“是啊，是啊，”他说。“也许我是有点多嘴多舌。我交游这么广，朋友们老是围着我转．一块儿开玩笑，说俏皮话，讲幽默故事，我就免不了有时多说两句。谁叫我天生有口才呢。人家说，我应该主持一个沙龙。先不说那个。讲下去，獾。你的这条通道，对我们有什么用？”
‘I’ve found out a thing or two lately,’ continued the Badger. ‘I got Otter to disguise himself as a sweep and call at the back-door with brushes over his shoulder, asking for a job. There’s going to be a big banquet to-morrow night. It’s somebody’s birthday—the Chief Weasel’s, I believe—and all the weasels will be gathered together in the dining-hall, eating and drinking and laughing and carrying on, suspecting nothing. No guns, no swords, no sticks, no arms of any sort whatever!’
“最近我查访到一两个情况。”獾接着说。“我叫水獭冒充扫烟囱的，扛着笤帚，到后门口去讨活干。他了解到。明天晚上。蟾宫里要举行一个盛大的宴会，给什么人——大概是给那个黄鼠狼头头——做寿，所有的黄鼠狼都要聚集在宴会厅里，吃喝玩乐穷开心。要闹很长时间。刀剑、棍棒，任何一件武器都不会带！”
‘But the sentinels will be posted as usual,’ remarked the Rat.
“可岗哨还会照样布置呀？”河鼠提醒说。
‘Exactly,’ said the Badger; ‘that is my point. The weasels will trust entirely to their excellent sentinels. And that is where the passage comes in. That very useful tunnel leads right up under the butler’s pantry, next to the dining-hall!’
“对，”獾说，“这正是我想到的。黄鼠狼们完全信赖他们的那些精良的哨兵。所以，那条通道就派上用场了。那条极有用的地道，正好直通宴会厅隔壁的配膳室的地板底下！”
‘Aha! that squeaky board in the butler’s pantry!’ said Toad. ‘Now I understand it!’
“啊哈！配膳室地上有块嘎吱吱响的地板！”蟾蜍说。“现在我全明白了！”
‘We shall creep out quietly into the butler’s pantry—‘ cried the Mole.
“咱们可以偷偷爬进配膳室——”鼹鼠喊道。
‘—with our pistols and swords and sticks—‘ shouted the Rat.
“带上手枪、刀剑和棍棒——”河鼠嚷道。
‘—and rush in upon them,’ said the Badger.
“——冲进去，直扑他们，”獾说。
‘—and whack ‘em, and whack ‘em, and whack ‘em!’ cried the Toad in ecstasy, running round and round the room, and jumping over the chairs.
“——把他们痛打一通，痛打一通，痛打一通！”蟾蜍喜不自胜地大喊，在房间里兜着圈儿跑。从一张椅子跳到另一张椅子。
‘Very well, then,’ said the Badger, resuming his usual dry manner, ‘our plan is settled, and there’s nothing more for you to argue and squabble about. So, as it’s getting very late, all of you go right off to bed at once. We will make all the necessary arrangements in the course of the morning to-morrow.’
“那好，”獾说，又回到他一贯的干巴巴的态度，“咱们的方案就这么定了，你们再也无需争吵了。现在夜已深，你们都睡觉去。明天上午咱们再作必要的安排。”
Toad, of course, went off to bed dutifully with the rest—he knew better than to refuse—though he was feeling much too excited to sleep. But he had had a long day, with many events crowded into it; and sheets and blankets were very friendly and comforting things, after plain straw, and not too much of it, spread on the stone floor of a draughty cell; and his head had not been many seconds on his pillow before he was snoring happily. Naturally, he dreamt a good deal; about roads that ran away from him just when he wanted them, and canals that chased him and caught him, and a barge that sailed into the banqueting-hall with his week’s washing, just as he was giving a dinner-party; and he was alone in the secret passage, pushing onwards, but it twisted and turned round and shook itself, and sat up on its end; yet somehow, at the last, he found himself back in Toad Hall, safe and triumphant, with all his friends gathered round about him, earnestly assuring him that he really was a clever Toad.
