泰西50軼事(四十六之二)惠廷頓和他的貓 江銘輝 五夢網
4. THE CAT
Mr. Fitzwarren’s ship made a long voyage, and at last reached a strange land on the other side of the sea. The people had never seen any white men before, and they came in great crowds to buy the fine things with which the ship was loaded.
The captain wanted very much to trade with the king of the country; and it was not long before the king sent word for him to come to the palace and see him.
4. 貓
菲茨瓦倫先生的船經過一段漫長的航行，最後到達了海洋彼岸一個陌生的地方。那裡的人以前從來沒有見過白種人，他們蜂擁而至，來買船上裝載的那些好東西。船長很想和這個國家的國王做生意。不久之後，國王就通知他到王宮去見他。
The captain did so. He was shown into a beautiful room, and given a seat on a rich carpet all flowered with silver and gold. The king and queen were seated not far away; and soon a number of dishes were brought in for dinner.
船長去了，他被帶進到一間華麗的房間，坐在華麗的地毯上面，地毯全部佈滿用金、銀絲線繡成的花。國王和王后就坐在近旁，很快許多美味菜盤被端了上來，宴會開始了。
They had hardly begun to eat when an army of rats and mice rushed in, and devoured all the meat before any one could hinder them.
The captain wondered at this, and asked if it was not very unpleasant to have so many rats and mice about.
他們正開始要用餐時，一大群老鼠衝進來，任何人都來不及阻攔，它們就把那些佳餚全部吃光了。船長十分驚奇，問他們有這麼多老鼠，是否覺得很討厭(圖4)。
圖4：他們正開始要用餐時，一大群老鼠衝進來，把那些佳餚全部吃光了。
“Oh, yes!”was the answer. “It is indeed unpleasant; and the king would give half histreasure if he could get rid of them.”
The captain jumped for joy. He remembered the cat which little Whittington had sent out; and he told the king that he had a little creature on board his ship which would make short work of the pests.
Then it was the king’s turn to jump for joy; and he jumped so high, that his yellow cap, or turban, dropped off his head.
“啊，是的！”有人回答，“真是討厭極了，如果有人能除掉這些老鼠，國王願意拿出一半財產給他。”
船長高興地跳了起來，他想起了小威廷頓送來的那隻貓。他告訴國王，他的船上有一隻小動物可以很快地把這些害人的傢伙解決掉。
然後換成國王高興得跳了起來。他跳得太高，以至於頭上黃色的帽子，或者說頭巾從他的頭上掉下來。
“Bring the creature to me,”he said. “If she will do what you say, I will load your ship with gold.”
The captain made believe that he would be very sorry to part with the cat; but at last he went down to the ship to get her, while the king and queen made haste to have another dinner made ready.
“把那動物帶來給我吧，”他說，“如果它能做到像你說的那樣，我將把你的船裝滿黃金。”
船長假裝很難過，捨不得離開那隻貓。但是當國王和王后很快又準備好另一桌筵席時，他終於去船上拿貓了。
The captain, with puss under his arm, reached the palace just in time to see the table crowded with rats. The cat leaped out upon them, and oh! What havoc she did make among the troublesome creatures! Most of them were soon stretched dead upon the floor, while the rest scampered away to their holes, and did not dare to come out again.
當船長手裡抱著貓到達王宮時，正好看見桌子上擠滿了老鼠。貓跳上桌去捕捉它們。啊！對那些討厭的動物來說，這是何等的災難啊！很快它們大部分被咬死在地上，剩下的驚惶失措地逃回洞裡，再也不敢出來了。
The king had never been so glad in his life; and the queen asked that the creature which had done such wonders should be brought to her. The captain called, “Pussy, pussy, pussy! ”and the cat came up and rubbed against his legs. He picked her up, and offered her to the queen; but at first the queen was afraid to touch her.
國王這輩子都沒這麼高興過，王后要求將那隻製造奇跡的動物帶到她面前。船長叫道：“貓咪，貓咪，貓咪”，那貓咪就走上前去在他的兩腿間摩來摩去。他把它抱起來將它獻給王后。但一開始王后害怕，不敢摸它。
However, the captain stroked the cat, and called, “Pussy, pussy, pussy! ”and then the queen ventured to touch her. She could only say, “Putty, putty, putty! ”for she had not learned to talk English. The captain then put the cat down on the queen’s lap, where she purred and purred until she went to sleep.
於是船長撫摸著這隻貓，叫著：“貓咪，貓咪，貓咪，”王后才大著膽子去摸它。她只會說：“喵，喵，喵！”因為她沒有學過英語。
然後船長把貓放到了王后的膝上，它在那兒咕嚕咕嚕叫，直到它睡著了。
The king would not have missed getting the cat now for the world. He at once made a bargain with the captain for all the goods on board the ship; and then he gave him ten times as much for the cat as all the rest came to.
The captain was very glad. He bade the king and queen good-bye, and the very next day set sail for England.
在這個世界上，國王不願意再錯過得到這隻貓的機會了。他立刻和船長商定買下他全船的貨物，並出十倍高於那些貨物的價錢買下這隻貓。
船長非常高興。第二天，他就向國王和王后道別，起航回英格蘭了。
5. THE FORTUNE
One morning Mr. Fitzwarren was sitting at his desk in his office. He heard some one tap softly at his door, and he said, “Who’s there! ”
“A friend.”was the answer, “I have come to bring you news of your ship‘Unicorn.”
