When Toad found himself immured in a dank and noisome dungeon, and knew that all the grim darkness of a medieval fortress lay between him and the outer world of sunshine and well-metalled high roads where he had lately been so happy, disporting himself as if he had bought up every road in England, he flung himself at full length on the floor, and shed bitter tears, and abandoned himself to dark despair. ‘This is the end of everything’ (he said), ‘at least it is the end of the career of Toad, which is the same thing; the popular and handsome Toad, the rich and hospitable Toad, the Toad so free and careless and debonair! How can I hope to be ever set at large again’ (he said), ‘who have been imprisoned so justly for stealing so handsome a motor-car in such an audacious manner, and for such lurid and imaginative cheek, bestowed upon such a number of fat, red-faced policemen!’ (Here his sobs choked him.) ‘Stupid animal that I was’ (he said), ‘now I must languish in this dungeon, till people who were proud to say they knew me, have forgotten the very name of Toad! O wise old Badger!’ (he said), ‘O clever, intelligent Rat and sensible Mole! What sound judgments, what a knowledge of men and matters you possess! O unhappy and forsaken Toad!’ With lamentations such as these he passed his days and nights for several weeks, refusing his meals or intermediate light refreshments, though the grim and ancient gaoler, knowing that Toad’s pockets were well lined, frequently pointed out that many comforts, and indeed luxuries, could by arrangement be sent in—at a price—from outside.
蟾蜍被关进了一个阴森森臭哄哄的地牢，他知道，一座暗无天日的中世纪城堡，把他和外面的世界隔绝开来了。外面那个世界，阳光灿烂，碎石子道路纵横交错，前不久，他还在那儿尽情玩乐，好不快活，就像全英国的道路都被他买下了似的。想到这，他一头扑倒在地上，流着辛酸的泪，完全陷入了绝望。“一切的一切全完啦，”他哀叹道，“至少是，蟾蜍的前途完啦，反正是一样。那个名声显赫、漂亮体面的蟾蜍，富有好客的蟾蜍，自由自在、无忧无虑、温文尔雅的蟾蜍，完啦！我胆大妄为，偷了人家一辆漂亮汽车，又厚着脸皮，粗暴无礼，对一大帮红脸膛的胖警察胡说八道，坐牢是我罪有应得，哪还有获释的希望！”抽泣噎住了他的喉咙，“我真蠢哪，现在，我只有在这个地牢里苦熬岁月。有一天，那些曾经以认识我为荣的人，连我蟾蜍的名字都给忘了！老獾多明智呀，河鼠多机灵呀，鼹鼠多懂事呀！你们的判断多么正确！你们看人看事，多透彻呀！唉，我这个不幸的、孤苦无依的蟾蜍哟！”他就这样昼夜不停地哀叹，一连过了好几个星期，不肯吃饭，也不肯吃点心。那位板着面孔的老狱卒知道他的口袋里装满了钱，一个劲儿提醒他，只要肯出价，就能为他从监狱外面搞到许多好东西，甚至还有奢侈品，可他硬是什么都不吃。
Now the gaoler had a daughter, a pleasant wench and good-hearted, who assisted her father in the lighter duties of his post. She was particularly fond of animals, and, besides her canary, whose cage hung on a nail in the massive wall of the keep by day, to the great annoyance of prisoners who relished an after-dinner nap, and was shrouded in an antimacassar on the parlour table at night, she kept several piebald mice and a restless revolving squirrel. This kind-hearted girl, pitying the misery of Toad, said to her father one day, ‘Father! I can’t bear to see that poor beast so unhappy, and getting so thin! You let me have the managing of him. You know how fond of animals I am. I’ll make him eat from my hand, and sit up, and do all sorts of things.’
却说，这狱卒有个女儿，她是位心肠慈善的可爱姑娘。在监狱里帮着父亲干点轻便杂活。她特别喜欢动物，养着一只金丝雀，鸟笼子每天就挂在厚厚的城堡墙上一只钉子上。鸟的鸣唱，吵得那些想在午饭后打个盹儿的犯人苦恼不堪。夜晚，鸟笼就用布罩罩着，放在厅里的桌子上。她还养着几只花斑鼠，和一只不停地转着圈儿的松鼠。这位好心的姑娘很同情蟾蜍的悲惨处境。有一天，她对父亲说：“爹！我实在不忍心看着这只可怜的动物那么受罪，您瞧他多瘦呀。您让我来管他吧。您知道，我是多么喜欢动物。我要亲手喂他东西吃，让他坐起来，干各种各样的事。”
Her father replied that she could do what she liked with him. He was tired of Toad, and his sulks and his airs and his meanness. So that day she went on her errand of mercy, and knocked at the door of Toad’s cell.
