PART I The Journey 1. The Notice Board

CHORUS: Why do you cry out thus, unless at some vision of horror?
CASSANDRA: The house reeks¹ of death and dripping blood.
CHORUS: How so? 'Tis but the odor of the altar sacrifice.
CASSANDRA: The stench is like a breath from the tomb.
Aeschylus, AgamemnonThe primroses² were over. Toward the edge of the wood, where the groundbecame open and sloped down to an old fence and a brambly ditch beyond, only afew fading patches of pale yellow still showed among the dog's mercury and oak-tree roots. On the other side of the fence, the upper part of the field was full ofrabbit holes. In places the grass was gone altogether and everywhere there wereclusters of dry droppings, through which nothing but the ragwort would grow. Ahundred yards away, at the bottom of the slope, ran the brook³, no more thanthree feet wide, half choked with kingcups, watercress and blue brooklime. Thecart track crossed by a brick culvert and climbed the opposite slope to a five-barred gate in the thorn hedge. The gate led into the lane.
The May sunset was red in clouds, and there was still half an hour to twilight⁴.
The dry slope was dotted with rabbits -- some nibbling⁵ at the thin grass near theirholes, others pushing further down to look for dandelions or perhaps a cowslipthat the rest had missed. Here and there one sat upright on an ant heap andlooked about, with ears erect⁶ and nose in the wind. But a blackbird, singingundisturbed on the outskirts⁷ of the wood, showed that there was nothingalarming there, and in the other direction, along the brook, all was plain to beseen, empty and quiet. The warren was at peace.
At the top of the bank, close to the wild cherry where the blackbird sang, was alittle group of holes almost hidden by brambles. In the green half-light, at themouth of one of these holes, two rabbits were sitting together side by side. Atlength, the larger of the two came out, slipped along the bank under cover of thebrambles and so down into the ditch and up into the field. A few moments laterthe other followed.
The first rabbit stopped in a sunny patch and scratched his ear with rapidmovements of his hind⁸ leg. Although he was a yearling and still below full weight,he had not the harassed⁹ look of most "outskirters" -- that is, the rank and file ofordinary rabbits in their first year who, lacking either aristocratic parentage orunusual size and strength, get sat on by their elders and live as best they can --often in the open -- on the edge of their warren. He looked as though he knewhow to take care of himself. There was a shrewd, buoyant air about him as he satup, looked around and rubbed both front paws over his nose. As soon as he wassatisfied that all was well, he laid back his ears and set to work on the grass.
His companion seemed less at ease. He was small, with wide, staring eyes anda way of raising and turning his head which suggested not so much caution as akind of ceaseless, nervous tension. His nose moved continually, and when abumblebee flew humming to a thistle bloom behind him, he jumped and spunround with a start that sent two nearby rabbits scurrying¹⁰ for holes before thenearest, a buck¹¹ with black-tipped ears, recognized him and returned to feeding.
"Oh, it's only Fiver," said the black-tipped rabbit, "jumping at bluebottlesagain. Come on, Buckthorn, what were you telling me?""Fiver?" said the other rabbit. "Why's he called that?""Five in the litter, you know: he was the last -- and the smallest. You'd wondernothing had got him by now. I always say a man couldn't see him and a foxwouldn't want him. Still, I admit he seems to be able to keep out of harm's way."*The small rabbit came closer to his companion, lolloping on long hind legs.
"Let's go a bit further, Hazel," he said. "You know, there's something queerabout the warren this evening, although I can't tell exactly what it is. Shall we godown to the brook?""All right," answered Hazel, "and you can find me a cowslip. If you can't findone, no one can."He led the way down the slope, his shadow stretching behind him on the grass.
They reached the brook and began nibbling and searching close beside the wheelruts of the track.
It was not long before Fiver found what they were looking for. Cowslips are adelicacy among rabbits, and as a rule there are very few left by late May in theneighborhood of even a small warren. This one had not bloomed and its flatspread of leaves was almost hidden under the long grass. They were just startingon it when two larger rabbits came running across from the other side of thenearby cattle wade¹².
"Cowslip?" said one. "All right -- just leave it to us. Come on, hurry up," headded, as Fiver hesitated. "You heard me, didn't you?""Fiver found it, Toadflax," said Hazel.
"And we'll eat it," replied Toadflax. "Cowslips are for Owsla* -- don't you knowthat? If you don't, we can easily teach you."Fiver had already turned away. Hazel caught him up by the culvert.
"I'm sick and tired of it," he said. "It's the same all the time. 'These are myclaws, so this is my cowslip.' 'These are my teeth, so this is my burrow¹³.' I'll tellyou, if ever I get into the Owsla, I'll treat outskirters with a bit of decency¹⁴.""Well, you can at least expect to be in the Owsla one day," answered Fiver.
