Characters:
Setting: Forest
Narrator:Once upon a time, the elephant had no long trunk. He could smell with it, and he could wag it, but he could not use it to pick up things that he needs.
旁白: 从前,大象是没有长长的象鼻,他只能用鼻子来闻味和摆动,而不能用它捡起所需要的东西。
Now in those days there lived a little elephant who was always asking other animals about the things he saw around him.
在那些日子里住着一只小象,他总是爱向其他动物问一些有关他周围看到的事物的问题。
小象: 为什么你的皮毛是灰的还这么长?
Fox: Don’t ask why.(狐狸拍着小象的屁股)
狐狸: 别问为什么。
小象: 为什么我们有这些又黑又短的鼻子?
Mother:Don’t ask why.
妈妈: 不要问为什么。
Narrator:One day Little Elephant asked his mother and father.
旁白: 一天,小象问他的爸爸、妈妈。
Little Elephant:What does the crocodile eat for lunch?
小象: 鳄鱼用什么当午餐?
Father & Mother:(他们拍着小象的屁股说)Don’t talk about crocodiles.
爸爸妈妈: 不要说有关鳄鱼的事。
Narrator:When they stopped spanking him, Little Elephant went for a stroll. Soon he saw a red bird.
旁白: 当他们不再拍打小象时,小象就出去散步了。很快他看见一只红色的鸟。
小象: 鳄鱼用什么当午餐呢?
Bird:If you want to know, go west to the great, gray-green, greasy Limpopo River. The crocodilelives there.
小鸟: 如果你想知道你就向西走到非常大的、灰绿色、油腻的林波波河。鳄鱼就住在那里。
Narrator:The next morning Little Elephant set off to the west. After many days he came to the great, gray-green, greasy Limpopo River, but he did not know what the crocodile looked like or where to find him. First he asked a snake.
旁白: 第二天早上,小象启程向西边出发。过了许多天,他来到了又大又油腻的灰绿色的林波波河。但是他并不知道鳄鱼长什么样子,到哪里去找鳄鱼。首先他问路边的一条蛇。
Little Elephant: Where is the crocodile? I want to find out what he eats for lunch.
小象: 鳄鱼在哪里?我想查明鳄鱼用什么当午餐。
Snake: (蛇边拍打着小象的屁股边说) Don’t ask what the crocodile eats.
蛇:不要问鳄鱼吃什么。
Narrator: Little Elephant went on along the bank of the great gray-green, greasy Limpopo River until he stepped on what he thought was a log, but it was the crocodile. When the log moved, Little Elephant jumped off.
旁白:小象沿着又大又油腻的灰绿色的林波波河的河岸,一直走到他踩上一根他所认为的原木。其实那就是鳄鱼。当原木移动时,小象跳了下来。
小象:你看见鳄鱼了吗?
Crocodile: Why yes. I am the crocodile.
鳄鱼:怎么啦?我是鳄鱼。
Narrator: Little Elephant was so glad to find the crocodile that he wagged his short, black stump.
旁白:小象找到了鳄鱼感到特别高兴,他不停地摆动着他那又短又黑的树桩般的鼻子。
Little Elephant: Tell me what you eat for lunch.
小象:告诉我你午饭吃什么?
Crocodile: Very well.(鳄鱼向小象使个眼色) Only come over here. Then I’ll not only tell you, but I’ll show you.
鳄鱼:很好。你只要过来,那么我不仅会告诉你,还会做给你看。
Narrator:When Little Elephant bent(俯身) near, the crocodile grabbed(抓住) his short, black stump.
旁白:当小象俯身过来,鳄鱼马上抓住小象的又短又黑的鼻子。
Crocodile:Now I have you, and what I eat for lunch is you.
鳄鱼:现在你在我这儿了,我所吃的午餐就是你。
Little Elephant: (叫喊) Let go! Help!
小象:让我走。救命啊!
Snake:(所幸的是蛇并没有走远,他悄悄地移动到小象所处的岸边) If you don’t pull very, very hard, the crocodile will eat you before you can say great, grey-green, greasy Limpopo River. Come on. I’ll help you.
蛇:如果你不用很大很大力拉的话,你就会在说出大波波河之前被鳄鱼吃掉。加油,我来救你。
Narrator:Little Elephant and the snake pulled one way, and the crocodile pulled the other way. With each pull Little Elephant’s short black stump stretched a little. At last the crocodile had to let go.
旁白:小象和岩石蛇在一边拉,鳄鱼在另一边拉。每拉一下小象又黑又短的鼻子就伸长一点。最后,鳄鱼只得放小象走。
As soon as the crocodile let go, Little Elephant rubbed his stump. Only now it was not a stump because all the pulling had stretched it into the long trunk that elephants have now.
小象刚一被鳄鱼放开,就赶快摩擦他那残树桩般的的鼻子。就在这时那鼻子不再像一根残树桩,因为所有被拉长的部分已经变成现在大象所持有的长鼻子了。
Little Elephant:Oh no! Just look how much my stump has stretched. How can I shrink(使收缩)it?
小象:不好!我的鼻子看起来被拉了好长一截。我怎么能让它缩回去?
Snake:You don’t want to shrink it! That new long trunk of yours has all sorts of uses.
蛇:你不必让它缩回去!你的新长鼻子有许多用途。
Narrator:Then a fly stung(蛰,叮)Little Elephant on the head. Little Elephant smacked the fly with his long trunk.
旁白:正在此时,一只苍蝇飞来叮在小象的头上。小象用它的长鼻子拍打着苍蝇。
Snake:New use number one. You could not smack a fly with your old trunk.
蛇:新用途之一,你的旧鼻子不可能拍打苍蝇。
Narrator:Before long, Little Elephant wanted something to eat. With his long trunk he pulled up some grass.
旁白:不久以后,小象想吃点东西了就用他的长鼻子拔一些草。
Snake:New use number two, you could not pull up grass with your old stump.
蛇:新用途之二,你的旧鼻子不可能拔草。
Narrator:The day was hot so Little Elephant cupped up some good cold mud with his trunk and slapped the mud on his head.
旁白:天热了小象可以用他的鼻子卷起一些好冷的泥浆拍打在他的头上降温。
Snake:New use number three, you could not make a mud cap with your old trunk. Now, how would you like to spank people?
蛇:新用途三,你的旧鼻子不可能做泥桨帽子。现在,你喜欢去拍打别人吗?
Little Elephant:Very much. (他习惯于挨打,而不去打别人。)
小象:非常喜欢。
Snake:Then use your new trunk to give spankings.
蛇:那么用你的新鼻子去拍打别人屁股吧。
Little Elephant:All right. I’ll go right home and spank a few people I know. My new trunk will give the very best spankings in the whole world.
小象:好吧。我知道,我正要回家去拍打别人。我的新鼻子将给全世界一个最好的拍打。
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