柳林風(fēng)聲：The Further Adventures of Toad 蟾蜍歷險續(xù)記

The front door of the hollow tree faced eastwards, so Toad was called at an early hour; partly by the bright sunlight streaming in on him, partly by the exceeding coldness of his toes, which made him dream that he was at home in bed in his own handsome room with the Tudor window, on a cold winter’s night, and his bedclothes had got up, grumbling and protesting they couldn’t stand the cold any longer, and had run downstairs to the kitchen fire to warm themselves; and he had followed, on bare feet, along miles and miles of icy stone-paved passages, arguing and beseeching them to be reasonable. He would probably have been aroused much earlier, had he not slept for some weeks on straw over stone flags, and almost forgotten the friendly feeling of thick blankets pulled well up round the chin.

樹洞的大門朝東，因此蟾蜍一早就醒了，部分是由于明亮的陽光射進(jìn)來，照在他身上，部分是由于他的腳趾尖凍得生疼，使他夢見自己睡在他那間帶都鐸式窗子的漂亮房間的床上。他夢見那是一個寒冷的冬夜，他的被子全都爬了起來，一個勁兒抱怨說受不了這寒冷，全都跑下樓到廚房烤火去了。他也光著腳跟在后面，跑過好幾哩長冰涼的石鋪道路，一路跟被子爭論，請它們講點(diǎn)道理。若不是因?yàn)樗谑宓厣系母刹荻牙锼^好幾星期，幾乎忘記了厚厚的毛毯一直捂到脖子的溫馨感覺，他興許還會醒得更早。

Sitting up, he rubbed his eyes first and his complaining toes next, wondered for a moment where he was, looking round for familiar stone wall and little barred window; then, with a leap of the heart, remembered everything—his escape, his flight, his pursuit; remembered, first and best thing of all, that he was free!

他坐起來，揉了揉眼睛，又揉了揉那雙凍得直叫苦的腳尖，鬧不清自己究竟在哪。他四下里張望，尋找他熟悉的石頭墻和裝了鐵條的小窗;然后，他的心驀地一跳，什么都想起來了——他越獄逃亡，被人追攆，而最大的好事是，他自由了!

Free! The word and the thought alone were worth fifty blankets. He was warm from end to end as he thought of the jolly world outside, waiting eagerly for him to make his triumphal entrance, ready to serve him and play up to him, anxious to help him and to keep him company, as it always had been in days of old before misfortune fell upon him. He shook himself and combed the dry leaves out of his hair with his fingers; and, his toilet complete, marched forth into the comfortable morning sun, cold but confident, hungry but hopeful, all nervous terrors of yesterday dispelled by rest and sleep and frank and heartening sunshine.

自由!單是這個字眼和這個念頭，就值五十條毛毯。外面那個歡樂的世界，正熱切地等待他的勝利歸來，準(zhǔn)備為他效勞，向他討好，急著給他幫助，給他作伴，就像他遭到不幸前的那些老時光一樣。想到這，他感到通身熱乎乎的。他抖了抖身子，用爪子梳理掉毛發(fā)里的枯樹葉。梳洗完畢，他大步走進(jìn)舒適的早晨的陽光，雖然冷，但充滿信心，雖然餓，但充滿希望。昨天的緊張恐懼，全都被一夜的休息睡眠和誠懇熱情的陽光一掃而光。

He had the world all to himself, that early summer morning. The dewy woodland, as he threaded it, was solitary and still: the green fields that succeeded the trees were his own to do as he liked with; the road itself, when he reached it, in that loneliness that was everywhere, seemed, like a stray dog, to be looking anxiously for company. Toad, however, was looking for something that could talk, and tell him clearly which way he ought to go. It is all very well, when you have a light heart, and a clear conscience, and money in your pocket, and nobody scouring the country for you to drag you off to prison again, to follow where the road beckons and points, not caring whither. The practical Toad cared very much indeed, and he could have kicked the road for its helpless silence when every minute was of importance to him.

在這個夏天的早晨，周圍整個世界都屬于他一人。他穿過帶露的樹林時，林中靜悄悄。走出樹林，綠色的田野也都屬他一人，隨他想干什么。來到路上，到處是冷冷清清.那條路像一只迷途的狗，正急著要尋個伴兒。蟾蜍呢，他卻在尋找一個會說話的東西，能指點(diǎn)他該往哪去。是啊，要是一個人輕松自在，心里沒鬼，兜里有錢，又沒人四處搜捕你，要抓你回監(jiān)獄，那么你信步走來，隨便走哪條路，上哪里去，都一個樣?？芍v實(shí)際的蟾蜍卻憂心忡忡，每分鐘對他來說都事關(guān)重要，而那條路卻硬是不開口，你拿它毫無辦法，恨不得喘它幾腳才解氣。

The reserved rustic road was presently joined by a shy little brother in the shape of a canal, which took its hand and ambled along by its side in perfect confidence, but with the same tongue-tied, uncommunicative attitude towards strangers. ‘Bother them!’ said Toad to himself. ‘But, anyhow, one thing’s clear. They must both be coming FROM somewhere, and going TO somewhere. You can’t get over that. Toad, my boy!’ So he marched on patiently by the water’s edge.

這個沉默不語的鄉(xiāng)間道路，不一會就有了一個怯生生的小兄弟，一條小渠。它和道路手拉手，肩并肩慢慢往前走，它對道路絕對信賴，可對陌生人都同樣閉緊了嘴，一聲不吭。“真討厭!”蟾蜍自言自語說。“不過有一點(diǎn)是清楚的，它倆一定是從什么地方來，到什么地方去的。這一點(diǎn)，蟾蜍，小伙子，你總沒法否認(rèn)吧。”于是他耐著性子沿著小渠大步朝前走去。

Round a bend in the canal came plodding a solitary horse, stooping forward as if in anxious thought. From rope traces attached to his collar stretched a long line, taut, but dipping with his stride, the further part of it dripping pearly drops. Toad let the horse pass, and stood waiting for what the fates were sending him.

繞過一個河灣，只見走過來一匹孤零零的馬，那馬向前佝僂著身子，像在焦慮地思考什么。一根長繩連著他的軛具，拽得緊緊的，馬往前走時，繩子不住地滴水，較遠(yuǎn)的一端更是掉著珍珠般的水滴。蟾蜍讓過馬，站著等候，看命運(yùn)會給他送來什么。

With a pleasant swirl of quiet water at its blunt bow the barge slid up alongside of him, its gaily painted gunwale level with the towing-path, its sole occupant a big stout woman wearing a linen sun-bonnet, one brawny arm laid along the tiller.

一只平底船滑了過來，和他并排行進(jìn)。船尾在平靜的水面攪起一個可愛的旋鍋。船舷漆成鮮艷的顏色，和纖繩齊高。船上唯一的乘客，是一位胖大的女人。頭戴一頂麻布遮陽帽，粗壯有力的胳臂倚在舵柄上。

‘A nice morning, ma’am!’ she remarked to Toad, as she drew up level with him.

“早晨天氣真好呀，太太!”她把船駕到蟾蜍身旁時，跟他打招呼。

‘I dare say it is, ma’am!’ responded Toad politely, as he walked along the tow-path abreast of her. ‘I dare it IS a nice morning to them that’s not in sore trouble, like what I am. Here’s my married daughter, she sends off to me post-haste to come to her at once; so off I comes, not knowing what may be happening or going to happen, but fearing the worst, as you will understand, ma’am, if you’re a mother, too. And I’ve left my business to look after itself—I’m in the washing and laundering line, you must know, ma’am—and I’ve left my young children to look after themselves, and a more mischievous and troublesome set of young imps doesn’t exist, ma’am; and I’ve lost all my money, and lost my way, and as for what may be happening to my married daughter, why, I don’t like to think of it, ma’am!’

