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Before dinner next day, when the others were sitting round the table waiting(being at sea gives one a magnificent appetite), Eustace came rushing in, wringing his hand and shouting out：
第二天午饭前, 大家都围在饭桌上等着开饭( 因为在海上航行, 大家的胃口变得特别好), 尤斯塔斯突然冲进来, 搓着手, 大叫着：
"That little brute has half killed me. I insist on it being kept under control.
"那小畜生差点要了我的命。我坚持我的观点, 你必须要对它严加看管。
I could bring an action against you, Caspian. I could order you to have it destroyed. "
我向你提出控告, 凯斯宾, 我命令你消灭它。"
At the same moment Reepicheep appeared. His sword was drawn and his whiskers looked very fierce but he was as polite as ever.
就在此刻, 雷佩契普来了。他把剑拔出鞘, 愤怒中吹着胡须, 一脸凶相, 但他依旧温文尔雅。
"I ask your pardons all, "he said, "and especially her Majesty's.
"请原谅我的鲁莽, "它说, "尤其是尊贵的女王陛下。
If I had known that he would take refuge here I would have awaited a more reasonable time for his correction. "
看他在这里避难的份上, 我就再等一段时间, 给他一个改正的机会。
"What on earth's up ?"asked Edmund.
"发生了什么事情?"爱德蒙问。
What had really happened was this.
"事情是这个样子的----
Reepicheep, who never felt that the ship was getting on fast enough, loved to sit on the bulwarks far forward just beside the dragon's head, gazing out at the eastern horizon and singing softly in his little chirruping voice the song the Dryad had made for him.
雷佩契普自始至终没觉得船开得有多快, 它总是远远地坐在龙头旁边的船舷上一边凝视着东方地平线, 一边轻轻地哼唱着树仙女为它写的歌曲。
He never held on to anything, however the ship pitched, and kept his balance with perfect ease;perhaps his long tail, hanging down to the deck inside the bulwarks, made this easier.
也许是它的长尾巴在甲板上更容易保持平衡吧, 它什么东西都不用抓, 不管船再怎么颠簸, 它都能姿态优雅、稳稳地坐着。
Everyone on board was familiar with this habit, and the sailors liked it because when one was on look-out duty it gave one somebody to talk to.
船上的人都知道它这种习惯, 特别是水手, 特喜欢它这样。因为当有人在值班瞭望时, 就会跟它聊天了。
Why exactly Eustace had slipped and reeled and stumbled all the way forward to the forecastle(he had not yet got his sea-legs)I never heard.
不知道尤斯塔斯为什么一路上摇摇晃晃, 磕磕碰碰地摸到船头( 他还是晕船)。
Perhaps he hoped he would see land, or perhaps he wanted to hang about the galley and scrounge something.
可能他想看看是不是能看见陆地, 或许他想去厨房外面的走廊逛逛, 看看能否找点东西吃吧。
Anyway, as soon as he saw that long tail hanging down--and perhaps it was rather tempting--he thought it would be delightful to catch hold of it, swing Reepicheep round by it once or twice upside-down, then run away and laugh.
反正, 只要他看见那条长尾巴拖在地上----这个想法太诱人了----他马上就想一把抓住那条尾巴, 把雷佩契普头朝下扭上一两圈, 自己赶快溜走, 躲在一旁偷笑, 真是大快人心啊。
At first the plan seemed to work beautifully. The Mouse was not much heavier than a very large cat.
最初这个计划进行得很顺利。这只老鼠并不比一只猫大多少,
Eustace had him off the rail in a trice and very silly he looked(thought Eustace)with his little limbs all splayed out and his mouth open.
尤斯塔斯轻而易举地就把它扔到了栏杆外面。只见它张着嘴, 四肢仰面朝天, 尤斯塔斯觉得这样的丑相真是狼狈至极。
But unfortunately Reepicheep, who had fought for his life many a time, never lost his head even for a moment. Nor his skill.
没想到, 雷佩契普多次拼死奋战, 一点都没有惊慌失措, 并抓住了机会扭转了败局。
It is not very easy to draw one's sword when one is swinging round in the air by one's tail, but he did.
按理说, 被人扭住尾巴, 身体在空中摇摆是不可能拔出剑来的, 可它却做到了。
And the next thing Eustace knew was two agonizing jabs in his hand which made him let go of the tail;and the next thing after that was that the Mouse had picked itself up again as if it were a ball bouncing off the deck.
尤斯塔斯不知不觉就被砍了两剑, 痛得他只好松开雷佩契普的尾巴。然后, 那只老鼠在甲板上打了个滚之后爬了起来。
