柳林風聲：Mr. Toad 蟾蜍先生

It was a bright morning in the early part of summer; the river had resumed its wonted banks and its accustomed pace, and a hot sun seemed to be pulling everything green and bushy and spiky up out of the earth towards him, as if by strings. The Mole and the Water Rat had been up since dawn, very busy on matters connected with boats and the opening of the boating season; painting and varnishing, mending paddles, repairing cushions, hunting for missing boat-hooks, and so on; and were finishing breakfast in their little parlour and eagerly discussing their plans for the day, when a heavy knock sounded at the door.

這是初夏的一個陽光燦爛的早晨。大河兩岸已經(jīng)重現(xiàn)原貌，河水恢復了通常的流速，暖烘烘的太陽，仿佛用無數(shù)根細繩，把萬物從地下拔起，拽向他自己，使它們變得綠油油、郁蔥蔥、高 聳聳。鼴鼠和河鼠天一亮就起床，忙著為即將開始的游艇季節(jié)作準備，油漆船身啦，整理槳葉啦，修補坐墊啦，尋找丟失的帶鉤子的船篙啦，等等。他們正在客廳里吃早飯，熱烈地討論當天的計劃，忽聽得一聲重重的敲門聲。

‘Bother!’ said the Rat, all over egg. ‘See who it is, Mole, like a good chap, since you’ve finished.’

“麻煩!”河鼠說，滿嘴都是雞蛋。“鼴鼠，好小伙，你已經(jīng)吃完了，去看看是誰來了。”

The Mole went to attend the summons, and the Rat heard him utter a cry of surprise. Then he flung the parlour door open, and announced with much importance, ‘Mr. Badger!’

鼴鼠起身去開門，河鼠聽到他驚喜地喊了一聲。隨后，鼴鼠一下子打開客廳的門，鄭重地宣布說：“獾先生駕到!”

This was a wonderful thing, indeed, that the Badger should pay a formal call on them, or indeed on anybody. He generally had to be caught, if you wanted him badly, as he slipped quietly along a hedgerow of an early morning or a late evening, or else hunted up in his own house in the middle of the Wood, which was a serious undertaking.

這真是很不尋常，獾竟會親自登門拜訪他們，因為他是難得拜訪任何人的。一般說，如果你急于見他，你就得在清晨或黃昏時趁他在樹籬旁悄悄溜過時去遇他，或者到野林深處他家去找他，那可是件非同小可的事。

The Badger strode heavily into the room, and stood looking at the two animals with an expression full of seriousness. The Rat let his egg-spoon fall on the table-cloth, and sat open-mouthed.

獾腳步重重地踱進屋，站著不動，神情嚴肅地望著兩位朋友。河鼠手里的蛋勺不由得落在了桌布上，嘴巴張得大大的。

‘The hour has come!’ said the Badger at last with great solemnity.

“時辰到了!”獾莊嚴宣稱。

‘What hour?’ asked the Rat uneasily, glancing at the clock on the mantelpiece.

“什么時辰?”河鼠瞟了一眼爐臺上的鐘，不安地問。

‘WHOSE hour, you should rather say,’ replied the Badger. ‘Why, Toad’s hour! The hour of Toad! I said I would take him in hand as soon as the winter was well over, and I’m going to take him in hand to-day!’

“你應(yīng)該問，‘誰的時辰’，”獾答道。“當然，是蟾蜍的時辰!我說過，等冬天一過。我就要管教管教他，今天，我就是來管教他的。”

‘Toad’s hour, of course!’ cried the Mole delightedly. ‘Hooray! I remember now! WE’LL teach him to be a sensible Toad!’

“當然啰，是蟾蜍的時辰!”鼴鼠高興地說。“烏拉!我想起來啦!咱們大伙是要去教訓教訓他，讓他變得清醒點!”

‘This very morning,’ continued the Badger, taking an arm-chair, ‘as I learnt last night from a trustworthy source, another new and exceptionally powerful motor-car will arrive at Toad Hall on approval or return. At this very moment, perhaps, Toad is busy arraying himself in those singularly hideous habiliments so dear to him, which transform him from a (comparatively) good-looking Toad into an Object which throws any decent-minded animal that comes across it into a violent fit. We must be up and doing, ere it is too late. You two animals will accompany me instantly to Toad Hall, and the work of rescue shall be accomplished.’

“昨晚我得到可靠的消息，”獾坐在一張扶手椅上，接著說，“說就在今天上午，又有一輛馬力特大的新汽車，要開到蟾宮，由他選購，或者退貨。說不定這會兒，蟾蜍已經(jīng)在穿戴他心愛的那套其丑無比的服裝了。本來還不難看的蟾蜍，穿上那身衣服，就成了個怪物，不管哪個頭腦清醒的動物見到他，都會嚇暈過去的。咱們得及早動手，要不就太遲了。你二位得陪我去一趟蟾宮，務(wù)必去拯救拯救蟾蜍。”

‘Right you are!’ cried the Rat, starting up. ‘We’ll rescue the poor unhappy animal! We’ll convert him! He’ll be the most converted Toad that ever was before we’ve done with him!’

“說得對!”河鼠跳起來喊道。“咱們要去拯救那個可憐蟲!咱們要幫他改邪歸正!要把他變成最最規(guī)矩懂事的蟾蜍，不然的話，咱們就得跟他一刀兩斷!”

They set off up the road on their mission of mercy, Badger leading the way. Animals when in company walk in a proper and sensible manner, in single file, instead of sprawling all across the road and being of no use or support to each other in case of sudden trouble or danger.

他們出發(fā)上路，去執(zhí)行一項行善的任務(wù)，獾在前領(lǐng)路。動物們在結(jié)伴同行時，總是采取一種適當而合理的走法，就是排成豎行，而不是橫跨整個路面。因為如果那樣走，在突遇麻煩或危險時，就不便互相支援協(xié)助。

They reached the carriage-drive of Toad Hall to find, as the Badger had anticipated, a shiny new motor-car, of great size, painted a bright red (Toad’s favourite colour), standing in front of the house. As they neared the door it was flung open, and Mr. Toad, arrayed in goggles, cap, gaiters, and enormous overcoat, came swaggering down the steps, drawing on his gauntleted gloves.