蟾蜍自然也乖乖地跟着那两个上床去了——他知道拒绝是没用的——尽管他太兴奋了，毫无睡意。不过，他度过了一个漫长的白天，经历了成堆的事儿，床单被褥毕竟是非常亲切舒适的东西。何况不久前，他还在阴冷潮湿的地牢石板地上的稻草堆里睡过。所以，脑袋一沾枕头。他就幸福地打起鼾来。自然，他做了许多许多梦；梦见他正需要道路时，道路都从身边溜走了；梦见水渠在后面追他，并且抓住了他；梦见他正在大摆宴席，一只拖船驶进了宴会厅，船上满载着他一周要洗的脏衣服；梦见他孤零零一人在秘密通道里跋涉，那通道忽然扭曲了，转过身来，摇晃着坐直了。不过，末末了，他到底还是平安胜利地回到了蟾宫，所有的朋友都围在身边。热情洋溢地赞扬说，他的确是一只聪明的蟾蜍。
He slept till a late hour next morning, and by the time he got down he found that the other animals had finished their breakfast some time before. The Mole had slipped off somewhere by himself, without telling any one where he was going to. The Badger sat in the arm-chair, reading the paper, and not concerning himself in the slightest about what was going to happen that very evening. The Rat, on the other hand, was running round the room busily, with his arms full of weapons of every kind, distributing them in four little heaps on the floor, and saying excitedly under his breath, as he ran, ‘Here’s-a-sword-for-the-Rat, here’s-a-sword-for-the Mole, here’s-a-sword-for-the-Toad, here’s-a-sword-for-the-Badger!Here’s-a-pistol-for-the-Rat, here’s-a-pistol-for-the-Mole, here’s-a-pistol-for-the-Toad, here’s-a-pistol-for-the-Badger!’ And so on, in a regular, rhythmical way, while the four little heaps gradually grew and grew.
第二天早上，他起床很迟，下楼时，发现别人都吃过早饭了。鼹鼠自个儿溜了出去，没说要上哪儿。獾坐在圈椅上看报，对晚上要发生的事，半点也不关心。河鼠呢，却在屋里来回奔忙，怀里抱着各种各样的武器、在地上把它们分成四小堆，一边跑，一边上气不接下气兴奋地说：“这把剑给河鼠，这把给鼹鼠，这把给蟾蜍，这把给獾！这支手枪给河鼠，这支给鼹鼠，这支给蟾蜍，这支给獾！”等等，等等，说得有板有眼，那四小堆就越长越高了。
‘That’s all very well, Rat,’ said the Badger presently, looking at the busy little animal over the edge of his newspaper; ‘I’m not blaming you. But just let us once get past the stoats, with those detestable guns of theirs, and I assure you we shan’t want any swords or pistols. We four, with our sticks, once we’re inside the dining-hall, why, we shall clear the floor of all the lot of them in five minutes. I’d have done the whole thing by myself, only I didn’t want to deprive you fellows of the fun!’
“你干得好倒是好，河鼠，”獾从报纸上抬眼望着那只忙碌的小动物；“我并不想责怪你。不过咱们这回是要绕开白鼬和他们的那些可恶的枪械。我断定，咱们用不着什么刀枪之类。咱们四个，一人一根棍子，只要进了宴会厅，不消五分钟，就能把他们全部清除干净。其实我一个人就能包下来，不过我不愿剥夺你们几个的乐子！”
‘It’s as well to be on the safe side,’ said the Rat reflectively, polishing a pistol-barrel on his sleeve and looking along it.
“保险点总没坏处吧，”河鼠沉吟着说，他把一支枪筒在袖子上擦得锃亮，顺着枪管察看。
The Toad, having finished his breakfast, picked up a stout stick and swung it vigorously, belabouring imaginary animals. ‘I’ll learn ‘em to steal my house!’ he cried. ‘I’ll learn ‘em, I’ll learn ‘em!’
