The Tale of Benjamin Bunny

One morning a little rabbit sat on a bank.

一天早晨，一只小兔子坐在河岸边。

He pricked his ears and listened to the trit-trot, trit-trot of a pony.

他竖起耳朵，听见了一阵的的答答、的的答答的小马蹄声。

A gig was coming along the road; it was driven by Mr. McGregor, and beside him sat Mrs. McGregor in her best bonnet.

一辆双轮马车正沿着大路驶来；驾车的是麦格雷戈先生，他身旁坐着的麦格雷戈太太，戴着她那顶最好看的帽子。

As soon as they had passed, little Benjamin Bunny slid down into the road, and set off—with a hop, skip, and a jump—to call upon his relations, who lived in the wood at the back of Mr. McGregor's garden.

等他们一走过，小本杰明兔便溜下河岸，来到路上，一蹦一跳地出发了——去拜访他住在麦格雷戈先生菜园后面树林里的亲戚们。

That wood was full of rabbit holes; and in the neatest, sandiest hole of all lived Benjamin's aunt and his cousins—Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail, and Peter.

那片树林里满是兔子洞；在最整洁、沙质最好的一个洞里，住着本杰明的婶婶和他的表兄妹们——弗洛普西、莫普西、棉尾巴，还有彼得。

Old Mrs. Rabbit was a widow; she earned her living by knitting rabbit-wool mittens and muffatees (I once bought a pair at a bazaar). She also sold herbs, and rosemary tea, and rabbit-tobacco (which is what we call lavender).

老兔子太太是个寡妇；她靠织兔毛手套和护腕来维持生计（我曾经在一个义卖会上买过一副）。她还卖些草药、迷迭香茶，还有兔子烟叶（我们管这个叫熏衣草）。

Little Benjamin did not very much want to see his Aunt.

小本杰明其实并不太想去见婶婶。

He came round the back of the fir-tree, and nearly tumbled upon the top of his Cousin Peter.

他绕过枞树的后面，差点一头撞上了表哥彼得。

Peter was sitting by himself. He looked poorly, and was dressed in a red cotton pocket-handkerchief.

彼得正独自坐着。他看起来病恹恹的，身上裹着一条红色的棉布手帕当衣服穿。

"Peter," said little Benjamin, in a whisper, "who has got your clothes?"

“彼得，”小本杰明压低声音说道，“你的衣服哪儿去了？”

Peter replied, "The scarecrow in Mr. McGregor's garden," and described how he had been chased about the garden, and had dropped his shoes and coat.

彼得答道：“在麦格雷戈先生菜园的稻草人身上，”接着他讲起自己被人追得满园子跑，还丢了鞋子和外套的经过。

Little Benjamin sat down beside his cousin and assured him that Mr. McGregor had gone out in a gig, and Mrs. McGregor also; and certainly for the day, because she was wearing her best bonnet.

小本杰明在表哥身边坐了下来，安慰他说麦格雷戈先生已经坐着马车出门了，麦格雷戈太太也一起去了；而且肯定要一整天不在家，因为她还戴上了那顶最好看的帽子呢。

Peter said he hoped that it would rain.

彼得说他真希望能下雨。

At this point old Mrs. Rabbit's voice was heard inside the rabbit hole, calling: "Cotton-tail! Cotton-tail! fetch some more camomile!"

正说着，兔子洞里传来了老兔子太太的声音，喊道：“棉尾巴！棉尾巴！再去摘些甘菊来！”

Peter said he thought he might feel better if he went for a walk.

彼得说，要是出去走走，他兴许会觉得好受些。

They went away hand in hand, and got upon the flat top of the wall at the bottom of the wood. From here they looked down into Mr. McGregor's garden. Peter's coat and shoes were plainly to be seen upon the scarecrow, topped with an old tam-o'-shanter of Mr. McGregor's.

他们便手拉着手走开了，爬上了树林尽头那堵墙的平顶上。从这儿望下去，正好能看见麦格雷戈先生的菜园。彼得的外套和鞋子清清楚楚地挂在那个稻草人身上，稻草人头上还扣着麦格雷戈先生的一顶旧苏格兰便帽。

Little Benjamin said: "It spoils people's clothes to squeeze under a gate; the proper way to get in is to climb down a pear-tree."

