木偶奇遇记：Chapter 2

In that very instant, a loud knock sounded on the door.

正在这节骨眼，有人笃笃笃敲门。

"Come in," said the carpenter, not having an atom of strength left with which to stand up.

“进来”，老木匠说，他连重新站起来的力气也没有了，

At the words, the door opened and a dapper little old man came in. His name was Geppetto, but to the boys of the neighborhood he was Polendina,[1] on account of the wig he always wore which was just the color of yellow corn.

于是木匠铺里进来了一个小老头，他老是老，可老得精神，他的名字叫做杰佩托，可街坊邻居的孩子要想逗他发顿脾气，就叫他的外号“老玉米糊”，他有这么个外号，因为他那头黄色假发活像玉米糊。

Geppetto had a very bad temper. Woe to the one who called him Polendina! He became as wild as a beast and no one could soothe him.

杰佩托脾气挺坏，谁叫他“老玉米糊”就得倒大霉!他一下子凶得像只野兽，谁也没法对付他。

"Good day, Mastro Antonio," said Geppetto. "What are you doing on the floor?"

“您好，安东尼奥师傅。”杰佩托说，“您坐在地上干吗呀?”

"I am teaching the ants their A B C's."

“我吗，我在教蚂蚁做算术哪。”

"Good luck to you!"

“祝您成功!”

"What brought you here, friend Geppetto?"

“倒是什么把您给带到我这儿来啦，杰佩托老朋友。”

"My legs. And it may flatter you to know, Mastro Antonio, that I have come to you to beg for a favor."

“是我的腿把我带来了呗，您知道，安东尼奥师傅，我是来求您给我帮个忙的。”

"Here I am, at your service," answered the carpenter, raising himself on to his knees.

“随时乐意为您效劳。”老木匠回答说，跪了起来。

"This morning a fine idea came to me."

“今天早晨，我脑子里忽然想出了一个主意。”

"Let's hear it."

“咱们倒来听听看。”

"I thought of making myself a beautiful wooden Marionette. It must be wonderful, one that will be able to dance, fence, and turn somersaults. With it I intend to go around the world, to earn my crust of bread and cup of wine. What do you think of it?"

“我想亲手给自己做个漂亮的木偶，不是个普通木偶，是个呱呱叫的木偶，会跳舞，会耍剑，还会翻跟头。我要带着这么个木偶周游世界，挣块面包吃吃，混杯酒喝喝。您看怎么样。”

"Bravo, Polendina!" cried the same tiny voice which came from no one knew where.

“好极了，老玉米糊!”还是那个很细很细的声音不却从哪儿叫起来。

On hearing himself called Polendina, Mastro Geppetto turned the color of a red pepper and, facing the carpenter, said to him angrily:

杰佩托这位老朋友一听人家叫他老玉米糊，脸登时气红了，红得像个红辣椒。他向老木匠一下子转过脸来，气呼呼地说：

"Why do you insult me?"

“您干吗得罪我，”

"Who is insulting you?"

“谁得罪您了，”

"You called me Polendina."

“您叫我老玉米糊!……”

"I did not."

“我没叫过您老玉米糊。”

"I suppose you think _I_ did! Yet I KNOW it was you."

“难道是我叫了吗?我说是您叫了。”

"No!"

“我没叫!”

"Yes!"

“您叫了!”

"No!"

“我没叫!”

"Yes!"

“您叫了!”

And growing angrier each moment, they went from words to blows, and finally began to scratch and bite and slap each other.

他们越来越激动，结果从动口到动手，两个打了起来，又抓又咬，像两只猴子似的。

When the fight was over, Mastro Antonio had Geppetto's yellow wig in his hands and Geppetto found the carpenter's curly wig in his mouth.

等到一架打完，杰佩托那头黄色假发到了安东尼奥师傅的手上，老木匠那头花白假发却在杰佩托的嘴里。

"Give me back my wig!" shouted Mastro Antonio in a surly voice.

“你把我的假发还我，”安东尼奥师傅说。

"You return mine and we'll be friends."

“你也把我的假发还我。咱俩讲和吧，”

The two little old men, each with his own wig back on his own head, shook hands and swore to be good friends for the rest of their lives.

两位小老头各自收回了自己的假发以后，互相紧紧拉手，赌咒发誓说以后要一辈子做好朋友。

"Well then, Mastro Geppetto," said the carpenter, to show he bore him no ill will, "what is it you want?"

“那么，杰佩托老朋友”，老木匠表示和解说，“您要我给您效什么劳呢?”

"I want a piece of wood to make a Marionette. Will you give it to me?"

“我想要段木头做我的那个木偶，您肯给吗?”

Mastro Antonio, very glad indeed, went immediately to his bench to get the piece of wood which had frightened him so much. But as he was about to give it to his friend, with a violent jerk it slipped out of his hands and hit against poor Geppetto's thin legs.

安东尼奥师傅听了这话真是喜出望外，马上过去拿起工作台上那段把他吓了个半死的木头，可他正要把木头交给朋友，木头猛地一扭，打他手里使劲滑了出来，在可怜的杰佩托那很细的小腿骨上，狠狠地就是一下。

"Ah! Is this the gentle way, Mastro Antonio, in which you make your gifts? You have made me almost lame!"

“唉哟!安东尼奥师傅，您送东西给人家是这么客气的吗?我的脚几乎都给你打瘸了，”

"I swear to you I did not do it!"

“我发誓我没打您的脚。”

"It was _I_, of course!"

“难道是我打我自己的脚不成!……”

"It's the fault of this piece of wood."

“全怪这木头，是它打你的……”

"You're right; but remember you were the one to throw it at my legs."

“我知道是木头，可把木头扔在我脚上的是您，”

"I did not throw it!"

“我没扔您!”

"Liar!"

“您说谎!”

"Geppetto, do not insult me or I shall call you Polendina."

“杰佩托，您别得罪我，要不我就叫您老玉米糊!……”

"Idiot."

“蠢驴!”

"Polendina!"

“老玉米糊!”

"Donkey!"

“蠢猴!”

"Polendina!"

“老玉米糊!”

"Ugly monkey!"

“蠢猪!”

"Polendina!"

“老玉米糊!”

On hearing himself called Polendina for the third time, Geppetto lost his head with rage and threw himself upon the carpenter. Then and there they gave each other a sound thrashing.

杰佩托听到这第三声老玉米糊，眼睛都气黑了，向老木匠猛扑过去。于是他们又打了一场大架。

After this fight, Mastro Antonio had two more scratches on his nose, and Geppetto had two buttons missing from his coat. Thus having settled their accounts, they shook hands and swore to be good friends for the rest of their lives.

等到这一架打完，安东尼奥师傅的鼻子多了两道抓伤，另一位的背心却少了两颗钮子，两个人这样算清账以后，又紧紧拉手，赌咒发誓说发后要一辈子做好朋友。

Then Geppetto took the fine piece of wood, thanked Mastro Antonio, and limped away toward home.

接着杰佩托拿起他那段呱呱叫的木头，谢过安东尼奥师傅，一瘸一拐地回家去了。