“是的，太太，”蟾蜍沿著纖路和她并肩往前走，彬彬有禮地回答。“我想，對那些不像我這樣遇到麻煩的人，確實(shí)是一個美好的早晨。你瞧，我那個出了嫁的女兒給我寄來一封十萬火急的信，要我馬上去她那兒，所以我就趕緊出來了。也不知道她那里出了什么事兒，或者要出什么事兒，就怕事情不妙，太太。你要也是做母親的，一定懂得我的心情。我丟下自家的活計——我是干洗衣這行的——丟下幾個小不點(diǎn)兒的孩子，讓他們自己照料自己，這幫小鬼頭，世上再沒有比他們更淘氣搗亂的了。而且，我丟了所有的錢，又迷了路。我那個出了嫁的女兒會出什么事兒，太太，我連想也不愿想!”

‘Where might your married daughter be living, ma’am?’ asked the barge-woman.

“你那個出了嫁的女兒家住哪兒，太太?”船娘問。

‘She lives near to the river, ma’am,’ replied Toad. ‘Close to a fine house called Toad Hall, that’s somewheres hereabouts in these parts. Perhaps you may have heard of it.’

“住在大河附近，”蟾蜍說，“挨著那座叫蟾宮的漂亮房子，就在這一帶什么地方。你大概聽說過吧?”

‘Toad Hall? Why, I’m going that way myself,’ replied the barge-woman. ‘This canal joins the river some miles further on, a little above Toad Hall; and then it’s an easy walk. You come along in the barge with me, and I’ll give you a lift.’

“蟾宮?噢，我正往那個方向去，”船娘說。“這條水渠再有幾哩路就通向大河，離蟾宮不遠(yuǎn)了。上船吧，我捎帶你一程。”

She steered the barge close to the bank, and Toad, with many humble and grateful acknowledgments, stepped lightly on board and sat down with great satisfaction. ‘Toad’s luck again!’ thought he. ‘I always come out on top!’

她把船駕到岸邊，蟾蜍千恩萬謝，輕快地跨進(jìn)船，心滿意足地坐下。“蟾蜍又交上好運(yùn)啦!”他心想，“我總能化險為夷。馬到成功!”

‘So you’re in the washing business, ma’am?’ said the barge-woman politely, as they glided along. ‘And a very good business you’ve got too, I dare say, if I’m not making too free in saying so.’

“這么說，太太，你是開洗衣行業(yè)的?”船在水面滑行著，船娘很有禮貌地說。“我說，你有個頗好的職業(yè)，我這樣說不太冒失吧?”

‘Finest business in the whole country,’ said Toad airily. ‘All the gentry come to me—wouldn’t go to any one else if they were paid, they know me so well. You see, I understand my work thoroughly, and attend to it all myself. Washing, ironing, clear-starching, making up gents’ fine shirts for evening wear—everything’s done under my own eye!’

“全國最好的職業(yè)!”蟾蜍飄飄然地說。“所有的上等人都來我這兒洗衣——不肯去別家，哪怕倒貼他錢也不去，就認(rèn)我一家。你瞧，我特精通業(yè)務(wù)，所有的活我都親自參加。洗;熨，漿，修整紳士們赴晚宴穿的講究襯衫——一切都是由我親自監(jiān)督完成的!”

‘But surely you don’t DO all that work yourself, ma’am?’ asked the barge-woman respectfully.

“不過，太太，你當(dāng)然不必親自動手去干所有這些活計啰?”船娘恭恭敬敬地問。

‘O, I have girls,’ said Toad lightly: ‘twenty girls or thereabouts, always at work. But you know what GIRLS are, ma’am! Nasty little hussies, that’s what I call ‘em!’

“噢，我手下有許多姑娘，”蟾蜍隨便地說。“經(jīng)常干活的有二十來個。可是太太，你知道姑娘們都是些什么玩意兒!邋遢的小賤貨。我就管她們叫這個!”

‘So do I, too,’ said the barge-woman with great heartiness. ‘But I dare say you set yours to rights, the idle trollops! And are you very fond of washing?’

“我也一樣，”船娘打心眼里贊同說。“一幫懶蟲!不過我想，你一定把你的姑娘們調(diào)教得規(guī)規(guī)矩矩的，是吧。你非常喜歡洗衣嗎?”

‘I love it,’ said Toad. ‘I simply dote on it. Never so happy as when I’ve got both arms in the wash-tub. But, then, it comes so easy to me! No trouble at all! A real pleasure, I assure you, ma’am!’

“我愛洗衣，”蟾蜍說。“簡直愛得著了迷。兩手一泡在洗衣盆里，我就快活得了不得。我洗起衣裳來大輕松了，一點(diǎn)不費(fèi)勁!我跟你說，太太，那真是一種享受!”

‘What a bit of luck, meeting you!’ observed the barge-woman, thoughtfully. ‘A regular piece of good fortune for both of us!’

“遇上你，真幸運(yùn)啊!”船娘若有所思地說。“咱倆確實(shí)都交上好運(yùn)啦!”

‘Why, what do you mean?’ asked Toad, nervously.

“唔?這話怎么講?”蟾蜍緊張地問。

‘Well, look at me, now,’ replied the barge-woman. ‘_I_ like washing, too, just the same as you do; and for that matter, whether I like it or not I have got to do all my own, naturally, moving about as I do. Now my husband, he’s such a fellow for shirking his work and leaving the barge to me, that never a moment do I get for seeing to my own affairs. By rights he ought to be here now, either steering or attending to the horse, though luckily the horse has sense enough to attend to himself. Instead of which, he’s gone off with the dog, to see if they can’t pick up a rabbit for dinner somewhere. Says he’ll catch me up at the next lock. Well, that’s as may be—I don’t trust him, once he gets off with that dog, who’s worse than he is. But meantime, how am I to get on with my washing?’

“嗯，是這樣，你瞧，”船娘說。“我跟你一樣，也喜歡洗衣。其實(shí)，不管喜歡不喜歡，自家的衣裳，自然我都得自己洗，盡管我來來去去轉(zhuǎn)游。我丈夫呢，是那樣一種人，老是偷懶，他把船交給我來管，所以，我哪有時間料理自家的事。按理。這會兒他該來這兒，要么掌舵。要么牽馬——幸虧那馬還算聽話，懂得自個兒管自個兒?？晌艺煞蛩麤]來，他帶上狗打獵去啦，看能不能打上只兔子做午飯。說他在下道水閘那邊援我碰頭。也許吧——可我信不過他。他只要帶上狗出去，就說不好了——那狗比他還要壞……可這么一來，我又怎么洗我的衣裳呢?”

‘O, never mind about the washing,’ said Toad, not liking the subject. ‘Try and fix your mind on that rabbit. A nice fat young rabbit, I’ll be bound. Got any onions?’

“噢，別管洗衣的事啦，”蟾蜍說，這個話題他不喜歡。“你只管一心想著那只兔子就行啦。我敢說，準(zhǔn)是只肥肥美美的兔子。有蔥頭嗎?”

‘I can’t fix my mind on anything but my washing,’ said the barge-woman, ‘and I wonder you can be talking of rabbits, with such a joyful prospect before you. There’s a heap of things of mine that you’ll find in a corner of the cabin. If you’ll just take one or two of the most necessary sort—I won’t venture to describe them to a lady like you, but you’ll recognise them at a glance—and put them through the wash-tub as we go along, why, it’ll be a pleasure to you, as you rightly say, and a real help to me. You’ll find a tub handy, and soap, and a kettle on the stove, and a bucket to haul up water from the canal with. Then I shall know you’re enjoying yourself, instead of sitting here idle, looking at the scenery and yawning your head off.’

