蓝色的海豚岛（节选） Island of the Blue Dolphins
美式发音 适合背诵
“蓝色的海豚岛”大致位于美国洛杉矶西南75英里的地方,在公元前2000年左右就有印第安人定居,直到1602年白人探险家发现了它,并命名为“圣·尼哥拉斯岛”。1835~1853年期间,一位印第安少女独自一人居住在这个岛上,直到18年后被一艘商船解救。这位少女是最后一个卡拉斯—阿特印第安人,没有人懂得她的语言,所以也没有人知道她是如何独自度过这孤独的18年的。人们发现她的时候,她和一只狗住在高地上一所简陋的房子里,穿的是鸬鹚羽毛裙。这些事实正是《蓝色的海豚岛》一书的历史背景。
《蓝色的海豚岛》在1960年首次出版后,曾先后获纽伯瑞儿童文学奖等奖项。
By the time I filled the basket, the 1)Aleut ship had sailed around the wide 2)kelp bed that encloses our island and between the two rocks that guard Coral Cove. Word of its coming had already reached the village of Ghalas-at. Carrying their weapons, our men sped along the trail which winds down to the shore. Our women were gathering at the edge of the 3)mesa.
我把篮子装得满满的时候,阿留申人的船已经绕过我们岛四周宽阔的海草区,来到守卫珊瑚湾的两块大礁石之间。阿留申人到来的消息已经传到卡拉斯—阿特村。村里的男人已经拿着武器沿着弯弯曲曲的小道飞快地奔向海岸。村里的妇女则聚集在高地边上。
I made my way through the heavy brush and, moving swiftly, down the 4)ravine until I came to the sea cliffs. There I 5)crouched on my hands and knees. Below me lay the cove. The tide was out and the sun shone on the white sand of the beach. Half the men from our village stood at the water’s edge. The rest were concealed among the rocks at the foot of the trail, ready to attack the 6)intruders should they prove unfriendly.
我穿过茂密的灌木丛,也迅速跑下峡谷,来到海边的峭壁上面。我蹲下身子趴在那里,下面就是海湾。那时候已经退潮,太阳照着海滩上白色的沙子。我们村里的男人有一半站在海边。其余的人隐藏在小道尽头的岩石后面,准备一旦来者不怀好意,就向他们发动进攻。
As I crouched there in the 7)toyon bushes, trying not to fall over the cliff, trying to keep myself hidden and yet to see and hear what went on below me, a boat left the ship. Six men with long oars were rowing. Their faces were broad, and shining dark hair fell over their eyes. When they came closer I saw that they had bone ornaments thrust through theirnoses.
我蹲伏在柳叶石楠矮小的灌木丛中,努力使自己不掉下崖去,既要把自己隐藏好,又要对下面发生的事情,看得清听得明。正在这时,大船上放下一只小船。小船上有六个男人划着长桨。他们的脸很宽,黑色的头发油光发亮,披散下来遮住了他们的眼睛。他们走得更近了一些,我看到他们鼻子上穿着用骨头做的饰物。
Behind them in the boat stood a tall man with a yellow beard. I had never seen a Russian before, but my father had told me about them, and I wondered, seeing the way he stood with his feet set apart and his fists on his hips and looked at the little harbor as though it already belonged to him, if he were one of those men from the north whom our people feared. I was certain of it when the boat slid in to the shore and he jumped out, shouting as he did so.
这些人的后面,还有一个黄胡子大汉站在小船上。以前我从来没有见到过俄国人,但是我父亲给我讲过俄国人的事。这个人叉开两腿站在那里,手背在腰后,眼睛盯着小海港,好像海港已经是属于他的了。看见他这个模样,我怀疑这个人正是属于来自北方,让我们的族人害怕的那些人。小船滑上岸以后,这人跳下船来哇哇乱叫,那时我就确信他准是个俄国人。
“I come in peace and wish to 8)parley,” he said to the men on the shore.
“我是为和平而来的,并希望同你们进行谈判,”他对岸上的男人们说。
None of them answered, but my father, who was one of those hidden among the rocks, came forward down the sloping beach. He thrust his spear into the sand.
