After some time Tom Morris stopped talking and Mr White said to his wife and son,'Tom was a soldier in India for twenty-one years. India is a wonderful country.'
'Come on, Mr Morris! Tell us about it,' Herbert said.
“继续给我们讲讲吧,莫里斯先生。”赫伯特说。
Morris took his whisky in his hand, but suddenly he put it down again.Slowly he put his hand into the pocket of his coat and the White family watched him.
莫里斯用手拿起他的威士忌,但突然又把它放下,然后慢慢地把手伸进他的外套口袋。怀特一家看着他。
'What is it? What is it?' Mrs White cried.
“那是什么东西?那是什么东西?”怀特太太叫道。
Morris said nothing. He took his hand out of his pocket.The White family watched carefully—and in the soldier's hand they saw something little and dirty.
莫里斯什么也没说,他把手拿出口袋。怀特一家仔细地看着——在老兵手里他们看到了一个又小又脏的东西。
Mrs White moved back, afraid, but her son,Herbert,took it and looked at it carefully.
怀特太太害怕地缩了回来,但她的儿子赫伯特却把那东西拿过来仔细地看。
'Well,what is it?'Mr White asked his friend.
“喂,那是什么?”怀特先生问他的朋友。
'Look at it,' the soldier answered.'It's a little paw…a monkey's paw.'
“看看吧,”老兵答道,“它是一只小爪子啊……一只猴子的爪子。”
'A monkey's paw!'Herbert said—and he laughed.'Why do you carry a monkey's paw in your pocket,Mr Morris?' he asked the old soldier.
“猴子的爪子!”赫伯特说着大笑起来。“为什么你在口袋里带着猴爪,莫里斯先生?”他问老兵。
'Well,you see,' Morris said,'this monkey's paw is magic!'
“你要明白,这个猴爪是有魔力的!”莫里斯说。
Herbert laughed again, but the soldier said,'Don't laugh,boy.Remember, you're young.I'm old now and in India I saw many strange things.' He stopped talking for a minute and then he said,'This monkey's paw can do strange and wonderful things. An old Indian gave the paw to one of my friends. My friend was a soldier too. This paw is magic because it can give three wishes to three people.'
'But these three wishes don't bring happiness,'the soldier said.'The old Indian wanted to teach us something—it's never good to want to change things.'
“但这三个愿望并不能带来幸福。”老兵提醒说,“印度老人想告诉我们——想改变现实并不一定是好事。”
'Well, did your friend have three wishes?' Herbert asked the old soldier.
“那么,你的朋友也有三个愿望吗?”赫伯特问老兵。
'Yes,'Morris answered quietly.'And his third and last wish was to die!'
“是的,”莫里斯静静地回答,“并且他的第三个也是最后一个愿望就是去死!”
Mr and Mrs White listened to the story and they felt afraid, but Herbert asked,'And did he die?'
怀特先生和怀特太太听了这个故事感到有些害怕,赫伯特问,“他死了吗?”
'Yes, he did,' Morris said.' He had no family, so his things came to me when he died. The monkey's paw was with his things, but he told me about it before he died,' Tom Morris finished quietly.
'What were his first two wishes, then?' Herbert asked. 'What did he ask for?'
“那么,他的头两个愿望是什么?”赫伯特追问,“他要求什么?”
'I don't know. He didn't want to tell me,' the soldier answered.
“我不知道,他不想告诉我。”老兵回答说。
For a minute or two everybody was quiet, but then Herbert said,' And you, Mr Morris :did you have three wishes?'
一两分钟里大家都沉默着,然而赫伯特又问,“莫里斯先生,你有三个愿望吗?”
'Yes, I did,' Morris answered.'I was young. I wanted many things—a fast car, money… 'Morris stopped for a minute and then he said with difficulty,'My wife and my young son died in an accident in the car. Without them I didn't want the money, so, in the end, I wished to lose it. But it was too late.My wife and my child were dead.'
The room was very quiet. The White family looked at the unhappy face of the old soldier.
