據(jù)說(shuō)，在史凱河的對(duì)面叫做烏撒的城市

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

嚴(yán)禁任何人殺貓

no man may kill a cat

當(dāng)我凝視著愛(ài)貓坐在壁爐前發(fā)出呼嚕聲的樣子時(shí)，就相信這是千真萬(wàn)確的

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

貓是神秘的生物，與人眼不可見(jiàn)的奇異之物有著緊密的聯(lián)系

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

貓是古埃及普托斯的靈魂，傳承著梅羅伊和俄斐等失落都市的傳說(shuō)

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

它是叢林支配者的親族，繼承了悠遠(yuǎn)而兇險(xiǎn)的非洲秘密。

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

貓是斯芬克斯的遠(yuǎn)親，它懂得斯芬克斯的語(yǔ)言

The Sphinx is his cousin, and he speaks her language

但它遠(yuǎn)比斯芬克斯古老的多，記得斯芬克斯也已曾忘卻的事情

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

在烏撒的自由民們被禁止殺貓之前

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

在那居住的一個(gè)老佃農(nóng)和他的妻子喜歡設(shè)下陷阱，捕殺附近領(lǐng)居家的貓

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

我不知道他們?yōu)槭裁匆@么做

Why they did this I know not

但我明白許多人討厭貓?jiān)谕砩系慕新?/p>

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

而且貓?jiān)邳S昏時(shí)偷摸著穿過(guò)庭院和花園是件不吉利的事情

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,

這個(gè)老頭和他妻子都以設(shè)陷阱捕殺附近的貓為樂(lè)

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

從居民們天黑之后聽(tīng)到的聲音來(lái)看

and from some of the sounds heard after dark,

根本想象不出他們殺貓的手段

many villagers fancied that the methods were exceedingly peculiar.

但居民們從來(lái)沒(méi)有和這對(duì)夫婦討論過(guò)這件事

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

這既是因?yàn)樗麄兌褲M(mǎn)皺紋的臉上露出的表情

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

也因?yàn)樗麄儾卦趶U棄院落中一棵橡樹(shù)樹(shù)蔭下的破屋又小又陰暗

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

實(shí)際上，養(yǎng)貓的人越是憎恨這對(duì)夫妻

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

也就越懼怕他們

they feared them more;

與其指責(zé)他們是一對(duì)殘忍的殺手

and instead of berating them as brutal assassins,

不如小心看顧著他們的寵物或是叫捕鼠能手，不讓他們接近橡樹(shù)陰影下的破屋

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

但仍有一些貓不可避免的走失

When throughout some unavoidable oversight a cat was missed,

而天黑后又會(huì)傳來(lái)那樣的聲音

and sounds heard after dark,

丟失貓的主人只能無(wú)力地悲嘆

the owner would lament impotently;

或者感謝命運(yùn)沒(méi)有讓他們自己的孩子就這樣消失來(lái)自我安慰

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

烏撒的居民們都十分淳樸，他們都不知道最初這里的貓是從哪來(lái)的

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

有一天，一直奇怪的流浪商隊(duì)從南方的土地進(jìn)入了烏撒狹窄的鵝卵石街道

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

他們的皮膚黝黑，和其他那些每年經(jīng)過(guò)鎮(zhèn)子兩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.

在市場(chǎng)里面他們用白銀算命

In the market-place they told fortunes for silver,

并且從商人那里買(mǎi)來(lái)色彩鮮艷的珠子

and bought sparkling beads from the merchants.

沒(méi)人知道他們從哪來(lái)

What was the land of these wanderers none could tell;

但他們的信仰應(yīng)該非常獨(dú)特

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

這從畫(huà)在他們貨車(chē)兩旁的貓首人

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

鷹首人，羊首人，獅首人的異樣圖案就能看出

hawks, rams, and lions.

