老负鼠的猫经(英汉对照插图本)

猫的命名 给猫起名是件困难的事情， 它不仅仅是你闲暇时光的游戏； 起初，你大概以为我发了神经， 当我告诉你，一只猫得有三个不同的名字。 首先，猫有一个寻常家用的名字， 比如皮特、奥古斯都、阿隆佐或者詹姆士， 比如维克多或者乔纳森，乔治或者比尔·贝利—— 所有这些，都是合情合理的日常名字。 如果听来更觉得顺耳，也有更为精致的选择， 有的适合夫人、太太，有的适合先生、绅士： 比如柏拉图、阿德墨托斯、伊莱克特拉和迪米特尔—— 可所有这些，也只是合情合理的日常名字。 但你可知道，猫还需要一个独有的名字， 它与众不同，也更显尊贵， 否则他如何能将尾巴直直翘起， 舒展胡须，保持骄傲的神气？ 这类名字，也不妨列举若干可行之选， 比如蒙克史崔普、奎佐，或者柯里克帕特， 比如邦巴鲁琳娜，要不然，还有杰利罗兰恩—— 这些名字，但使一猫得之，便再无来者。 可除此之外，还剩另一个名字， 这个名字，你永远猜它不到； 无论如何探究，人类都无法揭开谜底—— 但猫儿自己知道，且永远不会坦白相告。 当你见猫陷入沉思， 那么不瞒你说——原因始终只有一个： 他正全神贯注、一心一意， 深深、深深、深深地思索着他的名字： 他那可以言表又不可言表、 可以言传却不可言喻， 既深奥难懂、不可思议，又独一无二的名字。 THE NAMING OF CATS The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter, It isn’t just one of your holiday games; You may think at first I’m as mad as a hatter When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES. First of all, there’s the name that the family use daily, Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James, Such as Victor or Jonathan, George or Bill Bailey— All of them sensible everyday names. There are fancier names if you think they sound sweeter, Some for the gentlemen, some for the dames: Such as Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter— But all of them sensible everyday names. But I tell you, a cat needs a name that’s particular, A name that’s peculiar, and more dignified, Else how can he keep up his tail perpendicular, Or spread out his whiskers, or cherish his pride? Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum, Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo, or Coricopat, Such as Bombalurina, or else Jellylorum— Names that never belong to more than one cat. But above and beyond there’s still one name left over And that is the name that you never will guess; The name that no human research can discover— But THE CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess. When you notice a cat in profound meditation, The reason, I tell you, is always the same: His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name: His ineffable effable Effanineffable Deep and inscrutable singular Name.