牛津書蟲系列 牙齒和爪子 Sredni Vashtar 斯萊德尼·瓦什塔

斯萊德尼·瓦什塔

Conradin was ten years old and was often ill.

康拉丁10歲，經(jīng)常生玻

'The boy is not strong，'said the doctor.'He will not live much longer.'But the doctor did not know about Conradin's imagination. In Conradin's lonely， loveless world，his imagination was the only thing that kept him alive.

“這孩子不結(jié)實，”醫(yī)生說，“他活不了太久。”但是醫(yī)生不了解康拉丁的想像力。在康拉丁孤獨無愛的世界里，他的想像力是唯一支撐他活著的東西。

Conradin's parents were dead and he lived with his aunt.The aunt did not like Conradin and was often unkind to him.Conradin hated her with all his heart， but he obeyed her quietly and took his medicine without arguing. Mostly he kept out of her way.She had no place in his world. His real， everyday life in his aunt's colourless， comfortless house was narrow and uninteresting. But inside his small， dark head exciting and violent thoughts ran wild. In the bright world of his imagination Conradin was strong and brave. It was a wonderful world， and the aunt was locked out of it.

康拉丁的父母已亡故，他和姑媽住在一起。姑媽不喜歡康拉丁，經(jīng)常對他不好?？道男牡桌锖匏?，但是平靜地服從她，而且毫無怨言地服藥。多數(shù)時間他遠離她。她在他的世界里沒有一席之地。在姑媽單調(diào)不舒服的家里，他真正的日常生活狹窄無趣。但是在他又小又黑的腦袋里，活躍、思想在狂奔。在想像中的明快世界里，康拉丁健壯勇敢。這是一個美好的世界，姑媽被鎖在了這個世界之外。

The garden was no fun. There was nothing interesting to do. He was forbidden to pick the flowers. He was forbidden to eat the fruit. He was forbidden to play on the grass But behind some trees， in a forgotten corner of the garden， there was an old shed Nobody used the shed， and Conradin took it for his own.

花園里不好玩，沒有有趣的事情做。他被禁止摘花，被禁止吃果子，被禁止在草坪上玩耍。但是在一些樹后，在花園一個被遺忘的角落有一個陳舊的小屋。

To him it became something between a playroom and a church. He filled it with ghosts and animals from his imagination. But there were also two living things in the shed. In one corner lived an old， untidy-looking chicken. Conradin had no people to love， and this chicken was the boy's dearest friend.And in a dark， secret place at the back of the shed was a large wooden box with bars across the front. This was the home of a very large ferret with long， dangerous teeth and claws.Conradin had bought the ferret and its box from a friendly boy， who lived in the village. It had cost him all his money，but Conradin did not mind.He was most terribly afraid of the ferret， but he loved it with all his heart. It was his wonderful，terrible secret. He gave the ferret a strange and beautiful name and it became his god.

沒人用這個小屋，康拉丁便把它據(jù)為己有。對他而言小屋成了一個介于游戲室和教堂的地方。他在其中裝滿了想像中的鬼怪和動物。但是里面也有兩個活物。在一個角落有一只蓬頭垢面的老母雞。康拉丁沒有什么人去愛，于是這只雞成了他最好的朋友。在小屋靠后的一個黑暗秘密的地方有一只大木箱，它的前面橫豎著一些鐵條。在這木箱里有一只長著又長又危險的牙齒和爪子的大雪貂?？道淖≡诖謇锏囊粋€很友好的男孩那里買下了這只雪貂和箱子。這花掉了他所有的錢，但是康拉丁不在乎。他非常害怕這只雪貂，可又全心全意地愛它。它是他精彩可怕的秘密。他給雪貂起了一個又古怪又好聽的名字，它成了他的上帝。

The aunt went to church every Sunday. She took Conradin with her， but to Conradin her church and her god were without meaning. They seemed grey and uninteresting.The true god lived in the shed， and his name was Sredni Vashtar.

姑媽每個星期天都去教堂。她帶康拉丁一起去，但對康拉丁來說她的教堂和上帝毫無意義，而且似乎灰暗枯燥。真正的上帝住在小屋里，它的名字叫斯萊德尼·瓦什塔。

Every Thursday， in the cool， silent darkness of the shed，Conradin took presents to his god. He took flowers in summer and fruits in autumn， and he made strange and wonderful songs for his god. Sometimes， on days when something important happened， Conradin took special presents.He stole salt from the kitchen and placed it carefully and lovingly in front of the ferret's box.

