柳林風(fēng)聲：The Piper at the Gates of Dawn 黎明前的笛聲

The Willow-Wren was twittering his thin little song, hidden himself in the dark selvedge of the river bank. Though it was past ten o’clock at night, the sky still clung to and retained some lingering skirts of light from the departed day; and the sullen heats of the torrid afternoon broke up and rolled away at the dispersing touch of the cool fingers of the short midsummer night. Mole lay stretched on the bank, still panting from the stress of the fierce day that had been cloudless from dawn to late sunset, and waited for his friend to return. He had been on the river with some companions, leaving the Water Rat free to keep a engagement of long standing with Otter; and he had come back to find the house dark and deserted, and no sign of Rat, who was doubtless keeping it up late with his old comrade. It was still too hot to think of staying indoors, so he lay on some cool dock-leaves, and thought over the past day and its doings, and how very good they all had been.

柳林鷦鷯躲在河岸邊黑幽幽的樹林里，唱著清脆的小曲。雖然已是晚十點過后，天光依舊留連不去，殘留著白晝的余輝。午后酷熱郁悶的暑氣，在短短的仲夏夜清涼的手指觸摸下，漸漸消散了。鼴鼠伸開四肢躺在河岸上，等著他的朋友回來。從天明到日落，天空萬里無云，赤日炎炎，高溫逼人，壓得他到現(xiàn)在還氣喘吁吁。他一直在河邊和一些同伴游玩，讓河鼠獨自去水獺家赴一次安排已久的約會。他進屋時，看到屋里黑洞洞的，空無一人，不見河鼠的蹤影。河鼠一定是和他的老伙伴呆在一起，遲遲不想回家。天氣還太熱，屋里呆不住，鼴鼠就躺在一些酸模葉子上，回味著這一天經(jīng)歷的種種事情，覺得特有意思。

The Rat’s light footfall was presently heard approaching over the parched grass. ‘O, the blessed coolness!’ he said, and sat down, gazing thoughtfully into the river, silent and pre-occupied.

過了一會，河鼠輕輕的腳步踏著曬干的草地由遠(yuǎn)而近。“啊，多涼快呀，太美了!”他說著坐了下來，若有所思地望著河水，一聲不吭。

‘You stayed to supper, of course?’ said the Mole presently.

“你在那邊吃過晚飯了吧?”鼴鼠問。

‘Simply had to,’ said the Rat. ‘They wouldn’t hear of my going before. You know how kind they always are. And they made things as jolly for me as ever they could, right up to the moment I left. But I felt a brute all the time, as it was clear to me they were very unhappy, though they tried to hide it. Mole, I’m afraid they’re in trouble. Little Portly is missing again; and you know what a lot his father thinks of him, though he never says much about it.’

“走不開呀，”河鼠說，“他們死活不放我走。你知道的，他們一向待人親切，為我把一切都安排得周周到到，直到我離開為止?？晌铱傆X得不是滋味，因為我看得出，盡管他們竭力掩蓋，他們實際上很不開心。鼴鼠，他們恐怕是遇上麻煩了。小胖胖又丟了。你知道，他父親是多么疼他，雖然他很少表示。”

‘What, that child?’ said the Mole lightly. ‘Well, suppose he is; why worry about it? He’s always straying off and getting lost, and turning up again; he’s so adventurous. But no harm ever happens to him. Everybody hereabouts knows him and likes him, just as they do old Otter, and you may be sure some animal or other will come across him and bring him back again all right. Why, we’ve found him ourselves, miles from home, and quite self-possessed and cheerful!’

“什么?那個孩子嗎?”鼴鼠不在意地說。“就算走丟了，又有什么可擔(dān)心的?他老是出去，走丟了，過后又回來了;他大愛冒險啦。不過他還從沒出過什么差池。這一帶所有的居民都認(rèn)識他，喜歡他，就像他們喜歡老水獺一樣。總有一天，不知哪只動物會遇上他，把他送回家的。你只管放心好啦。你瞧，咱們自己不是還曾在好幾哩以外找到過他，他還挺得意，玩得開心著哩!”

‘Yes; but this time it’s more serious,’ said the Rat gravely. ‘He’s been missing for some days now, and the Otters have hunted everywhere, high and low, without finding the slightest trace. And they’ve asked every animal, too, for miles around, and no one knows anything about him. Otter’s evidently more anxious than he’ll admit. I got out of him that young Portly hasn’t learnt to swim very well yet, and I can see he’s thinking of the weir. There’s a lot of water coming down still, considering the time of the year, and the place always had a fascination for the child. And then there are—well, traps and things—YOU know. Otter’s not the fellow to be nervous about any son of his before it’s time. And now he IS nervous. When I left, he came out with me—said he wanted some air, and talked about stretching his legs. But I could see it wasn’t that, so I drew him out and pumped him, and got it all from him at last. He was going to spend the night watching by the ford. You know the place where the old ford used to be, in by-gone days before they built the bridge?’

