13 Her Majesty’s Servants女王陛下的待从-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《森林王子The Jungle Book》

Her Majesty's Servants You can work it out by Fractions or by simple Rule of Three, But the way of Tweedle-dum is not the way of Tweedle-dee. You can twist it,you can turn it,you can plait it till you drop, But the way of Pilly Winky's not the way of Winkie Pop! It had been raining heavily for one whole month-raining on a camp of thirty thousand men and thousands of camels,elephants,horses,bullocks,and mules all gathered together at a place called Rawal Pindi,to be reviewed by the Viceroy of India.He was receiving a visit from the Amir of Afghanistan-a wild king of a very wild country.The Amir had brought with him for a bodyguard eight hundred men and horses who had never seen a camp or a locomotive before in their lives-savage men and savage horses from somewhere at the back of Central Asia.Every night a mob of these horses would be sure to break their heel ropes and stampede up and down the camp through the mud in the dark,or the camels would break loose and run about and fall over the ropes of the tents,and you can imagine how pleasant that was for men trying to go to sleep.My tent lay far away from the camel lines,and I thought it was safe. ·266· 女王陛下的侍从 要么用分数，要么用比例法， 但叮当兄和叮当弟1就是不一样。 ①twist[twis]扭转，绞， 不管你怎么扭，怎么转，怎么编，直到你筋疲 缠绕 力尽， ②plait[plx把…编 成辫 但比利·温奇和温基·波普就是不一样！2 大雨下了整整一个月。这里有三万人和几千只骆驼、 大象、马匹、公牛和骡子，大家都聚集在一个叫作拉瓦 尔品第的营地，等着印度总督来检阅。总督这时正在接 ③Afghanistan 见阿富汗埃米尔，那是个来自野蛮国家的野蛮国王。这 [efganistaen]n.阿富汗 位埃米尔随身带了八百人马的护卫队，他们这辈子从未 见过什么营地，更别提火车了。这些野蛮人和野蛮马来 自中亚的一片荒蛮之地。每天晚上，必定会有很多马挣 脱绊马索，在泥泞的营地里来回乱窜，要么就是骆驼挣 ④mud[mwdn.泥，泥浆 脱缰绳四下乱跑，被固定帐篷的绳索绊倒。可以想象， 对于想睡觉的人来说这样的场景是多么美妙。我住的帐 ⑤pleasant[plezant]a.愉 篷离骆驼队很远，本来以为还挺安全。但有天晚上，一 快的 1 Tweedledee和Tweedledum是《爱丽丝漫游奇境记》中一对李生胖 兄弟的名字，这两个人总是意见不统一，用来表示很难区分的两个人。 2这首诗的意思是说只有一个选择，没有中间道路，每个人都是与 众不同的。 ·267· Her Majesty's Servants But one night a man popped his head in and shouted,"Get out,quick!They're coming!My tent's gone!" I knew who "they"were,so I put on my boots and waterproof?and scuttled out into the slush.Little Vixen,my fox terrier,went out through the other side;and then there was a roaring and a grunting and bubbling,and I saw the tent cave in,as the pole snapped,and begin to dance about like a mad ghost. A camel had blundered into it,and wet and angry as I was,I could not help laughing.Then I ran on,because I did not know how many camels might have got loose,and before long I was out of sight of the camp,plowing my way through the mud. At last I fell over the tail-end of a gun,and by that knew I was somewhere