The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin

This is a Tale about a tail—a tail that belonged to a little red squirrel, and his name was Nutkin.

这是一个关于尾巴的故事——一条属于一只小红松鼠的尾巴，他的名字叫纳特金。

He had a brother called Twinkleberry, and a great many cousins: they lived in a wood at the edge of a lake.

他有个哥哥叫闪莓，还有好多好多表亲：他们都住在湖边的一片树林里。

In the middle of the lake there is an island covered with trees and nut bushes; and amongst those trees stands a hollow oak-tree, which is the house of an owl who is called Old Brown.

湖中央有一座小岛，岛上长满了树木和榛子丛；那些树中间立着一棵中空的老橡树，那是一只名叫老布朗的猫头鹰的家。

One autumn when the nuts were ripe, and the leaves on the hazel bushes were golden and green—Nutkin and Twinkleberry and all the other little squirrels came out of the wood, and down to the edge of the lake.

有一年秋天，榛子熟了，榛树丛上的叶子一片金黄翠绿——纳特金、闪莓和其他所有的小松鼠们，都从树林里出来，来到了湖边。

They made little rafts out of twigs, and they paddled away over the water to Owl Island to gather nuts.

他们用树枝扎成小木筏，划水渡过湖去猫头鹰岛采榛子。

Each squirrel had a little sack and a large oar, and spread out his tail for a sail.

每只松鼠都带着一只小口袋和一支大桨，还把尾巴撑开当作船帆。

They also took with them an offering of three fat mice as a present for Old Brown, and put them down upon his door-step.

他们还带上了三只肥老鼠作为送给老布朗的礼物，摆在了他家门口的台阶上。

Then Twinkleberry and the other little squirrels each made a low bow, and said politely—

于是闪莓和其他小松鼠们各自深深鞠了一躬，恭恭敬敬地说道——

"Old Mr. Brown, will you favour us with permission to gather nuts upon your island?"

“布朗先生，可否请您开恩，允许我们在您的岛上采些榛子？”

But Nutkin was excessively impertinent in his manners. He bobbed up and down like a little red cherry, singing—

可纳特金的举止却傲慢无礼得很。他像一颗小红樱桃似的上蹦下跳，唱道——

"Riddle me, riddle me, rot-tot-tote! A little wee man, in a red red coat! A staff in his hand, and a stone in his throat; If you'll tell me this riddle, I'll give you a groat."

“猜猜看，猜猜看，咕噜咕噜转！ 一个小小人儿，穿着红红衣衫！ 手里拿根拐杖，喉咙里含颗石子； 你若猜得出这谜语，我便赏你一枚小钱。”

Now this riddle is as old as the hills; Mr. Brown paid no attention whatever to Nutkin.

这个谜语其实和山一样古老了；布朗先生压根没搭理纳特金。

He shut his eyes obstinately and went to sleep.

他固执地闭上眼睛，睡起觉来。

The squirrels filled their little sacks with nuts, and sailed away home in the evening.

松鼠们把小口袋装满了榛子，傍晚时分便划船回家去了。

But next morning they all came back again to Owl Island; and Twinkleberry and the others brought a fine fat mole, and laid it on the stone in front of Old Brown's doorway, and said—

可第二天早上，他们又都回到了猫头鹰岛；闪莓和其他松鼠带来了一只肥美的鼹鼠，放在老布朗家门前的石头上，说道——

"Mr. Brown, will you favour us with your gracious permission to gather some more nuts?"

“布朗先生，可否请您开恩，再准许我们采些榛子？”

But Nutkin, who had no respect, began to dance up and down, tickling old Mr. Brown with a nettle and singing—

可纳特金一点规矩都不懂，开始上蹦下跳地跳起舞来，还拿荨麻去挠老布朗先生痒痒，唱道——

"Old Mr. B! Riddle-me-ree! Hitty Pitty within the wall, Hitty Pitty without the wall; If you touch Hitty Pitty, Hitty Pitty will bite you!"

“老布朗先生！猜猜看！ 墙里边住着小不点， 墙外边也住着小不点； 你要是碰了小不点， 小不点准会咬你一口！”

Mr. Brown woke up suddenly and carried the mole into his house.

布朗先生猛地惊醒，把鼹鼠拿进了屋里。

He shut the door in Nutkin's face. Presently a little thread of blue smoke from a wood fire came up from the top of the tree, and Nutkin peeped through the key-hole and sang—

他当着纳特金的面把门关上了。不一会儿，一缕淡淡的青烟从木柴火上升起，飘出了树顶，纳特金便凑在钥匙孔前唱道——

"A house full, a hole full! And you cannot gather a bowl-full!"

