2. The Monkey-People
2.猴群
Baloo, the old brown bear, loved teaching Mowgli.
巴卢,那只老棕熊,很喜欢教莫格利。
He taught him how to speak to the different Jungle-People, and he taught him the important Master-Words.
他教莫格利如何与不同的“丛林居民”交谈,还教了他重要的“万兽之主语”。
But Mowgli sometimes got bored with all the lessons.
但莫格利有时会对所有的课程感到厌烦。
One day, when he was not listening, Baloo hit him, very softly, on the head, and Mowgli ran away angrily.
一天,当莫格利不听话时,巴卢轻轻地拍了一下他的头,莫格利生气地跑开了。
Bagheera, the black panther, was not happy about this.
黑豹巴希拉对此很不高兴。
‘Remember how small he is,’ he said to Baloo.
“想想他有多小,”他对巴卢说。
‘How can his little head hold all your long words?’
“他小小的脑袋怎么能装下你那些长篇大论呢?”
‘These words will keep him safe from the birds, from the Snake-People, and all the animals that hunt,’ said Baloo.
“这些话能保护他免受鸟类、蛇族以及所有猎食动物的伤害,”巴卢说。
‘It is true that he is only small. But no one will hurt him, if he remembers all the Master-Words.
“确实他很小。但如果他记住了所有的万兽之主语,就没有人会伤害他。
Come, Mowgli!’ he called into the trees.
来吧,莫格利!”他对着树林喊道。
‘Come and say the words again.’
“来再说一遍这些词。”
Mowgli climbed down from a tree and came to sit next to them.
莫格利从树上爬下来,坐到他们旁边。
‘I will say the words to Bagheera, not you, fat old Baloo!’ he said crossly.
“我要说给巴希拉听,才不说给你听呢,胖老巴卢!”他生气地说。
Very well,’ said Baloo sadly.
“好吧,”巴卢难过地说。
‘Say the words for the Hunting-People.’
“为猎食者说这些词。”
We are of one blood, you and I,’ said Mowgli.
“我们是一族的,你和我,”莫格利说。
Good. Now for the birds.’
好。现在为鸟类说。”
Mowgli said the same words but with the sound of a bird.
莫格利用鸟的声音说了同样的话。
Now for the Snake-People,’ said Baloo.
“现在为蛇族说,”巴卢说。
Mowgli then made the long ‘ssss’ sound, which was like no other noise, only the noise of a snake.
莫格利然后发出了长长的“嘶嘶”声,那不像任何其他声音,只有蛇的声音。
Good,’ said Baloo gently.
“好,”巴卢温和地说。
‘One day you will thank me for my lessons.
“总有一天你会感谢我的教导。
Now you will be safe in the jungle, because no snake, no bird, no animal will hurt you.
现在你将在丛林中安全,因为没有蛇、鸟或动物会伤害你。
You do not need to be afraid of anyone.’
你不需要害怕任何人。”
And I shall have my people and go with them high up in the trees,’ shouted Mowgli.
“我将拥有我的族人,并和他们一起高高地在树上生活,”莫格利喊道。
What did you say, Mowgli?’ asked Baloo, surprised.
“你说什么,莫格利?”巴卢惊讶地问。
‘Have you been with the Bandar-log, the Monkey-People?’
“你和‘班达洛格’,也就是猴族在一起吗?”
Mowgli could hear that Baloo was angry, and he saw too that Bagheera’s green eyes were cold and hard.
莫格利听出巴卢生气了,他也看到巴希拉的绿眼睛变得冰冷而坚硬。
When Baloo hurt my head,’ said Mowgli, ‘I went away, and the grey monkeys came down from the trees and talked to me.
“当巴卢伤了我的头,”莫格利说,“我走开了,灰色的猴子从树上下来和我说话。
They were kind to me and gave me nice things to eat.
他们对我很好,给了我好吃的东西。
Then they took me up into the trees.
然后他们把我带到树上。
They said that I was their brother, and they wanted me to be their leader one day.
他们说我是他们的兄弟,希望有一天我能成为他们的领袖。
Why have you never told me about the Monkey-People? Bad old Baloo!
你为什么从没告诉我关于猴族的事?坏老巴卢!
They play all day and don’t do lessons, and I will play with them again.’
他们整天玩耍不做功课,我要再和他们玩。”
Listen, man-cub,’ said Baloo angrily.
“听着,人崽,”巴卢生气地说。
‘I have taught you the Law for all the Jungle-People, but not for the Monkey-People.
“我教过你所有丛林居民的法则,但没有教过猴族的。
They have no law. Their ways are not our ways.
