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Grahem The wind in the willows (a whole book), The Wind in the Willows (9)

The Wind in the Willows (9)

making you jump and run for cover. Snow-castles and snow-caverns had sprung up out of nowhere in the night—and snow bridges, terraces, ramparts—I could have stayed and played with them for hours. Here and there great branches had been torn away by the sheer weight of the snow, and robins perched and hopped on them in their perky conceited way, just as if they had done it themselves. A ragged string of wild geese passed overhead, high on the grey sky, and a few rooks whirled over the trees, inspected, and flapped off homewards with a disgusted expression; but I met no sensible being to ask the news of. About half-way across I came on a rabbit sitting on a stump, cleaning his silly face with his paws. He was a pretty scared animal when I crept up behind him and placed a heavy fore-paw on his shoulder. I had to cuff his head once or twice to get any sense out of it at all. At last I managed to extract from him that Mole had been seen in the Wild Wood last night by one of them. It was the talk of the burrows, he said, how Mole, Mr. Rat's particular friend, was in a bad fix; how he had lost his way, and 'They' were up and out hunting, and were chivvying him round and round. 'Then why didn't any of you do something?' I asked. 'You mayn't be blessed with brains, but there are hundreds and hundreds of you, big, stout fellows, as fat as butter, and your burrows running in all directions, and you could have taken him in and made him safe and comfortable, or tried to, at all events.' 'What, us?' he merely said: 'do something? us rabbits?' So I cuffed him again and left him. There was nothing else to be done. At any rate, I had learnt something; and if I had had the luck to meet any of 'Them' I'd have learnt something more—or they would."

Through the Wild Wood and the snow Through the Wild Wood and the snow

"Weren't you at all—er—nervous?" asked the Mole, some of yesterday's terror coming back to him at the mention of the Wild Wood.

"Nervous?" The Otter showed a gleaming set of strong white teeth as he laughed. "I'd give 'em nerves if any of them tried anything on with me. Here, Mole, fry me some slices of ham, like the good little chap you are. I'm frightfully hungry, and I've got any amount to say to Ratty here. Haven't seen him for an age."

So the good-natured Mole, having cut some slices of ham, set the hedgehogs to fry it, and returned to his own breakfast, while the Otter and the Rat, their heads together, eagerly talked river-shop, which is long shop and talk that is endless, running on like the babbling river itself.

A plate of fried ham had just been cleared and sent back for more, when the Badger entered, yawning and rubbing his eyes, and greeted them all in his quiet, simple way, with kind inquiries for every one. "It must be getting on for luncheon time," he remarked to the Otter. "Better stop and have it with us. You must be hungry, this cold morning."

"Rather!" replied the Otter, winking at the Mole. "The sight of these greedy young hedgehogs stuffing themselves with fried ham makes me feel positively famished."

The hedgehogs, who were just beginning to feel hungry again after their porridge, and after working so hard at their frying, looked timidly up at Mr. Badger, but were too shy to say anything.

"Here, you two youngsters, be off home to your mother," said the Badger kindly. "I'll send some one with you to show you the way. You won't want any dinner to-day, I'll be bound."

He gave them sixpence a-piece and a pat on the head, and they went off with much respectful swinging of caps and touching of forelocks.

Presently they all sat down to luncheon together. The Mole found himself placed next to Mr. Badger, and, as the other two were still deep in river-gossip from which nothing could divert them, he took the opportunity to tell Badger how comfortable and home-like it all felt to him. "Once well underground," he said, "you know exactly where you are. Nothing can happen to you, and nothing can get at you. You're entirely your own master, and you don't have to consult anybody or mind what they say. Things go on all the same overhead, and you let 'em, and don't bother about 'em. When you want to, up you go, and there the things are, waiting for you."

