The Sing-Song of Old Man Kangaroo

Not always was the Kangaroo as now we do behold him, but a Different Animal with four short legs. He was grey and he was woolly, and his pride was inordinate: he danced on an outcrop in the middle of Australia, and he went to the Little God Nqa.

袋鼠可不是一直都长成我们如今所见的这副模样，从前他是一种截然不同的动物，四条腿又短又粗。他浑身灰扑扑、毛茸茸的，骄傲得没边没沿：他在澳大利亚正中央一处露出地面的岩石上跳着舞，接着他去找了小神恩夸。

He went to Nqa at six before breakfast, saying, ‘Make me different from all other animals by five this afternoon.’

他在早饭前六点钟去找恩夸，说道：“请在今天下午五点之前，把我变得跟其他动物都不一样。”

Up jumped Nqa from his seat on the sandflat and shouted, ‘Go away!’

恩夸从他坐着的沙地上一跃而起，嚷道：“走开！”

He was grey and he was woolly, and his pride was inordinate: he danced on a rock-ledge in the middle of Australia, and he went to the Middle God Nquing.

他浑身灰扑扑、毛茸茸的，骄傲得没边没沿：他在澳大利亚正中央一处岩架上跳着舞，接着他去找了中神恩宽。

He went to Nquing at eight after breakfast, saying, ‘Make me different from all other animals; make me, also, wonderfully popular by five this afternoon.’

他在早饭后八点钟去找恩宽，说道：“请把我变得跟其他动物都不一样；也请在今天下午五点之前，让我大受欢迎。”

Up jumped Nquing from his burrow in the spinifex and shouted, ‘Go away!’

恩宽从他在针茅草丛里的洞穴中一跃而起，嚷道：“走开！”

He was grey and he was woolly, and his pride was inordinate: he danced on a sandbank in the middle of Australia, and he went to the Big God Nqong.

他浑身灰扑扑、毛茸茸的，骄傲得没边没沿：他在澳大利亚正中央一处沙洲上跳着舞，接着他去找了大神恩公。

He went to Nqong at ten before dinner-time, saying, ‘Make me different from all other animals; make me popular and wonderfully run after by five this afternoon.’

他在午饭前十点钟去找恩公，说道：“请把我变得跟其他动物都不一样；请在今天下午五点之前，让我大受欢迎，让大家都拼命地追着我跑。”

Up jumped Nqong from his bath in the salt-pan and shouted, ‘Yes, I will!’

恩公从他在盐湖里泡的澡里一跃而起，嚷道：“好，我答应你！”

Nqong called Dingo—Yellow-Dog Dingo—always hungry, dusty in the sunshine, and showed him Kangaroo. Nqong said, ‘Dingo! Wake up, Dingo! Do you see that gentleman dancing on an ashpit? He wants to be popular and very truly run after. Dingo, make him SO!’

恩公叫来了野狗丁戈——那黄毛丁戈——总是饿着肚子，在阳光下浑身灰扑扑的，把袋鼠指给他看。恩公说道：“丁戈！醒醒，丁戈！你瞧见那位在灰堆上跳舞的先生了吗？他想要大受欢迎，想要大家真真切切地追着他跑。丁戈，就让他称心如意吧！”

Up jumped Dingo—Yellow-Dog Dingo—and said, ‘What, that cat-rabbit?’

黄毛丁戈一跃而起，说道：“什么，就是那只猫兔子？”

Off ran Dingo—Yellow-Dog Dingo—always hungry, grinning like a coal-scuttle,—ran after Kangaroo.

黄毛丁戈——那总是饿着肚子的丁戈——咧着一张像煤斗似的嘴，撒开腿追着袋鼠跑了起来。

Off went the proud Kangaroo on his four little legs like a bunny.

那高傲的袋鼠也撒开他那四条小短腿，像只兔子似的跑了起来。

This, O Beloved of mine, ends the first part of the tale!

我亲爱的孩子啊，这就是这个故事的第一部分的结尾了！

He ran through the desert; he ran through the mountains; he ran through the salt-pans; he ran through the reed-beds; he ran through the blue gums; he ran through the spinifex; he ran till his front legs ached.

他跑过沙漠；跑过群山；跑过盐湖；跑过芦苇丛；跑过蓝桉树林；跑过针茅草丛；一直跑到前腿都酸痛了。

He had to!

他不得不跑啊！

Still ran Dingo—Yellow-Dog Dingo—always hungry, grinning like a rat-trap, never getting nearer, never getting farther,—ran after Kangaroo.

黄毛丁戈——那总是饿着肚子的丁戈——依旧咧着一张像老鼠夹子似的嘴追着跑，既没追近一分，也没落下一分——一直追着袋鼠跑。

He had to!