“除了洗衣，我什么也不能想，”船娘說。“真不明白，眼前就有一件美差在等著你，你怎么還有閑情談兔子。船艙的一角，有我一大堆臟衣裳。你只消撿出幾件急需先洗的東西——那是什么，我不好跟你這樣一位太太直說，可你一眼就瞅得出來——把它們浸在盆里。你說過，那對你是一種愉快，對我是一種實(shí)際幫助。洗衣盆是現(xiàn)成的，還有肥皂，爐子上有水壺，還有一只桶，可以從渠里打水。那樣。你就會過得很快活，免得像現(xiàn)在這樣呆坐著，閑得無聊，只好看風(fēng)景，打呵欠。”

‘Here, you let me steer!’ said Toad, now thoroughly frightened, ‘and then you can get on with your washing your own way. I might spoil your things, or not do ‘em as you like. I’m more used to gentlemen’s things myself. It’s my special line.’

“這樣吧，你讓我來掌舵!”蟾蜍說，他著實(shí)慌了。“那樣你就可以依你自己的辦法洗你的衣裳。讓我來洗，說不定會把你的衣裳洗壞的，或者不對你的路子。我習(xí)慣洗男服，那是我的專長。”

‘Let you steer?’ replied the barge-woman, laughing. ‘It takes some practice to steer a barge properly. Besides, it’s dull work, and I want you to be happy. No, you shall do the washing you are so fond of, and I’ll stick to the steering that I understand. Don’t try and deprive me of the pleasure of giving you a treat!’

“讓你掌舵?”船娘大笑著說。“給一條拖船掌舵，得有經(jīng)驗(yàn)。再說，這活很沒趣味，我想讓你高興。不不，還是你干你喜歡的洗衣活，我干我熟悉的掌舵好。我要好好款待你一番，別辜負(fù)我的好意!”

Toad was fairly cornered. He looked for escape this way and that, saw that he was too far from the bank for a flying leap, and sullenly resigned himself to his fate. ‘If it comes to that,’ he thought in desperation, ‘I suppose any fool can WASH!’

蟾蜍這下給逼進(jìn)了死胡同。他東張西望，想奪路逃走，但是離岸太遠(yuǎn)，飛躍過去是不可能的，只好悶悶不樂地屈從命運(yùn)的安排。“既然被逼到了這一步，”他無可奈何地想，“我相信，洗衣這種活哪個笨蛋也能干!”

He fetched tub, soap, and other necessaries from the cabin, selected a few garments at random, tried to recollect what he had seen in casual glances through laundry windows, and set to.

他把洗衣盆、肥皂和其他需用什物搬出船艙，胡亂挑了幾件臟衣物，努力回憶他偶爾從洗衣房窗口瞥見的情形，動手洗了起來。

A long half-hour passed, and every minute of it saw Toad getting crosser and crosser. Nothing that he could do to the things seemed to please them or do them good. He tried coaxing, he tried slapping, he tried punching; they smiled back at him out of the tub unconverted, happy in their original sin. Once or twice he looked nervously over his shoulder at the barge-woman, but she appeared to be gazing out in front of her, absorbed in her steering. His back ached badly, and he noticed with dismay that his paws were beginning to get all crinkly. Now Toad was very proud of his paws. He muttered under his breath words that should never pass the lips of either washerwomen or Toads; and lost the soap, for the fiftieth time.

好長好長的半個鐘頭過去了，每過一分鐘，蟾蜍就變得更加惱火。不管他怎樣努力，總討不到那些衣物的歡心，和它們搞不好關(guān)系。他把它們又哄，又?jǐn)Q，又搧耳光，可它們只是從盆里沖他嬉皮笑臉。心安理得地守住它們的原罪，毫無悔改之意。有一兩次，他緊張地回頭望了望那船娘，可她似乎只顧凝望前方，一門心思在掌舵。他的腰背酸痛得厲害;兩只爪子給泡得皺巴巴的。而這雙爪子是他一向特別珍愛的。他低聲嘟囔了幾句既不該洗衣婦也不該蟾蜍說的話，第五十次掉了肥皂。

A burst of laughter made him straighten himself and look round. The barge-woman was leaning back and laughing unrestrainedly, till the tears ran down her cheeks.

一陣笑聲，驚得他直起了身子，回過頭來看。那船娘正仰頭放聲大笑，笑得眼淚都從腮幫子上滾下來了。

‘I’ve been watching you all the time,’ she gasped. ‘I thought you must be a humbug all along, from the conceited way you talked. Pretty washerwoman you are! Never washed so much as a dish-clout in your life, I’ll lay!’

我一直在注意觀察你，”她喘著氣說、“從你那個吹牛勁兒。我早就看出你是個騙子。好家伙，還說是個洗衣婦哩!我敢打賭，你這輩子連塊擦碗布也沒選過!”

Toad’s temper which had been simmering viciously for some time, now fairly boiled over, and he lost all control of himself.

“蟾蜍的脾氣本來就咝咝冒氣了，這一下竟開了鍋，完全失控了。

‘You common, low, FAT barge-woman!’ he shouted; ‘don’t you dare to talk to your betters like that! Washerwoman indeed! I would have you to know that I am a Toad, a very well-known, respected, distinguished Toad! I may be under a bit of a cloud at present, but I will NOT be laughed at by a bargewoman!’

“你這個粗俗、下賤、肥胖的船婆子!”他吼道。“你怎么敢這樣對你老爺說話!什么洗衣婦!我要叫你認(rèn)得我是誰。我是大名鼎鼎、受人敬重、高貴。顯赫的蟾蜍!眼下我或許有點(diǎn)掉份兒，可我絕不允許一個船娘嘲笑我!”

The woman moved nearer to him and peered under his bonnet keenly and closely. ‘Why, so you are!’ she cried. ‘Well, I never! A horrid, nasty, crawly Toad! And in my nice clean barge, too! Now that is a thing that I will NOT have.’

那女人湊到他跟前，朝他帽子底下仔細(xì)地敏銳地端詳。“哎呀呀，果然是只蟾蜍!”她喊道，“太不像話!一只丑惡的臟兮兮的、叫人惡心的癩蛤蟆居然上了我這條干凈漂亮的船，我絕不允許!”

She relinquished the tiller for a moment. One big mottled arm shot out and caught Toad by a fore-leg, while the other-gripped him fast by a hind-leg. Then the world turned suddenly upside down, the barge seemed to flit lightly across the sky, the wind whistled in his ears, and Toad found himself flying through the air, revolving rapidly as he went.

她放下舵柄。一只粗大的滿是斑點(diǎn)的胳臂閃電般地伸過來。抓住蟾蜍的一條前腿，另一只胳臂牢牢地抓住他的一條后腿，就勢一掄。霎時間，蟾蜍只覺天旋地轉(zhuǎn)，拖船仿佛輕輕地掠過天空，耳邊風(fēng)聲呼嘯，他感到自己騰空飛起，邊飛邊迅速地折跟斗。

The water, when he eventually reached it with a loud splash, proved quite cold enough for his taste, though its chill was not sufficient to quell his proud spirit, or slake the heat of his furious temper. He rose to the surface spluttering, and when he had wiped the duck-weed out of his eyes the first thing he saw was the fat barge-woman looking back at him over the stern of the retreating barge and laughing; and he vowed, as he coughed and choked, to be even with her.

最后，只聽得撲通一聲，他終于落到了水里。水相當(dāng)涼，還算合他的胃口，不過涼得還不夠，澆不滅他的那股傲氣，熄不了他的滿腔怒火。他胡亂打水、浮到了水面。他抹掉眼睛上的浮萍，頭一眼看到的就是那肥胖的船娘，她正從漸漸遠(yuǎn)去的拖船船艄探出身來，回頭望他，哈哈大笑。他又咳又嗆，發(fā)誓要好好報復(fù)她。

He struck out for the shore, but the cotton gown greatly impeded his efforts, and when at length he touched land he found it hard to climb up the steep bank unassisted. He had to take a minute or two’s rest to recover his breath; then, gathering his wet skirts well over his arms, he started to run after the barge as fast as his legs would carry him, wild with indignation, thirsting for revenge.