小本杰明说道：“从门底下钻过去会把衣服弄脏的；正确的进去方式，是顺着一棵梨树爬下去。”

Peter fell down head first; but it was of no consequence, as the bed below was newly raked and quite soft.

彼得一头栽了下去；不过倒也没什么大碍，因为下面的苗床刚翻耕过，土质松软极了。

It had been sown with lettuces.

那苗床上种的是莴苣。

They left a great many odd little footmarks all over the bed, especially little Benjamin, who was wearing clogs.

他们在苗床上到处留下了一堆奇形怪状的小脚印，尤其是小本杰明，因为他脚上还穿着木屐呢。

Little Benjamin said that the first thing to be done was to get back Peter's clothes, in order that they might be able to use the pocket-handkerchief.

小本杰明说，头一件要紧事，就是把彼得的衣服找回来，这样他们才能用得上那条手帕。

They took them off the scarecrow. There had been rain during the night; there was water in the shoes, and the coat was somewhat shrunk.

他们从稻草人身上把衣服取了下来。夜里下过一场雨，鞋子里积了水，外套也有些缩水了。

Benjamin tried on the tam-o'-shanter, but it was too big for him.

本杰明试戴了一下那顶苏格兰便帽，可是对他来说太大了。

Then he suggested that they should fill the pocket-handkerchief with onions, as a little present for his Aunt.

于是他提议，不如往手帕里装满洋葱，当作送给婶婶的一份小礼物。

Peter did not seem to be enjoying himself; he kept hearing noises.

彼得看起来一点也不开心，总觉得四下里有动静。

Benjamin, on the contrary, was perfectly at home, and ate a lettuce leaf. He said that he was in the habit of coming to the garden with his father to get lettuces for their Sunday dinner.

本杰明倒是完全一副自在的样子，还吃了一片莴苣叶。他说自己常跟着爸爸来这园子里摘莴苣，好准备礼拜天的晚餐。

(The name of little Benjamin's papa was old Mr. Benjamin Bunny.)

（小本杰明的爸爸名叫老本杰明兔先生。）

The lettuces certainly were very fine.

这些莴苣长得确实很不错。

Peter did not eat anything; he said he should like to go home. Presently he dropped half the onions.

彼得什么也没吃，他说他想回家了。没过多久，他失手掉了一半洋葱。

Little Benjamin said that it was not possible to get back up the pear-tree with a load of vegetables. He led the way boldly towards the other end of the garden. They went along a little walk on planks, under a sunny, red brick wall.

小本杰明说，带着这么一堆蔬菜，是没法再爬回梨树上去了。他便大着胆子领路，往菜园的另一头走去。他们沿着一条铺着木板的小路走，路旁是一堵晒得暖洋洋的红砖墙。

The mice sat on their doorsteps cracking cherry-stones; they winked at Peter Rabbit and little Benjamin Bunny.

几只老鼠坐在自家门口嗑樱桃核；它们朝彼得兔和小本杰明兔挤了挤眼。

Presently Peter let the pocket-handkerchief go again.

没多久，彼得又把那条装洋葱的手帕给弄丢了。

They got amongst flower-pots, and frames, and tubs. Peter heard noises worse than ever; his eyes were as big as lolly-pops!

他们来到一堆花盆、育苗框和木桶中间。彼得听见的动静比以前更吓人了，他的眼睛瞪得跟棒棒糖似的那么大！

He was a step or two in front of his cousin when he suddenly stopped.

他比表哥超前了一两步，忽然停住了脚步。

This is what those little rabbits saw round that corner!

这两只小兔子在拐角处看到的，正是这样一幕！

Little Benjamin took one look, and then, in half a minute less than no time, he hid himself and Peter and the onions underneath a large basket…

小本杰明只看了一眼，不到半分钟——简直比一眨眼还快——他就把自己、彼得，还有那些洋葱，一起藏到了一只大篮子底下……

The cat got up and stretched herself, and came and sniffed at the basket.

