MOTHER, let us imagine we are travelling, and passing through a strange and dangerouscountry.
媽媽,讓我們想象我們正在旅行,經(jīng)過一個陌生而危險的國土。
You are riding in a palanquin and I am trotting by you on a red horse.
你坐在一頂轎子里,我騎著一匹紅馬,在你旁邊跑著。
It is evening and the sun goes down. The waste of Joradighi lies wan and grey before us. Theland is desolate and barren.
是黃昏的時候,太陽已經(jīng)下山了。約拉地希的荒地疲乏而灰暗地展開在我們面前,大地是凄涼而荒蕪的。
You are frightened and thinking--"I know not where we have come to."
你害怕了,想道——“我不知道我們到了什么地方了。”
I say to you, "Mother, do not be afraid."
我對你說道:“媽媽,不要害怕。”
The meadow is prickly with spiky grass, and through it runs a narrow broken path.
草地上刺蓬蓬地長著針尖似的草,一條狹而崎嶇的小道通過這塊草地。
There are no cattle to be seen in the wide field; they have gone to their village stalls.
在這片廣大的地面上看不見一只牛;它們已經(jīng)回到它們村里的牛棚去了。
It grows dark and dim on the land and sky, and we cannot tell where we are going.
天色黑了下來,大地和天空都顯得朦朦朧朧的,而我們不能說出我們正走向什么所在。
Suddenly you call me and ask me in a whisper, "What light is that near the bank?"
突然間,你叫我,悄悄地問我道:“靠近河岸的是什么火光呀?”
Just then there bursts out a fearful yell, and figures come running towards us.
正在那個時候,一陣可怕的吶喊聲爆發(fā)了,好些人影子向我們跑過來。
You sit crouched in your palanquin and repeat the names of the gods in prayer.
你蹲坐在你的轎子里,嘴里反復(fù)地禱念著神的名字。
The bearers, shaking in terror, hide themselves in the thorny bush.
轎夫們,怕得發(fā)抖,躲藏在荊棘叢中。
I shout to you, "Don't be afraid, mother. I am here."
我向你喊道:“不要害怕,媽媽,有我在這里。”
With long sticks in their hands and hair all wild about their heads, they come nearer and nearer.
他們手里執(zhí)著長棒,頭發(fā)披散著,越走越近了。
I shout, "Have a care! you villains! One step more and you are dead men."
我喊道:“要當(dāng)心!你們這些壞蛋!再向前走一步,你們就要送命了。”
They give another terrible yell and rush forward.
他們又發(fā)出一陣可怕的吶喊聲,向前沖過來。
You clutch my hand and say, "Dear boy, for heaven's sake, keep away from them."
你抓住我的手,說道:“好孩子,看在上天面上,躲開他們罷。”
I say, "Mother, just you watch me."
我說道:“媽媽,你瞧我的。”
Then I spur my horse for a wild gallop, and my sword and buckler clash against each other.
于是我刺策著我的馬匹,猛奔過去,我的劍和盾彼此碰著作響。
The fight becomes so fearful, mother, that it would give you a cold shudder could you see itfrom your palanquin.
這一場戰(zhàn)斗是那么激烈,媽媽,如果你從轎子里看得見的話,你一定會發(fā)冷戰(zhàn)的。
Many of them fly, and a great number are cut to pieces.
他們之中,許多人逃走了,還有好些人被砍殺了。
I know you are thinking, sitting all by yourself, that your boy must be dead by this time.
我知道你那時獨自坐在那里,心里正在想著,你的孩子這時候一定已經(jīng)死了。
But I come to you all stained with blood, and say, "Mother, the fight is over now."
但是我跑到你的跟前,渾身濺滿了鮮血,說道:“媽媽,現(xiàn)在戰(zhàn)爭已經(jīng)結(jié)束了。”
You come out and kiss me, pressing me to your heart, and you say to yourself,
你從轎子里走出來,吻著我,把我摟在你的心頭,你自言自語地說道:
"I don't know what I should do if I hadn't my boy to escort me."
“如果我沒有我的孩子護(hù)送我,我簡直不知道怎么辦才好。”
A thousand useless things happen day after day, and why couldn't such a thing come true bychance?
一千件無聊的事天天在發(fā)生,為什么這樣一件事不能夠偶然實現(xiàn)呢?
It would be like a story in a book.
這很像一本書里的一個故事。
My brother would say, "Is it possible? I always thought he was so delicate!"
我的哥哥要說道:“這是可能的事么?我老是在想,他是那么嫩弱呢!”
Our village people would all say in amazement, "Was it not lucky that the boy was with hismother?"
我們村里的人們都要驚訝地說道:“這孩子正和他媽媽在一起,這不是很幸運(yùn)么?”