T
Hear and attend and listen; for this befell and behappened and became and was, O my Best Beloved, when the Tame animals were wild.
听啊，注意听，听好了；这发生了，出现了，成为了，哦，我最亲爱的，当驯服的动物还很野的时候。
The Dog was wild, and the Horse was wild, and the Cow was wild, and the Sheep was wild, and the Pig was wild—as wild as wild could be—and they walked in the Wet Wild Woods by their wild lones.
狗是野的，马是野的，牛是野的，羊是野的，猪是野的——野得不能再野了——它们在湿漉漉的野树林里独自游荡。
He didn’t even begin to be tame till he met the Woman, and she told him that she did not like living in his wild ways.
直到他遇到女人，他才开始变得温顺，女人告诉他她不喜欢他的狂野生活方式。
She picked out a nice dry Cave, instead of a heap of wet leaves, to lie down in; and she strewed clean sand on the floor; and she lit a nice fire of wood at the back of the Cave; and she hung a dried wild-horse skin, tail-down, across the opening of the Cave; and she said, ‘Wipe your feet, dear, when you come in, and now we’ll keep house.’
她挑了一个干燥舒适的洞穴，而不是一堆湿叶子，躺下来；她在地板上撒了干净的沙子；她在洞穴后面点燃了一堆漂亮的木头火；她把一张干野马皮，尾巴朝下，挂在洞穴的开口处；她说，“亲爱的，进来时擦脚，现在我们要过日子了。”
That night, Best Beloved, they ate wild sheep roasted on the hot stones, and flavoured with wild garlic and wild pepper; and wild duck stuffed with wild rice and wild fenugreek and wild coriander; and marrow-bones of wild oxen; and wild cherries, and wild grenadillas.
那天晚上，亲爱的，他们吃了在热石头上烤的野羊，用野大蒜和野胡椒调味；还有塞满野米、野葫芦巴和野香菜的野鸭；还有野牛的骨髓骨；还有野樱桃和野石榴。
Then the Man went to sleep in front of the fire ever so happy; but the Woman sat up, combing her hair.
然后男人在火前快乐地睡着了；但是女人坐起来，梳理她的头发。
She took the bone of the shoulder of mutton—the big fat blade-bone—and she looked at the wonderful marks on it, and she threw more wood on the fire, and she made a Magic.
她拿起羊肩骨——那块大肥肩胛骨——她看着上面奇妙的标记，她往火里扔了更多的木头，她施了一个魔法。
Out in the Wet Wild Woods all the wild animals gathered together where they could see the light of the fire a long way off, and they wondered what it meant.
在潮湿的野树林里，所有的野生动物聚集在一起，他们可以看到远处火光，他们想知道这意味着什么。
Then Wild Horse stamped with his wild foot and said, ‘O my Friends and O my Enemies, why have the Man and the Woman made that great light in that great Cave, and what harm will it do us?’
然后野马用他的野脚跺了跺，说：“哦，我的朋友和我的敌人，为什么男人和女人在那个大洞穴里制造了那么大的光，它会对我们造成什么伤害？”
Wild Dog lifted up his wild nose and smelled the smell of roast mutton, and said, ‘I will go up and see and look, and say; for I think it is good. Cat, come with me.’
野狗抬起他的野鼻子，闻到了烤羊肉的味道，说：“我要上去看看，说；因为我觉得它很好。猫，跟我来。”
‘Nenni!’ said the Cat. ‘I am the Cat who walks by himself, and all places are alike to me. I will not come.’
“不！”猫说。“我是独自行走的猫，对我来说所有地方都一样。我不会来的。”
‘Then we can never be friends again,’ said Wild Dog, and he trotted off to the Cave.
“那么我们再也不能成为朋友了，”野狗说，然后他小跑着去了洞穴。
But when he had gone a little way the Cat said to himself, ‘All places are alike to me.
但当他走了一段路后，猫自言自语道：“对我来说所有地方都一样。
So he slipped after Wild Dog softly, very softly, and hid himself where he could hear everything.
