本篇節(jié)選自《馴龍高手》原著，由譯者：學(xué)有所長(zhǎng)無(wú)償漢化，僅供參考，請(qǐng)酌情引用譯文。未經(jīng)譯者授權(quán)禁止轉(zhuǎn)載譯文。

作者信息

作者：克蕾西達(dá)·考威爾（原著）

譯者：學(xué)有所長(zhǎng)

譯文：?

在那天比較晚的時(shí)候，小嗝嗝回到家里時(shí)，他的父親史圖伊克對(duì)他大發(fā)雷霆。

“你怎敢公開(kāi)質(zhì)疑我，小嗝嗝！”史圖伊克大吼，“質(zhì)疑我的計(jì)劃，還總說(shuō)什么要和恐懼龍聊聊，明明大家都知道說(shuō)龍語(yǔ)是禁止的。這不僅是對(duì)我不忠，而且還很危險(xiǎn)。你終有一天會(huì)成為首領(lǐng)，你可不能讓別人以為你會(huì)和龍說(shuō)話(huà)。這是不被允許的，而且，呃，這是有點(diǎn)……奇怪！”

小嗝嗝看起來(lái)慘兮兮的樣子。他總是想讓父親高興，但是不知怎么他似乎總是做不到。

“向我保證你不會(huì)嘗試去和這只怪獸說(shuō)話(huà)！”史圖伊克命令道，“我不想你離它太近！”

小嗝嗝咕噥說(shuō)他保證。

“還有一件事情！”史圖伊克大喊，“你說(shuō)這是誰(shuí)干的？” 史圖伊克舉起一個(gè)被嚼爛的劍帶。啊哦。

小嗝嗝的打獵龍，無(wú)牙，正虧心地躲在桌子下面。

無(wú)牙是古往今來(lái)最小的，最可愛(ài)的，最喜歡亂鉆的打獵平凡龍（Common-or-Garden）。

而且他也是最調(diào)皮的。

“呃……”小嗝嗝嘟噥著，“老鼠？”他期待地說(shuō)。

“這不是老鼠！這些是一只沒(méi)有牙的龍的牙齦??！”史圖伊克喊道，“你的龍，小嗝嗝！而且我估計(jì)你是準(zhǔn)備告訴我說(shuō)我這套無(wú)價(jià)的長(zhǎng)矛收藏也是那些噴火老鼠燒的？”

“你那只龍完全失控了！”史圖伊克大叫道，“他不亂啃東西的時(shí)候，就去燒我的內(nèi)褲。這個(gè)房子里到處都是焦痕。你得讓他知道是誰(shuí)作主，小嗝嗝，讓他知道誰(shuí)是主人?！?/p>

然后大塊頭史圖伊克把他肥大的胳膊伸到桌子底下，抓住了無(wú)牙的腿，把他拉出來(lái)放到桌上。

“你給我聽(tīng)好了，無(wú)汁還是什么的，”史圖伊克堅(jiān)定地喊道，“下次你要是再燒壞什么或者咬壞什么我就永久地把你從這房子里扔出去，你聽(tīng)懂了嗎？”

“你看到了吧，小嗝嗝？”史圖伊克解釋道，“這非常簡(jiǎn)單。在你面前我作主，所以我負(fù)責(zé)思考出機(jī)智策略，然后你就聽(tīng)話(huà)照做就好了。而在無(wú)牙面前你作主，所以你告訴他該怎么做，他照做就行了?，F(xiàn)在我得要早點(diǎn)睡了，這樣我才能明天早上早起去打恐懼龍。”

然后他打了一個(gè)大大的哈欠，邁著大步去睡覺(jué)了。

小嗝嗝責(zé)備地看著無(wú)牙。

“你不能再自私了。*”小嗝嗝說(shuō)。

*小嗝嗝在用龍語(yǔ)和他的龍說(shuō)話(huà)，因?yàn)樾∴绵檬枪磐駚?lái)都少有的會(huì)說(shuō)這門(mén)神奇的語(yǔ)言的維京人。

“但是無(wú)牙很餓?！睙o(wú)牙哀嚎著，“是無(wú)牙的肚子的錯(cuò)。它告訴無(wú)牙它很空，無(wú)牙感覺(jué)對(duì)不起它……”

小嗝嗝嘆了口氣。

“我們都很餓，無(wú)牙。要是你不聽(tīng)話(huà)的話(huà)，我很難照顧你。你知道規(guī)則是怎么樣的，規(guī)則都寫(xiě)在你的表現(xiàn)表上……不要啃我爸的東西……”