他们没有法则。他们的路不是我们的路。
They are noisy and dirty, and they think that they are a great people, but then they forget everything.
他们吵闹肮脏,认为自己是伟大的民族,但随后就忘了一切。
The rest of the Jungle-People do not talk to them, or even think about them.
其他丛林居民不和他们说话,甚至不考虑他们。
Remember what I tell you.’
记住我对你说的话。”
Mowgli listened, and was sorry.
莫格利听了,感到抱歉。
But all this time the Bandar-log were above them in the trees, listening and watching.
但与此同时,班达洛格就在他们头顶的树上,听着看着。
They followed Mowgli and his friends through the jungle until it was time for the midday rest.
他们跟着莫格利和他的朋友穿过丛林,直到中午休息时间。
Mowgli lay between his friends and went to sleep, saying, ‘I will never talk to or play with the Monkey-People again.’
莫格利躺在朋友中间睡着了,说:“我再也不会和猴族说话或玩耍了。”
When he woke up, he was high in a tree and there were hands holding his legs and arms — hard, strong, little hands.
当他醒来时,他在一棵高高的树上,有手抓着他的腿和胳膊——坚硬、强壮、小手。
Down below Baloo was shouting angrily, and Bagheera was trying to climb up the tree, but he was too heavy for the thin branches.
下面巴卢愤怒地大喊,巴希拉试图爬上树,但他太重了,树枝太细。
The monkeys, shouting and laughing, carried Mowgli between them and began their journey along the monkey roads, which are high in the trees.
猴子们喊叫着、笑着,把莫格利夹在中间,沿着树顶的“猴子路”开始了他们的旅程。
It was a wild, exciting journey.
这是一次狂野、刺激的旅程。
The monkeys jumped from treetop to treetop, crashing through the leaves and branches.
猴子们从一棵树顶跳到另一棵树顶,穿过树叶和树枝。
At first Mowgli was afraid of falling, but then he began to think.
起初莫格利害怕掉下来,但随后他开始思考。
He must tell Baloo and Bagheera where he was.
他必须告诉巴卢和巴希拉他在哪里。
High up in the blue sky he saw Chil the kite.
在蔚蓝的高空,他看到了风筝奇尔。
The big bird saw that the monkeys were carrying a man-cub.
大鸟看到猴子们正带着一个人崽。
He flew down to look, and was surprised to hear the birdcall of the kites: ‘We are of one blood, you and I!’
他飞下来查看,惊讶地听到了风筝的鸟叫声:“我们是一族的,你和我!”
Who are you?’ called Chil.
“你是谁?”奇尔喊道。
Mowgli, the man-cub!’ came the reply.
“莫格利,人崽!”传来回答。
‘Watch where they take me, and tell Baloo and Bagheera.’
“看着他们把我带到哪里,告诉巴卢和巴希拉。”
I will,’ called Chil, and he flew high above the trees and watched with his far-seeing eyes.
“我会的,”奇尔喊道,他飞到树顶高处,用他敏锐的眼睛注视着。
Monkeys can travel fast when they want to, and by now Baloo and Bagheera were a long way behind.
猴子们想快点时跑得很快,此时巴卢和巴希拉已经远远落后了。
We cannot follow the Bandar-log through the trees,’ said Baloo, ‘and we will never catch them.
“我们无法穿过树林追上班达洛格,”巴卢说,“我们永远追不上他们。
But they are afraid of Kaa, the big python.
但它们害怕巨蟒卡阿。
He can climb as easily as the monkeys, and he eats them.
他能像猴子一样轻松攀爬,而且他吃它们。
Perhaps he will help us.’
也许他会帮我们。”
And so Baloo and Bagheera went to look for Kaa the python.
于是巴卢和巴希拉去找巨蟒卡阿。
They found him, lying in the sun — ten metres of brown-and-yellow snake, beautiful and dangerous.
他们找到了他,他正躺在阳光下——一条十米长的棕黄色蛇,美丽而危险。
What news?’ called Kaa when he saw them.
“有什么新闻?”卡阿看到他们时喊道。
We are looking for food,’ said Baloo.
“我们在找食物,”巴卢说。
He knew that you must not hurry Kaa. He is too big.
他知道不能催卡阿。他太庞大了。
Let me come with you,’ said Kaa hungrily.
“让我和你们一起去,”卡阿饥饿地说。
‘I have not eaten for days.’
“我已经好几天没吃东西了。”
We are following the Bandar-log,’ said Baloo.
“我们在追班达洛格,”巴卢说。
‘Those noisy, dirty thieves have stolen our man-cub.
“那些吵闹、肮脏的小偷偷了我们的人崽。
And we love our man-cub very much, Kaa!’
