泰西50轶事(四十六之一)惠廷顿和他的猫 江铭辉 五梦网
泰西50轶事(Fifty Famous Stories Retold)，是永恒的短篇故事，它收集的故事：包括浩瀚历史的著名英雄和他们的罗曼史，故事内容有勇气、毅力和情感。故事人物包括拿破仑、罗宾汉，乔治华盛顿、成吉思汗等人。这些故事都是老少咸宜的故事，我将它逐篇翻译，并配合图画，供大家欣赏。
泰西50轶事(四十六)惠廷顿和他的猫
原文及翻译如下：
Whittington and his cat
惠廷顿和他的猫
1. THE CITY
There was once a little boy whose name was Richard Whittington; but everybody called him Dick. His father and mother had died when he was only a babe, and the people who had the care of him were very poor. Dick was not old enough to work, and so he had a hard time of it indeed. Sometimes he had no breakfast, and sometimes he had no dinner; and he was glad at any time to get a crust of bread or a drop of milk.
1. 城市
从前有一个小男孩叫做理查德·威廷顿(图1)，但是人人都叫他迪克。当他还是个婴儿时，他的爸爸妈妈就去世了，照管他的人非常穷。迪克太小，还不能出去工作，所以真的过得很苦，有时吃不上早餐，有时吃不到正餐。他在任何时候，要是得到一点面包屑或一滴的牛奶，就非常高兴了。
图1：理查德·威廷顿(作者：Alex Hogg and Co)
Now, in the town where Dick lived, the people liked to talk about London. None of them had ever been to the great city, but they seemed to know all about the wonderful things which were to be seen there. They said that all the folks who lived in London were fine gentlemen and ladies; that there was singing and music there all day long; that nobody was ever hungry there, and nobody had to work; and that the streets were all paved with gold.
那时，在迪克居住的小镇里，人们喜欢谈论伦敦。他们谁也没去过那个大城市，但是似乎都知道那儿所有美妙的事物。他们说住在伦敦的人全都是优雅的绅士和淑女；那儿整天都有着歌唱和音乐音乐；那儿从来没有人挨饿，也没有人必须去工作，所有街道都是铺满金子。
Dick listened to these stories, and wished that he could go to London.
One day a big waggon drawn by eight horses, all with bells on their heads, drove into the little town. Dick saw the waggon standing by the inn,and he thought that it must be going to the fine city of London.
迪克听了这些故事，他盼望着自己能去伦敦。
一天，一辆由八匹马拉着的大四轮马车驶进了小镇，马车，马头上全都挂着铃铛。迪克看见马车停在旅馆旁边，他想它一定是去伦敦那个美好的城市。
When the driver came out and was ready to start, the lad ran up and asked him if he might walk by the side of the waggon. The driver asked him some questions; and when he learned how poor Dick was, and that he had neither father nor mother, he told him that he might do as he liked.
当车夫走出来准备出发时，这个孩子跑上去问是否可以坐在马车的旁边一起走。车夫问了他几个问题，当得知迪克非常可怜，没有爸爸也没有妈妈，他告诉他，他可以照他喜欢的去做(图2)。
图2：迪克和车夫坐着八匹马拖的马车到伦敦。
It was a long walk for the little lad; but by and by he came to the city of London. He was in such a hurry to see the wonderful sights, that he forgot to thank the driver of the waggon. He ran as fast as he could, from one street to another, trying to find those that were paved with gold.
对这个小孩来说，那真是一段长途跋涉。但是，他终于到了伦敦。他因为急着去看那些美妙的景象，竟忘了向车夫道谢。他拼命地跑着，从这条街跑到那条街，想找那些铺着金子的路。
He had once seen a piece of money that was gold, and he knew that it would buy a great, great many things; and now he thought that if he could get only a little bit of the pavement, he would have everything that he wanted.
他曾见过一个金币，知道那可以买许许多多的东西。他想现在要是能找到一小段铺着黄金的路面，他就可以买一切他所要的东西了。
Poor Dick ran till he was so tired that he could run no farther. It was growing dark, and in every street there was only dirt instead of gold. He sat down in a dark corner, and cried himself to sleep.
可怜的迪克一直跑到累得跑不动。天逐渐黑了，每一条街上都只有泥土，而不是金子。他坐在一个黑暗的角落里，大哭起来，直到睡着了。
When he woke up the next morning, he was very hungry; but there was not even a crust of bread for him to eat. He forgot all about the golden pavements, and thought only of food. He walked about from one street to another, and at last grew so hungry that he began to ask those whom he met to give him a penny to buy something to eat.
