第一章 前言 INTRODUCTORY

In former days,—that is to say, once upon a time,—there lived in the Land of GrambleBlamble seven families. They lived by the side of the great Lake Pipple-Popple (one of the seven families, indeed, lived in the lake), and on the outskirts of the city of Tosh, which, excepting when it was quite dark, they could see plainly. The names of all these places you have probably heard of; and you have only not to look in your geography-books to find out all about them.

Now, the seven families who lived on the borders of the great Lake Pipple-Popple were as follows in the next chapter.

很久很久以前，在遥远的甘博兰平原上，有一座小城叫托西城，城外有一个湖，叫碧波湖，湖边住着七户人家（其中有一家住在湖里）。因此城里发生的一切，他们都瞧得一清二楚。当然，夜里除外。这些地方的名字你一定听说过，你不必翻地理书就能知道。

你一定很想知道住在碧波湖畔的这七户人家的故事吧，那么就听我给你讲讲吧。

第二章 七户人家 THE SEVEN FAMILIES

There was a family of two old Parrots and seven young Parrots.

第一家住着一对老鹦鹉夫妻和七只小鹦鹉。

There was a family of two old Storks and seven young Storks.

第二家住着鹳雀夫妻和七只小鹳雀。

There was a family of two old Geese and seven young Geese.

第三家住着大白鹅夫妇和七只小白鹅。

There was a family of two old Owls and seven young Owls.

第四家住着猫头鹰夫妇和七只小猫头鹰。

There was a family of two old Guinea Pigs and seven young Guinea Pigs.

第五家生活着豚鼠夫妇和七只小豚鼠。

There was a family of two old Cats and seven young Cats.

第六家住着老猫夫妇和七只小猫咪。

And there was a family of two old Fishes and seven young Fishes.

最后一家的成员，是两条大鱼和七条小鱼。

第三章 七户人家的生活习惯 THE HABITS OF THE SEVEN FAMILIES

The Parrots lived upon the Soffsky-Poffsky trees, which were beautiful to behold, and covered with blue leaves; and they fed upon fruit, artichokes, and striped beetles.

The Storks walked in and out of the Lake Pipple-Popple, and ate frogs for breakfast, and buttered toast for tea; but on account of the extreme length of their legs they could not sit down, and so they walked about continually.

The Geese, having webs to their feet, caught quantities of flies, which they ate for dinner.

The Owls anxiously looked after mice, which they caught, and made into sago-puddings.

The Guinea Pigs toddled about the gardens, and ate lettuces and Cheshire cheese.

The Cats sate still in the sunshine, and fed upon sponge biscuits.

The Fishes lived in the lake, and fed chiefly on boiled periwinkles.

And all these seven families lived together in the utmost fun and felicity.

鹦鹉家住在“索泼斯基”树上，大树非常漂亮，长满了蓝色的叶子。鹦鹉每天都吃树上美味的果子、菊芋，还有带花纹的小虫子。

鹳雀们在碧波湖里游进游出。他们的早餐是小青蛙，茶点是黄油土司。但因为他们的腿太细太长了，几乎无法坐下，所以只能不停地走过来、走过去。

白鹅的爪蹼跟网罩似的，一天下来能抓好多飞虫，这可是他们的美餐。

猫头鹰们忙东忙西搜寻老鼠。抓住后，便把老鼠做成美味的西米布丁。

豚鼠喜欢在花园里转悠，他们最爱吃莴苣和柴郡产的干酪。

猫儿们惬意地躺在阳光下，享受着可口的松脆饼。

住在湖里的是鱼儿一家，他们的美餐是煮滨螺。

这七大家子生活在一起，无比快乐和幸福。

第四章 送孩子们去远方 THE CHILDREN OF THE SEVEN FAMILIES ARE SENT AWAY

One day all the seven fathers and the seven mothers of the seven families agreed that they would send their children out to see the world.

So they called them all together, and gave them each eight shillings and some good advice, some chocolate-drops, and a small green morocco pocket-book to set down their expenses in.

They then particularly entreated them not to quarrel; and all the parents sent off their children with a parting injunction.

"If," said the old Parrots, "you find a cherry, do not fight about who should have it."

