绿野仙踪 第112期:奥芝的秘密(5)

 "You're more than that," said the Scarecrow, in a grieved tone; "you're a humbug¹." “你比普通人更糟糕，”稻草人用着一种悲愤的语调说：“你是一个骗子。”

"Exactly so!" declared the little man, rubbing his hands together as if it pleased him. "I am a humbug." “说得很对！”矮小的老头儿说着，搓着他的双手，好像这样的坦白使他高兴些，“我是一个骗子。”

"But this is terrible," said the Tin Woodman. "How shall I ever get my heart?" 铁皮人说，“真是不可思议，我又怎样得到我的心？”

"Or I my courage?" asked the Lion. “还有我的胆量？”狮子问他。

"Or I my brains?" wailed² the Scarecrow, wiping the tears from his eyes with his coat sleeve. “还有我的脑子？”稻草人伤心地哭了，用他的衣袖抹着眼里泪水。

"My dear friends," said Oz, "I pray you not to speak of these little things.  “我的亲爱的朋友们，”奥芝说，“我请求你们不要在这种小事上耗费时间。

Think of me, and the terrible trouble I'm in at being found out." 你们怎么不替我想想，我的秘密被你们揭穿了是最可怕的事情。”

"Doesn't anyone else know you're a humbug?" asked Dorothy. “其他的人知道你是个骗子吗？”多萝茜问。

"No one knows it but you four--and myself," replied Oz.  “都不知道的，除了你们四个以外——还有我自己，”奥芝回答说。

"I have fooled everyone so long that I thought I should never be found out.  “我很久以来愚弄每一个人，远以为永远不会被揭穿的。

It was a great mistake my ever letting you into the Throne Room.  我经常让你们出入这宫殿，这是我犯下的愚蠢的错误。

Usually I will not see even my subjects, and so they believe I am something terrible." 在平时即使我手下的人，也没有见过我，所以他们对我的魔法深信不疑。”

"But, I don't understand," said Dorothy, in bewilderment.  “但是，我不明白，”多萝茜烦恼地说。

"How was it that you appeared to me as a great Head?" “你怎么样变成一个大大的头，在我面前出现的？”

"That was one of my tricks," answered Oz. "Step this way, please, and I will tell you all about it." “那是我耍的魔术，”奥芝回答说。“请跟我来，我将把这一切说给你们听。”

He led the way to a small chamber³ in the rear of the Throne Room, and they all followed him.  他领着路，他们跟在他后面，走进宫殿后面的一间小卧室里。

He pointed⁴ to one corner, in which lay the great Head, made out of many thicknesses of paper, and with a carefully painted face. 他指着一个角落，在那里放着一个大头，是用许多厚纸做成的，画出了一张很细致的脸。

1 humbug   

n.花招，谎话，欺骗

参考例句：

• I know my words can seem to him nothing but utter humbug.我知道，我说的话在他看来不过是彻头彻尾的慌言。
• All their fine words are nothing but humbug.他们的一切花言巧语都是骗人的。

2 wailed   

v.哭叫，哀号( wail的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She wailed over her father's remains. 她对着父亲的遗体嚎啕大哭。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The women of the town wailed over the war victims. 城里的妇女为战争的死难者们痛哭。 来自辞典例句

3 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

4 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。