牛津書蟲系列 牙齒和爪子 Gabriel Ernest 加布里埃爾·歐內(nèi)斯特

Gabriel Ernest

加布里埃爾·歐內(nèi)斯特

Cunningham had spent an agreeable week in the country with his friend Van Cheele. Now Van Cheele was driving his guest back to the station. Cunningham was unusually quiet on the journey， but Van Cheele talked all the time， so he did not notice his friend's silence.

坎寧安和朋友范·切爾在鄉(xiāng)下過了愉快的一周?，F(xiàn)在范·切爾正開車送客人去車站。路上坎寧安與往常不一樣，非常安靜，但是范·切爾一直說個不停，所以沒注意到朋友的沉默。

Suddenly Cunningham spoke.'There is a wild animal in your woods，' he said.

坎寧安突然說，“你家的小樹林里有一只野獸。”

'A wild animal? A few rabbits， perhaps. Nothing very terrible， surely，' said Van Cheele. Cunningham said nothing.

“一只野獸?一些兔子還有可能，肯定沒有什么太可怕的，”范·切爾說?？矊幇惨痪湓挍]說。

' What did you mean about a wild animal?' asked Van Cheele later， at the station.

“你說一只野獸是什么意思?”范·切爾后來在車站問。

'Nothing. It was my imagination. Here is the train，'said Cunningham.

“沒什么，是我的幻覺，火車來了，”坎寧安說。

That afternoon Van Cheele went for a walk through his woods. He knew a little about plants and animals， and he enjoyed walking through the woods around his house and looking at the birds and flowers there. He also enjoyed telling everyone about them aftefwards.Of course，he never saw anything very surprising——until that afternoon.

那天下午范·切爾去林子里散步。他對植物和動物略知一二，因此喜歡走路穿過他家房子周圍的樹林，觀賞那兒的花鳥。事后他也喜歡向每個人講述。當然他從沒看見過令人非常驚奇的東西——直到那天下午。

During his walk Van Cheele came to a deep pool under some tall trees. He knew it well： after all， it was his pool.But today， he saw a boy of about sixteen lying on a large rock beside the pool. The boy was drying his wet， naked brown body in the sun. His hair was wet too， and he had long， golden，wolfish eyes. He turned those eyes towards Van Cheele with a look of lazy watchfulness.

范·切爾走到高樹下的一個深水塘旁。他對這個水塘非常熟悉：畢竟這是他的。但是今天，他看見一個大約十六歲的男孩正躺在水塘邊的大石頭上。他正在太陽下曬自己潮濕、裸露的棕色身體。他的頭發(fā)也是濕的，他長著一雙金黃色、狼一樣的長眼睛。他眨著那雙眼，用懶洋洋的警惕神情看著范·切爾。

Van Cheele was surprised to see the boy. Where does this wild-looking boy come from? he thought. Can he be the miller's son? He disappeared two months ago. People say he fell into the river. It's a fast-running river， and nobody ever found his body. I wonder? But the miller's boy was only a young child…

范·切爾見到男孩很吃驚。這個相貌野性的男孩從哪兒來?他想。是磨坊主的兒子嗎?他兩個月前失蹤了。人們說他掉進了河里，是湍急的河，沒人找到他的尸體。我想，會不會是他?可是磨坊主的兒子還只是一個小孩……

'What are you doing here?asked Van Cheele.

“你在這兒做什么?”范·切爾問。

'Enjoying the sunshine， of course，' said the boy.

“當然是享受陽光，”男孩說。

'Where do you live?'

“你住在哪兒?”

'Here， in these woods.'

“在這兒，在這些樹林里。”

'You can't live in these woods.' said Van Cheele.

“你不可能住在樹林里，”范·切爾說。

'They are very nice woods，' said the boy politely.

“樹林里挺不錯的，”男孩禮貌地說。

'But where do you sleep at night?'

“可是你晚上在哪兒睡覺?”

'I don't sleep at night. That's my busiest time.'

“我晚上不睡覺，那是我最忙的時候。”

Van Cheele began to feel cross. What did the boy mean?

范·切爾有點生氣了。這個男孩說的是什么意思?

'What do you eat? he asked.

“你吃什么?”他問。

'Meat，' said the boy. He opened his mouth， showing very white teeth.