“好——好的?！睙o(wú)牙劇烈地點(diǎn)頭，點(diǎn)得他的角都晃動(dòng)了。

“不在房子里大小便……”

“不會(huì)，不會(huì)，一定不會(huì)……”無(wú)牙說(shuō)。

“而且絕對(duì)不準(zhǔn)燒著東西……”小嗝嗝用最堅(jiān)定的聲音說(shuō)，“你不想我爸把你扔出去吧？”

“無(wú)牙會(huì)聽(tīng)話(huà)！”無(wú)牙說(shuō)，“無(wú)牙保證。心劃十字，以死起誓。無(wú)牙會(huì)非常聽(tīng)話(huà)?！?/p>

但是我恐怕是知道事實(shí)的，無(wú)牙背地里用爪子比了個(gè)十字。

注：背地里比十字是表示發(fā)誓不對(duì)自己算數(shù)的意思。

原文：

Later that evening, when Hiccup returned home, Stoick, his father, was furious with him.

‘How dare you question me in public. Hiccup!’ yelled Stoick. ‘Criticising my plan, and banging on about talking to the Dreader, when everyone knows that the speaking of Dragonese is forbidden. Not only is it disloyal to me, it’s dangerous. You will be Chief one day and you can’t have them thinking you talk to dragons. It’s not allowed and, well, it is a little… weird!’

Hiccup looked miserable. He was always trying to please his father, and somehow he never seemed to.

‘Promise me you will not try and talk to this monster!’ ordered Stoick. ‘I don’t want you getting too close to it!’

Hiccup mumbled that he promised.

‘And another thing!’ roared Stoick. ‘Who do you think did this?’

Stoick held up the chewed remains of a swordbelt. Uh-oh.

Hiccup’s hunting-dragon, Toothless, was hiding guiltily under the table.

Toothless was the smallest, cutest, most wriggly Common-or-Garden hunting-dragon that anybody had ever seen, before or since.

He was also the NAUGHTIEST.

‘Umm…’ muttered Hiccup. ‘Mice?’ he suggested hopefully.

‘This was not mice! Those are the gum-marks of a fang-free dragon!’ yelled Stoick. ‘YOUR dragon, Hiccup! And I suppose you’re going to tell me that those flame-breathing mice have

set fire to my priceless spear collection as well?’

‘That dragon of yours is completely out of control!’ screamed Stoick the Vast, If he’s not chewing things, he’s burning my underpants. There are scorch-marks all over this house. You have to show him who’s boss, Hiccup, show him who’s boss,’

And Stoick the Vast reached under the table with his big fat arm, and he caught Toothless by the leg, and sat him on the table.

‘NOW LISTEN TO ME, JUICELESS OR WHATEVER YOU’RE CALLED,’ yelled Stoick firmly. ‘THE NEXT TIME YOU BURN SOMETHING OR CHEW SOMETHING I WILL THROW YOU OUT OF THIS HOUSE FOR EVER, DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?

‘You see. Hiccup?’ explained Stoick, ‘It’s perfectly simple, I am your boss, so I think up the Clever and Intelligent Plan, and you do as you are told. And you are the boss of Toothless, so you tell him what to do and he does it. Now, I’m going to need an early night if I’m going to bash up that Dreader tomorrow.’

And he gave a gigantic yawn and stomped off to bed.

Hiccup looked at Toothless reproachfully.

‘You have to stop being so selfish,’ said Hiccup.*

*Hiccup was speaking to his dragon in Dragonese, for Hiccup was one of the few Vikings, before or since, who have been able to speak this fascinating language.

‘But T-T-Toothless was hungry,’ whined Toothless. ‘Was Toothless’s tummy’s fault. It told Toothless It was so empty and TootMess felt sorry for It…’

Hiccup sighed.

‘We’re all hungry, Toothless. It’s so hard looking after you if you won’t do what you’re told. You know the rules, they’re all written uf on your star chart… No chewing my father’s stuff…’

‘O-O-OK,’ Toothless nodded his head so hard his horns wobbled.

‘No pooing Insihe the house…’

‘N-n-n-no, no, no…’ agreed Toothless.

‘And absolutely no setting fire to things…’ said Hiccup in his sternest voice.

‘You don’t want my father throwing you out, do you?’

‘Toothless will be g-g-good!’ said Toothless. ‘Toothless promises. Cross Toothless’s heart and hope to hie. Toothless will be very, very good.’

But I’m afraid I know the truth, and Toothless had his claws crossed behind his back.