谁也不回话。我的父亲本也藏在岩石中间,但这时他走下倾斜的海滩,把镖枪插进了沙里。
“I am the Chief of Ghalas-at,” he said. “My name is Chief Chowig.”
“我是卡拉斯—阿特的头人,”他说。“我叫科威格头人。”
I was surprised that he gave his real name to a stranger. Everyone in our tribe had two names, the real one which was secret and was seldom used, and one which was common, for if people use your secret name it becomes worn out and loses its magic. Thus I was known as Won-a-pa-lei, which means The Girl with the Long Black Hair, though my secret name is Karana. My father’s secret name was Chowig. Why he gave it to a stranger I do not know.
他向陌生人吐露真名实姓,使我感到很吃惊。在我们部落里,人人都有两个名字,真正的名字是秘密的,很少使用,还有一个是普通的名字。因为如果别人经常使用你的秘密名字,它就会用得太滥,失去魔力。因此,人家都叫我“王—阿—巴—勒”,意思是头发又黑又长的姑娘,我的秘密名字却是卡拉娜。我父亲的秘密名字叫做科威格,我不知道他为什么要向一个陌生人说出自己秘密的名字。
The Russian smiled and held up his hand, calling himself Captain Orlov. My father also held up his hand. I could not see his face, but I doubted that he smiled in return.
这个俄国人微微一笑,举起了一只手,自称是奥罗夫船长。我父亲也举起一只手。我看不见他的脸,但我觉得他不会报以微笑。
“I have come with 40 of my men,” said the Russian. “We come to hunt sea otter. We wish to camp on your island while we are hunting.”
“我带来了四十个人,”俄国人说。“我们是来猎捕海獭的。我们希望捕猎期间能在你们岛上扎营。”
“You will need to do nothing,” Captain Orlov said. “My men will hunt and we will divide the catch. One part for you, to be paid in goods, and two parts for us.”
“你们什么也不用干,”奥罗夫船长说,“由我们的人来猎捕,猎到海獭我们会分给你们的。三分之一归你们,用货物抵偿,三分之二归我们。”
“The parts must be equal,” my father said.
“应该对半分才是,”我父亲说。
Captain Orlov 9)gazed off toward the sea. “We can talk of that later when my supplies are safe ashore,” he replied.
奥罗夫船长把目光移向大海。“等我们把给养安全运上岸以后再谈吧,”他回答说。
The morning was fair with little wind, yet it was the season of the year when storms could be looked for, so I understood why the Russian wished to move onto our island.
那天上午天气晴朗,风很小,但是每年的这个季节中暴风雨随时会来,所以我明白为什么俄国人要急于把东西搬到我们岛上来。
“It is better to agree now,” said my father.
“最好现在就谈妥,”我父亲说。
Captain Orlov took two long steps away from my father, then turned and faced him.
“One part to you is fair since the work is ours and ours the risk.”
奥罗夫船长走了两大步,然后回转身来对着我父亲。“既然活儿由我们干,而且又很危险,分给你们三分之一是公平的。”
My father shook his head.
我父亲摇摇头。
The Russian grasped his beard. “Since the sea is not yours, why do I have to give you any part?”
俄国人抓了抓胡子。“既然大海不是你们的,我为什么非要分给你们一份呢?”
“The sea which surrounds the Island of the Blue Dolphins belongs to us,” answered my father.
“蓝色的海豚岛周围的海域是属于我们的,”我父亲回答说。
He spoke softly as he did when he was angry.
他的语调十分温和,他生气的时候总是这样的。
“From here to the coast of Santa Barbara—20 10)leagues away?”
“你是说从这里到圣塔·巴巴拉海岸——二十里格以内吗?”
“No, only that which touches the island and where the otter live.”
“不,只是和这个岛连接的水域和海獭聚居的地方。”
Captain Orlov made a sound in his throat. He looked at our men standing on the beach and toward those who had now come from behind the rocks. He looked at my father and shrugged his shoulders. Suddenly he smiled, showing his long teeth.
奥罗夫船长嗓子里咕噜了几声。他看看站在海滩上以及从藏身的岩石后出来的人,又看看我父亲,然后耸了耸肩膀。忽然他露出了一口长牙,微笑起来。
“The parts shall be equal,” he said.
“那就对半分吧,”他说。
(译文参考新蕾出版社版本)