“吃肉，”男孩說，他張開嘴，露出雪白的牙齒。

'Meat?What kind of meat?

“肉?什么肉?”

'Well， if you must know， I eat rabbits， wild birds，chickens from the farm and young sheep from the hills. I like children when I can find them. But they 're usually too well locked in at night. It's two months since I tasted child meat.'

“哎，如果你一定要知道的話，我吃兔子、野鳥、農(nóng)場的雞和山上的小羊。如果能找到，我喜歡小孩，可是小孩在晚上總是被鎖在家里。我有兩個月沒有吃小孩肉了。”

The boy is joking about the children， thought Van Cheele. But perhaps he really is stealing animals from the woods and farms. I must find out more about this.

范·切爾想這個男孩在開小孩的玩笑?？墒撬赡苷娴耐禈淞趾娃r(nóng)場的動物，我得把這事搞清楚。

Aloud he said，'You catch rabbits? You must be joking.Our rabbits are much too fast for you.'

他大聲說，“你抓兔子?你一定在開玩笑。我們的兔子跑起來比你快得多。”

'At night I hunt on four feet，' was the boy's surprising replp.

“夜里我用四只腳狩獵。”這是男孩令人吃驚的回答。

'You mean that you hunt with a dog?' guessed Van Cheele.

“你是說你用狗打獵?”范·切爾猜。

The boy sat up suddenly and laughed a strange， low laugh. To Van Cheele that laugh sounded horrlbly like a growl.

男孩突然坐起來，發(fā)出了古怪低沉的笑聲。對范·切爾來說，這笑聲聽起來像可怕的嗥叫。

'I don't think any dog would like to hunt with me，' the boy said.'Not at night…'

“我想沒有哪條狗愿意和我一起打獵，”男孩說，“在晚上沒有……”

There is something horrible about this boy， thought Van Cheele. I don't like the way he looks and I don't like the way he talks.

男孩有些可怕，范·切爾想。我不喜歡他看人的樣子和說話的方式。

'I can't let you stay in my woods，' he said aloud.

“我不能讓你呆在我的樹林里，”他大聲說。

'Very well then— shall I come and live in your house?'replied te boy.

“很好，那么——我可以去你家住嗎?”男孩回答。

Van Cheele thought about his quiet， tidy house. No， he did not want this strange， wild boy at all. Of course， the boy was joking…but Van Cheele was not amused.

范·切爾想著他平靜整潔的家。不，他根本不想接受這個古怪野性的男孩。當然，這個孩子在開玩笑……但是范·切爾不覺得好笑。

'If you don't go away，' he said， 'I shall have to call the police.'

“如果你不走，”他說，“我就要叫警察。”

At once the boy turned and jumped head-first into the pool. A moment later， his shining， wet body landed half-way up the grassy bank where Van Cheele was standing. Van Cheele stepped backwards. His foot slipped on the wet grass and he fell. He found himself lying on the grass with those wolfish yellow eyes uncomfortably near to his. He felt a moment of horrible fear. The boy laughed again， a laugh that was like the growl of a wild animal， then disaggeared among the bushes.

男孩馬上頭朝下翻身跳進水塘。片刻后，他閃亮、濕淋淋的身體便一半出現(xiàn)在范·切爾站著的長滿青草的岸上。范·切爾朝后退，他的腳在濕草上一滑便跌倒了。他發(fā)現(xiàn)自己躺在草地上，那雙狼似的黃眼睛離他很近，令他不舒服。他感到一陣恐懼。男孩又笑了，笑聲像野獸的嗥叫，隨即他就消失在樹叢里。

'What an extraordinarily wild animal!' said Van Cheele as he picked himself up. And then he remembered Cunning ham's words about a wild animal in his woods.

“多么離奇的野獸!”范·切爾站起身時說。這時他想起了坎寧安關(guān)于他家樹林里有野獸的話。

As he walked slowly home， Van Cheele thought about several things which had happened in and around the village recently. Perhaps this boy knows something about them， he thought…Something has been killing rabbits and birds in the woods lately. Something has been stealing the farmer's chickens and carrying off the young sheep from the hills. Is it possible that this wild boy is hunting at night with a fast， intelligent dog?The boy talked of hunting on four feet at night…But he also said that dogs did not like to hunt with him at night…Very strange indeed.

