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绿野仙踪［美］莱·弗·鲍姆／原著
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

英文中文双语对照双语交替

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Chapter 6. The Cowardly Lion

第6章　一只小胆狮

All this time Dorothy and her companions had been walking through the thick woods. The road was still paved with yellow brick, but these were much covered by dried branches and dead leaves from the trees, and the walking was not at all good.

多萝茜和她的同伴们，正在穿越深深的树林。虽然他们仍然走在黄砖路上，但是树上掉下来的许多枯枝败叶，把它盖没了，并不好走。

There were few birds in this part of the forest, for birds love the open country where there is plenty of sunshine. But now and then there came a deep growl from some wild animal hidden among the trees. These sounds made the little girl's heart beat fast, for she did not know what made them; but Toto knew, and he walked close to Dorothy's side, and did not even bark in return.

在这一带的树林中，鸟儿很少，因为它们喜欢空旷和阳光充足的地方；但是在这树林中有野兽躲藏着，不时传来深长的吼声。

"How long will it be," the child asked of the Tin Woodman, "before we are out of the forest?"

这些声音，使得小女孩子的心，受到沉重的打击，因为她不知道是什么东西在叫；但是托托知道的，它靠紧着多萝茜的身旁走，不敢用吠声去回答。

"I cannot tell," was the answer, "for I have never been to the Emerald City. But my father went there once, when I was a boy, and he said it was a long journey through a dangerous country, although nearer to the city where Oz dwells the country is beautiful. But I am not afraid so long as I have my oil-can, and nothing can hurt the Scarecrow, while you bear upon your forehead the mark of the Good Witch's kiss, and that will protect you from harm."

小女孩子问铁皮人：“请你告诉我，我们什么时候能走出森林？”

"But Toto!" said the girl anxiously. "What will protect him?"

他回答道：“我也不知道，我从来没有去过翡翠城。我小的时候我的父亲去过一次，他说那是一条漫长的旅程，要经过一个危险的地方，不过在奥芝附近的城堡，却是很美丽的。

"We must protect him ourselves if he is in danger," replied the Tin Woodman.

“只要我有了油罐，就什么也不用怕；也没有东西能够伤害稻草人；在你的额角上，印着善女巫的吻，它也会保护你的。”

Just as he spoke there came from the forest a terrible roar, and the next moment a great Lion bounded into the road. With one blow of his paw he sent the Scarecrow spinning over and over to the edge of the road, and then he struck at the Tin Woodman with his sharp claws. But, to the Lion's surprise, he could make no impression on the tin, although the Woodman fell over in the road and lay still.

小女孩子烦恼地说：“但是托托！用什么来保护它？”

Little Toto, now that he had an enemy to face, ran barking toward the Lion, and the great beast had opened his mouth to bite the dog, when Dorothy, fearing Toto would be killed, and heedless of danger, rushed forward and slapped the Lion upon his nose as hard as she could, while she cried out:

铁皮人回答说：“如果它遇到危险，我们会全力的保护它。”

"Don't you dare to bite Toto! You ought to be ashamed of yourself, a big beast like you, to bite a poor little dog!"

就在他们说话的时候，一个可怕的吼声从森林中传来。接着一只大狮子突然出现在路当中；它用它的爪袭击稻草人，把稻草人打得旋转了好几次，摔倒路旁；然后它用尖锐的爪子，抓着铁皮人，但是狮子不可能抓伤铁皮人，这倒使它吓了一跳，虽然铁皮人也跌出路外面，英勇地躺倒了。

"I didn't bite him," said the Lion, as he rubbed his nose with his paw where Dorothy had hit it.

现在，小托托面对着庞然大物，冲上前去向狮子吠着，这只大野兽就张开它的嘴想去咬这只小狗。这时候，多萝茜怕托托会被咬死，不顾一切，冲向前去，尽力猛掴着它的鼻子，她高声尖叫起来：“你怎么能咬托托！咬一只瘦弱的小狗，像你这么大的野兽，你应当自己惭愧！”

"No, but you tried to," she retorted. "You are nothing but a big coward."

“我并没有咬到它，”狮子说话时，摸着自己的鼻子，那里正是给多萝茜打中的地方。

"I know it," said the Lion, hanging his head in shame. "I've always known it. But how can I help it?"

“不，你真的想咬它，”她反驳着。“你不过一个庞大的胆小鬼罢了。”

"I don't know, I'm sure. To think of your striking a stuffed man, like the poor Scarecrow!"

“我知道我很怯懦，”狮子说，又害羞又惭愧地低垂着头；“我也知道我的缺点。谁又能帮助我补救这个缺点呢？”

"Is he stuffed?" asked the Lion in surprise, as he watched her pick up the Scarecrow and set him upon his feet, while she patted him into shape again.

“这我也不知道的。你难道没有想过吗，打击一个填塞着稻草的人，有什么必要呢？就像这个可怜的稻草人！”

"Of course he's stuffed," replied Dorothy, who was still angry.

