19 Hiccup’s Birthday Present

19. HICCUP'S BIRTHDAY PRESENT Bertha waited until they were safely out of earshot, and then she shook her fist up at the sky and shouted, 'THAT'S RIGHT, OFF YOU GO, YOU IDIOTIC OLD STINK-POT, US BOG-BURGLARS AREN'T AFRAID OF YOU, YOU KNOW!' 'Well,' sighed Big-Boobied Bertha, 'that was a close one! I have got to admit, Stoick, that skinny prawn of a son of yours may not look up to much, and he may not be able to burgle for toffee, but he can certainly think on his feet.' 'He sure as Thor can burgle for toffee!' objected Stoick, thumping his son delightedly on the back. 'He's burgled a book from the Meathead Public Library—where is the book, Hiccup?' Silently, Hiccup reached inside his backpack and drew out the How to Train Your Dragon book–second edition, and handed it to Stoick. 'Not to mention stealing a Secret Weapon from you and Madguts the Murderous. Not bad for a twelve-year-old, I'd say. And, what's more, he's PROVED that Hooligans are JUST as good at

19. 嗝嗝的生日礼物伯莎一直等到他们安全地走到听不见的地方，才对着天空挥舞着拳头喊道：“对了，你走吧，你这个愚蠢的臭老头，我们这些沼泽里的强盗才不怕你呢，你知道！”“好吧，”大胸伯莎叹道，“好险啊！”我得承认，斯托伊克，你那个瘦骨嶙峋的儿子可能不怎么自视甚高，他可能不会偷太妃糖，但他的思维肯定是敏捷的。“他肯定会偷太妃糖！”斯托伊克反对道，高兴地拍着儿子的背。 “他从蠢蛋公共图书馆偷了一本书——书在哪儿，小嗝嗝？”小嗝嗝默默地把手伸进背包，拿出《驯龙高手》第二版，递给斯托伊克。 “更不用说从你和杀人狂那里偷了一件秘密武器。 对于一个12岁的孩子来说，这已经很不错了。 而且，更重要的是，他证明了流氓们同样擅长

Burglary as Bog-Burglars. So I think you'll find that I've won our little bet… You'd better stump up those axes, Bertha, like a good little loser…' Stoick rubbed his hands together in glee. Of course, Big-Boobied Bertha could NEVER be described as a 'good little loser', and she swelled up in fury, her beard bristling and her ham-like fists a-clench. But she was a good sport at heart, and a Viking of her word. And after all, young Hiccup here had just saved her from an unpleasant spell in the Ugli-thug Slavelands… She'd have escaped of course, for you can't keep a Bog-Burglar under lock and key, but it would have been a nasty experience nonetheless… So her stormy brow cleared, and she reached into her axe-belt and brought out two of her finest axes, and gave them to Stoick with reasonable good humour. After all, at the end of the day, she had lost two axes but gained a rather magnificent sword, and a Murderous sword is hard to come by. 'EXCELLENT!' roared Stoick the Vast. 'I hope you'll join us this evening for Hiccup's Birthday Banquet?' 'BUT OF COURSE!' thundered Big-Boobied Bertha, rubbing her hands together excitedly, for she

像沼泽窃贼一样入室盗窃。所以我想你会发现我赢了我们的小赌注……伯莎，你最好把那些斧头掏出来，像个输了的小好人……”斯托伊克高兴地搓着手。 当然，大胸伯莎绝对不能被形容为一个“好的小失败者”，她愤怒地膨胀起来，她的胡子竖起来，她那像火腿一样的拳头攥得紧紧的。 但她骨子里是个好样的，是个信守诺言的维京人。 毕竟，年轻的小嗝嗝刚刚在丑陋的奴隶地把她从一个不愉快的咒语中救了出来……她当然可以逃脱，因为你不能把一个沼泽夜贼关起来，但这将是一次令人不快的经历……于是，她那怒容满面的眉头消失了，她把手伸进斧头腰带，拿出两把最好的斧头，带着合理的幽默递给斯托伊克。 毕竟，在一天结束的时候，她失去了两把斧头，但得到了一把相当华丽的剑，而一把杀人的剑是很难得到的。 “太好了!巨人斯托伊克吼道。 “我希望你今晚能和我们一起参加小嗝嗝的生日宴会。”“当然！”大咪咪伯莎吼道，兴奋地搓着双手，因为她

was always the life and soul of the party. 'I shall be presenting him with a new sword as a birthday present!' boomed Stoick, trying (unsuccessfully), to sound careless and not BURSTING with pride at his son's achievements this afternoon. 'A sword suitable for a boy who is now a twelve-year-old and the son of a Viking Chief… not to mention a Burglar of some distinction…' 'Um, Father,' interrupted Hiccup. 'I'm quite pleased with my old sword really… there's something ELSE that I would really like as a birthday present…' 'You can have ANYTHING!' promised Stoick, rashly, because he was so delighted to have won his bet against Big-Boobied Bertha. 'Anything at all! Axes, spears, a new dragon, anything at all!' 'Well…' said Hiccup slowly, 'what I would really really like now the Hairy Scary Librarian is got rid of, is for books not to be banned, and that Library to be open to the public again. Those Driller-Dragons are making an awful mess of the place.' Stoick's brows descended angrily. This wasn't what he had been thinking of at all! 'I KNOW you think How to Train Your Dragon is the only book worth having, and that Vikings don't need books, but there are LOADS of books in that