慢慢朝家走時，范·切爾想著最近村子里和周圍地方發(fā)生的幾件事。可能這個孩子知道些什么，他想……最近什么東西一直在殺樹林里的兔子和鳥，一直在偷農(nóng)夫的雞、吃山上的小羊。有可能是這個野孩子晚上帶著一條敏捷聰明的狗在打獵嗎?男孩談到了晚上用四只腳打獵的事……可是他也說了狗不喜歡和他在晚上打獵……真奇怪。

As Van Cheele walked along， he turned the questions over and over in his head. Suddenly he stopped. The miller's son! he said to himself. The child disappeared two months ago. Everyone thought that he had fallen into the river and been carried away. But the child's mother did not believe this. She said she had heard a scream—— and the scream came from the hill，a long way away from the water.

范·切爾走著，腦子里反復想著這些問題。突然他停住腳步。磨坊主的兒子!他自言自語。這孩子兩個月前失蹤的，每個人都認為他掉進河里被河水卷走了。可是孩子的母親不相信，她說她聽見了一聲尖叫——尖叫聲從小山傳來，那兒離河水很遠。

It's impossible， of course， said Van Cheele to himself.But the child disappeared two months ago， and the boy talked about child meat. He was joking， of course…but what a horrible joke!

那當然不可能，范·切爾對自己說?？蛇@孩子兩個月前失蹤的，那個男孩說起了小孩肉。他當然是在開玩笑……可這是個多么可怕的玩笑啊!

Van Cheele usually talked to his aunt about the birds，plants and animals he saw on his walks. But today he said nothing. He was an important man in his village. If there was a thief living in his woods， he did not want anyone to know.If people hear about the boy， he thought， perhaps they will want me to pay for their lost chickens and their disappearing sheep.

范·切爾常向姑媽談論路途上看見的鳥、植物和動物。但是今天他什么都沒說。他是村里的一個重要人物，如果他的樹林里住著一個賊，他是不想讓任何人知道的。如果人們知道了這個男孩，他想，他們可能會讓我賠償他們丟失的雞和羊。

He was unusually quiet at dinner.'What's the matter with you?'joked his aunt.'Did you see a wolf on your walk?'

晚飯時他異乎尋常地安靜。“你怎么了?”姑媽逗他說。“你在路上看見狼了嗎?”

At breakfast the next morning Van Cheele realized that he still felt uncomfortable about yesterday's adventure. I know what I' 11 do， he said to himself. I' 11 take the train to London and I'11 go and see Cunningham. I'11 ask him If he was joking when he said there was a wild animal in my woods.

第二天早餐時范·切爾還在為昨天的奇遇頗為不爽。我知道我要做什么，他自言自語。我要乘火車去倫敦，去看望坎寧安。我要問他當他說我家樹林里有一頭野獸時是不是在開玩笑。

After he had decided this，Van Cheele felt better.He sang a happy little song as he walked to the sitting-room for his morning cigarette.His fat old dog walked beside him.

做出這個決定之后，范·切爾覺得好了一些。朝客廳走去拿早上抽的煙時他唱起了快樂的小曲。他的老肥狗走在他的旁邊。

As Van Cheele entered the sitting-room， the song died on his lips and his dog ran away with his tail between his legs.There on the day-bed， with his hands comfortably behind his head， lay the boy from the woods. He was drier than yesterday， but he was still naked.

當范·切爾走進客廳，他的歌聲在嘴唇上嘎然而止，他的狗夾著尾巴逃跑了。在那張白天休息的床上躺著那個樹林里來的男孩他的頭舒服地枕在手上。他比昨天干多了，但還是赤身裸體。

'What are you doing here? asked Van Cheele angrily.

“你在這兒做什么?”范·切爾氣憤地問。

'You told me I couldn't stay in the woods，'said the boy calmly.

“你告訴過我我不能呆在樹林里，”男孩平靜地說。

'But I didn't tell you to come here. What if my aunt sees you? What will she think?'

“但我沒告訴你來這兒。我姑媽看見你會怎樣?她會怎么想?”

