊夹着我把我带到树顶上去了。他们 说我跟他们同宗，只不过没有尾巴，还说我有一天会当 他们的头领。” 巴格伊尔拉说：“他们根本没有头领。他们在撒谎。 ⑤bade[bed(bid的- 他们总是撒谎。” 种过去式)邀请 “可是他们对我很好，还让我再去玩儿。你们怎么 从来不带我去猴民那儿呢？他们跟我一样都能直立着。 而且他们也不会用硬爪子打我。他们整天都玩儿。让我 起来，坏巴鲁，让我起来！我还要去跟他们玩儿。” 棕熊说话了，他的声音像闷热的晚上隆隆的雷声一 样。“听着，人崽儿，我己经教过你丛林里所有居民都 遵守的丛林法则，但是住在树上的猴族不算，他们不遵 ⑥outcast[autka:st)n.被 守任何法则。他们是被驱逐出去的流浪者。他们连自己 (家庭或社会)遗弃者， 被逐出者 的语言都没有，只会在树上偷听、偷看，等着别人说些 ⑦peep[pipk(表示埋 什么，他们就偷来用用。他们和我们走的不是一条路。 怨、抗议等)嘀咕 ⑧remembrance 他们没有首领，也没有记性。他们夸夸其谈，假装自己 [ri'membrons]n.回忆 是一个伟大的民族，要在丛林里干些大事：可是只要一 l此处Bandar--log中的bandar是印度人对猴子的称呼。 ·055·