“不錯，可這回問題更嚴(yán)重，”河鼠沉重地說。“他沒露面已經(jīng)許多天了，水獺夫婦到處找遍了，還是不見他的影子。他們也問過方圓幾哩的每只動物，可都說不知道他的下落。水獺顯然是急壞了，雖然他不肯承認(rèn)這一點、我從他那兒知道，胖胖游泳還沒學(xué)到家，看得出，他擔(dān)心會在那座河壩上出事。這個季節(jié)，那兒還有大量的水流出來，而且，那地方總是讓小孩子著迷的。而且，那兒還有——呃，陷阱呀什么的——這你也知道。水獺不是那號過早為兒子擔(dān)心的人，可現(xiàn)在他已經(jīng)感到惶惶不安了。我離開他家時，他送我出來，說是想透透空氣。伸伸腿腳?？晌铱吹贸鰜?，不是那么回事，所以我拉他出來。一個勁追問;終于讓他吐露了實情。原來，他是要去渡口邊過夜。那地方你知道嗎?就是在那座橋建起以前，那個老渡口那兒?”

‘I know it well,’ said the Mole. ‘But why should Otter choose to watch there?’

“知道，而且很熟悉，”鼴鼠說，“不過水獺為什么單挑那地方去守著呢?”

‘Well, it seems that it was there he gave Portly his first swimming-lesson,’ continued the Rat. ‘From that shallow, gravelly spit near the bank. And it was there he used to teach him fishing, and there young Portly caught his first fish, of which he was so very proud. The child loved the spot, and Otter thinks that if he came wandering back from wherever he is—if he IS anywhere by this time, poor little chap—he might make for the ford he was so fond of; or if he came across it he’d remember it well, and stop there and play, perhaps. So Otter goes there every night and watches—on the chance, you know, just on the chance!’

“嗯，像是因為那是他第一次教胖胖游泳的地方，”河鼠接著說。“那兒靠近河岸有一處淺水的沙嘴。那也是他經(jīng)常教他釣魚的地方。小胖胖的第一條魚就是在那兒抓到的，為這他可得意哪。那孩子喜歡這地方，所以水獺想。要是那可憐的孩子還活著，在什么地方逛夠了，他或許首先會回到他最喜歡的這個渡口來;要是他碰巧經(jīng)過那里，想起這地方，他或許會停下來玩玩的。所以，水獺每晚都去那兒守候——抱著一線希望，只是一線希望!”

They were silent for a time, both thinking of the same thing—the lonely, heart-sore animal, crouched by the ford, watching and waiting, the long night through—on the chance.

他倆一時都沉默了，都在想著同樣的心事——漫漫長夜里，那個孤獨、憂傷的水獺，蹲在渡口邊，守候著，等待著，只為了抱一線希望。

‘Well, well,’ said the Rat presently, ‘I suppose we ought to be thinking about turning in.’ But he never offered to move.

“得了，得了，”過了一會，河鼠說，“咱們該進屋睡覺了。”說歸說，他卻沒有動彈。

‘Rat,’ said the Mole, ‘I simply can’t go and turn in, and go to sleep, and DO nothing, even though there doesn’t seem to be anything to be done. We’ll get the boat out, and paddle up stream. The moon will be up in an hour or so, and then we will search as well as we can— anyhow, it will be better than going to bed and doing NOTHING.’

“河鼠，”鼴鼠說，“不干點什么，我真沒法回屋睡覺，雖說要干，像也沒啥可干的。咱們干脆把船劃出來，往上游去、再過個把鐘頭，月亮就升起來了，那時咱們就可以借著月光盡力搜索——起碼，總比一事不干上床睡覺強呀。”

‘Just what I was thinking myself,’ said the Rat. ‘It’s not the sort of night for bed anyhow; and daybreak is not so very far off, and then we may pick up some news of him from early risers as we go along.’

“我也是這樣想的、”河鼠說。“再說。這樣的夜晚、也不是適合睡覺的夜晚。天很快就亮了，一路上，咱們還可以向早起的動物打聽有關(guān)胖胖的消息。”

They got the boat out, and the Rat took the sculls, paddling with caution. Out in midstream, there was a clear, narrow track that faintly reflected the sky; but wherever shadows fell on the water from bank, bush, or tree, they were as solid to all appearance as the banks themselves, and the Mole had to steer with judgment accordingly. Dark and deserted as it was, the night was full of small noises, song and chatter and rustling, telling of the busy little population who were up and about, plying their trades and vocations through the night till sunshine should fall on them at last and send them off to their well-earned repose. The water’s own noises, too, were more apparent than by day, its gurglings and ‘cloops’ more unexpected and near at hand; and constantly they started at what seemed a sudden clear call from an actual articulate voice.