"And," said the old Storks, "if you find a frog, divide it carefully into seven bits, but on no account quarrel about it."

And the old Geese said to the seven young Geese, "Whatever you do, be sure you do not touch a plum-pudding flea."

And the old Owls said, "If you find a mouse, tear him up into seven slices, and eat him cheerfully, but without quarrelling."

And the old Guinea Pigs said, "Have a care that you eat your lettuces, should you find any, not greedily, but calmly."

And the old Cats said, "Be particularly careful not to meddle with a clangle-wangle if you should see one."

And the old Fishes said, "Above all things, avoid eating a blue boss-woss; for they do not agree with fishes, and give them a pain in their toes."

So all the children of each family thanked their parents; and, making in all forty-nine polite bows, they went into the wide world.

有一天，这七户人家的家长们做了一个决定，要把他们的孩子送到外面去开开眼界。

他们把孩子们召集起来，分给每个孩子八先令和几颗巧克力糖块，还给了他们好些忠告；除此之外，还给了他们每人一本摩洛哥皮的小笔记本，用来记录他们的每笔花销。

当然，家长们没忘嘱咐孩子们不准吵架。临行前，父母们对自己的孩子都是千叮咛万嘱咐的。

“要是你们找到了一颗樱桃啊，”鹦鹉爸爸说，“可不许抢！”

鹳雀妈妈对孩子们说道：“要是你们抓到青蛙，记得分成七份，可不能为了争食而吵架哟！”

白鹅爸爸把七个孩子叫到身边，说道：“孩子们啊，你们抓什么虫子都行，就是千万别去碰一种叫做“葡萄干布丁”的小跳蚤啊！”

老猫头鹰语重心长地说：“要是你们抓住了老鼠后，记得分成七份，一起享受美食，绝对不许吵架！”

豚鼠爸爸叮嘱道：“要是你们吃莴苣啊，可得慢慢吃，别贪食！”

老猫夫妇喵喵地说道：“孩子们哦，要是你们碰上一头叫“蓝顽哥”的怪兽，可一定得躲得远远的哦！”

鱼儿妈妈对孩子说：“孩子们，最最重要的一点，一定不要去吃‘波斯窝斯虫’！因为我们鱼儿吃了会不舒服；不过呢，你们可以在他脚尖上踩上一脚，叫他知道咱们的厉害！”

这七户人家的四十九个孩子齐声说了谢谢，又齐刷刷地向父母亲们鞠了一躬，之后便出发去外面的世界闯**了。

第五章 七只小鹦鹉的故事 THE HISTORY OF THE SEVEN YOUNG PARROTS

The seven young Parrots had not gone far, when they saw a tree with a single cherry on it, which the oldest Parrot picked instantly; but the other six, being extremely hungry, tried to get it also. On which all the seven began to fight; and they scuffled,

and huffled, and ruffled, and shuffled, and puffled, and muffled, and buffled, and duffled, and fluffled, and guffled, and bruffled, and screamed, and shrieked, and squealed, and squeaked, and clawed, and snapped, and bit, and bumped, and thumped, and dumped, and flumped each other, till they were all torn into little bits; and at last there was nothing left to record this painful incident except the cherry and seven small green feathers.

And that was the vicious and voluble end of the seven young Parrots.

七只小鹦鹉从没出过远门。他们走啊走，看见一棵树，上面只剩一颗樱桃了。老大眼疾手快，把那颗樱桃叼走了。而他的六个小弟弟呢，饿得要命，也想吃。为此，这七兄弟吵起来，扭打成了一团：

叽叽，

喳喳，

咿咿，

哇哇，

噼噼，

啪啪，

呜哩，

哇啦，

咔咔，

嚓嚓，

哎呦喂，哎呦喂！

他们扭打在一起，又叫又抓又撕又咬又捶又打，把对方按倒在地。后来呀，他们都被扯成了碎片；最后连碎片都不见了，地上只剩七根小小的绿色羽毛，还有一颗红樱桃。

这，便是七只小鹦鹉的故事的悲剧结尾。

第六章 七只小鹳雀的故事 THE HISTORY OF THE SEVEN YOUNG STORKS

When the seven young Storks set out, they walked or flew for fourteen weeks in a straight line, and for six weeks more in a crooked one; and after that they ran as hard as they could for one hundred and eight miles; and after that they stood still, and made a himmeltanious chatter-clatterblattery noise with their bills.