于是他悄悄地跟在野狗后面，非常非常地轻柔，把自己藏在能听到一切的地方。
When Wild Dog reached the mouth of the Cave he lifted up the dried horse-skin with his nose and sniffed the beautiful smell of the roast mutton, and the Woman, looking at the blade-bone, heard him, and laughed, and said, ‘Here comes the first. Wild Thing out of the Wild Woods, what do you want?’
当野狗到达洞穴口时，他用鼻子举起干马皮，嗅着烤羊肉的美妙气味，女人看着刀刃骨，听到了他，笑了，说：“第一个来了。来自荒野的野东西，你想要什么？”
Wild Dog said, ‘O my Enemy and Wife of my Enemy, what is this that smells so good in the Wild Woods?’
野狗说：“哦，我的敌人和我敌人的妻子，这在荒野中闻起来这么好的是什么？”
Then the Woman picked up a roasted mutton-bone and threw it to Wild Dog, and said, ‘Wild Thing out of the Wild Woods, taste and try.’ Wild Dog gnawed the bone, and it was more delicious than anything he had ever tasted, and he said, ‘O my Enemy and Wife of my Enemy, give me another.’
然后女人捡起一根烤羊肉骨头扔给野狗，说：“来自荒野的野东西，尝尝试试。”野狗啃着骨头，它比他尝过的任何东西都更美味，他说：“哦，我的敌人和我敌人的妻子，再给我一个。”
The Woman said, ‘Wild Thing out of the Wild Woods, help my Man to hunt through the day and guard this Cave at night, and I will give you as many roast bones as you need.’
女人说：“来自野树林的野东西，帮我的男人白天打猎，晚上守卫这个洞穴，我会给你你需要的尽可能多的烤骨头。”
‘Ah!’ said the Cat, listening. ‘This is a very wise Woman, but she is not so wise as I am.’
“啊！”猫听着说。“这是一个非常聪明的女人，但她不如我聪明。”
Wild Dog crawled into the Cave and laid his head on the Woman’s lap, and said, ‘O my Friend and Wife of my Friend, I will help Your Man to hunt through the day, and at night I will guard your Cave.’
野狗爬进洞穴，把头放在女人的腿上，说：“哦，我的朋友和我朋友的妻子，我会帮你的男人白天打猎，晚上我会守卫你的洞穴。”
‘Ah!’ said the Cat, listening. ‘That is a very foolish Dog.’ And he went back through the Wet Wild Woods waving his wild tail, and walking by his wild lone. But he never told anybody.
“啊！”猫听着说。“那是一只非常愚蠢的狗。”他穿过湿漉漉的野树林，挥舞着他的野尾巴，独自走着。但他从未告诉过任何人。
When the Man waked up he said, ‘What is Wild Dog doing here?’ And the Woman said, ‘His name is not Wild Dog any more, but the First Friend, because he will be our friend for always and always and always. Take him with you when you go hunting.’
当男人醒来时，他说：“野狗在这里做什么？”女人说：“他的名字不再是野狗，而是第一个朋友，因为他将永远永远永远是我们的朋友。当你去打猎时，带上他。”
Next night the Woman cut great green armfuls of fresh grass from the water-meadows, and dried it before the fire, so that it smelt like new-mown hay, and she sat at the mouth of the Cave and plaited a halter out of horse-hide, and she looked at the shoulder of mutton-bone—at the big broad blade-bone—and she made a Magic.
第二天晚上，女人从水草地割下大把大把的新鲜青草，在火前烘干，使它闻起来像新割的干草，她坐在洞穴口，用马皮编织了一个缰绳，她看着羊肩骨——那块宽大的肩胛骨——她施了魔法。
Out in the Wild Woods all the wild animals wondered what had happened to Wild Dog, and at last Wild Horse stamped with his foot and said, ‘I will go and see and say why Wild Dog has not returned. Cat, come with me.’