"You've got some weight coming and that's more than I shall ever have.""You don't suppose I'll leave you to look after yourself, do you?" said Hazel.
"But to tell you the truth, I sometimes feel like clearing out of this warrenaltogether. Still, let's forget it now and try to enjoy the evening. I tell you what --shall we go across the brook? There'll be fewer rabbits and we can have a bit ofpeace. Unless you feel it isn't safe?" he added.
The way in which he asked suggested that he did in fact think that Fiver waslikely to know better than himself, and it was clear from Fiver's reply that thiswas accepted between them.
"No, it's safe enough," he answered. "If I start feeling there's anythingdangerous I'll tell you. But it's not exactly danger that I seem to feel about theplace. It's -- oh, I don't know -- something oppressive, like thunder: I can't tellwhat; but it worries me. All the same, I'll come across with you."They ran over the culvert. The grass was wet and thick near the stream andthey made their way up the opposite slope, looking for drier ground. Part of theslope was in shadow, for the sun was sinking ahead of them, and Hazel, whowanted a warm, sunny spot, went on until they were quite near the lane. As theyapproached the gate he stopped, staring.
"Fiver, what's that? Look!"A little way in front of them, the ground had been freshly disturbed. Two pilesof earth lay on the grass. Heavy posts, reeking¹⁵ of creosote and paint, towered upas high as the holly¹⁶ trees in the hedge, and the board they carried threw a longshadow across the top of the field. Near one of the posts, a hammer and a fewnails had been left behind.
The two rabbits went up to the board at a hopping¹⁷ run and crouched¹⁸ in a patchof nettles¹⁹ on the far side, wrinkling their noses at the smell of a dead cigarette endsomewhere in the grass. Suddenly Fiver shivered and cowered²⁰ down.
"Oh, Hazel! This is where it comes from! I know now -- something very bad!
Some terrible thing -- coming closer and closer."He began to whimper with fear.
"What sort of thing -- what do you mean? I thought you said there was nodanger?""I don't know what it is," answered Fiver wretchedly. "There isn't any dangerhere, at this moment. But it's coming -- it's coming. Oh, Hazel, look! The field! It'scovered with blood!""Don't be silly, it's only the light of the sunset. Fiver, come on, don't talk likethis, you're frightening me!"Fiver sat trembling and crying among the nettles as Hazel tried to reassure²¹ himand to find out what it could be that had suddenly driven him beside himself. Ifhe was terrified, why did he not run for safety, as any sensible rabbit would? ButFiver could not explain and only grew more and more distressed²². At last Hazelsaid,"Fiver, you can't sit crying here. Anyway, it's getting dark. We'd better go backto the burrow.""Back to the burrow?" whimpered Fiver. "It'll come there -- don't think itwon't! I tell you, the field's full of blood--""Now stop it," said Hazel firmly. "Just let me look after you for a bit. Whateverthe trouble is, it's time we got back."He ran down the field and over the brook to the cattle wade. Here there was adelay, for Fiver -- surrounded on all sides by the quiet summer evening -- becamehelpless and almost paralyzed with fear. When at last Hazel had got him back tothe ditch, he refused at first to go underground and Hazel had almost to push himdown the hole.
The sun set behind the opposite slope. The wind turned colder, with a scatterof rain, and in less than an hour it was dark. All color had faded from the sky, andalthough the big board by the gate creaked slightly in the night wind (as though toinsist that it had not disappeared in the darkness, but was still firmly where it hadbeen put), there was no passer-by to read the sharp, hard letters that cut straightas black knives across its white surface. They said:
THIS IDEALLY SITUATED²³ ESTATE, COMPRISING SIX ACRES OFEXCELLENT BUILDING LAND, IS TO BE DEVELOPED WITH HIGH CLASSMODERN RESIDENCES BY SUTCH AND MARTIN, LIMITED, OF NEWBURY,BERKS.
*Rabbits can count up to four. Any number above four is hrair -- "a lot," or "athousand." Thus they say U Hrair -- "The Thousand" -- to mean, collectively, allthe enemies (or elil, as they call them) of rabbits -- fox, stoat, weasel, cat, owl,man, etc. There were probably more than five rabbits in the litter when Fiver wasborn, but his name, Hrairoo, means "Little Thousand" -- i.e., the little one of a lotor, as they say of pigs, "the runt."*Nearly all warrens have an Owsla, or group of strong or clever rabbits --second-year or older -- surrounding the Chief Rabbit and his doe and exercisingauthority. Owslas vary. In one warren, the Owsla may be the band of a warlord; inanother, it may consist largely of clever patrollers or garden-raiders. Sometimes agood storyteller may find a place; or a seer, or intuitive rabbit. In the Sandlefordwarren at this time, the Owsla was rather military in character (though, as will beseen later, not so military as some).

