第12章

The next day Fire Eater called Pinocchio aside and asked him: "What is your father's name?"

第二天早晨，吃火人把皮诺乔叫到一旁，问他说：“你父亲叫什么名字？”

"Geppetto."

“叫杰佩托。”

"And what is his trade?"

“他是干什么的，”

"He's a wood carver."

“他是一个木雕工。”

"Does he earn much?"

“他赚的钱多吗？”

"He earns so much that he never has a penny in his pockets.”

“要问他赚的钱，从不见他口袋里有一个子儿。”

Just think that, in order to buy me an A-B-C book for school,

“请想象一下吧，为了买一本识字课本给我上学，

he had to sell the only coat he owned, a coat so full of darns and patches that it was a pity."

他卖掉了身上仅有的一件短上衣。这件短上衣打满了补丁，没一处是好的。”

"Poor fellow! I feel sorry for him. Here, take these five gold pieces.

“可怜的人！我很同情他。这里有五个金币。

Go, give them to him with my kindest regards."

马上带回去给他，并且替我向他问好。”

Pinocchio, as may easily be imagined, thanked him a thousand times.

不用说，皮诺乔对木偶戏班班主千谢万谢。

He kissed each Marionette in turn, even the officers,

他一个个亲吻了戏班里所有的木偶，甚至包括了两个守卫，

and, beside himself with joy, set out on his homeward journey.

然后欢天喜地回家去了。

He had gone barely half a mile when he met a lame Fox and a blind Cat, walking together like two good friends.

可还没有走上半公里路，他就在路上碰到一只瘸腿狐狸和一只瞎眼猫，它俩一路上相互搀扶，似是两个患难朋友。

The lame Fox leaned on the Cat, and the blind Cat let the Fox lead him along.

瘸腿狐狸靠在猫身上，瞎眼猫由狐狸领着路。

"Good morning, Pinocchio," said the Fox, greeting him courteously.

“早上好，皮诺乔，”狐狸向他恭恭敬敬地问好。

"How do you know my name?" asked the Marionette.

“你怎么知道我的名字？”木偶问它。

"I know your father well."

“我跟你爸爸挺熟。”

"Where have you seen him?"

“你在哪儿见过他？”

"I saw him yesterday standing at the door of his house."

“昨天在他家门口见过。”

"And what was he doing?"

“他在干什么？”

"He was in his shirt sleeves trembling with cold."

“他穿着一件衬衫，冷得直打哆嗦。”

"Poor Father! But, after today, God willing, he will suffer no longer."

“可怜的爸爸！但是，谢谢老天爷，从今往后他就不用再打哆嗦了！……”

"Why?"

“为什么？”

"Because I have become a rich man."

“因为我变成有钱人啦。”

"You, a rich man?" said the Fox, and he began to laugh out loud.

“你是个有钱人？”狐狸说着，放肆地大笑，

The Cat was laughing also, but tried to hide it by stroking his long whiskers.

猫也跟着笑，但却捋着它的长胡须掩饰着。