4. The fight at the rock
4. 岩石上的战斗
Mowgli always went to the meetings of the Wolf-Pack, and there he learnt something new one day.
毛葛利总是参加狼群的集会，有一天他在那里学到了新东西。
If he looked hard at any wolf, the wolf could not meet his eyes and looked away.
如果他紧紧盯着任何一只狼，那只狼就无法与他的目光相对，而会把头转开。
Mowgli thought this was funny; he did not understand that he was different from the wolves.
毛葛利觉得这很好笑；他不明白自己与狼有什么不同。
All the Jungle-People were his friends — but not Shere Khan, of course.
所有丛林里的动物都是他的朋友——当然，谢利·可汗（Shere Khan）除外。
Mother Wolf told him that the tiger wanted to kill him.
狼妈妈告诉他，老虎想杀死他。
‘One day you must kill Shere Khan. If you don’t kill him, he will kill you.’
“总有一天你必须杀死谢利·可汗。如果你不杀他，他就会杀你。”
But Mowgli forgot. He was only a boy, not a wolf.
但毛葛利忘了。他只是一个男孩，而不是一只狼。
Shere Khan still came often to that part of the jungle.
谢利·可汗仍然经常来到丛林的这一部分。
Akela was older now and not so strong, and Shere Khan made friends with some of the younger wolves.
阿克拉（Akela）现在老了，也不那么强壮了，谢利·可汗便与一些年轻的狼交上了朋友。
Akela could not stop them, and Shere Khan began to make trouble for Mowgli.
阿克拉无法阻止他们，谢利·可汗开始给毛葛利制造麻烦。
‘I hear you can’t look into the man-cub’s eyes,’ he said, laughing, to the young wolves.
“我听说你们不敢直视这个‘人崽’的眼睛，”他笑着对年轻的狼说。
And the young wolves began to get angry.
年轻的狼开始生气了。
Bagheera, who had eyes and ears everywhere, knew something of this and told Mowgli.
黑豹巴希拉（Bagheera）耳目众多，对此有所耳闻，便告诉了毛葛利。
Mowgli laughed, but Bagheera went on, ‘Open your eyes, Little Brother.
毛葛利笑了，但巴希拉继续说：“睁开你的眼睛吧，小兄弟。
Remember that Akela is old and he will not always be the leader of the Pack.
记住阿克拉老了，他不会永远是狼群的首领。
Shere Khan has taught the younger wolves that a man-cub has no place with them.
谢利·可汗已经教年轻的狼们说，人崽在他们中间没有位置。
And soon you will be a man, not a man-cub.’
而且很快你就要成为男人了，而不是人崽。”
‘But the wolves are my brothers. Why will they want to send me away?’
“可是狼是我的兄弟。他们为什么要赶我走呢？”
‘Look at me,’ said Bagheera, and Mowgli looked at him hard between the eyes.
“看着我，”巴希拉说。毛葛利便紧紧盯着他的双眼。
The big black cat turned his head away quickly.
这只大黑猫迅速转开了头。
‘That is why,’ he said. ‘Not even I can look in your eyes.
“这就是原因，”他说。“连我也无法直视你的眼睛。
That is why they want to kill you. You are clever. You are a man.’
这就是他们想杀你的原因。你很聪明。你是一个人。”
‘I did not know these things,’ said Mowgli quietly.
“我不知道这些事，”毛葛利平静地说。
‘Now listen. The day will soon come when Akela cannot kill his deer in the hunt.
“现在听着。很快就会有一天，阿克拉在狩猎中无法杀死他的鹿。
Then at the next meeting of the Pack the younger wolves will be against Akela and against you.
然后在下一次狼群集会上，年轻的狼会反对阿克拉，也反对你。
When that time comes, go to the men’s houses in the village and take some of their Red Flower.
当那一刻来临时，去村子里人类的房子里，拿一些他们的‘红花’。
That will be a stronger friend to you than I or Baloo.’
那将比我和巴鲁（Baloo）更强大的朋友。”
The Red Flower was fire. All animals are afraid of it and do not call it by its name.
“红花”就是火。所有动物都害怕它，不敢直呼其名。
‘I will get some,’ said Mowgli. ‘I will go and get it now, and keep it ready,’ and he ran through the jungle to the village.
