【中英双语】乌撒的猫 洛夫克拉夫特著 | The Cats of Ulthar

据说，在史凯河的对面叫做乌撒的城市

It is said that in Ulthar, which lies beyond the river Skai

严禁任何人杀猫

no man may kill a cat

当我凝视着爱猫坐在壁炉前发出呼噜声的样子时，就相信这是千真万确的

and this I can verily believe as I gaze upon him who sitteth purring before the fire.

猫是神秘的生物，与人眼不可见的奇异之物有着紧密的联系

For the cat is cryptic, and close to strange things which men cannot see.

猫是古埃及普托斯的灵魂，传承着梅罗伊和俄斐等失落都市的传说

He is the soul of ancient Aegyptus, and bearer of tales from forgotten cities in Meroë and Ophir.

它是丛林支配者的亲族，继承了悠远而凶险的非洲秘密。

He is the kin of the jungle’s lords, and heir to the secrets of distant and sinister Africa.

猫是斯芬克斯的远亲，它懂得斯芬克斯的语言

The Sphinx is his cousin, and he speaks her language

但它远比斯芬克斯古老的多，记得斯芬克斯也已曾忘却的事情

but he is more ancient than the Sphinx, and remembers that which she hath forgotten.

在乌撒的自由民们被禁止杀猫之前

In Ulthar, before ever the burgesses forbade the killing of cats,

在那居住的一个老佃农和他的妻子喜欢设下陷阱，捕杀附近领居家的猫

there dwelt an old cotter and his wife who delighted to trap and slay the cats of their neighbours.

我不知道他们为什么要这么做

Why they did this I know not

但我明白许多人讨厌猫在晚上的叫声

save that many hate the voice of the cat in the night,

而且猫在黄昏时偷摸着穿过庭院和花园是件不吉利的事情

and take it ill that cats should run stealthily about yards and gardens at twilight.

不管出于何因

But whatever the reason,

这个老头和他妻子都以设陷阱捕杀附近的猫为乐

this old man and woman took pleasure in trapping and slaying every cat which came near to their hovel;

从居民们天黑之后听到的声音来看

and from some of the sounds heard after dark,

根本想象不出他们杀猫的手段

many villagers fancied that the methods were exceedingly peculiar.

但居民们从来没有和这对夫妇讨论过这件事

But the villagers did not discuss such things with the old man and his wife;

这既是因为他们堆满皱纹的脸上露出的表情

because of the habitual expression on the withered faces of the two,

也因为他们藏在废弃院落中一棵橡树树荫下的破屋又小又阴暗

and because their cottage was so small and so darkly hidden under spreading oaks at the back of a neglected yard.

实际上，养猫的人越是憎恨这对夫妻

In truth, much as the owners of cats hated these odd folk,

也就越惧怕他们

they feared them more;

与其指责他们是一对残忍的杀手

and instead of berating them as brutal assassins,

不如小心看顾着他们的宠物或是叫捕鼠能手，不让他们接近橡树阴影下的破屋

merely took care that no cherished pet or mouser should stray towards the remote hovel under the dark trees.

但仍有一些猫不可避免的走失

When throughout some unavoidable oversight a cat was missed,

而天黑后又会传来那样的声音

and sounds heard after dark,

丢失猫的主人只能无力地悲叹

the owner would lament impotently;

或者感谢命运没有让他们自己的孩子就这样消失来自我安慰

or console himself by thanking fate that it was not one of his children who had thus vanished.

乌撒的居民们都十分淳朴，他们都不知道最初这里的猫是从哪来的

For the people of Ulthar were simple, and knew not whence it is all cats first came.

有一天，一直奇怪的流浪商队从南方的土地进入了乌撒狭窄的鹅卵石街道

One day a caravan of strange wanderers from the South entered the narrow cobbled streets of Ulthar.

他们的皮肤黝黑，和其他那些每年经过镇子两次的巡回商人截然不同

Dark wanderers they were, and unlike the other roving folk who passed through the village twice every year.

在市场里面他们用白银算命

In the market-place they told fortunes for silver,

并且从商人那里买来色彩鲜艳的珠子

and bought sparkling beads from the merchants.

没人知道他们从哪来

What was the land of these wanderers none could tell;

但他们的信仰应该非常独特

but it was seen that they were given to strange prayers,

这从画在他们货车两旁的猫首人

and that they had painted on the sides of their wagons odd figures with human bodies and the heads of cats,

鹰首人，羊首人，狮首人的异样图案就能看出

hawks, rams, and lions.

