The Story of the Deluge, and How It Came About

"ONE time," said Uncle Remus—adjusting his spectacles so as to be able to see how to thread a large darning-needle with which he was patching his coat—"one time, way back yander, 'fo' you wuz bomed, honey, en 'fo' Mars John er Miss Sally wuz bomed—way back yander 'fo' enny un us wuz bomed, de animils en de creeturs sorter 'lecshuneer roun' 'mong deyselves, twel at las' dey 'greed fer ter have a 'sembly. In dem days," continued the old man, observing a look of incredulity on the little boy's face, "in dem days creeturs had lots mo' sense dan dey got now; let 'lone dat, dey had sense same like folks.

“有一回，”雷穆斯大叔一边说着，一边扶了扶眼镜，好穿针引线，缝补自己的外套——“有一回，那可是很久很久以前的事了，乖乖，早在你出世之前，也早在约翰少爷或者萨莉小姐出世之前——早在咱们谁都还没出世的时候，那些野兽和小动物们就在自个儿之间嘀嘀咕咕地商量来商量去，最后终于决定开一次大会。那时候啊，”老人接着说道，看见小男孩脸上露出一副不太相信的神情，“那时候的畜生们可比现在聪明多了；不光如此，它们那时候的见识跟人差不多。”

"Hit was tech en go wid um, too, mon, en w'en dey make up der mines w'at hatter be done, 'twant mo'n menshun'd 'fo, hit wuz done. Well, dey 'lected dat dey hatter hol' er 'sembly fer ter sorter straighten out marters en hear de complaints, en w'en de day come dey wuz on han'.

“它们那时候啊，说变就变，一决定要办什么事，几乎话音刚落就办成了。好了，它们决定要开个大会，好把事情理顺，听听大伙儿的抱怨，等日子到了，都到齐了。”

"De Lion, he wuz dar, kase he wuz de king, en he hatter be der. De Rhynossyhoss, he wuz dar, en de Elephant, he wuz dar, en de Cammils, en de Cows, en plum' down ter de Crawfishes, dey wuz dar. Dey wuz all dar. En w'en de Lion shuck his mane, en tuck his seat in de big cheer, den de sesshun begun fer ter commence.

“狮子也在场，因为它是百兽之王，非到不可。犀牛也在，大象也在，还有骆驼、牛群，一直到小小的螯虾，全都到场了。全都到齐了。等狮子甩了甩鬃毛，在大椅子上坐定，会议这才正式开始。”

"What did they do, Uncle Remus?" asked the little boy.

“它们都做了些什么呀，雷穆斯大叔？”小男孩问道。

"I can't skacely call to mine 'zackly w'at dey did do, but dey spoke speeches, en hollered, en cusst, en flung der langwidge 'roun' des like w'en yo' daddy wuz gwineter run fer de legislater en got lef'. Howsomever, dey 'ranged der 'fairs, en splained der bizness. Bimeby, w'ile dey wuz 'sputin' 'longer one er nudder, de Elephant trompled on one er de Crawfishes. Co'se w'en dat creetur put his foot down, w'atsumever's under dar wuz boun' fer ter be squshed, en dey wa'n't nuff er dat Crawfish lef' fer ter tell dat he'd bin dar.

“我也记不太清楚它们到底做了些什么，只记得它们又是发表演说，又是大喊大叫，又是骂骂咧咧，把话撒得到处都是，就跟你爹当年要竞选议员却落选那阵子一个样。不管怎么说，它们总算把事情安排妥当，把各自的事由都讲明白了。可就在它们你一言我一语争论的时候，大象一脚踩到了一只螯虾身上。那家伙的脚一踩下去，压在底下的东西自然是免不了要被踩扁，那只螯虾也没剩下多少，都没法证明自己曾经在那儿待过。”

"Dis make de udder Crawfishes mighty mad, en dey sorter swarmed tergedder en draw'd up a kinder peramble wid some wharfo'es in it, en read her out in de 'sembly. But, bless grashus! sech a racket wuz a gwine on dat nobody ain't hear it, 'ceppin' maybe de Mud Turkle en de Spring Lizzud, en dere enfloons wuz pow'ful lackin'.