The Badger simply beamed on him. "That's exactly what I say," he replied. "There's no security, or peace and tranquillity, except underground. And then, if your ideas get larger and you want to expand—why, a dig and a scrape, and there you are! If you feel your house is a bit too big, you stop up a hole or two, and there you are again! No builders, no tradesmen, no remarks passed on you by fellows looking over your wall, and, above all, no weather. Look at Rat, now. A couple of feet of flood water, and he's got to move into hired lodgings; uncomfortable, inconveniently situated, and horribly expensive. Take Toad. I say nothing against Toad Hall; quite the best house in these parts, as a house. But supposing a fire breaks out—where's Toad? Supposing tiles are blown off, or walls sink or crack, or windows get broken—where's Toad? Supposing the rooms are draughty—I hate a draught myself—where's Toad? No, up and out of doors is good enough to roam about and get one's living in; but underground to come back to at last—that's my idea of home!"

The Mole assented heartily; and the Badger in consequence got very friendly with him. "When lunch is over," he said, "I'll take you all round this little place of mine. I can see you'll appreciate it. You understand what domestic architecture ought to be, you do."

After luncheon, accordingly, when the other two had settled themselves into the chimney-corner and had started a heated argument on the subject of eels, the Badger lighted a lantern and bade the Mole follow him. Crossing the hall, they passed down one of the principal tunnels, and the wavering light of the lantern gave glimpses on either side of rooms both large and small, some mere cupboards, others nearly as broad and imposing as Toad's dining-hall. A narrow passage at right angles led them into another corridor, and here the same thing was repeated. The Mole was staggered at the size, the extent, the ramifications of it all; at the length of the dim passages, the solid vaultings of the crammed store-chambers, the masonry everywhere, the pillars, the arches, the pavements. "How on earth, Badger," he said at last, "did you ever find time and strength to do all this? It's astonishing!"

"It would be astonishing indeed," said the Badger simply, "if I had done it. But as a matter of fact I did none of it—only cleaned out the passages and chambers, as far as I had need of them. There's lots more of it, all round about. I see you don't understand, and I must explain it to you. Well, very long ago, on the spot where the Wild Wood waves now, before ever it had planted itself and grown up to what it now is, there was a city—a city of people, you know. Here, where we are standing, they lived, and walked, and talked, and slept, and carried on their business. Here they stabled their horses and feasted, from here they rode out to fight or drove out to trade. They were a powerful people, and rich, and great builders. They built to last, for they thought their city would last for ever."

"But what has become of them all?" asked the Mole.

"Who can tell?" said the Badger. "People come—they stay for a while, they flourish, they build—and they go. It is their way. But we remain. There were badgers here, I've been told, long before that same city ever came to be. And now there are badgers here again. We are an enduring lot, and we may move out for a time, but we wait, and are patient, and back we come. And so it will ever be."

"Well, and when they went at last, those people?" said the Mole.

"When they went," continued the Badger, "the strong winds and persistent rains took the matter in hand, patiently, ceaselessly, year after year. Perhaps we badgers too, in our small way, helped a little—who knows? It was all down, down, down, gradually—ruin and levelling and disappearance. Then it was all up, up, up, gradually, as seeds grew to saplings, and saplings to forest trees, and bramble and fern came creeping in to help. Leaf-mould rose and obliterated, streams in their winter freshets brought sand and soil to clog and to cover, and in course of time our home was ready for us again, and we moved in. Up above us, on the surface, the same thing happened. Animals arrived, liked the look of the place, took up their quarters, settled down, spread, and flourished. They didn't bother themselves about the past—they never do; they're too busy. The place was a bit humpy and hillocky, naturally, and full of holes; but that was rather an advantage. And they don't bother about the future, either—the future when perhaps the people will move in again—for a time—as may very well be. The Wild Wood is pretty well populated by now; with all the usual lot, good, bad, and indifferent—I name no names. It takes all sorts to make a world. But I fancy you know something about them yourself by this time."

"I do indeed," said the Mole, with a slight shiver.