蟾蜍吃完早饭，拾起一根粗棍，使劲抡着，痛打想象中的敌人。“叫他们抢我的房子！”他喊道，“我要学习他们，我要学习他们！”
‘Don’t say “learn ‘em,” Toad,’ said the Rat, greatly shocked. ‘It’s not good English.’
“别说‘学习他们’，蟾蜍，”河鼠大为震惊地说。“这不是地道的英语。”
‘What are you always nagging at Toad for?’ inquired the Badger, rather peevishly. ‘What’s the matter with his English? It’s the same what I use myself, and if it’s good enough for me, it ought to be good enough for you!’
“你干吗老是挑蟾蜍的刺儿？”獾老大不高兴地说。“他的英语又怎么啦？我自己就那么说。要是我认为没问题，你也应该认为没问题！”。
‘I’m very sorry,’ said the Rat humbly. ‘Only I THINK it ought to be “teach ‘em,” not “learn ‘em.”’
“对不起，”河鼠谦恭地说。“我只是觉得，应该说‘教训’他们，而不是‘学习’他们”①
‘But we don’t WANT to teach ‘em,’ replied the Badger. ‘We want to LEARN ‘em—learn ‘em, learn ‘em! And what’s more, we’re going to DO it, too!’
“可我们并不要‘教训’他们，”獾回答说。“我们就是要‘学习’他们——学习他们，学习他们！再说，我们正是要这样去做呀！”
①蟾蜍和獾的英语用词不当，把teach（教训）说成了learn（学习）。——译注
‘Oh, very well, have it your own way,’ said the Rat. He was getting rather muddled about it himself, and presently he retired into a corner, where he could be heard muttering, ‘Learn ‘em, teach ‘em, teach ‘em, learn ‘em!’ till the Badger told him rather sharply to leave off.
“那好吧，就依你的，”河鼠说。他自己也给闹糊涂了。他缩到一个角落里，嘴里反复嘟哝着“学习他们，教训他们。教训他们，学习他们！”直到獾喝令他住口才罢。
Presently the Mole came tumbling into the room, evidently very pleased with himself. ‘I’ve been having such fun!’ he began at once; ‘I’ve been getting a rise out of the stoats!’
不一会，鼹鼠翻着筋斗冲进屋来。他显然很是得意。“我干得真痛快！”他说，“我把那些白鼬全惹恼了！”
‘I hope you’ve been very careful, Mole?’ said the Rat anxiously.
“鼹鼠，但愿你刚才没有鲁莽行事！”河鼠担心地问。
‘I should hope so, too,’ said the Mole confidently. ‘I got the idea when I went into the kitchen, to see about Toad’s breakfast being kept hot for him. I found that old washerwoman-dress that he came Home in yesterday, hanging on a towel-horse before the fire. So I put it on, and the bonnet as well, and the shawl, and off I went to Toad Hall, as bold as you please. The sentries were on the look-out, of course, with their guns and their “Who comes there?” and all the rest of their nonsense. “Good morning, gentlemen!” says I, very respectful. “Want any washing done to-day?”
“我也希望没有，”鼹鼠充满自信地说。“早上我去厨房。看看早点是不是热着，等蟾蜍起来好吃。忽然看见炉灶前的毛巾架上，挂着蟾蜍昨天回来时穿的那件洗衣妇的衣裳，我动了个念头。我把它穿上，又戴上帽子，披上大围巾，大摇大摆一直走到蟾宫大门口。那些哨兵自然拿着枪在把守大门，吆喝‘来者何人？’还有那一套胡言乱语。‘先生们，早上好！’我恭恭敬敬地说，‘今儿个有衣服要洗吗？’
‘They looked at me very proud and stiff and haughty, and said, “Go away, washerwoman! We don’t do any washing on duty.” “Or any other time?” says I. Ho, ho, ho! Wasn’t I FUNNY, Toad?’