他們來到蟾宮的大車道時，果如獾所料，看到房前停著一輛閃光锃亮的汽車，大型號，漆成鮮紅色(這是蟾蜍最喜歡的顏色)。他們走到門口時，大門猛地打開，里面走出蟾蜍先生。他戴著護目鏡、便帽，穿著長統(tǒng)靴和一件又肥又大的外套，搖搖擺擺，神氣活現(xiàn)地走下臺階，一邊往手上戴他那副寬口的大手套。

‘Hullo! come on, you fellows!’ he cried cheerfully on catching sight of them. ‘You’re just in time to come with me for a jolly—to come for a jolly—for a—er—jolly----‘

“嗨!伙計們，來呀!”一看到他們，蟾蜍就興高采烈地喊道。“你們來得正是時候，跟我一道去痛快——痛快——呃——痛快——”

His hearty accents faltered and fell away as he noticed the stern unbending look on the countenances of his silent friends, and his invitation remained unfinished.

可是，看到幾位朋友全都繃著臉，沉默不語，蟾蜍那熱情洋溢的話變得結(jié)結(jié)巴巴，說不下去了，對他們的邀請也只說出一半。

The Badger strode up the steps. ‘Take him inside,’ he said sternly to his companions. Then, as Toad was hustled through the door, struggling and protesting, he turned to the chauffeur in charge of the new motor-car.

獾大步走上臺階。“把他弄進屋去，”他嚴肅地吩咐兩位同伴說。蟾蜍一路掙扎，抗議，被推搡到門里。獾轉(zhuǎn)身對駕駛新車的司機說：

‘I’m afraid you won’t be wanted to-day,’ he said. ‘Mr. Toad has changed his mind. He will not require the car. Please understand that this is final. You needn’t wait.’ Then he followed the others inside and shut the door.

“今天恐怕用不著你了，蟾蜍先生已經(jīng)改變主意，不要這輛車了。請你明白，這是最后決定，你不用再等了。”說罷，他跟著那幾個走進屋去，關(guān)上大門。

‘Now then!’ he said to the Toad, when the four of them stood together in the Hall, ‘first of all, take those ridiculous things off!’

當四只動物都站在過道里時，獾對蟾蜍說：“現(xiàn)在，你先把這身勞什子脫掉!”

‘Shan’t!’ replied Toad, with great spirit. ‘What is the meaning of this gross outrage? I demand an instant explanation.’

“就不!”蟾蜍怒沖沖地說。“這樣蠻不講理的干涉，什么意思?我要你們立刻解釋清楚。”

‘Take them off him, then, you two,’ ordered the Badger briefly.

“那么，你們兩個，替他脫!”獾簡短地發(fā)布命令。

They had to lay Toad out on the floor, kicking and calling all sorts of names, before they could get to work properly. Then the Rat sat on him, and the Mole got his motor-clothes off him bit by bit, and they stood him up on his legs again. A good deal of his blustering spirit seemed to have evaporated with the removal of his fine panoply. Now that he was merely Toad, and no longer the Terror of the Highway, he giggled feebly and looked from one to the other appealingly, seeming quite to understand the situation.

蟾蜍不住地踢踹，叫罵，他們不得不把他按倒在地，才能順當?shù)亟o他脫衣。河鼠坐在他身上，鼴鼠一件一件扒下他的駕駛服，然后他們把他提著站起來。隨著蟾蜍的全副精良披掛被剝掉，他那大吼大叫的威風也消失大半了?，F(xiàn)在，既然他不再是公路兇神，而只不過是蟾蜍，他只有無力地格格笑著，求饒似地看看這個，看看那個，像是徹底明白了他的處境。

‘You knew it must come to this, sooner or later, Toad,’ the Badger explained severely.You’ve disregarded all the warnings we’ve given you, you’ve gone on squandering the money your father left you, and you’re getting us animals a bad name in the district by your furious driving and your smashes and your rows with the police. Independence is all very well, but we animals never allow our friends to make fools of themselves beyond a certain limit; and that limit you’ve reached. Now, you’re a good fellow in many respects, and I don’t want to be too hard on you. I’ll make one more effort to bring you to reason. You will come with me into the smoking-room, and there you will hear some facts about yourself; and we’ll see whether you come out of that room the same Toad that you went in.’

“你知道，蟾蜍，早晚會有這一天的，”獾嚴厲地訓誡說。“我們給過你那么多勸告，你全當耳邊風。你一個勁兒揮霍你父親留下的錢財。你發(fā)狂似地開車，橫沖直撞，跟警察爭吵，你在整個地區(qū)敗壞了我們動物的名聲。獨立自主固然好，但我們動物絕不能聽任朋友把自己變成傻瓜，越軌出格，你現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)大大出格了。在許多方面，你都是挺不錯的，我不愿對你過分嚴厲。我要再作一次努力，使你恢復理性。你跟我到吸煙室來，聽我數(shù)落數(shù)落你的所作所為。等你從那間房里出來時，看能不能成為一個改過自新的蟾蜍。”

He took Toad firmly by the arm, led him into the smoking-room, and closed the door behind them.

他牢牢抓住蟾蜍的臂，把他帶進吸煙室，隨手帶上了門。

‘THAT’S no good!’ said the Rat contemptuously. ‘TALKING to Toad’ll never cure him. He’ll SAY anything.’

“那管什么用!”河鼠不屑地說。”給蟾蜍講道理，治不了他的毛病。他會滿口答應(yīng)，事后不改。”

They made themselves comfortable in armchairs and waited patiently. Through the closed door they could just hear the long continuous drone of the Badger’s voice, rising and falling in waves of oratory; and presently they noticed that the sermon began to be punctuated at intervals by long-drawn sobs, evidently proceeding from the bosom of Toad, who was a soft-hearted and affectionate fellow, very easily converted—for the time being—to any point of view.

