(中英)現(xiàn)代散文:狗 The Dog

The Dog

狗

◎ Ba Jin

◎　巴　金

I used to be afraid of dogs when I was a child. One day during lunar new year, I remember, I happened to be chased after by a big black dog while I was playing about in the garden of Second Uncle's home. Fortunately, after running past several flower beds, I gave him the slip by rushing upstairs in a storeyed building, thus avoiding the mishap of having my legs bitten by the fierce animal.

小時候我害怕狗。記得有一回在新年里，我到二伯父家去玩。在他那個花園內(nèi)，一條大黑狗追趕我，跑過幾塊花圃。后來我上了洋樓，才躲過這一場災(zāi)難①，沒有讓狗嘴咬壞我的腿。

From then on, I always played the fugitive while the dog the pursuer. He would bark furiously at the sight of me. And the more scared I was, the fiercer he became.

以后見著狗，我總是逃，它也總是追②，而且屢屢望著我的影子狺狺狂吠③。我愈怕，狗愈兇。

I developed a canine phobia.

怕狗成了我的一種?、?。

As I was growing up, one day it suddenly dawned on me somehow that it was shameful to be afraid of a dog. Hence instead of shying away in fear, I stood confronting him.

我漸漸地長大起來。有一天不知道因為什么，我忽然覺得⑤怕狗是很可恥的事情?？匆姽肺冶阏咀?，不再逃避⑥。

I stood firm and so did he. He barked angrily with his mouth wide open as if he were about to run at me. But, nevertheless, he never moved a single step towards me.

我站住，狗也就站住。它望著我狂吠，它張大嘴，它做出要撲過來的樣子。但是它并不朝著我前進一步。

He glowered at me, and so did I at him. But he always kept the same distance between us.

它用怒目看我，我便也用怒目看它。它始終保持著我和它中間的距離。

After a time, the minute my back was turned he immediately followed in pursuit.

這樣地過了一陣子，我便轉(zhuǎn)身走了。狗立刻追上來。

However, as I looked back he stopped right away and stood barking at me savagely, but dared not attack me.

我回過頭。狗馬上站住了。它望著我惡叫，卻不敢朝我撲過來。

Aha, he's now used up all his tricks! said I to myself, feeling much more emboldened. I stared at him scornfully, stamped my feet and shouted vicious abuse.

“你的本事不過這一點點⑦，”我這樣想著，覺得膽子更大了。我用輕蔑的眼光看它，我頓腳，我對它吐出罵語。

He backed up a few steps, it being his turn to show signs of inner fear. He kept barking but with reduced savagery.

它后退兩步，這次倒是它露出了害怕的表情⑧。它仍然汪汪地叫，可是叫聲卻不像先前那樣地“惡”了。

Disgusted with the din of barks, I picked up a stone from the ground and threw it right at him.

我討厭這種糾纏不清的叫聲。我在地上拾起一塊石子，就對準狗打過去。

It hit him on the back. He let out a piteous cry apparently with pain and, before my second stone was to fall upon his head, quickly turned round to run away with the tail between the legs.

石子打在狗的身上⑨，狗哀叫一聲，似乎什么地方痛了。它馬上掉轉(zhuǎn)身子夾著尾巴就跑，并不等我的第二塊石子落到它的頭上。

I gazed after the fleeing animal and gave a disdainful laugh.

我望著逃去了的狗影，輕蔑地冷笑兩聲。

Thenceforth he would promptly take to his heels whenever he saw me with a stone in my hand.

從此狗碰到我的石子就逃。

巴金的隨筆《狗》是另一膾炙人口的名篇。文章寫于1941年7月24日，后編入散文集《龍·虎·狗》。作者托物喻志，揭示了這樣一個道理：一切邪惡都是紙老虎，必須奮力反抗，才能伸張正氣，不應(yīng)畏懼退縮。