“他们瞪眼瞧我，又傲气又拘板，说‘滚开，洗衣婆！我们在执勤，没衣服要洗！’我说，‘那我改天再来吧？’哈，哈，哈！蟾蜍，你看，我多逗！”
‘Poor, frivolous animal!’ said Toad, very loftily. The fact is, he felt exceedingly jealous of Mole for what he had just done. It was exactly what he would have liked to have done himself, if only he had thought of it first, and hadn’t gone and overslept himself.
“你这个可怜的、轻浮的动物！”蟾蜍不屑地说。其实，他对鼹鼠刚才做的事嫉妒得要命。那正是他自己想干的，可惜他事先没想到，睡懒觉睡过头了。
‘Some of the stoats turned quite pink,’ continued the Mole, ‘and the Sergeant in charge, he said to me, very short, he said, “Now run away, my good woman, run away! Don’t keep my men idling and talking on their posts.” “Run away?” says I; “it won’t be me that’ll be running away, in a very short time from now!”’
“有几个白鼬有点恼怒了，”鼹鼠接着说，“那个当班的警官冲我嚷道：‘马上滚开，婆子，滚！我手下的人在值勤的时候不许聊天！’‘叫我滚？’我说，‘只怕要不了多久，该滚的就不是我啦！’”
‘O MOLY, how could you?’ said the Rat, dismayed.
“哎呀，鼹鼠，你怎么可以这样说？”河鼠惊慌地说。
The Badger laid down his paper.
獾放下手里的报纸。
‘I could see them pricking up their ears and looking at each other,’ went on the Mole; ‘and the Sergeant said to them, “Never mind HER; she doesn’t know what she’s talking about.”’
“我看到他们竖起耳朵，互相对看一眼，”鼹鼠接着说；“警官对他们说：‘甭搭理她，她自己也不知道在胡说些什么。’
‘”O! don’t I?”’ said I. ‘”Well, let me tell you this. My daughter, she washes for Mr. Badger, and that’ll show you whether I know what I’m talking about; and YOU’LL know pretty soon, too! A hundred bloodthirsty badgers, armed with rifles, are going to attack Toad Hall this very night, by way of the paddock. Six boatloads of Rats, with pistols and cutlasses, will come up the river and effect a landing in the garden; while a picked body of Toads, known at the Die-hards, or the Death-or-Glory Toads, will storm the orchard and carry everything before them, yelling for vengeance. There won’t be much left of you to wash, by the time they’ve done with you, unless you clear out while you have the chance!” Then I ran away, and when I was out of sight I hid; and presently I came creeping back along the ditch and took a peep at them through the hedge. They were all as nervous and flustered as could be, running all ways at once, and falling over each other, and every one giving orders to everybody else and not listening; and the Sergeant kept sending off parties of stoats to distant parts of the grounds, and then sending other fellows to fetch ‘em back again; and I heard them saying to each other, “That’s just like the weasels; they’re to stop comfortably in the banqueting-hall, and have feasting and toasts and songs and all sorts of fun, while we must stay on guard in the cold and the dark, and in the end be cut to pieces by bloodthirsty Badgers!’”
“‘什么！我不知道？’我说。‘好吧，我告诉你，我女儿是给獾先生洗衣服的，你说我知道不知道。而且你们很快也会知道的！就在今天晚上，一百个杀气腾腾的獾，提着来复枪，要从马场那边进攻蟾宫。满满六船的河鼠，带着手枪和棍棒，要从河上过来，在花园登陆；还有一队精心挑选的蟾蜍，号称敢死队，自命‘不成功便成仁’，要袭击果园，扬言要报仇雪恨，见什么拿什么。等他们把你们扫荡一空，那时你们就没什么可洗的了，除非你们趁早撤出去！’说完我就跑开了。等到他们看不见我时，我就躲起来，然后沿着沟渠爬回来，隔着树篱偷瞄了他们一眼。他们全都慌作一团，四散奔逃，互相碰撞摔倒，人人都发号施令，可没一个人听；那个警官，不停地把一批批的白鼬派到远处，跟着又另派一批白鼬去把他们叫回来、我听见他们乱吵吵说，‘都怪那些黄鼠狼，他们要在宴会厅里快活，大吃大喝。又唱又跳，寻欢作乐，却派我们在又冷又黑的屋外站岗放哨，临了还得被那些杀人不眨眼的獾剁成肉酱！’”
‘Oh, you silly ass, Mole!’ cried Toad, ‘You’ve been and spoilt everything!’