near the artillery lines where the cannon were stacked at night.As I did not want to plowter about any more in the drizzle and the dark,I put my waterproof over the muzzle of one gun,and made a sort of wigwam with two or three rammers that I found,and lay along the tail of another gun,wondering where Vixen had got to,and where I might be. Just as I was getting ready to go to sleep I heard a jingle of harness and a grunt,and a mule passed me shaking his wet ears.He belonged to a screw-gun battery,for I could hear the rattle of the straps and rings and chains and things on his saddle pad.The screw-guns are tiny little cannon made in two pieces, that are screwed together when the time comes to use them.They are taken up mountains,anywhere that a mule can find a road,and they are very useful for fighting in rocky country. Behind the mule there was a camel,with his big soft feet squelching and slipping in the mud,and his neck bobbing to and fro like a strayed hen's. Luckily,I knew enough of beast language-not wild-beast language,but camp- beast language,of course-from the natives to know what he was saying. He must have been the one that flopped into my tent,for he called to the mule,"What shall I do?Where shall I go?I have fought with a white thing that waved,and it took a stick and hit me on the neck."(That was my broken tent ·268· 女王陛下的待从 个人把脑袋伸进我的帐篷，大喊：“出来，快点！他们 来了！我的帐篷已经没了！” ①boot[but]n.(皮革、橡 我当然知道“他们”是谁，于是穿上靴子和雨衣赶 胶、布等制的)长筒靴， 紧跑到了外面的烂泥浆里。我的猎狐犬小威克森从另一 靴子 边跑出来；接着就传来了咆哮声、咕哝声和低沉的呼噜 2waterproof ['wx:topru:f] 雨衣 声，眼看着我的帐篷支架咔啪一下就折了，那帐篷像个 发疯的幽灵一样游来游去。原来是一只骆驼跌跌撞撞地 ③slush[sl]m.半融的雪 (或冰) 跑了过来。尽管我浑身湿透、怒火中烧，但还是忍不住 ④fox[fksn,【动物】孤 大声笑了出来。我接着往前跑，因为不知道到底有多少 骆驼挣脱了缰绳。我在泥泞里艰难前行，过了不久，就 看不见营地了。 后来我被一门大炮的炮尾绊倒，这才意识已经跑到 了炮兵驻扎的地方。我不想在黑天半夜冒着雨往前跑， 把自己浑身弄得脏兮兮，于是就把雨衣搭在炮口上，找 ⑤rammer[rcma】n.捣槌， 了两三根推弹器，搭了个棚子，挨着另一门大炮躺下， 装填器 一边想威克森去了哪里，一边想我到底是在什么地方。 刚要睡着的时候，我听到了一阵挽具丁零当啷的声 音，还夹杂着咕嚕声。原来是一头骡子摇着他那湿淋淋 的耳朵从我身边走过。这骡子是螺式炮炮兵连的，因为 ⑥mule[mju:l]m.骡子 我能听到带子、吊环、铁链和马鞍上各种东西发出的声 响。螺式炮个头很小，由两部分组成，使用时把这两部 分拧到一起，这炮在崎岖的山地作战很有用。骡子把这 些炮运上山，能走多远就运到哪儿。 骡子后面跟着头骆驼，骆驼软软的大蹄子嘎吱嘎吱 踩进泥里，他的脖子左摆右摆，像只迷路的母鸡。幸好 我略通兽语，知道他在说什么。我懂的当然不是野兽的 语言，我只懂些营地里兽类的语言。这本事是我从当地 人那里学来的。 这骆驼肯定就是把我帐篷踩塌的那位，他对骡子喊 道：“我该怎么办？我该去哪里？刚才我和一个摇摇晃 晃的白家伙干了一架，那家伙用根棍子打了我的脖子。” (那棍子自然是我断掉的帐篷柱子，听他说这个我很高 ·269· Her Majesty's Servants pole,and I was very glad to know it.)"Shall we run on?" “Oh,it was you,”said the mule,“you and your friends,,that have been disturbing the camp?All right.You'll be beaten for this in the morning.But I may as well give you something on account now." I heard the harness jingle as the mule backed and caught the camel two