Van Cheele hurriedly covered his unwanted guest's nakedness with a newspaper. At that moment his aunt entered the room.

范·切爾趕緊用報紙蓋住這位不速之客的光身子。正在這時姑媽進了房間。

'This is a poor boy，' explained Van Cheele quickly.'He has lost his way—and lost his memory too. He doesn't know who he is， or where he comes from.'

“這是個可憐的孩子，”范·切爾馬上解釋。“他迷了路——也失去了記憶。他不知道他是誰，從哪兒來。”

Miss Van Cheele was very interested.'Perhaps his name is on his underclothes，' she said.

范·切爾小姐很感興趣。“他的名字可能在內(nèi)衣上，”她說。

'He has lost his underclothes too，' said Van Cheele. The newspaper was slipping off the boy's naked body. Van Cheele hurried to replace it.

“他連內(nèi)衣也丟了，”范·切爾說。報紙從男孩的光身子上滑了下來，范·切爾趕忙又把報紙蓋在男孩的身上。

Miss Van Cheele was a kind old lady. She felt sorry for this naked， helpless child.

范·切爾小姐是一個和善的老婦人，她為這個裸露無助的孩子感到難過。

'We must help him，' she said. She sent the housekeeper to a neighbour's house to borrow some clothes.

“我們得幫助他，”她說。她讓管家去鄰居家借些衣服。

Soon the boy was clean and tidy， and dressed in shirt，trousers and shoes. Van Cheele thought he looked just as strange and wolfish as before. But Miss Van Chee1e thought he was sweet.

一會兒男孩變得干凈整潔，穿上了襯衣、褲子和鞋。范·切爾認為他和以前一樣古怪，就像一只狼，但是范·切爾小姐認為他很可愛。

'We must give him a name until we know who he really is，' she said.' Gabriel Ernest， I think. Those are nice， suitable names.'

“在我們知道他到底是誰以前得給他起個名字，”她說。“我想該叫加布里埃爾·歐內(nèi)斯特。這是合適的好名字。”

Van Cheele agreed. But he was not sure that the boy was a nice， suitable boy. Van Cheele's old dog， when he saw the boy， had run away in fear and would not come back into the house. Van Cheele decided to go and see Cunningham at once.

范·切爾同意。但是他不敢說這個男孩是個適宜的好孩子。范·切爾的老狗一看見男孩就嚇得跑掉了，不愿意回屋里。范·切爾決定馬上去見坎寧安。

As he got ready to go to the station， his aunt was busily arranging a children's tea party in the church hall.

正當他準備好去車站時，姑媽正忙于籌辦在教堂舉行的兒童茶會。

'Gabriel Ernest will help me with the little ones，' she said happily.

“加布里埃爾·歐內(nèi)斯特將幫我照看小家伙們。”她高興地說。

When Van Cheele got to London， Cunningham did not want to talk at first.You'll think I'm crazy，' he said.

范·切爾到了倫敦，坎寧安開始不想談此事。“你會認為我瘋了，”他說。

'But what did you see?' asked Van Cheele.

“可是你看見了什么?”范·切爾問。

'I saw something—something unbelievable. On the last evening of my visit to you I was standing half-hidden in the bushes， watching the sun go down. Suddenly I noticed a naked boy. He has been swimming in a pool somewhere， I said to myself. He was standing on the hillside and he too was watching the sun go down. Then the sun disappeared behind the hill and its light was gone. At the same moment a very surprising thing happened—the boy disappeared too.'

“我看見了一件事情——一件讓人難以相信的事情。在我拜訪你的最后一個晚上我一半隱在樹叢里看日落。突然我看見了一個裸著身體的男孩。我對自己說，可能他剛在某個地方的池塘里游過泳。他站在山坡上，也在看日落。過后太陽落山了，光線漸去了。就在同一時刻發(fā)生了一件非常驚奇的事——男孩也消失了。”

'What?He disappeared just like that?' said Van Cheele excitedly.