他們把船劃出來，河鼠執(zhí)槳，小心謹(jǐn)慎地劃著。河心有一條狹長清亮的水流。隱隱反映出天空。但兩岸的灌木或樹叢投在水中的倒影。看上去卻如同河岸一樣堅實，因此鼴鼠在掌舵時就得相應(yīng)地作出判斷。河上雖然一片漆黑，杳無人跡.可夜空中還是充滿了各種細(xì)小的聲響，歌聲、低語聲、窸窸窣窣，表明那些忙碌的小動物還在活動。通宵干著他們各自的營生，直到初陽照到他們身上催他們回窩安息。河水本身的聲音，也比白天來得響亮，那汩汩和“砰砰”聲更顯得突如其來，近在咫尺。時不時，會突然聽到一聲清晰的嗓音，把他們嚇一跳。

The line of the horizon was clear and hard against the sky, and in one particular quarter it showed black against a silvery climbing phosphorescence that grew and grew. At last, over the rim of the waiting earth the moon lifted with slow majesty till it swung clear of the horizon and rode off, free of moorings; and once more they began to see surfaces—meadows wide-spread, and quiet gardens, and the river itself from bank to bank, all softly disclosed, all washed clean of mystery and terror, all radiant again as by day, but with a difference that was tremendous. Their old haunts greeted them again in other raiment, as if they had slipped away and put on this pure new apparel and come quietly back, smiling as they shyly waited to see if they would be recognised again under it.

地平線與天空涇渭分明;在一個特定地點，一片銀色磷輝逐漸升高，擴大，襯得地平線格外黝黑。最后，在恭候已久的大地的邊緣，月亮堂皇地徐徐升起，她擺脫了地平線，無羈無絆地懸在空中。這時，他們又看清了地面的一切——廣闊的草地，幽靜的花園，還有夾在兩岸之間的整條河，全都柔和地展現(xiàn)在眼前，一掃神秘恐怖的色調(diào)，亮堂堂如同白晝，但又大大不同于白晝。他們常去的老地方，又在向他們打招呼，只是穿上了另一套衣裳，仿佛它們曾經(jīng)偷偷溜走，換上一身皎潔的新裝，又悄悄溜回來，含著微笑，羞怯地等著，看他們還認(rèn)不認(rèn)得出來。

Fastening their boat to a willow, the friends landed in this silent, silver kingdom, and patiently explored the hedges, the hollow trees, the runnels and their little culverts, the ditches and dry water-ways. Embarking again and crossing over, they worked their way up the stream in this manner, while the moon, serene and detached in a cloudless sky, did what she could, though so far off, to help them in their quest; till her hour came and she sank earthwards reluctantly, and left them, and mystery once more held field and river.

兩個朋友把船系在一棵柳樹上，上了岸，走進這靜溢的銀色王國，在樹籬、樹洞、隧道、暗渠、溝壑和干涸的河道里耐心搜尋。然后他們又登船，劃到對岸去找。這樣，他們來回劃著，溯河而上。那輪皓月，靜靜地高懸在沒云的夜空，盡管離得這樣遠(yuǎn)，卻盡力幫他們尋找。等到該退場的時辰到了，她才依依不舍地離開他們，沉入地下。神秘又一次籠罩了田野和河流。

Then a change began slowly to declare itself. The horizon became clearer, field and tree came more into sight, and somehow with a different look; the mystery began to drop away from them. A bird piped suddenly, and was still; and a light breeze sprang up and set the reeds and bulrushes rustling. Rat, who was in the stern of the boat, while Mole sculled, sat up suddenly and listened with a passionate intentness. Mole, who with gentle strokes was just keeping the boat moving while he scanned the banks with care, looked at him with curiosity.

然后，一種變化慢慢地出現(xiàn)，天邊更加明朗。田野和樹林更加清晰可辨，而且多少變了樣子;籠罩在上面的神秘氣氛開始退去。一只鳥突然鳴叫一聲，跟著又悄無聲息了。一陣輕風(fēng)拂過，吹得蘆葦和蒲草沙沙作響。鼴鼠在劃槳，河鼠倚在船尾。他忽然坐直了身子，神情激動，聚精會神地側(cè)耳傾聽。鼴鼠輕輕地劃著槳，讓船緩緩向前移動，一面仔細(xì)審視著兩岸?？吹胶邮蟮哪歉鄙袂?，他不由好奇地望著他。

‘It’s gone!’ sighed the Rat, sinking back in his seat again. ‘So beautiful and strange and new. Since it was to end so soon, I almost wish I had never heard it. For it has roused a longing in me that is pain, and nothing seems worth while but just to hear that sound once more and go on listening to it for ever. No! There it is again!’ he cried, alert once more. Entranced, he was silent for a long space, spellbound.

“聽不見啦!”河鼠嘆了口氣，又倒在座位上。“多美呀!多神奇呀!多新穎呀!可惜這么快就沒了，倒不如壓根兒沒聽見。這聲音在我心里喚起了一種痛苦的渴望，恨不能再聽到它，永遠(yuǎn)聽下去，除了聽它，別的什么似乎都沒有意義了!它又來啦!”他喊道，又一次振奮起來。他聽得入了迷，好半晌，不說一句話。

‘Now it passes on and I begin to lose it,’ he said presently. ‘O Mole! the beauty of it! The merry bubble and joy, the thin, clear, happy call of the distant piping! Such music I never dreamed of, and the call in it is stronger even than the music is sweet! Row on, Mole, row! For the music and the call must be for us.’