“满满一屋子，满满一个洞！ 可你连一碗都采不到！”

The squirrels searched for nuts all over the island and filled their little sacks.

松鼠们在岛上四处寻找榛子，装满了各自的小口袋。

But Nutkin gathered oak-apples—yellow and scarlet—and sat upon a beech-stump playing marbles, and watching the door of old Mr. Brown.

可纳特金却只顾采些黄的红的橡树果子，坐在一截山毛榉树桩上玩弹珠，一边盯着老布朗先生家的门。

On the third day the squirrels got up very early and went fishing; they caught seven fat minnows as a present for Old Brown.

到了第三天，松鼠们起了个大早去钓鱼；他们钓到了七条肥美的鲦鱼，当作送给老布朗的礼物。

They paddled over the lake and landed under a crooked chestnut tree on Owl Island.

他们划船渡过湖去，在猫头鹰岛上一棵歪脖子栗树下上了岸。

Twinkleberry and six other little squirrels each carried a fat minnow; but Nutkin, who had no nice manners, brought no present at all. He ran in front, singing—

闪莓和另外六只小松鼠各自拿着一条肥鲦鱼；可纳特金一点礼数都不懂，压根没带什么礼物。他跑在最前头，唱道——

"The man in the wilderness said to me, 'How many strawberries grow in the sea?' I answered him as I thought good— 'As many red herrings as grow in the wood.'"

“荒野里的那个人对我说， ‘海里能长出多少草莓？’ 我想了想，答得也算妥当—— ‘树林里能长出多少红鲱鱼那么多。’”

But old Mr. Brown took no interest in riddles—not even when the answer was provided for him.

可老布朗先生对谜语一点兴趣也没有——就算谜底都替他想好了，他也不理会。

On the fourth day the squirrels brought a present of six fat beetles, which were as good as plums in plum-pudding for Old Brown. Each beetle was wrapped up carefully in a dock-leaf, fastened with a pine-needle pin.

到了第四天，松鼠们带来了六只肥甲虫作为礼物，这对老布朗来说，就跟梅子布丁里的梅子一样美味。每只甲虫都用酸模叶仔细包好，再用松针别住。

But Nutkin sang as rudely as ever—

可纳特金照旧唱得没规没矩——

"Old Mr. B! riddle-me-ree Flour of England, fruit of Spain, Met together in a shower of rain; Put in a bag tied round with a string, If you'll tell me this riddle, I'll give you a ring!"

“老布朗先生！猜猜看 英格兰的面粉，西班牙的果子， 在一场阵雨中相遇了； 装进袋子，拿绳子系好， 你若猜得出这谜语，我便赏你一枚戒指！”

Which was ridiculous of Nutkin, because he had not got any ring to give to Old Brown.

这话纳特金说得实在可笑，因为他压根没有什么戒指可以送给老布朗。

The other squirrels hunted up and down the nut bushes; but Nutkin gathered robin's pincushions off a briar bush, and stuck them full of pine-needle pins.

其他松鼠在榛子丛里上上下下地找来找去；可纳特金却从一丛野蔷薇上采起了知更鸟的“针垫”，插满了松针。

On the fifth day the squirrels brought a present of wild honey; it was so sweet and sticky that they licked their fingers as they put it down upon the stone. They had stolen it out of a bumble bees' nest on the tippitty top of the hill.

到了第五天，松鼠们带来了野蜂蜜作为礼物；蜂蜜又甜又黏，他们把蜂蜜放到石头上时，忍不住舔起了手指。这蜂蜜是他们从山顶上的一个大黄蜂窝里偷来的。

But Nutkin skipped up and down, singing—

可纳特金却蹦蹦跳跳地唱道——

"Hum-a-bum! buzz! buzz! Hum-a-bum buzz! As I went over Tipple-tine I met a flock of bonny swine; Some yellow-nacked, some yellow backed! They were the very bonniest swine That e'er went over Tipple-tine."

“嗡嗡嗡！嗡嗡嗡！嗡嗡嗡嗡嗡！ 我翻过山那边的时候， 遇见了一群漂亮的猪儿； 有的脖子黄，有的背脊黄！ 它们可是这世上 翻过山那边最漂亮的猪儿。”

Old Mr. Brown turned up his eyes in disgust at the impertinence of Nutkin.

