诗翁彼豆故事集 第2期:巫师和跳跳埚(2)

 　　Clang, clang, clang, went the cooking pot's single brass¹ foot upon the floor, but now its clamour was mixed with the brays² of a donkey and human groans³ of hunger, echoing from the depths of the pot. 哐啷、哐啷、哐啷，坩埚的独脚在地板上跳着，但是现在它的吵闹声中有混杂着驴叫声和人饥饿的呻吟声，这些声音是从坩埚的深处传出来的。

　　“Be still. Be silent!” shrieked⁴ the wizard, but not all his magical powers could quieten the warty⁵ pot, which hopped⁷ at his heels all day, braying⁸ and groaning⁹ and clanging, no matter where he went or what he did. “别动。安静！”巫师尖叫道，但是不管他用什么魔法，都不能使长满疣的坩埚安静下来。坩埚整天跟在他的身后挑来跳去，发出驴叫声、呻吟声和撞击声，不管他去什么地方，做什么事情。

　　That evening there came a third knock upon the door, and there on the threshold stood a young woman sobbing¹⁰ as though her heart would break. 那天傍晚，门外第三次传来敲门声，门槛外站着一个年轻的妇人，哭得伤心欲绝。

　　“My baby is grievously ill,” she said. “Won't you please help us? Your father bade me come if troubled –” “我的宝宝病得很重，”她说，“你能不能行行好帮帮我们？你父亲吩咐我有难处就过来——”

　　But the wizard slammed the door on her. 可是巫师当着她的面把门重重地关上了。

　　And now the tormenting¹¹ pot filled to the brim with salt water, and slopped tears all over the floor as it hopped, and brayed¹², and groaned¹³, and sprouted¹⁴ more warts¹⁵. 这一下，那口折磨人的坩埚里充满了盐水，它一边蹦跳着把泪水泼溅在地上，一边发出驴叫和呻吟，冒出更多的疣。

　　Though no more villagers came to seek help at the wizard's cottage for the rest of the week, the pot kept him informed of their many ills. 尽管在这个星期接下来的时间里，不再有村民到巫师家里来寻求帮助，但是坩埚仍然不停地把他们的病患告诉他。

　　Within a few days, it was not only braying and groaning and slopping and hopping¹⁶ and sprouting¹⁷ warts, it was also choking and retching, crying like a baby, whining¹⁸ like a dog, and spewing out bad cheese and sour milk and a plague of hungry slugs. 在短短的几天里，它不仅发出驴叫和呻吟，一边跳一边抛洒泪水，冒出疣，而且又是咳嗽又是干呕，像婴儿一样啼哭，像狗一样哀号，还吐出变质的奶酪和发酸的牛奶，以及数不清的饥饿的鼻涕虫。

　　The wizard could not sleep or eat with the pot beside him, but the pot refused to leave, and he could not silence it or force it to be still. 坩埚整天跟在巫师身边，折腾得他吃不下睡不着。可是坩埚就是不肯离开，巫师也无法使它安静下来，或强迫它静止不动。

　　At last the wizard could bear it no more. 最后，巫师再也忍受不住了。

　　“Bring me all your problems, all your troubles and your woes¹⁹!” he screamed, fleeing into the night, with the pot hopping behind him along the road into the village. “把你们所有的难处、所有的苦恼、所有的悲伤都拿给我吧！”他大喊一声，跑进了夜色中，顺着道路跑进村里，坩埚一跳一跳地也跟在他的身后，

　　“Come! Let me cure you, mend you and comfort you! “来吧！让我给你们治病，帮助你们，安慰你们吧！

　　I have my father's cooking pot, and I shall make you well!” 我有我父亲的坩埚，我会让你们都好起来的！”

　　And with the foul²⁰ pot still bounding along behind him, he ran up the street, casting spells in every direction. 他在街上奔跑着，把咒语射向四面八方，那令人恶心的坩埚仍然一跳一跳地跟在他身后。

　　Inside one house the little girl's warts vanished as she slept; 在一座房子里，那个熟睡的小姑娘身上的疣消失了；

　　The lost donkey was Summoned from a distant briar patch and set down softly in its stable; 那头丢失的驴子被魔法从远处的荆棘地里召唤回来了，悄悄地进了牲口棚；