她父亲回答说，她愿意拿蟾蜍怎么办都可以，因为他已经烦透了蟾蜍。他讨厌他那副阴阳怪气、装腔作势的卑劣相。于是有一天，她就敲开蟾蜍囚室的门，去做行善的事。
‘Now, cheer up, Toad,’ she said, coaxingly, on entering, ‘and sit up and dry your eyes and be a sensible animal. And do try and eat a bit of dinner. See, I’ve brought you some of mine, hot from the oven!’
“好啦。蟾蜍，打起精神来，”她一进门就说，“坐起来，擦干眼泪，做个懂事的动物。试试看，吃口饭吧。瞧，我给你拿来一点我的饭菜，刚出炉的，还热着呐。”
It was bubble-and-squeak, between two plates, and its fragrance filled the narrow cell. The penetrating smell of cabbage reached the nose of Toad as he lay prostrate in his misery on the floor, and gave him the idea for a moment that perhaps life was not such a blank and desperate thing as he had imagined. But still he wailed, and kicked with his legs, and refused to be comforted. So the wise girl retired for the time, but, of course, a good deal of the smell of hot cabbage remained behind, as it will do, and Toad, between his sobs, sniffed and reflected, and gradually began to think new and inspiring thoughts: of chivalry, and poetry, and deeds still to be done; of broad meadows, and cattle browsing in them, raked by sun and wind; of kitchen-gardens, and straight herb-borders, and warm snap-dragon beset by bees; and of the comforting clink of dishes set down on the table at Toad Hall, and the scrape of chair-legs on the floor as every one pulled himself close up to his work. The air of the narrow cell took a rosy tinge; he began to think of his friends, and how they would surely be able to do something; of lawyers, and how they would have enjoyed his case, and what an ass he had been not to get in a few; and lastly, he thought of his own great cleverness and resource, and all that he was capable of if he only gave his great mind to it; and the cure was almost complete.
这是用两只盘子扣着的一份土豆加卷心菜，香气四溢，充满了狭小的牢房。蟾蜍正惨兮兮地伸开四肢躺在地上，卷心菜那股浓烈的香味钻进了他的鼻孔，一时间使他感到，生活也许还不像他想象的那样空虚绝望。不过，他还是悲伤地哭个没完，踢蹬着两腿，不理会她的安慰。聪明的姑娘暂时退了出去，不过当然，她带来的热菜的香气还留在牢房里。蟾蜍一边抽泣，一边用鼻子闻，同时心里想着，渐渐地想到了一些使他激动的新念头，想到侠义行为，想到诗歌，还有那些等着他去完成的业绩；想到广阔的草地，阳光下，微风里，在草地上吃草的牛羊；想到菜园子，整齐的花坛，被蜜蜂团团围住的暖融融的金鱼草；还想到蟾宫里餐桌上碗碟那悦耳的丁当声，和人们拉拢椅子就餐时椅子脚擦着地板的声音。狭小的囚室里的空气仿佛呈现出玫瑰色。他想起了自己的朋友们，他们准会设法营救他的；他想到律师，他们一定会对他的案子感兴趣的。他是多么愚蠢，当时为什么不请几位律师。末了，他想到自己原是绝顶聪明，足智多谋，只要肯动动自己那伟大的脑筋，世间万事他都能办到。想到这里，所有的苦恼几乎一扫而光了。
When the girl returned, some hours later, she carried a tray, with a cup of fragrant tea steaming on it; and a plate piled up with very hot buttered toast, cut thick, very brown on both sides, with the butter running through the holes in it in great golden drops, like honey from the honeycomb. The smell of that buttered toast simply talked to Toad, and with no uncertain voice; talked of warm kitchens, of breakfasts on bright frosty mornings, of cosy parlour firesides on winter evenings, when one’s ramble was over and slippered feet were propped on the fender; of the purring of contented cats, and the twitter of sleepy canaries. Toad sat up on end once more, dried his eyes, sipped his tea and munched his toast, and soon began talking freely about himself, and the house he lived in, and his doings there, and how important he was, and what a lot his friends thought of him.