"Well, well," said the Badger, patting him on the shoulder, "it was your first experience of them, you see. They're not so bad really; and we must all live and let live. But I'll pass the word around to-morrow, and I think you'll have no further trouble. Any friend of mine walks where he likes in this country, or I'll know the reason why!"

When they got back to the kitchen again, they found the Rat walking up and down, very restless. The underground atmosphere was oppressing him and getting on his nerves, and he seemed really to be afraid that the river would run away if he wasn't there to look after it. So he had his overcoat on, and his pistols thrust into his belt again. "Come along, Mole," he said anxiously, as soon as he caught sight of them. "We must get off while it's daylight. Don't want to spend another night in the Wild Wood again."

"It'll be all right, my fine fellow," said the Otter. "I'm coming along with you, and I know every path blindfold; and if there's a head that needs to be punched, you can confidently rely upon me to punch it."

"You really needn't fret, Ratty," added the Badger placidly. "My passages run further than you think, and I've bolt-holes to the edge of the wood in several directions, though I don't care for everybody to know about them. When you really have to go, you shall leave by one of my short cuts. Meantime, make yourself easy, and sit down again.

The Wind in the Willows (9) El viento en los sauces (9) O Vento nos Salgueiros (9) Söğütlerdeki Rüzgar (9)

making you jump and run for cover. Snow-castles and snow-caverns had sprung up out of nowhere in the night—and snow bridges, terraces, ramparts—I could have stayed and played with them for hours. 雪城堡和雪洞在夜間不知從何而來——還有雪橋、梯田、城牆——我可以在它們身上待上玩幾個小時。 Here and there great branches had been torn away by the sheer weight of the snow, and robins perched and hopped on them in their perky conceited way, just as if they had done it themselves. 到處都有粗大的樹枝被雪的重量扯斷,知更鳥在樹枝上棲息,以它們自信的方式跳躍,就像它們自己做的一樣。 A ragged string of wild geese passed overhead, high on the grey sky, and a few rooks whirled over the trees, inspected, and flapped off homewards with a disgusted expression; but I met no sensible being to ask the news of. 一隊參差不齊的大雁從頭頂飛過,高高地飛過灰色的天空,幾隻白嘴鴉在樹上盤旋,檢查了一下,然後帶著厭惡的表情飛回家;但我沒有遇到任何明智的人來詢問消息。 About half-way across I came on a rabbit sitting on a stump, cleaning his silly face with his paws. 大約走到一半的時候,我看到一隻兔子坐在樹樁上,用爪子擦著他那張傻傻的臉。 He was a pretty scared animal when I crept up behind him and placed a heavy fore-paw on his shoulder. 當我爬到他身後,用沉重的前爪放在他的肩膀上時,他是一隻非常害怕的動物。 I had to cuff his head once or twice to get any sense out of it at all. 我不得不用手銬銬住他的頭一兩次才能讓他明白一點道理。 At last I managed to extract from him that Mole had been seen in the Wild Wood last night by one of them. 最後我設法從他那裡得知,昨晚他們中的一個在野林中看到了鼴鼠。 It was the talk of the burrows, he said, how Mole, Mr. Rat's particular friend, was in a bad fix; how he had lost his way, and 'They' were up and out hunting, and were chivvying him round and round. 他說,這是關於洞穴的話題,老鼠先生的特別朋友鼴鼠是如何陷入困境的。他是如何迷失方向的,而「他們」卻起身出去打獵,並圍著他轉來轉去。 'Then why didn't any of you do something?' “那為什麼你們沒有人做點什麼呢?” I asked. 'You mayn't be blessed with brains, but there are hundreds and hundreds of you, big, stout fellows, as fat as butter, and your burrows running in all directions, and you could have taken him in and made him safe and comfortable, or tried to, at all events.' 「你們可能沒有聰明的頭腦,但是你們有成百上千的人,大塊頭,粗壯的傢伙,胖得像黃油,你們的洞穴四通八達,你們本可以收留他,讓他安全舒適,或者無論如何都試圖這樣做。 'What, us?' he merely said: 'do something? 他只是說:『做點什麼? us rabbits?' So I cuffed him again and left him. 於是我又給他戴上手銬,然後就離開他了。 There was nothing else to be done. 沒有其他事可做。 At any rate, I had learnt something; and if I had had the luck to meet any of 'Them' I'd have learnt something more—or they would." 無論如何,我學到了一些東西;如果我有幸見到‘他們’中的任何一個,我就會學到更多東西——或者他們會的。”