“他真是稻草人吗？”狮子惊讶地问，它一直望着她把稻草人扶起，并让他站稳，她又轻轻地拍着他，使它回复原来的样子。

"That's why he went over so easily," remarked the Lion. "It astonished me to see him whirl around so. Is the other one stuffed also?"

多萝茜生气地回答：“当然，任何人都看得出来。”

"No," said Dorothy, "he's made of tin." And she helped the Woodman up again.

“这是他容易跌出去的原因，”狮子批评说。“看他这样地旋转着，倒使我吃惊。另外一个也是稻草人吗？”

"That's why he nearly blunted my claws," said the Lion. "When they scratched against the tin it made a cold shiver run down my back. What is that little animal you are so tender of?"

“不，”多萝茜说，“他是用铁皮做的。”说着，她又去帮助铁皮人站起来。

"He is my dog, Toto," answered Dorothy.

“怪不得，几乎都要把我的爪子弄钝了，”狮子说。“当我的脚爪抓着那铁皮时，我的背上一阵冷颤。唔，这是一只什么小兽，你却为它不顾一切呢？”

"Is he made of tin, or stuffed?" asked the Lion.

多萝茜回答说：“它是我的狗，名叫托托。”

"Neither. He's a--a--a meat dog," said the girl.

狮子问：“它是用铁皮做的，还是用稻草填塞的？”

"Oh! He's a curious animal and seems remarkably small, now that I look at him. No one would think of biting such a little thing, except a coward like me," continued the Lion sadly.

女孩子说：“都不是。它是有血有肉的狗。”

"What makes you a coward?" asked Dorothy, looking at the great beast in wonder, for he was as big as a small horse.

“啊！它是一只奇怪的动物，我觉得它很小，除非像我这个胆小鬼，否则没有谁会去咬这样的一个小东西，”狮子羞愧地继续说。

"It's a mystery," replied the Lion. "I suppose I was born that way. All the other animals in the forest naturally expect me to be brave, for the Lion is everywhere thought to be the King of Beasts. I learned that if I roared very loudly every living thing was frightened and got out of my way. Whenever I've met a man I've been awfully scared; but I just roared at him, and he has always run away as fast as he could go. If the elephants and the tigers and the bears had ever tried to fight me, I should have run myself--I'm such a coward; but just as soon as they hear me roar they all try to get away from me, and of course I let them go."

“你怎么会变成胆小鬼呢？”多萝茜问，惊奇地注视着这只大野兽，显然它的胆量远不像它的身体那样猛。

"But that isn't right. The King of Beasts shouldn't be a coward," said the Scarecrow.

“这我也不知道，”狮子回答说。“我想我生下来就是这样的。森林中的一切野兽，都以为我是勇敢的，因为动物们一听到我的吼声就会害怕，逃开我所走的路。”

"I know it," returned the Lion, wiping a tear from his eye with the tip of his tail. "It is my great sorrow, and makes my life very unhappy. But whenever there is danger, my heart begins to beat fast."

“不论何时，只要我遇到一个人，就非常害怕，但我仍然对他吼叫，他就会尽快逃走。如果象、老虎和熊，要想和我挑战，那我就逃走了——我就是这样的一个胆小鬼；但是它们在一听到我吼叫以后，一起逃开了，当然，我只能让它们逃掉。”

"Perhaps you have heart disease," said the Tin Woodman.

“这似乎不合常理。百兽之王应该威风凛凛，”稻草人说。

"It may be," said the Lion.

“我也知道这个，”狮子回答说，用它尾巴的末梢，抹去不断从眼里滚出来的泪水，“这是我最大的烦恼，使得我的生活非常不愉快。因为每逢我遇到危险的时候，总是胆战心惊。”

"If you have," continued the Tin Woodman, "you ought to be glad, for it proves you have a heart. For my part, I have no heart; so I cannot have heart disease."

铁皮人说：“恐怕你有心脏病吧。”

"Perhaps," said the Lion thoughtfully, "if I had no heart I should not be a coward."

“可能吧，”狮子说。

"Have you brains?" asked the Scarecrow.

“如果你有心脏病，”铁皮人接下去说，“你应该感到高兴，因为那证明你有一颗心。而我的身体里，没有心；因而也不会有心脏病。”

"I suppose so. I've never looked to see," replied the Lion.

“可能，”狮子想了一想说，“假如我没有心，就不会是一个胆小鬼了。”

"I am going to the Great Oz to ask him to give me some," remarked the Scarecrow, "for my head is stuffed with straw."

“你有脑子吗？”稻草人问。

"And I am going to ask him to give me a heart," said the Woodman.

“我估计是有的。我从没想过这个，”狮子回答说。

"And I am going to ask him to send Toto and me back to Kansas," added Dorothy.

“我到伟大的奥芝那里去，请求他给我一个脑子，”稻草人说，“因为没有脑子是很蠢的。”

"Do you think Oz could give me courage?" asked the Cowardly Lion.

