[翻译大赛NO.3] THE TRAVELS OF THE TWO FROGS / 两只青蛙的旅行

THE TRAVELS OF THE TWO FROGS
两只青蛙的旅行
[12]

LONG, long ago, in the good old days before the hairy-faced and pale-cheeked men from over the Sea of Great Peace came to Japan; before the black coal-smoke and snorting iron horse scared the white heron from the rice-fields; before black crows and fighting sparrows, which fear not man, perched on telegraph wires, or ever a railway was thought of, there lived two Frogs—one in a well in Kioto, the other in a lotus-pond in Osaka, forty miles away.
很久很久以前，满脸汗毛、面颊苍白的西洋人还没穿越太平洋来到日本；白鹭在稻田里自由徜徉，没有乌黑的煤烟和轰鸣的铁马惊吓它们；黑漆漆的乌鸦和成天打架的麻雀也不怕人，不像现在，只敢栖息在电报线上；至于铁路这样的东西，根本就没人想象得到。就在那美好的旧时光里，生活着两只青蛙，一只住在京都的井里，另一只住在大阪的莲花池里，中间隔着60多公里路。

Now it is a common proverb in the Land of the Gods that "the frog in the well knows not the great ocean," and the Kioto Frog had so often heard this scornful sneer from the maids who came to draw out water, with their long bamboo-handled buckets that he resolved to travel abroad and see the world, and especially the great ocean.
日本人都知道一句谚语“井底之蛙，不识大海”，京都的青蛙也常听到，那是女仆们提着有竹提手的长水桶来打水时，发出的轻蔑嘲笑；他听得耳朵都起茧了，决心出去旅行，见见世面，尤其是要看看大海。

"I'll see for myself," said Mr. Frog, as he packed his wallet and wiped his spectacles, [13] "what this great ocean is that they talk so much about. I'll wager it isn't half as deep or wide as my well, where I can see the stars even at daylight."
“我要亲自看看，”青蛙先生理理钱包，又擦擦眼镜，嘀咕着，“她们谈论如此之多的大海，到底是个什么玩意儿。我敢打赌，它的深浅和大小都不及我的井一半。我在井里，白天都能看到星星呐。”

Now the truth was, a recent earthquake had greatly reduced the depth of the well and the water was getting very shallow. Mr. Frog informed the family of his intentions. Mrs. Frog wept a great deal; but, drying her eyes with her paper handkerchief, she declared she would count the hours on her fingers till he came back, and at every morning and evening meal would set out his table with food on it, just as if he were at home. She tied up a little lacquered box full of boiled rice and snails for his journey, wrapped it around with a silk napkin, and, putting his extra clothes in a bundle, swung it on his back. Tying it over his neck, he seized his staff and was ready to go.
实际情况是，最近的一次地震把井底大幅度抬高了，井水变得越来越浅。青蛙先生把他的打算告诉了全家。青蛙夫人哭泣了好一阵子，不过还是用纸手帕擦干了眼睛，表示她会扳着指头数着时间等他回来，每天早晚，她还会在桌上替他摆上饭菜，就像他一直在家一样。她往一个小漆盒里装满米饭和蜗牛，用丝巾包起来，给他带着路上吃，还把他要换的衣物放在包裹里，挂在他背上。青蛙先生用脖子试了试行李的重量，抓起手杖，准备出发了。

"Sayonara,"  cried he, as, with a tear in his eye, he walked away; for that is the Japanese for "good-bye."
他的眼里含着泪水，喊了一声“沙扬娜拉”，离开了；在日语里，那就是“再见”的意思。

"Sayonara,"  croaked Mrs. Frog and the whole family of young frogs in a chorus.
“沙扬娜拉，”青蛙夫人带着所有的小青蛙齐声呱呱道别。

Two of the tiniest froggies were still babies, that is, they were yet pollywogs, with a half [14] inch of tail still on them; and, of course, were carried about by being strapped on the back of their older brothers.
最小的两只青蛙还是婴儿，也就是说，他们还是蝌蚪，身上还连着一厘米多点长的尾巴；当然，他们是哥哥们用带子缚在背上背来背去的。