在野外树林里，所有的野生动物都想知道野狗发生了什么事，最后野马跺了跺脚说：“我要去看看，说说为什么野狗没有回来。猫，跟我来。”
‘Nenni!’ said the Cat. ‘I am the Cat who walks by himself, and all places are alike to me. I will not come.’ But all the same he followed Wild Horse softly, very softly, and hid himself where he could hear everything.
“不！”猫说，“我是独自行走的猫，对我来说所有地方都一样。我不会来的。”但他还是悄悄地跟着野马，非常悄悄地，藏在能听到一切的地方。
When the Woman heard Wild Horse tripping and stumbling on his long mane, she laughed and said, ‘Here comes the second. Wild Thing out of the Wild Woods what do you want?’
当女人听到野马在他长长的鬃毛上绊倒和跌跌撞撞时，她笑着说：“第二个来了。野外的野生动物，你想要什么？”
The Woman laughed, and picked up the blade-bone and looked at it, and said, ‘Wild Thing out of the Wild Woods, you did not come here for Wild Dog, but for the sake of this good grass.’
女人笑了，拿起刀刃骨，看着它说：“野外的野生动物，你不是为了野狗而来，而是为了这片好草。”
And Wild Horse, tripping and stumbling on his long mane, said, ‘That is true; give it me to eat.’
野马因长鬃毛而绊倒和跌跌撞撞，说：“那是真的；给我吃吧。”
The Woman said, ‘Wild Thing out of the Wild Woods, bend your wild head and wear what I give you, and you shall eat the wonderful grass three times a day.’
女人说：“来自荒野的野兽，低下你的野头，戴上我给你的东西，你就可以每天三次吃这美妙的草。”
‘Ah,’ said the Cat, listening, ‘this is a clever Woman, but she is not so clever as I am.’
“啊，”猫听着说，“这是个聪明的女人，但她不如我聪明。”
Wild Horse bent his wild head, and the Woman slipped the plaited hide halter over it, and Wild Horse breathed on the Woman’s feet and said, ‘O my Mistress, and Wife of my Master, I will be your servant for the sake of the wonderful grass.’
野马低下了他的野头，女人把编好的皮缰绳套在他头上，野马在女人的脚上呼吸，说：“哦，我的女主人，我主人的妻子，我将为这美妙的草做你的仆人。”
‘Ah,’ said the Cat, listening, ‘that is a very foolish Horse.’ And he went back through the Wet Wild Woods, waving his wild tail and walking by his wild lone. But he never told anybody.
“啊，”猫听着说，“那是一匹非常愚蠢的马。”他穿过湿漉漉的荒野森林，挥舞着他的野尾巴，独自走着。但他从未告诉过任何人。
When the Man and the Dog came back from hunting, the Man said, ‘What is Wild Horse doing here?’ And the Woman said, ‘His name is not Wild Horse any more, but the First Servant, because he will carry us from place to place for always and always and always. Ride on his back when you go hunting.
当男人和狗打猎回来时，男人说：“野马在这里做什么？”女人说：“他的名字不再是野马，而是第一仆人，因为他会永远永远永远带我们从一个地方到另一个地方。你去打猎时骑在他背上。”
Next day, holding her wild head high that her wild horns should not catch in the wild trees, Wild Cow came up to the Cave, and the Cat followed, and hid himself just the same as before; and everything happened just the same as before; and the Cat said the same things as before, and when Wild Cow had promised to give her milk to the Woman every day in exchange for the wonderful grass, the Cat went back through the Wet Wild Woods waving his wild tail and walking by his wild lone, just the same as before.
第二天，野牛高高地抬起它狂野的头，以免它狂野的角被野树卡住，来到洞穴，猫跟着，像以前一样躲起来；一切都像以前一样发生；猫说了和以前一样的话，当野牛答应每天给女人提供温暖的白牛奶以换取美妙的草时，猫像以前一样穿过潮湿的野树林，挥舞着它狂野的尾巴，独自走着。
And when the Man and the Horse and the Dog came home from hunting and asked the same questions same as before, the Woman said, ‘Her name is not Wild Cow any more, but the Giver of Good Food.