5. 好 運
一天早晨，菲茨瓦倫先生正坐在辦公室的書桌前，聽到有人輕輕地拍門，他問道：
“是誰呀？”
“一個朋友，”那人回答，“我是來告訴你，關於你的‘獨角獸’
號的消息。”
Mr. Fitzwarren jumped up quickly, and opened the door. Whom should he see waiting there but the captain, with a bill of lading in one hand and a box of jewels in the other? He was so full of joy that he lifted up his eyes, and thanked Heaven for sending him such good fortune.
菲茨瓦倫先生很快地跳起來，打開了門。他看到，等在那兒一手拿著一張貨物清單、另一隻手提著一隻珠寶箱的，不正是那個船長嗎？他高興極了，眼睛往上看，感謝上帝賜給他這麼好的運氣。
The captain soon told the story of the cat; and then he showed the rich present which the king and queen had sent to poor Dick in payment for her.
As soon as the good gentleman heard this, he called out to his servants,
“Go send him in, and tell him of his fame, Pray call him Mr. Whittington by name,”
Some of the men who stood by said that so great a present ought not to
be given to a mere boy; but Mr. Fitzwarren frowned upon them.
船長立刻講述了那隻貓的故事，還拿出了許多貴重的禮物，那些都是國王和王后作為買貓的報酬送給可憐的迪克的。當這位仁慈的紳士一聽到這消息，就大聲地對僕人說道：
“去把他叫來，告訴他這些榮譽，請你尊稱他為威廷頓先生。”
站在一旁的幾個人說，不應該把這麼貴重的一份禮物交給一個小男孩，但是菲茨瓦倫先生對他們皺皺眉，表示不贊同。
“It is his own,”he said,“and I will not hold back one penny from him.”
Dick was scouring the pots when word was brought to him that he should go to the office.
“Oh, I am so dirty!”he said,“and my shoes are full of hobnails.”But he was told to make haste.
“這是他的，”他說，“我不願意從他那兒扣下一個便士。” 當傳話的人來叫他去辦公室時，迪克正在洗鍋子。
“啊，我太髒了！”他說，“而且我的鞋子上釘滿了鞋釘。”但他被催促著趕快去。
Mr. Fitzwarren ordered a chair to be set for him, and then the lad began to think that they were making fun of him.
“I beg that you won’t play tricks with a poor boy like me,”he said.
“Please let me go back to my work.”
“Mr. Whittington,”said Mr. Fitzwarren.“this is no joke at all. The captain has sold your cat, and has brought you, in return for her, more riches than I have in the whole world.”
菲茨瓦倫先生命人抬一把椅子給他坐，這孩子開始覺得他們在和他開完笑。
“我請求你們不要捉弄像我這樣可憐的孩子，”他說，“讓我回去工作吧。”
“威廷頓先生，”菲茨瓦倫先生說，“這根本不是在開玩笑。船長賣掉了你的貓，並帶回了你的報酬，那筆錢比我所有的加起來還多呢。”
Then he opened the box of jewels, and showed Dick his treasures.
The poor boy did not know what to do. He begged his master to take apart of it; but Mr. Fitzwarren said, “No, it is all your own; and I feel sure that you willmake good use of it.”
然後他打開了珠寶箱，把那些金銀財寶展示給迪克看。
這個可憐的男孩不知道該怎麼辦，他懇求他的主人拿去一部分。但是菲茨瓦倫先生說：“不，這全是你自己的，我想你會好好利用它們的。”
Dick then offered some of his jewels to his mistress and little Alice. They thanked him, and told him that they felt great joy at his good luck, but wished him to keep his riches for himself.
於是迪克把一些珠寶送給他的女主人和小艾麗絲。她們向他道謝，並且說她們為他的好運感到非常高興，但是希望他能為自己留著那些財產。
But he was too kind hearted to keep everything for himself. He gave nice presents to the captain and the sailors, and to the servants in Mr. Fitzwarren’s house. He even remembered the cross old cook.
但他的心地太善良了，不願一個人獨享一切。他送給船長和水手們，還有菲茨瓦倫家裡的僕人們很好的禮物。他甚至沒有忘記那個壞脾氣的老廚娘。
After that, Whittington’s face was washed, and his hair curled, and he was dressed in a nice suit of clothes; and then he was as handsome a young man as ever walked the streets of London.
從此以後，威廷頓的臉洗得很乾淨，頭髮也燙卷了，還穿著華麗的衣服。他像走在倫敦街頭的那些年輕人一樣，成了一個翩翩的少年。
Some time after that, there was a fine wedding at the finest church in London; and Miss Alice became the wife of Mr. Richard Whittington. And the lord mayor was there, and the great judges, and the sheriffs, and many rich merchants; and everybody was very happy.
And Richard Whittington became a great merchant, and was one of the foremost men in London. He was sheriff of the city, and thrice lord mayor;
and King Henry V make him a knight.
幾年之後，倫敦最華麗的教堂裡舉行了一場盛大的婚禮，愛麗絲小姐成了理查·威廷頓的妻子。
到場的有市長、大法官、郡長，還有許多富商，每個人都很開心參加婚禮。理查·威廷頓成為了一個大商人，也是倫敦最傑出的人物之一。他做過城裡的郡長，還作過三任市長，被亨利五世國王封為爵士。
He built the famous prison of Newgate in London. On the archway in front of the prison was a figure, cut in stone, of Sir Richard Whittington and his cat;andfor three hundred years this figure was shown to all who visited London.
他在倫敦建了一所著名的紐蓋特監獄。今天，在監獄前面的門廊上聳立著一座雕像，上面刻的是理查·威廷頓先生和他的貓。三百多年來，到倫敦參觀的人都能看到這座雕像(圖5)。