MOTHER, let us imagine we are travelling, and passing through a strange and dangerous country.

妈妈，让我们想象我们正在旅行，经过一个陌生而危险的国土。

You are riding in a palanquin and I am trotting¹ by you on a red horse.

你坐在一顶轿子里，我骑着一匹红马，在你旁边跑着。

It is evening and the sun goes down. The waste of Joradighi lies wan² and grey before us. The land is desolate³ and barren.

是黄昏的时候，太阳已经下山了。约拉地希的荒地疲乏而灰暗地展开在我们面前，大地是凄凉而荒芜的。

You are frightened and thinking--"I know not where we have come to."

你害怕了，想道——“我不知道我们到了什么地方了。”

I say to you, "Mother, do not be afraid."

我对你说道：“妈妈，不要害怕。”

The meadow is prickly with spiky⁴ grass, and through it runs a narrow broken path.

草地上刺蓬蓬地长着针尖似的草，一条狭而崎岖的小道通过这块草地。

There are no cattle to be seen in the wide field; they have gone to their village stalls.

在这片广大的地面上看不见一只牛；它们已经回到它们村里的牛棚去了。

It grows dark and dim on the land and sky, and we cannot tell where we are going.

天色黑了下来，大地和天空都显得朦朦胧胧的，而我们不能说出我们正走向什么所在。

Suddenly you call me and ask me in a whisper, "What light is that near the bank?"

突然间，你叫我，悄悄地问我道：“靠近河岸的是什么火光呀？”

Just then there bursts out a fearful yell, and figures come running towards us.

正在那个时候，一阵可怕的呐喊声爆发了，好些人影子向我们跑过来。

You sit crouched⁵ in your palanquin and repeat the names of the gods in prayer.

你蹲坐在你的轿子里，嘴里反复地祷念着神的名字。

The bearers, shaking in terror, hide themselves in the thorny⁶ bush.

轿夫们，怕得发抖，躲藏在荆棘丛中。

I shout to you, "Don't be afraid, mother. I am here."

我向你喊道：“不要害怕，妈妈，有我在这里。”

With long sticks in their hands and hair all wild about their heads, they come nearer and nearer.

他们手里执着长棒，头发披散着，越走越近了。

I shout, "Have a care! you villains⁷! One step more and you are dead men."

我喊道：“要当心！你们这些坏蛋！再向前走一步，你们就要送命了。”

They give another terrible yell and rush forward.

他们又发出一阵可怕的呐喊声，向前冲过来。

You clutch my hand and say, "Dear boy, for heaven's sake, keep away from them."

你抓住我的手，说道：“好孩子，看在上天面上，躲开他们罢。”

I say, "Mother, just you watch me."

我说道：“妈妈，你瞧我的。”

Then I spur my horse for a wild gallop⁸, and my sword and buckler clash against each other.

于是我刺策着我的马匹，猛奔过去，我的剑和盾彼此碰着作响。

The fight becomes so fearful, mother, that it would give you a cold shudder⁹ could you see it from your palanquin.

这一场战斗是那么激烈，妈妈，如果你从轿子里看得见的话，你一定会发冷战的。

Many of them fly, and a great number are cut to pieces.

他们之中，许多人逃走了，还有好些人被砍杀了。

I know you are thinking, sitting all by yourself, that your boy must be dead by this time.

我知道你那时独自坐在那里，心里正在想着，你的孩子这时候一定已经死了。

But I come to you all stained with blood, and say, "Mother, the fight is over now."

但是我跑到你的跟前，浑身溅满了鲜血，说道：“妈妈，现在战争已经结束了。”

You come out and kiss me, pressing me to your heart, and you say to yourself,

你从轿子里走出来，吻着我，把我搂在你的心头，你自言自语地说道：

"I don't know what I should do if I hadn't my boy to escort me."

“如果我没有我的孩子护送我，我简直不知道怎么办才好。”

A thousand useless things happen day after day, and why couldn't such a thing come true by chance?

一千件无聊的事天天在发生，为什么这样一件事不能够偶然实现呢？

It would be like a story in a book.

这很像一本书里的一个故事。

My brother would say, "Is it possible? I always thought he was so delicate!"

我的哥哥要说道：“这是可能的事么？我老是在想，他是那么嫩弱呢！”

Our village people would all say in amazement¹⁰, "Was it not lucky that the boy was with his mother?"

我们村里的人们都要惊讶地说道：“这孩子正和他妈妈在一起，这不是很幸运么？”