⊙ By Kenneth Grahame

翻译：杨静远

柳林风声

⊙ By Kenneth Grahame

翻译：杨静远

本文的朗读者是位很有经验的老手，大家不妨多听几遍原声，特别留意朗读者是如何通过丰富多变的抑扬顿挫、轻重缓急来增强文字的生动感，进而调动起听众的情绪。

It all seemed too good to be true. Hither and thither[到处]through the meadows[草地]he rambled[漫步]busily, along the hedgerows[灌木篱墙], across the copses[小树丛], finding everywhere birds building, flowers budding[含苞], leaves thrusting[挤]—everything happy, and progressive, and occupied. And instead of having an uneasy conscience[良心]pricking[刺]him and whispering“whitewash!” he somehow could only feel how jolly[快活的]it was to be the only idle[不忙的]dog among all those busy citizens. After all, the best part of a holiday is perhaps not so much to be resting yourself, as to see all the other fellows busy working.

He thought his happiness was complete when, as he meandered aimlessly along, suddenly he stood by the edge of a full-fed river. Never in his life had he seen a river before—this sleek[柔滑的], sinuous[蜿蜒的], full-bodied animal, chasing and chuckling[轻笑], gripping things with a gurgle[咯咯声]and leaving them with a laugh, to fling[掷]itself on fresh playmates that shook themselves free, and were caught and held again. All was a-shake and a-shiver[颤抖]—glints[闪烁]and gleams[微光]and sparkles[闪耀], rustle[沙沙响]and swirl[漩涡], chatter[唠叨]and bubble. The Mole[鼹鼠]was bewitched[使着迷], entranced[使出神], fascinated[使迷住]. By the side of the river he trotted[小跑]as one trots, when very small, by the side of a man who holds one spell-bound by exciting stories; and when tired at last, he sat on the bank, while the river still chattered on to him, a babbling[喋喋不休]procession of the best stories in the world, sent from the heart of the earth to be told at last to the insatiable[不知足的]sea.

你知道吗？《哈利·波特》系列小说当中的“獾院”赫奇帕奇学院，其灵感来源正是英国童话《柳林风声》里的獾先生呢！

你还知道吗？这本一百多年来传诵不衰的经典作品，最初其实只是肯尼斯·格雷厄姆随便编出来哄儿子入睡的bedtime story？

《柳林风声》以鼹鼠、河鼠、蛤蟆与獾先生为主角——这四只性格各异的小动物交上了朋友，一起结伴出外冒险，最终荣归故里，重振家园。其文笔之优美，语言之生动，哲理之深刻，加上在季节流转中美不胜收的河畔风景，让美国的罗斯福总统读之手不释卷，是J.K.罗琳最喜欢的文学作品。自1908年首版以来，《柳林风声》一直深受世界人民的喜爱，多次入选各种“最受欢迎作品”“儿童必读经典”“最具影响力图书”榜单，伴随着一代又一代的少年儿童长大成人。

本期节选出自小说第一章。厌倦了春季大扫除的鼹鼠跑到外面散心，只见一路上春光明媚，到处生机盎然……

As he sat on the grass and looked across the river, a dark hole in the bank opposite, just above the water’s edge, caught his eye, and dreamily he fell to considering what a nice snug[舒适的]dwelling-place[住所]it would make for an animal with few wants and fond of a bijou[小巧的]riverside residence[住处], above flood level and remote from noise and dust. As he gazed, something bright and small seemed to twinkle[闪烁]down in the heart of it, vanished[消失], then twinkled once more like a tiny star. But it could hardly be a star in such an unlikely situation; and it was too glittering[闪闪发光的]and small for a glow-worm[萤火虫]. Then, as he looked, it winked[眨眼]at him, and so declared itself to be an eye; and a small face began gradually to grow up round it, like a frame round a picture.

A brown little face, with whiskers[腮须].

A grave[严肃的]round face, with the same twinkle in its eye that had first attracted his notice.

Small neat ears and thick silky hair.

It was the Water Rat!

Then the two animals stood and regarded each other cautiously.

“Hello, Mole!”

“Hello, Rat!”

Presently, the Rat enquired[询问], “Would you like to come over?”

“Oh, it’s all very well to TALK,” said the Mole, rather pettishly[闹情绪地], he being new to a river and riverside life and its ways.

The Rat said nothing, but stooped[弯腰]and unfastened a rope and hauled[拖]on it; then lightly stepped into a little boat which the Mole had not observed. It was painted blue outside and white within, and was just the size for two animals; and the Mole’s whole heart went out to it at once, even though he did not yet fully understand its uses.

