Chapter3-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《水孩子The Water Babies》

Chapter III "He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth al.” COLERIDGE Tom was now quite amphibious.You do not know what that means?You had better,then,ask the nearest Government pupil-teacher,who may possibly answer you smartly enough,thus- "Amphibious.Adjective,derived from two Greek words,amphi,a fish,and bios,a beast.An animal supposed by our ignorant ancestors to be compounded of a fish and a beast;which therefore,like the hippopotamus2,can't live on the land,and dies in the water." However that may be,Tom was amphibious:and what is better still,he was clean.For the first time in his life,he felt how comfortable it was to have nothing on him but himself.But he only enjoyed it:he did not know it,or think about ·092· 第三章 灿兮祷者爱之广也 授之众人鸟兽； 善兮祷者爱之极也 不分魁伟渺茫： 上帝爱人爱苍生焉。 —柯勒律治 汤姆现在完全是两栖生物。你不懂这是什么意思？ D amphibious [aem'fibias] 那么，你最好在附近找个公立小学的老师问问，他很可 a.两牺动物的 能丢给你一个特别漂亮的解释— “‘两栖类的'。形容词，由两个希腊语的词汇演变 而来，‘amphi',一种鱼类，和bios',一种兽类。那 是指一种被我们愚味的祖先认为是一鱼一兽混合起来的 ②hippopotamus 动物。因此，像河马，它在陆地上能活，在水里也能活。” [hipa'potamas]h.河马 不管怎么说，汤姆是个两栖生物：更棒的是，他变 干净了。这是一生中头一遭，他感到除了自己的肉体， 身上别无一物，是多么舒服。但他只是在享受这一切， 并不知道发生了什么，也没去想。这就像你享受着生命 ·093· Chapter III it;just as you enjoy life and health,and yet never think about being alive and healthy;and may it be long before you have to think about it! He did not remember having ever been dirty.Indeed,he did not remember any of his old troubles,being tired,or hungry,or beaten,or sent up dark chimneys. Since that sweet sleep,he had forgotten all about his master,and Harthover Place, and the little white girl,and in a word,all that had happened to him when he lived before;and what was best of all,he had forgotten all the bad words which he had learned from Grimes,and the rude boys with whom he used to play. That is not strange:for you know,when you came into this world,and became a land-baby,you remembered nothing.So why should he,when he became a water-baby? Then have you lived before? My dear child,who can tell?One can only tell that,by remembering some- thing which happened where we lived before;and as we remember nothing,we know nothing about it;and no book,and no man,can ever tell us certainly. There was a wise man once,a very wise man,and a very good man,who wrote a poem about the feelings which some children have about having lived before;and this is what he said- "Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting; The soul that rises with us,our life's star; Hath elsewhere had its setting, And cometh from afar: Not in entire forgetfulness, And not in utter nakedness, But trailing clouds of glory,do we come From God,who is our home." There,you can know no more than that.But if I were you,I would believe ·094· 第三章 和健康，却从没想过自己为什么活着，为什么健康。越 晚想这些问题越好！ 他不记得自己曾经是个脏孩子。事实上，那些陈谷 子烂芝麻事，他都不记得了。什么又累又饿，挨打受骂， 还要钻黑烟囱，通通忘了。美美地睡了一觉之后，他忘 了自己的师父，忘了哈特豪夫府，忘了那个白白净净的 小女孩。总之，以前的事情都忘了。而且，他忘了所有 从格里姆斯那儿学来的污言秽语，还有跟那帮一起玩耍 的熊孩子学来的龌龊话。多妙啊！ 这一点也不奇怪：你也知道，当你来到这个世界， 变成陆地上的孩子的时候，你对过去的记忆也是一片空 白。