柳林風(fēng)聲

⊙ By Kenneth Grahame

翻譯：楊靜遠(yuǎn)

柳林風(fēng)聲

⊙ By Kenneth Grahame

翻譯：楊靜遠(yuǎn)

本文的朗讀者是位很有經(jīng)驗(yàn)的老手，大家不妨多聽(tīng)?zhēng)妆樵?，特別留意朗讀者是如何通過(guò)豐富多變的抑揚(yáng)頓挫、輕重緩急來(lái)增強(qiáng)文字的生動(dòng)感，進(jìn)而調(diào)動(dòng)起聽(tīng)眾的情緒。

It all seemed too good to be true. Hither and thither[到處]through the meadows[草地]he rambled[漫步]busily, along the hedgerows[灌木籬墻], across the copses[小樹(shù)叢], finding everywhere birds building, flowers budding[含苞], leaves thrusting[擠]—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[輕笑], gripping things with a gurgle[咯咯聲]and leaving them with a laugh, to fling[擲]itself on fresh playmates that shook themselves free, and were caught and held again. All was a-shake and a-shiver[顫抖]—glints[閃爍]and gleams[微光]and sparkles[閃耀], rustle[沙沙響]and swirl[漩渦], chatter[嘮叨]and bubble. The Mole[鼴鼠]was bewitched[使著迷], 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.

你知道嗎？《哈利·波特》系列小說(shuō)當(dāng)中的“獾院”赫奇帕奇學(xué)院，其靈感來(lái)源正是英國(guó)童話《柳林風(fēng)聲》里的獾先生呢！

你還知道嗎？這本一百多年來(lái)傳誦不衰的經(jīng)典作品，最初其實(shí)只是肯尼斯·格雷厄姆隨便編出來(lái)哄兒子入睡的bedtime story？

《柳林風(fēng)聲》以鼴鼠、河鼠、蛤蟆與獾先生為主角——這四只性格各異的小動(dòng)物交上了朋友，一起結(jié)伴出外冒險(xiǎn)，最終榮歸故里，重振家園。其文筆之優(yōu)美，語(yǔ)言之生動(dòng)，哲理之深刻，加上在季節(jié)流轉(zhuǎn)中美不勝收的河畔風(fēng)景，讓美國(guó)的羅斯福總統(tǒng)讀之手不釋卷，是J.K.羅琳最喜歡的文學(xué)作品。自1908年首版以來(lái)，《柳林風(fēng)聲》一直深受世界人民的喜愛(ài)，多次入選各種“最受歡迎作品”“兒童必讀經(jīng)典”“最具影響力圖書(shū)”榜單，伴隨著一代又一代的少年兒童長(zhǎng)大成人。

本期節(jié)選出自小說(shuō)第一章。厭倦了春季大掃除的鼴鼠跑到外面散心，只見(jiàn)一路上春光明媚，到處生機(jī)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[舒適的]dwelling-place[住所]it would make for an animal with few wants and fond of a bijou[小巧的]riverside residence[住處], above flood level and remote from noise and dust. As he gazed, something bright and small seemed to twinkle[閃爍]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[閃閃發(fā)光的]and small for a glow-worm[螢火蟲(chóng)]. 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[腮須].

A grave[嚴(yán)肅的]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[詢問(wèn)], “Would you like to come over?”

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

The Rat said nothing, but stooped[彎腰]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[蕩槳]smartly across and made fast[穩(wěn)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[輕快地]!” and the Mole to his surprise and rapture[興高采烈]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.”

《柳林風(fēng)聲》是一本以動(dòng)物為主角的兒童小說(shuō)，是寫(xiě)給小孩子看的故事，但若是談到它所具備的文學(xué)性以及作者高超的文字功力，恐怕許多成人文學(xué)都未必能及。一本好的英語(yǔ)有聲書(shū)，可以從聽(tīng)、說(shuō)、讀、寫(xiě)等方面提高讀者的英語(yǔ)綜合素養(yǎng)，《柳林風(fēng)聲》就是這樣的典型。學(xué)有余力的同學(xué)可以利用本期節(jié)選進(jìn)行一個(gè)進(jìn)階訓(xùn)練，結(jié)合詞典思考以下幾個(gè)問(wèn)題：

l 作者如何運(yùn)用擬人手法來(lái)表現(xiàn)大河奔流的景象？

l 河鼠第一次出現(xiàn)時(shí)，作者是如何描寫(xiě)的呢？

l 文中出現(xiàn)了多少個(gè)表示“閃閃發(fā)光”的近義詞？你知道它們的區(qū)別嗎？你還能在文中發(fā)現(xiàn)其他的近義詞組嗎？

一切都那么美好，好得簡(jiǎn)直不像是真的。他跑過(guò)一片又一片的草坪，沿著矮樹(shù)籬，穿過(guò)灌木叢，匆匆地游逛；處處都看到鳥(niǎo)兒做窩筑巢，花兒含苞待放，葉兒擠擠攘攘——萬(wàn)物都顯得那么快樂(lè)、奮進(jìn)、忙碌。他聽(tīng)不到良心在耳邊嘀咕“刷墻！”，倒只覺(jué)得，在一大群忙忙碌碌的公民當(dāng)中，唯獨(dú)他能當(dāng)一個(gè)懶漢，這可真是愜意?？磥?lái)，過(guò)休假日最舒心的事，還不是自己得到休憩，而是看到別人都在忙著干活。