The Rat sculled[荡桨]smartly across and made fast[稳固的]. Then he held up his forepaw[前爪]as the Mole stepped gingerly[小心翼翼地]down. “Lean[倚靠]on that! Now then, step lively[轻快地]!” and the Mole to his surprise and rapture[兴高采烈]found himself actually seated in the stern[船尾]of a real boat.

As the Rat shoved off and took to the sculls again, said he, “This has been a wonderful day! Do you know, I’ve never been in a boat before in all my life.”

《柳林风声》是一本以动物为主角的儿童小说，是写给小孩子看的故事，但若是谈到它所具备的文学性以及作者高超的文字功力，恐怕许多成人文学都未必能及。一本好的英语有声书，可以从听、说、读、写等方面提高读者的英语综合素养，《柳林风声》就是这样的典型。学有余力的同学可以利用本期节选进行一个进阶训练，结合词典思考以下几个问题：

l 作者如何运用拟人手法来表现大河奔流的景象？

l 河鼠第一次出现时，作者是如何描写的呢？

l 文中出现了多少个表示“闪闪发光”的近义词？你知道它们的区别吗？你还能在文中发现其他的近义词组吗？

一切都那么美好，好得简直不像是真的。他跑过一片又一片的草坪，沿着矮树篱，穿过灌木丛，匆匆地游逛；处处都看到鸟儿做窝筑巢，花儿含苞待放，叶儿挤挤攘攘——万物都显得那么快乐、奋进、忙碌。他听不到良心在耳边嘀咕“刷墙！”，倒只觉得，在一大群忙忙碌碌的公民当中，唯独他能当一个懒汉，这可真是惬意。看来，过休假日最舒心的事，还不是自己得到休憩，而是看到别人都在忙着干活。

他漫无目的地闲逛着，忽然来到一条水流丰盈的大河边，真是快乐绝顶。他这辈子还从来没有见过一条河哩。这只光光滑滑、蜿蜿蜒蜒、身躯庞大的动物，不停地追逐，轻轻地欢笑。它每抓住什么，就咯咯低笑，把它们扔掉时，又哈哈大笑，转过来又扑向新的玩伴。它们挣扎着甩开了它，可到底还是被它逮住，牢抓在手。它浑身颤动，晶光闪闪，沸沸扬扬，吐着漩涡，冒着泡沫，喋喋不休地说个没完。这景象简直把鼹鼠看呆了，他心驰神迷，着了魔似的。他沿着河边，迈着小碎步跑，像个小娃娃紧跟在大人身边听他讲惊险故事，听得入了迷似的。他终于跑累了，便在岸边坐了下来。可那河还是一个劲儿地喋喋不休，它讲的是世间最好听的故事。这些故事发自地心深处，一路讲下去，最终要向那听个没够的大海倾诉。

他坐在草地上，朝着河那边张望时，忽见对岸有个黑黑的洞口，恰好在水面上边。他梦悠悠地想，要是一只动物要求不高，只想有一处小巧玲珑的河边住宅，涨潮时淹不着，又远离尘嚣，这个住所倒是满舒适的。他正呆呆地凝望，那洞穴的中央有个亮晶晶的小东西一闪，忽隐忽现，像一颗小星星。不过，出现在那样一个地方，不会是星星。要说是萤火虫嘛，又显得太亮太小。望着望着，那个亮东西竟冲他眨巴了一下，可见那是一只眼睛。接着，围着那只眼睛，渐渐显出一张小脸，恰像一幅画，嵌在画框里。

一张棕色的小脸，腮边有两撇胡须。

一张神情严肃的圆脸，眼睛里闪着光，就是一开始引起他注意的那种光。

一对精巧的小耳朵，一头丝一般浓密的毛发。

那是河鼠！

随后，两只动物面对面站着，谨慎地互相打量。“嗨，鼹鼠！”“嗨，河鼠！”河鼠便问道：“你愿意过这边来吗？”

“嗳，说说倒容易，”鼹鼠没好气地说，因为他是初次见识一条河，还不熟悉水上的生活习惯。

河鼠二话没说，弯腰解开一条绳子，拽拢过来，然后轻轻地跨进鼹鼠原先没有注意到的一只小船里。那小船外面漆成蓝色，里面漆成白色，正好够两只动物乘坐；虽然鼹鼠还不大明白小船的用场，但他的心一下子就被它吸引住了。

河鼠干练地把船划到对岸，停稳了。他伸出一只前爪，搀着鼹鼠小心翼翼地走下来。“扶好了！现在，轻轻地跨进来！”于是鼹鼠又惊又喜地发现，自己真的坐进了一只真正的小船的尾端。

河鼠把船撑离岸边，拿起双桨，鼹鼠于是说道：“今天真是太棒了！你知道吗，我这辈子还从没坐过船哩！”

（选自贵州人民出版社版本，有改动）