蓝宝石案 36赖德先生(6)

"My sister had told me some weeks before that I might have the pick of her geese for a Christmas present,

"几个星期以前，我姐姐曾经告诉过我，我可以从她的鹅中挑选一只，作为她送给我的圣诞节礼物。

and I knew that she was always as good as her word.

我素知姐姐说话是算数的。

I would take my goose now, and in it I would carry my stone to Kilburn.

那么，我不如现在就把鹅拿走，这样我可以把宝石藏在鹅的肚子里，带到基尔伯恩去。

There was a little shed in the yard, and behind this I drove one of the birds–a fine big one, white, with a barred tail.

我姐姐院子里有一个小棚子，于是我从棚子后面赶出来一只鹅--一只大白鹅，尾巴上有一道黑边。

I caught it, and, prying¹ its bill open, I thrust the stone down its throat as far as my finger could reach.

我抓住了它，撬开它的嘴，把宝石塞到它的喉咙里，一直塞到我的手指能够达到的地方。

The bird gave a gulp², and I felt the stone pass along its gullet and down into its crop.

鹅一口就把宝石吞咽下去，我摸到宝石已经顺着它的食道到了它的嗉囊里。

But the creature flapped and struggled, and out came my sister to know what was the matter.

那只鹅拍打着翅膀极力挣扎着，这时候我姐姐闻声走出屋来，问我发生了什么事情。

As I turned to speak to her the brute³ broke loose and fluttered off among the others.

正当我转身和她讲话的刹那，那只鹅却从我的手里猛地挣脱出来、拍打着翅膀窜回到鹅群里去了。

"'Whatever were you doing with that bird, Jem?' says she.

"'杰姆，你抓那只鹅干什么来着？'她问。

"'Well,' said I, 'you said you'd give me one for Christmas, and I was feeling which was the fattest.'

"'噢，'我说，'你不是说过要给我一只鹅作为圣诞节的礼物吗？我在试摸哪一只鹅最肥！'

"'Oh,' says she, 'we've set yours aside for you -- Jem's bird, we call it.

"'噢，'她说，'我们早已把准备送给你的鹅留在一边了'我们给它起名叫做杰姆的鹅。

It's the big white one over yonder.

就是在那头的那一只大白鹅。

There's twenty-six of them, which makes one for you, and one for us, and two dozen for the market.'

我一共养了二十六只鹅，一只是给你的，一只留给我们自己吃，还有二十四只是要卖到市场上去的。'

"'Thank you, Maggie,' says I; 'but if it is all the same to you, I'd rather have that one I was handling just now.'

"'谢谢你，麦琪，'我说，'但是如果对你来说都一样的话，我还是愿意要我刚才抓到的那一只。'

"'The other is a good three pound heavier,' said she, 'and we fattened⁴ it expressly for you.'

"'我们给你留的那一只要比你刚才抓的那只整整重三磅。'她说：'那是我们特意为你喂肥的。'

"'Never mind. I'll have the other, and I'll take it now,' said I.

"'没关系，我要我抓的那只，我打算现在就把它带走。'我说。

"'Oh, just as you like,' said she, a little huffed. 'Which is it you want, then?'

"'唉！那就随你的便吧。'她有点生气地说，'那么，你要的是哪一只呢？'

"'That white one with the barred tail, right in the middle of the flock.'

"'那只尾巴上有一道黑的白鹅，就在那群鹅里面。'

"'Oh, very well. Kill it and take it with you.'

"'噢，好吧，把它宰了，你就带走吧。'

1 prying   

adj.爱打听的v.打听，刺探（他人的私事）( pry的现在分词 )；撬开

参考例句：

• I'm sick of you prying into my personal life! 我讨厌你刺探我的私生活！
• She is always prying into other people's affairs. 她总是打听别人的私事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 gulp   

vt.吞咽，大口地吸（气）；vi.哽住；n.吞咽

参考例句：

• She took down the tablets in one gulp.她把那些药片一口吞了下去。
• Don't gulp your food,chew it before you swallow it.吃东西不要狼吞虎咽，要嚼碎了再咽下去。

3 brute   

n.野兽，兽性

参考例句：

• The aggressor troops are not many degrees removed from the brute.侵略军简直象一群野兽。
• That dog is a dangerous brute.It bites people.那条狗是危险的畜牲，它咬人。

4 fattened   

v.喂肥( fatten的过去式和过去分词 )；养肥（牲畜）；使（钱）增多；使（公司）升值

参考例句：

• The piglets are taken from the sow to be fattened for market. 这些小猪被从母猪身边带走，好育肥上市。
• Those corrupt officials fattened themselves by drinking the people's life-blood. 那些贪官污吏用民脂民膏养肥了自己。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》