04-01-03-三怪客泛舟记 [19]
三个都很喜欢水果罐头。看着罐头盒上美丽的图画,想着里面的水果,想像着它的滋味,大家乐滋滋的,相视而笑。哈里斯拿出了一把调羹。接着大家找起了启罐器。我们把大篮子里的东西都拿出来,又把包里的东西都拿出来,可是找不到。我们把船底下的板子全拉开了,把所有东西都搬到河边草地上,把每件东西摇了又摇,可就是找不到启罐器!
哈里斯想用小刀开罐头,结果把自己狠狠划了一刀;乔治用剪刀试了试,结果剪刀飞了,差点扎到他的眼睛;我想用铁条的尖头在罐头上钻个小孔,可是没有对准,结果我摔进水里,罐头弹起来,砸碎了一只茶杯。
我们大家气得发疯。我们把罐头拿到岸上放在草地上。哈里斯找来一块又大又尖的石头,我拿了一根又长又粗的木头。乔治拿着罐头,哈里斯把石头尖对准了罐头的顶盖,我高高举起木头,使足了力量,狠命砸下去。
那天乔治全靠他的帽子才大难不死,他至今还保存着那顶帽子。每当冬夜来临,大家聊着自己知道的各种各样的历险,乔治就会把这顶帽子拿出来向朋友们展示一番,并把他的故事复述一遍,而且还不免要添油加醋。
哈里斯还好,伤得不太重。
后来我又接过那个罐头,又敲又打,直弄得我精疲力尽,垂头丧气。哈里斯又接着去锤打。
我们把罐头锤得又细又长,又敲得又正又方。我们拿着木头把罐头敲成了各种各样的形状——偏偏就敲不开一个小孔。然后乔治又拿过去敲打,敲得罐头成了个稀奇古怪,狰狞可怕的形状。乔治自己都害怕起来,干脆把木头扔了。我们三个人围着罐头坐在草地上,愣愣地看着它。
罐头顶上有一条粗粗的横线,好象咧着的嘴,冲着我们狞笑。我们越发怒气冲冲。哈里斯狠狠冲过去,一把抓起来,使劲扔出去,扔到河中心。我们看着它沉下去,用很难听的话骂它,然后上了船,离开那个鬼地方,直到梅登黑德才停脚。
我们急急忙忙驶过梅登黑德,等过了它慢慢才把速度减下来。快到库克姆时我们停下船,喝了下午茶。等我们通过水闸时已经是暮色苍茫了。
那天有点风,好象老天爷打错了主意,风从我们背后吹来,这可真是十分难得。不过,那天下午的风的确大大助了我们一臂之力,船飞也似地奔驰起来。
河上除了三个老头儿,再没有其他人影。他们坐在船上钓鱼。我们靠上去的时候,才看清楚他们都上了年纪,而且还特别一本正经的样子,眼睛一眨不眨地盯着钓鱼线。太阳快落山了,向水面射出万道灿烂的金光,美不胜收,我们也仿佛驶进了一片神奇的国土。
可是,实际上我们并没有驶进那神奇的地方,而是径直地朝着三个老头的船冲了过去。起初我们还不知道出了什么事情。但是从夜幕中传来呼喊声,我们揣测附近有人,而且人家还十分愤怒和不满。原来,我们把三个老头儿从椅子上撞落到船底挤成一堆。他们一边吃力地爬起来,把撒落的鱼儿从自己身上拿开,一边冲着我们叫骂——不仅仅是些寻常的话,他们的叫骂还涉及我们本人,以及我们的三亲六眷。
哈里斯喊了一嗓子:“高兴点吧!这么好的事摊到你们头上。”他又说,象他们这么一把年纪的人还破口大骂人,实在让他痛心。
可是三个老头并不买哈里斯的帐。
到了马洛,我们在桥边上了岸,去旅馆过夜。
■ Chapter 12 Montmorency and the cat
On Monday morning, we got up quite early and we went to swim before breakfast. On the way back, Mont-morency behaved very stupidly.
The only thing that Montmorency and I disagree about is cats.I like cats. Montmorency does not.
