木偶奇遇記：Chapter 11

In the theater, great excitement reigned. Fire Eater (this was really his name) was very ugly, but he was far from being as bad as he looked. Proof of this is that, when he saw the poor Marionette being brought in to him, struggling with fear and crying, "I don't want to die! I don't want to die!" he felt sorry for him and began first to waver and then to weaken. Finally, he could control himself no longer and gave a loud sneeze.

木偶戲班班主吃火人(他就叫這么個(gè)名字)看樣子是個(gè)可怕的人，那是沒(méi)話說(shuō)的，特別是他那把黑色大胡子，像圍裙似地蓋住他整個(gè)胸口和整整兩條腿，可他到底不是個(gè)壞人，事實(shí)上，他一看見(jiàn)可憐的皮諾喬給帶到他面前，拼命掙扎，哇哇大叫：“我不要死，我不要死!”心馬上就軟，可憐起他來(lái)了，他鼻子忽然發(fā)熱，忍了好大一會(huì)兒，可終于忍不住，就大聲打了一個(gè)噴嚏。

At that sneeze, Harlequin, who until then had been as sad as a weeping willow, smiled happily and leaning toward the Marionette, whispered to him:

花衣小丑一直在傷心，像垂柳那樣彎下身子，可一聽(tīng)見(jiàn)打噴嚏，馬上喜容滿面，向皮諾喬彎過(guò)身來(lái)，輕輕跟他咬耳朵說(shuō)：

"Good news, brother mine! Fire Eater has sneezed and this is a sign that he feels sorry for you. You are saved!"

“好消息，兄弟，班主打噴嚏了，這表示他已經(jīng)感動(dòng)，在可憐你，如今你有救了。”

For be it known, that, while other people, when sad and sorrowful, weep and wipe their eyes, Fire Eater, on the other hand, had the strange habit of sneezing each time he felt unhappy. The way was just as good as any other to show the kindness of his heart.

因?yàn)橐?，有許多人一同情什么人，或者是哭，戒者至少是假裝擦眼睛，可吃火人不同，他真的感動(dòng)了，就要打噴嚏，這也是一種表示他心軟的的方式，

After sneezing, Fire Eater, ugly as ever, cried to Pinocchio:

打過(guò)噴嚏以后，木偶戲班班主還是裝出很兇的樣于，對(duì)皮諾喬叫道：

"Stop crying! Your wails give me a funny feeling down here in my stomach and -- E -- tchee! -- E -- tchee!" Two loud sneezes finished his speech.

“別哭了!你哇哇哭，叫我肚子里難受極了……叫我覺(jué)得絞痛，幾乎，幾乎……啊嚏，啊嚏……”又打了兩個(gè)噴嚏。

"God bless you!" said Pinocchio.

“長(zhǎng)命百歲!”皮諾喬說(shuō)，

"Thanks! Are your father and mother still living?" demanded Fire Eater.

“謝謝!你爸爸媽媽都活著嗎?”吃火人問(wèn)他，

"My father, yes. My mother I have never known."

“爸爸活著，可我從來(lái)不知道媽媽，”

"Your poor father would suffer terribly if I were to use you as firewood. Poor old man! I feel sorry for him! E -- tchee! E -- tchee! E -- tchee!" Three more sneezes sounded, louder than ever.

“我這會(huì)兒要是把你扔到炭火里，誰(shuí)知道你的老父親要多么傷心啊!可憐的老頭!我很同情他!……啊嚏，啊嚏，啊嚏!”他又打了三個(gè)噴嚏，

"God bless you!" said Pinocchio.

“長(zhǎng)命千歲!”皮諾喬說(shuō)，

"Thanks! However, I ought to be sorry for myself, too, just now. My good dinner is spoiled. I have no more wood for the fire, and the lamb is only half cooked. Never mind! In your place I'll burn some other Marionette. Hey there! Officers!"

“謝謝!不過(guò)也得同情同請(qǐng)我，因?yàn)槟憧矗乙堰@頭羊烤熟，木柴沒(méi)有了，說(shuō)老實(shí)話，你在這種情況下對(duì)我非常有用!可如今我很感動(dòng)，我想忍耐看不燒你，既然不燒你，我就得在我的戲班里另找一個(gè)木偶來(lái)代替你，把他扔到叉子底下去燒……喂，守衛(wèi)的!”

At the call, two wooden officers appeared, long and thin as a yard of rope, with queer hats on their heads and swords in their hands.

一聲命今，馬上來(lái)了兩個(gè)木頭守衛(wèi)，他們挺高挺高，挺瘦挺瘦，頭戴兩角帽，手握出鞘的劍，

Fire Eater yelled at them in a hoarse voice:

木偶戲班班主氣咻咻地對(duì)他們說(shuō)：

"Take Harlequin, tie him, and throw him on the fire. I want my lamb well done!"

“給我把這個(gè)花衣小丑抓住，捆得牢牢的，扔到火里去，我要讓我這只羊烤得香香的!”

Think how poor Harlequin felt! He was so scared that his legs doubled up under him and he fell to the floor.