房子里很静,怀特一家看着老兵苦楚的脸。
Then Mr White said,'Why do you want the paw now?You don't need it. You can give it to someone.'
接着,怀特先生问,“为什么你现在还要这个爪子呢?你不需要它,你可以把它送给别人。”
'How can I give it to someone?'the soldier said.'The monkey's paw brings unhappiness with it.'
“我怎么能送给别人呢?”老兵说,“猴爪会给拥有它的人带来痛苦。”
'Well, give it to me,' Mr White said.'Perhaps this time it…'
“那么,给我吧,”怀特先生说,“也许这次它……”
'No!' Tom Morris cried.'You're my friend. I can't give it to you.'then,after a minute,he said,'I can't give it to you,but,of course you can take it from me.But remember—this monkey's paw brings unhappiness!'
Old Mr White did not listen and he did not think.Quickly, he put out his hand, and he took the paw.
老怀特没有听进去也没有仔细想,很快地伸出手拿走了猴爪。
Tom Morris looked unhappy,but Mr White did not want to wait.
汤姆·莫里斯看起来不高兴,但怀特先生等不及了。
'What do I do now?' he asked his friend.
“我现在能做什么?”他问他的朋友。
'Yes, come on, Father, Herbert said.'Make a wish!' And he laughed.
“对,这样吧,父亲,”赫伯特说,“许个愿吧!”赫伯特笑了。
The soldier said nothing and Mr White asked him again,'What do I do now?'
老兵什么也不说,怀特先生又问他,“我现在能做些什么呢?”
At first the old soldier did not answer, but in the end he said quietly,'OK. But remember! Be careful! Think before you make your wish,'
开始,老兵什么也不回答,最后他静静地说,“好吧,但记住要小心,在你许愿之前要考虑好。”
'Yes, yes,' Mr White said.
“行,行。”怀特先生说。
'Take the paw in your right hand and then make your wish, but…'tom Morris began.
“把猴爪拿在你右手,然后许愿,但是……”汤姆·莫里斯又开始了他那一套。
'Yes, we know,' Herbert said.'Be careful!'
“行了,我们知道。”赫伯特说,“要小心!”
Just then old Mrs White stood up and she began to get the dinner. Her husband looked at her.Then he smiled and said to her,'Come on.Help me !What can I wish for? We need money,of course.'
Mrs White laughed, but she thought for a minute and then she said,'Well, I'm getting old now and sometimes it's difficult to do everything.Perhaps I need four hands and not two. Yes, ask the paw to give me two more hands.'
'OK, then,' her husband said, and he took the monkey's paw in his right hand.Everybody watched him and for a minute he waited. Then he opened his mouth to make his wish.
“好吧,”她的丈夫说,他把猴爪放在右手。每个人都看着他,他等了一会儿然后张开嘴开始许愿。
Suddenly Tom Morris stood up.'Don't do it!'he cried.
突然,汤姆·莫里斯站起来。“不要这样!”他喊道。
The old soldier's face was white. Herbert and his mother laughed, but Mr White looked at Tom's face.
老兵的脸变白了。赫伯特和他的母亲笑了起来,但怀特先生却看着汤姆的脸。
Old Mr White was afraid and he put the monkey's paw into his pocket.
老怀特先生害怕了,他把猴爪放进了口袋。
After a minute or two they sat down at the table and began to have dinner. The soldier told the family many strange and wonderful stories about India.They forgot the monkey's paw, and because the soldier's stories were interesting,they asked him many questions about India. When Tom Morris stood up to leave, it was very late.
'Thank you for a very nice evening,' Morris said to the family.'And thank you for a very good dinner, 'he said to Mrs White.
“感谢有这么一个美好的夜晚,”莫里斯对这一家人道谢,“感谢有这样一顿美好的晚餐,”他对怀特太太说。
'It was a wonderful evening for us, Tom,' Old Mr White answered.'Your stories were very interesting. Our life isn't very exciting and we don't have the money to visit India, so please come again soon. You can tell us some more stories about India.'