Through the Wild Wood and the snow Through the Wild Wood and the snow 穿過野林和雪 穿過野林和雪

"Weren't you at all—er—nervous?" asked the Mole, some of yesterday's terror coming back to him at the mention of the Wild Wood.

"Nervous?" The Otter showed a gleaming set of strong white teeth as he laughed. 水獺笑起來時露出了一口閃閃發光的堅固的白牙。 "I'd give 'em nerves if any of them tried anything on with me. 「如果他們中有人嘗試對我做任何事,我會讓他們感到緊張。 Here, Mole, fry me some slices of ham, like the good little chap you are. 來,鼴鼠,給我煎幾片火腿,就像你這個好小伙子一樣。 I'm frightfully hungry, and I've got any amount to say to Ratty here. 我餓極了,我有很多話要對拉蒂說。 Haven't seen him for an age."

So the good-natured Mole, having cut some slices of ham, set the hedgehogs to fry it, and returned to his own breakfast, while the Otter and the Rat, their heads together, eagerly talked river-shop, which is long shop and talk that is endless, running on like the babbling river itself. 於是,好心的鼴鼠切了幾片火腿,讓刺蝟去煎,然後就回去吃自己的早餐了,而水獺和老鼠,他們的頭湊在一起,熱切地談論著河店,這是一家很長的店,滔滔不絕的談話,像潺潺的河流一樣奔流不息。

A plate of fried ham had just been cleared and sent back for more, when the Badger entered, yawning and rubbing his eyes, and greeted them all in his quiet, simple way, with kind inquiries for every one. 一盤炸火腿剛吃完,又被送回去再吃,這時獾進來了,打著哈欠,揉著眼睛,用他安靜、簡單的方式向他們打招呼,並善意地詢問每個人。 "It must be getting on for luncheon time," he remarked to the Otter. 「肯定快到午餐時間了,」他對水獺說。 "Better stop and have it with us. 「最好停下來和我們一起吃。 You must be hungry, this cold morning." 這麼冷的早晨,你一定餓了。”

"Rather!" replied the Otter, winking at the Mole. 水獺回答道,對著鼴鼠眨了眨眼睛。 "The sight of these greedy young hedgehogs stuffing themselves with fried ham makes me feel positively famished." “看到這些貪婪的小刺猬把炸火腿塞進肚子裡,我感到非常飢餓。”

The hedgehogs, who were just beginning to feel hungry again after their porridge, and after working so hard at their frying, looked timidly up at Mr. Badger, but were too shy to say anything. 刺蝟們吃完粥,又辛辛苦苦地煎了一頓,又開始感到飢餓了,它們膽怯地抬頭看著獾先生,但又害羞得不敢說什麼。

"Here, you two youngsters, be off home to your mother," said the Badger kindly. 「來吧,你們兩個孩子,回家看看你們媽媽吧。」獾和藹地說。 "I'll send some one with you to show you the way. You won't want any dinner to-day, I'll be bound." 今天你不想吃晚餐了,我就受約束了。”

He gave them sixpence a-piece and a pat on the head, and they went off with much respectful swinging of caps and touching of forelocks. 他給了他們每人六便士,並拍拍他們的頭,然後他們就非常恭敬地搖動帽子,撫摸額發,離開了。