他倆安安逸逸坐在扶手椅上，靜候結(jié)果。透過緊閉的門，他們只聽到獾那又長又低的訓話聲，一陣高，一陣低，滔滔不絕。過了一會，他們注意到獾的訓話聲不時被長長的抽泣聲打斷，那顯然是發(fā)自蟾蜍的內(nèi)心，因為他是個心腸軟重感情的動物，很容易——暫時地——聽信任何觀點的規(guī)勸。

After some three-quarters of an hour the door opened, and the Badger reappeared, solemnly leading by the paw a very limp and dejected Toad. His skin hung baggily about him, his legs wobbled, and his cheeks were furrowed by the tears so plentifully called forth by the Badger’s moving discourse.

約莫過了三刻鐘，門開了，獾莊嚴地牽著一個軟弱無力沒精打采的蟾蜍走了出來。他的皮膚像口袋似的松垮垮地搭拉著，兩腿搖搖晃晃，他被獾那感人肺腑的規(guī)勸打動了，腮幫子上滿是淚痕。

‘Sit down there, Toad,’ said the Badger kindly, pointing to a chair. ‘My friends,’ he went on, ‘I am pleased to inform you that Toad has at last seen the error of his ways. He is truly sorry for his misguided conduct in the past, and he has undertaken to give up motor-cars entirely and for ever. I have his solemn promise to that effect.’

“坐在這兒，蟾蜍，”獾指著一張椅子，和藹地說。“朋友們，我很高興地告訴你們，蟾蜍終于認識到他的做法是錯誤的。他對過去的越軌行為由衷地感到遺憾，決心再也不玩汽車了。他向我作出了莊嚴的保證。”

‘That is very good news,’ said the Mole gravely.

“這真是個大好消息，”鼴鼠鄭重其事地說。

‘Very good news indeed,’ observed the Rat dubiously, ‘if only—IF only----‘

“確實是個大好消息，”河鼠疑疑惑惑地說，“只要——只要——”

He was looking very hard at Toad as he said this, and could not help thinking he perceived something vaguely resembling a twinkle in that animal’s still sorrowful eye.

他說這話時，眼睛緊盯著蟾蜍，仿佛看到，在蟾蜍那仍然悲悲戚戚的眼睛里，有種什么東西閃了一下。

‘There’s only one thing more to be done,’ continued the gratified Badger. ‘Toad, I want you solemnly to repeat, before your friends here, what you fully admitted to me in the smoking-room just now. First, you are sorry for what you’ve done, and you see the folly of it all?’

“現(xiàn)在，你還得做一件事，”甚感快慰的獾接著說。“蟾蜍，我要求你當著這兩位朋友的面，把你剛才在吸煙室里答應(yīng)過我的話，莊嚴地重復一遍。第一，你為過去的行為感到遺憾，你認識到那全是胡鬧，是不是?”

There was a long, long pause. Toad looked desperately this way and that, while the other animals waited in grave silence. At last he spoke.

長時間的沉默。蟾蜍絕望地望望這邊，望望那邊，另幾只動物都在嚴肅地默默等待。最后，他終于開腔了。

‘No!’ he said, a little sullenly, but stoutly; ‘I’m NOT sorry. And it wasn’t folly at all! It was simply glorious!’

“不!”他臉色陰沉但氣壯如牛地說，“我不遺憾。那根本就不是什么胡鬧!那是光榮的!”

‘What?’ cried the Badger, greatly scandalised. ‘You backsliding animal, didn’t you tell me just now, in there----‘

“什么?”獾大為驚駭?shù)睾暗馈?ldquo;你這個出爾反爾說話不算數(shù)的家伙!剛才，在那屋，你不是明明告訴我——”

‘Oh, yes, yes, in THERE,’ said Toad impatiently. ‘I’d have said anything in THERE. You’re so eloquent, dear Badger, and so moving, and so convincing, and put all your points so frightfully well—you can do what you like with me in THERE, and you know it. But I’ve been searching my mind since, and going over things in it, and I find that I’m not a bit sorry or repentant really, so it’s no earthly good saying I am; now, is it?’

“是啊，是啊，在那屋，”蟾蜍不耐煩地說。“在那屋，我什么都會說的。親愛的獾，你口若懸河，那么感人，那么有說服力，把你的看法擺得頭頭是道，在那屋，你可以任意擺布我，這你知道?？墒沁^后，我左思右想，把我做過的事細細琢磨了一遍，我發(fā)覺，我確實半點兒也不遺憾，不懊悔。所以，說我遺憾悔過，根本沒意義。是這個理兒不是?”

‘Then you don’t promise,’ said the Badger, ‘never to touch a motor-car again?’

“那么，”獾說，“你是不打算答應(yīng)我，再也不碰汽車啦?”

‘Certainly not!’ replied Toad emphatically. ‘On the contrary, I faithfully promise that the very first motor-car I see, poop-poop! off I go in it!’

“當然不!”蟾蜍斬釘截鐵地說。“正相反，我誠心誠意答應(yīng)你，只要我看到一輛汽車，噗噗，我就坐上開走!”

‘Told you so, didn’t I?’ observed the Rat to the Mole.

“瞧，我早就跟你說過不是?”河鼠對鼴鼠說。

‘Very well, then,’ said the Badger firmly, rising to his feet. ‘Since you won’t yield to persuasion, we’ll try what force can do. I feared it would come to this all along. You’ve often asked us three to come and stay with you, Toad, in this handsome house of yours; well, now we’re going to. When we’ve converted you to a proper point of view we may quit, but not before. Take him upstairs, you two, and lock him up in his bedroom, while we arrange matters between ourselves.’

“那好，”獾站了起來，堅決果斷地說，“既然你不聽規(guī)勸，那咱們就只好試試強制手段了。我一直擔心，這步棋是在所難免的。蟾蜍，你不是總邀請我們?nèi)齻€來你這幢漂亮房子跟你一道住住嗎，現(xiàn)在，我們就住下了。哪天我們把你的想法改得對頭了，我們就離開，否則不走。你二位，把他帶上樓去，鎖在臥室里，然后我們幾個來商量個辦法。”

‘It’s for your own good, Toady, you know,’ said the Rat kindly, as Toad, kicking and struggling, was hauled up the stairs by his two faithful friends. ‘Think what fun we shall all have together, just as we used to, when you’ve quite got over this—this painful attack of yours!’

