诗翁彼豆故事集 第20期:兔子巴比蒂和她的呱呱树桩(4)

 　　An axe¹ was brought at once, and the old tree was felled to loud cheers from the courtiers and the charlatan². 斧头立刻就被拿来了，老树被砍倒了，江湖骗子和朝臣们大声欢呼。

　　However, as they were making ready to return to the palace, the sound of loud cackling stopped them in their tracks. 可是，就在他们准备返回宫殿时，突然传来响亮的呱呱笑声让他们停住了脚步。

　　“Fools!” cried Babbitty's voice from the stump³ they had left behind. “傻瓜！”刚才被砍掉的那棵树的树桩里传出了巴比蒂的喊叫声。

　　“No witch or wizard can be killed by being cut in half! Take the axe, if you do not believe me, and cut the Grand Sorcerer in two!” “把巫师砍成两半是弄不死他们的！如果不信，就拿起斧头，把大魔法师砍成两半吧！”

　　The Captain of the Brigade of Witch-Hunters was eager to make the experiment, but as he raised the axe the charlatan fell to his knees, screaming for mercy and confessing all his wickedness. 女巫追捕小分队的队长急于做这个实验，但是他刚把斧头举起来，江湖骗子就跪倒在地，尖叫着恳求饶命，并坦白了自己的罪恶。

　　As he was dragged away to the dungeons⁴, the tree stump cackled more loudly than ever. 正当他被拖向地牢时，树桩又呱呱大笑起来，比以前笑得还要响亮。

　　“By cutting a witch in half, you have unleashed⁵ a dreadful curse upon your kingdom!” it told the petrified⁶ King. “把一个女巫砍成两半，你就给你的王国加了一道可怕的诅咒！”它对目瞪口呆的国王说，

　　“Henceforth, every stroke of harm that you inflict⁷ upon my fellow witches and wizards will feel like an axe stroke in your own side, until you will wish you could die of it!” “从今往后，你加在我巫师同伴身上的每一丝伤害，都会像斧头一样砍在你自己的身上，直到让你生不如死！”

　　At that, the King fell to his knees too, and told the stump that he would issue a proclamation at once, protecting all the witches and wizards of the kingdom, and allowing them to practise their magic in peace. 听了这话，国王也跪了下去，对树桩说他立刻就发布一则通告，保护王国里所有的男女巫师，允许他们平平安安地练习魔法。

　　“Very good,” said the stump, “but you have not yet made amends⁸ to Babbitty!” “很好，”树桩说，“但是你还没有对巴比蒂做出补偿呢！”

　　“Anything, anything at all!” cried the foolish King, wringing⁹ his hands before the stump. “什么都行，什么都可以！”愚蠢的国王喊道，在树桩前拧着两只手。

　　“You will erect¹⁰ a statue of Babbitty upon me, in memory of your poor washerwoman, and to remind you for ever of your own foolishness!” said the stump. “你要在我上面竖起一座巴比蒂的雕像，纪念你可怜的洗衣妇，从而让你永远不会忘记你的愚蠢行为！”树桩说。

　　The King agreed to it at once, and promised to engage the foremost sculptor¹¹ in the land, and have the statue made of pure gold. 国王立刻答应了，并保证请来全国著名的雕刻家，用纯金打造那座雕像。

　　Then the shamed King and all the noblemen and women returned to the palace, leaving the tree stump cackling behind them. 然后，羞愧难当的国王和所有的王公贵族返回了宫殿，留下树桩在他们身后呱呱大笑。

　　When the grounds were deserted¹² once more, there wriggled¹³ from a hole between the roots of the tree stump a stout¹⁴ and whiskery old rabbit with a wand clamped between her teeth. 等庭院里空无一人时，从树桩根部的一个洞里，钻出了一只胖乎乎的、长着胡须的老兔子，它的牙齿间咬着一根魔杖。

　　Babbitty hopped¹⁵ out of the grounds and far away, and ever after a golden statue of the washerwoman stood upon the tree stump, and no witch or wizard was ever persecuted¹⁶ in the kingdom again. 巴比蒂蹦蹦跳跳地离开庭院远去了，从那以后，一座洗衣妇的金雕像一直竖立在那个树桩上，王国里也再没有巫师遭到迫害。

