柳第十二章

XIITHERETURNOFULYSSES第十二章：荣归故里Whenitbegantogrowdark,theRat,withanairofexcitementandmystery,summonedthembackintotheparlour,stoodeachofthemupalongsideofhislittleheap,andproceededtodressthemupforthecomingexpedition.Hewasveryearnestandthoroughgoingaboutit,andtheaffairtookquitealongtime.First,therewasabelttogoroundeachanimal,andthenaswordtobestuckintoeachbelt,andthenacutlassontheothersidetobalanceit.Thenapairofpistols,apoliceman’struncheon,severalsetsofhandcuffs,somebandagesandsticking-plaster,andaflaskandasandwich-case.TheBadgerlaughedgood-humouredlyandsaid,‘Allright,Ratty!Itamusesyouanditdoesn’thurtme.I’mgoingtodoallI’vegottodowiththisherestick.’ButtheRatonlysaid,‘PLEASE,Badger.YouknowIshouldn’tlikeyoutoblamemeafterwardsandsayIhadforgottenANYTHING!’天快黑了。河鼠面露兴奋而诡秘的神色，把伙伴们召回客厅，让各人站到自己的一小堆军械前面，动手武装他们，来迎接即将开始的征战。他干得非常认真，一丝不苟，花去了好长时间。他先在每人腰间系一根皮带。皮带上插一把剑，又在另一侧插一把弯刀，以求平衡。然后发给每人一对手枪，一根警棍。几副手铐，一些绷带和胶布，还有一只杯子、一个盛三明治的盒子。獾随和地笑着说：“好啦，鼠儿！这让你高兴，又于我无损。其实我只消用这根木棒，就能做我该做的一切。”河鼠只是说：“请原谅，獾！我只是希望，事后你不责怪我，说我忘带什么东西！”Whenallwasquiteready,theBadgertookadarklanterninonepaw,graspedhisgreatstickwiththeother,andsaid,‘Nowthen,followme!Molefirst,‘cosI’mverypleasedwithhim;Ratnext;Toadlast.Andlookhere,Toady!Don’tyouchattersomuchasusual,oryou’llbesentback,assureasfate!’诸事准备就绪，獾一手提着一盏暗灯，一手握着他那根大棒，说：“现在跟我来！鼹鼠打头阵，因为我对他很满意。河鼠其次；蟾蜍殿后。听着，小蟾儿！你可不许像平时那样唠叨，要不，一准把你打发回去！”TheToadwassoanxiousnottobeleftoutthathetookuptheinferiorpositionassignedtohimwithoutamurmur,andtheanimalssetoff.TheBadgerledthemalongbytheriverforalittleway,andthensuddenlyswunghimselfovertheedgeintoaholeintheriver-bank,alittleabovethewater.TheMoleandtheRatfollowedsilently,swingingthemselvessuccessfullyintotheholeastheyhadseentheBadgerdo;butwhenitcametoToad’sturn,ofcoursehemanagedtoslipandfallintothewaterwithaloudsplashandasquealofalarm.Hewashauledoutbyhisfriends,rubbeddownandwrungouthastily,comforted,andsetonhislegs;buttheBadgerwasseriouslyangry,andtoldhimthattheverynexttimehemadeafoolofhimselfhewouldmostcertainlybeleftbehind.蟾蜍生怕给留下，只好一声不吭地接受指派给他的次等位置，四只动物便出发了。獾领着大伙儿沿河走了一小段路，然后，他突然攀住河岸，身子摆动几下，荡进了一个略高出水面的洞。看到獾进了洞，鼹鼠和河鼠也一声不响地荡进了洞。轮到蟾蜍时，他偏要滑倒。扑通一声跌进水里，还惊恐地尖叫一声。朋友们拽他上来，把他从头到脚匆匆揉搓一过，拧了拧湿衣服，安慰几句，扶他站起来。獾可真火了。他警告蟾蜍说。要是下次再出洋相，准定把他丢下。Soatlasttheywereinthesecretpassage,andthecutting-outexpeditionhadreallybegun!他们终于进了那条秘密通道，真正踏上了突袭的捷径。