“我会去拿一些，”毛葛利说。“我现在就去拿，把它准备好。”他便跑过丛林去了村子。
On his way he heard the sounds of the Wolf-Pack hunting a big deer.
在路上，他听到了狼群围捕一头大鹿的声音。
‘Show us that you are strong, Akela,’ came the voices of the young wolves. ‘Kill it!’
“向我们证明你很强壮，阿克拉，”年轻的狼们喊道。“杀了它！”
Mowgli stopped and listened, and he could hear that Akela did not kill the deer.
毛葛利停下脚步倾听，他听出阿克拉没有杀死鹿。
‘So the time has come already,’ he thought, and hurried to the village.
“所以时间已经到了，”他想，便急忙赶往村子。
He watched and waited, and soon he saw a child who was carrying a fire-pot.
他观察并等待着，很快他看到一个孩子正提着一个火罐。
Mowgli jumped up, took the pot from him, and quickly ran away, back to the jungle.
毛葛利跳起来，从他手中抢过火罐，迅速跑回了丛林。
All that day he kept his fire alive with leaves and pieces of wood.
那一天，他用树叶和木片让火一直燃烧着。
In the evening Tabaqui came and told him that the wolves wanted him at the meeting.
傍晚，塔巴奎（Tabaqui）来了，告诉他狼群要他在集会上出现。
Mowgli laughed, and went.
毛葛利笑了笑，便去了。
When he arrived, he saw that Akela was not in his special place, on top of the rock, but beside it.
当他到达时，他看到阿克拉不在他岩石顶上的特殊位置，而是在岩石旁边。
That meant that another wolf could try to take Akela’s place.
这意味着另一只狼可以试图取代阿克拉的位置。
Shere Khan was there, too, with all the younger wolves around him.
谢利·可汗也在那里，周围簇拥着所有的年轻狼。
Mowgli sat down, with the fire-pot between his legs.
毛葛利坐了下来，把火罐夹在两腿之间。
Bagheera lay beside him.
巴希拉躺在他旁边。
Shere Khan began to speak and Mowgli jumped up.
谢利·可汗开始说话，毛葛利跳了起来。
‘Free People, is Shere Khan your leader? Does a tiger belong in the Wolf-Pack?’
“自由的人们，谢利·可汗是你们的首领吗？老虎属于狼群吗？”
‘There is no wolf on the rock,’ began Shere Khan, but the other wolves said, ‘Let Akela speak.’
“岩石上没有狼，”谢利·可汗开始说，但其他狼说：“让阿克拉说话。”
Akela looked up, old and tired. ‘Free People, I have been your leader for many years.
阿克拉抬起头，显得衰老而疲惫。“自由的人们，我做你们的首领很多年了。
In all that time no wolf has died in the hunt. But this time I did not kill my deer.
在那段时间里，没有一只狼在狩猎中死去。但这次我没有杀死我的鹿。
The Law of the Jungle says that you can kill me now, but the Law also says that you must come one by one.’
丛林法则说你们现在可以杀死我，但法则也说你们必须一个接一个地来。”
No one spoke. Akela was old, but nobody wanted to fight Akela alone.
没有人说话。阿克拉老了，但没有人想单独与阿克拉搏斗。
Then Shere Khan spoke. ‘Bah! This old wolf is not important. He will die soon.
然后谢利·可汗说话了。“呸！这只老狼不重要。他很快就会死。
It is the man-cub who has lived too long. Give him to me.’
是这个活得太久的人崽。把他交给我。”
‘A man! A man!’ cried most of the younger wolves angrily. ‘A man does not belong in the Wolf-Pack.’
“一个人！一个人！”大多数年轻狼愤怒地喊道。“人不属于狼群。”
‘Mowgli is our brother,’ said Akela. ‘He has eaten our food. He has slept with us. He has done nothing wrong. Let him go to his own place.’
“毛葛利是我们的兄弟，”阿克拉说。“他吃过我们的食物。他和我们一起睡过。他没有做错什么。让他去他自己的地方吧。”
‘He is a man,’ cried Shere Khan and most of the wolves.
“他是一个人，”谢利·可汗和大多数狼喊道。
Mowgli stood up, the fire-pot in his hands. He was very angry, and very sad.
