09
05月

男孩公主(1)

发布者:顽童不老

  
      The Marvelous Land of Oz
      by L. Frank Baum 
           
          男孩公主
      
        弗兰克·鲍姆    
             Chapter 1
            Tip Manufactures a Pumpkinhead
           第一章     小男孩做了个南瓜木头人

        In the Country of the Gillikins, which is at the North of the Land of Oz, 
        lived a youth called Tip. There was more to his name than that, for old 
        Mombi often declared that his whole name was Tippetarius; but no one was 
        expected to say such a long word when "Tip" would do just as well. 
        This boy remembered nothing of his parents, for he had been brought when 
        quite young to be reared by the old woman known as Mombi, whose 
        reputation, I am sorry to say, was none of the best. For the Gillikin 
        people had reason to suspect her of indulging in magical arts, and 
        therefore hesitated to associate with her.
                    
   
    奥兹大地的北部,是吉利金人的国家,住着一个少年叫迪普。他的名字原本还要长得多,因为老莫比常说他的全名是“迪普裴达利乌斯”,但大家都觉得“迪普”这名字就很好,当然就没人愿意叫那么长的名字了。
   这男孩完全记不得自己的父母,因为他很小的时候就由这位名叫莫比的老妇人抚养。这位老妇人的名声嘛,很遗憾地说,可不太好。因为人们怀疑她暗地里干着巫婆的勾当,所以不愿和她交往。
 
        Mombi was not exactly a Witch, because the Good Witch who ruled that 
        part of the Land of Oz had forbidden any other Witch to exist in her 
        dominions. So Tip's guardian, however much she might aspire to working 
        magic, realized it was unlawful to be more than a Sorceress, or at most 
        a Wizardess. 
        Tip was made to carry wood from the forest, that the old woman might 
        boil her pot. He also worked in the corn-fields, hoeing and husking; and 
        he fed the pigs and milked the four-horned cow that was Mombi's especial 
        pride.
   严格说来,莫比还算不上是一个女巫,因为统治该国的善良女巫禁止在她的领土上存在着别的女巫。因此,无论迪普的监护人多么渴望施展魔法,她也不敢公然像女巫那样活动,最多只能耍点儿小巫术,因为她清楚地知道违法的后果。
   老莫比常常迫使迪普到森林里去打柴;到玉米地里干活儿,除草,剥玉米;还要喂猪,给一头长了四只角的奶牛挤奶。就因为这头奶牛,莫比特别得意。
    
        But you must not suppose he worked all the time, for he felt that would 
        be bad for him. When sent to the forest Tip often climbed trees for 
        birds' eggs or amused himself chasing the fleet white rabbits or fishing 
        in the brooks with bent pins. Then he would hastily gather his armful of 
        wood and carry it home. And when he was supposed to be working in the 
        corn-fields, and the tall stalks hid him from Mombi's view, Tip would 
        often dig in the gopher holes, or if the mood seized him lie upon his 
        back between the rows of corn and take a nap. So, by taking care not to 
        exhaust his strength, he grew as strong and rugged as a boy may be. 
        Mombi's curious magic often frightened her neighbors, and they treated 
        her shyly, yet respectfully, because of her weird powers. But Tip 
        frankly hated her, and took no pains to hide his feelings. Indeed, he 
        sometimes showed less respect for the old woman than he should have 
        done, considering she was his guardian.
     不过,你要是以为迪普整天都在干活儿,那可就错了。因为他觉得 ,那样的话,就太没意思了。他在森林里,常常爬上树去掏鸟蛋,追逐一群一群的小白兔,或是用别针做成鱼钩在小溪里钓鱼;临回家时,才匆匆忙忙地收拢一抱柴,背起来就跑回家。他在玉米地里干活的时候,因为高高的玉米杆遮住了莫比的视线,就常常去挖地老鼠的洞穴,困了就躺在一排排的玉米中间打个盹儿。就这样,因为从不让自己筋疲力尽,迪普也就长得像其他的男孩子那样健壮结实。
   邻居们都害怕莫比那些稀奇古怪的魔法,对她敬而远之,因为她确实有一些不可思议的本事。迪普却明明白白地表示恨她,毫不掩饰对她的厌恶之情。的的确确,迪普对她的不敬有时候超过了常理,要知道,可是莫比把他养大的呀! 
        There were pumpkins in Mombi's corn-fields, lying golden red among the 
        rows of green stalks; and these had been planted and carefully tended 
        that the four-horned cow might eat of them in the winter time. But one 
        day, after the corn had all been cut and stacked, and Tip was carrying 
        the pumpkins to the stable, he took a notion to make a "Jack Lantern" 
        and try to give the old woman a fright with it.
   莫比的玉米地里,有一些金灿灿的南瓜躺在一排排绿色的玉米杆之间;这些南瓜受到了仔细的照料,因为是专门种来给四角奶牛冬天吃的。但是,在收完了玉米、砍掉了玉米杆并堆放好之后,有一天,迪普把那些南瓜搬到了牲口棚里的时候,突然想起要做一个“南瓜人面灯笼”,用来吓吓那个老妇人。 
        So he selected a fine, big pumpkin -- one with a lustrous, orange-red 
        color -- and began carving it. With the point of his knife he made two 
        round eyes, a three-cornered nose, and a mouth shaped like a new moon. 
        The face, when completed, could not have been considered strictly 
        beautiful; but it wore a smile so big and broad, and was so Jolly in 
        expression, that even Tip laughed as he looked admiringly at his work. 
        The child had no playmates, so he did not know that boys often dig out 
        the inside of a "pumpkin-jack," and in the space thus made put a lighted 
        candle to render the face more startling; but he conceived an idea of 
        his own that promised to be quite as effective. He decided to 
        manufacture the form of a man, who woul

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