“聲音又快沒了，聽不到了，”河鼠又說。”鼴鼠啊!它多美呀!遠(yuǎn)處那悠揚婉轉(zhuǎn)的笛聲，那纖細(xì)、清脆、歡快的呼喚!這樣的音樂，我從來沒有夢想過。音樂固然甜美，可那呼喚更加強烈!往前劃，鼴鼠，劃呀!那音樂和呼喚一定是沖著咱們來的!”

The Mole, greatly wondering, obeyed. ‘I hear nothing myself,’ he said, ‘but the wind playing in the reeds and rushes and osiers.’

鼴鼠非常驚訝，不過他還是聽從了。他說，“我什么也沒聽到，除了蘆葦、燈芯草和柳樹里的風(fēng)聲。”

The Rat never answered, if indeed he heard. Rapt, transported, trembling, he was possessed in all his senses by this new divine thing that caught up his helpless soul and swung and dandled it, a powerless but happy infant in a strong sustaining grasp.

他的話，河鼠即便聽到，也沒回答。他心醉神迷，渾身顫栗，整個身心都被這件神奇的新鮮事物占有了。它用強有力的手。緊緊抓住了他的無力抗拒的心靈，搖著。撫著，像摟著一個柔弱但幸福的嬰孩。

In silence Mole rowed steadily, and soon they came to a point where the river divided, a long backwater branching off to one side. With a slight movement of his head Rat, who had long dropped the rudder-lines, directed the rower to take the backwater. The creeping tide of light gained and gained, and now they could see the colour of the flowers that gemmed the water’s edge.

鼴鼠默默地劃著船，不一會，他們來到了一處河道分岔的地方，一股長長的回水向一旁分流出去。河鼠早就放下了舵，這時，他把頭輕輕一揚，示意鼴鼠向回水灣劃去。天色將曙，他們已能辨別寶石般點綴著兩岸的鮮花的顏色。

‘Clearer and nearer still,’ cried the Rat joyously. ‘Now you must surely hear it! Ah—at last—I see you do!’

“笛聲越來越近，越來越清楚了，”河鼠歡喜地喊道。“這會兒你一定也聽到了吧!啊哈!看得出來，你終于聽到了!”

Breathless and transfixed the Mole stopped rowing as the liquid run of that glad piping broke on him like a wave, caught him up, and possessed him utterly. He saw the tears on his comrade’s cheeks, and bowed his head and understood. For a space they hung there, brushed by the purple loose-strife that fringed the bank; then the clear imperious summons that marched hand-in-hand with the intoxicating melody imposed its will on Mole, and mechanically he bent to his oars again. And the light grew steadily stronger, but no birds sang as they were wont to do at the approach of dawn; and but for the heavenly music all was marvellously still.

那流水般歡暢的笛聲浪潮般向鼴鼠涌來。席卷了他，整個占有了他。他屏住呼吸，癡癡地坐著，忘掉了劃槳。他看到了同伴臉頰上的淚，便理解地低下頭去。有好一陣。他倆呆在那兒一動不動，任憑鑲在河邊的紫色珍珠草在他們身上拂來拂去。然后，伴隨著醉人的旋律而來的，是又清晰又迫切的召喚，引得鼴鼠身不由己，又癡癡地俯身劃起槳來。天更亮了，但是黎明時分照例聽到的鳥鳴，卻沒有出現(xiàn);除了那美妙的天籟，萬物都靜得出奇。

On either side of them, as they glided onwards, the rich meadow-grass seemed that morning of a freshness and a greenness unsurpassable. Never had they noticed the roses so vivid, the willow-herb so riotous, the meadow-sweet so odorous and pervading. Then the murmur of the approaching weir began to hold the air, and they felt a consciousness that they were nearing the end, whatever it might be, that surely awaited their expedition.

他們的船繼續(xù)向前滑行，兩岸大片豐美的草地，在那個早晨顯得無比清新，無比青翠。他們從沒見過這樣鮮艷的玫瑰，這樣豐茂的柳蘭，這樣芳香誘人的繡線菊。再往后，前面河壩的隆隆聲已在空中轟鳴。他們預(yù)感到，遠(yuǎn)征的終點已經(jīng)不遠(yuǎn)了。不管那是什么，它肯定正在迎候他們的到來。

A wide half-circle of foam and glinting lights and shining shoulders of green water, the great weir closed the backwater from bank to bank, troubled all the quiet surface with twirling eddies and floating foam-streaks, and deadened all other sounds with its solemn and soothing rumble. In midmost of the stream, embraced in the weir’s shimmering arm-spread, a small island lay anchored, fringed close with willow and silver birch and alder. Reserved, shy, but full of significance, it hid whatever it might hold behind a veil, keeping it till the hour should come, and, with the hour, those who were called and chosen.

一座大壩，從一岸到一岸，環(huán)抱著回水灣，形成一個寬闊明亮的半圓形綠色水坡。泡沫飛濺，波光粼粼，把平靜的水面攪出無數(shù)的旋渦和帶狀的泡沫;它那莊嚴(yán)又親切的隆隆聲，蓋過了所有別的聲響。在大壩那閃光的臂膀環(huán)抱中，安臥著一個小島，四周密密層層長著柳樹、白樺和赤楊。它羞羞怯怯，隱而不露，但蘊意深長，用一層面紗把它要藏匿的東西遮蓋起來，等待適當(dāng)?shù)臅r刻，才向那應(yīng)召而來的客人坦露。

Slowly, but with no doubt or hesitation whatever, and in something of a solemn expectancy, the two animals passed through the broken tumultuous water and moored their boat at the flowery margin of the island. In silence they landed, and pushed through the blossom and scented herbage and undergrowth that led up to the level ground, till they stood on a little lawn of a marvellous green, set round with Nature’s own orchard-trees—crab-apple, wild cherry, and sloe.