我们非常爱我们的人崽,卡阿!”
The Bandar-log,’ said Bagheera cleverly, ‘are very much afraid of you, Kaa.
“班达洛格,”巴希拉巧妙地说,“非常怕你,卡阿。
But they say bad things about you, and call you “old yellow fish”, I hear.’
但我听说他们说你坏话,叫你‘老黄鱼’。”
Tss! Tss!’ said Kaa.
“嘶!嘶!”卡阿说。
‘I will teach them not to call me bad names.
“我要教他们别叫我的坏名字。
Where did they take your man-cub? They will be tired of him quickly, and that is bad for him. ‘
他们把你们的人崽带到哪里去了?他们很快就会厌倦他,这对他不好。”
Up! Up! Look up, Baloo!’
“上面!上面!看上面,巴卢!”
Baloo looked up and saw Chil the kite, high in the sky.
巴卢抬头看到风筝奇尔,高高地在天空中。
What is it?’ called Baloo.
“是什么?”巴卢喊道。
I have seen Mowgli the man-cub with the Bandar-log.
“我看到人崽莫格利和班达洛格在一起。
He knew the Master-Word.
他认出了万兽之主语。
They have taken him to the monkey-city, the Lost City.’
他们把他带到了猴城,那座失落之城。”
Baloo and Bagheera knew of the monkey-city.
巴卢和巴希拉知道那座猴城。
Men lived there once, but they left hundreds of years ago.
人们曾经住在那里,但他们几百年前就离开了。
Nobody went there now, only the Bandar-log.
现在没人去那里,只有班达洛格。
We must leave at once,’ said Bagheera.
“我们必须立刻出发,”巴希拉说。
‘It is a long way.’
“路很远。”
I will come as fast as I can,’ said Baloo, ‘but you and Kaa can go faster.
“我会尽快赶来,”巴卢说,“但你和卡阿能跑得更快。
I will follow you.’
我会跟着你们。”
The Lost City was very old.
失落之城非常古老。
There were many beautiful buildings, but the walls were broken and full of holes, and there were tall trees in houses that were now open to the sky.
有许多美丽的建筑,但墙壁破烂不堪,满是洞穴,房子里长着高大的树木,现在屋顶已经没了。
The Monkey-People called the place their city, and ran around everywhere, in and out of the empty houses, up and down the fruit trees in the old gardens.
猴族称这个地方为他们的城市,到处乱跑,在空荡荡的房子里进进出出,在旧花园的果树上爬上爬下。
Now Mowgli was in their city, and the Monkey-People were very pleased with themselves.
现在莫格利在他们的城市里,猴族对自己非常满意。
‘This boy can help us,’ they said.
“这个男孩能帮我们,”他们说。
‘He can teach us how to make things, because men are clever with their hands.’
“他能教我们如何制造东西,因为人类手很巧。”
But monkeys make many plans, and always forget them five minutes later.
但猴子们制定了许多计划,总是五分钟之后就忘了。
When Mowgli arrived in the city, he was tired and hungry.
当莫格利到达城市时,他又累又饿。
‘Bring me food,’ he said, and twenty or thirty monkeys ran to bring him fruit.
“给我拿点吃的,”他说,于是二十或三十只猴子跑去给他拿水果。
But they started fighting and forgot to take any fruit back to Mowgli.
但他们开始打架,忘了给莫格利带任何水果回来。
Mowgli knew that he was in a bad place.
莫格利知道自己处在一个糟糕的地方。
‘Baloo was right,’ he thought.
“巴卢是对的,”他想。
‘The Bandar-log have no Law and their ways are not our ways.
“班达洛格没有法则,他们的路不是我们的路。
I must try to get away.
“我必须试着逃跑。
Baloo will surely be angry with me, but that is better than life with the Bandar-log.’
巴卢肯定会生我的气,但这比和班达洛格生活在一起要好。”
But when Mowgli went to the walls of the city, the monkeys pulled him back.
但当莫格利走到城墙边时,猴子们把他拉了回来。
‘You are very happy here with us.
“你和我们在一起非常快乐。
We are great. We are wonderful. We all say so, and so it is true,’ they shouted.
我们很伟大。我们很棒。我们都这么说,所以这是真的,”他们喊道。
Don’t they ever sleep?’ thought Mowgli.
“他们从不睡觉吗?”莫格利想。
He looked up at the sky.
他抬头看着天空。
‘There’s a cloud coming over the moon.
“有一片云正飘过月亮。
Perhaps I can run away when it’s dark.
也许天黑时我可以逃跑。
But I am tired.’
但我很累。”
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