关灯
护眼
字体:

THE STORY OF THE FOUR LITTLE CHILDREN WHO WENT ROUND THE WORLD 四小孩世界环游记(第2页)

章节目录保存书签

这事儿使他们郁闷了好一阵,如果不是赖内凭着他那股人见人爱的不折不挠劲儿,单腿独立,朝大伙儿悠闲地大声吹着口哨,直把大伙儿给逗乐了,他们可能会一直这么愁眉苦脸下去。于是众人又渐渐斗志昂扬,并商定一回家便给赖内一样用姜汁面包和黑莓做的食物当奖品,聊表他们诚挚的谢意。

后来的几天风平浪静,他们又航行到了另一个国家,惊喜地发现那儿有数不清的红眼小白鼠,他们坐成一个圈儿,一小口一小口地啃着一块牛奶布丁,彬彬有礼又心满意足。

Aravellerswereratherhuiredofeatingnothingbutsolesandesfaperiod,theyheldacilastotheproprietyofaskingtheMieinahumbleaingmanner,bywhichtheycouldhardlybeotherwisethawasagreed,therefuyshouldgoandasktheMice,whichheimmediatelydid;awas,thattheygaveawalnutshellonlyhalffullofcustarddiluted,thisdispleasedGuy,whosaid,"Outofsuchalotofpuddingasyouhavegot,Imustsay,youmighthavesparedasomewhatlargerquantity。"Butnosoonerhadhefihaurnedroundatoneezedathiminanappallingandvindier(anditisimpossibletoimagineamorescroobiousasoundthanthatcausedbythesimultaneoussneezingofmanymillionsofahatGuyrushedbacktotheboat,havingfirstshiedhisiddleofthecustardpudding,bywhishepletelyspoiledtheMice'sdinner。

这四个小客人真是饿极啦。他们吃鳎鱼和橘子吃了那么长时间,早就吃腻了。于是他们开了一个会,商讨用怎样的方式去打动并说服小老鼠,让他们拿出点布丁来分享。除了这样做,别无他法了。经商定,盖伊前去与小白鼠交涉。他立刻前往,结果只拿回一丁点儿牛奶布丁,用半个胡桃壳装着,里面还掺了不少水。盖伊气不打一处来,说道:“你们有那么多的布丁,出手也未免太小气了吧。”没等他说完,小白鼠们就掉头朝他直打喷嚏,声音吓人,充满敌意(你想破脑袋也想象不出,有啥比成千上万只愤怒的老鼠同时朝你打喷嚏更毛骨悚然的了)。盖伊见了这场面,赶紧往船上跑,他的帽子吧哒落到了布丁中央,糟蹋了老鼠们的这顿美食。

Byandbythefourcametoatrywheretherewereonlyanincrediblyinnumerablenumberebottleswithoutdofadazzlilysusceptiblebluecolor。EachofthesebluebottlesedaBlue-Bottle-Fly;aerestinganimalsliveuallytogetheridruralharmony:norperhapsinmanypartsoftheworldissuchperfedabjeesstobefouandSlingsbyandGuyandLireatlystruckwiththissingularandilement;and,havingpreviouslyaskedpermissiotle-Flies(whichwasmratotheshore,andtheyproaketeainfroles:butastheyhadheymerelyplaepebblesier;andtheQuangle-layedsometuonana,bywhich,ofcourse,teawasmadediredoftheverybestquality。

他们又慢慢向前航行,这回来到的这个国家,竟然没一间房子,满地都是数不清的拔了塞子的大瓶子,蓝得耀眼,惹人喜爱。每只蓝瓶子里都装着一只蓝瓶蝇,这些有趣的小虫子吃饱喝足,过着世外桃源般的日子。在世界别处可再难找见这般让人可羡又可怜的幸福了。薇兰、史林白、盖伊和赖内四人被这番奇怪又惹人好奇的景象吸引住了。在征得了蓝瓶蝇同意后(他们愉快地答应了),这四人便划船靠了岸。他们上岸后,在大瓶子前煮起茶来。但他们没有茶叶,只好往沸水里泡了几块鹅卵石。“狂怪王”对着水壶咿咿呀呀拉了阵手风琴,于是,茶居然煮出来了,味道还很不错。

Thefourtheoversatiotle-Flies,whodisapladgenteelmahoughwithaslightlybuzzi,chieflyowihattheyeachheldasmallclothes-brushbetweeh,whiaturallyoedafizzy,extraerance。

"Why,"saidViolet,"wouldyoukindlyinformus,doyouresideinbottles;and,ifiall,whynreenorpurple,or,indeed,iles?"

TowhichquestiedBlue-BottleFlya;Wefouleshereallreadytolivein;thatistreat-greatgreat-great-grandfathersdid:soweoccupiedthematond,wheeresohebottlesupsidedown,alyrarelyfeelthecoldatall;andyoukhatthisotbethecasewithbottlesofaha;

"Ofcourseitot,"saidSlingsby。"But,ifwemaytaketheliberty,onwhatdoyouchieflysubsist?"

"Mainlyoies,"saidtheBlueBottle-Fly;"ahesearesraspberryvinegarandRussiaherboileddow;

"Howdelicious!"saidGuy。

Towhieladded,"Huzz!"Atle-Fliessaid,"Buzz!"