第二天早上当他醒来时，觉得很饿，但是甚至没有一块面包屑可以吃到。他忘记所有关于铺金子的路，只想着食物。他从这条街走到那条街；最后，他实在太饿了，就开始向碰到的人乞讨一个便士来买点东西吃。
“Go to work, you idle fellow.”said some of them; and the rest passed him by without even looking at him.
“I wish I could go to work! ”said Dick.
“去工作，你这懒惰的家伙。”有人说。有的人经过他时，甚至看都不看他一眼。
“我希望我能去工作！”迪克说。
2.THE KITCHEN
By and by Dick grew so faint and tired that he could go no farther. He sat down by the door of a fine house, and wished that he was back again in the little town where he was born.
2. 厨房
不久以后，迪克就变得又虚弱又疲倦，再也走不动了。他在一幢华丽房屋的门口坐下，希望自己能重新回到出生的那个小镇。
The cookmaid, who was just getting dinner, saw him, and called out, “What are you doing there, you little beggar? If you don’t get away quick,I’ll throw a panful of hot dish-water over you. Then I guess you will jump.”
这时一个厨娘正在做午餐，看见了他，大声地叫道：
“你在这里干什么，你这个小乞丐？如果不快点滚开，我就把一满锅滚烫的洗碗水泼到你的身上。我想你会跳起来。”
Just at that time the master of the house, whose name was Mr.Fitzwarren, came home to dinner. When he saw the ragged little fellow at his door, he said, “My lad, what are you doing here? I am afraid you are a lazy fellow, and that you want to live without work.”
正在此时，这房子的主人菲茨瓦伦先生回家吃午饭了。当他看见这个衣衫褴褛的小家伙坐在家门口时，他说：
“我的孩子，你在这里做什么呢？恐怕你是个懒汉，不想工作而讨东西吧。”
“No, indeed! ”said Dick. “I would like to work, if I could find any thing to do. But I do not know anybody in this town, and I have not had anything to eat for a long time.”
“不是的！”迪克说，“如果我能找到任何事情来做，我很愿意工作。可是我在这个城市一个人也不认识，我已经很久没吃任何东西了。”
“Poor little fellow! ”said Mr. Fitzwarren. “Come in, and I will see what I can do for you.”And he ordered the cook to give the lad a good dinner, and then to find some light work for him to do.
“可怜的小家伙！”菲茨瓦伦先生说，“进来吧，我看看能为你做点什么。”然后他吩咐厨师给这个孩子一顿很好的午餐，接着又找一些轻松的工作给他做。
Little Dick would have been very happy in the new home which he had thus found, if it had not been for the cross cook. She would often say, “You are my boy now, and so you must do as I tell you. Look sharp there! Make the fires, carry out the ashes, wash these dishes, sweep the floor, bring in the wood! Oh, what a lazy fellow you are! ”And then she would box his ears, or beat him with the broomstick.
如果没有那坏脾气的厨娘，小迪克在这个新找的家里，会觉得很快乐。她常说：“现在你是我的仆人，所以必须照我吩咐的话去做。在这里眼睛要放亮一点！生火吧，把灰倒出去，洗碗，扫地，加柴火！啊，你真是个懒家伙！”然后她就会打他的耳光，或是用扫帚柄打他。
At last, little Alice, his master’s daughter, saw how he was treated, and she told the cook she would be turned off if she was not kinder to the lad. After that, Dick had an easier time of it; but his troubles were not over yet, by any means.
后来，主人的女儿艾丽斯发现他的遭遇就警告厨娘，如果她不对那个孩子好一点，就要把她解雇。此后，迪克的日子才过得稍好些。但是无论如何，他的烦恼仍然没有解除。
His bed was in a garret at the top of the house, far away from the where the other people slept. There were many holes in the floor and walls, and every night a great number of rats and mice came in. They tormented Dick so much, that he did not know what to do.
他的床设在屋顶上的阁楼里，离别人的卧室很远。墙上和地板上都有很多洞，每天晚上有很多大小的老鼠跑进来。它们扰乱迪克，使他不得安宁，他不知道该怎么办才好。
One day a gentleman gave him a penny for cleaning his shoes, and he made up his mind that he would buy a cat with it. The very next morning he met a girl who was carrying a cat in her arms.
“I will give you a penny for that cat,”he said.
“All right,”the girl said. “You may have her, and you will find that she is a good mouser too.”
一天，他给一位绅士擦鞋，得到了一便士，决定用它来买一只猫。第二天早晨，他就遇到一个手里抱着一只猫的女孩。
“我愿用一个便士来换你的猫，”他说。
“好吧，”那女孩说，“卖给你吧，你会发现它也是一只擅长捕鼠的猫。”
Dick hid his cat in the garret, and every day he carried a part of his dinner to her. It was not long before she had driven all the rats and mice away; and then Dick could sleep soundly every night.