兩只動物懷著某種莊嚴(yán)的期待，毫不遲疑地把船劃過那喧囂動蕩的水面，停舶在小島鮮花似錦的岸邊。他們悄悄上了岸，穿過花叢，芳香的野草和灌木林，踏上平地，來到一片綠油油的小草坪，草坪四周，環(huán)繞著大自然自己的果園——沙果樹、野櫻桃樹、野刺李樹。

‘This is the place of my song-dream, the place the music played to me,’ whispered the Rat, as if in a trance. ‘Here, in this holy place, here if anywhere, surely we shall find Him!’

“這是我的夢中歌曲之鄉(xiāng)、是向我演奏的那首仙音之鄉(xiāng)，”河鼠迷離恍惚地喃喃道。“要說在哪兒能找到‘他’，那就是在這塊神圣的地方，我們將找到‘他’。”

Then suddenly the Mole felt a great Awe fall upon him, an awe that turned his muscles to water, bowed his head, and rooted his feet to the ground. It was no panic terror—indeed he felt wonderfully at peace and happy—but it was an awe that smote and held him and, without seeing, he knew it could only mean that some august Presence was very, very near. With difficulty he turned to look for his friend and saw him at his side cowed, stricken, and trembling violently. And still there was utter silence in the populous bird-haunted branches around them; and still the light grew and grew.

鼴鼠頓生敬畏之情，他全身肌肉變得松軟，頭低低垂下，雙腳像在地上生了根。那并不是一種惶恐的感覺，實際上，他心情異常寧靜快樂;那是一種襲上心頭并且緊緊抓住他的敬畏感，雖然他看不見，心里卻明白，一個宏偉神圣的存在物就近在眼前。他費力地轉(zhuǎn)過身去找他的朋友，只見河鼠誠惶誠恐地站在他旁邊，渾身劇烈地顫抖。四周，棲滿了鳥雀的樹枝上，依舊悄無聲息。天色，也越來越亮了。

Perhaps he would never have dared to raise his eyes, but that, though the piping was now hushed, the call and the summons seemed still dominant and imperious. He might not refuse, were Death himself waiting to strike him instantly, once he had looked with mortal eye on things rightly kept hidden. Trembling he obeyed, and raised his humble head; and then, in that utter clearness of the imminent dawn, while Nature, flushed with fullness of incredible colour, seemed to hold her breath for the event, he looked in the very eyes of the Friend and Helper; saw the backward sweep of the curved horns, gleaming in the growing daylight; saw the stern, hooked nose between the kindly eyes that were looking down on them humourously, while the bearded mouth broke into a half-smile at the corners; saw the rippling muscles on the arm that lay across the broad chest, the long supple hand still holding the pan-pipes only just fallen away from the parted lips; saw the splendid curves of the shaggy limbs disposed in majestic ease on the sward; saw, last of all, nestling between his very hooves, sleeping soundly in entire peace and contentment, the little, round, podgy, childish form of the baby otter. All this he saw, for one moment breathless and intense, vivid on the morning sky; and still, as he looked, he lived; and still, as he lived, he wondered.

笛聲現(xiàn)在雖已停止，但那種召喚，似仍舊那么強有力，那么刻不容緩;要不然，鼴鼠或許連抬眼看一看都不敢。他無法抵拒那種召喚，不能不用肉眼去看那隱蔽著的東西，哪怕一瞬間就要死去也在所不惜。他戰(zhàn)戰(zhàn)兢兢地抬起謙卑的頭。就在破曉前那無比純凈的氛圍里，大自然煥發(fā)著她那鮮艷絕倫的緋紅，仿佛正屏住呼吸，等待這件大事——就在這一刻，鼴鼠直視那位朋友和救主的眼睛。他看到一對向后卷曲的彎彎的犄角，在晨光下發(fā)亮;他看到一雙和藹的眼睛，詼諧地俯視著他倆，慈祥的兩眼間一只剛毅的鷹鉤鼻。一張藏在須髯下的嘴，嘴角似笑非笑地微微上翹;一只筋肉隆起的臂，橫在寬厚的胸前，修長而柔韌的手，仍握著那支剛離唇邊的牧神之笛。毛蓬蓬的雙腿線條優(yōu)美，威嚴(yán)而安適地盤坐草地上;而偎依在老牧神的兩蹄之間，是水獺娃娃那圓滾滾、胖乎乎、稚嫩嫩的小身子，他正安逸香甜地熟睡。就在這屏住呼吸心情緊張的一瞬間，他看到了呈現(xiàn)在晨曦中的這幅鮮明的景象。他活著看到了這一切，因為他還活著，他感到十分驚訝。

‘Rat!’ he found breath to whisper, shaking. ‘Are you afraid?’