“什么?他就那樣消失了?”范·切爾激動地說。

'No. It was much more horrible than that. On the open hillside where the boy had been，I saw a large，blackish-grey wolf with long white teeth and yellow eyes. You' ll think I'm crazy—'

“不，比那可怕得多。在男孩呆過的山坡空地上，我看見了一只灰黑色的大狼，長著白色的長牙和黃色的眼睛。你會認為我瘋了——”

But Van Cheele did not wait. He was running towards the station as fast as he could. He did not know what he could do. I can't send my aunt a message， he thought.What can I say? Gabriel Ernest is a werewolf'? My aunt will think I'm joking. I MUST get home before sundown.

但是范，切爾沒再等，他拚命往車站跑。他不知道能做什么。我不能給姑媽捎口信，他想。我能說什么?“加布里埃爾·歐內(nèi)斯特是個狼人”?姑媽會認為我在開玩笑。我必須在太陽下山前到家。

He caught his train. With painful slowness it carried him to the station a few miles from his home. He took a taxi to his village.

他上了火車。在令人難受的緩慢中火車把他帶到了離家?guī)桌锏能囌?。他乘出租車向村子駛?cè)ァ?/p>

'Take me to the church hall— and hurry! 'he ordered.The taxi drove along the quiet country roads， and the sky turned pink and purple as the sun got lower and lower in the west.

“帶我去教堂——要快!”他命令說。出租車在安靜的鄉(xiāng)村路上行駛，在西邊太陽越落越低，天空也隨著變粉變紫。

His aunt was putting away some uneaten cakes and sand wiches when he arrived.

他趕到教堂時姑媽正在端走沒吃的蛋糕和三明治。

'Where is Gabriel Ernest?' screamed Van Cheele.

“加布里埃爾·歐內(nèi)斯特在哪兒?”范·切爾尖叫。

'He's taking little Jack Toop home，' said his aunt calmly.'It was getting so late. I didn't want to send the dear little boy home alone. Isn't the sky beautiful this evening?'

“他正送小杰克·圖布回家，”姑媽平靜地說。“天太晚，我不想單獨讓可愛的小家伙回家。今晚天空很美吧?”

But Van Cheele had no time to talk about the beautiful sky. He ran like the wind down the narrow road that went to the Toops' house. On one side was the fast-running river， on the other was the dark hillside. In a minute I'll catch up with them，Van Cheele thought.

可是范·切爾沒時間談論美麗的天空，他像一陣風在通向圖布家的窄路上奔跑。路的一旁是快速流動的河水，另一旁是黑漆漆的山坡。再過一分鐘我就能趕上他們，范·切爾想。

Then the sun went down behind the hill and the whole world became grey and cold.Van Cheele heard a short scream of fear， and he knew he was too late.

太陽下山了，整個世界變得灰暗、寒冷。范·切爾聽見一聲恐怖、短促的尖叫，于是他知道他來得太晚了。

Nobody ever saw litele Jack Toop or Gabrid Ernest again.Gabriel Ernest's clothes were found lying in the road.

沒人再看見小杰克·圖布或加布里埃爾·歐內(nèi)斯特。在路上人們找到了加布里埃爾·歐內(nèi)斯特的衣服。

'Poor littler Jack fell into the river，' said Miss Van Cheele.'And dear Gabriel Ernest took off his clothes and jumped into the river to try to save him.'

“可憐的小杰克掉到河里了，”范·切爾小姐說。“親愛的加布里埃爾·歐內(nèi)斯特脫掉衣服跳進河里，想去救他。”

Mrs Toop had eleven other children and did not cry too long for her lost son. But Miss Van Cheele was terribly sad about Gabriel Ernest.

圖布夫人還有11個孩子，她沒有為丟失的兒子哭得太久?？墒欠?middot;切爾小姐卻為加布里埃爾·歐內(nèi)斯特難過。

'He must have a memorial in the church，' she said. She chose the words herself：

“他在教堂里該有個紀念碑，”她說。她親自選擇詞句：

GABRIEL ERNEST，AN UNKNOWN BOY

加布里埃爾·歐內(nèi)斯特，一個不相識的男孩

WHO BRAVELY GAVE HIS LIFE FOR ANOTHER.

勇敢地把自己的生命獻給了別人。

Van Cheele usually did what his aunt wanted. But he refused to give any money at all for Gabriel Ernest's memorial.

范·切爾通常照姑媽的意愿做事，但是他拒絕為加布里埃爾·歐內(nèi)斯特的紀念碑捐一分錢。