Origin: France Joyce译

寓言·童话

嘎嘎鸭

Quackling

Origin: France Joyce译

once there was a very small duck with a very loud1)quack. So they called him Quackling.

Now, Quackling was clever and he worked hard, so he saved up a good deal of money. In fact, he saved up so much that the King himself came to borrow some.

Quackling was proud to loan his money to the King. But a year went by, then two, then three, and the King never paid him back.

从前有一只鸭子，他个子很小，叫声却很大，所以大家都叫他嘎嘎鸭。

如今，嘎嘎鸭头脑聪明，工作努力，因而攒起巨资。事实上，他攒的钱多到连国王都来向他借。

有幸借钱给国王，嘎嘎鸭感到很自豪。然而，一年过去了，两年过去了，三年过去了，国王却依然没有还他钱。

1) quack [kwæk] v. (指鸭)嘎嘎地叫

“I’ve waited long enough,” said Quackling. So he took a sack for the money, and he started for the castle, calling, “Quack! Quack! Quack! I want my money back!”

Before long, he came upon a ladder leaning against a wall.

“Where are you going, Quackling?” said Ladder.

“To the King for my money,” said Quackling.

“To the King!” said Ladder. “How wonderful! Will you take me with you?”

“Why not?” said Quackling. “One can never have too many friends.” And he called out, “Quack! Quack! Quack! Ladder into sack!”

Quick as you can blink, Ladder was in the sack. Then Quackling walked on, calling, “Quack! Quack! Quack! I want my money back!”

Not much later, he came upon a river flowing through a wood.

“Where are you going, Quackling?” said River.

“To the King for my money,” said Quackling.

“To the King!” said River. “How splendid! Will you take me with you?”

“Why not?” said Quackling. “One can never have too many friends.” And he called out, “Quack! Quack! Quack! River into sack!”

Quick as you can wink, River was in the sack. Then Quackling walked on, calling, “Quack! Quack! Quack! I want my money back!”

In a little while, he came upon a2)beehive hanging from a tree.

“我已经等得够久了。”嘎嘎鸭说。于是，他就带着一个麻袋，准备去把钱要回来。他出发前往城堡，嘴里喊着:“嘎！嘎！嘎！我想要回我的钱！”

不久，他遇到一把倚靠在墙上的梯子。

“你要去哪里，嘎嘎鸭？”梯子问道。

“我要去找国王把我的钱要回来。”嘎嘎鸭说。

“去找国王！”梯子惊叹。“真棒！你能把我也带上吗？”

“为什么不呢？”嘎嘎鸭说。“朋友当然是越多越好。”然后他叫道：“嘎！嘎！嘎！梯子进来袋子里！”

一眨眼功夫，梯子就在袋子里了。嘎嘎鸭继续上路，嘴里叫着：“嘎！嘎！嘎！我想要回我的钱！”

不久，他遇到了一条流经树林的小河。

“你要去哪里，嘎嘎鸭？”小河问道。

“我要去找国王把我的钱要回来。”嘎嘎鸭说。

“去找国王！”小河惊叹。“真棒！你能把我也带上吗？”

“为什么不呢？”嘎嘎鸭说。“朋友当然是越多越好。”他叫道：“嘎！嘎！嘎！小河进来袋子里！”

一眨眼功夫，小河就在袋子里了。嘎嘎鸭继续上路，嘴里叫着：“嘎！嘎！嘎！我想要回我的钱！”

走了一段时间后，他遇到了一个挂在树上的蜂窝。

2) beehive ['biːhaɪv] n. 蜂窝，蜂箱

“Where are you going, Quackling?” said Beehive.

“To the King for my money,” said Quackling.

“To the King!” said Beehive. “How marvelous! Will you take me with you?”

Now, Quackling’s sack was getting full, but he thought there might be just enough room.

“Why not?” said Quackling. “One can never have too many friends.” And he called out, “Quack! Quack! Quack! Beehive into sack!”

Quick as you can think, Beehive was in the sack. Then Quackling walked on, calling, “Quack! Quack! Quack! I want my money back!”

Soon after, Quackling arrived at the King’s castle. He marched right up to the guards and told them, “I’ve come for my money!”

The guards went inside and told the prime minister. The prime minister told the King.

“Who does that Quackling think he is?” said the King. “Never mind. Just put him in the pit!”

So they put Quackling in the pit and left him there.

“Help!” cried Quackling. “I’ll never get out!”

Then he remembered Ladder. So he called out,“Quack! Quack! Quack! Ladder out of sack!”