当男人、马和狗打猎回家并问同样的问题时，女人说：“它的名字不再是野牛，而是美食的提供者。”
She will give us the warm white milk for always and always and always, and I will take care of her while you and the First Friend and the First Servant go hunting.
她将永远、永远、永远给我们提供温暖的白牛奶，而我将在你和第一朋友和第一仆人去打猎时照顾她。”
Next day the Cat waited to see if any other Wild thing would go up to the Cave, but no one moved in the Wet Wild Woods, so the Cat walked there by himself; and he saw the Woman milking the Cow, and he saw the light of the fire in the Cave, and he smelt the smell of the warm white milk.
第二天，猫等着看是否有其他野生动物会去洞穴，但在潮湿的野树林里没有人动弹，所以猫自己走到那里；他看到女人在给牛挤奶，他看到洞穴里的火光，他闻到了温暖的白牛奶的味道。
The Woman laughed and said, ‘Wild Thing out of the Wild Woods, go back to the Woods again, for I have braided up my hair, and I have put away the magic blade-bone, and we have no more need of either friends or servants in our Cave.
女人笑着说：“来自野生森林的野生动物，回到森林去吧，因为我已经编好了头发，我已经收起了魔法刀片骨，我们的洞穴里不再需要朋友或仆人了。”
Cat said, ‘I am not a friend, and I am not a servant. I am the Cat who walks by himself, and I wish to come into your cave.’
猫说：“我不是朋友，也不是仆人。我是独自行走的猫，我希望进入你的洞穴。”
Woman said, ‘Then why did you not come with First Friend on the first night?’
女人说：“那你为什么不在第一晚和第一个朋友一起来呢？”
Then the Woman laughed and said, ‘You are the Cat who walks by himself, and all places are alike to you. Your are neither a friend nor a servant. You have said it yourself. Go away and walk by yourself in all places alike.’
然后女人笑着说：“你是独自行走的猫，所有地方对你来说都是一样的。你既不是朋友也不是仆人。你自己已经说过了。走开，在所有地方都独自行走吧。”
Then Cat pretended to be sorry and said, ‘Must I never come into the Cave? Must I never sit by the warm fire? Must I never drink the warm white milk? You are very wise and very beautiful. You should not be cruel even to a Cat.’
然后猫假装很抱歉地说：“我永远不能进入洞穴吗？我永远不能坐在温暖的火旁边吗？我永远不能喝温暖的白牛奶吗？你非常聪明，非常美丽。你甚至不应该对一只猫残忍。”
Woman said, ‘I knew I was wise, but I did not know I was beautiful. So I will make a bargain with you. If ever I say one word in your praise you may come into the Cave.’
女人说：“我知道我很聪明，但我不知道我很漂亮。所以我要和你做个交易。如果我曾经说过一句赞美你的话，你就可以进洞穴。”
‘I never shall,’ said the Woman, ‘but if I say two words in your praise, you may sit by the fire in the Cave.’
“我永远不会，”女人说，“但如果我说两句赞美你的话，你就可以坐在洞穴里的火边。”
‘I never shall,’ said the Woman, ‘but if I say three words in your praise, you may drink the warm white milk three times a day for always and always and always.’
“我永远不会，”女人说，“但如果我说三句赞美你的话，你就可以每天三次永远永远永远喝温暖的白牛奶。”
Then the Cat arched his back and said, ‘Now let the Curtain at the mouth of the Cave, and the Fire at the back of the Cave, and the Milk-pots that stand beside the Fire, remember what my Enemy and the Wife of my Enemy has said.’
然后猫拱起背说：“现在让洞穴口的帘子，洞穴后面的火，以及站在火旁边的牛奶罐，记住我的敌人和我敌人的妻子说过的话。”
And he went away through the Wet Wild Woods waving his wild tail and walking by his wild lone.
