We would not die in that man's companyThat fears his fellowship, to die with us.
Shakespeare, Henry VThe following morning all the rabbits were out at silflay by dawn and there wasa good deal of excitement as they waited for Hazel. During the previous few daysBlackberry had had to repeat several times the story of the journey to the farmand the finding of Hazel in the drain. One or two had suggested that Kehaar musthave found Hazel and told Fiver secretly. But Kehaar denied this and, whenpressed, replied cryptically3 that Fiver was one who had traveled a good dealfurther than he had himself. As for Hazel, he had acquired, in everyone's eyes, akind of magical quality. Of all the warren, Dandelion was the last rabbit to fail todo justice to a good story and he had made the most of Hazel's heroic dash out ofthe ditch to save his friends from the farmers. No one had even suggested thatHazel might have been reckless in going to the farm. Against all odds4 he had gotthem two does: and now he was bringing their luck back to the warren.
Just before sunrise Pipkin and Speedwell saw Fiver coming through the wetgrass near the summit of the down. They ran out to meet him and waited withhim until Hazel came up to them. Hazel was limping and had evidently found theclimb a strain, but after resting and feeding for a short time he was able to rundown to the warren almost as fast as the others. The rabbits crowded round.
Everyone wanted to touch him. He was sniffed5 and tussled with and rolled over inthe grass until he felt almost as though he were being attacked. Human beings, onoccasions of this kind, are usually full of questions, but the rabbits expressedtheir delight simply by proving to themselves through their senses that this wasreally Hazel-rah. It was all he could do to stand up to the rough play. "I wonderwhat would happen if I lay down under it?" he thought. "They'd kick me out, Idare say. They wouldn't have a crippled Chief Rabbit. This is a test as well as awelcome, even though they don't know it themselves. I'll test them, the rascals,before I'm done."He pushed Buckthorn and Speedwell off his back and broke away to the edgeof the wood. Strawberry and Boxwood were on the bank and he joined them andsat washing and combing himself in the sunrise.
"We can do with a few well-behaved fellows like you," he said to Boxwood.
"Look at that rough lot out there -- they nearly finished me off! What on earth doyou make of us and how are you settling down?""Well, of course we find it strange," said Boxwood, "but we're learning.
Strawberry here has been helping6 me a great deal. We were just seeing how manysmells I could tell on the wind, but that's something that'll only come slowly. Thesmells are awfully7 strong on a farm, you know, and they don't mean much whenyou live behind wire. As far as I can make out, you all live by smell.""Don't take too many risks to begin with," said Hazel. "Keep near the burrows-- don't go out alone -- all that sort of thing. And how about you, Strawberry? Areyou better?""More or less," answered Strawberry, "as long as I sleep a lot and sit in the sun,Hazel-rah. I've been terrified half out of my wits -- that's the bottom of it. I've hadthe shivers and the horrors for days. I kept thinking I was back in Efrafa.""What was it like in Efrafa?" asked Hazel.
"I'd rather die than go back to Efrafa," said Strawberry, "or risk goinganywhere near it. I don't know which was worse, the boredom9 or the fear. All thesame," he added after a few moments, "there are rabbits there who'd be the sameas we are if they could only live naturally, like us. Several would be glad to leavethe place if they only could."Before they went underground Hazel talked to almost all the rabbits. As heexpected, they were disappointed over the failure at Efrafa and full of indignationat the ill-treatment of Holly10 and his companions. More than one thought, likeHolly, that the two does were likely to give rise to trouble.
"There should have been more, Hazel," said Bigwig. "We shall all be at eachother's throats, you know -- I don't see how it's to be helped."Late in the afternoon Hazel called everyone into the Honeycomb.
"I've been thinking things over," he said. "I know you must all have been reallydisappointed not to have got rid of me at Nuthanger Farm the other day, so I'vedecided to go a bit further next time.""Where?" asked Bluebell11.
"To Efrafa," replied Hazel, "if I can get anyone to come with me: and we shallbring back as many does as the warren needs."There were murmurs12 of astonishment13, and then Speedwell asked, "How?""Blackberry and I have got a plan," said Hazel, "but I'm not going to explain itnow, for this reason. You all know that this is going to be a dangerous business. Ifany of you get caught and taken into Efrafa, they'll make you talk, all right. Butthose who don't know a plan can't give it away. I'll explain it later on, at theproper time.""Are you going to need many rabbits, Hazel-rah?" asked Dandelion. "From all Ihear, the whole lot of us wouldn't be enough to fight the Efrafans.""I hope we shan't have to fight at all," replied Hazel, "but there's always thepossibility. Anyway, it'll be a long journey home with the does, and if by anychance we meet a Wide Patrol on the way, there have got to be enough of us todeal with them.""Would we have to go into Efrafa?" asked Pipkin timidly.