那只猫站起身来，伸了个懒腰，走过来对着篮子嗅了嗅。

Perhaps she liked the smell of onions!

说不定她是喜欢洋葱的气味呢！

Anyway, she sat down upon the top of the basket.

不管怎样，她就在篮子顶上坐了下来。

She sat there for _five hours_.

她在那儿一坐，就坐了整整五个钟头。

I cannot draw you a picture of Peter and Benjamin underneath the basket, because it was quite dark, and because the smell of onions was fearful; it made Peter Rabbit and little Benjamin cry.

我没法给你画出彼得和本杰明躲在篮子底下的样子，因为那里头一片漆黑，而且洋葱的气味实在太呛人了，呛得彼得兔和小本杰明都哭了起来。

The sun got round behind the wood, and it was quite late in the afternoon; but still the cat sat upon the basket.

太阳渐渐转到了树林后面，已经是下午很晚的时候了，可那只猫依旧坐在篮子上，一动不动。

At length there was a pitter-patter, pitter-patter, and some bits of mortar fell from the wall above.

终于，传来了一阵劈里啪啦、劈里啪啦的声响，几块灰泥从上面的墙上掉了下来。

The cat looked up and saw old Mr. Benjamin Bunny prancing along the top of the wall of the upper terrace.

猫抬头一看，只见老本杰明兔先生正沿着上面那道露台的墙顶，昂首阔步地走了过来。

He was smoking a pipe of rabbit-tobacco, and had a little switch in his hand.

他叼着一斗兔子烟叶，手里还拿着一根小鞭子。

He was looking for his son.

他正在找自己的儿子。

Old Mr. Bunny had no opinion whatever of cats.

老兔子先生对猫可从来没什么好印象。

He took a tremendous jump off the top of the wall on to the top of the cat, and cuffed it off the basket, and kicked it into the greenhouse, scratching off a handful of fur.

他从墙顶上猛地一跃而下，正落在猫身上，一巴掌把它从篮子上扇了下去，又一脚把它踢进了温室，还顺手薅下了一把猫毛。

The cat was too much surprised to scratch back.

那猫吓得目瞪口呆，连回抓一下都顾不上了。

When old Mr. Bunny had driven the cat into the greenhouse, he locked the door.

老兔子先生把猫赶进温室以后，随手把门锁上了。

Then he came back to the basket and took out his son Benjamin by the ears, and whipped him with the little switch.

接着他回到篮子跟前，一把揪住儿子本杰明的耳朵，把他拽了出来，拿那根小鞭子狠狠抽了他一顿。

Then he took out his nephew Peter.

随后他又把外甥彼得也拽了出来。

Then he took out the handkerchief of onions, and marched out of the garden.

接着他拿出那条装着洋葱的手帕，大步流星地走出了菜园。

When Mr. McGregor returned about half an hour later he observed several things which perplexed him.

大约半个钟头后，麦格雷戈先生回来了，看见好几件事都让他大惑不解。

It looked as though some person had been walking all over the garden in a pair of clogs—only the footmarks were too ridiculously little!

看起来好像有人穿着一双木屐在整个菜园里到处走过似的——只不过那些脚印小得实在离谱！

Also he could not understand how the cat could have managed to shut herself up _inside_ the greenhouse, locking the door upon the _outside_.

而且他怎么也想不明白，那只猫是怎么把自己关进温室里头，还从外面把门锁上的。

When Peter got home his mother forgave him, because she was so glad to see that he had found his shoes and coat. Cotton-tail and Peter folded up the pocket-handkerchief, and old Mrs. Rabbit strung up the onions and hung them from the kitchen ceiling, with the bunches of herbs and the rabbit-tobacco.

彼得回到家时，妈妈原谅了他，因为她实在太高兴看到他找回了自己的鞋子和外套。棉尾巴和彼得把那条手帕叠了起来，老兔子太太把洋葱一串串挂起来，吊在厨房天花板上，和那几束草药、还有那些兔子烟叶挂在一起。