Itwascold,anddark,anddamp,andlow,andnarrow,andpoorToadbegantoshiver,partlyfromdreadofwhatmightbebeforehim,partlybecausehewaswetthrough.Thelanternwasfarahead,andhecouldnothelplaggingbehindalittleinthedarkness.ThenheheardtheRatcalloutwarningly,‘COMEon,Toad!’andaterrorseizedhimofbeingleftbehind,aloneinthedarkness,andhe‘cameon’withsucharushthatheupsettheRatintotheMoleandtheMoleintotheBadger,andforamomentallwasconfusion.TheBadgerthoughttheywerebeingattackedfrombehind,and,astherewasnoroomtouseastickoracutlass,drewapistol,andwasonthepointofputtingabulletintoToad.Whenhefoundoutwhathadreallyhappenedhewasveryangryindeed,andsaid,‘NowthistimethattiresomeToadSHALLbeleftbehind!’地道里很冷，低矮狭窄，阴暗渐湿，可怜的蟾蜍禁不住哆嗦起来，一半由于害怕前面可能遇到的不测，一半由于他浑身湿透。灯笼在前面，离他很远，在黑暗中。他落到了后面。这时，他听到河鼠警告说：“快跟上，蟾蜍！”便猛地往前一冲，竟撞倒了河鼠，河鼠又撞倒了鼹鼠，鼹鼠又撞倒了獾，引起一阵大乱。獾以为背后遭到了袭击，由于洞内狭窄，使不开棍棒，便拔出手枪，正要朝蟾蜍射击。等真相大白后，他不禁大怒，说：“这回，可恶的蟾蜍必须留下！”ButToadwhimpered,andtheothertwopromisedthattheywouldbeanswerableforhisgoodconduct,andatlasttheBadgerwaspacified,andtheprocessionmovedon;onlythistimetheRatbroughtuptherear,withafirmgripontheshoulderofToad.蟾蜍呜呜咽咽哭了起来，另两只动物答应，他们将负责照看好蟾蜍，让他好好表现，獾才消了气，队伍又继续前进。不过这回换了河鼠断后，他牢牢地抓住蟾蜍的双肩。Sotheygropedandshuffledalong,withtheirearsprickedupandtheirpawsontheirpistols,tillatlasttheBadgersaid,‘WeoughtbynowtobeprettynearlyundertheHall.’就这样，他们摸索着蹒跚前行，耳朵竖起，爪子按在手枪上。最后獾说：“咱们现在差不离到了蟾宫底下。”Thensuddenlytheyheard,farawayasitmightbe,andyetapparentlynearlyovertheirheads,aconfusedmurmurofsound,asifpeoplewereshoutingandcheeringandstampingonthefloorandhammeringontables.TheToad’snervousterrorsallreturned,buttheBadgeronlyremarkedplacidly,‘TheyAREgoingit,theWeasels!’忽然，他们听到低沉的嘈杂声，似乎很远，但显然就在头顶上，像有许多人在喊叫，欢呼，在地板上跺脚，用拳头捶桌子。蟾蜍的神经质的恐惧又袭上心来，可獾只是平静地说：“他们正闹腾哩，这群黄鼠狼！”Thepassagenowbegantoslopeupwards;theygropedonwardalittlefurther,andthenthenoisebrokeoutagain,quitedistinctthistime,andverycloseabovethem.‘Ooo-ray-ooray-oo-ray-ooray!’theyheard,andthestampingoflittlefeetonthefloor,andtheclinkingofglassesaslittlefistspoundedonthetable.‘WHATatimethey’rehaving!’saidtheBadger.‘Comeon!’Theyhurriedalongthepassagetillitcametoafullstop,andtheyfoundthemselvesstandingunderthetrap-doorthatledupintothebutler’spantry.地道这时开始向上倾斜，他们又摸索着走了一小段，然后，嘈杂声忽又出现，这回很清晰，很近，就在头顶上。“乌啦乌啦乌啦乌啦！”他们听到欢呼声，小脚掌跺地板声，小拳头砸桌子时杯盘的丁当声。“瞧他们闹得多欢哟！”獾说。“来呀！”他们顺着地道疾走，来到地道的尽头，发现他们已站在通向配膳室的那道活门的下面。Suchatremendousnoisewasgoingoninthebanqueting-hallthattherewaslittledangeroftheirbeingoverheard.TheBadgersaid,‘Now,boys,alltogether!’andthefourofthemputtheirshoulderstothetrap-doorandheaveditback.Hoistingeachotherup,theyfoundthemselvesstandinginthepantry,withonlyadoorbetweenthemandthebanqueting-hall,wheretheirunconsciousenemieswerecarousing.宴会厅里的喧嚣响声震天；他们没有被听到的危险。獾说：“好！弟兄们，一齐使劲！”他们四个同时用肩膀顶住活门，把它掀开，依次被举了上去。他们