他也不得不跑啊！

Still ran Kangaroo—Old Man Kangaroo. He ran through the ti-trees; he ran through the mulga; he ran through the long grass; he ran through the short grass; he ran through the Tropics of Capricorn and Cancer; he ran till his hind legs ached.

老袋鼠依旧跑着。他跑过茶树林；跑过含羞草丛；跑过高高的草地；跑过矮矮的草地；跑过南回归线和北回归线之间；一直跑到后腿都酸痛了。

He had to!

他不得不跑啊！

Still ran Dingo—Yellow-Dog Dingo—hungrier and hungrier, grinning like a horse-collar, never getting nearer, never getting farther; and they came to the Wollgong River.

黄毛丁戈依旧跑着——越来越饿，咧着一张像马轭似的嘴，既没追近一分，也没落下一分；他们就这样一路跑到了沃尔贡河边。

Now, there wasn’t any bridge, and there wasn’t any ferry-boat, and Kangaroo didn’t know how to get over; so he stood on his legs and hopped.

这条河上既没有桥，也没有渡船，袋鼠不知道该怎么过河，于是他站直了腿，蹦跳了起来。

He had to!

他不得不这么做啊！

He hopped through the Flinders; he hopped through the Cinders; he hopped through the deserts in the middle of Australia. He hopped like a Kangaroo.

他蹦跳着穿过弗林德斯，蹦跳着穿过辛德斯，蹦跳着穿过澳大利亚正中央的沙漠。他像只袋鼠一样蹦跳着。

First he hopped one yard; then he hopped three yards; then he hopped five yards; his legs growing stronger; his legs growing longer. He hadn’t any time for rest or refreshment, and he wanted them very much.

起先他一蹦只跳出一码远，接着跳出三码，接着跳出五码；他的腿越来越有力，也越来越长了。他根本没时间歇口气、吃点东西，可他心里实在渴望极了。

Still ran Dingo—Yellow-Dog Dingo—very much bewildered, very much hungry, and wondering what in the world or out of it made Old Man Kangaroo hop.

黄毛丁戈依旧追着跑——他满心困惑，饿得不行，心里直纳闷天底下究竟是什么，能让老袋鼠这样蹦跳个不停。

For he hopped like a cricket; like a pea in a saucepan; or a new rubber ball on a nursery floor.

因为他这一蹦一跳的样子，活像只蟋蟀，又像锅里蹦跳的一粒豌豆，或是育儿室地板上一个新买的橡皮球。

He had to!

他不得不这样啊！

He tucked up his front legs; he hopped on his hind legs; he stuck out his tail for a balance-weight behind him; and he hopped through the Darling Downs.

他把前腿蜷了起来，只用后腿蹦跳，还伸出尾巴在身后当作平衡的重物，就这样一路蹦跳穿过了达令高原。

He had to!

他不得不这样啊！

Still ran Dingo—Tired-Dog Dingo—hungrier and hungrier, very much bewildered, and wondering when in the world or out of it would Old Man Kangaroo stop.

黄毛丁戈依旧追着跑——如今已是又累又饿，满心困惑，心里直纳闷天底下究竟什么时候，老袋鼠才肯停下来。

Then came Nqong from his bath in the salt-pans, and said, ‘It’s five o’clock.’

这时恩公从他在盐湖里泡的澡里走了出来，说道：“已经五点钟了。”

Down sat Dingo—Poor Dog Dingo—always hungry, dusky in the sunshine; hung out his tongue and howled.

黄毛丁戈——这可怜的狗——一屁股坐了下来，依旧饿着肚子，在阳光下灰扑扑的；伸出舌头，呜呜地哀嚎起来。

Down sat Kangaroo—Old Man Kangaroo—stuck out his tail like a milking-stool behind him, and said, ‘Thank goodness that’s finished!’

老袋鼠也一屁股坐了下来，把尾巴往身后一伸，像张挤奶用的小凳子，说道：“谢天谢地，总算结束了！”

Then said Nqong, who is always a gentleman, ‘Why aren’t you grateful to Yellow-Dog Dingo? Why don’t you thank him for all he has done for you?’

这时恩公——他向来是位彬彬有礼的绅士——说道：“你怎么不感谢黄毛丁戈呢？他为你做了这么多，你怎么不谢谢他呢？”

Then said Kangaroo—Tired Old Kangaroo—He’s chased me out of the homes of my childhood; he’s chased me out of my regular meal-times; he’s altered my shape so I’ll never get it back; and he’s played Old Scratch with my legs.’