“我去请求他给我一颗心，”铁皮人说。

"Just as easily as he could give me brains," said the Scarecrow.

“我去请求他把我和托托送回到堪萨斯州去，”多萝茜附和着说。

"Or give me a heart," said the Tin Woodman.

胆小的狮子问：“你们觉得奥芝可以给我胆量吗？”

"Or send me back to Kansas," said Dorothy.

“正像他给我脑子一样轻而易举，”稻草人说。

"Then, if you don't mind, I'll go with you," said the Lion, "for my life is simply unbearable without a bit of courage."

“或者像给我一颗心一样地简单，”铁皮人说。

"You will be very welcome," answered Dorothy, "for you will help to keep away the other wild beasts. It seems to me they must be more cowardly than you are if they allow you to scare them so easily."

“或者像送我回到堪萨斯州去一样地不费吹灰之力。”多萝茜说。

"They really are," said the Lion, "but that doesn't make me any braver, and as long as I know myself to be a coward I shall be unhappy."

“既然如此，如果你们愿意我加入你们的团体的话，我会很高兴，”狮子说，“因为没有一点儿胆量，这样的日日子我再也过不下去了。”

So once more the little company set off upon the journey, the Lion walking with stately strides at Dorothy's side. Toto did not approve this new comrade at first, for he could not forget how nearly he had been crushed between the Lion's great jaws. But after a time he became more at ease, and presently Toto and the Cowardly Lion had grown to be good friends.

“非常欢迎你，”多萝茜回答说，“你的吼叫可以吓走别的野兽们。我觉得，既然它们这样容易地被你吓走，他们必定比你更加胆小。”

During the rest of that day there was no other adventure to mar the peace of their journey. Once, indeed, the Tin Woodman stepped upon a beetle that was crawling along the road, and killed the poor little thing. This made the Tin Woodman very unhappy, for he was always careful not to hurt any living creature; and as he walked along he wept several tears of sorrow and regret. These tears ran slowly down his face and over the hinges of his jaw, and there they rusted. When Dorothy presently asked him a question the Tin Woodman could not open his mouth, for his jaws were tightly rusted together. He became greatly frightened at this and made many motions to Dorothy to relieve him, but she could not understand. The Lion was also puzzled to know what was wrong. But the Scarecrow seized the oil-can from Dorothy's basket and oiled the Woodman's jaws, so that after a few moments he could talk as well as before.

“确实是这样，”狮子说，“它们都不能使我更加勇敢些。

"This will serve me a lesson," said he, "to look where I step. For if I should kill another bug or beetle I should surely cry again, and crying rusts my jaws so that I cannot speak."

只要我知道自己是一个胆小鬼，我就不会快乐的。”

Thereafter he walked very carefully, with his eyes on the road, and when he saw a tiny ant toiling by he would step over it, so as not to harm it. The Tin Woodman knew very well he had no heart, and therefore he took great care never to be cruel or unkind to anything.

于是这个小团体出发了，狮子威严地走在多萝茜的身边。

"You people with hearts," he said, "have something to guide you, and need never do wrong; but I have no heart, and so I must be very careful. When Oz gives me a heart of course I needn't mind so much."

托托起初不满意这个新同伴，因为他无法忘记它几乎在狮子的大牙床里被撕碎。然而没过多久，托托变得友善而高兴了，它和这只胆小的狮子逐渐地变成了朋友。

有一天，铁皮人踏死了那正在沿路爬行的甲虫，这就使得铁皮人非常难受，因为他不愿意去损伤任何旁的有生命的东西；他向前走着，掉了几点忧愁和惋惜的眼泪。

这些眼泪慢慢地从他的脸上淌下来，流过他的牙床的铰链，使它们发锈了。一会儿，当多萝茜跟他说话时，铁皮人却没有答话，因为他的上下牙床都牢牢地锈在一起了。

他非常惊慌，挥着手向多萝茜做着许多手势，要她帮助自己，但是她不懂得，狮子也不知道出了什么问题。

幸亏稻草人迅速从多萝茜的篮子里取出油罐，在铁皮人的牙床上加着油，几秒钟以后，他便能够像以前一样地说话了。

“这真是给了我一个教训，”他说，“我要看清楚才踏上去。

一旦我踏死了旁的小虫或甲虫，我一定会很难受，会哭锈了我的牙床，就会给我造成很大的麻烦。”

于是他十分小心地盯在路面上，慢慢地走着，他看见一个小蚂蚁，正在辛苦地向前爬近来，他便跨了过去，铁皮人很清楚，他是没有心的，所以他要小心翼翼，永远不要残忍地对待着任何东西。

“你们大家都有心。”他说，“仁慈的心会指导你们，一定永远不去做坏事；但是我却没有心，所以必须十分地谨慎。等到奥芝给了我一颗心，当然，我就不必这么紧张了。”