商隊(duì)的首領(lǐng)戴著一頂雙角頭飾，兩角中間還夾著一個(gè)奇特的圓盤(pán)

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

這個(gè)奇異的商隊(duì)中有一個(gè)失去雙親的小男孩

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

僅有一只小黑貓和他相伴

and only a tiny black kitten to cherish.

瘟疫沒(méi)有善待他

The plague had not been kind to him,

只給他留下了這個(gè)毛茸茸的小東西來(lái)緩解悲痛

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

對(duì)小孩來(lái)說(shuō)，一只小黑貓的憨態(tài)帶給他的安慰就已經(jīng)非常足夠了

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

這個(gè)被商隊(duì)里的人稱(chēng)作美尼斯的小男孩坐在畫(huà)有奇妙圖案的馬車(chē)踏板上，與這只姿態(tài)柔雅的小貓玩耍時(shí)，他的笑容遠(yuǎn)比淚水更多

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.

這只流浪商隊(duì)停留在烏撒的第三天的早晨

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

美尼斯的小貓不見(jiàn)了

Menace could not find his kitten;?

當(dāng)他在市場(chǎng)里哭泣時(shí)，幾個(gè)鎮(zhèn)民告訴了他那對(duì)夫婦的事情

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

還有他們?cè)谕砩下?tīng)到的聲音

and of strange sounds heard in the night.

聽(tīng)到這些，美尼斯不再哭泣，轉(zhuǎn)入沉思

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

最后開(kāi)始祈禱

and finally to prayer.

他向太陽(yáng)展開(kāi)雙臂，用一種鎮(zhèn)民們完全無(wú)法理解的語(yǔ)言禱告

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

當(dāng)然，鎮(zhèn)民們并沒(méi)有盡力理解他的禱詞

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

他們的注意力全被天空和形狀怪異的云朵所吸引了

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

這件事太怪異了

It was very peculiar,?

但當(dāng)小男孩說(shuō)出他的請(qǐng)求后，天上似乎形成了某種陰暗，朦朧的異樣身影

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

那是由諸多特征組合而成的生物

nebulous figures of exotic things

頭生雙角，兩角中間夾著一個(gè)圓盤(pán)

of hybrid creatures crowned with horns and discs.

自然界充滿(mǎn)著這種能使充滿(mǎn)想象力的人影響深刻的幻想

Nature is full of such illusions to impress the imaginative.

那天晚上，商隊(duì)離開(kāi)了烏撒，從此再也沒(méi)有人見(jiàn)過(guò)他們

That night the wanderers left Ulthar,

and were never seen again.

當(dāng)鎮(zhèn)民們發(fā)現(xiàn)全鎮(zhèn)上下找不到一只貓時(shí)，他們開(kāi)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.

所有的貓都不見(jiàn)了

From each hearth the familiar cat had vanished;

大貓，小貓，黑貓，灰貓，虎斑貓，黃貓，白貓全都消失了

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

鎮(zhèn)長(zhǎng)老克拉農(nóng)堅(jiān)稱(chēng)是那些黝黑的人為了報(bào)復(fù)美尼斯被害的小貓而帶走了所有貓咪

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

還詛咒了商隊(duì)和那個(gè)小男孩

and cursed the caravan and the little boy.

但削瘦的公證人尼斯認(rèn)為老佃農(nóng)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

他們對(duì)貓的憎惡臭名昭著還愈發(fā)肆無(wú)忌憚

for their hatred of cats was notorious and increasingly bold.

盡管如此，沒(méi)人敢去質(zhì)問(wèn)那對(duì)夫婦

Still, no one durst complain to the sinister couple;

哪怕聽(tīng)了客棧老板的小兒子，阿塔爾的話(huà)后也是如此

even when little Atal, the innkeeper’s son,

他發(fā)誓說(shuō)，他曾在黃昏時(shí)看見(jiàn)烏撒所有的貓都聚集在那個(gè)被詛咒的院落的樹(shù)下

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

成兩列縱隊(duì)繞著破屋圍成一圈、緩慢而莊嚴(yán)的踱步，仿佛在執(zhí)行某種前所未聞的動(dòng)物儀式

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.