所以汤姆变成了水孩子，一样不记得过去了嘛。 那你之前，也活过一场么？ 亲爱的孩子啊，谁知道呢？要是我们对过去的生活 有点印象，那还能说出个一二三来。但是我们什么都不 记得了，便是对过去一无所知：也没有一本书，没有一 个人，能无比确定地告诉我们。 以前有个聪明人，他非常睿智，也很善良。他写了 一首诗，写的是一些孩子对“活过一场”的感觉。他这 样写道： “出生，是从熟睡中醒来，是忘却过往。 与生俱来的灵魂，生命的星辰， 已在他方落下， 又从彼方归来： 并非全然失忆， ①trail[treil]v.追踪 并非一丝不挂， 却是追随光辉的云霞， 我们来自上帝，他便是家园。” 你所知便囿于此。如果我是你，我就信了。因为科 ·095· Chapter III that.For then the great fairy Science,who is likely to be queen of all the fairies for many a year to come,can only do you good,and never do you harm;and instead of fancying with some people,that your body makes your soul,as if a steam- engine could make its own coke;or,with some people,that your soul has nothing to do with your body,but is only stuck into it like a pin into a pincushion,to fall out with the first shake;-you will believe the one true, orthodox②， inductive rational, deductive, philosophical,seductive, logical, productive, irrefragable,salutary, nominalistic,comfortable, realistic,and on-all-accounts-to-be-received doctrine of this wonderful fairy tale;which is,that your soul makes your body, just as a snail makes his shell.For the rest,it is enough for us to be sure that whether or not we lived before,we shall live again;though not,I hope,as poor little heathen Tom did.For he went downward into the water:but we,I hope,shall go upward to a very different place. But Tom was very happy in the water.He had been sadly overworked in the land-world;and so now,to make up for that,he had nothing but holidays in the water-world for a long,long time to come.He had nothing to do now but enjoy himself,and look at all the pretty things which are to be seen in the cool clear water-world,where the sun is never too hot,and the frost is never too cold. And what did he live on?Water-cresses,perhaps;or perhaps water-gruel, and water-milk;too many land-babies do so likewise.But we do not know what one-tenth of the water-things eat;so we are not answerable for the water-babies. Sometimes he went along the smooth gravel water-ways,looking at the crickets which ran in and out among the stones,as rabbits do on land;or he ·096· 第三章 学仙女，可能还会长时间地充当所有仙女的仙后，她只 会让你获益，而不会加害于你。不要听一些人瞎说，什 么你的身体铸就了灵魂，就好比蒸汽机能自己生产焦 炭：也不要信了另一些人，他们说什么你的灵魂跟你的 D pincushion ['pinkufn] 身体没有半点儿关系，只是像大头针插进了针垫一样， m.针垫 一摇就掉出来了。一你要相信那真正的， ②orthodox[b:0 odoks] 正统的，归纳的， a.正统的，正宗的 理性的，推衍的， ③inductive[in'dAktiv] a.归纳的 哲思的，诱人的， 1 deductive [di'dAktiv] 逻辑的，有效的， a.推论的 5 philosophical [.fila'sofikl] 无疑的，有益的， a.哲学的 唯名的，舒适的， 6 seductive [si'dAktiv] 现实的，以及必须接受的 a.诱惑的，勾引人的 productive [pra'dAktiv] a.多产的，肥沃的 关于这个绝妙童话的信条：你的灵魂成就了身体，正如蜗 8 irrefragable [i'refragobl] a无可辩论的，不可否 牛成就了它的躯壳。至于别的嘛，先甭管我们之前有没 认的 有“活过一场”，我们都得再活一遍。尽管这种活法，跟 ⑨nominalistic 可怜的小异教徒汤姆不一样。他向下，进入水中：而我们， 【nomin3'listik]a.唯名论 的，名义主义的 我希望我们能向上去，进入一个完全不同的境地。 而汤姆在水中开心极了。陆地的世界里，他被迫 加班加点地干活：而现在，在水世界里，他得到了补 偿，什么活也不用干，天天享受假期。这样的好日子 还有很久呢。他只消尽情娱乐，透过凉爽清澈的水世界， 看看一切可爱的事物。在那里，阳光向来温和，霜冻 从不刺骨。 ⑩cress[kres]H水芹 ①gruel「qru:aln.稀粥 他靠什么填饱肚子呢？或许是水芹：或许是水粥： 也可能是水牛奶。陆地上的孩子大多是吃这些长大的。 但是水里的生物吃什么，我们所知的，不到十分之一： 水孩子吃的到底是什么，我们当然答不上来了。 