Presently they all sat down to luncheon together. 不久,他們都坐下來一起吃午餐。 The Mole found himself placed next to Mr. Badger, and, as the other two were still deep in river-gossip from which nothing could divert them, he took the opportunity to tell Badger how comfortable and home-like it all felt to him. 鼴鼠發現自己被安置在獾先生旁邊,另外兩個人仍然沉浸在河邊的八卦中,沒有什麼可以轉移他們的注意力,他藉此機會告訴獾先生,這一切對他來說是多麼舒適和賓至如歸。 "Once well underground," he said, "you know exactly where you are. 「一旦深入地下,」他說,「你就清楚知道自己在哪裡。 Nothing can happen to you, and nothing can get at you. 沒有什麼可以發生在你身上,也沒有什麼可以影響你。 You're entirely your own master, and you don't have to consult anybody or mind what they say. 你完全是你自己的主人,你不必諮詢任何人或介意他們說的話。 Things go on all the same overhead, and you let 'em, and don't bother about 'em. 一切都在同樣的開銷上進行,你讓它們發生,而不用擔心它們。 When you want to, up you go, and there the things are, waiting for you." 當你想要的時候,你就上去,那裡的東西就在那裡等著你。”

The Badger simply beamed on him. 獾只是對他微笑。 "That's exactly what I say," he replied. 「我就是這麼說的,」他回答。 "There's no security, or peace and tranquillity, except underground. 「除了地下,沒有安全、和平與安寧。 And then, if your ideas get larger and you want to expand—why, a dig and a scrape, and there you are! 然後,如果你的想法變得更大並且你想要擴展——為什麼,挖和刮,你就完成了! If you feel your house is a bit too big, you stop up a hole or two, and there you are again! 如果你覺得你的房子有點太大,你可以堵住一兩個洞,然後你又來了! No builders, no tradesmen, no remarks passed on you by fellows looking over your wall, and, above all, no weather. 沒有建築商,沒有商人,沒有翻牆的人對你發表評論,最重要的是,沒有天氣。 Look at Rat, now. A couple of feet of flood water, and he's got to move into hired lodgings; uncomfortable, inconveniently situated, and horribly expensive. 洪水深達幾英尺,他必須搬進租來的住處;不舒服,位置不方便,而且價格昂貴。 Take Toad. I say nothing against Toad Hall; quite the best house in these parts, as a house. 我沒有說任何反對蟾蜍廳的話;作為一個房子來說,這是這些地區最好的房子。 But supposing a fire breaks out—where's Toad? 但假設發生火災——蟾蜍在哪裡? Supposing tiles are blown off, or walls sink or crack, or windows get broken—where's Toad? 假設瓷磚被吹掉,或牆壁下沉或破裂,或窗戶被打破——蟾蜍在哪裡? Supposing the rooms are draughty—I hate a draught myself—where's Toad? 假設房間通風良好——我自己討厭通風——蟾蜍在哪裡? No, up and out of doors is good enough to roam about and get one's living in; but underground to come back to at last—that's my idea of home!" 不,到戶外閒逛並謀生就足夠了;但最終還是要回到地下——這就是我心目中的家!”

The Mole assented heartily; and the Badger in consequence got very friendly with him. "When lunch is over," he said, "I'll take you all round this little place of mine. 「午餐結束後,」他說,「我會帶你參觀我的這個小地方。 I can see you'll appreciate it. You understand what domestic architecture ought to be, you do." 你明白家庭建築應該是什麼樣子,你確實明白。”