他劃著水向岸邊游去，可是身上的那件棉布衫礙手礙腳。等到他終于夠到陸地時，又發(fā)現(xiàn)沒人幫忙，爬上那陡峭的岸是多么費(fèi)力。他歇了一兩分鐘，才喘過氣來;跟著，他摟起濕裙子，捧在手上，提起腳來拼命追趕那條拖船。他氣得發(fā)瘋，一心巴望著進(jìn)行報復(fù)。

The barge-woman was still laughing when he drew up level with her. ‘Put yourself through your mangle, washerwoman,’ she called out, ‘and iron your face and crimp it, and you’ll pass for quite a decent-looking Toad!’

當(dāng)他跑到和船并排時，那船娘還在笑。她喊道：“把你自己放進(jìn)軋衣機(jī)里軋一軋，洗衣婆，拿烙鐵熨熨你的臉，熨出些褶子，你就將就像個體面的癩蛤蟆啦!”

Toad never paused to reply. Solid revenge was what he wanted, not cheap, windy, verbal triumphs, though he had a thing or two in his mind that he would have liked to say. He saw what he wanted ahead of him. Running swiftly on he overtook the horse, unfastened the towrope and cast off, jumped lightly on the horse’s back, and urged it to a gallop by kicking it vigorously in the sides. He steered for the open country, abandoning the tow-path, and swinging his steed down a rutty lane. Once he looked back, and saw that the barge had run aground on the other side of the canal, and the barge-woman was gesticulating wildly and shouting, ‘Stop, stop, stop!’ ‘I’ve heard that song before,’ said Toad, laughing, as he continued to spur his steed onward in its wild career.

蟾蜍不屑于停下來和她斗嘴。他要的是貨真價實(shí)的報復(fù)，而不是不值錢的空洞洞的口頭勝利，雖說他想好了幾句回敬她的話。他打算干什么、心里有數(shù)。他飛快地跑，追上了那匹拖船的馬，解開纖繩，扔在一邊，輕輕縱身躍上馬背，猛踢馬肚子，催馬奔跑。他策馬離開纖路，直奔開闊的曠野，然后把馬驅(qū)進(jìn)一條布滿車轍的樹夾道。有一次他回頭望去，只見那拖船在河中打了橫，漂到了對岸。船娘正發(fā)狂似地?fù)]臂跳腳，一迭聲喊。“站住，站住，站住!”“這調(diào)調(diào)兒我以前聽到過，”蟾蜍大笑著說，繼續(xù)驅(qū)馬朝前狂奔。

The barge-horse was not capable of any very sustained effort, and its gallop soon subsided into a trot, and its trot into an easy walk; but Toad was quite contented with this, knowing that he, at any rate, was moving, and the barge was not. He had quite recovered his temper, now that he had done something he thought really clever; and he was satisfied to jog along quietly in the sun, steering his horse along by-ways and bridle-paths, and trying to forget how very long it was since he had had a square meal, till the canal had been left very far behind him.

拖船的馬缺乏耐力，不能長時間奔跑，很快就由奔馳降為小跑，小跑又降為緩行。不過蟾蜍還是挺滿意的，因?yàn)樗溃么跛窃谇斑M(jìn)，而拖船卻靜止不動。現(xiàn)在他心平氣和了，因?yàn)樗X得自己做了件實(shí)在聰明的事。他心滿意足地在陽光下慢慢行走，專撿那些偏僻的小徑和馬道，想法忘掉他已經(jīng)很久沒吃一頓飽飯了，直到他把水渠遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)甩在后面。

He had travelled some miles, his horse and he, and he was feeling drowsy in the hot sunshine, when the horse stopped, lowered his head, and began to nibble the grass; and Toad, waking up, just saved himself from falling off by an effort. He looked about him and found he was on a wide common, dotted with patches of gorse and bramble as far as he could see. Near him stood a dingy gipsy caravan, and beside it a man was sitting on a bucket turned upside down, very busy smoking and staring into the wide world. A fire of sticks was burning near by, and over the fire hung an iron pot, and out of that pot came forth bubblings and gurglings, and a vague suggestive steaminess. Also smells—warm, rich, and varied smells—that twined and twisted and wreathed themselves at last into one complete, voluptuous, perfect smell that seemed like the very soul of Nature taking form and appearing to her children, a true Goddess, a mother of solace and comfort. Toad now knew well that he had not been really hungry before. What he had felt earlier in the day had been a mere trifling qualm. This was the real thing at last, and no mistake; and it would have to be dealt with speedily, too, or there would be trouble for somebody or something. He looked the gipsy over carefully, wondering vaguely whether it would be easier to fight him or cajole him. So there he sat, and sniffed and sniffed, and looked at the gipsy; and the gipsy sat and smoked, and looked at him.

他和馬已經(jīng)走了好幾哩路。炙熱的太陽曬得他昏昏欲睡。那馬忽然停下來，低頭啃吃青草。蟾蜍驚醒過來，險些兒掉下馬背。他舉目四顧，只見自己是在一片寬闊的公地上，一眼望去，地上星星點(diǎn)點(diǎn)綴滿了金雀花和黑麥子。離他不遠(yuǎn)的地方，停著一輛破爛的吉卜賽大篷車，一個男人坐在車旁一只倒扣著的桶上，一個勁抽煙，眺望著廣闊的天地。附近燃著一堆樹枝生起的火，火上吊著一只鐵罐，里面發(fā)生咕嘟嘟的冒泡聲，一股淡淡的蒸汽，令人不禁想入非非。還有氣味——暖暖的、濃濃的、雜七雜八的氣味——互相摻合、交織，整個兒融成一股無比誘人的香味，就像大自然女神——一位給孩子們慰安和鼓舞的母親——的靈魂顯了形，召喚著她的兒女們。蟾蜍現(xiàn)在才明自，他原先并不知道什么叫真正的餓。上半天感到的饑餓，只不過是一陣微不足道的眩暈罷了?，F(xiàn)在，真正的饑餓終于來了，沒錯;而且得趕緊認(rèn)真對待才行，要不然，就會給什么人或什么東西帶來麻煩。他仔細(xì)打量那個吉卜賽人、心里舉棋不定，不知道是跟他死打硬拼好，還是甜言蜜語哄騙好。所以他就坐在馬背上，用鼻子嗅了又嗅，盯著吉卜賽人。吉卜賽人也坐著，抽煙，拿眼盯著他。

Presently the gipsy took his pipe out of his mouth and remarked in a careless way, ‘Want to sell that there horse of yours?’

過了一會，吉卜賽人從嘴里拿掉煙斗漫不經(jīng)心地說。“你那匹馬是要賣嗎?”

Toad was completely taken aback. He did not know that gipsies were very fond of horse-dealing, and never missed an opportunity, and he had not reflected that caravans were always on the move and took a deal of drawing. It had not occurred to him to turn the horse into cash, but the gipsy’s suggestion seemed to smooth the way towards the two things he wanted so badly—ready money, and a solid breakfast.

蟾蜍著實(shí)吃了一驚。他沒想到過，吉卜賽人喜歡買馬。從不放過一次機(jī)會。他也沒想到過，大篷車總在四處走動，需要馬拉。他沒考慮過，把那匹馬換成現(xiàn)錢。吉卜賽人的提議，似乎為他取得急需的兩樣?xùn)|西鋪平了道路——現(xiàn)錢和一頓豐盛的早餐。

‘What?’ he said, ‘me sell this beautiful young horse of mine? O, no; it’s out of the question. Who’s going to take the washing home to my customers every week? Besides, I’m too fond of him, and he simply dotes on me.’