蟾蜍連踢帶踹地掙扎著，被兩位忠實朋友拖上樓去。“要知道，蟾兒，這是為你好，”河鼠和藹地說。“你想想，等你——等你治好了這場倒霉的瘋病以后，咱們四個就像往常一樣一塊兒玩，該有多樂呀!”

‘We’ll take great care of everything for you till you’re well, Toad,’ said the Mole; ‘and we’ll see your money isn’t wasted, as it has been.’

“蟾蜍，在你治好之前，我們會為你照管好一切的，”鼴鼠說：“我們不能看著你像過去那樣亂花錢了。”

‘No more of those regrettable incidents with the police, Toad,’ said the Rat, as they thrust him into his bedroom.

“再也不能由著你和警察胡纏了，蟾蜍。”河鼠說，他們把他推進臥室。

‘And no more weeks in hospital, being ordered about by female nurses, Toad,’ added the Mole, turning the key on him.

“再也不讓你在醫(yī)院一住幾星期，被那些女護士支來喚去了。”鼴鼠添上一句，鎖上了房門。

They descended the stair, Toad shouting abuse at them through the keyhole; and the three friends then met in conference on the situation.

他們下樓來。蟾蜍對著鎖眼高聲叫罵了一通。然后，三個朋友開碰頭會，商議對策。

‘It’s going to be a tedious business,’ said the Badger, sighing. ‘I’ve never seen Toad so determined. However, we will see it out. He must never be left an instant unguarded. We shall have to take it in turns to be with him, till the poison has worked itself out of his system.’

“事情將很難辦，”獾嘆了口氣說。“我從沒見過蟾蜍這樣死心眼兒。不過，咱們一定要堅持到底。一分一秒都不能放松，嚴加看管。咱們得輪流值班守護，直到他身上的毒痛自行消失為止。”

They arranged watches accordingly. Each animal took it in turns to sleep in Toad’s room at night, and they divided the day up between them. At first Toad was undoubtedly very trying to his careful guardians. When his violent paroxysms possessed him he would arrange bedroom chairs in rude resemblance of a motor-car and would crouch on the foremost of them, bent forward and staring fixedly ahead, making uncouth and ghastly noises, till the climax was reached, when, turning a complete somersault, he would lie prostrate amidst the ruins of the chairs, apparently completely satisfied for the moment. As time passed, however, these painful seizures grew gradually less frequent, and his friends strove to divert his mind into fresh channels. But his interest in other matters did not seem to revive, and he grew apparently languid and depressed.

于是，他們安排了值班。每只動物夜間輪流睡在蟾蜍的臥室里，白天也分段值班。起初，對于幾個小心謹慎的朋友，蟾蜍自然是很不好對付的。他的狂熱勁一上來，就把臥室里的椅子擺成大體像輛汽車的樣子，自己蹲在最前面，身子前傾，兩眼緊盯前方，嘴里發(fā)出古怪可怕的嘈雜聲?？駸徇_到頂點時，他會翻一個大筋斗，倒在地上，攤開四肢躺在東倒西歪的椅子當中、暫時得到了極大的滿足。不過，日子一天天過去，這種痛苦的走火入魔越來越少了。他的朋友們千方百計想引導他把心思轉(zhuǎn)移到別的方面，可是他對其他事物似乎一直沒有恢復興趣。他明顯變得萎靡不振郁郁寡歡了。

One fine morning the Rat, whose turn it was to go on duty, went upstairs to relieve Badger, whom he found fidgeting to be off and stretch his legs in a long ramble round his wood and down his earths and burrows. ‘Toad’s still in bed,’ he told the Rat, outside the door. ‘Can’t get much out of him, except, “O leave him alone, he wants nothing, perhaps he’ll be better presently, it may pass off in time, don’t be unduly anxious,” and so on. Now, you look out, Rat! When Toad’s quiet and submissive and playing at being the hero of a Sunday-school prize, then he’s at his artfullest. There’s sure to be something up. I know him. Well, now, I must be off.’

一個晴朗的早晨，輪到河鼠值班，他上樓去接替獾。他看到獾坐立不安，急著要出去散散步，遛遛腿，繞著他的樹林轉(zhuǎn)一圈，到地下去走一遭兒。他在門外對河鼠說：“蟾蜍還設(shè)起床。沒法從他嘴里掏出多少話，只說：‘噢，別管我，我什么也不要。也許過不久我就會好的，到時候，毛病就會過去的，不必過分擔憂，’等等。河鼠，你要多加小心啊!每當蟾蜍變得安靜柔順，裝出一副主日學得獎乖孩子的模樣時，那也就是他最最狡猾的時候。肯定會耍什么鬼花招的。我了解他。好，現(xiàn)在我必須走了。”

‘How are you to-day, old chap?’ inquired the Rat cheerfully, as he approached Toad’s bedside.

“老伙計，今兒個你好嗎?”河鼠走到蟾蜍的床旁，愉快地問道。

He had to wait some minutes for an answer. At last a feeble voice replied, ‘Thank you so much, dear Ratty! So good of you to inquire! But first tell me how you are yourself, and the excellent Mole?’

他等了好幾分鐘，才聽到回答。這時，一個微弱的聲音答道：“親愛的鼠兒，多謝你了!承你問候，你真好!不過請先告訴我，你好嗎，鼴鼠老兄好嗎?”。

‘O, WE’RE all right,’ replied the Rat. ‘Mole,’ he added incautiously, ‘is going out for a run round with Badger. They’ll be out till luncheon time, so you and I will spend a pleasant morning together, and I’ll do my best to amuse you. Now jump up, there’s a good fellow, and don’t lie moping there on a fine morning like this!’