“你要去哪里，嘎嘎鸭？”蜂窝问道。

“我要去找国王把我的钱要回来。”嘎嘎鸭说。

“去找国王！”蜂窝惊叹。“真棒！你能把我也带上吗？”

现在，嘎嘎鸭的袋子快装满了，但他想也许袋子还能装得下。

“为什么不呢？”嘎嘎鸭说。“朋友当然是越多越好。”他叫道：“嘎！嘎！嘎！蜂窝进来袋子里！”

一眨眼功夫，蜂窝就在袋子里了。嘎嘎鸭继续上路，嘴里叫着：“嘎！嘎！嘎！我想要回我的钱！”

不久，嘎嘎鸭到达了国王的城堡。他向门卫走过去，对他们说：“我是来要回我的钱的！”

门卫进去向总理大臣禀告了这件事。总理大臣向国王禀告了这件事。

“那只嘎嘎鸭以为他是谁？”国王道。“不要紧。把他扔进坑里就行了！”

所以他们把嘎嘎鸭扔到了坑里，任他自生自灭。

“救命！”嘎嘎鸭大声喊叫。“我出不去了！”

然后他想到了梯子。所以他大叫：“嘎！嘎！嘎！梯子出来！”

Quick as you can blink, Ladder was out of the sack. Ladder leaned against the side of the pit, and Quackling climbed out. Then Quackling stood there, calling, “Quack! Quack! Quack! I want my money back!”

“How did that Quackling get out of the pit?” said the King. “Never mind. Just put him in the pot!”

So they put Quackling in the pot and set it on the fre.

“Help!” cried Quackling. “I’m in a stew!”

Then he remembered River. So he called out, “Quack! Quack! Quack! River out of sack!”

Quick as you can wink, River was out of the sack. River put out the fire and flowed away. Then Quackling got out, calling, “Quack! Quack! Quack! I want my money back!”

“How did that Quackling get out of the pot?”said the King. “Never mind. Just bring him here, and I’ll put him in his place—for good!”

So they brought Quackling to the King. The King tried to grab him.

“Help!” cried Quackling. “This is the end!”

Then he remembered Beehive. So he called out, “Quack! Quack! Quack! Beehive out of sack!”

Quick as you can think, Beehive was out of the sack. The bees rushed from the hive and started to3)sting the King.

“Help!” cried the King. He fed from the castle, and the bees followed. They chased him all the way to—Well, no one knows where, for they never saw him again.

“Hooray!” cried the people of the castle, and the prime minister said, “We never liked that King anyway.”

So they put Quackling on the throne and gave him a crown.

“Will you be our King?” said the guards.

“Why not?” said Quackling. “One can never have too many friends.”

一眨眼功夫，梯子就从袋子里出来了。梯子倚靠着坑边，嘎嘎鸭踩着他爬了出来。然后嘎嘎鸭站在那里，叫了起来：“嘎！嘎！嘎！我想要回我的钱！”

“那只嘎嘎鸭是怎么从坑里出来的？”国王道。“不要紧。把他放进锅里就行了！”

于是，他们便把嘎嘎鸭放进了锅里，并把锅放到了火上。

“救命！”嘎嘎鸭大声喊叫。“我要被炖了！”

然后他想到了小河。所以他大叫：“嘎！嘎！嘎！小河出来！”

一眨眼功夫，小河就从袋子里冲了出来，把火扑灭了。嘎嘎鸭从锅里出来，大声喊叫：“嘎！嘎！嘎！我想要回我的钱！”

“那只嘎嘎鸭是怎么从锅里出来的？”国王道。“不要紧。把他带来这里就行了，我会让他去到该去的地方——永远也回不来！”

于是，他们便把嘎嘎鸭带到了国王面前。国王试图抓住他。

“救命！”嘎嘎鸭大叫。“我要完了！”

然后他想到了蜂窝。所以他大叫：“嘎！嘎！嘎！蜂窝出来！”

一眨眼功夫，蜂窝就从袋子里出来了。蜜蜂从窝里冲出来，追着国王叮。

“救命！”国王大叫。他从城堡逃了出来，蜜蜂跟着他。他们一路追着他直到——嗯，没人知道他到了哪里，因为人们再也没看见过他。

“万岁！”城堡里的人们高声欢呼。总理大臣说：“反正我们从未喜欢过他。”

于是，他们把嘎嘎鸭推上王座，给他带上皇冠。

“你愿意当我们的国王吗？”门卫们说。

“为什么不呢？”嘎嘎鸭说。“朋友当然是越多越好。”

3) sting [stɪŋ] v. （昆虫等）叮，刺