每個星期四，在小屋陰涼沉寂的黑暗中，康拉丁都給他的上帝帶些禮物。他帶來夏季的鮮花和秋天的果實，他給他的上帝編唱些古怪奇妙的歌曲。有時，在有某件重要事情發(fā)生的日子，康拉丁會帶來特殊的禮物。他從廚房偷來鹽并小心疼愛地放在雪貂箱子的前面。

One day the aunt had the most terrible toothache. It con tinued for three days. Morning and evening Conradin put salt in front of his god. In the end he almost believed that Sredni Vashtar himself had sent the toothache.

有一天姑媽的牙疼得特別厲害。疼痛持續(xù)了三天。早上和晚上康拉丁都在他的上帝面前放點鹽。最后他幾乎相信是斯萊德尼·瓦什塔帶來的牙疼。

After a time the aunt noticed Conradin's visits to the shed.

過了一段時間，姑媽注意到康拉丁總是去小屋。

'It's not good for him to play out there in the cold，' she said. She could always find a reason to stop Conradin enjoying himself. The next morning at breakfast she told Conradin that she had sold the chicken. She looked at Conradin's white face , and waited for him to cry or to be angry. But Conradin said nothing; there was nothing to say.

“在外面冷風里玩對他不好，”她說。她總是能找到一個理由不讓康拉丁玩得開心。第二天早上吃早餐時，她告訴康拉丁她已經(jīng)賣掉了那只雞。她看著康拉丁蒼白的臉，等著他哭或者生氣。但是康拉丁一句話沒說;沒什么可說的。

Perhaps the aunt felt sorry. That afternoon there was hot buttered toast for tea. Toast was usually forbidden. Conradin loved it， but the aunt said that it was bad for him. Also， it made extra work for the cook. Conradin looked at the toast and quietly took a piece of bread and butter.

可能姑媽覺得內(nèi)疚了。那天下午喝茶時上了熱黃油面包?？久姘綍r是不讓吃的?？道∠矚g吃，但是姑媽說吃烤面包對他不好。而且，烤面包對廚子來說太費事?？道】粗久姘?，平靜地拿了一片面包和黃油。

'I thought you liked toast，' the aunt said crossly.

“我想你喜歡烤面包，”姑媽生氣地說。

'Sometimes，'said Conradin.

“有時候是，”康拉丁說。

In the shed that evening Conradin looked sadly at the empty corner where his chicken had lived. And， for the first time， he asked his ferret-god to do something for him.

那天晚上在小屋里，康拉丁傷心地看著母雞曾住過的那個空空的角落。于是，第一次，他讓他的雪貂上帝為他做一件事。

'Do one thing for me， Sredni Vashtar，'he said softly.

“為我做一件事，斯萊德尼·瓦什塔，”他輕聲地說。

He did not say what he wanted. Sredni Vashtar was a god， after all. There is no need to explain things to gods.Then， with a last look at the empty corner， Conradin returned to the world that he hated.

他沒有說出他的想法。斯萊德尼·瓦什塔終究是上帝，沒有必要向上帝把什么事都說的一清二楚。然后，在看了那個空角落最后一眼之后，康拉丁回到了他憎恨的世界。

And every night， in the shed and in his bedroom， Con radin repeated again and again.

每天晚上在小屋和臥室里，康拉丁反復重復著那句話。

'Do one thing for me， Sredni Vashtar.'

“為我做一件事，斯萊德尼·瓦什塔。”

So Conradin's visits to the shed continued. The aunt no ticed， and went to look in the shed again.

因此康拉丁繼續(xù)去小屋。姑媽發(fā)現(xiàn)后，又去小屋察看。

'What are you keeping in that locked box?' she asked.' I'm sure you're keeping an animal there. It's not good for you.

“你在那個鎖著的箱子里養(yǎng)了什么?”她問。“我肯定你在那兒養(yǎng)了一只動物。這對你不好。”

Conradin said nothing.

康拉丁一言不發(fā)。

The aunt searched his bedroom until she found the key to the box. She marched down to the shed. It was a cold afternoon， and Conradin was forbidden to go outside. From the window of the dining-room Conradin could just see the door of the shed. He stood and waited.

姑媽搜他的臥室，最后她終于找到了那個箱子的鑰匙。她沖向小屋。這是一個寒冷的下午，康拉丁被禁止到外面去。從餐廳的窗戶那兒康拉丁剛好能看見小屋的門。他站著等著。

He saw the aunt open the shed door. She went inside.Now， thought Conradin， she has found the box. She is opening the door， and feeling about inside the box where my god lives.