他就穿过湿野树林，挥舞着他的野尾巴，独自行走着他的野路。
That night when the Man and the Horse and the Dog came home from hunting, the Woman did not tell them of the bargain that she had made with the Cat, because she was afraid that they might not like it.
那天晚上，男人、马和狗打猎回来，女人没有告诉他们她和猫做的交易，因为她怕他们不喜欢。
Cat went far and far away and hid himself in the Wet Wild Woods by his wild lone for a long time till the Woman forgot all about him. Only the Bat—the little upside-down Bat—that hung inside the Cave, knew where Cat hid; and every evening Bat would fly to Cat with news of what was happening.
猫走了很远很远，独自躲在湿野树林里很长时间，直到女人把他全忘了。只有蝙蝠——倒挂在洞里的小蝙蝠——知道猫藏在哪里；每天晚上蝙蝠都会飞到猫那里，告诉他发生了什么事。
One evening Bat said, ‘There is a Baby in the Cave. He is new and pink and fat and small, and the Woman is very fond of him.’
一天晚上，蝙蝠说：“洞里有个婴儿。他又新又粉又胖又小，女人很喜欢他。”
‘He is fond of things that are soft and tickle,’ said the Bat. ‘He is fond of warm things to hold in his arms when he goes to sleep. He is fond of being played with. He is fond of all those things.’
“他喜欢柔软的东西和痒痒的东西，”蝙蝠说。“他喜欢睡觉的时候怀里抱着温暖的东西。他喜欢被人玩弄。他喜欢所有这些东西。”
Next night Cat walked through the Wet Wild Woods and hid very near the Cave till morning-time, and Man and Dog and Horse went hunting.
第二天晚上，猫穿过湿漉漉的野树林，躲在离洞穴很近的地方，直到早晨，男人、狗和马都去打猎了。
So she carried him outside the Cave and gave him a handful of pebbles to play with.
于是她把他抱到洞外，给了他一把小石子玩。
Then the Cat put out his paddy paw and patted the Baby on the cheek, and it cooed; and the Cat rubbed against its fat knees and tickled it under its fat chin with his tail. And the Baby laughed; and the Woman heard him and smiled.
然后猫伸出它的爪子，拍了拍婴儿的脸颊，婴儿发出咕咕声；猫蹭着它胖乎乎的膝盖，用尾巴在它胖乎乎的下巴下面挠痒痒。婴儿笑了；女人听到他的笑声，也笑了。"
Then the Bat—the little upside-down bat—that hung in the mouth of the Cave said, ‘O my Hostess and Wife of my Host and Mother of my Host’s Son, a Wild Thing from the Wild Woods is most beautifully playing with your Baby.’
这时，倒挂在洞口的蝙蝠——小蝙蝠说：“哦，我的女主人，我的男主人的妻子，我的男主人儿子的母亲，一只来自荒野的野兽正在非常漂亮地和你的宝宝玩耍。”
‘A blessing on that Wild Thing whoever he may be,’ said the Woman, straightening her back, ‘for I was a busy woman this morning and he has done me a service.’
“不管那野兽是谁，都祝福他吧，”女人挺直了腰说，“因为今天早上我很忙，他帮了我一个忙。”
That very minute and second, Best Beloved, the dried horse-skin Curtain that was stretched tail-down at the mouth of the Cave fell down—whoosh!
就在那一分一秒，亲爱的，那在洞口尾巴朝下伸展的干马皮窗帘掉了下来——呼！
—because it remembered the bargain she had made with the Cat, and when the Woman went to pick it up— lo and behold!
——因为它想起了她和猫做的交易，当女人去捡它的时候——瞧！
‘O my Enemy and Wife of my Enemy and Mother of my Enemy,’ said the Cat, ‘it is I: for you have spoken a word in my praise, and now I can sit within the Cave for always and always and always. But still I am the Cat who walks by himself, and all places are alike to me.’