“这可把别的螯虾气坏了，它们聚在一起，写了一份带着好些理由的抗议书，在大会上念了出来。可是，天哪！当时那场面吵闹得厉害，谁也没听见，也许除了泥龟和小蜥蜴听见了一点，可它们两个的影响力实在是小得可怜。”

"Bimeby, w'iles de Nunicorn wuz 'sputin' wid de Lion, en w'ile de Hyener wuz a laughin' ter hisse'f, de Elephant squshed anudder one er de Crawfishes, en a little mo'n he'd er ruint de Mud Turkle. Den de Crawfishes, w'at dey wuz lef' un um, swarmed tergedder en draw'd up anudder peramble wid sum mo' wharfo'es; but dey might ez well er sung Ole Dan Tucker ter a harrycane.

“过了一会儿，独角兽正跟狮子争论着，鬣狗自个儿在那儿窃笑的时候，大象又踩扁了一只螯虾，差点连泥龟也没能幸免。这下，剩下的那些螯虾又聚到一起，写了另一份抗议书，添了些新的理由；可这就跟对着飓风唱小曲儿差不多，一点用也没有。”

"De udder creeturs wuz too busy wid der fussin' fer ter 'spon' unto de Crawfishes. So dar dey wuz, de Crawfishes, en dey didn't know w'at minnit wuz gwineter be de nex'; en dey kep' on gittin madder en madder en skeerder en skeerder, twel bimeby dey gun de wink ter de Mud Turkle en de Spring Lizzud, en den dey bo'd little holes in de groun' en went down outer sight."

“别的动物光顾着自个儿吵架，没工夫理睬这些螯虾。于是这些螯虾就在那儿，也不知道下一刻会有什么事落到自己头上；它们越想越气，越想越怕，最后终于向泥龟和小蜥蜴使了个眼色，接着便在地上钻了些小洞，一个个都钻下去不见了。”

"Who did, Uncle Remus?" asked the little boy.

“是谁钻下去了，雷穆斯大叔？”小男孩问道。

"De Crawfishes, honey. Dey bo'd inter de groun' en kep' on bo'in twel dey onloost de fountains er de yeth; en de waters squirt out, en riz higher en higher twel de hills wuz kivvered, en de creeturs wuz all drownded; en all bekaze dey let on 'mong deyselves dat dey wuz bigger dan de Crawfishes."

“就是螯虾啊，乖乖。它们往地里钻，不停地往下钻，一直钻到把大地深处的泉眼都给捅开了；水就这么喷涌出来，越涨越高，一直淹没了山头，把所有的动物都淹死了；这一切都是因为它们瞧不起螯虾，自以为比螯虾了不起。”

Then the old man blew the ashes from a smoking yam, and proceeded to remove the peeling.

说到这儿，老人吹掉了正冒着热气的山药上的灰烬，动手剥起皮来。

"Where was the ark, Uncle Remus?" the little boy inquired, presently.

“那诺亚方舟又在哪儿呢，雷穆斯大叔？”过了一会儿，小男孩问道。

"W'ich ark's dat?" asked the old man, in a tone of well-feigned curiosity.

“哪个方舟啊？”老人故作好奇地问道。

"Noah's ark," replied the child.

“诺亚方舟啊，”孩子答道。

"Don't you pester wid ole man Noah, honey. I boun' he tuck keer er dat ark. Dat's w'at he wuz dar fer, en dat's w'at he done. Leas'ways, dat's w'at dey tells me. But don't you bodder longer dat ark, 'ceppin' your mammy fetches it up. Dey mout er bin two deloojes, en den agin dey moutent. Ef dey wuz enny ark in dish yer w'at de Crawfishes brung on, I ain't heern tell un it, en w'en dey ain't no arks 'roun', I ain't got no time fer ter make um en put um in dar. Hit's gittin' yo' bedtime, honey."

“乖乖，你就别去操心诺亚老头儿那档子事了。我敢说他把那方舟看管得妥妥当当。他待在那儿本来就是干这个的，他也确实这么干了。至少吧，人家是这么跟我说的。可你也别老惦记着那方舟，除非你妈提起来。也许当年发过两场大洪水，也许没有。要是螯虾闹出的这场洪水里也有条方舟的话，我可没听说过，既然没听说哪儿有方舟，我也没工夫编一条出来塞进去。乖乖，该睡觉了。”