总是派对的灵魂人物。 “我要送给他一把新剑作为生日礼物！”斯托伊克大声说，试图（不成功地）装出漫不经心的样子，不为儿子今天下午取得的成就感到骄傲。 “这把剑适合一个十二岁的男孩，一个维京酋长的儿子……更不用说一个颇有名望的飞贼……” “我对我的旧剑真的很满意……还有一样东西是我很想要的生日礼物……”斯托伊克轻率地答应道，因为他和大胸伯莎打赌赢了，心里非常高兴。 “什么都可以！”斧头，长矛，新龙，什么都可以！“嗯……”小嗝嗝慢慢地说，“既然那个毛茸茸的可怕的图书管理员已经被除掉了，我真正真正想要的是图书不再被禁，那个图书馆重新向公众开放。” 那些钻龙把这里搞得一团糟。”斯托伊克生气地皱起眉头。 这根本不是他一直在想的！“我知道你认为《驯龙记》是唯一值得拥有的书，维京人不需要书，但那里面有很多书

Library that you would find incredibly useful,' pleaded Hiccup, 'books about swordfighting, about axe- work, about all the different types of dragons. Books with maps in, that will help you sail to Africa, and India and America…' 'No such place!' snorted Stoick. 'We nearly DIED in that Library,' said Hiccup, 'but we didn't because we knew How to Deal with a Piffleworm. And that's how books can help you, Father. They can save your life, they really can…' Stoick looked thoughtful. From out of his breast pocket he drew the scruffy copy of A Hero's Guide to Deadly Dragons that he had confiscated from Hiccup earlier that morning. This notebook really HAD saved Stoick's life, only ten minutes earlier. For when the Hairy Scary Librarian shot that arrow, the sharp point of it had sunk into the book rather than into Stoick's chest. It had nearly cut the poor bedraggled book in half, so deep had been the wound.

“图书馆，你会发现非常有用的，”希卡普恳求道，“关于剑术的书，关于斧头的书，关于各种不同种类的龙的书。 里面有地图的书，可以帮助你航行到非洲、印度和美洲……”斯托伊克哼了一声。 “我们差点死在图书馆里，”小嗝嗝说，“但我们没有死，因为我们知道如何对付一只皮夫虫。 这就是书能帮你的地方，神父。 它们能救你的命，真的……”斯托伊克若有所思。 他从胸前的口袋里掏出一本破旧的《英雄屠龙指南》，那是他早上从小嗝嗝那里没收的。 就在十分钟前，这本笔记本确实救了斯托伊克的命。 因为当毛茸茸的可怕的图书管理员射出那支箭时，箭尖已经扎进了书里，而不是斯托伊克的胸膛。 伤口太深了，差点把那本可怜的书切成两半。

Maybe it was a sign from Thor. Perhaps books weren't as dangerous as they looked, and maybe they really could be useful to the Viking Tribes. He'd always wanted to go to Africa… 'MMMmmm,' grunted Stoick the Vast. He handed A Hero's Guide to Deadly Dragons back to Hiccup. A Viking Chief SHOULDN'T change his mind… thought Stoick. So he tried to sound as stern and Chiefly as he could, in the hope that nobody would notice. 'Um, I REALLY think you need to write this book out again, Hiccup,' scolded Stoick sternly. 'Look at it, it's in a disgraceful state. And as for that other matter… I'll speak to "the Thing" about it.' Hiccup grinned delightedly.

也许这是托尔的暗示。 也许书并不像看起来那么危险，也许它们真的对维京部落有用。 他一直想去非洲……“嗯嗯，”巨人斯托伊克咕哝着。 他把《致命龙的英雄指南》递给小嗝嗝。 斯托伊克想，维京酋长不应该改变主意。 因此，他尽量装出一副严厉的、主要的样子，希望没有人注意到。 “嗯，我真的认为你需要把这本书再写一遍，小嗝嗝。”斯托伊克严厉地责备道。 “看看它，它的样子很不光彩。 至于另一件事……我会跟‘那个东西’谈谈的。”小嗝嗝高兴地笑了。

Stoick the Vast and Big-Boobied Bertha stomped off, spiritedly discussing Axe-Fighting Moves, and who was the better Wrestler. But of Course I'm a better axe-fighter than you are, Stoick, you Hooligans couldn't fight your way out of a paper bag, why I bet you two of my finest swords that. 'Happy birthday, Hiccup,' smiled Fishlegs. 'You must admit,' said Camicazi, looking at Hiccup a trifle anxiously, 'it's been a really good one.'

大胸伯莎的斯托伊克跺着脚走开了，兴致勃勃地讨论着用斧头格斗的招式，以及谁是更好的摔跤手。 但是当然我比你更会用斧子，斯托伊克，你们这些流氓都不能从一个纸袋里打出来，所以我拿两把最好的剑跟你打赌。 “生日快乐，小嗝嗝，”鱼腿笑着说。 “你得承认，”卡米卡齐说着，有点不安地看着小嗝嗝，“这真是个好机会。”