“什么?”他說，“賣掉這匹漂亮的小馬駒?不，不，絕對不行。賣了馬，誰替我馱給雇主洗的衣裳?再說，我特喜歡這馬，他跟我也特親。”

‘Try and love a donkey,’ suggested the gipsy. ‘Some people do.’

“那就去愛一匹驢吧，”吉卜賽人提議說。“有些人就喜歡驢。”

‘You don’t seem to see,’ continued Toad, ‘that this fine horse of mine is a cut above you altogether. He’s a blood horse, he is, partly; not the part you see, of course—another part. And he’s been a Prize Hackney, too, in his time—that was the time before you knew him, but you can still tell it on him at a glance, if you understand anything about horses. No, it’s not to be thought of for a moment. All the same, how much might you be disposed to offer me for this beautiful young horse of mine?’

“你難道看不出，”蟾蜍又說，“我這匹優(yōu)良的馬給你是太好了嗎?他是匹純種馬，一部分是;當(dāng)然不是你看到的那一部分。他當(dāng)年還得獎來著——那是在你看到他以前的事，不過要是你多少識馬的話，你一眼就能看出的。不，不，賣馬，這絕對辦不到。可話又說回來，要是你真的想買我這匹漂亮的小馬，你到底打算出什么價?”

The gipsy looked the horse over, and then he looked Toad over with equal care, and looked at the horse again. ‘Shillin’ a leg,’ he said briefly, and turned away, continuing to smoke and try to stare the wide world out of countenance.

吉卜賽人把馬上上下下打量了一番，又同樣仔細(xì)地把蟾蜍上上下下打量了一番，然后回頭望著那馬。“一先令一條腿，”他干脆地說，說完就轉(zhuǎn)過身去，繼續(xù)抽煙，一心一意眺望著廣闊的天地，像要把它看得瞼紅起來似的。

‘A shilling a leg?’ cried Toad. ‘If you please, I must take a little time to work that out, and see just what it comes to.’

“一先令一條腿?”蟾蜍喊道。”等一等，讓我合計合計，看看總共是多少。”

He climbed down off his horse, and left it to graze, and sat down by the gipsy, and did sums on his fingers, and at last he said, ‘A shilling a leg? Why, that comes to exactly four shillings, and no more. O, no; I could not think of accepting four shillings for this beautiful young horse of mine.’

他爬下馬背，由他去吃草，自己坐在吉卜賽人身旁，扳著手指算起了。末了他說：“一先令一條腿，怎么，總共才四先令，一個子兒也不多?那不行，我這匹漂亮的小馬才賣四先令。我不干——”

‘Well,’ said the gipsy, ‘I’ll tell you what I will do. I’ll make it five shillings, and that’s three-and-sixpence more than the animal’s worth. And that’s my last word.’

“那好，”吉卜賽人說，“這么著吧，我給你加到五先令，這可比這牲口的價值高出三先令六便士。這是我最后的出價。”

Then Toad sat and pondered long and deeply. For he was hungry and quite penniless, and still some way—he knew not how far—from home, and enemies might still be looking for him. To one in such a situation, five shillings may very well appear a large sum of money. On the other hand, it did not seem very much to get for a horse. But then, again, the horse hadn’t cost him anything; so whatever he got was all clear profit. At last he said firmly, ‘Look here, gipsy! I tell you what we will do; and this is MY last word. You shall hand me over six shillings and sixpence, cash down; and further, in addition thereto, you shall give me as much breakfast as I can possibly eat, at one sitting of course, out of that iron pot of yours that keeps sending forth such delicious and exciting smells. In return, I will make over to you my spirited young horse, with all the beautiful harness and trappings that are on him, freely thrown in. If that’s not good enough for you, say so, and I’ll be getting on. I know a man near here who’s wanted this horse of mine for years.’

蟾蜍坐著，反反復(fù)復(fù)想了好一陣。他肚子餓了。身無分文，離家又遠(yuǎn)——誰知道有多遠(yuǎn)，一個人在這樣的處境下，五先令也顯得是很可觀的一筆錢了?？闪硪环矫妫逑攘钯u一匹馬，似乎太虧點(diǎn)。不過，話又說回來，這匹馬并沒有花他一個子兒，所以不管得到多少，都是凈賺。最后，他斬釘截鐵地說：“這樣吧，吉卜賽!告訴你我的想法，也是我最后的要價。你給我六先令六便士，要現(xiàn)錢;另外，你還得供我一頓早飯，就是你那只香噴噴的鐵罐里的東西，要管飽，當(dāng)然只管一頓。我呢，就把我這匹歡蹦亂跳的小馬交給你，外加馬身上所有漂亮的馬具，免費(fèi)贈送。你要是覺得吃虧，就直說，我走我的路。我知道附近有個人，他想要我這匹馬，都想了好幾年啦。”

The gipsy grumbled frightfully, and declared if he did a few more deals of that sort he’d be ruined. But in the end he lugged a dirty canvas bag out of the depths of his trouser pocket, and counted out six shillings and sixpence into Toad’s paw. Then he disappeared into the caravan for an instant, and returned with a large iron plate and a knife, fork, and spoon. He tilted up the pot, and a glorious stream of hot rich stew gurgled into the plate. It was, indeed, the most beautiful stew in the world, being made of partridges, and pheasants, and chickens, and hares, and rabbits, and pea-hens, and guinea-fowls, and one or two other things. Toad took the plate on his lap, almost crying, and stuffed, and stuffed, and stuffed, and kept asking for more, and the gipsy never grudged it him. He thought that he had never eaten so good a breakfast in all his life.

吉卜賽人大發(fā)牢騷，抱怨說，這樣的買賣要是再做幾宗，他就要傾家蕩產(chǎn)啦。不過最終他還是從褲兜深處掏出一只臟兮兮的小帆布包，數(shù)出六枚先令六枚便士，放在蟾蜍掌心里。然后他鉆進(jìn)大篷車，拿出一只大鐵盤，一副刀、叉、勺子。他歪倒鐵鍋，于是一大股熱騰騰、油汪汪的雜燴湯就流進(jìn)了鐵盤。那果真是世上最最美味的雜燴湯，是用松雞、野雞、家雞、野兔、家兔、雌孔雀、珍珠雞，還有一兩樣別的東西燴在一起熬成的。蟾蜍接過盤子，放在膝上，差點(diǎn)兒沒哭出來。他一個勁往肚里填呀。填呀，填呀，吃完又要，吃完又要;而吉卜賽人也不吝嗇。蟾蜍覺得，他這輩子從沒吃過這么美味的一頓早餐。

When Toad had taken as much stew on board as he thought he could possibly hold, he got up and said good-bye to the gipsy, and took an affectionate farewell of the horse; and the gipsy, who knew the riverside well, gave him directions which way to go, and he set forth on his travels again in the best possible spirits. He was, indeed, a very different Toad from the animal of an hour ago. The sun was shining brightly, his wet clothes were quite dry again, he had money in his pocket once more, he was nearing home and friends and safety, and, most and best of all, he had had a substantial meal, hot and nourishing, and felt big, and strong, and careless, and self-confident.

蟾蜍飽餐了一頓，肚子能裝下多少就裝多少，然后就起身向吉卜賽人道了再見，又依依不舍地告別了馬。吉卜賽人很熟悉河邊地形，給他指點(diǎn)該走哪條路。他又一次踏上行程，情緒好到無以復(fù)加。和一小時前相比，他成了全然不同的另一只蟾蜍。陽光明亮，身上的濕衣差不多干透了，現(xiàn)在兜里又有了錢，離家和朋友越來越近，也越來越安全，尤其是，吃過一頓豐盛的飯食，熱熱的，營養(yǎng)充足，他感到渾身有勁，無憂無慮，信心百倍。

As he tramped along gaily, he thought of his adventures and escapes, and how when things seemed at their worst he had always managed to find a way out; and his pride and conceit began to swell within him. ‘Ho, ho!’ he said to himself as he marched along with his chin in the air, ‘what a clever Toad I am! There is surely no animal equal to me for cleverness in the whole world! My enemies shut me up in prison, encircled by sentries, watched night and day by warders; I walk out through them all, by sheer ability coupled with courage. They pursue me with engines, and policemen, and revolvers; I snap my fingers at them, and vanish, laughing, into space. I am, unfortunately, thrown into a canal by a woman fat of body and very evil-minded. What of it? I swim ashore, I seize her horse, I ride off in triumph, and I sell the horse for a whole pocketful of money and an excellent breakfast! Ho, ho! I am The Toad, the handsome, the popular, the successful Toad!’ He got so puffed up with conceit that he made up a song as he walked in praise of himself, and sang it at the top of his voice, though there was no one to hear it but him. It was perhaps the most conceited song that any animal ever composed.