“哦，我的敌人，我的敌人的妻子，我的敌人的母亲，”猫说，“是我：因为你说了一句赞美我的话，现在我可以永远、永远、永远坐在洞里了。但我仍然是独来独往的猫，对我来说，所有的地方都一样。”
The Woman was very angry, and shut her lips tight and took up her spinning-wheel and began to spin. But the Baby cried because the Cat had gone away, and the Woman could not hush it, for it struggled and kicked and grew black in the face.
女人非常生气，紧闭嘴唇，拿起纺车开始纺线。但是婴儿因为猫走了而哭泣，女人无法让他安静下来，因为他挣扎、踢腿，脸色变得乌黑。
‘O my Enemy and Wife of my Enemy and Mother of my Enemy,’ said the Cat, ‘take a strand of the wire that you are spinning and tie it to your spinning-whorl and drag it along the floor, and I will show you a magic that shall make your Baby laugh as loudly as he is now crying.’
“哦，我的敌人，我的敌人的妻子，我的敌人的母亲，”猫说，“拿一根你正在纺的线，把它系在你的纺轮上，沿着地板拖动它，我会给你展示一个魔法，让你的婴儿笑得像现在哭得一样大声。”
‘I will do so,’ said the Woman, ‘because I am at my wits’ end; but I will not thank you for it.’
“我会这样做，”女人说，“因为我已经无计可施了；但我不会为此感谢你。”
She tied the thread to the little clay spindle whorl and drew it across the floor, and the Cat ran after it and patted it with his paws and rolled head over heels, and tossed it backward over his shoulder and chased it between his hind-legs and pretended to lose it, and pounced down upon it again, till the Baby laughed as loudly as it had been crying, and scrambled after the Cat and frolicked all over the Cave till it grew tired and settled down to sleep with the Cat in its arms.
她把线系在小陶制纺轮上，把它拉过地板，猫追着它，用爪子拍打它，滚来滚去，把它向后扔过肩膀，在后腿之间追逐它，假装失去它，然后又猛扑上去，直到婴儿笑得像刚才哭得一样大声，爬着追着猫，在洞穴里嬉戏，直到他累了，抱着猫睡着了。
‘Now,’ said the Cat, ‘I will sing the Baby a song that shall keep him asleep for an hour.
“现在，”猫说，“我会给婴儿唱一首歌，让他睡一个小时。
And he began to purr, loud and low, low and loud, till the Baby fell fast asleep.
他开始发出低沉而响亮的咕噜声，低沉而响亮，直到婴儿沉沉入睡。”
The Woman smiled as she looked down upon the two of them and said, ‘That was wonderfully done.
女人微笑着低头看着他们俩，说道：“做得太棒了。”
That very minute and second, Best Beloved, the smoke of the fire at the back of the Cave came down in clouds from the roof—puff!— because it remembered the bargain she had made with the Cat, and when it had cleared away—lo and behold!—the Cat was sitting quite comfy close to the fire.
就在那分秒之间，亲爱的宝贝，山洞后面炉火的烟雾从屋顶上滚滚而下——噗！——因为它记得她和猫做的交易，当烟雾散去——瞧啊！——猫正舒舒服服地坐在靠近炉火的地方。
‘O my Enemy and Wife of my Enemy and Mother of My Enemy,’ said the Cat, ‘it is I, for you have spoken a second word in my praise, and now I can sit by the warm fire at the back of the Cave for always and always and always. But still I am the Cat who walks by himself, and all places are alike to me.’
“哦，我的敌人、我敌人的妻子、我敌人的母亲，”猫说，“是我，因为你说了第二次赞扬我的话，现在我可以永远、永远、永远坐在洞穴后面温暖的火堆旁了。但我仍然是独来独往的猫，所有地方对我来说都一样。”
Then the Woman was very very angry, and let down her hair and put more wood on the fire and brought out the broad blade-bone of the shoulder of mutton and began to make a Magic that should prevent her from saying a third word in praise of the Cat.
然后女人非常非常生气，放下头发，往火里添了更多的木头，拿出羊肩的宽骨刀，开始施魔法，防止她再说出第三个赞美猫的词。
It was not a Singing Magic, Best Beloved, it was a Still Magic; and by and by the Cave grew so still that a little wee-wee mouse crept out of a corner and ran across the floor.
