诺亚方舟的故事
博伊德·史密斯
警告
In the early days of the world lived the patriarch Noah, a good and venerable man whose years already numbered six hundred.
诺亚尊长生活在创世纪之后的早期, 他是一位善良而可敬的人, 他已经活了六百多岁了.
Now Noah was warned that a great flood was to come, which would pour down from the clouds and drown the whole earth. He straightway told his neighbors what was to happen, but they refused to believe, and scoffed at him, and said: "Let it rain."
如今, 上帝告诉诺亚, 一场大洪水就要来了, 大水将从云中倾泻而出, 淹没整个地球. 他立马把这个消息告诉了邻居们, 但是邻居们却把他的话当做笑柄, 还说: "就让它下吧."
建造方舟
Then Noah went his way, and set to work to build him a great ship, to be ready for the day of deluge.
之后, 诺亚便开始按部就班, 着手为自己建造大舟了, 为即将到来的大洪水做准备.
And he laid the keel in the pasture fields, among the daisies; while the idlers came to look on and laugh at such folly— a ship for a rainy day!
他把船的龙骨放在雏菊盛开的牧场中间, 那些无所事事的人都来看热闹, 并嘲笑这种愚蠢的行为—— 竟然还有人为担心下雨而备船!
劳工问题
But Noah knew that he was right, and kept on.
但是诺亚知道自己是对的, 并坚持了下去.
And the ship rose, but troubles arose too: for frequent and grievous strikes delayed him, and his workmen clamored for more pay and stoned those who would work.
船渐渐建造起来了, 但是麻烦也跟着来了: 因为频繁而激烈的罢工使得诺亚的工作进度耽搁了很久, 工人们大声嚷嚷着, 想要更多的报酬, 还用石头砸那些愿意工作的人.
And Noah bargained with them, and started afresh; for he feared that the rain might come before he was ready.
诺亚与他们讨价还价, 并让他们重新开始了工作. 因为他害怕大洪水可能会提前到来.
为方舟上色
At last, after many days, the ship was finished.
在很多个日日夜夜之后, 这艘船终于完工了.
Then Noah tarred the inside and the outside, to keep it tight. And he named it the Ark, and painted it with colors; for Noah was proud of his work.
然后, 诺亚将船的里里外外都涂上了柏油, 使其保持紧密(防止渗水). 他把船命名为方舟, 并为它涂上了各种各样的颜色, 因为诺亚对自己的工作感到自豪.
召集动物
Then Noah went abroad and called together all the animals, by twos, and told them that they must come into the Ark to be saved from the deluge.
然后, 诺亚站在户外, 两个一对地, 召集了所有的动物, 并告诉他们只有进入方舟才有可能从大洪水中幸存下来.
But they too doubted, and were slow to decide; for they feared to enter the dark ship.
但是动物们却对此怀有很大的疑虑, 他们决定缓慢, 因为方舟里面太黑了.
And they grumbled, and said, "It may be but a shower."
他们还抱怨着说: "你所谓的大洪水有可能只是一阵小雨罢了."
召集动物(续)
And though Noah argued with them, and explained all the terrible possibilities of the case, still they hesitated, and in their different tongues and ways talked it over, and would not be hurried.
尽管诺亚与他们争论, 并解释了大洪水之后所有可怕的后果, 但是他们仍然犹豫不决, 并以不同的语言和方式讨论着, 他们并不是很着急.
Then Noah called them Stumbling Blocks. But even this did not move them.
于是, 诺亚称他们为"绊脚石". 但是即使这样也没有劝动他们.
上船
And Noah was vexed, and left them, and began to drive his domestic animals on board, hoping to set the others an example.
诺亚烦透了, 离开了他们, 然后开始驱赶自己家的牲畜上船, 希望给其他动物们树立一个好榜样.
And his sons— Shem, Ham, and Japheth— helped him, while he kept count.
诺亚的儿子—— 闪(Shem), 含(Ham), 和雅弗(Japheth)—— 在一边帮着忙, 而他在不停的计着数.
困惑
Then new troubles began. For now the other beasts and birds, fearing to be left behind, all tried to get in at once, and could not be controlled.
之后, 新的麻烦又来了. 现在, 由于其他兽禽害怕被抛在后面, 所以他们一下子全都想上船了, 场面一度无法控制.
But they did not leave behind their dislikes and ancient feuds. For how could the cats and the mice live together in peace, or how could the fox and the geese agree? And the hounds and the hares?
但是, 诺亚并没有考虑过动物之间的厌恶和世仇. 那么, 猫和老鼠该如何和平共处? 狐狸和大鹅该如何达成共识? 更别提猎犬和野兔了?
And quarrels and dissensions came into the Ark. And confusion reigned.
争吵和分歧在方舟上蔓延开来, 方舟被混乱占据了.
And Noah lost count, and lost patience as well.
最终, 诺亚失去了耐心, 也不再给动物们计数了.
队伍
But after much trouble order was established; and the mighty procession, once started, filed steadily in.
但是, 麻烦过后, 最终建立了秩序; 强势的队列一旦形成, 就可以稳步前行了.
And they came from far and near: a great host of beasts and birds and creeping things:
队伍当中既有来自远方的也有来自近处的: 既有大量的兽类, 也有大量的鸟儿和爬行动物:
队伍(续)
The big elephant and the polar bear, the giraffe and the striped tiger, and the woolly bison of the west.
队伍当中既有大象和北极熊, 又有长颈鹿和斑纹老虎, 以及西部的长毛野牛.
And from the mountain and the jungle, the hill and the plain, came great and small.
既有来自山地的, 又有来自到丛林和平原的, 既有大型动物, 又有小型动物.
And the earth trembled with their tread, while the sky was dark with flapping wings.
大地因动物们的脚步而颤动, 天空因鸟儿的飞翔而一片漆黑.
恐龙的困境
And then came even the huge dinosaurs, for in those days were mighty beasts. But they were too big for the door, and could not squeeze in.
然后, 甚至是巨大的恐龙, 那个时代最强大的野兽, 也来了. 但是他们太大了, 怎么也挤不上船.
Now Noah sorely regretted this miscalculation, but could find no way to help it.
虽然诺亚对这种计算失误而感到非常抱歉, 但是他仍然没有任何办法能够帮助他们.
And the dinosaurs, alas! had to be left behind.
因此, 必须放弃恐龙们的生存机会了.
那些没有进来的人
But the mammoth and the mastodon, and the dinotherium, the palæotherium, and the anoptherium, and the pterodactyl, and the archæopteryx,— and a host of other strange beasts and birds with long Latin names— refused to go in at all, in spite of Noah's warnings.
但是, 猛犸象(mammoth)和翼手龙(pterodactyl), 以及其他许多具有拉丁名字的怪兽和鸟, 都不顾诺亚的警告, 拒绝上船.
All these of course were doomed to be lost, and become fossils, to be put in museums with stones and labels.
因此, 所有这些动物注定要被灭亡, 变成化石, 成为博物馆里被贴上标签的一堆石头.
准备物资
Then Noah took on board in plenty foods of every kind for men and beasts. While the hungry animals inside complained that he should have done this first instead of last.
然后, 诺亚把为人类和野兽准备的各种食物也带上了船. 船内饥饿的动物们抱怨说, 他应该先放食物再让我们上来的.
And then he took his wife and his sons' wives into the Ark, though Mrs. Noah was loath and rebelled: "For the domestic arrangements," she said, "are impossible."
然后, 他把妻儿们也领进了方舟, 尽管诺亚太太不大愿意, 并有些叛逆的说: "这样的家庭安排真的是令人匪夷所思啊."