毛葛利站了起来，手里拿着火罐。他非常愤怒，也非常悲伤。
‘You have said many times that I am a man. I was your brother, but I will not call you my brothers again.
“你们多次说我是一个人。我曾是你们的兄弟，但我不会再称你们为兄弟了。
I will decide on my life or my death, not you. I am a man, and to show you, I have brought the Red Flower with me.’
我的生死由我自己决定，而不是你们。我是一个人，为了向你们证明这一点，我带来了‘红花’。”
He dropped the fire-pot on the ground and some of the fire fell out.
他把火罐摔在地上，一些火掉出来了。
The wolves were very afraid and moved back.
狼非常害怕，向后退去。
Mowgli held a long piece of wood in the fire and the end began to burn brightly.
毛葛利把一根长木棍放在火里，木棍的一端开始明亮地燃烧起来。
‘You are the leader now,’ said Bagheera softly. ‘Help Akela. He was always your friend.’
“你现在是首领了，”巴希拉轻声说。“帮助阿克拉。他一直是你的朋友。”
‘Good,’ said Mowgli. He looked at the frightened wolves. ‘I go from you to my people — the world of men.
“好，”毛葛利说。他看着受惊的狼。“我从你们这里离开，去我的族人——人类的世界。
But first…’ and Mowgli went to Shere Khan. ‘This killer of cows wanted to kill me. This is what men do to killers of cows,’
但首先……”毛葛利走向谢利·可汗。“这个杀牛的家伙想杀我。这是人类对付杀牛者的方式，”
and he hit Shere Khan on the head with the burning stick. The tiger was very frightened.
说着，他用燃烧的木棍打了谢利·可汗的头。老虎非常害怕。
‘Go now,’ said Mowgli to Shere Khan. ‘The next time I come to this rock, it will be with your dead body.
“现在走吧，”毛葛利对谢利·可汗说。“下次我再来这块岩石时，我会带着你的尸体。
I tell you this also, my brothers, you will not kill Akela — because I do not want that. Akela is free to live.’
我还告诉你们，我的兄弟们，你们不能杀阿克拉——因为我不希望那样。阿克拉可以自由地活下去。”
And Mowgli jumped at the young wolves with his burning stick and they all ran away.
毛葛利挥舞着燃烧的木棍扑向年轻的狼，他们全都跑掉了。
In the end there were only Akela, Bagheera, and a few older wolves left.
最后只剩下阿克拉、巴希拉和几只老狼。
Then something began to hurt Mowgli inside him and, for the first time in his life, tears ran down his face.
然后，毛葛利内心感到一阵刺痛，这是他平生第一次，眼泪顺着他的脸颊流了下来。
‘What is it? What is it? Am I dying, Bagheera?’
“这是什么？这是什么？巴希拉，我快死了吗？”
‘No, Little Brother. You are a man, and these are men’s tears. But you must go — the jungle is closed to you now.’
“不，小兄弟。你是一个人，这是人类的眼泪。但你必须走了——丛林现在对你关闭了。”
‘Yes,’ said Mowgli. ‘I will go to men. But first I must say goodbye to my mother.’
“是的，”毛葛利说。“我会去人类那里。但首先我必须向我的母亲告别。”
And he went to the cave and cried on Mother Wolf’s coat.
他走到洞穴里，趴在狼妈妈的皮毛上哭泣。
‘You will not forget me?’ Mowgli said to his wolf-family.
“你们不会忘记我吧？”毛葛利对他的狼家族说。
‘Never,’ said his wolf-brothers. ‘Come to the foot of the hill when you are a man, and we will talk with you.’
“永远不会，”他的狼兄弟说。“当你成为男人时，来到山脚下，我们会和你交谈。”
‘Come soon, little frog,’ said Father Wolf, ‘because your Mother and I are getting old.’
“快点回来，小青蛙，”狼爸爸说，“因为我和你妈妈都老了。”
‘I will surely come,’ said Mowgli, ‘and I will bring the coat of Shere Khan and put it on the Meeting Rock.’
“我一定会回来的，”毛葛利说，“我会带着谢利·可汗的皮，把它放在集会石上。”
And in the morning Mowgli went down the hill alone to meet those strange things that are called men.
第二天早上，毛葛利独自走下山丘，去见那些被称为人类的奇怪生物。
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