牛津书虫系列《牙齿和爪子》Chapter1 附中英双语文本

Sredni Vashtar
斯莱德尼·瓦什塔
Conradin was ten years old and was often ill．
康拉丁10岁，经常生玻
'The boy is not strong，'said the doctor．'He will not live much longer．'But the doctor did not know about Conradin's imagination． In Conradin's lonely， loveless world，his imagination was the only thing that kept him alive．
“这孩子不结实，”医生说，“他活不了太久。”但是医生不了解康拉丁的想像力。在康拉丁孤独无爱的世界里，他的想像力是唯一支撑他活着的东西。
Conradin's parents were dead and he lived with his aunt．The aunt did not like Conradin and was often unkind to him．Conradin hated her with all his heart， but he obeyed her quietly and took his medicine without arguing． Mostly he kept out of her way．She had no place in his world． His real， everyday life in his aunt's colourless， comfortless house was narrow and uninteresting． But inside his small， dark head exciting and violent thoughts ran wild． In the bright world of his imagination Conradin was strong and brave． It was a wonderful world， and the aunt was locked out of it．
康拉丁的父母已亡故，他和姑妈住在一起。姑妈不喜欢康拉丁，经常对他不好。康拉丁从心底里恨她，但是平静地服从她，而且毫无怨言地服药。多数时间他远离她。她在他的世界里没有一席之地。在姑妈单调不舒服的家里，他真正的日常生活狭窄无趣。但是在他又小又黑的脑袋里，活跃、思想在狂奔。在想像中的明快世界里，康拉丁健壮勇敢。这是一个美好的世界，姑妈被锁在了这个世界之外。
The garden was no fun． There was nothing interesting to do． He was forbidden to pick the flowers． He was forbidden to eat the fruit． He was forbidden to play on the grass But behind some trees， in a forgotten corner of the garden， there was an old shed Nobody used the shed， and Conradin took it for his own．
花园里不好玩，没有有趣的事情做。他被禁止摘花，被禁止吃果子，被禁止在草坪上玩耍。但是在一些树后，在花园一个被遗忘的角落有一个陈旧的小屋。
To him it became something between a playroom and a church． He filled it with ghosts and animals from his imagination． But there were also two living things in the shed． In one corner lived an old， untidy-looking chicken． Conradin had no people to love， and this chicken was the boy's dearest friend．And in a dark， secret place at the back of the shed was a large wooden box with bars across the front． This was the home of a very large ferret with long， dangerous teeth and claws．Conradin had bought the ferret and its box from a friendly boy， who lived in the village． It had cost him all his money，but Conradin did not mind．He was most terribly afraid of the ferret， but he loved it with all his heart． It was his wonderful，terrible secret． He gave the ferret a strange and beautiful name and it became his god．
没人用这个小屋，康拉丁便把它据为己有。对他而言小屋成了一个介于游戏室和教堂的地方。他在其中装满了想像中的鬼怪和动物。但是里面也有两个活物。在一个角落有一只蓬头垢面的老母鸡。康拉丁没有什么人去爱，于是这只鸡成了他最好的朋友。在小屋靠后的一个黑暗秘密的地方有一只大木箱，它的前面横竖着一些铁条。在这木箱里有一只长着又长又危险的牙齿和爪子的大雪貂。康拉丁从住在村里的一个很友好的男孩那里买下了这只雪貂和箱子。这花掉了他所有的钱，但是康拉丁不在乎。他非常害怕这只雪貂，可又全心全意地爱它。它是他精彩可怕的秘密。他给雪貂起了一个又古怪又好听的名字，它成了他的上帝。
The aunt went to church every Sunday． She took Conradin with her， but to Conradin her church and her god were without meaning． They seemed grey and uninteresting．The true god lived in the shed， and his name was Sredni Vashtar．
姑妈每个星期天都去教堂。她带康拉丁一起去，但对康拉丁来说她的教堂和上帝毫无意义，而且似乎灰暗枯燥。真正的上帝住在小屋里，它的名字叫斯莱德尼·瓦什塔。
Every Thursday， in the cool， silent darkness of the shed，Conradin took presents to his god． He took flowers in summer and fruits in autumn， and he made strange and wonderful songs for his god． Sometimes， on days when something important happened， Conradin took special presents．He stole salt from the kitchen and placed it carefully and lovingly in front of the ferret's box．
每个星期四，在小屋阴凉沉寂的黑暗中，康拉丁都给他的上帝带些礼物。他带来夏季的鲜花和秋天的果实，他给他的上帝编唱些古怪奇妙的歌曲。有时，在有某件重要事情发生的日子，康拉丁会带来特殊的礼物。他从厨房偷来盐并小心疼爱地放在雪貂箱子的前面。