“噢，我們都好，”河鼠答道，他很不謹慎地又加上一句：“鼴鼠跟獾一道出去遛彎了，要到吃午飯才回來。所以，今天上午就剩你跟我單獨在一起，咱們要過得高高興興。我要盡力讓你開心。快跳下床來，好小伙。天氣這么好，別愁眉苦臉地賴在床上了!

‘Dear, kind Rat,’ murmured Toad, ‘how little you realise my condition, and how very far I am from “jumping up” now—if ever! But do not trouble about me. I hate being a burden to my friends, and I do not expect to be one much longer. Indeed, I almost hope not.’

“親愛的、好心腸的河鼠，”蟾蜍低聲咕噥，“你太不了解我的情況了，我現(xiàn)在怎么可能‘跳下床’呢?恐怕永遠也不可能了!不過請不用為我發(fā)愁。我不愿成為朋友們的累贅，料想這也不會很久了。真的，我希望不會太久。”

‘Well, I hope not, too,’ said the Rat heartily. ‘You’ve been a fine bother to us all this time, and I’m glad to hear it’s going to stop. And in weather like this, and the boating season just beginning! It’s too bad of you, Toad! It isn’t the trouble we mind, but you’re making us miss such an awful lot.’

“是啊，我也希望這樣。”河鼠懇切地說。“這陣子，你叫我們大伙傷透了腦筋，我很高興聽到你說，這一切都將結(jié)束。特別是天氣這么好，劃船的季節(jié)又到了!蟾蜍，你實在太差勁了!倒不是我們嫌麻煩，可你叫我們失去了許多東西!”

‘I’m afraid it IS the trouble you mind, though,’ replied the Toad languidly. ‘I can quite understand it. It’s natural enough. You’re tired of bothering about me. I mustn’t ask you to do anything further. I’m a nuisance, I know.’

“不過，恐怕你們還是嫌麻煩，”蟾蜍有氣無力地說。“這一點我很能理解。這很自然嘛。你們一直為我操心，已經(jīng)感到厭煩了。我不該再給你們添麻煩、我知道，我是個累贅。”

‘You are, indeed,’ said the Rat. ‘But I tell you, I’d take any trouble on earth for you, if only you’d be a sensible animal.’

“你確實是個累贅，”河鼠說。“不過我告訴你，只要你能明理懂事，我為你出多大力也甘心。”

‘If I thought that, Ratty,’ murmured Toad, more feebly than ever, ‘then I would beg you—for the last time, probably—to step round to the village as quickly as possible—even now it may be too late—and fetch the doctor. But don’t you bother. It’s only a trouble, and perhaps we may as well let things take their course.’

“既然這樣，鼠兒，”蟾蜍更加虛弱地低聲說，“那么我求你——也許是最后一次——盡快到村里去一趟——說不定已經(jīng)太晚了——請個大夫來。算了吧，別操這份心了。這事太麻煩。也許，還是聽其自然好。”

‘Why, what do you want a doctor for?’ inquired the Rat, coming closer and examining him. He certainly lay very still and flat, and his voice was weaker and his manner much changed.

“怎么，請大夫來干嗎?”河鼠問。他湊到蟾蜍跟前，仔細觀察他。蟾蜍確實靜靜地平躺在床上，聲音越發(fā)微弱，神態(tài)大大地變了。

‘Surely you have noticed of late----‘ murmured Toad. ‘But, no—why should you? Noticing things is only a trouble. To-morrow, indeed, you may be saying to yourself, “O, if only I had noticed sooner! If only I had done something!” But no; it’s a trouble. Never mind— forget that I asked.’

“你近來一定注意到——”蟾蜍喃喃道。“啊不——你怎么會注意到?那太麻煩了。也許到明天，你就會說，‘唉，我要是早注意到就好了!我要是采取措施就好了!’不不，那太麻煩了。沒關(guān)系，忘掉我這些話吧。”

‘Look here, old man,’ said the Rat, beginning to get rather alarmed, ‘of course I’ll fetch a doctor to you, if you really think you want him. But you can hardly be bad enough for that yet. Let’s talk about something else.’

“聽著，老朋友，”河鼠說，他有點驚慌起來，“如果你真的需要，我自然會去替你請大夫的。可你還沒病到那個地步呀。咱們還是談點別的吧。”

‘I fear, dear friend,’ said Toad, with a sad smile, ‘that “talk” can do little in a case like this—or doctors either, for that matter; still, one must grasp at the slightest straw. And, by the way—while you are about it—I HATE to give you additional trouble, but I happen to remember that you will pass the door—would you mind at the same time asking the lawyer to step up? It would be a convenience to me, and there are moments—perhaps I should say there is A moment—when one must face disagreeable tasks, at whatever cost to exhausted nature!’

“親愛的朋友，”蟾蜍慘笑著說，“光是‘談?wù)?rsquo;，對我這病恐怕是無濟于事的——就連醫(yī)生恐怕也無能為力了。不過，總得抓根稻草吧。順便說一句，既然你打算去請醫(yī)先，那就請你順路把律師也請來，好嗎?——我實在不愿再給你添麻煩，不過我忽然想起，去醫(yī)生家要路過律師家門口。那樣就省了我的事了，因為有的時候 ——也許我應(yīng)該說，就在這一刻——你必須面對不愉快的事情。不管那要消耗你多大的體力。”

‘A lawyer! O, he must be really bad!’ the affrighted Rat said to himself, as he hurried from the room, not forgetting, however, to lock the door carefully behind him.

“請律師!哎呀，想必他真的病得厲害了!”驚慌失措的河鼠自言自語說。他匆匆走出臥室，倒還沒忘把門仔細鎖好。

Outside, he stopped to consider. The other two were far away, and he had no one to consult.

來到屋外，他停下來想了想、那兩位都遠在別處，他找不到一個可以商量的人。

‘It’s best to be on the safe side,’ he said, on reflection. ‘I’ve known Toad fancy himself frightfully bad before, without the slightest reason; but I’ve never heard him ask for a lawyer! If there’s nothing really the matter, the doctor will tell him he’s an old ass, and cheer him up; and that will be something gained. I’d better humour him and go; it won’t take very long.’ So he ran off to the village on his errand of mercy.

