08 The Brown Hen

The Brown Hen George stood in the farmyard looking up at the roof. The old farmhouse had a fine roof of pale red tiles and tall chimneys. There was no sign of Grandma. There was only a song-thrush sitting on one of the chimneypots, singing a song. The old wurzel's got stuck in the attic, George thought. Thank goodness for that. Suddenly a tile came clattering down from the roof and fell into the yard. The song-thrush took off fast and flew away. Then another tile came down. Then half a dozen more. And then, very slowly, like some weird monster rising up from the deep, Grandma's head came through the roof… Then her scrawny neck… And the tops of her shoulders…

褐色母鸡乔治站在农场院子里抬头望着屋顶。 这座老农舍的屋顶很漂亮，上面铺着浅红色的瓦片，还有高高的烟囱。 没有奶奶的踪影。 只有一只画眉鸟坐在一个烟囱上唱歌。 老香肠卡在阁楼里了，乔治想。 谢天谢地。突然，一块瓦片从屋顶哗啦哗啦地掉了下来，落在院子里。 画眉迅速地飞走了。 接着又一块瓷砖掉了下来。 然后又有六个。然后，慢慢地，就像一个奇怪的怪物从深处爬出来一样，奶奶的头从屋顶钻了出来……然后是她骨瘦如柴的脖子……还有她的肩膀……

'How'm I doing, boy!' she shouted. 'How's that for a bash up?' 'Don't you think you'd better stop now, Grandma?' George called out… 'I have stopped!' she answered. 'I feel terrific! Didn't I tell you I had magic powers! Didn't I warn you I had wizardry in the tips of my fingers! But you wouldn't listen to me, would you? You wouldn't listen to your old Grandma!'

“我干得怎么样，孩子!”她喊道。 “这样狂欢怎么样?”“奶奶，你不觉得最好现在就住手吗?”乔治喊道……“我停下来了!”她回答。 “我感觉好极了!”我不是告诉过你我有魔力吗?我不是警告过你我的指尖有魔法吗?但你不听我的，对吧? 你不听你奶奶的话!”

'You didn't do it, Grandma,' George shouted back to her. 'I did it! I made you a new medicine!' 'A new medicine? You? What rubbish!' she yelled. 'I did! I did!' George shouted. 'You're lying as usual!' Grandma yelled. 'You're always lying!' 'I'm not lying, Grandma. I swear I'm not.' The wrinkled old face high up on the roof stared down suspiciously at George. 'Are you telling me you actually made a new medicine all by yourself?' she shouted. 'Yes, Grandma, all by myself.' 'I don't believe you,' she answered. 'But I'm very comfortable up here. Fetch me a cup of tea.' A brown hen was pecking about in the yard close to where George was standing. The hen gave him an idea. Quickly, he uncorked the medicine bottle and poured some of the brown stuff into the spoon. 'Watch this, Grandma!' he shouted. He crouched down, holding out the spoon to the hen.

“不是你干的，奶奶。”乔治对她喊道。 “是我干的!”我给你做了一种新药!“一种新药?” 你吗?什么垃圾!她喊道。 “我做了!我做的!”乔治喊道。 “你又像往常一样撒谎!”奶奶喊道。 “你总是在撒谎!”“我没有说谎，奶奶。” 我发誓我没有。”高高的屋顶上那张布满皱纹的老脸怀疑地盯着乔治。 “你是说你真的自己研制了一种新药吗?”她喊道。 “是的，奶奶，全靠我自己。“我不相信你，”她回答。 “但我在这里很舒服。 给我拿杯茶来。”一只棕色的母鸡在乔治站的地方附近的院子里啄来啄去。 母鸡给了他一个主意。他迅速打开药瓶，把一些棕色的东西倒进勺子里。 “看这个，奶奶!”他喊道。 他蹲下来，把勺子递给母鸡。

'Chicken,' he said. 'Chick-chick-chicken. Come here. Have some of this.' Chickens are stupid birds, and very greedy. They think everything is food. This one thought the spoon was full of corn. It hopped over. It put its head on one side and looked at the spoon. 'Come on, chicken,' George said. 'Good chicken. Chick-chick-chick.' The brown hen stretched out its neck towards the spoon and went peck. It got a beakful of medicine. The effect was electric. 'Oweee!' shrieked the hen and it shot straight up into the air like a rocket. It went as high as the house.

“鸡肉，”他说。“Chick-chick-chicken。 到这里来。吃点这个吧。”鸡是愚蠢的鸟，而且非常贪婪。 他们认为一切都是食物。 这只认为勺子里装满了玉米。 它跳了过去。它把头侧向一边，看着勺子。 “来吧，小鸡。”乔治说。 “好鸡。Chick-chick-chick。”那只棕色的母鸡向勺子伸出脖子去啄。 它有一大堆药。 这是一种触电般的效果。“Oweee !母鸡尖叫着，它像火箭一样直冲云霄。 它和房子一样高。

Then down it came again into the yard, splosh. And there it sat with its feathers all sticking straight out from its body. There was a look of amazement on its silly face. George stood watching it. Grandma up on the roof was watching it, too. The hen got to its feet. It was rather shaky. It was making funny gurgling noises in its throat. Its beak was opening and shutting. It seemed like a pretty sick hen. 'You've done it in, you stupid boy!' Grandma shouted. 'That hen's going to die! Your father'll be after you now! He'll give you socks and serve you right!' All of a sudden, black smoke started pouring out of the hen's beak.

然后它又落到院子里，扑通一声。 它坐在那里，羽毛都从身体上直伸出来。 它那愚蠢的脸上露出惊奇的神情。 乔治站在那里看着它。在屋顶上的奶奶也在看。 母鸡站了起来。它摇摇晃晃的。 它在喉咙里发出可笑的汩汩声。 它的嘴张着合着。 看起来像一只病得很重的母鸡。 “你做错了，你这个笨孩子!”奶奶喊道。 “那只母鸡要死了!”你父亲会来找你的!他会给你袜子，让你活该!”突然，黑烟开始从母鸡的嘴里冒出来。

'It's on fire!' Grandma yelled. 'The hen's on fire!' George ran to the water-trough to get a bucket of water. 'That hen'll be roasted and ready for eating any moment!' Grandma shouted. George sloshed the bucket of water over the hen. There was a sizzling sound and the smoke went away. 'Old hen's laid its last egg!' Grandma shouted. 'Hens don't do any laying after they've been on fire!'

“着火了!”奶奶喊道。 “母鸡着火了!”乔治跑到水槽那儿去打一桶水。 “那只母鸡马上就烤好了，随时可以吃了!”奶奶喊道。 乔治把一桶水泼在母鸡身上。 一声嘶嘶声，烟就散了。 “老母鸡下了最后一个蛋!”奶奶喊道。 “母鸡着火后是不会下蛋的!”