When I meet a cat, I say hello to it. Then I bend down and I stroke it gently, behind the ears and along the side of its head.The cat likes this.It puts its tail up and it pushes itself against my legs.And there is love and peace.When Montmorency meets a cat, everybody knows about it, and a lot of bad words are used.
I do not really blame Montmorency(usually I just hit him,or throw stones at him),because dogs are like that.They hate cats. But that morning, Montmorency wished that he had not argued with a cat.
As we were coming back from the river, a cat ran out from one of the houses, and it began to walk across the road. Mont-morency saw the cat, gave a shout of real happiness, and ran af-ter it.
It was a big, black cat.I have never seen a bigger cat. It had lost half its tail and one of its ears, but it looked calm and hap-py.
Montmorency ran at that cat as fast as he could,but the cat did not hurry. It did not seem to understand that its life was in danger. It walked on quietly until the enemy was near it.Then it turned and sat down in the middle of the road. It looked at Montmorency in a quiet way, and it seemed to say,'Yes? You want me?'
Montmorency is quite a brave dog, but there was something in the way the cat looked at him. It frightened him.He stopped suddenly, and he looked at the cat. They did not speak, of course, but it was easy to imagine their conversation.
THE CAT:Can I do anything for you?
MONTMORENCY:No…no,thanks.
THE CAT: Do please tell me if there is something you want,won't you?
MONTMORENCY( who moves backwards down the road):Oh, no. Not at all…certainly…I… I'm afraid I've made a mistake.I thought I knew you…I'm sorry.
THE CAT:Notat all.Are you quite sure you don't want any-thing now?
MONTMORENCY( who continues to move back):Not at all…thanks…not at all…very kind of you…Good morning.
THE CAT:Good morning.
Then the cat stood up and continued along the road. Mont-morency, with his tail between his legs, walked behind us. He hoped that nobody would notice him.
Now, if you say' Cats!'to Montmorency, he looks up at you, and his eyes beg you,' No, please!'
After this we did our shopping, went back to the boat, and moved off along the river again.However, at Hambledon lock,we found that we had no water.So we went to ask the lock-keeper for some. George spoke for us. He said,' Oh, please,could you give us a little water?''Of course,'the old man replied.'Just take what you want and leave the rest.'
'Thank you very much,'George said
哈里斯想用小刀开罐头,结果把自己狠狠划了一刀;乔治用剪刀试了试,结果剪刀飞了,差点扎到他的眼睛;我想用铁条的尖头在罐头上钻个小孔,可是没有对准,结果我摔进水里,罐头弹起来,砸碎了一只茶杯。
我们大家气得发疯。我们把罐头拿到岸上放在草地上。哈里斯找来一块又大又尖的石头,我拿了一根又长又粗的木头。乔治拿着罐头,哈里斯把石头尖对准了罐头的顶盖,我高高举起木头,使足了力量,狠命砸下去。
那天乔治全靠他的帽子才大难不死,他至今还保存着那顶帽子。每当冬夜来临,大家聊着自己知道的各种各样的历险,乔治就会把这顶帽子拿出来向朋友们展示一番,并把他的故事复述一遍,而且还不免要添油加醋。
哈里斯还好,伤得不太重。
后来我又接过那个罐头,又敲又打,直弄得我精疲力尽,垂头丧气。哈里斯又接着去锤打。
我们把罐头锤得又细又长,又敲得又正又方。我们拿着木头把罐头敲成了各种各样的形状——偏偏就敲不开一个小孔。然后乔治又拿过去敲打,敲得罐头成了个稀奇古怪,狰狞可怕的形状。乔治自己都害怕起来,干脆把木头扔了。我们三个人围着罐头坐在草地上,愣愣地看着它。
罐头顶上有一条粗粗的横线,好象咧着的嘴,冲着我们狞笑。我们越发怒气冲冲。哈里斯狠狠冲过去,一把抓起来,使劲扔出去,扔到河中心。我们看着它沉下去,用很难听的话骂它,然后上了船,离开那个鬼地方,直到梅登黑德才停脚。
我们急急忙忙驶过梅登黑德,等过了它慢慢才把速度减下来。快到库克姆时我们停下船,喝了下午茶。等我们通过水闸时已经是暮色苍茫了。
那天有点风,好象老天爷打错了主意,风从我们背后吹来,这可真是十分难得。不过,那天下午的风的确大大助了我们一臂之力,船飞也似地奔驰起来。