七只小鹳雀出发了。他们排成一个“一”字，走走飞飞，花了十四个星期；又排成一个“人”字，走走飞飞，花了六个多星期；之后呢，他们全速狂奔，奔了一百零八英里。他们这才停了下来，撅着尖嘴，叽叽喳喳地议论起来。

About the same time they perceived a large frog, spotted with green, and with a sky-blue stripe under each ear.

So, being hungry, they immediately flew at him, and were going to divide him into seven pieces, when they began to quarrel as to which of his legs should be taken off first. One said this, and another said that; and while they were all quarrelling, the frog hopped away. And when they saw that he was gone, they began to chatterclatter,

blatter-platter, patter-blatter, matter-clatter, flatter-quatter, more violently than ever; and after they had fought for a week, they pecked each other all to little pieces, so that at last nothing was left of any of them except their bills.

And that was the end of the seven young Storks.

突然，差不多同时，他们盯上了一只青蛙，浑身绿绿的斑点，耳朵旁还有天蓝色花纹。

他们饿得不行啦，一起扑向那只青蛙，想把他分成七份。他们争吵起来，不知该先撕下哪条腿，一个说这只，一个说那只。就在他们争吵的当儿，青蛙趁机逃走了。他们一看到快到嘴的食物跑了，又喋喋不休地争吵起来：

叽叽喳喳，

咿咿哇哇，

噗噗啪啪，

叽里呱啦，

他们比以前吵得更凶了。就这样吵了一星期后，他们把对方啄成了碎片；最后连碎片都不见了，地上只留下七个尖嘴。

这，便是七只小鹳雀的故事。

第七章 七只小白鹅的故事 THE HISTORY OF THE SEVEN YOUNG GEESE

When the seven young Geese began to travel, they went over a large plain, on which there was but one tree, and that was, a very bad one.

七只小白鹅出发了。他们来到一片大草原，草原上光秃秃的，只有一棵丑八怪树。

So four of them went up to the top of it, and looked about them; while the other three waddled up and down, and repeated poetry, and their last six lessons in arithmetic, geography, and cookery.

Presently they perceived, a long way off, an object of the most interesting and obese appearance, having a perfectly round body exactly resembling a boiled plum-pudding, with two little wings, and a beak, and three feathers growing out of his head, and only one leg.

So, after a time, all the seven young Geese said to each other, "Beyond all doubt this beast must be a Plum-pudding Flea!"

On which they incautiously began to sing aloud,

"Plum-pudding Flea, Plum-pudding Flea, Wherever you be, Oh! come to our tree, And listen, oh! listen, oh! listen to me!"

And no sooner had they sung this verse than the Plum-pudding Flea began to hop and skip on his one leg with the most dreadful velocity, and came straight to the tree, where he stopped, and looked about him in a vacant and voluminous manner.

On which the seven young Geese were greatly alarmed, and all of a tremble-bemble: so one of them put out his long neck, and just touched him with the tip of his bill; but no sooner had he done this than the Plum-pudding Flea skipped and hopped about more and more, and higher and higher; after which he opened his mouth, and, to the great surprise and indignation of the seven Geese, began to bark so loudly and furiously and terribly, that they were totally unable to bear the noise; and by degrees every one of them suddenly tumbled down quite dead.

So that was the end of the seven young Geese.

四个小家伙迫不急待地飞上去，朝四处东张西望起来；另外三个则在树下一摇一摆地走来走去，嘴里念叨着一首诗，还有出门前在学校学的最后六课的内容，什么算术呀、地理呀，烹饪等等。

突然，他们发现远处有一个长相奇特的怪物，身体滚圆滚圆的，活像一块刚煮出来的葡萄干布丁。怪物长着一对小翅膀，一只喙，头上翘着三根羽毛，身子下支着一条细长的腿。

小白鹅们立即交头接耳地说起来：“哦，这肯定是，肯定是，肯定是葡萄干布丁跳蚤！”