kicks in the ribs that rang like a drum."Another time,"he said,"you'll know better than to run through a mule battery at night,shouting 'Thieves and fire!' Sit down,and keep your silly neck quiet." The camel doubled up camel-fashion,like a two-foot rule,and sat down whimpering.There was a regular beat of hoofs in the darkness,and a big troop-horse cantered up as steadily as though he were on parade,jumped a gun tail,and landed close to the mule. "It's disgraceful,"he said,blowing out his nostrils."Those camels have racketed through our lines again-the third time this week.How's a horse to keep his condition if he isn't allowed to sleep.Who's here?" "I'm the breech-piece mule of number two gun of the First Screw Battery," said the mule,"and the other's one of your friends.He's waked me up too.Who are you?" "Number Fifteen,E troop,Ninth Lancers-Dick Cunliffe's horse.Stand over a little,.there.” “Oh,beg your pardon,”said the mule.“It's too dark to see much.Aren't these camels too sickening for anything?I walked out of my lines to get a little peace and quiet here." “My lords,”said the camel humbly,“we dreamed bad dreams in the night,and we were very much afraid.I am only a baggage camel of the 39th Native Infantry,and I am not as brave as you are,my lords." "Then why didn't you stay and carry baggage for the 39th Native Infantry, instead of running all round the camp?"said the mule. "They were such very bad dreams,"said the camel."I am sorry.Listen! What is that?Shall we run on again?" ·270· 女王陛下的待从 兴。)“咱们该继续跑吗？” “原来是你啊，”骡子说道，“把营地搞得一团糟的 就是你和你那些朋友们啊？得了。明天一早你们肯定会 挨顿揍。不过我得先教训你一下。” 我听见挽具叮当作响，骡子后退了几步，朝骆驼的 肋骨位置狠狠踢了两脚，那声音好像闷声闷气的敲鼓 声。骡子说：“记牢了，下次你们可别大半夜一边喊‘着 火啦！有小偷啊！’，一边从我们骡子炮兵连穿过去了 啊！坐下！别再晃你那傻脖子了！” 那骆驼像把折尺那样弓着身子缩成一团，坐在那儿 ①darkness[da:knis]n.暗， 黑暗，阴暗 哼哼唧唧。黑暗中传来一阵有规律的马蹄声，一匹高头 ②canter[kanto]使（马） 大马步伐稳健地慢慢跑过来，好像是在接受检阅。他纵 慢跑 身跃过炮尾，在骡子旁边站稳。 “太过分了，”他从鼻孔里发出重重的叹息，“那些 骆驼又在我们的部队里搅和了一回，七天里这己经是第 三次了。如果马得不到应有的休息，那还怎么保持我们 的体力呢？你们是谁呀？” “我是第一螺式炮炮兵连二号炮炮尾的骡子，”那 骡子说道，“另一个是你的朋友。他也把我吵醒了。你 是谁？” “第九骑兵团戊连第十五号，迪克·坎利夫的马。 往旁边站过去一点儿。” “噢，抱歉，”骡子说道，“天太黑，看不清。这些 骆驼是不是太讨厌了？我也是从部队里跑出来的，想到 ③humbly[hambli]ad.谦 这里找点儿清静。” 逊地 “大人，”那骆驼谦卑地说道，“我们晚上做了噩梦， ④baggage[baegid3]n.行 吓坏了。鄙人是第三十九本地步兵团驮行李的骆驼，我 李 ⑤infantry[infantri]n.步 可没你们那么英勇，大人。” 兵 “你为什么不好好给第三十九本地步兵团运行李， 干吗要在军营里捣乱？”那骡子说。 “我们做的噩梦太可怕啦，”骆驼说道，“真的很抱 款。听啊！那是什么声音？