几个钟头以后，姑娘又回来了。她端着一个托盘。盘里放着一杯冒着热气的香茶，还有堆得老高的一盘热腾腾的黄油烤面包。面包片切得厚厚的，两面都烤得焦黄，熔化的黄油顺着面包的孔眼直往下滴，变成金黄色的大油珠，象蜂巢里淌出来的蜜。黄油烤面包的气味，简直在向蟾蜍讲话，说得清清楚楚，半点不含糊。它讲到暖融融的厨房，明亮的霜晨的早餐；讲到冬日黄昏漫游归来，穿拖鞋的脚搁在炉架上，向着一炉舒适的旺火；讲到心满意足的猫儿打着呼噜，昏昏欲睡的金丝雀在啁啾。蟾蜍又一次坐起身来，抹去眼泪，啜起了茶，嚼开了烤面包，无拘无束地对姑娘谈起了他自己，他的房子，他在那里都干些什么，他是一位何等显要的人物，他的朋友们多么敬重他。
The gaoler’s daughter saw that the topic was doing him as much good as the tea, as indeed it was, and encouraged him to go on.
狱卒的女儿看到，这个话题像茶点一样，对蟾蜍大有裨益，就鼓励他说下去。
‘Tell me about Toad Hall,’ said she. ‘It sounds beautiful.’
“给我说说你的蟾宫吧，”她说。“看来那是个美丽的地方。”
‘Toad Hall,’ said the Toad proudly, ‘is an eligible self-contained gentleman’s residence very unique; dating in part from the fourteenth century, but replete with every modern convenience. Up-to-date sanitation. Five minutes from church, post-office, and golf-links, Suitable for----‘
“蟾宫嘛，”蟾蜍骄傲地说，“是一所合格的独门独户的绅士住宅。它别具一格，一部分是在14世纪建成的，不过现在安装了顶方便的现代化设施。有最新款式的卫生设备。离教堂、邮局、高尔夫球场都很近，只消走五分钟就到。适合于——”
‘Bless the animal,’ said the girl, laughing, ‘I don’t want to TAKE it. Tell me something REAL about it. But first wait till I fetch you some more tea and toast.’
“上天保佑你这动物，”姑娘大笑着说。“我又不打算买下它。给我讲讲房子的具体情况吧。不过先等一下，我再给你拿点茶和烤面包来。”
She tripped away, and presently returned with a fresh trayful; and Toad, pitching into the toast with avidity, his spirits quite restored to their usual level, told her about the boathouse, and the fish-pond, and the old walled kitchen-garden; and about the pig-styes, and the stables, and the pigeon-house, and the hen-house; and about the dairy, and the wash-house, and the china-cupboards, and the linen-presses (she liked that bit especially); and about the banqueting-hall, and the fun they had there when the other animals were gathered round the table and Toad was at his best, singing songs, telling stories, carrying on generally. Then she wanted to know about his animal-friends, and was very interested in all he had to tell her about them and how they lived, and what they did to pass their time. Of course, she did not say she was fond of animals as PETS, because she had the sense to see that Toad would be extremely offended. When she said good night, having filled his water-jug and shaken up his straw for him, Toad was very much the same sanguine, self-satisfied animal that he had been of old. He sang a little song or two, of the sort he used to sing at his dinner-parties, curled himself up in the straw, and had an excellent night’s rest and the pleasantest of dreams.