“河鼠，”好不產(chǎn)易才緩過氣來的鼴鼠，戰(zhàn)戰(zhàn)兢兢地低聲說。“你害怕嗎?”

‘Afraid?’ murmured the Rat, his eyes shining with unutterable love. ‘Afraid! Of HIM? O, never, never! And yet—and yet—O, Mole, I am afraid!’

“害怕?”河鼠的眼睛閃爍著難以言表的敬愛，低聲喃喃道。“害怕?怕他?啊，當(dāng)然不!當(dāng)然不!不過——不過——我還是有點害怕!”

Then the two animals, crouching to the earth, bowed their heads and did worship.

說罷，兩只動物匐匍在地上，低頭膜拜起來。

Sudden and magnificent, the sun’s broad golden disc showed itself over the horizon facing them; and the first rays, shooting across the level water-meadows, took the animals full in the eyes and dazzled them. When they were able to look once more, the Vision had vanished, and the air was full of the carol of birds that hailed the dawn.

驟然間，對面的天邊升起一輪金燦燦的太陽。最初的光芒，橫穿平坦的水浸草地，直射他們的眼睛，晃得他們眼花繚亂。等到他們再看到東西時，那神奇的景象已經(jīng)不見了，只聽得空中回蕩著百鳥歡呼日出的頌歌。

As they stared blankly in dumb misery deepening as they slowly realised all they had seen and all they had lost, a capricious little breeze, dancing up from the surface of the water, tossed the aspens, shook the dewy roses and blew lightly and caressingly in their faces; and with its soft touch came instant oblivion. For this is the last best gift that the kindly demi-god is careful to bestow on those to whom he has revealed himself in their helping: the gift of forgetfulness. Lest the awful remembrance should remain and grow, and overshadow mirth and pleasure, and the great haunting memory should spoil all the after-lives of little animals helped out of difficulties, in order that they should be happy and lighthearted as before.

他們茫茫然凝望著，慢慢地意識到，轉(zhuǎn)瞬就失去了他們所看到的一切，一種說不出的悵惘襲上心頭。這時，一陣忽忽悠悠的微風(fēng)，飄過水面，搖著白楊樹，晃著含露的玫瑰花，輕柔愛撫地吹拂到他們臉上，隨著和風(fēng)輕柔的觸摸，頃刻間，他們忘掉了一切。這正是那位慈祥的半神為了關(guān)懷他顯身相助的動物，送給他們的一件禮物——遺忘。為了不讓那令人敬畏的印象久久滯留心頭，給歡樂蒙上沉重的陰影，不讓那段重大回憶縈回腦際，損害那些被他救出困境的小動物的后半生，讓他們們還能像從前那樣過得輕松愉快，他送給了他們這份禮物。

Mole rubbed his eyes and stared at Rat, who was looking about him in a puzzled sort of way. ‘I beg your pardon; what did you say, Rat?’ he asked.

鼴鼠揉了揉眼睛，愣愣地望著茫然回顧的河鼠。他問：“對不起，河鼠，你說什么來著?”

‘I think I was only remarking,’ said Rat slowly, ‘that this was the right sort of place, and that here, if anywhere, we should find him. And look! Why, there he is, the little fellow!’ And with a cry of delight he ran towards the slumbering Portly.

“我想我是說，”河鼠慢吞吞地回答，“這才是我們要找的地方，我們就應(yīng)該在這里找到他。瞧!啊哈!他不就在那兒，那個小家伙!”河鼠高興地喊了一聲，向沉睡的胖胖跑去。

But Mole stood still a moment, held in thought. As one wakened suddenly from a beautiful dream, who struggles to recall it, and can re-capture nothing but a dim sense of the beauty of it, the beauty!Till that, too, fades away in its turn, and the dreamer bitterly accepts the hard, cold waking and all its penalties; so Mole, after struggling with his memory for a brief space, shook his head sadly and followed the Rat.

可是鼴鼠還怔怔地站了一會，想著心事。就像一個人突然從美夢中醒來，苦苦回憶這個夢。可又什么也想不起。只模模糊糊感到那個夢很美。美極了!隨后，那點美的感覺也漸漸消失了。做夢的人只得悲哀地接受醒過來的冰冷嚴(yán)酷的現(xiàn)實;接受它的懲罰。鼴鼠正是這樣，他苦苦回憶一陣之后，傷心地?fù)u搖頭，跟著河鼠去了。

Portly woke up with a joyous squeak, and wriggled with pleasure at the sight of his father’s friends, who had played with him so often in past days. In a moment, however, his face grew blank, and he fell to hunting round in a circle with pleading whine. As a child that has fallen happily asleep in its nurse’s arms, and wakes to find itself alone and laid in a strange place, and searches corners and cupboards, and runs from room to room, despair growing silently in its heart, even so Portly searched the island and searched, dogged and unwearying, till at last the black moment came for giving it up, and sitting down and crying bitterly.