他看見姑媽打開小屋房門進去了。現(xiàn)在，康拉丁想，她已經(jīng)找到了箱子。她正在開箱子門，正在我的上帝居住的箱子里面摸索。

'Do one thing for me， Sredni Vashtar，'said Conradin softly. But he said it without hope. She will win， he thought.She always wins. Soon she will come out of the shed and give her orders. Somebody will come and take my wonderful god away-not a god any more，just a brown ferret in a box.Then there will be nothing important in my life… The doctor will be right. I shall sicken and die. She will win. She always wins… In his pain and misery， Conradin began to sing the song of his god：

“為我做一件事，斯萊德尼·瓦什塔，”康拉丁輕聲說。但是他說這話時沒有抱什么希望。她會贏，他想，她總是贏。一會兒她就要從小屋出來，對他發(fā)號施令。會有人來拿走我的好上帝——再不是上帝了，只是木箱里的一只棕色雪貂。然后我的生活里就沒有了重要的東西……醫(yī)生是對的，我將生病死去。她將贏，她總是贏……在痛苦中，康拉丁開始唱他的上帝之歌：

Sredni Vashtar went into battle.His thoughts were red thoughts and his teeth were white.

斯萊德尼·瓦什塔上戰(zhàn)場，他的思想鮮紅牙齒雪亮。

his enemies called for peace but be brought them death.

敵人乞求和平，他將他們滅亡。

Sredni Vashtar the Beautiful.

美麗的斯萊德尼·瓦什塔。

Suddenly he stopped singing and went nearer to the window.The door of the shed was still open. Slowly， very slowly the minutes went by. Conradin watched the birds on the grass.He counted them， always with one eye on that open door. The unsmiling housekeeper came in with the tea things. Still Sonradin stood and watched and waited. Hope was growing，like a small， sick flower， in his heart. Very softly he sang his song again， and his hope grew and grew. And then he saw a very wonderful thing.

突然他停止歌唱，走近窗戶。小屋的門還開著。慢慢地，非常慢地過了幾分鐘。康拉丁望著草地上的小鳥，數(shù)著它們，一只眼睛卻總是看著那扇開著的門。毫無笑容的管家端著茶點進來，康拉丁還是站著、看著、等著。希望在增長，像心里一朵生病的小花。他又非常輕聲地唱起了歌，希望又增長了。然后他看見了一個非常奇妙的東西。

Out of the shed came a long， low， yellow-and-brown animal. There were red， wet stains around its mouth and neck.

從小屋出來一只又長又矮的黃棕色動物，它的嘴和脖于周圍有濕紅的血斑。

'Sredni Vashtar!' said Conradin softly. The ferret-god made its way to the bottom of the garden. It stopped for a moment， then went quietly into the long grass and disappeared for ever.

“斯萊德尼·瓦什塔!”康拉丁柔聲說。雪貂上帝走向花園深處。它停頓片刻，然后悄悄地走進深遠的草叢，永遠地消失了。

'Tea is ready，' said the housekeeper. 'Where is your aunt?'

“茶點好了，”管家說，“你姑媽在哪兒?”

'She went down to the shed，' said Conradin.

“她下樓去小屋了，”康拉丁說。

And， while the housekeeper went down to call the aunt，Conradin took the toasting-fork out of the dining-room cupboard. He sat by the fire and toasted a piece of bread for himself. While he was toasting it and putting butter on it，Conradin listened to the noises beyond the dining room door.First there were loud screams-that was the housekeeper.Then there was the cook's answering cry.Soon there came the sound of several pairs of feet. They were carrying something heavy into the house.

于是，管家下樓去叫姑媽時，康拉丁從餐廳的壁柜里拿出面包叉。他坐在爐火旁給自己烤了一片面包。正當他烤著面包、在上面抹黃油時，康拉丁聽著餐室外的吵鬧聲。先是尖叫聲——那是管家，然后是廚子的喊叫聲。一會兒傳來幾個人的腳步聲。他們正往屋里拍個很沉的東西。

'Who is going to tell that poor child?' said the housekeeper.

“誰去告訴那可憐的孩子?”管家說。

'Well， someone will have to，'answered the cook. And，while they were arguing， Conradin made himself another piece of toast.

“哎，總得有人去，”廚子回答。當他們在爭論的時候，康拉丁又給自己烤了一片面包。