"No," said Hazel, "we shall--""I never thought, Hazel," interrupted Holly, "I never thought that the timewould come when I should feel obliged to speak against you. But I can only sayagain that this is likely to be a complete disaster. I know what you think -- you'recounting on General Woundwort not having anyone as clever as Blackberry andFiver. You're quite right -- I don't think he has. But the fact remains14 that no onecan get a bunch of does away from that place. You all know that I've spent my lifepatrolling and tracking in the open. Well, there are rabbits in the Efrafan Owslawho are better at it than I am -- I'm admitting it: and they'll hunt you down withyour does and kill you. Great Frith! We all have to meet our match some time orother! I know you want only to help us all, but do be sensible and give thisscheme up. Believe me, the best thing to do with a place like Efrafa is to stay asfar away from it as possible."Talk broke out all over the Honeycomb. "That must be right!" "Who wants tobe torn to pieces?" "That rabbit with the mutilated ears--" "Well, but Hazel-rahmust know what's doing." "It's too far." "I don't want to go."Hazel waited patiently for quiet. At last he said, "It's like this. We can stay hereand try to make the best of things as they are, or we can put them right once andfor all. Of course there's a risk: anyone knows that who's heard what happened toHolly and the others. But haven't we faced one risk after another, all the way fromthe warren we left? What do you mean to do? Stay here and scratch each other'seyes out over two does, when there are plenty in Efrafa that you're afraid to goand get, even though they'd be only too glad to come and join us?"Someone called out, "What does Fiver think?""I'm certainly going," said Fiver quietly. "Hazel's perfectly15 right and there'snothing the matter with his plan. But I promise you this, all of you. If I do come,later on, to feel any kind of misgiving16, I shan't keep it to myself.""And if that happens, I shan't ignore it," said Hazel.
There was silence. Then Bigwig spoke17.
"You may as well all know that I'm going," he said, "and we shall have Kehaarwith us, if that appeals to you at all."There was a buzz of surprise.
"Of course, there are some of us who ought to stay here," said Hazel. "The farmrabbits can't be expected to go; and I'm not asking anyone who went the first timeto go back again.""I'll come, though," said Silver. "I hate General Woundwort and his Councilwith all my guts18 and if we're really going to make fools of them I want to be there,as long as I don't have to go back inside the place -- that I couldn't face. But, afterall, you're going to need someone who knows the way.""I'll come," said Pipkin. "Hazel-rah saved my -- I mean, I'm sure he knowswhat's--" He became confused. "Anyway, I'll come," he repeated, in a verynervous voice.
There was a scuffling in the run that led down from the wood and Hazel called,"Who's that?""It's I, Hazel-rah -- Blackberry.""Blackberry!" said Hazel. "Why, I thought you'd been here all the time. Wherehave you been?""Sorry not to have come before," said Blackberry. I've been talking to Kehaar,as a matter of fact, about the plan. He's improved it a good deal. If I'm notmistaken, General Woundwort's going to look remarkably19 silly before we'vefinished. I thought at first that it couldn't be done, but now I feel sure it can.""Come where the grass is greener," said Bluebell,"And the lettuces20 grow in rows,"And a rabbit of free demeanor"Is known by his well-scratched nose.
"I think I shall have to come, just to satisfy my curiosity. I've been opening andshutting my mouth like a baby bird to know about this plan and no one putsanything in. I suppose Bigwig's going to dress up as a hrududu and drive all thedoes across the field."Hazel turned on him sharply. Bluebell sat up on his hind8 legs and said, "Please,General Woundwort, sir, I'm only a little hrududu and I've left all my petrol onthe grass, so if you wouldn't mind eating the grass, sir, while I just give this lady aride--""Bluebell," said Hazel, "shut up!""I'm sorry, Hazel-rah," replied Bluebell in surprise. "I didn't mean any harm. Iwas only trying to cheer everyone up a bit. After all, most of us feel frightened atthe idea of going to this place and you can't blame us, can you? It sounds horriblydangerous.""Well, look here," said Hazel, "we'll finish this meeting now. Let's wait and seewhat we decide -- that's the rabbits' way. No one has to go to Efrafa who doesn'twant to, but it's clear enough that some of us mean to go. Now I'm off to talk toKehaar myself."He found Kehaar just inside the trees, snapping and tearing with his great beakat a foul-smelling piece of flaking21 brown flesh which seemed to be hanging from atracery of bones. He wrinkled his nose in disgust at the odor, which filled thewood around and was already attracting ants and bluebottles.