After luncheon, accordingly, when the other two had settled themselves into the chimney-corner and had started a heated argument on the subject of eels, the Badger lighted a lantern and bade the Mole follow him. 因此,午餐後,當另外兩個人在煙囪角坐下來,並就鰻魚的問題開始激烈爭論時,獾點燃了一盞燈籠,命令鼴鼠跟著他。 Crossing the hall, they passed down one of the principal tunnels, and the wavering light of the lantern gave glimpses on either side of rooms both large and small, some mere cupboards, others nearly as broad and imposing as Toad's dining-hall. 穿過大廳,他們穿過一條主要的隧道,燈籠搖曳的光芒使人們瞥見兩側大大小小的房間,有些只是櫥櫃,有些幾乎像蟾蜍的餐廳一樣寬闊而雄偉。 A narrow passage at right angles led them into another corridor, and here the same thing was repeated. 一條狹窄的直角通道將他們引向另一條走廊,這裡又重複了同樣的事情。 The Mole was staggered at the size, the extent, the ramifications of it all; at the length of the dim passages, the solid vaultings of the crammed store-chambers, the masonry everywhere, the pillars, the arches, the pavements. 鼴鼠對這一切的大小、範圍和後果感到震驚;昏暗通道的長度,擁擠的儲藏室的堅固拱頂,到處都是磚石,柱子,拱門,人行道。 "How on earth, Badger," he said at last, "did you ever find time and strength to do all this? 「獾,你到底是怎麼找到時間和精力做這一切的?」他最後說。 It's astonishing!"

"It would be astonishing indeed," said the Badger simply, "if I had done it. 「如果我這麼做了,」獾簡單地說,「那真是令人驚訝。 But as a matter of fact I did none of it—only cleaned out the passages and chambers, as far as I had need of them. 但事實上我什麼也沒做——只是清理了通道和房間,只要我需要它們。 There's lots more of it, all round about. I see you don't understand, and I must explain it to you. Well, very long ago, on the spot where the Wild Wood waves now, before ever it had planted itself and grown up to what it now is, there was a city—a city of people, you know. 嗯,很久以前,在野木現在搖曳的地方,在它自己種植並成長為現在的樣子之前,有一座城市——一座人的城市,你知道。 Here, where we are standing, they lived, and walked, and talked, and slept, and carried on their business. 在這裡,也就是我們所站的地方,他們生活、走路、說話、睡覺、從事他們的工作。 Here they stabled their horses and feasted, from here they rode out to fight or drove out to trade. 他們在這裡馬厩、宴飲,從這裡騎馬出去打仗,或是開車出去做生意。 They were a powerful people, and rich, and great builders. 他們是強大的人民、富有的人和偉大的建設者。 They built to last, for they thought their city would last for ever." 他們的建設是為了持久,因為他們認為他們的城市會永遠持續下去。”

"But what has become of them all?" asked the Mole.

"Who can tell?" said the Badger. "People come—they stay for a while, they flourish, they build—and they go. 「人們來到——他們停留一段時間,他們蓬勃發展,他們建設——然後他們離開。 It is their way. But we remain. There were badgers here, I've been told, long before that same city ever came to be. 有人告訴我,早在同一座城市出現之前,這裡就有獾了。 And now there are badgers here again. We are an enduring lot, and we may move out for a time, but we wait, and are patient, and back we come. 我們是一群忍耐的人,我們可能會搬出去一段時間,但我們會耐心等待,然後我們就會回來。 And so it will ever be."

"Well, and when they went at last, those people?" 「那麼,那些人最後離開的時候呢?” said the Mole.