　　The sick baby was doused²¹ in dittany and woke, well and rosy²². 那个病中的婴儿，身上撒了白藓水，健康地苏醒了，脸蛋红扑扑的。

　　At every house of sickness and sorrow, the wizard did his best, and gradually the cooking pot beside him stopped groaning and retching, and became quiet, shiny and clean. 在每一户有病痛和烦恼的人家，巫师都用尽全力去帮助他们，慢慢地，他身边的坩埚不再呻吟、干呕，而是变得安静、清爽、锃光瓦亮的了。

　　The pot burped out the single slipper²³ he had thrown into it, and permitted him to fit it on to the brass foot. 坩埚打了一个嗝儿，吐出了巫师扔进去的那只拖鞋，并允许巫师把它穿在那只黄铜脚上。

　　Together, they set off back to the wizard's house, the pot's footstep muffled²⁴ at last. 巫师和坩埚一起返回家里，坩埚的脚步声终于变得静悄悄了。

　　But from that day forward, the wizard helped the villagers like his father before him, lest the pot cast off its slipper, and begin to hop⁶ once more. 从那以后，巫师像他父亲生前一样帮助村民，生怕坩埚又脱掉鞋子，再次蹦蹦跳跳。

1 brass   

n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器

参考例句：

• Many of the workers play in the factory's brass band.许多工人都在工厂铜管乐队中演奏。
• Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。

2 brays   

n.驴叫声，似驴叫的声音( bray的名词复数 )；（喇叭的）嘟嘟声v.发出驴叫似的声音( bray的第三人称单数 )；发嘟嘟声；粗声粗气地讲话（或大笑）；猛击

参考例句：

• Then he quieted down and let out some happy brays. 接着，他安静下来，还快乐地放声嘶叫。 来自互联网
• IF a donkey brays at you, don't bray at him. 驴子向你嘶叫，你可别也向它嘶叫。 来自互联网

3 groans   

n.呻吟，叹息( groan的名词复数 )；呻吟般的声音v.呻吟( groan的第三人称单数 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦

参考例句：

• There were loud groans when he started to sing. 他刚开始歌唱时有人发出了很大的嘘声。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It was a weird old house, full of creaks and groans. 这是所神秘而可怕的旧宅，到处嘎吱嘎吱作响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 shrieked   

v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She shrieked in fright. 她吓得尖叫起来。
• Li Mei-t'ing gave a shout, and Lu Tzu-hsiao shrieked, "Tell what? 李梅亭大声叫，陆子潇尖声叫：“告诉什么？ 来自汉英文学 - 围城

5 warty   

adj.有疣的，似疣的；瘤状

参考例句：

• Warty recurrences occurred in the perineal wound within a month of surgery. 局部切除术后一个月内伤口疣体复发。 来自互联网
• African wild swine with warty protuberances on the face and large protruding tusks. 在脸部和突出的长牙上有疣样隆起的非洲野猪。 来自互联网

6 hop   

n.单脚跳，跳跃；vi.单脚跳，跳跃；着手做某事；vt.跳跃，跃过

参考例句：

• The children had a competition to see who could hop the fastest.孩子们举行比赛，看谁单足跳跃最快。
• How long can you hop on your right foot?你用右脚能跳多远？

7 hopped   

跳上[下]( hop的过去式和过去分词 )； 单足蹦跳； 齐足（或双足）跳行； 摘葎草花

参考例句：

• He hopped onto a car and wanted to drive to town. 他跳上汽车想开向市区。
• He hopped into a car and drove to town. 他跳进汽车，向市区开去。

8 braying   

v.发出驴叫似的声音( bray的现在分词 )；发嘟嘟声；粗声粗气地讲话（或大笑）；猛击

参考例句：

• A donkey was braying on the hill behind the house. 房子后面的山上传来驴叫声。 来自互联网
• What's the use of her braying out such words? 她粗声粗气地说这种话有什么用呢？ 来自互联网

9 groaning   

adj. 呜咽的, 呻吟的 动词groan的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• She's always groaning on about how much she has to do. 她总抱怨自己干很多活儿。
• The wounded man lay there groaning, with no one to help him. 受伤者躺在那里呻吟着，无人救助。