疲惫不堪的老袋鼠答道：“他把我从我儿时的家园赶了出来；他打乱了我一日三餐的规律；他把我的身形彻底改变了，这下我再也变不回去了；他还把我这两条腿折腾得不成样子。”

Then said Nqong, ‘Perhaps I’m mistaken, but didn’t you ask me to make you different from all other animals, as well as to make you very truly sought after? And now it is five o’clock.’

这时恩公说道：“也许是我记错了，可你不是求我把你变得跟其他动物都不一样，还要让大家真真切切地追捧你吗？现在已经五点钟了呀。”

‘Yes,’ said Kangaroo. ‘I wish that I hadn’t. I thought you would do it by charms and incantations, but this is a practical joke.’

“是啊，”袋鼠说道。“我真希望自己当初没这么求过。我原以为你会用什么法术咒语来实现，谁知这不过是场恶作剧罢了。”

‘Joke!’ said Nqong from his bath in the blue gums. ‘Say that again and I’ll whistle up Dingo and run your hind legs off.’

“恶作剧！”恩公正泡在他那蓝桉树丛里的澡盆里，说道。“你敢再说一遍，我这就吹口哨叫来丁戈，把你的后腿追个稀巴烂。”

‘No,’ said the Kangaroo. ‘I must apologise. Legs are legs, and you needn’t alter ‘em so far as I am concerned. I only meant to explain to Your Lordliness that I’ve had nothing to eat since morning, and I’m very empty indeed.’

“不不，”袋鼠说道。“是我该道歉。腿就是腿，就我而言，你不必再改动它们了。我只是想跟大人您解释一下，我从早上到现在什么都没吃，肚子实在饿得慌。”

‘Yes,’ said Dingo—Yellow-Dog Dingo,—‘I am just in the same situation. I’ve made him different from all other animals; but what may I have for my tea?’

“是啊，”黄毛丁戈说道，“我也是同样的处境。我已经把他变得跟其他动物都不一样了；可我这顿晚饭该吃什么呢？”

Then said Nqong from his bath in the salt-pan, ‘Come and ask me about it tomorrow, because I’m going to wash.’

这时恩公正泡在他那盐湖里的澡盆里，说道：“明天再来问我这事吧，因为我这会儿正要洗澡呢。”

So they were left in the middle of Australia, Old Man Kangaroo and Yellow-Dog Dingo, and each said, ‘That’s your fault.’

于是他们俩就这样被留在了澳大利亚的正中央，老袋鼠和黄毛丁戈，两人都互相埋怨道：“这可都是你的错。”

This is the mouth-filling song Of the race that was run by a Boomer, Run in a single burst—only event of its kind— Started by big God Nqong from Warrigaborrigarooma, Old Man Kangaroo first: Yellow-Dog Dingo behind.

这是一首满口生香的歌谣， 唱的是一场由大袋鼠跑的比赛， 一鼓作气跑到底——这样的比赛独一无二—— 是由大神恩公从瓦里加波里加鲁玛发令开跑的： 老袋鼠在前，黄毛丁戈在后。

Kangaroo bounded away, His back-legs working like pistons— Bounded from morning till dark, Twenty-five feet to a bound. Yellow-Dog Dingo lay Like a yellow cloud in the distance— Much too busy to bark. My! but they covered the ground!

袋鼠一跃而起，飞奔而去， 后腿动得像活塞一样； 从早晨一直蹦跳到天黑， 一跳就是二十五英尺远。 黄毛丁戈紧随其后， 像天边一朵黄色的云彩—— 忙得连叫都顾不上叫了。 天哪！他们跑过的地方可真够远的！

Nobody knows where they went, Or followed the track that they flew in, For that Continent Hadn’t been given a name. They ran thirty degrees, From Torres Straits to the Leeuwin (Look at the Atlas, please), And they ran back as they came.

谁也不知道他们跑去了哪里， 也没人跟得上他们飞奔的踪迹， 因为那片大陆当时 还压根没个名字呢。 他们一路跑过了三十度纬度， 从托雷斯海峡一直跑到刘文角 （不信你去查查地图集）， 接着又照原路跑了回来。

S’posing you could trot From Adelaide to the Pacific, For an afternoon’s run Half what these gentlemen did You would feel rather hot, But your legs would develop terrific— Yes, my importunate son, You’d be a Marvellous Kid!

就算你能一路小跑， 从阿德莱德跑到太平洋边， 花上一个下午的工夫， 也不过是这两位所跑路程的一半， 你怕是也要热得够呛， 不过你这两条腿呀，倒是能练得棒极了—— 没错，我这急巴巴的乖孩子， 你保准也能成个了不起的小家伙！