諸位想象一下這個(gè)可憐的花衣小丑吧!他嚇得兩條腿一彎，跪在地上了，

Pinocchio, at that heartbreaking sight, threw himself at the feet of Fire Eater and, weeping bitterly, asked in a pitiful voice which could scarcely be heard:

皮諾喬看見(jiàn)這種凄慘場(chǎng)面，就撲倒在班主腳下，嚎啕大哭，淚水把他那把大胡子也給弄濕了，開(kāi)始哀求他說(shuō)：

"Have pity, I beg of you, signore!"

“可憐可憐吧，吃火人先生!……”

"There are no signori here!"

“這里沒(méi)有先生!……”木偶戲班班主冷冰冰地回答說(shuō)。

"Have pity, kind sir!"

“可憐可憐吧，騎士先生!……”

"There are no sirs here!"

“這里沒(méi)有騎士!……”

"Have pity, your Excellency!"

“可憐可憐吧，爵士先生!……”

On hearing himself addressed as your Excellency, the Director of the Marionette Theater sat up very straight in his chair, stroked his long beard, and becoming suddenly kind and compassionate, smiled proudly as he said to Pinocchio:

木偶戲班班主—聽(tīng)見(jiàn)叫他大老爺，馬上噘起了嘴，變得慈祥多了，溫和多了，問(wèn)皮諾喬說(shuō)：

"Well, what do you want from me now, Marionette?"

“你到底求我什么事?”

"I beg for mercy for my poor friend, Harlequin, who has never done the least harm in his life."

“我求您開(kāi)開(kāi)恩，放了可憐的花衣小丑!”

"There is no mercy here, Pinocchio. I have spared you. Harlequin must burn in your place. I am hungry and my dinner must be cooked."

“這可開(kāi)不得恩。我不燒你就得燒他，因?yàn)槲乙盐疫@只羊烤得香香的。”

"In that case," said Pinocchio proudly, as he stood up and flung away his cap of dough, "in that case, my duty is clear. Come, officers! Tie me up and throw me on those flames. No, it is not fair for poor Harlequin, the best friend that I have in the world, to die in my place!"

“那么，”皮諾喬大叫一聲，站了起來(lái)，扔掉頭上的面包心帽子，“那么，我知道我該怎么做了。來(lái)吧，守衛(wèi)先生們!把我捆起來(lái)扔到火里去，不行，讓可憐的花衣小丑，我的真正朋友，替我去死是不公道的!……”

These brave words, said in a piercing voice, made all the other Marionettes cry. Even the officers, who were made of wood also, cried like two babies.

這番話說(shuō)得丁當(dāng)響亮，聲調(diào)豪邁激昂，在場(chǎng)的木偶聽(tīng)了沒(méi)有不哭的，連兩個(gè)守衛(wèi)，雖然是木頭做的，也哭得像吃奶的羊羔。

Fire Eater at first remained hard and cold as a piece of ice; but then, little by little, he softened and began to sneeze. And after four or five sneezes, he opened wide his arms and said to Pinocchio:

吃火人起先一點(diǎn)不動(dòng)心，冷得像塊冰，可后來(lái)慢慢地、慢慢地也開(kāi)始感動(dòng)了，又打噴嚏了。他一口氣打了四五個(gè)噴嚏，于是疼愛(ài)地張開(kāi)懷抱，對(duì)皮諾喬說(shuō)：

"You are a brave boy! Come to my arms and kiss me!"

“你是個(gè)好小子!過(guò)來(lái)，給我一個(gè)吻。”

Pinocchio ran to him and scurrying like a squirrel up the long black beard, he gave Fire Eater a loving kiss on the tip of his nose.

皮諾喬馬上跑過(guò)去，像只松鼠似地順著木偶戲班班主的大胡子往上爬，爬到上面，在他鼻尖上給了他一個(gè)最甜最甜的吻。

"Has pardon been granted to me?" asked poor Harlequin with a voice that was hardly a breath.

“那么，您開(kāi)恩啦?”可憐的花衣小丑問(wèn)道，聲音細(xì)得好不容易才聽(tīng)見(jiàn)。

"Pardon is yours!" answered Fire Eater; and sighing and wagging his head, he added: "Well, tonight I shall have to eat my lamb only half cooked, but beware the next time, Marionettes."

“開(kāi)恩了!”吃火人回答說(shuō)。接著他嘆口氣，搖搖頭，“沒(méi)法子!今兒晚上我只能吃半生不熟的羊肉了。可下一回，誰(shuí)要是打動(dòng)我的心，他就活該倒霉!……”

At the news that pardon had been given, the Marionettes ran to the stage and, turning on all the lights, they danced and sang till dawn.

一聽(tīng)說(shuō)開(kāi)了恩，所有的木偶都跑到戲臺(tái)上，像開(kāi)盛大晚會(huì)那樣，點(diǎn)亮了所有的燈和燭臺(tái)，開(kāi)始又跳又舞。他們就這樣一直跳啊舞的直到大天亮。