商队的首领戴着一顶双角头饰，两角中间还夹着一个奇特的圆盘

And the leader of the caravan wore a head-dress with two horns and a curious disc betwixt them

这个奇异的商队中有一个失去双亲的小男孩

There was in the singular caravan a little boy with no father or mother,

仅有一只小黑猫和他相伴

and only a tiny black kitten to cherish.

瘟疫没有善待他

The plague had not been kind to him,

只给他留下了这个毛茸茸的小东西来缓解悲痛

yet had left him this small furry thing to mitigate his sorrow;

对小孩来说，一只小黑猫的憨态带给他的安慰就已经非常足够了

and when one is very young, one can find great relief in the lively antics of a kitten.

这个被商队里的人称作美尼斯的小男孩坐在画有奇妙图案的马车踏板上，与这只姿态柔雅的小猫玩耍时，他的笑容远比泪水更多

So the boy whom the dark people called Menace smiled more often than he wept as he sat playing with his graceful kitten in the steps of an oddly painted wagon.

这只流浪商队停留在乌撒的第三天的早晨

On the third morning of the wanderers’ stay in Ulthar,

美尼斯的小猫不见了

Menace could not find his kitten; 

当他在市场里哭泣时，几个镇民告诉了他那对夫妇的事情

and as he sobbed aloud in the market-place certain villagers told him of the old man and his wife,

还有他们在晚上听到的声音

and of strange sounds heard in the night.

听到这些，美尼斯不再哭泣，转入沉思

And when he heard these things his sobbing gave place to meditation,

最后开始祈祷

and finally to prayer.

他向太阳展开双臂，用一种镇民们完全无法理解的语言祷告

He stretched out his arms toward the sun and prayed in a tongue no villager could understand;

当然，镇民们并没有尽力理解他的祷词

though indeed the villagers did not try very hard to do so

他们的注意力全被天空和形状怪异的云朵所吸引了

since their attention was mostly taken up by the sky and the odd shapes the clouds were assuming.

这件事太怪异了

It was very peculiar, 

但当小男孩说出他的请求后，天上似乎形成了某种阴暗，朦胧的异样身影

but as the little boy uttered his petition there seemed to form overhead the shadowy,

那是由诸多特征组合而成的生物

nebulous figures of exotic things

头生双角，两角中间夹着一个圆盘

of hybrid creatures crowned with horns and discs.

自然界充满着这种能使充满想象力的人影响深刻的幻想

Nature is full of such illusions to impress the imaginative.

那天晚上，商队离开了乌撒，从此再也没有人见过他们

That night the wanderers left Ulthar,

and were never seen again.

当镇民们发现全镇上下找不到一只猫时，他们开始感到不安

And the householders were troubled when they noticed that in all the village there was not a cat to be found.

所有的猫都不见了

From each hearth the familiar cat had vanished;

大猫，小猫，黑猫，灰猫，虎斑猫，黄猫，白猫全都消失了

cats large and small, black, grey, striped, yellow, and white.

镇长老克拉农坚称是那些黝黑的人为了报复美尼斯被害的小猫而带走了所有猫咪

Old Kranon, the burgomaster, swore that the dark folk had taken the cats away in revenge for the killing of Menace's kitten;

还诅咒了商队和那个小男孩

and cursed the caravan and the little boy.

但削瘦的公证人尼斯认为老佃农和他妻子嫌疑更大

But Nith, the notary, declared that the old cotter and his wife were more likely persons to suspect

他们对猫的憎恶臭名昭著还愈发肆无忌惮

for their hatred of cats was notorious and increasingly bold.

尽管如此，没人敢去质问那对夫妇

Still, no one durst complain to the sinister couple;

哪怕听了客栈老板的小儿子，阿塔尔的话后也是如此

even when little Atal, the innkeeper’s son,

他发誓说，他曾在黄昏时看见乌撒所有的猫都聚集在那个被诅咒的院落的树下

vowed that he had at twilight seen all the cats of Ulthar in that accursed yard under the trees,

成两列纵队绕着破屋围成一圈、缓慢而庄严的踱步，仿佛在执行某种前所未闻的动物仪式

pacing very slowly and solemnly in a circle around the cottage,

two abreast, as if in a small performance of some unheard-of rite of beasts.