Mr. Frog being now on land, out of his well, noticed that the other animals did not leap, but walked upright on their hind legs; and, not wishing to be eccentric, he likewise began briskly walking the same way.
青蛙先生跳出井口来到陆地，发现其它动物不是跳着走的，而是直立着用两条后腿前进。他不想让自己显得古怪，也开始学着用两条腿轻快地走路。

Now it happened that about the same time the Osaka Frog had become restless and dissatisfied with life on the edges of his lotus-ditch. He had made up his mind to "cast the lion's cub into the valley."
凑巧的是，这个时候，大阪的青蛙也不安分了。他对自己在莲花池边的生活很不满意，下定决心要“把小狮崽扔到山谷里。”

"Why! that is  tall talk for a frog, I must say!" you may exclaim. "What did he mean?"
“什么？我得说，对于一只青蛙来说，那可是十足的大话啊！”听到这里，你肯定要惊呼，“他是什么意思？”

To see what he meant, we will go back a bit. I must tell you that the Osaka Frog was a philosopher. Right at the edge of his lotus-pond was a monastery, full of Buddhist monks, who every day studied their sacred rolls and droned over the books of the sage, to learn them by heart. Our frog had heard then) so often that he could (in frog language, of course) repeat many of their wise sentences and intone responses to their evening prayers put up by the great idol Amida. Indeed, our Frog had so often listened [15] to their debates on texts from the classics that he had himself become a sage and a philosopher. Yet, as the proverb says, "the sage is not happy."
为了明白他的意思，让我们往回交待一下。我必须告诉你们，大阪的青蛙可是个哲学家呐。就在他的莲花池畔，有个庙宇，住满了和尚。他们天天研习佛经，诵读经书，以便烂熟于心。我们的青蛙听得多了，居然可以复述其中的很多精言妙语（当然是用青蛙的语言）；和尚们晚祷时，诵读着我佛阿弥陀传下来的经文，他竟也会吟咏作答。真的，因为频频听到和尚们关于经文的辩论，我们的青蛙已经成了一位智者，一名哲学家。然而正如谚语所说，“智者是不快乐的。”

Why not? In spite of a soft mud-bank, plenty of green scum, stagnant water, and shady lotus leaves, a fat wife, and a numerous family—in short, everything to make a frog happy—his forehead, or rather gullet, was wrinkled with care from long pondering of knotty problems, such as the following:
为什么不快乐呢？莲花池岸边的淤泥柔软细腻，安静的池水上漂着碧绿的浮沫，田田的荷叶带来一片荫凉，再加上丰满的妻子和无数的孩子，一句话，他拥有一只幸福的青蛙该有的一切；但是尽管如此，他的额头--确切地说是上颚--却因为长期思考深奥的问题而皱纹密布。比如现在，就来了这么个问题：

The monks often came down to the edge of the pond to look at the pink and white lotus. One summer day, as a little frog, hardly out of his tadpole state, with a small fragment of tail still left, sat basking on a huge round leaf, one monk said to another:
和尚们经常来到池边凝视粉的白的荷花。一个夏日，有只还没完全脱离蝌蚪形态的小青蛙，带着点残留的小尾巴，坐在一片硕大滚圆的荷叶上晒太阳。一个和尚看到了，问同行的另一个：

"Of what does that remind you?"
“这个情景让你想到什么？”

"The babies of frogs will become but frogs," said one shaven pate, laughing.
“青蛙的孩子只能长成青蛙。”一个秃头嘲笑地说。

"What think you?"
“那你想到什么？”

"The white lotus flower springs out of the black mud," said the other, solemnly, as both walked away.
“洁白的莲花生自漆黑的淤泥。”第一个和尚庄重地说完，两人一起走了。