那不是唱歌的魔法，亲爱的宝贝，那是寂静的魔法；渐渐地，山洞变得非常寂静，一只小小的吱吱叫的老鼠从角落里爬出来，跑过地板。
‘O my Enemy and Wife of my Enemy and Mother of my Enemy,’ said the Cat, ‘is that little mouse part of your magic?’
“哦，我的敌人，我敌人的妻子，我敌人的母亲，”猫说，“那只小老鼠是你魔法的一部分吗？”
‘Ouh! Chee! No indeed!’ said the Woman, and she dropped the blade-bone and jumped upon the footstool in front of the fire and braided up her hair very quick for fear that the mouse should run up it.
“哦！切！不，真的不是！”女人说，她扔下刀刃骨，跳到火炉前的脚凳上，非常快地把头发编起来，生怕老鼠会跑上去。
‘Ah,’ said the Cat, watching, ‘then the mouse will do me no harm if I eat it?’
“啊，”猫看着说，“那么如果我吃了这只老鼠，它不会对我造成伤害吗？”
‘No,’ said the Woman, braiding up her hair, ‘eat it quickly and I will ever be grateful to you.’
“不会，”女人边编头发边说，“快点吃，我会永远感激你的。”
Cat made one jump and caught the little mouse, and the Woman said, ‘A hundred thanks. Even the First Friend is not quick enough to catch little mice as you have done. You must be very wise.’
猫跳了一下，抓住了小老鼠，女人说：“万分感谢。即使是第一个朋友也没有你这么快抓住小老鼠。你一定很聪明。”
That very moment and second, O Best Beloved, the Milk-pot that stood by the fire cracked in two pieces—ffft—because it remembered the bargain she had made with the Cat, and when the Woman jumped down from the footstool—lo and behold!
就在那一刻，亲爱的，站在火边的牛奶罐裂成了两半——因为它记得她与猫做的交易，当女人从脚凳上跳下来时——瞧啊！
—the Cat was lapping up the warm white milk that lay in one of the broken pieces.
——猫正在舔着其中一块碎片里的温热的白牛奶。
‘O my Enemy and Wife of my Enemy and Mother of my Enemy, said the Cat, ‘it is I; for you have spoken three words in my praise, and now I can drink the warm white milk three times a day for always and always and always. But still I am the Cat who walks by himself, and all places are alike to me.’
“哦，我的敌人，我敌人的妻子，我敌人的母亲，”猫说，“是我；因为你说了三个赞美我的话，现在我可以每天三次喝温热的白牛奶，永远永远永远。但我仍然是独来独往的猫，所有地方对我来说都一样。”
Then the Woman laughed and set the Cat a bowl of the warm white milk and said, ‘O Cat, you are as clever as a man, but remember that your bargain was not made with the Man or the Dog, and I do not know what they will do when they come home.’
然后女人笑了，给猫放了一碗温热的白牛奶，说：“哦，猫，你像人一样聪明，但记住，你的交易不是和男人或狗做的，我不知道他们回家后会怎么做。”
‘What is that to me?’ said the Cat. ‘If I have my place in the Cave by the fire and my warm white milk three times a day I do not care what the Man or the Dog can do.’
“那与我有什么关系？”猫说。“如果我在火边的洞穴里有我的位置，每天有三次温热的白牛奶，我不在乎男人或狗能做什么。”
That evening when the Man and the Dog came into the Cave, the Woman told them all the story of the bargain while the Cat sat by the fire and smiled.
那天晚上，当男人和狗走进洞穴时，女人把交易的整个故事都告诉了他们，而猫坐在火边微笑着。
Then the Man said, ‘Yes, but he has not made a bargain with me or with all proper Men after me.’
