The RockingHorse Winner 中英译文.docx
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TheRockingHorseWinner中英译文
TheRocking-HorseWinner
Therewasawomanwhowasbeautiful,whostartedwithalltheadvantages,yetshehadnoluck.Shemarriedforlove,andtheloveturnedtodust.Shehadbonnychildren,yetshefelttheyhadbeenthrustuponher,andshecouldnotlovethem.Theylookedathercoldly,asiftheywerefindingfaultwithher.Andhurriedlyshefeltshemustcoverupsomefaultinherself.Yetwhatitwasthatshemustcoverupsheneverknew.Nevertheless,whenherchildrenwerepresent,shealwaysfeltthecentreofherheartgohard.Thistroubledher,andinhermannershewasallthemoregentleandanxiousforherchildren,asifshelovedthemverymuch.Onlysheherselfknewthatatthecentreofherheartwasahardlittleplacethatcouldnotfeellove,no,notforanybody.Everybodyelsesaidofher:
“Sheissuchagoodmother.Sheadoresherchildren.”Onlysheherself,andherchildrenthemselves,knewitwasnotso.Theyreaditineachother’seyes.
Therewereaboyandtwolittlegirls.Theylivedinapleasanthouse,withagarden,andtheyhaddiscreetservants,andfeltthemselvessuperiortoanyoneintheneighbourhood.
Althoughtheylivedinstyle,theyfeltalwaysananxietyinthehouse.Therewasneverenoughmoney.Themotherhadasmallincome,andthefatherhadasmallincome,butnotnearlyenoughforthesocialpositionwhichtheyhadtokeepup.Thefatherwentintotowntosomeoffice.Butthoughhehadgoodprospects,theseprospectsnevermaterialized.Therewasalwaysthegrindingsenseoftheshortageofmoney,thoughthestylewasalwayskeptup.
Atlastthemothersaid:
“IwillseeifIcan’tmakesomething.”Butshedidnotknowwheretobegin.Sherackedherbrains,andtriedthisthingandtheother,butcouldnotfindanythingsuccessful.Thefailuremadedeeplinescomeintoherface.Herchildrenweregrowingup;theywouldhavetogotoschool.Theremustbemoremoney,theremustbemoremoney.Thefather,whowasalwaysveryhandsomeandexpensiveinhistastes,seemedasifheneverwouldbeabletodoanythingworthdoing.Andthemother,whohadagreatbeliefinherself,didnotsucceedanybetter,andhertasteswerejustasexpensive.
Andsothehousecametobehauntedbytheunspokenphrase:
Theremustbemoremoney!
Theremustbemoremoney!
Thechildrencouldhearitallthetime,thoughnobodysaiditaloud.TheyhearditatChristmas,whentheexpensiveandsplendidtoysfilledthenursery.Behindtheshiningmodernrocking-horse,behindthesmartdoll’shouse,avoicewouldstartwhispering:
“Theremustbemoremoney!
Theremustbemoremoney!
”Andthechildrenwouldstopplayingtolistenforamoment.Theywouldlookintoeachother’seyes,toseeiftheyhadallheard.Andeachonesawintheeyesoftheothertwothattheytoohadheard.“Theremustbemoremoney!
Theremustbemoremoney!
”
Itcamewhisperingfromthespringsofthestill-swayingrocking-horse,andeventhehorse,bendinghiswooden,champinghead,heardit.Thebigdoll,sittingsopinkandsmirkinginhernewpram,couldnearitquiteplainly,andseemedtobesmirkingallthemoreself-consciouslybecauseofit.Thefoolishpuppy,too,thattooktheplaceoftheteddy-bear,hewaslookingsoextraordinarilyfoolishfornootherreasonbutthatheheardthesecretwhisperalloverthehouse:
“Theremustbemoremoney!
”
Yetnobodyeversaiditaloud.Thewhisperwaseverywhere,andthereforenoonespokeit.Justasnooneeversays:
“Wearebreathing!
