夏洛的網(wǎng) Chapter 7：壞消息

Wilbur liked Charlotte better and better each day. Her campaign against insects seemed sensible and useful. Hardly anybody around the farm had a good word to say for a fly. Flies spent their time pestering others. The cows hated them. The horses detested them. The sheep loathed them. Mr. and Mrs. Zukerman were always complaining about them, and putting up screens.

威伯一天比一天更喜歡夏洛了。她對昆蟲發(fā)動的戰(zhàn)爭似乎是英明的，有益處的。農(nóng)場周圍幾乎沒人為蒼蠅說一句好話，因為蒼蠅把他們的所有時間都用來騷擾別人了。母牛恨他們。馬憎惡他們。綿羊討厭他們。祖克曼先生和太太也總是抱怨他們，所以特意裝上了紗窗。

Wilbur admired the way Charlotte managed. He was particularly glad that she always put her victim to sleep before eating it.

威伯也欣賞夏洛的行事方法。他很高興她能在吃她的受害者之前先把他們弄睡。

"It's real thoughtful of you to do that, Charlotte," he said.

“你那么做可真體貼，夏洛，”他說。

"Yes," she replied in her sweet, musical voice, "I always give them an anaesthetic so they won't feel pain. It's a little service I throw in."

“是的，”她用甜甜的嗓音回答，“我總是先麻醉他們，這樣他們就不會感到疼了。這是我的一項小小的免費服務。”

As the days went by, Wilbur grew and grew. He ate three big meals a day. He spent long hours lying on his side, half asleep, dreaming pleasant dreams. He enjoyed good health and he gained a lot of weight. One afternoon, when Fern was sitting on her stool, the oldest sheep walked into the barn, and stopped to pay a call on Wilbur.

很多天過去了，威伯長了又長。他一天要吃三頭豬的飯量了。他把時間都花在躺著，小睡，做美夢上了。他的身體非常健康，體重也增長了許多。一天下午，當芬正在她的凳子上坐著時，那只老羊走到谷倉來拜訪威伯。

"Hello!" she said. "Seems to me you're putting on weight."

“你好!”她說。“我看你好像正在變胖。”

"Yes, I guess I am," replied Wilbur. "At my age it's a good idea to keep gaining."

“是的，我想是，”威伯回答。“在我這個年紀胖起來是好事兒。”

"Just the same, I don't envy you," said the old sheep." You know why they're fattening you up, don't you?"

“雖然如此，可我卻不嫉妒你，”老羊說。“你知道他們?yōu)槭裁匆涯沭B(yǎng)這么胖嗎?”

"No," said Wilbur.

“不知道，”威伯說。

"Well, I don't like to spread bad news," said the sheep, "but they're fattening you up because they're going to kill you, that's why."

“呃，我不喜歡傳播壞消息，”老羊說，“但我還是要告訴你，他們喂胖你，其實是為了將來殺你，這就是原因。”

"They're going to what?" screamed Wilbur. Fern grew rigid on her stool.

“他們將來要做什么?”威伯尖叫。坐在凳子上的芬也聽呆了。

"Kill you. Turn you into smoked bacon and ham," continued the old sheep. "Almost all young pigs get murdered by the farmer as soon as the real cold weather sets in. There's regular conspiracy around here to kill you at Christmastime. Everybody is in the plog--Lurvy, Zuckerman, even John Arable."

“殺死你。把你做成腌肉和火腿。”老羊繼續(xù)說。“幾乎所有年青的小豬到了冬天來的時候都會被農(nóng)場主謀殺。這里有個盡人皆知的陰謀，就是你將在圣誕節(jié)被殺掉。每個人都在參與這個計劃——魯維，祖克曼甚至約翰·阿拉貝爾。”

"Mr. Arable?" sobbed Wilbur. "Fern's father?"

“阿拉貝爾先生?”威伯啜泣起來。“芬的爸爸?”

"Certainly. When a pig is to be butchered, everybody helps. I'm an old sheep and I see the same thing, same old business, year after year. Arable arrives with hi .22, shoots the..."

“當然了。宰一頭豬時，每人都要來幫忙的。我是一只老羊，這樣的事兒見得多了，每一年都是這老一套。阿拉貝爾會帶著他的0.22口徑的槍，來射向……”

"Stop!" screamed Wilbur. "I don't want to die! Save me, somebody! Save me!" Fern was just about to jump up when a voice was heard.

“別說了!”威伯尖叫。“我不想死!救我，來人哪!救我呀!”這尖叫幾乎把芬嚇得跳起來。

"Be quiet, Wilbur!" said Charlotte, who had been listening to this awful conversation.

“鎮(zhèn)靜，威伯!”一直聽著這段恐怖對話的夏洛說。

"I can't be quiet," screamed Wilbur, racing up and down. "I don't want to be killed. I don't want to die. Is it true what the old sheep says, Charlotte? Is it true they are going to kill me when the cold weather comes?"

“ 我不能鎮(zhèn)靜，”威伯大嚷著跑來跑去。“我不想被殺死。我不想死。老羊說的是真的嗎，夏洛?冬天來時他們真會殺我嗎?”

"Well," said the spider, plucking thoughtfully at her web, "the old sheep has been around this barn a long time. She has seen many a spring pig come and go. If she says they plan to kill you, I'm sure it's true. It's also the dirtiest trick I ever heard of. What people don't think of!" Wilbur burst into tears.

“唔，”夏洛說著，輕輕地拉了拉她的網(wǎng)，“老羊已經(jīng)在這谷倉住很久了。她看過很多來去的春豬。如果她說人們打算殺你，我想那就是真的。這也是我聽過的最可恥的詭計。人類有什么想不出來!”

"I don't want to die," he moaned. "I want to stay alive, right here in my comfortable manure pile with all my friends. I want to breathe the beautiful air and lie in the beautiful sun."

威伯號啕大哭起來。“我不想死，”他呻吟。“我想在這里活著，就呆在我舒服的牛糞堆旁，和我所有的朋友在一起。我想呼吸甜美的空氣，躺在美麗的太陽底下。”

"You're certainly making a beautiful noise," snapped the old sheep.

“你說的全是美麗的胡話。”老羊迅速地打斷了他的話。

"I don't want to die!" screamed Wilbur, throwing himself to the ground.

“我不想死!”威伯尖叫著，癱到地上。

"You shall not die," said Charlotte, briskly.

“你不會死的，”夏洛輕快地說。

"What? Really?" cried Wilbur. "Who's going to save me?"

“什么?真的嗎?”威伯叫。“誰會來救我呢?”

"I am," said Charlotte.

“我，”夏洛說。

"How?" asked Wilbur.

“怎么救?”威伯問。

"That remains to be seen. But I am going to save you, and I want you to quiet down immediately. You're carrying on in a childish way. Stop your crying! I can't stand hysterics."

“辦法以后會有的。但是在我正考慮怎么救你的時候，我希望你立刻安靜下來。你哭叫的樣子簡直像個小孩子。不要哭!我不能忍受歇斯底里。”