迪克把猫藏在阁楼里，每天都把自己餐后的食物分给它吃。没过多久，它就把那些老鼠全赶走了，于是迪克每晚都睡能很安稳了。
3.THE VENTURE
Some time after that, a ship that belonged to Mr. Fitzwarren was about to start on a voyage across the sea. It was loaded with goods which were to be sold in lands far away. Mr. Fitzwarren wanted to give his servants a chance for good fortune too, and so he called all of them into the parlour, and asked if they had anything they would like to send out in the ship for trade.
3. 冒险事业
过了一段时间，一艘属于菲茨瓦伦先生的船将要启航，穿越大海航运去。船上装满了要运到远方去出售的货物。菲茨瓦伦先生想给他的仆人们一个赚钱的好机会，于是把他们都叫到客厅，问有没有什么东西想送到船上带出去交易。
Every one had something to send, — every one but Dick; and as he had neither money nor goods, he stayed in the kitchen, and did not come in with the rest. Little Alice guessed why he did not come, and so she said to her papa, “Poor Dick ought to have a chance too. Here is some money out of my own purse that you may put in for him.”
每一个人除了迪克外都有东西要送去。因为他既没有钱也没有货物。他呆在厨房里，没有和其他人来到客厅。小艾丽丝猜他为什么没有来，于是对她爸爸说：
“可怜的迪克也应该有个机会。我的钱袋里还有一些钱，你把它拿去作为他的投资吧。”
“No, no, my child! ”said Mr. Fitzwarren. “He must risk something of his own.”And then he called very loud,“Here, Dick! What are you going to send out on the ship?”
“不，不，我的孩子！”菲茨瓦伦先生说，“他必须用自己的东西去冒险。”然后他大声地叫道：“过来，迪克！你准备把什么送到船上去？”
Dick heard him, and came into the room.
“I have nothing in the world,”he said,“but a cat which I bought some time ago for a penny.”
迪克听到后，走进了客厅。
“在这世上我一无所有，”他说，“除了不久前我花了一便士买的一只猫。”
“Fetch your cat, then, my lad,” said Mr. Fitzwarren, “and let her go out.
Who knows but that she will bring you some profit?” Dick, with tears in his eyes, carried poor puss down to the ship, and gave her to the captain. Everybody laughed at his queer venture; but little Alice felt sorry forhim, and gave him money to buy another cat.
“我的孩子，那就去把你的猫拿来，”菲茨瓦伦先生说，“让它去吧，谁知道它能否给你带来一些利益呢？”
迪克含着眼泪把可怜的猫咪送到了船上，把它交给了船长。人人都嘲笑他这奇怪的投资。只有小艾丽丝为他感到难过，并给他钱去另外买一只猫。
After that, the cook was worse than before. She made fun of him for sending his cat to sea.
Do you think,” she would say, “that puss will sell for enough money to buy a stick to beat you?”
从此以后，那厨娘对他更凶了。她取笑他把那只猫送到海上去。“你想，”她说，“卖掉那只猫的钱，能够买一根棍子打你吗？”
At last Dick could not stand her abuse any longer, and he made up his mind to go back to his old home in the little country town. So, very early in the morning on All hollows Day, he started. He walked as far as the place called Holloway, and there he sat down on a stone, which to this day is called “Whittington’s Stone.”
最后，迪克再也忍受不了她的虐待，决定回老家，那个小村镇。于是，在万圣节的早晨，他很出发了。他一直走到一个叫好乐威的地方，坐在一颗石头上，那块石头今天被叫做“威廷顿石”(图3)。
图3：迪克坐在一颗石头上，那块石头今天被叫做“威廷顿石”。
As he sat there very sad, and wondering which way he should go, he heard the bells on Bow Church, far away, ringing out a merry chime. He listened.They seemed to say to him,
“Turn again, Whittington, Thrice Lord Mayor of London.”
“Well, well! ”he said to himself. “I would put up with almost anything, to be Lord Mayor of London when I am a man, and to ride in a fine coach! I think I will go back and let the old cook cuff and scold as much as she pleases.”
当他非常伤心地坐在那儿，不知道该往哪里去时，突然听到远处的教堂传来一阵欢乐的钟声。他聆听着，那钟声好像在对他说：
转身回去吧，威廷顿，你将三次当上伦敦的市长“
好！好！”他自言自语，“我要忍受一切磨难，长大后成为伦敦市长，坐在华丽的马车里。我想还是回去吧，随那老厨娘高兴怎么打骂。”
Dick did go back, and he was lucky enough to get into the kitchen, and set about his work, before the cook came downstairs to get breakfast.
迪克回去了，他足够幸运地，这时正好是厨娘正下楼准备早餐前，他溜进了厨房工作。