TheRockingHorseWinner原文+译文.docx

TheRockingHorseWinner原文+译文.docx

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TheRockingHorseWinner原文+译文

TheRocking-HorseWinner

  Therewasawomanwhowasbeautiful,whostartedwithalltheadvantages,yetshehadnoluck.Shemarriedforlove,andtheloveturnedtodust.Shehadbonnychildren,yetshefelttheyhadbeenthrustuponher,andshecouldnotlovethem.Theylookedathercoldly,asiftheywerefindingfaultwithher.Andhurriedlyshefeltshemustcoverupsomefaultinherself.Yetwhatitwasthatshemustcoverupsheneverknew.Nevertheless,whenherchildrenwerepresent,shealwaysfeltthecenterofherheartgohard.Thistroubledher,andinhermannershewasallthemoregentleandanxiousforherchildren,asifshelovedthemverymuch.Onlysheherselfknewthatatthecenterofherheartwasahardlittleplacethatcouldnotfeellove,no,notforanybody.Everybodyelsesaidofher:

"Sheissuchagoodmother.Sheadoresherchildren."Onlysheherself,andherchildrenthemselves,knewitwasnotso.Theyreaditineachother'seyes.

Therewereaboyandtwolittlegirls.Theylivedinapleasanthouse,withagarden,andtheyhaddiscreetservants,andfeltthemselvessuperiortoanyoneintheneighborhood.

Althoughtheylivedinstyle,theyfeltalwaysananxietyinthehouse.Therewasneverenoughmoney.Themotherhadasmallincome,andthefatherhadasmallincome,butnotnearlyenoughforthesocialpositionwhichtheyhadtokeepup.Thefatherwentintotowntosomeoffice.Butthoughhehadgoodprospects,theseprospectsnevermaterialized.Therewasalwaysthegrindingsenseoftheshortageofmoney,thoughthestylewasalwayskeptup.

Atlastthemothersaid:

"IwillseeifIcan'tmakesomething."Butshedidnotknowwheretobegin.Sherackedherbrains,andtriedthisthingandtheother,butcouldnotfindanythingsuccessful.Thefailuremadedeeplinescomeintoherface.Herchildrenweregrowingup,theywouldhavetogotoschool.Theremustbemoremoney,theremustbemoremoney.Thefather,whowasalwaysveryhandsomeandexpensiveinhistastes,seemedasifheneverwouldbeabletodoanythingworthdoing.Andthemother,whohadagreatbeliefinherself,didnotsucceedanybetter,andhertasteswerejustasexpensive.

Andsothehousecametobehauntedbytheunspokenphrase:

Theremustbemoremoney!

Theremustbemoremoney!

Thechildrencouldhearitallthetime,thoughnobodysaiditaloud.TheyhearditatChristmas,whentheexpensiveandsplendidtoysfilledthenursery.Behindtheshiningmodernrocking-horse,behindthesmartdoll'shouse,avoicewouldstartwhispering:

"Theremustbemoremoney!

Theremustbemoremoney!

"Andthechildrenwouldstopplaying,tolistenforamoment.Theywouldlookintoeachother'seyes,toseeiftheyhadallheard.Andeachonesawintheeyesoftheothertwothattheytoohadheard."Theremustbemoremoney!

Theremustbemoremoney!

"

Itcamewhisperingfromthespringsofthestill-swayingrocking-horse,andeventhehorse,bendinghiswooden,champinghead,heardit.Thebigdoll,sittingsopinkandsmirkinginhernewpram,couldhearitquiteplainly,andseemedtobesmirkingallthemoreself-consciouslybecauseofit.Thefoolishpuppy,too,thattooktheplaceoftheteddy-bear,hewaslookingsoextraordinarilyfoolishfornootherreasonbutthatheheardthesecretwhisperalloverthehouse:

"Theremustbemoremoney!

"

Yetnobodyeversaiditaloud.Thewhisperwaseverywhere,andthereforenoonespokeit.Justasnooneeversays:

"Wearebreathing!

"inspiteofthefactthatbreathiscomingandgoingallthetime.

"Mother,"saidtheboyPauloneday,"whydon'twekeepacarofourownWhydowealwaysuseuncle's,orelseataxi"

"Becausewe'rethepoormembersofthefamily,"saidthemother.

"Butwhyarewe,mother"

"Well--Isuppose,"shesaidslowlyandbitterly,"it'sbecauseyourfatherhasnoluck."

Theboywassilentforsometime.

"Isluckmoney,mother"heaskedrathertimidly.

"No,Paul.Notquite.It'swhatcausesyoutohavemoney."

"Oh!

"saidPaulvaguely."IthoughtwhenUncleOscarsaidfilthylucker,itmeantmoney."

"Filthylucredoesmeanmoney,"saidthemother."Butit'slucre,notluck."

"Oh!

"saidPaulvaguely."Thenwhatisluck,mother"

"It'swhatcausesyoutohavemoney.Ifyou'reluckyyouhavemoney.That'swhyit'sbettertobebornluckythanrich.Ifyou'rerich,youmayloseyourmoney.Butifyou'relucky,youwillalwaysgetmoremoney."

"Oh!

WillyouAndisfathernotlucky"

"Veryunlucky,Ishouldsay,"shesaidbitterly.

Theboywatchedherwithunsureeyes.

"Why"heasked.

"Idon'tknow.Nobodyeverknowwhyonepersonisluckyandanotherunlucky."

"Don'ttheyNobodyatallDoesnobodyknow"

"PerhapsGod.ButHenevertells."

"Heoughtto,then.Andaren'tyouluckyeither,mother"

"Ican'tbe,ifImarriedanunluckyhusband."