我们是不是又该往前跑了？” ·271· Her Majesty's Servants "Sit down,"said the mule,"or you'll snap your long stick-legs between the guns."He cocked one ear and listened."Bullocks!"he said."Gun bullocks.On my word,you and your friends have waked the camp very thoroughly.It takes a good deal of prodding to put up a gun-bullock." I heard a chain dragging along the ground,and a yoke of the great sulky white bullocks that drag the heavy siege guns when the elephants won't go any nearer to the firing,came shouldering along together.And almost stepping on the chain was another battery mule,calling wildly for"Billy." "That's one of our recruits,"said the old mule to the troop horse."He's calling for me.Here,youngster,stop squealing.The dark never hurt anybody yet.” The gun-bullocks lay down together and began chewing the cud,but the young mule huddled close to Billy. "Things!"he said."Fearful and horrible,Billy!They came into our lines while we were asleep.D'you think they'll kill us?" "I've a very great mind to give you a number-one kicking,"said Billy."The idea of a fourteen-hand mule with your training disgracing the battery before this gentleman!" "Gently,gently!"said the troop-horse."Remember they are always like this to begin with.The first time I ever saw a man(it was in Australia when I was a three-year-old)I ran for half a day,and if I'd seen a camel,I should have been running still.” Nearly all our horses for the English cavalry are brought to India from Australia,and are broken in by the troopers themselves. "True enough,"said Billy."Stop shaking,youngster.The first time they put the full harness with all its chains on my back I stood on my forelegs and kicked every bit of it off.I hadn't learned the real science of kicking then,but the battery said they had never seen anything like it." ·272· 女王陛下的待从 “坐下！”骡子说道，“要不然你那四条像长棍子 一样的腿就要被这些大炮给别折了。”他竖起一只耳朵 听着，“是公牛！是炮兵公牛。说实话，你和你的朋友 ①prod [prad]v.刺，戬，捅 们把整个军营搅了个底朝天。把炮兵公牛给弄醒可是要 ②yoke[jouk]n轭，牛轭 费老鼻子劲呢。” ③siege gun【军事】攻城 用加农炮 我听见一根铁链在地上拖动的声音，一对怒气冲冲 的白色大公牛肩并肩走过来。在战场上，当大象不愿意 再接近交火点时，就要靠这一对一对的公牛把沉重的攻 城加农炮拖到城前。还有一只炮兵骡子差点儿踩到铁链， ④recruit[iknu:tn.新兵 一遍疯狂地喊着：“比利！” “那是我们连的一个新兵蛋子，”老骡子对战马说 道，“他在叫我呢。这儿呢，小子，别嚷嚷了。这大半夜的， ⑤cud [kAd:.反刍的食物 还没人受伤呢。” 这时候，两头公牛趴下来，开始反刍，那头年轻的 骡子紧紧靠着比利。 “有东西！”他说道，“让人心惊胆战的东西，比 利！我们正在睡觉呢，这些东西冲进我们的队伍。他 们会把我们杀了吗？” “我真想狠狠踢你一顿'，”比利说道，“没想到你 这头受过正规训练、身长十四只手的骡子竟然在这位绅 士面前丢尽我们炮兵连的脸！” “消消气，消消气！”那战马说道，“新兵刚来的 时候都这样。我第一次见到人是三岁时在澳大利亚，那 时候吓得跑了大半天。要是我那会儿见到头骆驼，说不 ⑥cavalry[kaevalri]n.[总 称]骑兵 定会吓得一直跑到现在呢。” 英国骑兵所用的马匹几乎都是从澳大利亚运到印度 来的，而且都是由骑兵自己训练的。 “有道理，”比利说道，“别抖了，小子。他们第一 次把整副带着铁链的挽具套到我背上时，我跃起后腿把 它们全部蹬掉了。我那时还没学会怎么把挽具蹬掉，但 炮兵连的人说他们从没见过像我那样的。” 1 number-one kicking是当时的俗语，表示“一流的”，在这里指 “特别厉害的” ·273· Her Majesty's Servants "But this wasn't harness or anything that jingled,"said the young mule."You know I don't mind that now,Billy.It was Things like trees,and they fell up and down the lines and bubbled;and my head-rope broke,and I couldn't find my driver,and I couldn't find you,Billy,so I ran off with-with these gentlemen." “H'm!”said Billy..