The old Frog, sitting near by, overheard them and began to philosophize: "Humph! The babies of frogs will become but frogs, hey? If [16] mud becomes lotus, why shouldn't a frog become a man? Why not? If my pet son should travel abroad and see the world—go to Kioto, for instance—why shouldn't he be as wise as those shining-headed men, I wonder? I shall try it, anyhow. I'll send my son on a journey to Kioto. I'll 'cast the lion's cub into the valley,'" which, you see, meant pretty much the same thing.
坐在近旁的老青蛙无意中听了他们的对话，开始了哲学思考：“哼！青蛙的孩子只能长成青蛙，嗯？既然淤泥可以长成莲花，青蛙为何就不能变人呢？为何不能？如果我宠爱的儿子能出去见见世面，比如旅行到京都，难道他就不能变得跟这群脑袋发亮的人们一样聪明吗？我倒要看看！无论如何我要试试。我要让我的儿子去京都旅行，我要‘把小狮崽扔到山谷里’。”这下你明白了吧，这两句话差不多就是一个意思。

Plump! splash! sounded the water, as a pair of webby feet disappeared. The "lion's cub" was soon ready, after much paternal advice, and much counsel to beware of being gobbled up by long-legged storks, and trod on by impolite men, and struck at by bad boys.
扑通！哗啦！老青蛙的蹼脚随声消失在水中。“小狮崽”很快就准备好了，老青蛙给了他很多建议，并且一再叮嘱他小心，别让长腿鹳一口吞掉，也别被无理的人踩到，还要提防坏男孩的袭击。

"Even in the Capital there are boors," said Father Frog.
“即使在都城，也有粗鲁的人。”青蛙父亲说。

Now it so happened that the old Frog from Kioto and the "lion's cub" from Osaka started each from his home at the same time. Nothing of importance occurred to either of them until, as luck would have it, they met on a hill near Hashimoto, which is half-way between the two cities. Both were footsore, and websore, and very tired, especially about the hips, on account of the unfroglike manner of walking, instead of hopping as they had been used to.
好了，事情发生得很凑巧，京都的老青蛙和大阪的“小狮崽”同时从各自家中出发了。一开始并没什么特别的事发生，后来，他们很凑巧地在桥本附近的山丘上相遇了，桥本在京都和大阪的中间，离两地差不多远。两只青蛙都很累，脚痛，蹼也痛，尤其是屁股那里，因为没用他们习惯的青蛙跳，而是用两条腿走路，所以特别酸痛。

[17] "Ohio gozarimasu,"  said the "lion's cub" to the old Frog, by way of "good-morning," as he fell on all-fours and bowed his head to the ground three times, squinting up over his left eye, to see if the other Frog was paying equal deference in return.
“哦哈呦古砸一嘛丝，”“小狮崽”这样跟老青蛙打招呼，也就是“早上好”的意思，并且四脚着地趴下来，叩了三个头，同时，他还斜着左眼往上偷看，想知道老青蛙是否也用同样的方式回礼。

"Yes, good-day," replied the Kioto Frog.
“嗯，你好。”京都的青蛙说。

"It is rather fine weather to-day," said the youngster.
“今天的天气相当不错啊！”年轻的青蛙说。

"Yes, it is very fine," replied the old fellow.
“是啊，天气很好！”老家伙回答。

"I am Gamataro, from Osaka, the oldest son of Lord Bullfrog, Prince of the Lotus-Ditch."
“我叫蒲太郎，来自大阪，是牛蛙公爵的长子，莲花池的王子。”

"Your Lordship must be weary with your journey. I am Sir Frog of the Well in Kioto. I started out to see the 'great ocean' from Osaka; but, I declare, my hips are so dreadfully tired that I believe that I'll give up my plan and content myself with a look from this hill."
“殿下一路走来，肯定很疲倦了。在下是京都井里的青蛙男爵，原先准备去看大阪的‘大海’；但是我得说，我的屁股累坏了，我相信，我就要放弃计划，在这山丘上望一眼就满足了。”