“還是小心些好，”他考慮了片刻，說道。“蟾蜍過去雖也無緣無故把自己的病想得太重，可還從沒聽他說要請律師呀!要是真沒大病，醫(yī)生會罵他是個大笨蛋，會給他打氣，那倒也是一得吧。我不妨遷就一下他的怪脾氣，跑一趟，用不了多久的。”于是他帶著行善的使命，向村子跑去。

The Toad, who had hopped lightly out of bed as soon as he heard the key turned in the lock, watched him eagerly from the window till he disappeared down the carriage-drive. Then, laughing heartily, he dressed as quickly as possible in the smartest suit he could lay hands on at the moment, filled his pockets with cash which he took from a small drawer in the dressing-table, and next, knotting the sheets from his bed together and tying one end of the improvised rope round the central mullion of the handsome Tudor window which formed such a feature of his bedroom, he scrambled out, slid lightly to the ground, and, taking the opposite direction to the Rat, marched off lightheartedly, whistling a merry tune.

一聽到鑰匙在鎖眼里轉(zhuǎn)動的聲音，蟾蜍立刻輕輕跳下床，跑到窗口，急切地望著河鼠，直到車道上不見了他的蹤影。接著，他開心地放聲大笑，火速穿上隨手抓到的最神氣的衣裳，從梳妝臺的一只小抽屜里取出錢，塞滿了所有的衣袋。下一步，他把床單全都結(jié)在一起，又把這根臨時結(jié)成的繩子一端牢系在窗框上。那美麗的都鐸王朝式的窗子，是他的臥室的一景。他爬出窗口，順著繩子輕輕滑落地上，朝著和河鼠相反的方向，吹著歡快的口哨，輕松地邁開大步，揚長而去。

It was a gloomy luncheon for Rat when the Badger and the Mole at length returned, and he had to face them at table with his pitiful and unconvincing story. The Badger’s caustic, not to say brutal, remarks may be imagined, and therefore passed over; but it was painful to the Rat that even the Mole, though he took his friend’s side as far as possible, could not help saying, ‘You’ve been a bit of a duffer this time, Ratty! Toad, too, of all animals!’

那頓午飯，河鼠吃得沒精打采。獾和鼴鼠回來后，河鼠不得不在餐桌上對他們講述他那段難以置信的倒霉經(jīng)歷。獾的那種刻薄甚至粗暴的批評，可想而知，自不待言，就連竭力要站在朋友一邊的鼴鼠，也不得不表示：“鼠兒，這回你可是有點糊涂!蟾蜍當然更是糊涂絕頂了!”這話深深刺痛了河鼠。

‘He did it awfully well,’ said the crestfallen Rat.

“他裝得太到家了!”垂頭喪氣的河鼠說。

‘He did YOU awfully well!’ rejoined the Badger hotly. ‘However, talking won’t mend matters. He’s got clear away for the time, that’s certain; and the worst of it is, he’ll be so conceited with what he’ll think is his cleverness that he may commit any folly. One comfort is, we’re free now, and needn’t waste any more of our precious time doing sentry-go. But we’d better continue to sleep at Toad Hall for a while longer. Toad may be brought back at any moment—on a stretcher, or between two policemen.’

“他把你蒙騙到家了!”獾怒沖沖地說。“不過，光說也于事無補。他暫時肯定已經(jīng)跑得很遠了。最糟的是，他自作聰明，自以為了不起，什么荒唐事都干得出來。唯一可以告慰的是，我們現(xiàn)在自由了，不必再浪費時間為他放哨了。不過咱們最好還是在蟾宮多住些日子。蟾蜍隨時都可能回來的——不是用擔架抬回來，就是被警察押送回來。”

So spoke the Badger, not knowing what the future held in store, or how much water, and of how turbid a character, was to run under bridges before Toad should sit at ease again in his ancestral Hall.

話雖是這么說，獾并不能預卜未來的吉兇禍福，也不知道要過多久，經(jīng)歷多少風險磨難，蟾蜍才能回到他祖?zhèn)鞯募艺?/p>

Meanwhile, Toad, gay and irresponsible, was walking briskly along the high road, some miles from home. At first he had taken by-paths, and crossed many fields, and changed his course several times, in case of pursuit; but now, feeling by this time safe from recapture, and the sun smiling brightly on him, and all Nature joining in a chorus of approval to the song of self-praise that his own heart was singing to him, he almost danced along the road in his satisfaction and conceit.

這時，那個美滋滋的不負責任的蟾蜍，正在公路上輕快地走著，離家已經(jīng)有好幾哩了。起初，他專揀小道走，穿過一塊塊田地，為了躲避追蹤，換了好幾次路線;現(xiàn)在，他覺得已經(jīng)擺脫了被抓回去的危險，而太陽正快活地沖他微笑，整個大自然都齊聲合唱一首頌歌，贊美他心里唱出的那首自我表揚的歌。他心滿意足，自鳴得意，一路上幾乎都在跳舞。

‘Smart piece of work that!’ he remarked to himself chuckling. ‘Brain against brute force—and brain came out on the top—as it’s bound to do. Poor old Ratty! My! won’t he catch it when the Badger gets back! A worthy fellow, Ratty, with many good qualities, but very little intelligence and absolutely no education. I must take him in hand some day, and see if I can make something of him.’

“干得真漂亮!”他格格笑著對自己說。“以智力反抗暴力，智力終究占了上風——這是必然的?？蓱z的老耗子!啊呀，獾回來時，他還不得挨一頓好罵!耗子呀，人倒是個好人，優(yōu)點不少，可就是缺少智慧，根本沒受過教育。將來有一天，我要親自培養(yǎng)他，看能不能把他調(diào)教出個模樣來。”

Filled full of conceited thoughts such as these he strode along, his head in the air, till he reached a little town, where the sign of ‘The Red Lion,’ swinging across the road halfway down the main street, reminded him that he had not breakfasted that day, and that he was exceedingly hungry after his long walk. He marched into the Inn, ordered the best luncheon that could be provided at so short a notice, and sat down to eat it in the coffee-room.