镇民们不知道这么小的孩子说的话有多可信

The villagers did not know how much to believe from so such a young boy;

尽管害怕那对凶恶的夫妇已经用魔法迷惑了所有猫将他们杀死

and though they feared that the evil pair had charmed the cats to their death,

他们还是打算等那个老佃农离开那个黑案而令人厌恶的院子后再去谴责他

they preferred not to chide the old cotter till they met him outside his dark and repellent yard.

于是，乌撒镇在无声的愤怒中入睡

and thus, Ulthar went to sleep in vain anger;

而当人们在黎明中醒来时—哎呀!

and when the people awaken the dawn—behold!

所有的猫又回来了

every cat was back at his accustomed hearth!

大猫小猫，黑猫，灰猫，虎斑猫，黄猫，白猫，一直不缺

Large and small, black, grey, striped, yellow, and white,

none was missing.

就趴在熟悉的壁炉边，还不停发出满足的呼噜声

Very sleek and fat did the cats appear, and sonorous with purring content.

这件事成为了镇民们讨论的话题，都对此表示惊奇

The citizens talked with one another of the affair, and marvelled not a little.

老克拉农依然坚持说，是那些黝黑的人带走了猫咪

Old Kranon again insisted that it was the dark folk who had taken them, 

因为没有猫能从那对夫妇的破屋中活着回来

since cats do not return alive from the cottage of the ancient man and his wife.

他们都只认同一件事：所有猫都拒绝进食或者喝牛奶，实在是太怪了

But all agreed on one thing: that the refusal of all the cats to eat their portions of meat or drink their saucers of milk was exceedingly curious.

接下来的整整两天，这些皮毛光亮的，懒洋洋的乌撒猫都没有碰任何食物

And for two whole days the sleek, lazy cats of Ulthar would touch no food,

仅仅是在太阳或火炉旁打盹而已

but only doze by the fire or in the sun.

整一周后镇民才发觉，到了晚上，橡树树荫下的灯光再也没亮起过

It was fully a week before the villagers noticed that no lights were appearing at dusk in the windows of the cottage under the trees.

削瘦的尼斯发现，从猫咪消失的那晚起，就没人再见过那对夫妇了

Then the lean Nith remarked that no one had seen the old man or his wife since the night the cats were away.

又过了一周，镇长决定克服自己的恐惧，把调查那座陷入诡异静谧的破屋当成自己的义务

In another week the burgomaster decided to overcome his fears and call at the strangely silent dwelling as a matter of duty,

但他还是谨慎地带上了铁匠商和石匠苏尔作见证

though in doing so he was careful to take with him Shang the blacksmith and Thul the stone cutter as witnesses.

砸开破烂的门后，他们未曾意料地发现了

And when they broken down the frail door they did not expect their discovery: 

两具被剔得干干净净的人类骨架躺在泥地上

two cleanly picked human skeletons lying on the earthen floor,

阴暗的角落里爬满了甲虫

and a number of singular beetles crawling in the shadowy corners.

那之后，乌撒的居民就此事讨论了很久

There was subsequently much talk among the burgesses of Ulthar.

验尸官札斯和削瘦的公证人尼斯唇枪舌战

Zath, the coroner, disputed at length with Nith, the lean notary;

克拉农、阿商和苏尔被质问不休。就连客栈老板的儿子阿塔尔也被刨根问底

and Kranon and Shang and Thul were overwhelmed with questions.

就连客栈老板的儿子阿塔尔也被刨根问底，还得到了一块糖作为报酬

Even little Atal, the innkeeper’s son, was closely questioned and given sweets as reward.

他们讨论着老佃农和他的老伴

They talked of the old cotter and his wife,

黝黑的流浪商队、美尼斯和他的小黑猫

of the caravan of dark wanderers, of small Menaces and his black kitten, 

他的祈祷和当时天空的变化，

of the prayer of Menace and of the sky during set prayer,

猫在商队离开那晚的行为

of the doings of the cats on the night the caravan left,

还有在那个人藏在废弃院落的树荫下破屋发现的东西

and of what was later found in the cottage under the dark trees in that repugnant yard.

最后，乌撒的居民们一致通过了那条被哈提格的商人讲述，被旅人尼尔谈论的法律

And in the end the burgesses pass that remarkable law which is told of by traders in Hatheg and discussed by travellers in Nir;

在乌撒，不得有人杀猫。

namely, that in Ulthar no man may kill a cat.