名著·小妇人 - 第37节

　　“一个高高的身影，穿着一身白衣服，脸上蒙了０一条脸纱，瘦骨嶙峋的手提着一盏灯，"梅格续上去，"它招招手，无声无息地沿着一条像坟墓一样黑暗冰凉的走廊滑行。披着盔甲的塑像阴森森地站立两边，周围一片死寂，灯火喷出蓝光，鬼影不时向他转过脸来，两只恐怖的眼睛透过白色脸纱发出闪闪幽光。他们走到一扇挂了帘子的门前，门后面突然响起悦耳的音乐；他跳上前要走进去，幽灵把他拽了回来，威胁地在他面前扬着一个--"

'Snuff-box,' said Jo, in a sepulchral tone, which convulsed the audience. '"Thankee," said the knight, politely, as he took a pinch, and sneezed seven times so violently that his head fell off. "Ha! ha!" laughed the ghost; and having peeped through the keyhole at the princesses spinning away for dear life, the evil spirit picked up her victim and put him in a large tin box, where there were eleven other knights packed together without their heads, like sardines, who all rose and began to--'

　　“鼻烟盒，"乔阴声阴气地说，众人听得毛发倒竖，"'有劳了，'武士礼貌地说，一面拈了一撮儿，随即重重地打了七个大喷嚏，震得脑袋都掉了下来。'哈！哈！'鬼魂发出笑声。恶鬼透过钥匙孔看到公主们仍在纺线赎取新生，便捡起它的牺牲品，把他放进一个大锡箱子里，箱里头还密密麻麻地塞了十一个无头武士，他们全站起身来，开始--"

'Dance a hornpipe,' cut in Fred, as Jo paused for breath; 'and, as they danced, the rubbishy old castle turned to a man-of-war in full sail. "Up with the jib, reef the tops'l halliards, helm hard a-lee, and man the guns!" roared the captain, as a Portuguese pirate hove in sight, with a flag black as ink flying from her foremast. "Go in and win my hearties!" says the captain; and a tremendous fight began. Of course the British beat; they always do.' 'No, they don't,' cried Jo, aside.

　　“跳号笛舞，"弗雷德趁乔停下歇口气时插进来，"他们跳舞时，废旧城堡变成一艘风帆的战船。'向风打三角帆，收紧中桅帆扬帆索，背风转舵，开炮！'船长吼叫道。此时一艘前桅飘着一面黑旗的葡萄牙海盗船正驶入视线。"冲啊，伙伴们！"船长说，于是一场大战开始了。当然是英方打赢罗，他们向来都是赢家。"“不对！"乔在一边叫道。

'Having taken the pirate captain prisoner, sailed slap over the schooner, whose decks were piled with dead, and whose leescuppers ran blood, for the order had been "Cutlasses, and die hard!" "Bosun's mate, take a bright of the flying jib sheet, and start this villain if he don't confess his sins double quick," said the British captain. The Portuguese held his tongue like a brick, and walked the plank, while the jolly tars cheered like mad. But the sly dog dived, came up under the man-of-war, scuttled her, and down she went, with all sail set, "To the bottom of the sea, sea, sea," where--' "

　　把海盗船长俘虏后，战船直驶过纵帆船，纵帆船甲板上堆满了尸体，鲜血从下风排水孔流了出来，因为他们的命令是'拼死肉搏！''副水手长，拿个三角帆帆脚索绳耳来，如果这坏蛋不赶快招供，就把他干掉，'英国舰只的船长说道。但那葡萄牙人像条好汉一样咬紧牙关，于是让他走跳板。快乐的水手们欢呼若狂。但那狡猾的家伙潜在水中，游到战船下面，把船底凿穿，扬满风帆的船儿沉了下去，'往海底，海，海，'那儿--"

'Oh, gracious! what shall I say?' cried Sallie, as Fred ended his rigmarole, in which he had jumbled together, pell-mell, nautical phrases and facts out of one of his favourite books. 'Well, they went to the bottom, and a nice mermaid welcomed them, but was much grieved on finding the box of headless knights, and kindly pickled them in brine, hoping to discover the mystery about them, for, being a woman, she was curious. By and by, a diver came down, and the mermaid said, "I'll give you this box of pearls if you can take it up"; for she wanted to restore the poor things to life, and couldn't raise the heavy load herself. So the diver hoisted it up, and was much disappointed to find no pearls. He left it in a great lonely field, where it was found by a--'

　　“噢，天啊！我该说什么？"莎莉叫道。此时弗雷德收住了他的连篇废话，这些乱七八糟的水手用语和生活描写全取材于他最喜欢的一本书。"唔，他们沉落海底，一条美丽的美人鱼迎接他们，看到装着无头武士的箱子，美人鱼十分伤心，便好心地把他们腌在盐水里，希望能发现他们的秘密，因为她是个女人，好奇心很强。后来，有个人潜水下来，美人鱼便说：'如果你可以把箱子拿上去，我便把这箱珠宝送给你。'她很想这些可怜的武士重获新生，但自己却无力举起这个沉重的箱子。潜水者便把箱子举上来，打开一看，里头并无珠宝，大为失望，便把箱子弃在一片人迹罕至的荒野里，被一个--"

　　“小牧羊女发现了。小姑娘在这片地里养了一百只肥鹅，"艾美在莎莉才思枯竭时接着说，"她很替武士们难过，便请教一位老妇人怎样才能帮助他们。'你的鹅会告诉你的，它们无所不知，'老妇人说。她接着又问旧脑袋掉了应该用什么再装上去做新脑袋，只见那一百只鹅张开嘴巴齐齐尖叫--"

'"Cabbages!"' continued Laurie, promptly. '"Just the thing," said the girl, and ran to get twelve fine ones from her garden. She put them on, the knights revived at once, thanked her, and went on their way rejoicing, never knowing the difference, for there were so many other heads like them in the world that no one thought anything of it. The knight in whom I'm interested went back to find the pretty face, and learned that the princesses had spun themselves free, and all gone to be married but one. He was in a great state of mind at that; and mounting the colt, who stood by him through thick and thin, rushed to the castle to see which was left. Peeping over the hedge, he saw the queen of his affections picking flowers in her garden.

