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鱼儿们在惊恐中游走了，树上栖息的鸟儿们也把头藏在翅膀下面。当他们再看时，发现—个全身是泥巴的巨大东西正坐在河岸上。 “我是谁?”这个怪物咕哝着。 清晨这个怪物还坐在那里，他刮去身上的泥土看看下面是什么。 "我是谁?”它不停地说着。 一只在此经过的鸭嘴兽解决了这个问题。"你是一只沼泽怪兽。”他说道。 "沼泽怪兽，沼泽怪兽……"这只怪兽满意地咕哝着。然后他坐直身子嚷道：“我长的什么样呀?”但是鸭嘴兽已经游到小溪中间了。‘‘我好看吗？”怪兽叫着。但是没有人回答他。这时一只沙袋鼠从这里经过，要去小溪边喝水。 "沼泽怪兽长得什么样?"怪兽问道。 "很恐怖，"沙袋鼠说,"他们长着蹼足，而且有羽毛。” "蹼足好看吗？"沼泽怪兽喊道，但是沙袋鼠没有回答。 这时从沼泽怪兽身后的灌木丛传来沙沙声，随即一只鸸鹋飞过。“等等丨”沼泽怪兽大喊道，并追了过去问：“沼泽怪兽长什么样？" 鸸鹋停下来想了想。最后说："他们有毛皮和尾巴。” “几条尾巴呀？”沼泽怪兽问道。 "一个沼泽怪兽有一条尾巴。"鸸鹋回答道。 "好看的尾巴。”沼泽怪兽说道。 "恐怖的尾巴，"鸸鹋说道，"并且毛皮更恐怖。” 沼泽怪兽伤心地沿着小溪徘徊着。"有人愿意告诉我沼泽怪兽长什么样子吗？”他对任何愿意听的人说道。 但是没有回答。 他沿着小溪走呀走，遇到了一个人。“你能告诉我沼泽怪兽长什么样子吗？”他问道。 这个人看都没看一眼就说道："当然可以，沼泽怪兽不像任何事物。” “什么都不像^沼泽怪兽说道。 "什么都不像。”这个人说道。 “你确定?”沼泽怪兽说。 “非常确定，”这个人非常仔细地看了看沼泽怪兽说道，“沼泽怪兽根本就不存在。" 沼泽怪兽很受打击。他深深地叹了口气咕哝着："真是遗憾!”他缓慢地走回自己的水坑，然后把他的东西捞出水，把它们装进怪兽袋子里，走开了。 沼泽怪兽走了整整一天，太阳就要落山时他来到一个寂静的死水潭边。“这里适合我，”沼泽怪兽自言自语道：“没有人看见我在这里。我可以像我想像的一样好看。”他打开袋子，把梳子和镜子拿出来放在沙地上。但是那天深夜，也没有什么特别的原因，有东西在死水谭底部的黑泥中搅动。沼泽怪兽惊奇地放下手中的梳子，注视着黑泥。一个巨大的浑身是泥的东西正坐在岸上。 “我是谁？”这只庞然大物咕哝着。 沼泽怪兽快乐地跳起来了，“你是一只沼泽怪兽！”他大嚷道。 “我真的是沼泽怪兽吗？”另一只沼泽怪兽问道，“那我长得什么样子?” “你看起来就像我。”沼泽怪兽高兴地说道，并且把自己的镜子借给她，证实的确如此。 注释:①Bunyip是一种澳大利亚沼泽怪兽。 ②Berkeley’s Creek 是一条小溪。 The Bunyip of Berkeley’s Creek The fish swam away in fright, and the night birds in the trees hid their heads under their wings. When they looked again, something very large and very muddy was sitting on the bank. “Who am I?” the thing murmured. In the morning the thing was still sitting there, scraping the mud off itself to see what was underneath. “Who am I?” it kept saying. A passing platypus solved the problem. “You are a bunyip,” he said. “Bunyip,” murmured the bunyip contentedly, “bunyip.” Then he sat up straight and called out. “What do I look like?” But the platypus had dived into the creek. “Am I handsome?” called the bunyip. But nobody answered him. Presently a wallaby came by to drink at the creek. “What do bunyips look like?” asked the bunyip. “Horrible,” said the wallaby, “they have webbed feet, and feathers. ’’ “Handsome webbed feet?” called the bunyip, but there was no answer. There was a rustling in the bushes behind him, and suddenly an emu shot past. “Wait!” called the bunyip, running after him, “what do bunyips look like?” The emu stopped and considered. “They have fur,” he said at last, “and tails. ’’ “How many tails?” asked the bunyip. “One to each bunyip.” replied the emu. “Fine，handsome tails. ” said the bunyip. “Horrible tails,” said the emu, “and even more horrible fur.” The bunyip wandered sadly along the creek. “Will someone tell me what bunyips look like?” he said, to anyone who would listen. But there was no answer. Further along the creek he met a man. “Can you please tell me what bunyips look like?” ‘‘Yes,，’ said the man, without looking up, “bunyips don’t look like anything. ’， “Like nothing?” said the bunyip. “Like nothing at all.’’ said the man. “Are you sure?” said the bunyip. “Quite sure,” said the man, and looked right through him, *'bunyips simply don’t exist. ” The bunyip was shaken. Then he gave a long, deep sigh, “what a pity!” he mur¬mured. And he walked slowly back to his waterhole. Then he fished his belongings out of the water, packed them in his bunyip bag, and walked away. The bunyip walked all day, and just as the sun was setting he came to a quiet, still billabong. “This will do,” said the bunyip himself, “no one can see me here. I can be as handsome as I like. ’，And he unpacked his bag, and laid his bunyip comb and mirror out on the sand. But late that night, for no particular reason, something stirred in the black mud at the bottom of the billabong. The bunyip put his comb down in surprise, and stared. Something very large and very muddy was sitting on the bank. “Who am I?” it murmured. The bunyip jumped up in delight, “you are a bunyip!” he shouted. |