"Butbyyourself,aren'tyou"

"IusedtothinkIwas,beforeImarried.NowIthinkIamveryunluckyindeed."

"Why"

"Well--nevermind!

PerhapsI'mnotreally,"shesaid.

Thechildlookedather,toseeifshemeantit.Buthesaw,bythelinesofhermouth,thatshewasonlytryingtohidesomethingfromhim.

"Well,anyhow,"hesaidstoutly,"I'maluckyperson."

"Why"saidhismother,withasuddenlaugh.

Hestaredather.Hedidn'tevenknowwhyhehadsaidit.

"Godtoldme,"heasserted,brazeningitout.

"IhopeHedid,dear!

"shesaid,againwithalaugh,butratherbitter.

"Hedid,mother!

"

"Excellent!

"saidthemother,usingoneofherhusband'sexclamations.

Theboysawshedidnotbelievehim;or,rather,thatshepaidnoattentiontohisassertion.Thisangeredhimsomewhat,andmadehimwanttocompelherattention.

Hewentoffbyhimself,vaguely,inachildishway,seekingfortheclueto"luck."Absorbed,takingnoheedofotherpeople,hewentaboutwithasortofstealth,seekinginwardlyforluck.Hewantedluck,hewantedit,hewantedit.Whenthetwogirlswereplayingdollsinthenursery,hewouldsitonhisbigrocking-horse,chargingmadlyintospace,withafrenzythatmadethelittlegirlspeerathimuneasily.Wildlythehorsecareeredthewavingdarkhairoftheboytossed,hiseyeshadastrangeglareinthem.Thelittlegirlsdarednotspeaktohim.

Whenhehadriddentotheendofhismadelittlejourney,heclimbeddownandstoodinfrontofhisrocking-horse,staringfixedlyintoitsloweredface.Itsredmouthwasslightlyopen,itsbigeyewaswideandglassy-bright.

"Now!

"hewouldsilentlycommandthesnortingsteed."Now,takemetowherethereisluck!

Nowtakeme!

"

AndhewouldslashthehorseontheneckwiththelittlewhiphehadaskedUncleOscarfor.Heknewthehorsecouldtakehimtowheretherewasluck,ifonlyheforcedit.Sohewouldmountagain,andstartonhisfuriousride,hopingatlasttogetthere.Heknewhecouldgetthere.

"You'llbreakyourhorse,Paul!

"saidthenurse.

"He'salwaysridinglikethat!

Iwishhe'dleaveoff!

"saidhiseldersisterJoan.

Butheonlyglareddownontheminsilence.Nursegavehimup.Shecouldmakenothingofhim.Anyhowhewasgrowingbeyondher.

OnedayhismotherandhisUncleOscarcameinwhenhewasononeofhisfuriousrides.Hedidnotspeaktothem.

"Hallo,youyoungjockey!

Ridingawinner"saidhisuncle.

"Aren'tyougrowingtoobigforarocking-horseYou'renotaverylittleboyanylonger,youknow,"saidhismother.

ButPaulonlygaveablueglarefromhisbig,ratherclose-seteyes.Hewouldspeaktonobodywhenhewasinfulltilt.Hismotherwatchedhimwithananxiousexpressiononherface.

Atlasthesuddenlystoppedforcinghishorseintothemechanicalgallop,andsliddown.

"Well,Igotthere!

"heannouncedfiercely,hisblueeyesstillflaring,andhissturdylonglegsstraddlingapart.

"Wheredidyougetto"askedhismother.

"WhereIwantedtogo,"heflaredbackather.

"That'sright,son!

"saidUncleOscar."Don'tyoustoptillyougetthere.What'sthehorse'sname"

"Hedoesn'thaveaname,"saidtheboy.

"Getsonwithoutallright"askedtheuncle.

"Well,hehasdifferentnames.HewascalledSansovinolastweek."

"Sansovino,ehWontheAscot.Howdidyouknowhisname"

"Healwaystalksabouthorse-raceswithBassett,"saidJoan.

Theunclewasdelightedtofindthathissmallnephewwaspostedwithalltheracingnews.Bassett,theyounggardener,whohadbeenwoundedintheleftfootinthewarandhadgothispresentjobthroughOscarCresswellwhosebatmanhehadbeenwasaperfectbladeofthe"turf".Helivedintheracingevents,andthesmallboylivedwithhim.

OscarCresswellgotitallfromBassett.

"MasterPaulcomesandasksme,soIcan'tdomorethantellhim,sir,"saidBassett,hisfaceterriblyserious,asifhewerespeakingofreligiousmatters.

"Anddoesheeverputanythingonahorsehefancies"

"Well--Idon'twanttogivehimaway--he'sayoungsport,afinesport,sir.WouldyoumindaskinghimhimselfHesortoftakesapleasureinit,andperhapshe'dfeelIwasgivinghimaway,sir,ifyoudon'tmind."

Bassettwasseriousasachurch.

Theunclewentbacktohisnephewandtookhimoffforarideinthecar.

"Say,Paul,oldman,doyoueverputanythingonahorse"theuncleasked.

Theboywatchedthehandsomemanclosely.

"Why,doyouthinkIoughtn'tto"heparried.

"Notabitofit.IthoughtperhapsyoumightgivemeatipfortheLincoln."

Thecarspedonintothecountry,goingdowntoUncleOscar'splaceinHampshire.

"Honorbright"saidthenephew.

"Honorbright,son!

"saidtheuncle.

"Well,then,Daffodil."

"Daffodil!

Idoubtit,sonny.WhataboutMirza"

"Ionlyknowthewinner,"saidtheboy."That'sDaffodil."

"Daffodil,eh"

Therewasapause.Daffodilwasanobscurehorsecomparatively.

"Uncle!

"

"Yes,son"

"Youwon'tletit