by Edward Lear
——爱德华·李尔

I

Said the Duck to the Kangaroo,

‘Good gracious! How you hop!
Over the fields and the water too,
As if you never would stop!
My life is a bore in this nasty pond,
And I long to go out in the world beyond!
I wish I could hop like you!’
Said the Duck to the Kangaroo.

鸭子对袋鼠说，
“天哪！你可真能跳！
跳过田野，跳过河流，
仿佛永远不停歇！
我的生活好无聊，困在这肮脏的小池塘
好想去外面的世界瞧一瞧！
真希望我也能像你一样跳！”
鸭子对袋鼠说。
 
II

‘Please give me a ride on your back!’
Said the Duck to the Kangaroo.
‘I would sit quite still, and say nothing but “Quack,”
The whole of the long day through!
And we’d go to the Dee, and the Jelly Bo Lee,
Over the land, and over the sea;—
Please take me a ride! O do!’
Said the Duck to the Kangaroo.

“请背着我一起走吧！”
鸭子对袋鼠说，
“我会乖乖坐着，一动也不动，除了嘎嘎叫，什么也不说。
从早到晚都这样！
我们一起去迪河，去澳洲各地，
越过陆地，跨过海洋；
带我走吧！求你啦！”
鸭子对袋鼠说。

 

III

Said the Kangaroo to the Duck,
‘This requires some little reflection;
Perhaps on the whole it might bring me luck,
And there seems but one objection,
Which is, if you’ll let me speak so bold,
Your feet are unpleasantly wet and cold,
And would probably give me the roo-
Matiz!’ said the Kangaroo.

袋鼠对鸭子说，
“请让我想一想；
背着你走或许会给我带来好运，
但是似乎有一点点小问题，
那就是，请允许我直说，
你的脚又湿又冷，令人不悦。
可能还会害我患上风湿病！”
袋鼠说。
 
IV

Said the Duck, ‘As I sat on the rocks,
I have thought over that completely,
And I bought four pairs of worsted socks
Which fit my web-feet neatly.
And to keep out the cold I’ve bought a cloak,
And every day a cigar I’ll smoke,
All to follow my own dear true
Love of a Kangaroo!’

鸭子说，“我坐在石头上的时候，
已经把这问题想得清清楚楚。
我买了四双毛绒袜子，
正好套在我的鸭蹼上。
我还买了斗篷来御寒。
我每天都会抽一支雪茄。
这些都是为了追随我的真爱。
追随我心爱的好袋鼠！

V
 
Said the Kangaroo, ‘I’m ready!
All in the moonlight pale;
But to balance me well, dear Duck, sit steady!
And quite at the end of my tail!’
So away they went with a hop and a bound,
And they hopped the whole world three times round;
And who so happy,—O who,
As the Duck and the Kangaroo?.

袋鼠说，“我准备好了！
趁着月光皎洁，我们出发。
但是亲爱的鸭鸭，为了让我保持平衡，你可一定要坐稳了！
坐在我的尾巴最后面，安安静静的！
一蹦一跳的，它们就这样出发了。
它们绕着地球跳了足足有三圈；
要问世上谁最逍遥快乐？
当属鸭子和袋鼠啊。