“As soon as I heard the camels were loose I came away on my own account.When a battery-a screw-gun mule calls gun-bullocks gentlemen,he must be very badly shaken up.Who are you fellows on the ground there?” The gun bullocks rolled their cuds,and answered both together:"The seventh yoke of the first gun of the Big Gun Battery.We were asleep when the camels came,but when we were trampled on we got up and walked away.It is better to lie quiet in the mud than to be disturbed on good bedding.We told your friend here that there was nothing to be afraid of,but he knew so much that he thought otherwise.Wah!" They went on chewing②. “That comes of being afraid,”said Billy.“You get laughed at by gun- bullocks.I hope you like it,young un." The young mule's teeth snapped,and I heard him say something about not being afraid of any beefy old bullock in the world.But the bullocks only clicked their horns together and went on chewing. "Now,don't be angry after you've been afraid.That's the worst kind of cowardice,"said the troop-horse."Anybody can be forgiven for being scared in the night,I think,if they see things they don't understand.We've broken out of our pickets,again and again,four hundred and fifty of us,just because a new recruit got to telling tales of whip snakes at home in Australia till we were scared to death of the loose ends of our head-ropes." "That's all very well in camp,"said Billy."I'm not above stampeding myself,for the fun of the thing,when I haven't been out for a day or two.But what do you do on active service?" "Oh,that's quite another set of new shoes,"said the troop horse."Dick ·274· 女王陛下的待从 “但这不是挽具啊，也不是什么叮叮当当的东西 啊，”年轻的骡子说道，“我现在不害怕那些了，比利。 我怕的是像树一样的东西啊，他们在营地里起起伏伏， 还发出低沉的呼噜声；我头上的缰绳断了，找不到牵我 的人了，连你都找不到了，比利。所以我就和这些，这 些绅士一起跑出来了。” “嗯！”比利说道，“一听见这些骆驼挣脱了缰绳， 我就自己跑了出来。当一头炮兵骡，一头螺式炮炮兵连 的骡子管炮兵连公牛叫绅士，那他一定是吓得魂儿都没 了。嘿，躺在地上的家伙，你们是谁？” 炮兵连公牛一边反刍，一边齐声答道：“大炮兵连 第一门炮的第七对牛。本来我们睡得好好的，后来骆驼 ①bedding[bedin]n.寝具 来了，踩着我们了，我们就起身走了。我们宁愿清清静 静躺在泥地里，也不要在舒服的床上被吵醒。我们跟你 这位朋友说了，没什么好怕的，但他懂得多，不听我们 ②chew [tfu:]v.爵，咀嚼 的。哼！” 说罢，他们接着嚼反刍上来的草料了。 “那是因为害怕，”比利说道，“你被炮兵连公牛笑 话了。小子，希望你喜欢这样啊。” ③beefy[brf)a.结实的 年轻的骡子把牙齿咬得吱咯响，我听见他说了什么 不害怕这世上任何健壮的老公牛之类的话。那两头公牛 只是碰了碰牛角，继续咀嚼。 “小伙子，恐惧之后不要再发怒。那可是最最怯懦 1 cowardice ['kauadis]n. 的表现了，”战马说道，“不管谁在夜里看见自己不知 儒弱，胆小 道的东西而感到害怕，我看都是可以原谅的。就因为 一个新来的家伙讲起澳大利亚家乡鞭蛇的故事，我们 四百五十匹战马吓得一次又一次挣脱拴住我们的木桩。 后来我们一看见头顶松下来的绳子就吓得要死。” 5 stampede [stam'pi:d]v. “军营里什么都好，”比利说道，“我倒并没被吓着， 使惊逃，使逃窜 一两天没出来了，出来找找乐子也不错。你打仗的时候 具体干些什么呀？” “噢，那我可就是另一副模样了，”战马说道，“打 ·275·