他漫無(wú)目的地閑逛著，忽然來(lái)到一條水流豐盈的大河邊，真是快樂(lè)絕頂。他這輩子還從來(lái)沒(méi)有見(jiàn)過(guò)一條河哩。這只光光滑滑、蜿蜿蜒蜒、身軀龐大的動(dòng)物，不停地追逐，輕輕地歡笑。它每抓住什么，就咯咯低笑，把它們?nèi)拥魰r(shí)，又哈哈大笑，轉(zhuǎn)過(guò)來(lái)又撲向新的玩伴。它們掙扎著甩開(kāi)了它，可到底還是被它逮住，牢抓在手。它渾身顫動(dòng)，晶光閃閃，沸沸揚(yáng)揚(yáng)，吐著漩渦，冒著泡沫，喋喋不休地說(shuō)個(gè)沒(méi)完。這景象簡(jiǎn)直把鼴鼠看呆了，他心馳神迷，著了魔似的。他沿著河邊，邁著小碎步跑，像個(gè)小娃娃緊跟在大人身邊聽(tīng)他講驚險(xiǎn)故事，聽(tīng)得入了迷似的。他終于跑累了，便在岸邊坐了下來(lái)?？赡呛舆€是一個(gè)勁兒地喋喋不休，它講的是世間最好聽(tīng)的故事。這些故事發(fā)自地心深處，一路講下去，最終要向那聽(tīng)個(gè)沒(méi)夠的大海傾訴。

他坐在草地上，朝著河那邊張望時(shí)，忽見(jiàn)對(duì)岸有個(gè)黑黑的洞口，恰好在水面上邊。他夢(mèng)悠悠地想，要是一只動(dòng)物要求不高，只想有一處小巧玲瓏的河邊住宅，漲潮時(shí)淹不著，又遠(yuǎn)離塵囂，這個(gè)住所倒是滿舒適的。他正呆呆地凝望，那洞穴的中央有個(gè)亮晶晶的小東西一閃，忽隱忽現(xiàn)，像一顆小星星。不過(guò)，出現(xiàn)在那樣一個(gè)地方，不會(huì)是星星。要說(shuō)是螢火蟲(chóng)嘛，又顯得太亮太小。望著望著，那個(gè)亮東西竟沖他眨巴了一下，可見(jiàn)那是一只眼睛。接著，圍著那只眼睛，漸漸顯出一張小臉，恰像一幅畫(huà)，嵌在畫(huà)框里。

一張棕色的小臉，腮邊有兩撇胡須。

一張神情嚴(yán)肅的圓臉，眼睛里閃著光，就是一開(kāi)始引起他注意的那種光。

一對(duì)精巧的小耳朵，一頭絲一般濃密的毛發(fā)。

那是河鼠！

隨后，兩只動(dòng)物面對(duì)面站著，謹(jǐn)慎地互相打量?！班耍B鼠！”“嗨，河鼠！”河鼠便問(wèn)道：“你愿意過(guò)這邊來(lái)嗎？”

“噯，說(shuō)說(shuō)倒容易，”鼴鼠沒(méi)好氣地說(shuō)，因?yàn)樗浅醮我?jiàn)識(shí)一條河，還不熟悉水上的生活習(xí)慣。

河鼠二話沒(méi)說(shuō)，彎腰解開(kāi)一條繩子，拽攏過(guò)來(lái)，然后輕輕地跨進(jìn)鼴鼠原先沒(méi)有注意到的一只小船里。那小船外面漆成藍(lán)色，里面漆成白色，正好夠兩只動(dòng)物乘坐；雖然鼴鼠還不大明白小船的用場(chǎng)，但他的心一下子就被它吸引住了。

河鼠干練地把船劃到對(duì)岸，停穩(wěn)了。他伸出一只前爪，攙著鼴鼠小心翼翼地走下來(lái)。“扶好了！現(xiàn)在，輕輕地跨進(jìn)來(lái)！”于是鼴鼠又驚又喜地發(fā)現(xiàn)，自己真的坐進(jìn)了一只真正的小船的尾端。

河鼠把船撐離岸邊，拿起雙槳，鼴鼠于是說(shuō)道：“今天真是太棒了！你知道嗎，我這輩子還從沒(méi)坐過(guò)船哩！”

（選自貴州人民出版社版本，有改動(dòng)）