第十三章（第7/15页）

康妮看着松林边缘鬼魅般丛生的牛蒡草，它拥有宽大的灰色叶片。当地人将它称作“罗宾汉大黄”。泉眼附近如此寂静和阴暗！而泉水却潺潺流泻着，那样欢快，那样奇妙。这里还见得到几株小米草以及肥硕的蓝色喇叭花……而在那边，围栏下方，黄土被掀开。鼹鼠！它探出身来，粉色的爪子舞动着，螺丝锥似的脑袋茫然四顾，粉色的小鼻尖向上翘着。

"It seems to see with the end of its nose," said Connie.

“它的视觉器官似乎是鼻头。”康妮说。

"Better than with its eyes!" He said. "Will you drink?" "Will you?" She took an enamel mug from a twig on a tree, and stooped to fill it for him. He drank in sips. Then she stooped again, and drank a little herself.

“比眼睛更加敏锐！”他说。“你要喝水吗？”“你呢？”她从树枝上取下一只瓷杯，弯腰为他取水。他呷了几口。接着，她又俯身取了些，自己也喝了一点。

"So icy!" She said gasping.

“真清凉！”她气喘吁吁地说。

"Good, isn't it! Did you wish?” "Did you?" "Yes, I wished. But I won't tell.” She was aware of the rapping of a woodpecker, then of the wind, soft and eerie through the larches. She looked up. White clouds were crossing the blue.

“真棒，不是吗？你许愿了没？”“你呢？”“嗯，我许了。可不想说出来。”她听见啄木鸟轻击树干的声音，感觉松林中传来的风轻柔而诡异。她仰望天空。白云朵朵掠过蓝天。

"Clouds!" She said.

“云彩！”她赞叹道。

"White lambs only," he replied.

“只是些白色的羊羔而已。”他不以为然。

A shadow crossed the little clearing. The mole had swum out on to the soft yellow earth.

云影移过泉边的小块空地。那只鼹鼠已经爬了出来，将松软的黄土踩在脚下。

"Unpleasant little beast, we ought to kill him," said Clifford.

“讨厌的小东西，我们应该弄死它。”克利福德说。

"Look! He's like a parson in a pulpit," she said.

“看呀！他像圣坛上布道的牧师。”她说。

She gathered some sprigs of woodruff and brought them to him.

她摘了几根车叶草，交到他的手中。

"New-mown hay!” He said. "Doesn't it smell like the romantic ladies of the last century, who had their heads screwed on the right way after all!” She was looking at the white clouds.

“新刈的干草！”他说。“闻起来就像百年前风流的贵妇，好在那时的女人还算精明能干！”她依然望着白色的云朵。

"I wonder if it will rain," she said.

“我在想会不会下雨。”她说。

"Rain! Why! Do you want it to?" They started on the return journey, Clifford jolting cautiously downhill. They came to the dark bottom of the hollow, turned to the right, and after a hundred yards swerved up the foot of the long slope, where bluebells stood in the light.

“下雨！为什么！你盼着下雨吗？”他俩踏上归途，下坡路上轮椅摇摇摆摆，克利福德更加谨慎。两人来到阴暗的谷底，右转后前进一百码，便拐上长长的山坡，那里的风铃草在阳光的照耀下亭亭玉立。

"Now, old girl!" Said Clifford, putting the chair to it.

“现在，轮到你出彩了，老伙计！”克利福德说着，驾着轮椅驶上山坡。

It was a steep and jolty climb. The chair pugged slowly, in a struggling unwilling fashion. Still, she nosed her way up unevenly, till she came to where the hyacinths were all around her, then she balked, struggled, jerked a little way out of the flowers, then stopped. "We'd better sound the horn and see if the keeper will come," said Connie. "He could push her a bit. For that matter, I will push. It helps." "We'll let her breathe," said Clifford. "Do you mind putting a scotch under the wheel?" Connie found a stone, and they waited. After a while Clifford started his motor again, then set the chair in motion. It struggled and faltered like a sick thing, with curious noises.

道路陡峭且崎岖不平。轮椅慢吞吞地攀爬着，显得极为吃力，又不太情愿似的。尽管道路并不平坦，她依然奋力前行，直到驶入风信子丛中。她被绊住，挣扎了几下，但仍未能摆脱花枝的缠绕，最终停住动弹不得。“咱俩最好按响喇叭，看守林人是否会赶来。”康妮提议道。“他可以帮忙推车。那样的话，我也来帮忙推。会管用的。”“咱们让她喘口气儿。”克利福德说。“你去找块石头，垫在轮子后面，好吗？”康妮找来块石头，他俩等待了一会儿。紧接着，克利福德再度发动马达，轮椅重新开始前进。它举步维艰，踉踉跄跄，活脱像个久病缠身的家伙，还发出古怪的噪声。