木偶奇遇記：Chapter 11

In the theater, great excitement reigned. Fire Eater (this was really his name) was very ugly, but he was far from being as bad as he looked. Proof of this is that, when he saw the poor Marionette being brought in to him, struggling with fear and crying, "I don't want to die! I don't want to die!" he felt sorry for him and began first to waver and then to weaken. Finally, he could control himself no longer and gave a loud sneeze.

木偶戲班班主吃火人(他就叫這么個名字)看樣子是個可怕的人，那是沒話說的，特別是他那把黑色大胡子，像圍裙似地蓋住他整個胸口和整整兩條腿，可他到底不是個壞人，事實上，他一看見可憐的皮諾喬給帶到他面前，拼命掙扎，哇哇大叫：“我不要死，我不要死!”心馬上就軟，可憐起他來了，他鼻子忽然發(fā)熱，忍了好大一會兒，可終于忍不住，就大聲打了一個噴嚏。

At that sneeze, Harlequin, who until then had been as sad as a weeping willow, smiled happily and leaning toward the Marionette, whispered to him:

花衣小丑一直在傷心，像垂柳那樣彎下身子，可一聽見打噴嚏，馬上喜容滿面，向皮諾喬彎過身來，輕輕跟他咬耳朵說：

"Good news, brother mine! Fire Eater has sneezed and this is a sign that he feels sorry for you. You are saved!"

“好消息，兄弟，班主打噴嚏了，這表示他已經(jīng)感動，在可憐你，如今你有救了。”

For be it known, that, while other people, when sad and sorrowful, weep and wipe their eyes, Fire Eater, on the other hand, had the strange habit of sneezing each time he felt unhappy. The way was just as good as any other to show the kindness of his heart.

因為要知道，有許多人一同情什么人，或者是哭，戒者至少是假裝擦眼睛，可吃火人不同，他真的感動了，就要打噴嚏，這也是一種表示他心軟的的方式，

After sneezing, Fire Eater, ugly as ever, cried to Pinocchio:

打過噴嚏以后，木偶戲班班主還是裝出很兇的樣于，對皮諾喬叫道：

"Stop crying! Your wails give me a funny feeling down here in my stomach and -- E -- tchee! -- E -- tchee!" Two loud sneezes finished his speech.

“別哭了!你哇哇哭，叫我肚子里難受極了……叫我覺得絞痛，幾乎，幾乎……啊嚏，啊嚏……”又打了兩個噴嚏。

"God bless you!" said Pinocchio.

“長命百歲!”皮諾喬說，

"Thanks! Are your father and mother still living?" demanded Fire Eater.

“謝謝!你爸爸媽媽都活著嗎?”吃火人問他，

"My father, yes. My mother I have never known."

“爸爸活著，可我從來不知道媽媽，”

"Your poor father would suffer terribly if I were to use you as firewood. Poor old man! I feel sorry for him! E -- tchee! E -- tchee! E -- tchee!" Three more sneezes sounded, louder than ever.

“我這會兒要是把你扔到炭火里，誰知道你的老父親要多么傷心啊!可憐的老頭!我很同情他!……啊嚏，啊嚏，啊嚏!”他又打了三個噴嚏，

"God bless you!" said Pinocchio.

“長命千歲!”皮諾喬說，

"Thanks! However, I ought to be sorry for myself, too, just now. My good dinner is spoiled. I have no more wood for the fire, and the lamb is only half cooked. Never mind! In your place I'll burn some other Marionette. Hey there! Officers!"

“謝謝!不過也得同情同請我，因為你看，我要把這頭羊烤熟，木柴沒有了，說老實話，你在這種情況下對我非常有用!可如今我很感動，我想忍耐看不燒你，既然不燒你，我就得在我的戲班里另找一個木偶來代替你，把他扔到叉子底下去燒……喂，守衛(wèi)的!”

At the call, two wooden officers appeared, long and thin as a yard of rope, with queer hats on their heads and swords in their hands.

一聲命今，馬上來了兩個木頭守衛(wèi)，他們挺高挺高，挺瘦挺瘦，頭戴兩角帽，手握出鞘的劍，

Fire Eater yelled at them in a hoarse voice:

木偶戲班班主氣咻咻地對他們說：

"Take Harlequin, tie him, and throw him on the fire. I want my lamb well done!"

“給我把這個花衣小丑抓住，捆得牢牢的，扔到火里去，我要讓我這只羊烤得香香的!”