The truth must be owned that the old Frog was not only on his hind legs, but also on his last legs, when he stood up to look at Osaka; while the youngster was tired enough to believe anything. The old fellow, wiping his face, spoke up:
的确，我们不得不承认，当老青蛙用两条后腿站起来想看大阪时，那两条腿已经快没力气了；而那只年轻的青蛙也累极了，乐意接受老青蛙的任何建议。老家伙擦了擦脸继续说：

"Suppose we save ourselves the trouble of the [18] journey. I have been told that this bill is halfway between the two cities, and while I see Osaka and the sea, you can get a good look at Kioto."
“想一下，我们可以省掉旅行的麻烦。听说这个山丘离两个城市一样远，我能看到大阪和大海，而你也可以好好地看一下京都。”

"Happy thought!" said the Osaka Frog.
“好主意啊！”大阪的青蛙说。

Then both reared themselves upon their hind-legs, once more, and stretching upon their toes, body to body, and neck to neck, propped each other up, rolled their goggles and looked steadily, as they supposed, on the places which they each wished to see. Now every one knows that a frog has eyes mounted in that part of his head which is front when he is down and back when he stands up.
于是他们再次用后腿支起身体，踮起脚尖，背靠背、肩并肩地支撑着对方，滴溜溜地转了转鼓鼓的眼睛，开始注视各自想看的地方--当然，他们以为那是自己想看的地方，但实际上，我们都知道，青蛙的眼睛长在头部那么个地方，当他趴下时，那叫前面，当他站起来时，那就是向后了。

Long and steadily they gazed, until, at last, their toes being tired, they fell down on all-fours.
他们长久地注视着身后，最后因为脚趾累了，才四脚着地趴下来。

"I declare I "said the older Frog, "Osaka looks just like Kioto; and as for the 'great ocean' those stupid maids talked about, I don't see any at all, unless they mean that strip of river that looks for all the world like the Yodo. I don't believe there is any 'great ocean'!"
“我觉得，”老青蛙说，“大阪跟京都一模一样，至于那些愚蠢的女仆所说的‘大海’，我根本就看不到，除非他们指的是那条看起来跟淀川一样的河流。我不信有什么“大海”存在！”

"As for my part," said the other, "I am satisfied that it's all folly to go further; for Kioto is as like Osaka as one grain of rice is like another."
“对我来说，”另外那只青蛙说，“我赞同你的说法，再往前走太愚蠢了，因为京都和大阪如此相像，就好像两粒稻谷是一模一样的。”

[19] Thereupon both congratulated themselves upon the happy labor-saving expedient by which they had spared themselves a long journey, much leg-weariness, and some danger. They departed, after exchanging many compliments; and, dropping again into a frog's hop, they leaped back in half the time—the one to his well and the other to his pond. There each told the story of both cities looking exactly alike; thus demonstrating the folly of those foolish folks called Men. As for the old gentleman in the lotus-pond, he was so glad to get the "cub" back again that he never again tried to reason out the problems of philosophy.
于是，两只青蛙互相祝贺他们开心又省力的权宜之计，因为这条妙计，他们不必继续长途旅行，也免除了更长久的腿痛和某些危险。再三庆贺致意之后，他们告别了。这回他们都恢复了青蛙跳，不到一半的时间就跳回去了，一只回到井里，另一只回到莲花池。他们都告诉家人，京都和大阪其实是一模一样的，可见那些叫做“人”的家伙有多蠢笨。再说莲花池里那只老青蛙，他看到“崽子”回来，非常高兴，从此再也不去思考什么哲学问题了。

And so to this day the frog in the well knows not and believes not in the "great ocean." Still do the babies of frogs become but frogs. Still is it vain to teach the reptiles philosophy; for all such labor is "like pouring water in a frog's face."
所以啊，直到今天，井底的青蛙还是不知道也不相信有“大海”；青蛙的孩子仍然只能长成青蛙；向爬虫们讲授哲学也是徒劳，因为一切类似的努力都“好比向青蛙的脸上倒水”--白费劲！