他们忘乎所以地大声唱起歌来：

“葡萄干布丁小跳蚤，

葡萄干布丁小跳蚤，

无论你跳到哪里去，

哦，请一定飞到这树上来！

哦，请听我说哟，请听我说！”

他们刚开口唱歌，葡萄干布丁跳蚤就用他那条独腿一跳一跳的，径直朝丑八怪树奔来，速度快得吓人。突然，他停了下来，用一种空洞的眼神打量着四周。

这可把小白鹅们吓坏了，他们不禁全身发抖。其中一只竟鼓起勇气，伸出长长的脖子，用嘴尖啄了啄这怪物。谁知一啄，这怪物竟跳得更欢更高了。紧接着，跳蚤朝小白鹅们张大了嘴，发出震天的恐怖吼声，仿佛要告诉他们：“可别把我惹恼了！”这吼声简直要了小白鹅们的命，他们支持不住，竟一个个昏死了过去。

这，便是七只小白鹅的故事了。

第八章 七只小猫头鹰的故事 THE HISTORY OF THE SEVEN YOUNG OWLS

When the seven young Owls set out, they sate every now and then on the branches of old trees, and never went far at one time.

And one night, when it was quite dark, they thought they heard a mouse; but, as the gas-lamps were not lighted, they could not see him.

So they called out, "Is that a mouse?"

On which a mouse answered, "Squeakypeeky-weeky! yes, it is!"

And immediately all the young Owls threw themselves off the tree, meaning to alight on the ground; but they did not perceive that there was a large well below them, into which they all fell superficially, and were every one of them drowned in less than half a minute.

So that was the end of the seven young Owls.

七只小猫头鹰出发了。他们飞一会儿，就停在树梢上歇一会儿，从不一次飞得太远。

有一天晚上，天黑漆漆的，他们隐隐约约听到有老鼠的响动；可惜没点油灯，他们看不大清楚。

于是他们大喊道：“小老鼠，是你吗？”

老鼠回答道：“吱吱吱！是是是！”

突然，七只小猫头鹰噌地一下全从树上飞落下来。他们没发现地上有一口大井，扑通一声，全掉井里去了，不到半分钟就全淹死了。

这，便是七只小猫头鹰的故事了。

第九章 七只小豚鼠的故事 THE HISTORY OF THE SEVEN YOUNG GUINEA PIGS

The seven young Guinea Pigs went into a garden full of goose-berry-bushes and tiggorytrees, under one of which they fell asleep. When they awoke, they saw a large lettuce, which had grown out of the ground while they had been sleeping, and which had an immense number of green leaves. At which they all exclaimed,—

"Lettuce! O lettuce

Let us, O let us,

O lettuce-leaves,

O let us leave this tree, and eat

Lettuce, O let us, lettuce-leaves!"

And instantly the seven young Guinea Pigs rushed with such extreme force against the lettuce- plant, and hit their heads so vividly against its stalk, that the concussion brought on directly an incipient transitional inflammation of their noses, which grew worse and worse and worse and worse, till it incidentally killed them all seven.

And that was the end of the seven young Guinea Pigs.

七只小豚鼠来到一座花园，花园里遍地都种着醋栗树和提格树。他们找了棵大树，躺在树下睡起了大觉。他们醒来的时候，看见一棵很大的莴苣，长着很多片绿叶子，从他们刚刚睡过的地方冒了出来。他们欢呼了起来——

“莴苣！哦，莴苣，

我们快去，哦，快去，

哦，莴苣的叶儿多绿，

快离开这树，赶紧去吃，

去吃莴苣，哦，它的叶儿多绿！”

七只小豚鼠卯足了劲儿向莴苣奔去，一头撞在了莴苣的茎上。这一撞撞得太猛，他们的鼻子撞得直冒火星，烧了起来，越烧越旺，越烧越旺，最后把他们都烧死了。

这，便是七只小豚鼠的故事了。

第十章 七只小猫咪的故事 THE HISTORY OF THE SEVEN YOUNG CATS

The seven young Cats set off on their travels with great delight and rapacity. But, on coming to the top of a high hill, they perceived at a long distance off a Clangle-Wangle (or, as it is more properly written, Clangel-Wangel); and, in spite of the warning they had had, they ran straight up to it.