他滿腦子自高自大的念頭，昂首闊步往前走，徑直來到一座小鎮(zhèn)。在正街的中央，橫懸著一幅招牌——“紅獅”，這使他想起，當天還沒顧上吃早飯，走了這么遠的路，肚子著實餓癟了。他大步走進小客店，要了那家招牌短短的小店所供應(yīng)的一客最好的午飯，坐在咖啡室里，吃起來。

He was about half-way through his meal when an only too familiar sound, approaching down the street, made him start and fall a-trembling all over. The poop-poop! drew nearer and nearer, the car could be heard to turn into the inn-yard and come to a stop, and Toad had to hold on to the leg of the table to conceal his over-mastering emotion. Presently the party entered the coffee-room, hungry, talkative, and gay, voluble on their experiences of the morning and the merits of the chariot that had brought them along so well. Toad listened eagerly, all ears, for a time; at last he could stand it no longer. He slipped out of the room quietly, paid his bill at the bar, and as soon as he got outside sauntered round quietly to the inn-yard. ‘There cannot be any harm,’ he said to himself, ‘in my only just LOOKING at it!’

剛吃到一半。就聽到一個非常熟悉的聲音，由遠而近，從街上傳來，他不由得渾身一震，打起哆咦來。那噗噗聲!聽得出。那輛汽車越來越近，開進了客店的院子，停了下來。蟾蜍緊緊抓住桌腿，來掩蓋他難以控制的激動。隨后，車上那伙人就走進了咖啡室。他們餓了，有說有笑，大談那天上午的經(jīng)歷，和他們乘坐的那輛汽車的優(yōu)良性能。蟾蜍如饑似渴、全神貫注地傾聽了一會，終于按捺不住了。他輕輕溜出咖啡室，在柜臺付了帳，一出屋，就悄悄轉(zhuǎn)游到院子里。“只瞅一眼，”他對自己說，“諒無妨礙吧!”

The car stood in the middle of the yard, quite unattended, the stable-helps and other hangers-on being all at their dinner. Toad walked slowly round it, inspecting, criticising, musing deeply.

汽車就停在院子當中，沒人看管，因為馬廄工人和其他隨從都進屋吃飯去了。蟾蜍慢悠悠地圍著它轉(zhuǎn)，仔細打量著，評點著，苦苦思索著。

‘I wonder,’ he said to himself presently, ‘I wonder if this sort of car STARTS easily?’

“不知道，”他忽然問自己，“不知道這種車好不好發(fā)動?”

Next moment, hardly knowing how it came about, he found he had hold of the handle and was turning it. As the familiar sound broke forth, the old passion seized on Toad and completely mastered him, body and soul. As if in a dream he found himself, somehow, seated in the driver’s seat; as if in a dream, he pulled the lever and swung the car round the yard and out through the archway; and, as if in a dream, all sense of right and wrong, all fear of obvious consequences, seemed temporarily suspended. He increased his pace, and as the car devoured the street and leapt forth on the high road through the open country, he was only conscious that he was Toad once more, Toad at his best and highest, Toad the terror, the traffic-queller, the Lord of the lone trail, before whom all must give way or be smitten into nothingness and everlasting night. He chanted as he flew, and the car responded with sonorous drone; the miles were eaten up under him as he sped he knew not whither, fulfilling his instincts, living his hour, reckless of what might come to him.

只一眨眼工夫，不知怎的，他已經(jīng)握住了把手，轉(zhuǎn)了一下。一聽到那熟悉的聲音，他過去的熱狂又襲來，攫住了他的全部身心。像做夢一般，他不知怎的就坐到了司機座上;像做夢一般，他拉動了檔桿，開車在院里兜了一圈，然后駛出了拱門。像做夢一般，什么是非曲直，什么顧慮擔憂，一股腦都拋到九霄云外。他加大了車速，汽車沖過街道，躍上公路，越過曠野。這時，他忘掉了一切，只知道他又成了蟾蜍，無比高明強大的蟾蜍，煞星蟾蜍，大道上的征服者，小路上的霸王;在他面前，人人都得讓路，否則便被碾得粉碎，永不見天日。他一面驅(qū)車飛馳，一面引吭高歌，那車也和著他的歌聲，隆隆低吟。一里又一里，被他的車輪碾過，他不知道究竟駛向哪里，只是為了充分滿足他的天性，盡情享受眼前的快樂，至于下一步會遇到什么，一概不聞不問。

‘To my mind,’ observed the Chairman of the Bench of Magistrates cheerfully, ‘the ONLY difficulty that presents itself in this otherwise very clear case is, how we can possibly make it sufficiently hot for the incorrigible rogue and hardened ruffian whom we see cowering in the dock before us. Let me see: he has been found guilty, on the clearest evidence, first, of stealing a valuable motor-car; secondly, of driving to the public danger; and, thirdly, of gross impertinence to the rural police. Mr. Clerk, will you tell us, please, what is the very stiffest penalty we can impose for each of these offences? Without, of course, giving the prisoner the benefit of any doubt, because there isn’t any.’

“依我看，”首席法官興致勃勃地說，“這件案子案情是夠清楚的，唯一的困難是，對于我們面前這個錯縮在被告席上的無可救藥的流氓，這個不知悔改的惡棍，怎樣才能給他點厲害嘗嘗。讓我想想——他有罪，證據(jù)確鑿無疑：第一，他偷了一輛昂貴的汽車;第二，他胡亂駕駛，危害公眾;第三，他對警察蠻橫無禮。錄事先生，請告訴我們，這三條中的每一條罪行，我們能判給的。最嚴厲的懲罰是什么?當然，不能給犯人任何假定無罪的機會，因為根本不存在這種機會。”

The Clerk scratched his nose with his pen. ‘Some people would consider,’ he observed, ‘that stealing the motor-car was the worst offence; and so it is. But cheeking the police undoubtedly carries the severest penalty; and so it ought. Supposing you were to say twelve months for the theft, which is mild; and three years for the furious driving, which is lenient; and fifteen years for the cheek, which was pretty bad sort of cheek, judging by what we’ve heard from the witness-box, even if you only believe one-tenth part of what you heard, and I never believe more myself—those figures, if added together correctly, tot up to nineteen years----‘