"When they went," continued the Badger, "the strong winds and persistent rains took the matter in hand, patiently, ceaselessly, year after year. 「當他們離開的時候,」獾繼續說道,「狂風和持續不斷的降雨,耐心地、不間斷地、年復一年地把這件事控制在手中。 Perhaps we badgers too, in our small way, helped a little—who knows? 或許我們獾們也以我們的微薄之力,幫了一點忙──誰知道呢? It was all down, down, down, gradually—ruin and levelling and disappearance. 一切都在下降、下降、下降,逐漸地──毀滅、平整、消失。 Then it was all up, up, up, gradually, as seeds grew to saplings, and saplings to forest trees, and bramble and fern came creeping in to help. 然後一切都向上、向上、向上,逐漸地,種子長成樹苗,樹苗長成森林樹木,荊棘和蕨類植物也爬進來幫忙。 Leaf-mould rose and obliterated, streams in their winter freshets brought sand and soil to clog and to cover, and in course of time our home was ready for us again, and we moved in. 葉黴生長並消失,冬季新鮮的溪流帶來沙子和土壤堵塞和覆蓋,隨著時間的推移,我們的家再次為我們準備好了,我們搬了進去。 Up above us, on the surface, the same thing happened. 在我們上方,表面上,同樣的事情也發生了。 Animals arrived, liked the look of the place, took up their quarters, settled down, spread, and flourished. 動物們來到這裡,喜歡這個地方的外觀,佔據了它們的住處,安頓下來,散佈開來,繁衍生息。 They didn't bother themselves about the past—they never do; they're too busy. 他們不會為過去的事而煩惱──他們從來不會;他們太忙了。 The place was a bit humpy and hillocky, naturally, and full of holes; but that was rather an advantage. 這個地方本來就有點丘陵、丘陵,而且坑坑洞洞。但這是一個優勢。 And they don't bother about the future, either—the future when perhaps the people will move in again—for a time—as may very well be. 他們也不關心未來——未來人們可能會再次搬進來——一段時間——很可能會這樣。 The Wild Wood is pretty well populated by now; with all the usual lot, good, bad, and indifferent—I name no names. 荒林現在人口已經相當多了;一切都是平常的,好的,壞的,冷漠的──我沒有說出名字。 It takes all sorts to make a world. But I fancy you know something about them yourself by this time." 但我想你現在已經對他們有所了解了。”

"I do indeed," said the Mole, with a slight shiver.

"Well, well," said the Badger, patting him on the shoulder, "it was your first experience of them, you see. 「好吧,好吧,」獾拍拍他的肩膀說道,「你瞧,這是你第一次見到它們。 They're not so bad really; and we must all live and let live. 他們其實沒有那麼糟。我們都必須生活並讓人們生活。 But I'll pass the word around to-morrow, and I think you'll have no further trouble. 不過明天我會轉告你的,我想你不會再遇到麻煩了。 Any friend of mine walks where he likes in this country, or I'll know the reason why!" 在這個國家,我的任何朋友都可以去他喜歡的地方散步,否則我就會知道原因!”

When they got back to the kitchen again, they found the Rat walking up and down, very restless. 當他們再次回到廚房時,他們發現老鼠走來走去,非常不安。 The underground atmosphere was oppressing him and getting on his nerves, and he seemed really to be afraid that the river would run away if he wasn't there to look after it. 地下的氣氛讓他感到壓抑,讓他心煩意亂,他似乎真的很害怕,如果沒有他的照顧,這條河就會流走。 So he had his overcoat on, and his pistols thrust into his belt again. "Come along, Mole," he said anxiously, as soon as he caught sight of them. "We must get off while it's daylight. Don't want to spend another night in the Wild Wood again."

"It'll be all right, my fine fellow," said the Otter. "I'm coming along with you, and I know every path blindfold; and if there's a head that needs to be punched, you can confidently rely upon me to punch it." “我跟你一起去,每條路我都盲知,如果有腦袋需要打,你可以放心地依靠我來打。”

"You really needn't fret, Ratty," added the Badger placidly. 「你真的不用擔心,老鼠,」獾平靜地補充道。 "My passages run further than you think, and I've bolt-holes to the edge of the wood in several directions, though I don't care for everybody to know about them. 「我的通道比你想像的要遠,而且我在幾個方向的木頭邊緣都有螺栓孔,儘管我不想讓每個人都知道它們。 When you really have to go, you shall leave by one of my short cuts. 當你真的要走的時候,你可以走我的捷徑之一。 Meantime, make yourself easy, and sit down again.