Think how poor Harlequin felt! He was so scared that his legs doubled up under him and he fell to the floor.

諸位想象一下這個可憐的花衣小丑吧!他嚇得兩條腿一彎，跪在地上了，

Pinocchio, at that heartbreaking sight, threw himself at the feet of Fire Eater and, weeping bitterly, asked in a pitiful voice which could scarcely be heard:

皮諾喬看見這種凄慘場面，就撲倒在班主腳下，嚎啕大哭，淚水把他那把大胡子也給弄濕了，開始哀求他說：

"Have pity, I beg of you, signore!"

“可憐可憐吧，吃火人先生!……”

"There are no signori here!"

“這里沒有先生!……”木偶戲班班主冷冰冰地回答說。

"Have pity, kind sir!"

“可憐可憐吧，騎士先生!……”

"There are no sirs here!"

“這里沒有騎士!……”

"Have pity, your Excellency!"

“可憐可憐吧，爵士先生!……”

On hearing himself addressed as your Excellency, the Director of the Marionette Theater sat up very straight in his chair, stroked his long beard, and becoming suddenly kind and compassionate, smiled proudly as he said to Pinocchio:

木偶戲班班主—聽見叫他大老爺，馬上噘起了嘴，變得慈祥多了，溫和多了，問皮諾喬說：

"Well, what do you want from me now, Marionette?"

“你到底求我什么事?”

"I beg for mercy for my poor friend, Harlequin, who has never done the least harm in his life."

“我求您開開恩，放了可憐的花衣小丑!”

"There is no mercy here, Pinocchio. I have spared you. Harlequin must burn in your place. I am hungry and my dinner must be cooked."

“這可開不得恩。我不燒你就得燒他，因為我要把我這只羊烤得香香的。”

"In that case," said Pinocchio proudly, as he stood up and flung away his cap of dough, "in that case, my duty is clear. Come, officers! Tie me up and throw me on those flames. No, it is not fair for poor Harlequin, the best friend that I have in the world, to die in my place!"

“那么，”皮諾喬大叫一聲，站了起來，扔掉頭上的面包心帽子，“那么，我知道我該怎么做了。來吧，守衛(wèi)先生們!把我捆起來扔到火里去，不行，讓可憐的花衣小丑，我的真正朋友，替我去死是不公道的!……”

These brave words, said in a piercing voice, made all the other Marionettes cry. Even the officers, who were made of wood also, cried like two babies.

這番話說得丁當響亮，聲調(diào)豪邁激昂，在場的木偶聽了沒有不哭的，連兩個守衛(wèi)，雖然是木頭做的，也哭得像吃奶的羊羔。

Fire Eater at first remained hard and cold as a piece of ice; but then, little by little, he softened and began to sneeze. And after four or five sneezes, he opened wide his arms and said to Pinocchio:

吃火人起先一點不動心，冷得像塊冰，可后來慢慢地、慢慢地也開始感動了，又打噴嚏了。他一口氣打了四五個噴嚏，于是疼愛地張開懷抱，對皮諾喬說：

"You are a brave boy! Come to my arms and kiss me!"

“你是個好小子!過來，給我一個吻。”

Pinocchio ran to him and scurrying like a squirrel up the long black beard, he gave Fire Eater a loving kiss on the tip of his nose.

皮諾喬馬上跑過去，像只松鼠似地順著木偶戲班班主的大胡子往上爬，爬到上面，在他鼻尖上給了他一個最甜最甜的吻。

"Has pardon been granted to me?" asked poor Harlequin with a voice that was hardly a breath.

“那么，您開恩啦?”可憐的花衣小丑問道，聲音細得好不容易才聽見。

"Pardon is yours!" answered Fire Eater; and sighing and wagging his head, he added: "Well, tonight I shall have to eat my lamb only half cooked, but beware the next time, Marionettes."

“開恩了!”吃火人回答說。接著他嘆口氣，搖搖頭，“沒法子!今兒晚上我只能吃半生不熟的羊肉了。可下一回，誰要是打動我的心，他就活該倒霉!……”

At the news that pardon had been given, the Marionettes ran to the stage and, turning on all the lights, they danced and sang till dawn.

一聽說開了恩，所有的木偶都跑到戲臺上，像開盛大晚會那樣，點亮了所有的燈和燭臺，開始又跳又舞。他們就這樣一直跳啊舞的直到大天亮。