他興沖沖地大步朝前走，想著自己多次遇險，又都安然脫身，每逢絕境，總能化險為夷，轉(zhuǎn)危為安。想到這，他不由得驕傲自滿狂妄自大起來。“嗬，嗬!”他把下巴翹得老高，說道：“我蟾蜍多聰明呀!全世界沒有一只動物比得上我!敵人把我關(guān)進(jìn)大牢，布下重重崗哨，派獄卒日夜看守，可我居然在他們眼皮底下?lián)P長而過，闖了出來，純粹是靠我的才智加勇氣。他們開動機(jī)車，出動警察。舉著手槍追捕我，我呢，沖他們打了個響榧，哈哈大笑，一轉(zhuǎn)眼就跑得沒了影兒。我不幸被一個又胖又壞的女人扔進(jìn)河里。那又算什么?我游上了岸，奪了她的馬，大搖大擺地騎走了。我用馬換來滿滿一口袋銀錢，還美美地吃了一頓早飯!嗬，嗬!我是蟾蜍，英俊的、有名的、無往不利的蟾蜍!”他把自己吹得那么響，不由得做起歌來，一路走，一路扯著嗓門給自己大唱贊歌，雖說除了他自己，沒有人聽見。這恐怕是一只動物所創(chuàng)作的最最狂妄自大的歌了。

‘The world has held great Heroes, As history-books have showed; But never a name to go down to fame Compared with that of Toad!

“世上有過許多偉大英雄，歷史書上載過他們的豐功偉績;但沒有一個公認(rèn)的赫赫有名，能和蟾蜍相比!

‘The clever men at Oxford Know all that there is to be knowed. But they none of them know one half as much As intelligent Mr. Toad!

牛津大學(xué)聰明人成堆，肚里的學(xué)問包羅萬象，但沒有一個懂得的事情，趕得上聰明的蟾蜍一半!

‘The animals sat in the Ark and cried, Their tears in torrents flowed. Who was it said, “There’s land ahead?” Encouraging Mr. Toad!

方舟里動物痛哭流涕，眼淚如潮水般涌出。是誰高呼“陸地就在眼前”?是鼓舞眾生的蟾蜍!

‘The army all saluted As they marched along the road. Was it the King? Or Kitchener? No. It was Mr. Toad.

軍隊在大路上邁步前進(jìn)，他們齊聲歡呼致敬。是為國王，還是基陳納將軍?不，是向著蟾蜍先生!

‘The Queen and her Ladies-in-waiting Sat at the window and sewed. She cried, “Look! who’s that HANDSOME man?” They answered, “Mr. Toad.”’

王后和她的待從女官，窗前坐著把衣來縫。王后喊道：‘那位英俊男子是誰?’女官們回答：‘是蟾蜍先生。’”

There was a great deal more of the same sort, but too dreadfully conceited to be written down. These are some of the milder verses.

諸如此類的歌還多得很，但都狂妄得嚇人，不便寫在紙上。以上只是其中較為溫和的幾首。

He sang as he walked, and he walked as he sang, and got more inflated every minute. But his pride was shortly to have a severe fall.

他邊唱邊走，邊走邊唱，越來越得意忘形、不過沒過多久，他的傲氣就一落千丈了。

After some miles of country lanes he reached the high road, and as he turned into it and glanced along its white length, he saw approaching him a speck that turned into a dot and then into a blob, and then into something very familiar; and a double note of warning, only too well known, fell on his delighted ear.

他在鄉(xiāng)間小道上走了幾哩之后。就上了公路。他順著那條白色路面極目遠(yuǎn)眺時，忽見迎面過來一個小黑點(diǎn)，隨后變成了一個大黑點(diǎn)，又變成了一個小塊塊，最后變成了一個他十分熟悉的東西。接著，兩聲警告的鳴笛，愉快地鉆進(jìn)他的耳朵，這聲音太熟悉了!

‘This is something like!’ said the excited Toad. ‘This is real life again, this is once more the great world from which I have been missed so long! I will hail them, my brothers of the wheel, and pitch them a yarn, of the sort that has been so successful hitherto; and they will give me a lift, of course, and then I will talk to them some more; and, perhaps, with luck, it may even end in my driving up to Toad Hall in a motor-car! That will be one in the eye for Badger!’

“這就對了!”興奮的蟾蜍喊道。“這才是真正的生活，這才是我失去好久的偉大世界!我要叫住他們，我的輪上的哥們兒，我要給他們編一段故事，就像曾經(jīng)使我一帆風(fēng)順的那種故事，他們自然會捎帶我一程，然后我再給他們講更多的故事。走運(yùn)的話，說不定最后我還能乘上汽車長驅(qū)直入回到蟾宮!叫獾看看，那才叫絕了!”

He stepped confidently out into the road to hail the motor-car, which came along at an easy pace, slowing down as it neared the lane; when suddenly he became very pale, his heart turned to water, his knees shook and yielded under him, and he doubled up and collapsed with a sickening pain in his interior. And well he might, the unhappy animal; for the approaching car was the very one he had stolen out of the yard of the Red Lion Hotel on that fatal day when all his troubles began! And the people in it were the very same people he had sat and watched at luncheon in the coffee-room!

他信心十足地站到馬路當(dāng)中，招呼汽車停下來。汽車從容地駛過來，在小路附近放慢了速度。就在這時，蟾蜍的臉一下子變得煞白。心沉了下去，雙膝打顫發(fā)軟，身子彎曲起來，癱成一團(tuán)，五臟六腑惡心作痛。不幸的蟾蜍，難怪他會嚇成這樣，因?yàn)轳傔^來的汽車，正好是那倒霉的一天他從紅獅旅店場院里偷出來的那輛——他所有的災(zāi)難都是打那天開始的!車上的人，恰恰是他在旅店咖啡廳里看到的那伙人!

He sank down in a shabby, miserable heap in the road, murmuring to himself in his despair, ‘It’s all up! It’s all over now! Chains and policemen again! Prison again! Dry bread and water again! O, what a fool I have been! What did I want to go strutting about the country for, singing conceited songs, and hailing people in broad day on the high road, instead of hiding till nightfall and slipping home quietly by back ways! O hapless Toad! O ill-fated animal!’

他癱倒在路上，成了慘兮兮的一堆破爛.他絕望地喃喃自語說：“全完啦!徹底完蛋啦!又要落到警察手里，帶上鐐銬，又要蹲大獄，啃面包，喝白水!咳，我是個十足的大傻瓜!我本該藏起來，等天黑以后，再撿僻靜小路偷偷溜回家去!可我偏要大模大樣在野地里亂竄，大唱自吹自擂的歌子，還要在大白天在公路上瞎攔車!倒霉的蟾蜍啊!不幸的動物啊!”

The terrible motor-car drew slowly nearer and nearer, till at last he heard it stop just short of him. Two gentlemen got out and walked round the trembling heap of crumpled misery lying in the road, and one of them said, ‘O dear! this is very sad! Here is a poor old thing—a washerwoman apparently—who has fainted in the road! Perhaps she is overcome by the heat, poor creature; or possibly she has not had any food to-day. Let us lift her into the car and take her to the nearest village, where doubtless she has friends.’