　　“'卷心菜！'"劳里立即接上去，"'就是它了，'姑娘说道，跑到自己的园子里摘了十二个大卷心菜。她把卷心菜放上去，武士们马上复活了，谢过小牧羊女后，欣喜上路，并不知道自己换了脑袋，因为世界上跟他们一样的脑袋太多了，谁也没想到自己的有什么不同。我感兴趣的那位武士走回去找佳人，得悉公主们已纺纱赎回自由，除了一个外已全部出嫁了。武士听罢心潮起伏难平，跨上一直与他患难与共的小马，冲到城堡，看看留下来的是谁。他隔着树篱偷窥，看到他心爱的公主正在花园里采花。

"Will you give me a rose?" said he. "You must come and get it. I can't come to you; it isn't proper," said she, as sweet as honey. He tried to climb over the hedge, but it seemed to grow higher and higher; then he tried to push through, but it grew thicker and thicker and he was in despair. So he patiently broke twig after twig till he had made a little hole, through which he peeped, saying imploringly, "Let me in! let me in." But the pretty princess did not seem to understand, for she picked her roses quietly, and left him to fight his way in. Whether he did or not, Frank will tell you.' '

　　能给我一朵玫瑰吗？'他问道。'你得自己过来拿。我不能走近你，这样有失体统，'佳人柔声说道。他试图爬过树篱，但它似乎越长越高；然后他想冲破树篱，但它却越长越浓密。他一筹莫展，于是耐心地把细树枝一枝一枝折断，开了一个小洞，从洞里望进去，哀求道：'让我进来吧！让我进来吧！'但美丽的公主似乎并不明白，依然平静地摘她的玫瑰，任由他孤身奋战。他有没有冲进去呢？弗兰克会告诉大家。"

'I can't; I'm not playing, I never do,' said Frank, dismayed at the sentimental predicament out of which he was to rescue the absurd couple. Beth had disappeared behind Jo, and Grace was asleep.

　　“我不会，我没有玩，我从来都不玩，"弗兰克说道。他不知道怎样才能把这对荒唐的情人从感情的困境中解救出来。贝思早躲到乔的身后，格莱丝则睡着了。

'So the poor knight is to be left sticking in the hedge, is he?' asked Mr. Brooke, still watching the river and playing with the wild rose in his buttonhole. "

　　那么说可怜的武士就被困在树篱一边了，对吗？"布鲁克先生眼睛仍然凝视着小河，手里把玩着插在钮孔上的野玫瑰，问道。

　　我想后来公主给他一束玫瑰，并把门打开，"劳里说，笑着向他的家庭教师扔橡树子。

'What a piece of nonsense we have made! With practice we might do something quite clever. Do you know "Truth"?' asked Sallie, after they had laughed over their story. "

　　看我们凑了篇什么样的废话！多实践的话我们或许能做出点名堂呢？你们知道'真言'吗？"当大家笑过自己作的故事后，莎莉问。

'I hope so,' said Meg, soberly. 'The game, I mean?' 'What is it?' said Fred. "

　　但愿我知道，"梅格认真地说。"我的意思是这个游戏。"“怎么玩？"弗雷德问。

'Why, you pile up your hands, choose a number, and draw out in turn, and the person who draws at the number has to answer truly any questions put by the rest. It's great fun.' 'Let's try it,' said Jo, who liked new experiments. "

　　哦，这样，大家把手叠起来，选一个数字，然后轮流抽出手，抽到这个数字的人得老实回答其他人提出的问题。很好玩的。"“我们试试吧，"喜欢新花样的乔说。

Miss Kate and Mr. Brooke, Meg, and Ned declined, but Fred, Sallie, Jo, and Laurie piled and drew; and the lot fell to Laurie.

　　凯特小姐、布鲁克先生、梅格和内德退出了。弗雷德、莎莉、乔和劳里开始玩这个游戏，劳里抽中了。

　　谁是你的偶像？"乔问。"爷爷和拿破仑。"“你认为这里哪位女士最漂亮？"莎莉问。"玛格丽特。"“你最喜欢哪一位？"弗雷德问。"乔，那还用说。"

'What silly questions you ask!' and Jo gave a disdainful shrug, as the rest laughed at Laurie's matter-of-fact tone. 'Try again; Truth isn't a bad game,' said Fred. 'It's, a very good one for you,' retorted Jo, in a low voice. Her turn came next.

　　劳里说得一本正经，大家全笑起来。乔轻蔑地耸耸肩，说："你们问得真无聊！"“再玩一回；'真言'这个游戏挺不错，"弗雷德说。"对你来说是个好游戏，"乔低声反驳道。这回轮到她了。

'What is your greatest fault?' asked Fred, by way of testing in her the virtue he lacked himself. "

　　你最大的缺点是什么？"弗雷德问，借此试探她是否诚实，因为他自己缺乏的正是这种品格。

'A quick temper.' 'What do you most wish for?' said Laurie.

　　“品性急躁。"“你最希望什么？"劳里问。

'A pair of boot-lacings,' returned Jo, guessing and defeating his purpose. "

　　一对靴带。"乔一面揣测他的用意，一面挫败了他的目的。