10 sobbing   

<主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的

参考例句：

• I heard a child sobbing loudly. 我听见有个孩子在呜呜地哭。
• Her eyes were red with recent sobbing. 她的眼睛因刚哭过而发红。

11 tormenting   

使痛苦的，使苦恼的

参考例句：

• He took too much pleasure in tormenting an ugly monster called Caliban. 他喜欢一味捉弄一个名叫凯列班的丑妖怪。
• The children were scolded for tormenting animals. 孩子们因折磨动物而受到责骂。

12 brayed   

v.发出驴叫似的声音( bray的过去式和过去分词 )；发嘟嘟声；粗声粗气地讲话（或大笑）；猛击

参考例句：

• He brayed with laughter. 他刺耳地大笑。
• His donkey threw up his head and brayed loudly. 他的驴扬起头大声叫。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 groaned   

v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦

参考例句：

• He groaned in anguish. 他痛苦地呻吟。
• The cart groaned under the weight of the piano. 大车在钢琴的重压下嘎吱作响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 sprouted   

v.发芽( sprout的过去式和过去分词 )；抽芽；出现；（使）涌现出

参考例句：

• We can't use these potatoes; they've all sprouted. 这些土豆儿不能吃了，都出芽了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The rice seeds have sprouted. 稻种已经出芽了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

15 warts   

n.疣( wart的名词复数 )；肉赘；树瘤；缺点

参考例句：

• You agreed to marry me, warts and all! 是你同意和我结婚的，我又没掩饰缺陷。 来自辞典例句
• Talk about trying to cure warts with spunk-water such a blame fool way as that! 用那样糊涂蛋的方法还谈什么仙水治疣子！ 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险

16 hopping   

n. 跳跃 动词hop的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The clubs in town are really hopping. 城里的俱乐部真够热闹的。
• I'm hopping over to Paris for the weekend. 我要去巴黎度周末。

17 sprouting   

v.发芽( sprout的现在分词 )；抽芽；出现；（使）涌现出

参考例句：

• new leaves sprouting from the trees 树上长出的新叶
• They were putting fresh earth around sprouting potato stalks. 他们在往绽出新芽的土豆秧周围培新土。 来自名作英译部分

18 whining   

n. 抱怨，牢骚 v. 哭诉，发牢骚

参考例句：

• That's the way with you whining, puny, pitiful players. 你们这种又爱哭、又软弱、又可怜的赌棍就是这样。
• The dog sat outside the door whining (to be let in). 那条狗坐在门外狺狺叫着（要进来）。

19 woes   

困境( woe的名词复数 )； 悲伤； 我好苦哇； 某人就要倒霉

参考例句：

• Thanks for listening to my woes. 谢谢您听我诉说不幸的遭遇。
• She has cried the blues about its financial woes. 对于经济的困难她叫苦不迭。

20 foul   

adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规

参考例句：

• Take off those foul clothes and let me wash them.脱下那些脏衣服让我洗一洗。
• What a foul day it is!多么恶劣的天气！

21 doused   

v.浇水在…上( douse的过去式和过去分词 )；熄灯[火]

参考例句：

• The car was doused in petrol and set alight. 这辆汽车被浇上汽油点燃了。
• He doused the lamp,and we made our way back to the house. 他把灯熄掉，我们就回到屋子里去。 来自《简明英汉词典》

22 rosy   

adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的

参考例句：

• She got a new job and her life looks rosy.她找到一份新工作，生活看上去很美好。
• She always takes a rosy view of life.她总是对生活持乐观态度。

23 slipper   

n.拖鞋

参考例句：

• I rescued the remains of my slipper from the dog.我从那狗的口中夺回了我拖鞋的残留部分。
• The puppy chewed a hole in the slipper.小狗在拖鞋上啃了一个洞。

24 muffled   

adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己）

参考例句：

• muffled voices from the next room 从隔壁房间里传来的沉闷声音
• There was a muffled explosion somewhere on their right. 在他们的右面什么地方有一声沉闷的爆炸声。 来自《简明英汉词典》