牛津书虫系列《风雨河岸柳》Chapter7 附中英双语文本

当他们走进房子看见癞蛤蟆时，獾很遗憾地摇着头说：“可怜的蛤蟆！对你来说，这不是一次愉快的回家之行。”
But the Mole was very pleased to see him. 'Here's old Toad! ' he cried. 'How did you manage to escape from prison?It was very clever of you to do that. '
当鼹鼠见到他显得非常高兴。“你这个老蛤蟆！”他叫道，“你是怎么设法从监狱里逃出来的？你真是聪明。”
' Clever?' said Toad. 'Well, I don't want to boast, Mole. I'll tell you all about it and you can decide if—
“聪明？”癞蛤蟆说，“得了，我不想吹牛了，鼹鼠。我将告诉你所有的一切，然后你会决定我是否——”
‘Toad, do he quiet, please! ' said the Rat. 'We need to discuss plans. I think I know the best way for Toad to—'
“癞蛤蟆，请你务必保持安静！”水鼠说道，“我们必须研究些方案。我想我知道癞蛤蟆应采取的最好方法——”
'No, you don't! ' said the Mole. 'I know what Toad should do. He should—'
“不，你不知道！”鼹鼠打断道。“我知道癞蛤蟆应怎么做，他应该——”
'Well, I'm not going to! ' cried Toad, getting excited. 'I'm not taking orders from you fellows! It's my house that we're talking about and—'
“够了，我什么都不想做！”癞蛤蟆叫道，他有些激动。“我不会听从你们这帮家伙的命令！我们现在谈论的是我的房子，而且——”
By now they were almost shouting at each other, when suddenly a deep low voice came from an armchair.
这时，他们几乎是在互相大叫大嚷了，突然从手扶椅那儿传来一个低沉的声音。
'Be quiet at once, all of you! ' said the Badger. 'And listen. The Mole and I have been watching Toad Hall. The stoats, with their guns, are on guard all round the walls, and they're very good guards too. We can't attack the place from outside. They're too strong for us. '
“你们全给我马上安静下来！”獾说道。“听着，鼹鼠和我一直在注意着蛤蟆宅第的动向。持枪的大白鼬把守在围墙周围，他们还都是很不赖的卫兵。我们是不能从外面攻打进去的。对于我们来说，他们太厉害了。”
' Then there's no hope, ' cried Toad miserably. 'I shall go and join the army or something, and never see my dear Toad Hall again! '
“那么没有希望了，”癞蛤蟆痛苦地叫道。“我将离开这儿去参军或干别的什么，我将再也见不到我心爱的宅第了！”
'Cheer up, Toady, ' said the Badger, 'because now I'm going to tell you a very great secret. '
“振作起来，阿癞，”獾说，“因为我将告诉你一个非常重大的秘密。”
Toad sat up, interested. He loved secrets, although he could never keep them.
蛤蟆很有兴趣地坐直了身。他喜欢秘密，尽管他从来不能保守秘密。
'There- is- an -underground- tunnel, ' said the Badger slowly, 'which goes from the river bank near here, right up into the middle of Toad Hall. '
“有-个-地-下-通-道，”獾缓缓地说，“从附近的河岸刚好通到蛤蟆宅第的中部。”
' Don't be silly, Badger! cried Toad. ' Of course there isn't! I know Toad Hall, inside and outside, and—'
“别荒唐了，獾！”癞蛤蟆叫了起来。“当然没有！我熟悉蛤蟆宅第的里里外外，而且——”
' My young friend, ' said the Badger calmly, ' your father—who was a great friend of mine— told me many things that he didn't tell you. “ Don't tell my son about this tunnel, ” he said to me. “ He's a good boy, but he talks far too much. ”'
“我的年轻朋友，”獾平静地说，“你父亲——我最好的朋友——告诉过我许多没对你提过的事情。‘不要把这个通道告诉我儿子，’他对我说，‘他是好孩子，但他话太多。’”
Toad opened his mouth to argue, and then decided not to .
癞蛤蟆张大嘴巴准备争辩，马上又决定放弃了。
'I asked Otter, ' continued the Badger, ' to do some spy work for us. He pretended to be a gardener and went to the back door of the Hall, asking for work. During the conversation he learnt that tomorrow night there will be a big birthday par-ty— the Chief Weasel's, I think— in the dining-hall. All the weasels will be there, eating and drinking and laughing, and making a lot of noise. '
“我让水獭，”獾继续道。“为我们作了些侦察。他扮成园丁去宅子后门找活干。在交谈中，他了解到明天晚上那儿将举行大型的生日晚会——我想是黄鼠狼头头的——在餐厅里。所有的黄鼠狼将在那儿吃喝玩乐，并制造出许多噪声。”
' But the stoats will still be on guard on the walls, ' said the Rat.
“但是大白鼬肯定还会在墙头上巡逻，”水鼠说道。
'True, 'agreed the Badger. 'But the weasels, you see, know that, so they won't have any guns or sticks with them at the party. And the tunnel comes up into that little room right next to the dining-hall. We only have to—'