1 reeks   

n.恶臭( reek的名词复数 )v.发出浓烈的臭气( reek的第三人称单数 )；散发臭气；发出难闻的气味 (of sth)；明显带有（令人不快或生疑的跡象）

参考例句：

• His statement reeks of hypocrisy. 他的话显然很虛伪。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His manner reeks prosperity. 他的态度表现得好象有钱的样子。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

2 primroses   

n.报春花( primrose的名词复数 )；淡黄色；追求享乐（招至恶果）

参考例句：

• Wild flowers such as orchids and primroses are becoming rare. 兰花和报春花这类野花越来越稀少了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The primroses were bollming; spring was in evidence. 迎春花开了，春天显然已经到了。 来自互联网

3 brook   

n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让

参考例句：

• In our room we could hear the murmur of a distant brook.在我们房间能听到远处小溪汩汩的流水声。
• The brook trickled through the valley.小溪涓涓流过峡谷。

4 twilight   

n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期

参考例句：

• Twilight merged into darkness.夕阳的光辉融于黑暗中。
• Twilight was sweet with the smell of lilac and freshly turned earth.薄暮充满紫丁香和新翻耕的泥土的香味。

5 nibbling   

v.啃，一点一点地咬（吃）( nibble的现在分词 )；啃出（洞），一点一点咬出（洞）；慢慢减少；小口咬

参考例句：

• We sat drinking wine and nibbling olives. 我们坐在那儿，喝着葡萄酒嚼着橄榄。
• He was nibbling on the apple. 他在啃苹果。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 erect   

n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的

参考例句：

• She held her head erect and her back straight.她昂着头，把背挺得笔直。
• Soldiers are trained to stand erect.士兵们训练站得笔直。

7 outskirts   

n.郊外，郊区

参考例句：

• Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
• They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。

8 hind   

adj.后面的，后部的

参考例句：

• The animal is able to stand up on its hind limbs.这种动物能够用后肢站立。
• Don't hind her in her studies.不要在学业上扯她后腿。

9 harassed   

adj. 疲倦的，厌烦的 动词harass的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He has complained of being harassed by the police. 他投诉受到警方侵扰。
• harassed mothers with their children 带着孩子的疲惫不堪的母亲们

10 scurrying   

v.急匆匆地走( scurry的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• We could hear the mice scurrying about in the walls. 我们能听见老鼠在墙里乱跑。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• We were scurrying about until the last minute before the party. 聚会开始前我们一直不停地忙忙碌碌。 来自辞典例句

11 buck   

n.雄鹿，雄兔；v.马离地跳跃

参考例句：

• The boy bent curiously to the skeleton of the buck.这个男孩好奇地弯下身去看鹿的骸骨。
• The female deer attracts the buck with high-pitched sounds.雌鹿以尖声吸引雄鹿。

12 wade   

v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉

参考例句：

• We had to wade through the river to the opposite bank.我们只好涉水过河到对岸。
• We cannot but wade across the river.我们只好趟水过去。

13 burrow   

vt.挖掘(洞穴)；钻进；vi.挖洞；翻寻；n.地洞

参考例句：

• Earthworms burrow deep into the subsoil.蚯蚓深深地钻进底土。
• The dog had chased a rabbit into its burrow.狗把兔子追进了洞穴。

14 decency   

n.体面，得体，合宜，正派，庄重

参考例句：

• His sense of decency and fair play made him refuse the offer.他的正直感和公平竞争意识使他拒绝了这一提议。
• Your behaviour is an affront to public decency.你的行为有伤风化。

15 reeking   

v.发出浓烈的臭气( reek的现在分词 )；散发臭气；发出难闻的气味 (of sth)；明显带有（令人不快或生疑的跡象）

参考例句：

• I won't have you reeking with sweat in my bed! 我就不许你混身臭汗，臭烘烘的上我的炕！ 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
• This is a novel reeking with sentimentalism. 这是一本充满着感伤主义的小说。 来自辞典例句

16 holly   

n.[植]冬青属灌木

参考例句：

• I recently acquired some wood from a holly tree.最近我从一棵冬青树上弄了些木料。
• People often decorate their houses with holly at Christmas.人们总是在圣诞节时用冬青来装饰房屋。

17 hopping   

n. 跳跃 动词hop的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The clubs in town are really hopping. 城里的俱乐部真够热闹的。
• I'm hopping over to Paris for the weekend. 我要去巴黎度周末。

18 crouched   

v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He crouched down beside her. 他在她的旁边蹲了下来。
• The lion crouched ready to pounce. 狮子蹲下身，准备猛扑。

19 nettles   

n.荨麻( nettle的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I tingle where I sat in the nettles. 我坐过在荨麻上的那个部位觉得刺痛。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This bleak place overgrown with nettles was the churchyard. 那蔓草丛生的凄凉地方是教堂公墓。 来自辞典例句

20 cowered   

v.畏缩，抖缩( cower的过去式 )

参考例句：

• A gun went off and people cowered behind walls and under tables. 一声枪响，人们缩到墙后或桌子底下躲起来。
• He cowered in the corner, gibbering with terror. 他蜷缩在角落里，吓得语无伦次。

21 reassure   

v.使放心，使消除疑虑

参考例句：

• This seemed to reassure him and he continued more confidently.这似乎使他放心一点，于是他更有信心地继续说了下去。
• The airline tried to reassure the customers that the planes were safe.航空公司尽力让乘客相信飞机是安全的。

22 distressed   

痛苦的

参考例句：

• He was too distressed and confused to answer their questions. 他非常苦恼而困惑，无法回答他们的问题。
• The news of his death distressed us greatly. 他逝世的消息使我们极为悲痛。

23 situated   

adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的

参考例句：

• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。
• She is awkwardly situated.她的处境困难。