(Now, the Clangle-Wangle is a most dangerous and delusive beast, and by no means commonly to be met with. They live in the water as well as on land, using their long tail as a sail when in the former element. Their speed is extreme; but their habits of life are domestic and superfluous, and their general demeanor pensive and pellucid. On summer evenings, they may sometimes be observed near the Lake Pipple-Popple, standing on their heads, and humming their national melodies. They subsist entirely on vegetables, excepting when they eat veal or mutton or pork or beef or fish or saltpetre.)

The moment the Clangle-Wangle saw the seven young Cats approach, he ran away; and as he ran straight on for four months, and the Cats, though they continued to run, could never overtake him, they all gradually died of fatigue and exhaustion, and never afterwards recovered.

And this was the end of the seven young Cats.

七只小猫咪欢欢喜喜，满怀希望地上路了。他们爬上山顶，发现在很远的地方有一头名叫“蓝顽哥”的怪兽（其实正确的发音应该是“蓝顽葛”）。尽管他们的父母警告在先，但他们还是迫不及待地跑上前去。

（“蓝顽哥”可是种非常恐怖，让人闻风丧胆的怪兽。他们行踪诡异，来无影去无踪。他们水陆两栖。住在水里的时候，就用长长的尾巴当船帆。他们行动迅速，但生性温顺，生活得无忧无虑。他们有脑子，爱思考。夏夜，你幸许能发现他们在碧波湖畔倒立着，哼着他们的乡谣。他们吃素，但仅仅是在他们吃腻了牛肉、羊肉、猪肉、鱼肉，还有硝石的时候。）

“蓝顽哥”一瞅见这七只小猫咪追来，撒腿就跑。他一口气跑了四个月，而小猫咪们虽然穷追不舍，最后还是没能追上。他们终于筋疲力尽，体力透支累趴下了，后来再也没有爬起来。

这，便是七只小猫咪的故事了。

第十一章 七条小鱼儿的故事 THE HISTORY OF THE SEVEN YOUNG FISHES

The seven young Fishes swam across the Lake Pipple-Popple, and into the river, and into the ocean; where, most unhappily for them, they saw, on the fifteenth day of their travels, a bright-blue BossWoss, and instantly swam after him. But the Blue Boss-Woss plunged into a perpendicular,

spicular, orbicular, quadrangular, circular depth of soft mud; where, in fact, his house was.

And the seven young Fishes, swimming with great and uncomfortable velocity, plunged also into the mud quite against their will, and, not being accustomed to it, were all suffocated in a very short period.

And that was the end of the seven young Fishes.

七条小鱼儿游过碧波湖，游进了一条大河，接着又游进了大海。真倒霉，他们游了十五天，便看见一条蓝莹莹的“波斯窝斯虫”。他们追着那虫子不放，虫子一头扎进一个深不见底，

一丁

点儿大，

圆不

溜湫的泥潭里。

那里，其实就是他的家。

七条小鱼儿死命地跟着，也不顾一切地一头扎进了泥潭。他们在泥潭里待得可不舒坦，不多久就窒息而死了。

这，便是七条小鱼儿的故事了。

第十二章 接下来的故事 OF WHAT OCCURRED SUBSEQUENTLY

After it was known that the

seven young Parrots, and the seven young Storks,

and the seven young Geese,

and the seven young Owls,

and the seven young Guinea Pigs,

and the seven young Cats,

and the seven young Fishes,

were all dead, then the Frog, and the Plumpudding Flea, and the Mouse, and the ClangleWangle, and the Blue Boss-Woss, all met together to rejoice over their good fortune. And they collected the seven feathers of the seven young Parrots, and the seven bills of the seven young Storks, and the lettuce, and the cherry; and having placed the latter on the lettuce, and the other objects in a circular arrangement at their base, they danced a hornpipe round all these memorials until they were quite tired; after which they gave a tea-party, and a garden-party, and a ball, and a concert, and then returned to their respective homes full of joy and respect, sympathy, satisfaction, and disgust.