她一溜小跑走开、很快又端来一盘吃的。蟾蜍贪馋地一头扎进烤面包，情绪多少恢复过来。他给她讲他的船仓、鱼塘、围墙里的菜园；讲他的猪圈、马厩、鸽房、鸡舍；讲他的牛奶棚、洗衣房、瓷器柜、熨衣板（这玩意她特喜欢）；讲他的宴会厅，他怎样招待别的动物围坐餐桌旁，而他蟾蜍如何意气风发，神采飞扬。又唱歌。又讲故事，诸如此类。然后，她又要他谈他的动物朋友们的情况，津津有味地听他讲他们怎样过活，怎样娱乐消遣，一切一切。当然，她没有说她是把动物当宠物来喜爱，因为她知道那会使蟾蜍大为反感。末了，她给他把水罐盛满，把铺草抖松，向他道了晚安。这时，他已经恢复到原先那个沾沾自喜、洋洋得意的蟾蜍了。他唱了一两支小曲儿，就是他过去在宴会上常唱的那种歌，蜷曲着身子躺在稻草里，美美地睡了一夜，还做了许多顶愉快的好梦。
They had many interesting talks together, after that, as the dreary days went on; and the gaoler’s daughter grew very sorry for Toad, and thought it a great shame that a poor little animal should be locked up in prison for what seemed to her a very trivial offence. Toad, of course, in his vanity, thought that her interest in him proceeded from a growing tenderness; and he could not help half-regretting that the social gulf between them was so very wide, for she was a comely lass, and evidently admired him very much.
打那以后，沉闷的日子过了一天又一天，他们经常在一起谈得很投机。狱卒的女儿越来越替蟾蜍抱不平，她觉得，这么一只可怜的小动物，为了一件微不足道的过失，就给关在监牢里，太不应该了。蟾蜍呢，他的虚荣心又抬头了，以为她关心自己，是出于对自己滋生了恋情。只是他认为，他俩之间社会地位太悬殊，他不能不为此感到遗憾，因为她是个挺招人喜欢的小妞儿，而且显然对他一往情深。
One morning the girl was very thoughtful, and answered at random, and did not seem to Toad to be paying proper attention to his witty sayings and sparkling comments.
有天早上，那女孩像是有心事似的，回答他的问题时有点心不在焉。蟾蜍觉得。他那连篇的机智妙语和才气横溢的评论，并没引起她应有的注意。
‘Toad,’ she said presently, ‘just listen, please. I have an aunt who is a washerwoman.’
“蟾蜍，”她开门见山地说。“你仔细听着。我有个姑母，是个洗衣妇”
‘There, there,’ said Toad, graciously and affably, ‘never mind; think no more about it. I have several aunts who OUGHT to be washerwomen.’
“好啦。好啦，”蟾蜍温文和蔼地说，“这没关系，别去想它啦。我也有好几位姑母，本来都要做洗衣妇的。”
‘Do be quiet a minute, Toad,’ said the girl. ‘You talk too much, that’s your chief fault, and I’m trying to think, and you hurt my head. As I said, I have an aunt who is a washerwoman; she does the washing for all the prisoners in this castle—we try to keep any paying Business of that sort in the family, you understand. She takes out the washing on Monday morning, and brings it in on Friday evening. This is a Thursday. Now, this is what occurs to me: you’re very rich—at least you’re always telling me so—and she’s very poor. A few pounds wouldn’t make any difference to you, and it would mean a lot to her. Now, I think if she were properly approached—squared, I believe is the word you animals use—you could come to some arrangement by which she would let you have her dress and bonnet and so on, and you could escape from the castle as the official washerwoman. You’re very alike in many respects—particularly about the figure.’
“蟾蜍，你安静一会儿好不好，”那女孩说。“你太多嘴多舌了，这是你的大毛病。我正在考虑一个问题，你搅乱我的思路。我刚才说，我有位姑母，她是个洗衣妇。她替这所监狱里所有的犯人洗衣服——我们照例总把这类来钱的活儿留给自家人，这你明白。她每星期一上午把要洗的衣服取走。星期五傍晚把洗好的衣服送回来。今儿是星期四。你瞧，我想到这么个招儿：你很有钱——至少你老是这样对我说——而她很穷。几镑钱，对你来说不算回事，可对她却大有用场。要是多多少少打点打点她——也就是你们动物常说的，笼络笼络她，我想，你们也许可以做成一笔交易：她让你穿上她的衣裳，戴上她的布帽什么的。你呢，装扮成专职洗衣妇，就可以混出监狱。你们俩有许多地方挺相像——特别是身材差不多。”
‘We’re NOT,’ said the Toad in a huff. ‘I have a very elegant figure— for what I am.’
“我和她根本不相像，”蟾蜍没好气地说。“我身材多优美呀——就蟾蜍而言。”
‘So has my aunt,’ replied the girl, ‘for what SHE is. But have it your own way. You horrid, proud, ungrateful animal, when I’m sorry for you, and trying to help you!’