"What on earth is that, Kehaar?" he asked. "It smells appalling22!""You not know? Heem feesh, feesh, come from Peeg Vater. Ees goot.""Come from Big Water? (Ugh!) Did you find it there?""Na, na. Men have heem. Down to farm ees plenty peeg rubbish place, all t'ingsdere. I go for food, find heem, all smell like Peeg Vater, pick heem up, pring heemback: make me t'ink all about Peeg Vater." He began to tear again at the half-eaten kipper. Hazel sat choking with nausea24 and disgust as Kehaar lifted it entireand beat it against a beech25 root, so that small fragments flew round them. Hecollected himself and made an effort.
"Kehaar," he said, "Bigwig says you told him you'd come and help us to get themothers out of the big warren.""Ya, ya, I come for you. Meester Pigvig, 'e need me for 'elp 'im. Van 'e dere, 'etalk to me, I not rabbit. Ees goot, ya?""Yes, rather. It's the only possible way. You're a good friend to us, Kehaar.""Ya, ya, 'elp you for get mudders. But now ees dis, Meester 'Azel. Always I vantPeeg Vater now -- alvays, alvays. Ees hearing Peeg Vater, vant to fly to Peeg Vater.
Now soon you go for get mudders, I 'elp you, 'ow you like. Den2, ven you gettingmudders, I leave you dere, fly avay, no come back. But I come back anudder time,ya? Come in autumn, in vinter I come live 'ere vid you, ya?""We shall miss you, Kehaar. But when you come back we'll have a fine warrenhere, with lots of mothers. You'll be able to feel proud of all you did to help us.""Ya, vill be so. But Meester 'Azel, ven you go? I vant 'elp you, but I no vant vaitfor go Peeg Vater. Ees hard now for stay, you know? Dis vat23 you do, do heemqueek, ya?"Bigwig came up the run, put his head out of the hole and stopped in horror.
"Frith up a tree!" he said. "What a fearful smell! Did you kill it, Kehaar, or didit die under a stone?""You like, Meester Pigvig? I pring you nice liddle pit, ya?""Bigwig," said Hazel, "go and tell all the others that we're setting off atdaybreak tomorrow. Holly will be Chief Rabbit here until we get back andBuckthorn, Strawberry and the farm rabbits are to stay with him. Anyone elsewho wants to stay will be perfectly free to do so.""Don't worry," said Bigwig, from the hole. "I'll send them all up to silflay withKehaar. They'll go anywhere you like before a duck can dive."
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收听单词发音
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1
convoy
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| vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队 | |
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den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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cryptically
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odds
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| n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别 | |
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sniffed
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| v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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boredom
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| n.厌烦，厌倦，乏味，无聊 | |
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holly
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| n.[植]冬青属灌木 | |
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bluebell
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| n.风铃草 | |
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murmurs
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| n.低沉、连续而不清的声音( murmur的名词复数 )；低语声；怨言；嘀咕 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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16
misgiving
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| n.疑虑，担忧，害怕 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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18
guts
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| v.狼吞虎咽，贪婪地吃，飞碟游戏（比赛双方每组5人，相距15码，互相掷接飞碟）；毁坏（建筑物等）的内部( gut的第三人称单数 )；取出…的内脏n.勇气( gut的名词复数 )；内脏；消化道的下段；肠 | |
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19
remarkably
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| ad.不同寻常地，相当地 | |
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lettuces
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| n.莴苣，生菜（ lettuce的名词复数 ）；生菜叶 | |
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21
flaking
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| 刨成片，压成片； 盘网 | |
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appalling
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| adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的 | |
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vat
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| n.(=value added tax)增值税，大桶 | |
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24
nausea
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| n.作呕，恶心；极端的憎恶(或厌恶) | |
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beech
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| n.山毛榉；adj.山毛榉的 | |
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