錄事用鋼筆刮了刮鼻子，說：“有人認為，偷汽車是最大的罪行，確實如此。不過，冒犯警察，無疑應(yīng)受到最嚴厲的懲罰，確實應(yīng)該。如果說，盜車罪應(yīng)處十二個月監(jiān)禁——那是很輕的;瘋狂駕駛應(yīng)處以三年監(jiān)禁——那也是寬大的;冒犯警察則應(yīng)處十五年監(jiān)禁——根據(jù)證人的證詞(哪怕你只相信這些證詞的十分之一，我自己從不相信多于十分之一的證詞)，他的冒犯行為是十分惡劣的。三項加在一起，總共是十九年——”

‘First-rate!’ said the Chairman.

“好極了!”首席法官說。

‘So you had better make it a round twenty years and be on the safe side,’ concluded the Clerk.

“——您不如干脆湊它一個整數(shù)：二十年，這樣更保險。”錄事加上一句。

‘An excellent suggestion!’ said the Chairman approvingly. ‘Prisoner! Pull yourself together and try and stand up straight. It’s going to be twenty years for you this time. And mind, if you appear before us again, upon any charge whatever, we shall have to deal with you very seriously!’

“這個建議太好了!”首席法官贊許說。“犯人!起來，站直了。這次判你二十年監(jiān)禁。注意，下次再看到你在這里，不管犯什么罪，一定要重重懲罰你!”

Then the brutal minions of the law fell upon the hapless Toad; loaded him with chains, and dragged him from the Court House, shrieking, praying, protesting; across the marketplace, where the playful populace, always as severe upon detected crime as they are sympathetic and helpful when one is merely ‘wanted,’ assailed him with jeers, carrots, and popular catch-words; past hooting school children, their innocent faces lit up with the pleasure they ever derive from the sight of a gentleman in difficulties; across the hollow-sounding drawbridge, below the spiky portcullis, under the frowning archway of the grim old castle, whose ancient towers soared high overhead; past guardrooms full of grinning soldiery off duty, past sentries who coughed in a horrid, sarcastic way, because that is as much as a sentry on his post dare do to show his contempt and abhorrence of crime; up time-worn winding stairs, past men-at-arms in casquet and corselet of steel, darting threatening looks through their vizards; across courtyards, where mastiffs strained at their leash and pawed the air to get at him; past ancient warders, their halberds leant against the wall, dozing over a pasty and a flagon of brown ale; on and on, past the rack-chamber and the thumbscrew-room, past the turning that led to the private scaffold, till they reached the door of the grimmest dungeon that lay in the heart of the innermost keep. There at last they paused, where an ancient gaoler sat fingering a bunch of mighty keys.

隨后，粗暴的獄吏們撲向倒霉的蟾蜍，給他戴上鐐銬，拖出法庭。他一路尖叫，祈求，抗議。他被拖著經(jīng)過市場。市場上那些游手好閑的公眾，對通緝犯向來都表同情和提供援助，而對已確認的罪犯則向來是疾言厲色。他們紛紛向他投來嘲罵，扔胡蘿卜，喊口號。他被拖著經(jīng)過起哄的學童，他們每看到一位紳士陷入困境，天真的小臉上就露出喜滋滋的神色。他被拖著走過軋軋作響的吊橋，穿過布滿鐵釘?shù)蔫F閘門，鉆過猙獰的古堡里陰森可怖的拱道，古堡上的塔樓高聳入云;穿過擠滿了下班士兵的警衛(wèi)室，他們沖他咧嘴獰笑;經(jīng)過發(fā)出嘲弄的咳嗽的哨兵，因為當班的哨兵只許這樣來表示他們對罪犯的輕蔑和嫌惡;走上一段轉(zhuǎn)彎抹角的古老石級，經(jīng)過身著鋼盔鐵甲的武士，他們從盔里射出恐嚇的目光;穿過院子，院里兇惡的猛犬把皮帶繃得緊緊的，爪子向空中亂抓，要向他撲過來;經(jīng)過年老的獄卒，他們把兵器斜靠在墻上，對著一個肉餡餅和一罐棕色的麥酒打瞌睡;走呀走呀，走過拉肢拷問室，夾指室，走過通向秘密斷頭臺的拐角，一直走到監(jiān)獄最深處那間最陰森的地牢門前。門口坐著一個年老的獄卒，手里擺弄著一串又重又大的鑰匙。就在這里，他們停了下來。

‘Oddsbodikins!’ said the sergeant of police, taking off his helmet and wiping his forehead. ‘Rouse thee, old loon, and take over from us this vile Toad, a criminal of deepest guilt and matchless artfulness and resource. Watch and ward him with all thy skill; and mark thee well, greybeard, should aught untoward befall, thy old head shall answer for his—and a murrain on both of them!’

“喂，好家伙!”警官說。他摘下鋼盔，擦了擦額頭的汗。“醒醒，老懶蟲，把這個壞蛋蟾蜍看管起來。他是個罪行累累、狡詐奸滑、詭計多端的罪犯?；液永项^，你要竭盡全力把他看好，如有閃失，就要你這顆老人頭——你和他都要遭殃!”

The gaoler nodded grimly, laying his withered hand on the shoulder of the miserable Toad. The rusty key creaked in the lock, the great door clanged behind them; and Toad was a helpless prisoner in the remotest dungeon of the best-guarded keep of the stoutest castle in all the length and breadth of Merry England.

獄卒陰沉地點點頭，把他枯干的手按在不幸的蟾蜍肩上。生了銹的鑰匙在鎖眼里軋軋轉(zhuǎn)動，笨重的牢門在他們身后恍當一聲關(guān)上了。就這樣，蟾蜍成了整個歡樂的英格蘭國土上最堅固的城堡里最戒備森嚴、最隱密的地牢里一個可憐無助的囚犯。