Atthistime,anelderlyFlysaiditwasthehourfortheevening-songtobesung;and,onasignalbeiheBlue-Bottle-Fliesbegantobuzzatonasumptuousandsonorousmahemelodiousandmuoussoundsegalloverthewaters,andresoundingacrossthetumultuoustopsofthetransitorytitmitheintervenimountainswithasereneandsicklysuavityonlyknowrulyvirtuous。TheMoonwasshiningslobathestar-bespangledsky,whileherlightirrigatedthesmoothandshinysidesandwingsandbacksoftheBlue-Bottle-Fliesedtrivialsplendor,whileallNaturecheerfullyrespoheandstances。

后来,这四个孩子跟蓝瓶蝇攀谈了起来。他们讲起话来和和气气,文质彬彬,虽然嗡嗡嗡地有点儿含糊不清,这主要是因为他们的牙齿中间长了把刷衣服的毛刷,难怪讲话支支吾吾的。

薇兰问道:“能不能告诉我们,你们为什么住在瓶子里呀?而且,为什么不住在绿色、紫色、或者黄色的瓶子里呢?”

听了这个问题,一只上了年纪的老蓝瓶蝇回答道:“因为呀,这些瓶子是现成的;也就是说,我们祖辈的祖辈的祖辈的祖辈就住在里面了,我们自然也住进去喽。每当冬天来临,我们就把瓶子倒过来,这样一来就暖和了。你应该知道吧,其他颜色的瓶子可干不了这个。”

“当然知道啦。”史林白说,“那么,我们能不能再冒昧地问一问,你们靠吃啥为生?”

“主要吃牡蛎饼。”其中一只蓝瓶蝇说,“如果找不到呢,就吃黑莓醋和煮成糊的俄罗斯皮革。”

“一定好好吃哦!”盖伊羡慕道。

赖内又添了句:“妙得很!”蓝瓶蝇们都应和道:“嗡嗡!”

这时,一只老蓝瓶蝇出来宣布,唱晚歌的时间到了。于是,指令一发,蓝瓶蝇们一呼百应,闹哄哄地嗡嗡了起来。夹杂着唾液的悠扬曲调穿过河水,在山雀头顶回**,而山雀在高耸而苍翠的山间叽叽喳喳地飞来飞去。这一派宁静与祥和的景象,只有真诚善良的心儿才能感受到。夜空中繁星点点,月亮洒下银色的光辉;柔柔的月光轻抚着蓝瓶蝇们光滑而有光泽的身躯和翅膀。大自然仿佛与这蓝幽幽的世界共同呼吸着。

Inmanylong-afteryears,thefourlittletravellerslookedbacktothatevenihehappiestinalltheirlives;anditastmidhesailoftheboathaviheQuangle-Waleandplatheirrespectivepositions,andthePussy-CatstatioheeachtookalastaefarewelloftheBlue-Bottle-Flies,ninabodytothewater'sedgetoseethetravellersembark。

很多年后,四个孩子想起这一晚,都觉得这是他们一生中最美妙的时刻。时间已过了午夜,“狂怪王”已张起船帆,茶壶和搅拌器都已放到原位,猫咪已把好了舵,孩子们与蓝瓶蝇们深情道别,全体蓝瓶蝇来到岸边目送孩子们离去。

Asatokenrespedesteem,Violetmadeacourtesyquitedowntotheground,andstueofherfearrot-tailfeathersintothebaostpleasitle-Flies;whileSlingsby,Guy,andLiohreesmallboxes,g,respectively,blas,driedfigs,as;andthustheyleftthathappyshoreforever。

Overebytheirfeelitletravellersinstahetea-kettle,aasleep。Butallalongtheshore,formanyhours,therewasdistinctlyheardasoundofseverely-suppressedsobs,andofavaguemultitudeofliviuresusihandkerasubduedsimultaneoussnuffle,lingeringsadlyalongtheiheboatsailedfartherandfartherawayfromtheLandoftheHappyBlue-Bottle-Flies。

Nothingparticularoedaysaftertheseeve,asthetravellerswerepassingalowtrad,theyperunusualandgratifyiaamely,alargenumberofdCrawfish—perhapssixorseveier-side,aodiseheapofpalepinkworsted,whichtheymoisteervalswithafluidposedoflaveerandwhite-winenegus。

"webeofaoyou,OcrustyCrabbies?"saidthefour。

"Thankyoukindly,"saidthesecutively。&qutomakesomeworstedmittens,butdonotknowhow。"

为表达依依不舍之情,薇兰向他们行了个大礼,头都快碰着地了。她又从所剩不多的鹦鹉尾羽中取下一根,插在了最惹人喜爱的一只蓝瓶蝇的背毛上。而史林白、盖伊和赖内呢,则送了蓝瓶蝇们三个小盒子,里面分别装着黑别针、无花果干,还有埃普索姆产的盐。于是,他们与这个幸福的海岸永别了。

孩子们再也克制不住自己的感情,他们跳进水壶,很快就睡着了。但是,他们沿着海岸航行了好几个小时,一直清楚地听见想忍又忍不住的抽泣声,还有很多很多小生物用手帕掩着鼻子的讲话声。他们在巨浪拍打的岸边徘徊着,伤心地看着船儿渐渐远去,永远离开了幸福的蓝瓶蝇小岛。

章节目录