老布朗先生对纳特金这般无礼十分厌恶，翻起了白眼。

But he ate up the honey!

可他还是把蜂蜜吃了个精光！

The squirrels filled their little sacks with nuts.

松鼠们把小口袋装满了榛子。

But Nutkin sat upon a big flat rock, and played ninepins with a crab apple and green fir-cones.

可纳特金却坐在一块大平石头上，拿一颗野苹果和几个绿色的枞树球玩起了九柱戏。

On the sixth day, which was Saturday, the squirrels came again for the last time; they brought a new-laid egg in a little rush basket as a last parting present for Old Brown.

到了第六天，也就是星期六，松鼠们最后一次前来；他们带来了一只用小灯芯草篮子装着的新下的蛋，当作临别的最后一份礼物送给老布朗。

But Nutkin ran in front laughing, and shouting—

可纳特金却笑嘻嘻地跑在最前头，大声嚷嚷道——

"Humpty Dumpty lies in the beck, With a white counterpane round his neck, Forty doctors and forty wrights, Cannot put Humpty Dumpty to rights!"

“憨扑地躺在小溪边， 脖子上围着白色的被单， 四十个大夫，四十个匠人， 也没法让憨扑地重新站起来！”

Now old Mr. Brown took an interest in eggs; he opened one eye and shut it again. But still he did not speak.

这下老布朗先生倒对鸡蛋来了兴致；他睁开一只眼睛，又闭上了。可他还是没有开口说话。

Nutkin became more and more impertinent—

纳特金变得越来越无礼——

"Old Mr. B! Old Mr. B! Hickamore, Hackamore, on the King's kitchen door; All the King's horses, and all the King's men, Couldn't drive Hickamore, Hackamore, Off the King's kitchen door."

“老布朗先生！老布朗先生！ 希卡摩、哈卡摩，就在国王的厨房门口； 国王所有的马儿，国王所有的兵将， 也没法把希卡摩、哈卡摩 从国王的厨房门口赶走。”

Nutkin danced up and down like a sunbeam; but still Old Brown said nothing at all.

纳特金像一道阳光似的又蹦又跳；可老布朗依旧一声不吭。

Nutkin began again—

纳特金又唱了起来——

"Arthur O'Bower has broken his band, He comes roaring up the land! The King of Scots with all his power, Cannot turn Arthur of the Bower!"

“亚瑟·奥鲍尔挣断了他的绳索， 一路咆哮着冲上了陆地！ 就连苏格兰国王倾尽全力， 也没法制服林中的亚瑟！”

Nutkin made a whirring noise to sound like the wind, and he took a running jump right onto the head of Old Brown!…

纳特金发出呼呼的声音，学着风声，猛地一跃，正好跳到了老布朗的头上！……

Then all at once there was a flutterment and a scufflement and a loud "Squeak!"

刹那间，只听一阵扑腾、一阵撕扯，还有一声响亮的“吱！”

The other squirrels scuttered away into the bushes.

其他松鼠们吓得一溜烟躲进了树丛里。

When they came back very cautiously, peeping round the tree—there was Old Brown sitting on his door-step, quite still, with his eyes closed, as if nothing had happened.

等他们小心翼翼地折回来，绕着树探头张望时——只见老布朗端端正正地坐在门前的台阶上，闭着眼睛一动不动，仿佛什么事都没发生过。

But Nutkin was in his waistcoat pocket!

可纳特金却在他的背心口袋里！

This looks like the end of the story; but it isn't.

故事看着像是就此结束了；可其实还没完。

Old Brown carried Nutkin into his house, and held him up by the tail, intending to skin him; but Nutkin pulled so very hard that his tail broke in two, and he dashed up the staircase and escaped out of the attic window.

老布朗把纳特金拎进了屋里，抓着他的尾巴把他提了起来，打算剥了他的皮；可纳特金拼命一挣，尾巴竟断成了两截，他趁机冲上楼梯，从阁楼的窗户里逃了出去。

And to this day, if you meet Nutkin up a tree and ask him a riddle, he will throw sticks at you, and stamp his feet and scold, and shout—

直到今天，你要是在树上碰见纳特金，跟他猜谜语，他还是会朝你扔树枝，跺着脚生气地骂，大声叫嚷道——

"Cuck-cuck-cuck-cur-r-r-cuck-k-k!"

“咕咕——咕咕——咕咕——咕噜噜噜——咕咕咕！”