胖胖醒來，快活地嘰嘰叫了一聲。他看到父親的兩位朋友——他們過去常和他一起玩——高興地扭動著身子?？墒遣灰粫?，他臉上露出茫然的神色，轉(zhuǎn)著圈兒尋找什么，鼻子里發(fā)出乞求般的哀鳴。他像一個在奶媽懷里甜甜入睡的小孩，醒來時，發(fā)現(xiàn)自己孤零零呆在一個陌生的地方，就到處尋覓。找遍了所有的屋角和柜櫥，跑遍了所有的房間，心里越來越失望。胖胖堅持不懈地搜遍了整個小島，最后他完全絕望了，坐在地上傷心地大哭起來。

The Mole ran quickly to comfort the little animal; but Rat, lingering, looked long and doubtfully at certain hoof-marks deep in the sward.

鼴鼠趕緊跑過去安慰這小動物，可河鼠卻遲遲不動，滿腹疑云地久久注視著草地上一些深深的蹄印。

‘Some—great—animal—has been here,’ he murmured slowly and thoughtfully; and stood musing, musing; his mind strangely stirred.

“有個——偉大的——動物——來過這里，”他若有所思地慢慢說;他站在那里，左思右想，心中翻騰得好生古怪。

‘Come along, Rat!’ called the Mole. ‘Think of poor Otter, waiting up there by the ford!’

“快來呀，河鼠!”鼴鼠喊。“想想可憐的老水獺吧，他還在渡口苦等吶!”

Portly had soon been comforted by the promise of a treat—a jaunt on the river in Mr. Rat’s real boat; and the two animals conducted him to the water’s side, placed him securely between them in the bottom of the boat, and paddled off down the backwater. The sun was fully up by now, and hot on them, birds sang lustily and without restraint, and flowers smiled and nodded from either bank, but somehow—so thought the animals—with less of richness and blaze of colour than they seemed to remember seeing quite recently somewhere—they wondered where.

他們答應(yīng)胖胖，要帶他好好玩一趟——乘河鼠先生的小船在河上游蕩一番，胖胖的心立刻得到了安慰。兩只動物領(lǐng)他來到水邊，上了船，讓他安安穩(wěn)穩(wěn)坐在兩人當(dāng)中，打起槳往回水灣下游劃去。太陽已經(jīng)升得老高，曬在身上暖洋洋的，鳥兒們無拘無束地縱情歌唱，兩岸的鮮花沖他們頻頻點頭微笑?？刹恢醯?mdash;—他們覺得——花兒的顏色，總比不上新近在什么地方見過的那樣豐富多采，那樣鮮艷奪目——那究竟是在哪兒呢?

The main river reached again, they turned the boat’s head upstream, towards the point where they knew their friend was keeping his lonely vigil. As they drew near the familiar ford, the Mole took the boat in to the bank, and they lifted Portly out and set him on his legs on the tow-path, gave him his marching orders and a friendly farewell pat on the back, and shoved out into mid-stream. They watched the little animal as he waddled along the path contentedly and with importance; watched him till they saw his muzzle suddenly lift and his waddle break into a clumsy amble as he quickened his pace with shrill whines and wriggles of recognition. Looking up the river, they could see Otter start up, tense and rigid, from out of the shallows where he crouched in dumb patience, and could hear his amazed and joyous bark as he bounded up through the osiers on to the path. Then the Mole, with a strong pull on one oar, swung the boat round and let the full stream bear them down again whither it would, their quest now happily ended.

又來到主河道了。他們掉轉(zhuǎn)船頭，逆流而上，朝水獺朋友正孤獨守候的地點劃去?？斓侥莻€熟悉的渡口時，鼴鼠把船劃向岸邊，把胖胖?jǐn)v上岸，讓他站在纖道上，命他開步走，又在他背上拍了拍，算是友好的道別，然后把船駛到中流。他們看著那個小家伙搖搖擺擺順著纖道走去，一副滿意又自得的神情。只見他猛地抬起嘴巴，蹣跚的步子一下子變成了笨拙的小步，腳步加快了，尖聲哼哼著，扭動著身子，像是認(rèn)出什么來了。他們向上游望去，只見老水獺一躍而起，縱身竄出他耐心守候的淺水灘，神情緊張又嚴(yán)肅。他連蹦帶跳，跑上纖道，發(fā)出一連串又驚又喜的吼叫。這時，鼴鼠把一只槳重重地一劃，掉轉(zhuǎn)船頭，聽任那滿蕩蕩的河水把他們隨便沖向哪里，因為，他們的搜尋任務(wù)已經(jīng)大功告成了。

‘I feel strangely tired, Rat,’ said the Mole, leaning wearily over his oars as the boat drifted. ‘It’s being up all night, you’ll say, perhaps; but that’s nothing. We do as much half the nights of the week, at this time of the year. No; I feel as if I had been through something very exciting and rather terrible, and it was just over; and yet nothing particular has happened.’