“我姑母也一样——就洗衣妇而言。”女孩说：“随你的便。你这个可恶的、骄傲的、忘恩负义的东西！我还为你难过，想帮你一把哩！”
‘Yes, yes, that’s all right; thank you very much indeed,’ said the Toad hurriedly. ‘But look here! you wouldn’t surely have Mr. Toad of Toad Hall, going about the country disguised as a washerwoman!’
“好，好，没关系；多谢你的好意啦，”蟾蜍连忙说。“不过，问题是，你总不能让蟾宫的蟾蜍先生装成洗衣妇，满世界跑吧！”
‘Then you can stop here as a Toad,’ replied the girl with much spirit. ‘I suppose you want to go off in a coach-and-four!’
“那你就老老实实呆在这儿，当你的蟾蜍去吧。”女孩怒冲冲地说。“我看，你大概是想坐上四匹马拉的车出去吧！”
Honest Toad was always ready to admit himself in the wrong. ‘You are a good, kind, clever girl,’ he said, ‘and I am indeed a proud and a stupid toad. Introduce me to your worthy aunt, if you will be so kind, and I have no doubt that the excellent lady and I will be able to arrange terms satisfactory to both parties.’
诚实的蟾蜍总是乐于认错的，他说：“你是一位善良、聪明的好姑娘，我确实是只又骄傲又愚蠢的蟾蜍。请多关照，把我介绍给你尊敬的姑母吧。我相信，令姑母大人和在下一定能达成双方都满意的协议。”
Next evening the girl ushered her aunt into Toad’s cell, bearing his week’s washing pinned up in a towel. The old lady had been prepared beforehand for the interview, and the sight of certain gold sovereigns that Toad had thoughtfully placed on the table in full view practically completed the matter and left little further to discuss. In return for his cash, Toad received a cotton print gown, an apron, a shawl, and a rusty black bonnet; the only stipulation the old lady made being that she should be gagged and bound and dumped down in a corner. By this not very convincing artifice, she explained, aided by picturesque fiction which she could supply herself, she hoped to retain her situation, in spite of the suspicious appearance of things.
第二天傍晚，女孩把她的姑母领进蟾蜍的牢房，还带上本周要洗的衣服，用毛巾包好，别针别住。这次会见，事先已经向老太太打过招呼，而蟾蜍又细心周到地把一些金币放在桌上显眼的地方，于是谈判马到成功，无需多费唇舌。蟾蜍的金币换来了一件印花棉布裙衫、一条围裙、一条大围巾，还有一顶褪了色的黑布女帽。老太太提出的唯一条件，就是把她的嘴堵上，捆绑起来，扔在墙角。她解释说，凭着这样一种不太可信的伪装，加上她自己编造的一套有声有色的情节，她希望能保住自己的饭碗，尽管事情显得十分可疑。
Toad was delighted with the suggestion. It would enable him to leave the prison in some style, and with his reputation for being a desperate and dangerous fellow untarnished; and he readily helped the gaoler’s daughter to make her aunt appear as much as possible the victim of circumstances over which she had no control.
蟾蜍欣然接受了这个建议。这能使他多少气派地离开监狱，而不辱没他那个危险的亡命之徒的英名。于是他很乐意地帮助狱卒的女儿，把她的姑母尽量伪装成一个身不由己的受害者。
‘Now it’s your turn, Toad,’ said the girl. ‘Take off that coat and waistcoat of yours; you’re fat enough as it is.’
“现在，蟾蜍，该轮到你了，”女孩说。“脱掉你身上的外衣和马甲；你已经够胖的了。”
Shaking with laughter, she proceeded to ‘hook-and-eye’ him into the cotton print gown, arranged the shawl with a professional fold, and tied the strings of the rusty bonnet under his chin.
她一面笑得前仰后合，一面动手给他穿上印花棉布裙衫，紧紧地扣上领扣，披上大围巾，打了一个符合洗衣妇身份的褶，又把褪色的女帽的带子系在下巴底下。
‘You’re the very image of her,’ she giggled, ‘only I’m sure you never looked half so respectable in all your life before. Now, good-bye, Toad, and good luck. Go straight down the way you came up; and if any one says anything to you, as they probably will, being but men, you can chaff back a bit, of course, but remember you’re a widow woman, quite alone in the world, with a character to lose.’