河上除了三个老头儿,再没有其他人影。他们坐在船上钓鱼。我们靠上去的时候,才看清楚他们都上了年纪,而且还特别一本正经的样子,眼睛一眨不眨地盯着钓鱼线。太阳快落山了,向水面射出万道灿烂的金光,美不胜收,我们也仿佛驶进了一片神奇的国土。
可是,实际上我们并没有驶进那神奇的地方,而是径直地朝着三个老头的船冲了过去。起初我们还不知道出了什么事情。但是从夜幕中传来呼喊声,我们揣测附近有人,而且人家还十分愤怒和不满。原来,我们把三个老头儿从椅子上撞落到船底挤成一堆。他们一边吃力地爬起来,把撒落的鱼儿从自己身上拿开,一边冲着我们叫骂——不仅仅是些寻常的话,他们的叫骂还涉及我们本人,以及我们的三亲六眷。
哈里斯喊了一嗓子:“高兴点吧!这么好的事摊到你们头上。”他又说,象他们这么一把年纪的人还破口大骂人,实在让他痛心。
可是三个老头并不买哈里斯的帐。
到了马洛,我们在桥边上了岸,去旅馆过夜。
■ Chapter 12 Montmorency and the cat
On Monday morning, we got up quite early and we went to swim before breakfast. On the way back, Mont-morency behaved very stupidly.
The only thing that Montmorency and I disagree about is cats.I like cats. Montmorency does not.
When I meet a cat, I say hello to it. Then I bend down and I stroke it gently, behind the ears and along the side of its head.The cat likes this.It puts its tail up and it pushes itself against my legs.And there is love and peace.When Montmorency meets a cat, everybody knows about it, and a lot of bad words are used.
I do not really blame Montmorency(usually I just hit him,or throw stones at him),because dogs are like that.They hate cats. But that morning, Montmorency wished that he had not argued with a cat.
As we were coming back from the river, a cat ran out from one of the houses, and it began to walk across the road. Mont-morency saw the cat, gave a shout of real happiness, and ran af-ter it.
It was a big, black cat.I have never seen a bigger cat. It had lost half its tail and one of its ears, but it looked calm and hap-py.
Montmorency ran at that cat as fast as he could,but the cat did not hurry. It did not seem to understand that its life was in danger. It walked on quietly until the enemy was near it.Then it turned and sat down in the middle of the road. It looked at Montmorency in a quiet way, and it seemed to say,'Yes? You want me?'
Montmorency is quite a brave dog, but there was something in the way the cat looked at him. It frightened him.He stopped suddenly, and he looked at the cat. They did not speak, of course, but it was easy to imagine their conversation.
THE CAT:Can I do anything for you?
MONTMORENCY:No…no,thanks.
THE CAT: Do please tell me if there is something you want,won't you?
MONTMORENCY( who moves backwards down the road):Oh, no. Not at all…certainly…I… I'm afraid I've made a mistake.I thought I knew you…I'm sorry.
THE CAT:Notat all.Are you quite sure you don't want any-thing now?
MONTMORENCY( who continues to move back):Not at all…thanks…not at all…very kind of you…Good morning.
THE CAT:Good morning.
Then the cat stood up and continued along the road. Mont-morency, with his tail between his legs, walked behind us. He hoped that nobody would notice him.
Now, if you say' Cats!'to Montmorency, he looks up at you, and his eyes beg you,' No, please!'
After this we did our shopping, went back to the boat, and moved off along the river again.However, at Hambledon lock,we found that we had no water.So we went to ask the lock-keeper for some. George spoke for us. He said,' Oh, please,could you give us a little water?''Of course,'the old man replied.'Just take what you want and leave the rest.'
'Thank you very much,'George said