“河鼠，好奇怪。我感到疲乏極了，”鼴鼠有氣無力地伏在槳上，由著船順?biāo)鳌?ldquo;你也許會說，這是因為我們整宿沒睡;可這并不算回事呀。每年這季節(jié)，我們每星期總有半數(shù)夜晚不睡覺的。不;我覺得像是剛剛經(jīng)歷過一件驚心動魄的大事件;可是，什么特別的事也沒有發(fā)生呀。”

‘Or something very surprising and splendid and beautiful,’ murmured the Rat, leaning back and closing his eyes. ‘I feel just as you do, Mole; simply dead tired, though not body tired. It’s lucky we’ve got the stream with us, to take us home. Isn’t it jolly to feel the sun again, soaking into one’s bones! And hark to the wind playing in the reeds!’

“也可以說，是某種非常驚人的、光輝的、美好的事情。”河鼠仰靠著，閉上眼睛喃喃道。“我的感覺跟你一樣，鼴鼠，簡直疲乏得要命，但并不是身體疲倦。幸虧咱們是在河上，它可以把咱們送回家去。太陽又曬到身上，暖融融的，鉆到骨頭里去了，多愜意呀!聽，風(fēng)在蘆葦叢里吹曲兒哩。”

‘It’s like music—far away music,’ said the Mole nodding drowsily.

“像音樂——遙遠(yuǎn)的音樂，”鼴鼠昏昏欲睡地點著頭說。

‘So I was thinking,’ murmured the Rat, dreamful and languid. ‘Dance-music—the lilting sort that runs on without a stop—but with words in it, too—it passes into words and out of them again—I catch them at intervals—then it is dance-music once more, and then nothing but the reeds’ soft thin whispering.’

“我也這樣想，”河鼠夢悠悠懶洋洋地說。“舞蹈音樂——那種節(jié)拍輕快又綿綿不絕的音樂——可是還帶歌詞——歌詞忽而有，忽而沒有——我斷斷續(xù)續(xù)能聽到幾句——這會兒又成了舞蹈音樂——這會兒什么也聽不到了，只剩下蘆葦細(xì)細(xì)的輕柔的窸窣聲。”

‘You hear better than I,’ said the Mole sadly. ‘I cannot catch the words.’

“你耳朵比我好，”鼴鼠悲傷地說。“我聽不見歌詞。”

‘Let me try and give you them,’ said the Rat softly, his eyes still closed. ‘Now it is turning into words again—faint but clear—Lest the awe should dwell—And turn your frolic to fret—You shall look on my power at the helping hour—But then you shall forget! Now the reeds take it up—forget, forget, they sigh, and it dies away in a rustle and a whisper. Then the voice returns—

“我來試試把歌詞念給你聽，”河鼠閉著眼睛輕聲說。“現(xiàn)在歌詞又來了——聲音很弱，但很清晰——‘為了不使敬畏長留心頭——不使歡笑變?yōu)閼n愁——只要在急需時求助于我的威力——過后就要把它忘記!’現(xiàn)在蘆葦接茬又唱了——‘忘記吧，忘記，’聲音越來越弱，變成了悄悄話?，F(xiàn)在，歌詞又回來了——

‘Lest limbs be reddened and rent—I spring the trap that is set—As I loose the snare you may glimpse me there—For surely you shall forget! Row nearer, Mole, nearer to the reeds! It is hard to catch, and grows each minute fainter.

“‘為了不使肢體紅腫撕裂——我松開設(shè)下的陷阱——陷阱松開時，你們就能把我瞥見——因為你們定會忘記!’鼴鼠，把船劃近些，靠近蘆葦!歌詞很難聽清，而且越變越弱了。

‘Helper and healer, I cheer—Small waifs in the woodland wet—Strays I find in it, wounds I bind in it—Bidding them all forget! Nearer, Mole, nearer! No, it is no good; the song has died away into reed-talk.’

“‘我是救援者，我是治療者，我鼓舞潮濕山林里的小小游子——我找到山林里迷路的小動物，為他們包扎傷口——囑付他們把一切忘懷!’劃近些，鼴鼠，再近些;不行，沒有用;那歌聲已經(jīng)消失，化成了蘆葦?shù)牡驼Z。”

‘But what do the words mean?’ asked the wondering Mole.

“可是，這歌詞是什么意思?”鼴鼠迷惑不解地問。

‘That I do not know,’ said the Rat simply. ‘I passed them on to you as they reached me. Ah! now they return again, and this time full and clear! This time, at last, it is the real, the unmistakable thing, simple—passionate—perfect----‘

“這我也不知道，”河鼠只簡單地回答，“我聽到什么，就告訴你什么。啊!歌聲又回來了，這回很完整，很清楚!這回到底是真實的，絕對錯不了，簡單——熱情——完美——”

‘Well, let’s have it, then,’ said the Mole, after he had waited patiently for a few minutes, half-dozing in the hot sun..

“那好，讓咱聽聽，”鼴鼠說，他已經(jīng)耐心等了幾分鐘，在熾熱的陽光下、他都有點瞌睡了。

But no answer came. He looked, and understood the silence. With a smile of much happiness on his face, and something of a listening look still lingering there, the weary Rat was fast asleep.

可是沒有回答。他揪了河鼠一眼、就明白了為什么沒有回答。他看到，河鼠瞼上帶著快樂的微笑。還掛著一絲側(cè)耳傾聽的神情，困倦的河鼠沉沉睡熟了。