16 The Woman

16 The Woman 'Quick!' said Mr Fox. 'Hide!' He and Badger and the Smallest Fox jumped up on to a shelf and crouched behind a row of big cider jars. Peering around the jars, they saw a huge woman coming down into the cellar. At the foot of the steps, the woman paused, looking to right and left. Then she turned and headed straight for the place where Mr Fox and Badger and the Smallest Fox were hiding. She stopped right in front of them. The only thing between her and them was a row of cider jars. She was so close, Mr Fox could hear the sound of her breathing. Peeping through the crack between two bottles, he noticed that she carried a big rollingpin in one hand.

16女人:快!狐狸先生说。 “躲起来!”他、獾和最小的狐狸跳上一个架子，蹲在一排大苹果酒罐后面。 他们朝坛子四周张望，看到一个身材高大的女人从地窖里走了下来。 在台阶下，女人停了下来，左顾右盼。 然后她转身直奔狐狸先生、獾和最小的狐狸躲藏的地方。 她正好停在他们面前。 她和他们之间唯一的东西是一排苹果酒罐。 她离得很近，狐狸先生都能听到她的呼吸声。 从两个瓶子之间的缝隙里，他注意到她一只手里拿着一个大擀面杖。

'How many will he want this time, Mrs Bean?' the woman shouted. And from the top of the steps the other voice called back, 'Bring up two or three jars.' 'He drank four yesterday, Mrs Bean.' 'Yes, but he won't want that many today because he's not going to be up there more than a few hours longer. He says the fox is bound to make a run for it this morning. It can't possibly stay down that hole another day without food.' The woman in the cellar reached out and lifted ajar of cider from the shelf. The jar she took was next but one to the jar behind which Mr Fox was crouching. 'I'll be glad when the rotten brute is killed and strung up on the front porch,' she called out. 'And by the way, Mrs Bean, your husband promised I could have the tail as a souvenir.' 'The tail's been all shot to pieces,' said the voice from upstairs. 'Didn't you know that?' 'You mean it's ruined?' 'Of course it's ruined. They shot the tail but missed the fox.'

“这次他想要几个，豆子太太?”女人喊道。 台阶上又传来一个声音，说，拿两三个罐子来。“他昨天喝了四杯，豆子太太。”“是的，但是他今天不会要那么多的，因为他只会在那里多待几个小时。” 他说狐狸今天早上一定会逃跑的。 没有食物，它不可能在洞里再呆一天。”地窖里的女人伸手从架子上拿起一瓶苹果酒。 她拿的罐子离狐狸先生蹲在后面的罐子只有一步之遥。 “把这腐烂的畜生杀死，吊在前廊上，我就高兴了，”她喊道。 “顺便说一下，憨豆太太，你丈夫答应我把尾巴留作纪念。“尾巴全被打得粉碎了。”楼上的声音说。 “你不知道吗?”“你是说它毁了?”“当然毁了。” 他们射中了狐狸的尾巴，但没射中。”

'Oh heck!' said the big woman. 'I did so want that tail!' 'You can have the head instead, Mabel. You can get it stuffed and hang it on your bedroom wall. Hurry up now with that cider!' 'Yes, Ma'am, I'm coming,' said the big woman, and she took a second jar from the shelf. If she takes one more, she'll see us, thought Mr Fox. He could feel the Smallest Fox's body pressed tightly against his own, quivering with excitement. 'Will two be enough, Mrs Bean, or shall I take three?' 'My goodness, Mabel, I don't care so long as you get a move on!'

“哦,见鬼!大个子女人说。 “我真想要那条尾巴!”“梅布尔，你可以把头给我。” 你可以把它填好，挂在卧室的墙上。 快点喝苹果酒!“好的，太太，我就来，”大女人说着，从架子上拿了第二个罐子。 如果她再拿一个，她就会看见我们了，狐狸先生想。 他能感觉到最小的狐狸的身体紧紧地贴在他身上，兴奋得发抖。 “两个够吗，豆子太太，还是我要三个?”“我的天哪，梅布尔，只要你赶快行动起来，我才不管呢!”

'Then two it is,' said the huge woman, speaking to herself now. 'He drinks too much anyway.' Carrying a jar in each hand and with the rollingpin tucked under one arm, she walked away across the cellar. At the foot of the steps she paused and looked around, sniffing the air. 'There's rats down here again, Mrs Bean. I can smell 'em.' 'Then poison them, woman, poison them! You know where the poison's kept.' 'Yes, Ma'am,' Mabel said. She climbed slowly out of sight up the steps. The door slammed. 'Quick!' said Mr Fox. 'Grab ajar each and run for it!' Rat stood on his high shelf and shrieked. 'What did I tell you! You nearly got nabbed, didn't you? You nearly gave the game away! You keep out of here from now on! I don't want you around! This is my place!' 'You,' said Mr Fox, 'are going to be poisoned.' 'Poppycock!' said Rat. 'I sit up here and watch her putting the stuff down. She'll never get me.' Mr Fox and Badger and the Smallest Fox ran across the cellar clutching a gallon jar each. 'Goodbye, Rat!' they called out as they

“那么就是两个了，”这个高大的女人自言自语地说。 “反正他也喝得太多了。”她一手拿着一个罐子，一只胳膊下夹着擀面杖，穿过地窖走开了。 在台阶下，她停了下来，环顾四周，嗅了嗅空气。 “这儿又有老鼠了，豆子太太。 “那就毒死他们，女人，毒死他们!”你知道毒药藏在哪里。“是的，太太，”梅布尔说。 她慢慢地爬上台阶，看不见了。 门砰地关上了。“快!狐狸先生说。 “各抓一半，跑过去!”河鼠站在高高的架子上尖叫。 “我是怎么跟你说的!”你差点被抓了，是吗? 你差点泄露了秘密!从现在起你给我滚远点!我不想你在我身边!这是我的地盘!“你，”狐狸先生说，“会被毒死的。”“胡说!河鼠说。 “我坐在这里，看着她把东西放下。 她永远也得不到我。”狐狸先生、獾和最小的狐狸跑过地窖，每人抓着一个加仑罐子。 “再见了,河鼠!他们喊道