有时他游过光滑的沙砾铺就的水道，看到水蟋蟀在 ·097· Chapter III climbed over the ledges of rock,and saw the sand-pipes hanging in thousands, with every one of them a pretty little head and legs peeping out;or he went into a still corner,and watched the caddises eating dead sticks as greedily as you would eat plum-pudding,and building their houses with silk and glue.Very fanciful ladies they were;none of them would keep to the same materials for a day.One would begin with some pebbles;then she would stick on a piece of green wood;then she found a shell,and stuck it on too;and the poor shell was alive,and did not like at all being taken to build houses with:but the caddis did not let him have any voice in the matter,being rude and selfish,as vain people are apt to be;then she stuck on a piece of rotten wood,then a very smart pink stone,and so on,till she was patched all over like an Irishman's coat. Then she found a long straw,five times as long as herself,and said,"Hurrah! my sister has a tail,and I'll have one too;"and she stuck it on her back,and marched about with it quite proud,though it was very inconvenient indeed. And,at that,tails became all the fashion among the caddis-baits in that pool, as they were at the end of the Long Pond last May,and they all toddled about with long straws sticking out behind,getting between each other's legs,and tumbling over each other,and looking so ridiculous2,that Tom laughed at them till he cried,as we did.But they were quite right,you know;for people must always follow the fashion,even if it be spoon-bonnets. Then sometimes he came to a deep still reach;and there he saw the water- forests.They would have looked to you only little weeds:but Tom,you must remember,was so little that everything looked a hundred times as big to him as it does to you,just as things do to a minnow,who sees and catches the little water-creatures which you can only see in a microscope. And in the water-forest he saw the water-monkeys and water-squirrels(they had all six legs,though;everything almost has six legs in the water,except efts ·098· 第三章 石头间跳进跳出，就像兔子在陆地上蹦来蹦去；他也会 爬上石头棱，看到成千上万只矶鹬停在那儿，每一只 都伸着可爱的小脑袋和小爪子：有时他到一个安静的角 落，看着石蚕贪婪地吃着枯死的树枝，那架势，跟你吃 起李子布丁来的狼吞虎咽差不多。石蚕还会用蚕丝和唾 液造房子。她们是有很多奇思妙想的女士，没有一个会 一整天都用同一种材料。开始先用一点鹅卵石，然后再 添上一块绿色的木片，接着找一枚贝壳，也搭上去。这 活着的贝壳怪可怜的，他一点也不想自己被用来搭房 子。但那石蚕才不让他哼哼唧脚呢，她跟自高自大的人 ①patch [pa打补丁， 一样，又粗鲁又自私。接着再搭上一片朽木，再添一块 缝补 粉色的小石头，诸如此类。直到这房子变成了打满补丁 的爱尔兰人的外套。然后她找到一根长长的稻草，有她 身体的五倍长。她叫道：“好哇！姐姐有一根尾巴，我 也算有了！”说着她就把那稻草黏到背上，大摇大摆地 走来走去，尽管这样让走路变得很不方便。就这样，有 尾巴成了那一池子石蚕的新时尚，就好像她们走在去年 五朔节游行队伍的最后边一样。这些石蚕拖着长长的 2ridiculous [ri'dikjalas] a引人嘲笑的，可笑的 稻草尾巴歪歪扭扭地走着，一会儿你踩我，一会儿我踩 你，看上去滑稽极了。汤姆哈哈大笑，直笑出眼泪来， 就像我们小时候那样。但那些石蚕是对的，毕竞，人总 要紧跟潮流，哪怕是装饰用的女式软帽呢 有时，他会游到水流静滞的深河，在那里，他看到 了水森林。在你看来，那可能就是低矮的水草；但对汤 ③minnow ['minou].鲦鱼 姆而言—你一定记得，他变得多小了—他看到的东 (一种小淡水鱼)》 西要比你看到的大一百倍。就像一条鲦鱼，能看到也能 捉到极小的水中生物，而你要透过显微镜才看得清那些 东西。 在水森林中，他看到了水猴子和水松鼠（虽然他 1五朔节：欧洲传统民间节日。用以祭祀树神、谷物神、庆祝农业 收获及春天的来临。庆祝活动开始后，每人手拿一根与柱顶相连的彩 带，围绕五月柱跳祭祀舞蹈，祈祷神灵保佑五谷丰登、子孙繁衍。 ·099· Chapter III and water-babies);and nimbly enough they ran among the branches.There were water-flowers there too,in thousands;and Tom tried to pick them:but as soon as he touched them,they drew themselves in and turned into knots of jelly;and then Tom saw that they were all alive-bells,and stars,and wheels, and flowers,of all beautiful shapes and colours;and all alive and busy,just as Tom was.So now he found that there was a great deal more in the world than he had fancied at first sight. There was one wonderful little fellow,too,who peeped out of the top of a house built of round bricks.He had two big wheels,and one little one,all over teeth,spinning round and round like the wheels in a thrashing-machine;and Tom stood and stared at him,to see what he was going to make with his machinery. And what do you think he was doing?Brick-making.With his two big wheels he swept together all the mud which floated in the water:all that was nice in it he put into his stomach and ate;and all the mud he put into the little wheel on his breast, which really was a round hole set with teeth;and there he spun it into a neat hard round brick;and then he took it and stuck it on the top of his house-wall,and set to work to make another.Now was not he a clever little fellow? Tom thought so:but when he wanted to talk to him the brick-maker was much too busy and proud of his work to take notice of him. Now you must know that all the things under the water talk;only not such a language as ours;but such as horses,and dogs,and cows,and birds talk to each other;and Tom soon learned to understand them and talk to them;so that he might have had very pleasant company if he had only been a good boy.But I am sorry to say,he was too like some other little boys,very fond of hunting and tormenting2 creatures for mere sport.Some people say that boys cannot help it;that it is nature,and only a proof that we are all originally descended from beasts of prey.But whether it is nature or not,little boys can help it,and must help it.For if they have naughty,low,mischievous tricks in their nature,as monkeys have,that is no reason why they should give way to those tricks like monkeys, who know no better.And therefore they must not torment dumb creatures;for if ·100· 第三章 ①nimbly ['nimbli]ad.灵 们都有六条腿。其实几乎所有的水中生物都有六条腿， 活地 除了水蜥和水孩子)，他们在枝丫间灵活地窜来窜去。 那儿还有千万束水中花，汤姆想要去摘，没想到刚伸 手过去，花就自己缩了回去，变成一团黏糊糊的东西。 汤姆这才发现这些花都是活的，像铃铛，像星星，像 车轮，长得奇形怪状，五颜六色，都像汤姆一样忙活 着呢。他终于明白了，世上的生灵啊，远比他最初想 象的多得多。 那儿还有个有趣的小家伙，从圆砖搭建的房子里， 探出脑袋来。他长着两个大轮盘和一个满是锯齿的小 轮盘，像打谷机的轮盘一般，飞快地转着。汤姆停住了， 望着他，想看看他究竟在用这部“机器”做什么。你 猜他在干什么？他在造砖。他用两个大轮盘，把水流 带来的泥巴扫成一堆：里面的好东西，他都送进嘴里： 至于泥土，他都放到胸口那个圆圆的长满锯齿的小轮 盘上，“机器”转起来，一块平整坚固的圆砖就造出来了。 他把那块砖砌在房顶上，又去做下一块。多聪明的小 家伙呀！ 汤姆也这么觉得。他想跟小砖匠聊聊，可是小砖匠 忙忙碌碌，以自己的工作为荣，哪有闲工夫理他。 现在你可算知道了吧，水中一切生物都会说话，只 不过跟我们的语言不一样罢了。他们说起话来，就跟马、 狗、牛、鸟互相讲话一样。汤姆很快就学会了他们的语 言，能跟他们聊天了。要是他乖乖的，做个好男孩，他 肯定会交到一群好朋友。不过，我得说，他跟其他小男 ②torment[ta:ment]g折 孩一样好动，喜欢捕猎，喜欢折磨小动物。有的人会说， 磨，使痛苦 ③descend[di'send起源 男孩子控制不住自己，这是天性，这种说法唯一的证据 于，是…的后裔 是，我们的祖先是从野兽进化而来的。是天性也好，不 1mischievous ['mistfivas] 是天性也罢，小男孩能控制住自己，也必须控制自己。 a.恶作剧的 即便他们生来就粗鲁调皮，爱搞恶作剧，像猴子一样， 这也不能成为他们恶作剧的原因。毕竟猴子比他们更无 ·101·