鎮(zhèn)民們不知道這么小的孩子說(shuō)的話(huà)有多可信

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

盡管害怕那對(duì)兇惡的夫婦已經(jīng)用魔法迷惑了所有貓將他們殺死

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

他們還是打算等那個(gè)老佃農(nóng)離開(kāi)那個(gè)黑案而令人厭惡的院子后再去譴責(zé)他

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

于是，烏撒鎮(zhèn)在無(wú)聲的憤怒中入睡

and thus, Ulthar went to sleep in vain anger;

而當(dāng)人們?cè)诶杳髦行褋?lái)時(shí)—哎呀!

and when the people awaken the dawn—behold!

所有的貓又回來(lái)了

every cat was back at his accustomed hearth!

大貓小貓，黑貓，灰貓，虎斑貓，黃貓，白貓，一直不缺

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

none was missing.

就趴在熟悉的壁爐邊，還不停發(fā)出滿(mǎn)足的呼嚕聲

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

這件事成為了鎮(zhèn)民們討論的話(huà)題，都對(duì)此表示驚奇

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

老克拉農(nóng)依然堅(jiān)持說(shuō)，是那些黝黑的人帶走了貓咪

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

因?yàn)闆](méi)有貓能從那對(duì)夫婦的破屋中活著回來(lái)

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

他們都只認(rèn)同一件事：所有貓都拒絕進(jìn)食或者喝牛奶，實(shí)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.

接下來(lái)的整整兩天，這些皮毛光亮的，懶洋洋的烏撒貓都沒(méi)有碰任何食物

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

僅僅是在太陽(yáng)或火爐旁打盹而已

but only doze by the fire or in the sun.

整一周后鎮(zhèn)民才發(fā)覺(jué)，到了晚上，橡樹(shù)樹(shù)蔭下的燈光再也沒(méi)亮起過(guò)

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.

削瘦的尼斯發(fā)現(xiàn)，從貓咪消失的那晚起，就沒(méi)人再見(jiàn)過(guò)那對(duì)夫婦了

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

又過(guò)了一周，鎮(zhèn)長(zhǎng)決定克服自己的恐懼，把調(diào)查那座陷入詭異靜謐的破屋當(dāng)成自己的義務(wù)

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

但他還是謹(jǐn)慎地帶上了鐵匠商和石匠蘇爾作見(jiàn)證

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

砸開(kāi)破爛的門(mén)后，他們未曾意料地發(fā)現(xiàn)了

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

兩具被剔得干干凈凈的人類(lèi)骨架躺在泥地上

two cleanly picked human skeletons lying on the earthen floor,

陰暗的角落里爬滿(mǎn)了甲蟲(chóng)

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

那之后，烏撒的居民就此事討論了很久

There was subsequently much talk among the burgesses of Ulthar.

驗(yàn)尸官札斯和削瘦的公證人尼斯唇槍舌戰(zhàn)

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

克拉農(nóng)、阿商和蘇爾被質(zhì)問(wèn)不休。就連客棧老板的兒子阿塔爾也被刨根問(wèn)底

and Kranon and Shang and Thul were overwhelmed with questions.

就連客棧老板的兒子阿塔爾也被刨根問(wèn)底，還得到了一塊糖作為報(bào)酬

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

他們討論著老佃農(nóng)和他的老伴

They talked of the old cotter and his wife,

黝黑的流浪商隊(duì)、美尼斯和他的小黑貓

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

他的祈禱和當(dāng)時(shí)天空的變化，

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

貓?jiān)谏剃?duì)離開(kāi)那晚的行為

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

還有在那個(gè)人藏在廢棄院落的樹(shù)蔭下破屋發(fā)現(xiàn)的東西

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

最后，烏撒的居民們一致通過(guò)了那條被哈提格的商人講述，被旅人尼爾談?wù)摰姆?/p>

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

在烏撒，不得有人殺貓。

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