那輛可怕的汽車慢慢駛近了，最后，他聽到它就在身邊停了下來。兩位紳士走下車，繞著路上這堆皺皺巴巴哆哆嗦嗦的破爛兒轉(zhuǎn)。一個人說：“天哪!真夠慘的喲!這是一位老太太——看來是個洗衣婆——她暈倒在路上了!說不定她是中了暑?？蓱z人。說不定她今天還沒吃過東西哩。咱們把她抬上車，送到附近的村子里。那兒想必有她的親友。”

They tenderly lifted Toad into the motor-car and propped him up with soft cushions, and proceeded on their way.

他們把蟾蜍輕輕抬上車，讓他靠坐在柔軟的椅墊上，又繼續(xù)上路。

When Toad heard them talk in so kind and sympathetic a way, and knew that he was not recognised, his courage began to revive, and he cautiously opened first one eye and then the other.

他們說話的語調(diào)很和藹，并且充滿同情，蟾蜍知道他們沒把他認(rèn)出來，于是漸漸恢復(fù)了勇氣。他小心翼翼地先睜開一只眼，再睜開另一只眼。

‘Look!’ said one of the gentlemen, ‘she is better already. The fresh air is doing her good. How do you feel now, ma’am?’

“瞧，”一位紳士說，“她好些啦。新鮮空氣對她有好處。你覺得怎么樣，太太?”

‘Thank you kindly, Sir,’ said Toad in a feeble voice, ‘I’m feeling a great deal better!’

“大謝謝你們了，先生，”蟾蜍聲音微弱地說，“我覺得好多了!”

‘That’s right,’ said the gentleman. ‘Now keep quite still, and, above all, don’t try to talk.’

“那就好，”那紳士說，“現(xiàn)在，要保持安靜，主要是別說話。”

‘I won’t,’ said Toad. ‘I was only thinking, if I might sit on the front seat there, beside the driver, where I could get the fresh air full in my face, I should soon be all right again.’

“我不說話，”蟾蜍說。“我只是在想，要是我能坐在前座，在司機(jī)身邊，讓新鮮空氣直接吹在我臉上，我很快就會好的。”

‘What a very sensible woman!’ said the gentleman. ‘Of course you shall.’ So they carefully helped Toad into the front seat beside the driver, and on they went again.

“這女人頭腦真清楚!”那紳士說。“你當(dāng)然可以坐在前座。”于是他們小心地把蟾蜍扶到前座，坐在司機(jī)旁邊，又繼續(xù)開車上路。

Toad was almost himself again by now. He sat up, looked about him, and tried to beat down the tremors, the yearnings, the old cravings that rose up and beset him and took possession of him entirely.

這時，蟾蜍差不多已恢復(fù)常態(tài)了。他坐直了身子，向四周看看，努力要抑制激動的情緒。他對汽車的渴求和熱望，正在他心頭洶涌，整個兒控制了他，弄得他躁動不寧。

‘It is fate!’ he said to himself. ‘Why strive? why struggle?’ and he turned to the driver at his side.

“這是命中注定呀!”他對自己說。“何必抗拒?何必掙扎?”于是他朝身邊的司機(jī)說：

‘Please, Sir,’ he said, ‘I wish you would kindly let me try and drive the car for a little. I’ve been watching you carefully, and it looks so easy and so interesting, and I should like to be able to tell my friends that once I had driven a motor-car!’

“先生，求你行個好，讓我開一會兒車吧。我一直在仔細(xì)看你開車，像是不太難，挺有意思的。我特想讓朋友們知道，我開過一次車”

The driver laughed at the proposal, so heartily that the gentleman inquired what the matter was. When he heard, he said, to Toad’s delight, ‘Bravo, ma’am! I like your spirit. Let her have a try, and look after her. She won’t do any harm.’

聽到這個請求，司機(jī)不禁哈哈大笑，笑得那么開心，引得后面那位紳士忙追問是怎么回事。聽了司機(jī)的解釋，他說道：“好啊，太太!我欣賞你這種精神。讓她試一試，你在一旁關(guān)照。她不會出岔子的。”

Toad eagerly scrambled into the seat vacated by the driver, took the steering-wheel in his hands, listened with affected humility to the instructions given him, and set the car in motion, but very slowly and carefully at first, for he was determined to be prudent. The gentlemen behind clapped their hands and applauded, and Toad heard them saying, ‘How well she does it! Fancy a washerwoman driving a car as well as that, the first time!’

這話使蟾蜍大喜過望。他急不可耐地爬進(jìn)司機(jī)讓出來的座位，雙手握住方向盤，佯作謙遜地聽從司機(jī)的指點(diǎn)，開動了汽車，起初開得很慢很小心，因?yàn)樗麤Q心要謹(jǐn)慎行事。后座的紳士們拍手稱贊說：“她開得多好啊!想不到一個洗衣婦開車能開得這么棒，從沒見過!”

Toad went a little faster; then faster still, and faster.

蟾蜍把車開得快了些，又快了些。越開越快。

He heard the gentlemen call out warningly, ‘Be careful, washerwoman!’ And this annoyed him, and he began to lose his head.

后面的紳士大聲警告說：“小心，洗衣婆!”這話激惱了他，他開始頭腦發(fā)熱，失去了理智。

The driver tried to interfere, but he pinned him down in his seat with one elbow, and put on full speed. The rush of air in his face, the hum of the engines, and the light jump of the car beneath him intoxicated his weak brain. ‘Washerwoman, indeed!’ he shouted recklessly. ‘Ho! ho! I am the Toad, the motor-car snatcher, the prison-breaker, the Toad who always escapes! Sit still, and you shall know what driving really is, for you are in the hands of the famous, the skilful, the entirely fearless Toad!’

司機(jī)想動手制止，可蟾蜍用一只胳臂把他按牢在坐位上，動不得。車全速行駛起來。氣流沖激著他的臉，馬達(dá)嗡嗡地響，身下的車廂輕輕彈跳，這一切都陶醉了他那愚鈍的頭腦。他肆無忌憚地喊道：“什么洗衣婆!嗬嗬!我是蟾蜍，搶車能手，越獄要犯，是身經(jīng)百難總能逃脫的蟾蜍!你們給我好好呆著，我要叫你們懂得什么才是真正的駕駛。你們現(xiàn)在是落在鼎鼎大名、技藝超群、無所畏懼的蟾蜍手里!”

With a cry of horror the whole party rose and flung themselves on him. ‘Seize him!’ they cried, ‘seize the Toad, the wicked animal who stole our motor-car! Bind him, chain him, drag him to the nearest police-station! Down with the desperate and dangerous Toad!’

車上的人全都驚恐萬分地大叫，站起來，撲到蟾蜍身上。“抓住他!”他們喊道，“抓住蟾蜍，這個偷車的壞家伙!把他捆起來，戴上手銬，拖到附近的警察局去!打倒萬惡的、危險的蟾蜍!”

Alas! they should have thought, they ought to have been more prudent, they should have remembered to stop the motor-car somehow before playing any pranks of that sort. With a half-turn of the wheel the Toad sent the car crashing through the low hedge that ran along the roadside. One mighty bound, a violent shock, and the wheels of the car were churning up the thick mud of a horse-pond.

唉!他們本該想到，應(yīng)當(dāng)審慎行事，先想法把車子停下來，再采取行動就好了。蟾蜍把方向盤猛地轉(zhuǎn)了半圈，汽車一下子沖進(jìn)了路旁的矮樹籬。只見它高高跳起，劇烈地顛簸，四只輪子陷進(jìn)一只飲馬塘，攪得泥水四濺。

Toad found himself flying through the air with the strong upward rush and delicate curve of a swallow. He liked the motion, and was just beginning to wonder whether it would go on until he developed wings and turned into a Toad-bird, when he landed on his back with a thump, in the soft rich grass of a meadow. Sitting up, he could just see the motor-car in the pond, nearly submerged; the gentlemen and the driver, encumbered by their long coats, were floundering helplessly in the water.