1 axe   

n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减

参考例句：

• Be careful with that sharp axe.那把斧子很锋利，你要当心。
• The edge of this axe has turned.这把斧子卷了刃了。

2 charlatan   

n.骗子；江湖医生；假内行

参考例句：

• The charlatan boasted that he could charm off any disease.这个江湖骗子吹牛说他能用符咒治好各种疾病。
• He was sure that he was dealing with a charlatan.他真以为自己遇上了江湖骗子。

3 stump   

n.残株，烟蒂，讲演台；v.砍断，蹒跚而走

参考例句：

• He went on the stump in his home state.他到故乡所在的州去发表演说。
• He used the stump as a table.他把树桩用作桌子。

4 dungeons   

n.地牢( dungeon的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The captured rebels were consigned to the dungeons. 抓到的叛乱分子被送进了地牢。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He saw a boy in fetters in the dungeons. 他在地牢里看见一个戴着脚镣的男孩。 来自辞典例句

5 unleashed   

v.把（感情、力量等）释放出来，发泄( unleash的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The government's proposals unleashed a storm of protest in the press. 政府的提案引发了新闻界的抗议浪潮。
• The full force of his rage was unleashed against me. 他把所有的怒气都发泄在我身上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 petrified   

adj.惊呆的；目瞪口呆的v.使吓呆，使惊呆；变僵硬；使石化(petrify的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• I'm petrified of snakes. 我特别怕蛇。
• The poor child was petrified with fear. 这可怜的孩子被吓呆了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 inflict   

vt.(on)把…强加给，使遭受，使承担

参考例句：

• Don't inflict your ideas on me.不要把你的想法强加于我。
• Don't inflict damage on any person.不要伤害任何人。

8 amends   

n. 赔偿

参考例句：

• He made amends for his rudeness by giving her some flowers. 他送给她一些花，为他自己的鲁莽赔罪。
• This country refuses stubbornly to make amends for its past war crimes. 该国顽固地拒绝为其过去的战争罪行赔罪。

9 wringing   

淋湿的，湿透的

参考例句：

• He was wringing wet after working in the field in the hot sun. 烈日下在田里干活使他汗流满面。
• He is wringing out the water from his swimming trunks. 他正在把游泳裤中的水绞出来。

10 erect   

n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的

参考例句：

• She held her head erect and her back straight.她昂着头，把背挺得笔直。
• Soldiers are trained to stand erect.士兵们训练站得笔直。

11 sculptor   

n.雕刻家，雕刻家

参考例句：

• A sculptor forms her material.雕塑家把材料塑造成雕塑品。
• The sculptor rounded the clay into a sphere.那位雕塑家把黏土做成了一个球状。

12 deserted   

adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的

参考例句：

• The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
• The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。

13 wriggled   

v.扭动，蠕动，蜿蜒行进( wriggle的过去式和过去分词 )；（使身体某一部位）扭动；耍滑不做，逃避（应做的事等）

参考例句：

• He wriggled uncomfortably on the chair. 他坐在椅子上不舒服地扭动着身体。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A snake wriggled across the road. 一条蛇蜿蜒爬过道路。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

14 stout   

adj.强壮的，粗大的，结实的，勇猛的，矮胖的

参考例句：

• He cut a stout stick to help him walk.他砍了一根结实的枝条用来拄着走路。
• The stout old man waddled across the road.那肥胖的老人一跩一跩地穿过马路。

15 hopped   

跳上[下]( hop的过去式和过去分词 )； 单足蹦跳； 齐足（或双足）跳行； 摘葎草花

参考例句：

• He hopped onto a car and wanted to drive to town. 他跳上汽车想开向市区。
• He hopped into a car and drove to town. 他跳进汽车，向市区开去。

16 persecuted   

（尤指宗教或政治信仰的）迫害(~sb. for sth.)( persecute的过去式和过去分词 )； 烦扰，困扰或骚扰某人

参考例句：

• Throughout history, people have been persecuted for their religious beliefs. 人们因宗教信仰而受迫害的情况贯穿了整个历史。
• Members of these sects are ruthlessly persecuted and suppressed. 这些教派的成员遭到了残酷的迫害和镇压。