上面的故事已经告诉大家了，最后呀，

七只小鹦鹉，

七只小鹳雀，

七只小白鹅，

七只小猫头鹰，

七只小豚鼠，

七只小猫咪，

还有七条小鱼儿，

都死了。而青蛙、葡萄干布丁跳蚤、小老鼠、“蓝顽哥”怪兽和蓝色的波斯窝斯虫，都欢欢喜喜聚到一起来庆祝他们的好运。他们捡回了七只小鹦鹉的七根羽毛，七只小鹳雀的七个尖嘴，还有莴苣和樱桃；他们把樱桃摆在了莴苣上，把其他东西摆在一个台子上，排成一个圈儿。他们围着这些纪念物吹起了笛子跳起了舞，直到累趴下了为止。后来，他们举行了一个茶会，又在花园里举行了一个聚会，还举行了一场舞会和一场音乐会。最后，他们各自回家了，带着说不出的情绪，不知是高兴、敬佩、同情、满足，还是厌恶。

第十三章 这四十九个孩子的父母发生的事情 OF WHAT BECAME OF THE PARENTS OF THE FORTY-NINE CHILDREN

BUT when the two old Parrots,

and the two old Storks, and the two old Geese, and the two old Owls, and the two old Guinea Pigs, and the two old Cats, and the two old Fishes, became aware, by reading in the newspapers, of the calamitous extinction of the whole of their families, they refused all further sustenance; and, sending out to various shops, they purchased great quantities of Cayenne pepper and brandy and vinegar and blue sealing-wax, besides seven immense glass bottles with air-tight stoppers. And, having done this, they ate a light supper of brown-bread and Jerusalem artichokes, and took an affecting and formal leave of the whole of their acquaintance, which was very numerous and distinguished and select and responsible and ridiculous.

但是最后，当老鹦鹉夫妇，

鹳雀夫妇，

大白鹅夫妇，

猫头鹰夫妇，

豚鼠夫妇，

老猫夫妇，

还有大鱼夫妇，

从报纸上得知自己的孩子全都不幸遇难的死讯时，他们绝了食。他们跑遍了各种商店，买来了大量的辣椒、白兰地酒、醋、蓝色的封蜡，还有七只带密封塞子的大玻璃瓶。做完了这些事儿，他们稍稍吃了点黑面包、菊芋当晚餐。吃完后他们依依不舍地向亲友们郑重道别。他们的亲友可有好大一帮子呢，他们可是又有责任心又滑稽幽默的人，个个顶呱呱。

第十四章 结尾 CONCLUSION

And after this they filled the bottles with the ingredients for pickling, and each couple jumped into a separate bottle; by which effort, of course, they all died immediately, and became thoroughly pickled in a few minutes; having previously made their wills (by the assistance of the most eminent lawyers of the district), in which they left strict orders that the stoppers of the seven bottles should be carefully sealed up with the blue sealing-wax they had purchased; and that they themselves, in the bottles, should be presented to the principal museum of the city of Tosh, to be labelled with parchment or any other anti-congenial succedaneum, and to be placed on a marble table with silver-gilt legs, for the daily inspection and contemplation, and for the perpetual benefit, of the pusillanimous public.

And if you ever happen to go to GrambleBlamble, and visit that museum in the city of Tosh, look for them on the ninety-eighth table in the four hundred and twenty-seventh room of the right-hand corridor of the left wing of the central quadrangle of that magnificent building; for, if you do not, you certainly will not see them.

随后，他们在瓶子里填上了腌制用的佐料，每对夫妻跳进一只瓶子。这样一来，他们很快就死了，几分钟就被制成了腌肉。他们在临死前留下了遗嘱（那是由当地最杰出的律师公证的），遗嘱中严格规定，要把七

只瓶子的塞子用他们提前买来的蓝色封蜡封得紧紧的；然后把这七瓶子腌肉送到托西城最大的博物馆里去，贴上羊皮纸或其他材料做的标签，把瓶子放在一张镀银腿的大理石桌上展出，每天给胆小的市民们参观，壮壮他们的胆。

如果你哪天碰巧去甘博兰，还参观了托西城的那个博物馆，请你找找看，在那座雄伟建筑的中央的四方院的左侧边厅的右边走廊的第四百二十七个房间的第九十八张桌子上，你能找到它们。如果你不这么去找，你就见不到它们了。