”inspiteofthefactthatbreathiscomingandgoingallthetime.
“Mother,”saidtheboyPauloneday,“whydon’twekeepacarofourown?
Whydowealwaysuseuncle’s,orelseataxi?
”
“Becausewe’rethepoormembersofthefamily,”saidthemother.”
Butwhyarewe,mother?
”
“Well—Isuppose,”shesaidslowlyandbitterly,“it’sbecauseyourfatherhasnoluck.”
Theboywassilentforsometime.
“Isluckmoney,mother?
”heasked,rathertimidly.
“No,Paul.Notquite.It’swhatcausesyoutohavemoney.”
“Oh!
”saidPaulvaguely.“IthoughtwhenUncleOscarsaidfilthy-lucker,itmeantmoney.”
“FilthyLucredoesmeanmoney,”saidthemother.“Butit’slucre,notluck.”
“Oh”saidtheboy.“Thenwhatisluck,mother?
”
“It’swhatcausesyoutohavemoney.Ifyou’reluckyyouhavemoney.That’swhyit’sbettertobebornluckythanrich.Ifyou’rerich,youmayloseyourmoney.Butifyou’relucky,youwillalwaysgetmoremoney.”
“Oh!
Willyou?
Andisfathernotlucky?
”
“Veryunlucky,Ishouldsay,”shesaidbitterly.Theboywatchedherwithunsureeyes.
“Why?
”heasked.
“Idon’tknow.Nobodyeverknowswhyonepersonisluckyandanotherunlucky.”
“Don’tthey?
Nobodyatall?
Doesnobodyknow?
”
“PerhapsGod.ButHenevertells.”
“Heoughtto,then.Andaren’tyouluckyeither,mother?
”
“Ican’tbe,ifImarriedanunluckyhusband.”
“Butbyyourself,aren’tyou?
”
“IusedtothinkIwas,beforeImarried.Now,IthinkIamveryunluckyindeed.”
“Why?
”
“Well—nevermind!
PerhapsI’mnotreally,”shesaid.
Thechildlookedather,toseeifshemeantit.Buthesaw,bythelinesofhermouth,thatshewasonlytryingtohidesomethingfromhim.
“Well,anyhow,”hesaidstoutly,“I’maluckyperson.”
“Why?
”saidhismother,withasuddenlaugh.
Hestaredather.Hedidn’tevenknowwhyhehadsaidit.
“Godtoldme,”heasserted,brazeningitout.
“IhopeHedid,dear!
”shesaid,againwithalaugh,butratherbitter.
“Hedid,mother!
”
“Excellent!
”saidthemother,usingoneofherhusband’sexclamations.
Theboysawshedidnotbelievehim;or,rather,thatshepaidnoattentiontohisassertion.Thisangeredhimsomewhat,andmadehimwanttocompelherattention.
Hewentoffbyhimself,vaguely,inachildishway,seekingfortheclueto“luck.”Absorbed,takingnoheedofotherpeople,hewentaboutwithasortofstealth,seekinginwardlyforluck.Hewantedluck,hewantedit,hewantedit.Whenthetwogirlswereplayingdollsinthenursery,hewouldsitonhisbigrocking-horse,chargingmadlyintospace,withafrenzythatmadethelittlegirlspeerathimuneasily.Wildlythehorsecareered,thewavingdarkhairoftheboytossed,hiseyeshadastrangeglareinthem.Thelittlegirlsdarednotspeaktohim.
Whenhehadriddentotheendofhismadlittlejourney,heclimbeddownandstoodinfrontofhisrocking-horse,staringfixedlyintoitsloweredface.Itsredmouthwasslightlyopen,itsbigeyewaswideandglassy-bright.
“Now!
”hewouldsilentlycommandthesnortingsteed.“Now,takemetowherethereisluck!
Nowtakeme!