蟾蜍覺得自己突然往上一竄，像只燕子在空中劃了一道優(yōu)美的弧線。他頗喜歡這動作，心里正納悶，不知會不會繼續(xù)這樣飛下去，直到長出翅膀，變成一只蟾蜍鳥。就在這一剎，砰地一聲，他仰面朝天著了陸，落在豐茂松軟的草地上。他坐起來，一眼看到水塘里那輛汽車，快要沉下去了;紳士們和司機(jī)被他們身上的長外套拖累著，正無可奈何地在水里撲騰掙扎。

He picked himself up rapidly, and set off running across country as hard as he could, scrambling through hedges, jumping ditches, pounding across fields, till he was breathless and weary, and had to settle down into an easy walk. When he had recovered his breath somewhat, and was able to think calmly, he began to giggle, and from giggling he took to laughing, and he laughed till he had to sit down under a hedge. ‘Ho, ho!’ he cried, in ecstasies of self-admiration, ‘Toad again! Toad, as usual, comes out on the top! Who was it got them to give him a lift? Who managed to get on the front seat for the sake of fresh air? Who persuaded them into letting him see if he could drive? Who landed them all in a horse-pond? Who escaped, flying gaily and unscathed through the air, leaving the narrow-minded, grudging, timid excursionists in the mud where they should rightly be? Why, Toad, of course; clever Toad, great Toad, GOOD Toad!’

他火速跳起來，撒腿就跑，朝著荒野拼命跑，鉆過樹籬，跳過溝渠，奔過田地，直跑得上氣不接下氣，累得只好放慢速度，緩步而行。等到稍稍喘過氣來，可以平靜地想事了，他就格格笑開了，先是輕笑，然后大笑.笑得前仰后合，不得不在樹籬旁坐下。“哈哈!”他自我欣賞、得意洋洋地高聲喊道，“蟾蜍又成功啦!毫無例外，蟾蜍又大獲全勝!是誰，哄著他們讓他搭車的?是誰，想出招來坐到前座，呼吸新鮮空氣的?是誰，慫恿他們讓他試試開車的?是誰，把他們一股腦拋進(jìn)水塘的?是誰，騰空飛起，紋絲沒傷著，逃之夭夭，把那幫心胸狹窄、小里小氣、膽小怕事的游客丟在他們該呆的泥水里?當(dāng)然是蟾蜍，聰明的蟾蜍，偉大的蟾蜍，善良的蟾蜍!”

Then he burst into song again, and chanted with uplifted voice—

接著，他又放開嗓門兒唱起來——

‘The motor-car went Poop-poop-poop, As it raced along the road. Who was it steered it into a pond? Ingenious Mr. Toad!

“小汽車，噗噗噗，順著大路往前奔。是誰驅(qū)車進(jìn)水塘?足智多謀的蟾蜍君!

O, how clever I am! How clever, how clever, how very clev----‘

瞧我多聰明!多聰明，多聰明，多聰——”

A slight noise at a distance behind him made him turn his head and look. O horror! O misery! O despair!

這時從身后遠(yuǎn)處，傳來一陣輕微的喧鬧聲，他回頭一看。哎呀呀，要命呀!倒霉呀!全完啦!

About two fields off, a chauffeur in his leather gaiters and two large rural policemen were visible, running towards him as hard as they could go!

大約隔著兩塊田地，一個扎著皮綁腿的司機(jī)和兩名鄉(xiāng)村警察，正飛快地朝他奔來。

Poor Toad sprang to his feet and pelted away again, his heart in his mouth. O, my!’ he gasped, as he panted along, ‘what an ASS I am! What a CONCEITED and heedless ass! Swaggering again! Shouting and singing songs again! Sitting still and gassing again! O my! O my! O my!’

可憐的蟾蜍一躍而起，又嗖地蹦開，他的心都跳到嗓子眼里了。他氣喘吁吁地跑著。氣喘吁吁地說：“我真是頭蠢驢!一頭又狂妄又粗心的蠢驢!我又吹牛了!又大喊大叫大唱起來了!又坐著不動大夸?？诹?天哪!天哪!天哪!”

He glanced back, and saw to his dismay that they were gaining on him. On he ran desperately, but kept looking back, and saw that they still gained steadily. He did his best, but he was a fat animal, and his legs were short, and still they gained. He could hear them close behind him now. Ceasing to heed where he was going, he struggled on blindly and wildly, looking back over his shoulder at the now triumphant enemy, when suddenly the earth failed under his feet, he grasped at the air, and, splash! he found himself head over ears in deep water, rapid water, water that bore him along with a force he could not contend with; and he knew that in his blind panic he had run straight into the river!

他回頭瞄了一眼，看到那伙人追上來了。他心慌意亂，拼命狂奔，不住地回頭望，只見他們越來越近了。他使出最大的力氣跑，可他身體肥胖，腿又短，跑不過他們?，F(xiàn)在，他能聽到他們就在身后了。他顧不得辨方向，只管發(fā)狂似的瞎跑，還不時回過頭去看他的那些就要成功的敵人。突然間，他一腳踩空了，四腳在空中亂抓，撲通一聲，他沒頭沒腦地掉進(jìn)了深深的湍急的流水。他被河水的強(qiáng)大力量沖著走，無能為力。他這才知道，原來他在慌亂中瞎跑時，竟一頭栽進(jìn)了大河!

He rose to the surface and tried to grasp the reeds and the rushes that grew along the water’s edge close under the bank, but the stream was so strong that it tore them out of his hands. ‘O my!’ gasped poor Toad, ‘if ever I steal a motor-car again! If ever I sing another conceited song’—then down he went, and came up breathless and spluttering. Presently he saw that he was approaching a big dark hole in the bank, just above his head, and as the stream bore him past he reached up with a paw and caught hold of the edge and held on. Then slowly and with difficulty he drew himself up out of the water, till at last he was able to rest his elbows on the edge of the hole. There he remained for some minutes, puffing and panting, for he was quite exhausted.

他冒出水面，想抓住岸邊垂下的蘆葦和燈芯草，可是水流太急，抓到手的草又滑脫了。“老天爺!”可憐的蟾蜍氣喘吁吁地說，“我再也不敢偷車了!再也不敢唱吹牛歌了!”說完又沉了下去，過后又冒出水面，喘著粗氣胡亂打水。忽地，他發(fā)現(xiàn)自己正流向岸邊的一個大黑洞，那洞恰好就在他頭頂上。當(dāng)流水沖著他經(jīng)過洞邊時，他伸出一只爪子、夠著了岸邊，抓牢了。然后他吃力地把身子慢慢拖出水面，兩肘支撐在洞沿上。他在那兒呆了幾分鐘，喘著氣，因?yàn)樗麑?shí)在是累垮了。

As he sighed and blew and stared before him into the dark hole, some bright small thing shone and twinkled in its depths, moving towards him. As it approached, a face grew up gradually around it, and it was a familiar face!

正當(dāng)他嘆氣，喘息，往黑洞里瞪眼瞧時，只見洞穴深處有兩個小光點(diǎn)。閃亮眨巴，朝他移過來。那光點(diǎn)湊到他跟前時，顯出了一張臉，一張熟悉的臉!

Brown and small, with whiskers.

一張黃褐色的、小小的、長了胡髭的臉。

Grave and round, with neat ears and silky hair.

一張嚴(yán)肅的、圓圓的臉。一對纖巧的小耳朵和絲一般發(fā)亮的毛發(fā)。

It was the Water Rat!

原來是河鼠!