然后男人说：“是的，但他没有和我或我之后的所有合适的男人做交易。”
Then he took off his two leather boots and he took up his little stone axe (that makes three) and he fetched a piece of wood and a hatchet (that is five altogether), and he set them out in a row and he said, ‘Now we will make our bargain.
然后他脱下两只皮靴，拿起他的小石斧（这就有三件了），他又拿来一块木头和一把斧头（一共是五件），他把它们排成一排，说：“现在我们来做交易。
If you do not catch mice when you are in the Cave for always and always and always, I will throw these five things at you whenever I see you, and so shall all proper Men do after me.’
如果你在山洞里永远永远永远不捉老鼠，我每次看到你都会把这五件东西扔向你，我之后所有合适的人也都会这样做。”
‘Ah,’ said the Woman, listening, ‘this is a very clever Cat, but he is not so clever as my Man.’
“啊，”女人听着说，“这是一只非常聪明的猫，但他不如我的男人聪明。”
The Cat counted the five things (and they looked very knobby) and he said, ‘I will catch mice when I am in the Cave for always and always and always; but still I am the Cat who walks by himself, and all places are alike to me.’
猫数了数这五件东西（它们看起来非常多节），他说：“我在山洞里永远永远永远都会捉老鼠；但我仍然是独来独往的猫，对我来说所有地方都一样。”
‘Not when I am near,’ said the Man. ‘If you had not said that last I would have put all these things away for always and always and always; but I am now going to throw my two boots and my little stone axe (that makes three) at you whenever I meet you. And so shall all proper Men do after me!’
“我在附近时就不一样了，”男人说。“如果你刚才没有说最后那句话，我就会把这些东西永远永远永远收起来；但现在我要把我的两只靴子和我的小石斧（这就有三件了）扔向你，每次我见到你都会这样做。我之后所有合适的人也都会这样做！”
And he showed his teeth and said, ‘If you are not kind to the Baby while I am in the Cave for always and always and always, I will hunt you till I catch you, and when I catch you I will bite you.
他露出牙齿说：“如果你在我在洞穴里时对宝宝不好，我会永远永远永远追你，直到我抓住你，当我抓住你时我会咬你。”
‘Ah,’ said the Woman, listening, ‘this is a very clever Cat, but he is not so clever as the Dog.’
“啊，”女人听着说，“这是一只非常聪明的猫，但他不如狗聪明。”
Cat counted the Dog’s teeth (and they looked very pointed) and he said, ‘I will be kind to the Baby while I am in the Cave, as long as he does not pull my tail too hard, for always and always and always. But still I am the Cat that walks by himself, and all places are alike to me.’
猫数了狗的牙齿（它们看起来非常尖），然后说：“当我在洞穴里时，我会对宝宝好，只要他不把我的尾巴拉得太用力，永远永远永远。但我仍然是独来独往的猫，对我来说所有地方都一样。”
‘Not when I am near,’ said the Dog. ‘If you had not said that last I would have shut my mouth for always and always and always; but now I am going to hunt you up a tree whenever I meet you. And so shall all proper Dogs do after me.’
“当我在附近时就不一样了，”狗说。“如果你不说最后那句话，我会永远永远永远闭上嘴；但现在每当我遇见你，我都会把你追到树上。所有正派的狗都会在我之后这样做。”
Then the Man threw his two boots and his little stone axe (that makes three) at the Cat, and the Cat ran out of the Cave and the Dog chased him up a tree; and from that day to this, Best Beloved, three proper Men out of five will always throw things at a Cat whenever they meet him, and all proper Dogs will chase him up a tree.
然后男人把他的两只靴子和他的小石斧（那就是三个）扔向猫，猫跑出洞，狗追着他上了树；从那天到现在，亲爱的，五个合适的男人中有三个总会在遇到猫时向他扔东西，所有合适的狗都会把他追到树上。
He will kill mice and he will be kind to Babies when he is in the house, just as long as they do not pull his tail too hard.
他会杀老鼠，在房子里时他会对宝宝好，只要他们不把他的尾巴拉得太用力。
Share this article to
完成阅读
0s
0s