“哎呀，鼹鼠，你这个蠢驴！”蟾蜍嚷道。“你把一切全搞糟了！”
‘Mole,’ said the Badger, in his dry, quiet way, ‘I perceive you have more sense in your little finger than some other animals have in the whole of their fat bodies. You have managed excellently, and I begin to have great hopes of you. Good Mole! Clever Mole!’
“鼹鼠，”獾用他那干巴巴的平静的声调说，“我看，你一个小指里的才智，比别的动物整个肥胖身子里的才智还要多。你干得太好了，我对你寄予很大希望。好鼹鼠！聪明的鼹鼠！”
The Toad was simply wild with jealousy, more especially as he couldn’t make out for the life of him what the Mole had done that was so particularly clever; but, fortunately for him, before he could show temper or expose himself to the Badger’s sarcasm, the bell rang for luncheon.
蟾蜍嫉妒得简直要疯了，他尤其弄不通，鼹鼠这样干，怎么反倒聪明；不过幸好，对獾的讥讽，他还来不及发作和暴露自已，午饭的铃声就响了。
It was a simple but sustaining meal—bacon and broad beans, and a macaroni pudding; and when they had quite done, the Badger settled himself into an arm-chair, and said, ‘Well, we’ve got our work cut out for us to-night, and it will probably be pretty late before we’re quite through with it; so I’m just going to take forty winks, while I can.’ And he drew a handkerchief over his face and was soon snoring.
午饭简单但实惠——咸肉，大扁豆，外加通心粉布丁。吃完饭，獾安坐在一张圈椅上，说：“好啦，咱们今晚的工作步骤已经确定了，恐怕要很晚才能办完；所以，趁现在还有时间，我要打个盹儿。”说罢，他用一块手帕盖住脸．不一会就鼾声大作了。
The anxious and laborious Rat at once resumed his preparations, and started running between his four little heaps, muttering, ‘Here’s-a-belt-for-the-Rat, here’s-a-belt-for-the Mole, here’s-a-belt-for-the-Toad, here’s-a-belt-for-the-Badger!’ and so on, with every fresh accoutrement he produced, to which there seemed really no end; so the Mole drew his arm through Toad’s, led him out into the open air, shoved him into a wicker chair, and made him tell him all his adventures from beginning to end, which Toad was only too willing to do. The Mole was a good listener, and Toad, with no one to check his statements or to criticise in an unfriendly spirit, rather let himself go. Indeed, much that he related belonged more properly to the category of what-might-have-happened-had-I-only-thought-of-it-in-time-instead-of-ten-minutes-afterwards. Those are always the best and the raciest adventures; and why should they not be truly ours, as much as the somewhat inadequate things that really come off?
性急而勤快的河鼠，立即又干起他的备战工作，在他那四小堆武器之间来回跑动，一面嘴里咕哝着“这根皮带给河鼠，这根给獾！”等等，等等。新的装备不断增加，像是没有个完。鼹鼠呢，他挽着蟾蜍的臂，把他带到屋外，推进一张藤椅，要他原原本本讲自己的历险过程。这正是蟾蜍求之不得的。鼹鼠很善于倾听别人讲话，他不打岔，也不作不友好的评论，于是蟾蜍就海阔天空地神聊起来。其实，他所讲的，大部分属于那种“要是我早想到而不是十分钟以后才想到事情就会那样发生”的性质。既然那都是最精彩最刺激的历险故事，何不把它们和那些实际发生但不太够味儿的经历一样，也看成是我们的真实经历呢？
XII THE RETURN OF ULYSSES