”
AndhewouldslashthehorseontheneckwiththelittlewhiphehadaskedUncleOscarfor.Heknewthehorsecouldtakehimtowheretherewasluck,ifonlyheforcedit.Sohewouldmountagain,andstartonhisfuriousride,hopingatlasttogetthere.Heknewhecouldgetthere.
“You’llbreakyourhorse,Paul!
”saidthenurse.
“He’salwaysridinglikethat!
Iwishhe’dleaveoff!
”saidhiseldersisterJoan.
Butheonlyglareddownontheminsilence.Nursegavehimup.Shecouldmakenothingofhim.Anyhowhewasgrowingbeyondher.
OnedayhismotherandhisUncleOscarcameinwhenhewasononeofhisfuriousrides.Hedidnotspeaktothem.
“Hallo,youyoungjockey!
Ridingawinner?
”saidhisuncle.
“Aren’tyougrowingtoobigforarockinghorse?
You’renotaverylittleboyanylonger,youknow,”saidhismother.
ButPaulonlygaveablueglarefromhisbig,ratherclose-seteyes.Hewouldspeaktonobodywhenhewasinfulltilt.Hismotherwatchedhimwithananxiousexpressiononherface.
Atlasthesuddenlystoppedforcinghishorseintothemechanicalgallop,andsliddown.
“Well,Igotthere!
”heannouncedfiercely,hisblueeyesstillflaring,andhissturdylonglegsstraddlingapart.
“Wheredidyougetto?
”askedhismother.
“WhereIwantedtogo,”heflaredbackather.
“That’sright,son!
”saidUncleOscar.“Don’tyoustoptillyougetthere.What’sthehorse’sname?
”
“Hedoesn’thaveaname,”saidtheboy.
“Getsonwithoutallright?
”askedtheuncle.
“Well,hehasdifferentnames.HewascalledSansovinolastweek.”
“Sansovino,eh?
WontheAscot.Howdidyouknowhisname?
”
“Healwaystalksabouthorse-raceswithBassett,”saidJoan.
Theunclewasdelightedtofindthathissmallnephewwaspostedwithalltheracingnews.Bassett,theyounggardener,whohadbeenwoundedintheleftfootinthewarandhadgothispresentjobthroughOscarCresswell,whosebatmanhehadbeen,wasaperfectbladeofthe“turf.“Helivedintheracingevents,andthesmallboylivedwithhim.
OscarCresswellgotitallfromBassett.
“MasterPaulcomesandasksme,soIcan’tdomorethantellhim,sir,”saidBassett,hisfaceterriblyserious,asifhewerespeakingofreligiousmatters.
“Anddoesheeverputanythingonahorsehefancies?
”
“Well—Idon’twanttogivehimaway—he’sayoungsport,afinesport,sir.Wouldyoumindaskinghimyourself?
Hesortoftakesapleasureinit,andperhapshe’dfeelIwasgivinghimaway,sir,ifyoudon’tmind.”
Bassettwasseriousasachurch.
Theunclewentbacktohisnephew,andtookhimoffforarideinthecar.
“Say,Paul,oldman,doyoueverputanythingonahorse?
”theuncleasked.
Theboywatchedthehandsomemanclosely.
“Why,doyouthinkIoughtn’tto?
”heparried.
“Notabitofit.IthoughtperhapsyoumightgivemeatipfortheLincoln.”
Thecarspedonintothecountry,goingdowntoUncleOscar’splaceinHampshire.
“Honourbright?
”saidthenephew.
“Honourbright,son!
”saidtheuncle.
“Well,then,Daffodil.”
“Daffodil!
Idoubtit,sonny.WhataboutMirza?
”
“Ionlyknowthewinner,”saidtheboy.“That’sDaffodil.”
“Daffodil,eh?
”
Therewasapause.Daffodilwasanobscurehorsecomparatively.
“Uncle!
”
“Yes,son?
”