Chapter 11 The Miracle

    The next day was foggy. Everything on the farm was dripping wet. The grass looked like a magic carpet. The asparagus patch looked like a silver forest.

　　On foggy mornings, Charlotte's web was truly a thing of beauty. This morning each thin strand was decorated with dozens of tiny beads of water. The web glistened in the light and made a pattern of loveliness and mystery, like a delicate veil. Even Lurvy, who wasn't particularly interested in beauty, noticed the web when he came with the pig's breakfast. He noted how clearly it showed up and he noted how big and carefully built it was. And then he took another look and he saw something that made him set his pail down. There, in the center of the web, neatly woven in block letters, was a message. It said:

　　SOME PIG!

　　Lurvy felt weak. He brushed his hand across his eyes and stared harder at Charlotte's web. "I'm seeing things," he whispered. He dropped to his knees and uttered a short prayer. Then, forgetting all about Wilbur's breakfast, he walked back to the house and called Mr. Zuckerman.

　　"I think you'd better come down to the pigpen, he said.

　　"What’s the trouble?” asked Mr. Zuckerman. “Anything wrong with the pig?""N-not exactly," said Lurvy. "Come and see for yourself."The two men walked silently down to Wilbur's yard. Lurvy pointed to the spider's web. "Do you see what I see?" he asked.

　　Zuckerman stared at the writing on the web. Then he murmured the words "Some Pig." Then he looked at Lurvy. Then they both began to tremble. Charlotte, sleepy after her night's exertions, smiled as she watched. Wilbur came and stood directly under the web.

　　"Some pig!" muttered Lurvy in a low voice.

　　"Some pig!" Whispered Mr. Zuckerman. They stared and stared for a long time at Wilbur. Then they stared at Charlotte.

　　"You don't suppose that that spider . . . " began Mr. Zuckerman--but he shook his head and didn't finish the sentence. Instead, he walked solemnly back up to the house and spoke to his wife. "Edith, something has happened," he said, in a weak voice. He went into the living room and sat down and Mrs. Zuckerman followed.

　　"I've got something to tell you, Edith," he said. "You better sit down."Mrs. Zuckerman sank into a chair. She looked pale and frightened.

　　"Edith," he said, trying to keep his voice steady, "I think you had best be told that we have a very unusual pig."A look of complete bewilderment came over Mrs. Zuckerman's face . "Homer Zuckerman, what in the world are you talking about?" she said.

　　"This is a very serious thing, Edith," he replied.

　　"Our pig is completely out of the ordinary.""What’s unusual about the pig?” asked Mrs. Zuckerman, who was beginning to recover from her scare.

　　"Well, I don't really know yet," said Mr. Zuckerman. "But we have received a sign, Edith--a mysterious sign. A miracle has happened on this farm. There is a large spider's web in the doorway of the barn cellar, right over the pigpen, and when Lurvy went to feed the pig this morning, he noticed the web because it was foggy, and you know how a spider's web looks very distinct in a fog. And right spang in the middle of the web there were the words 'Some Pig.' The words were woven right into the web. They were actually part of the web, Edith. I know, because I have been down there and seen them. It says, 'Some Pig,' just as clear as clear can be. There can be no mistake about it. A miracle has happened and a sign has occurred hereon earths right on our farm, and we have no ordinary pig.""Well," said Mrs. Zuckerman, "it seems to me you're a little off. It seems to me we have no ordinary spider."“Oh, no,” said Zuckerman. “It’s the pig that’s unusual. It says so, right there in the middle of the web.”

　　“Maybe so,” said Mrs. Zuckerman. “Just the same, I intend to have a look at that spider.”

　　“It’s just a common grey spider,” said Zuckerman.

　　They got up, and together they walked down to Wilbur’s yard. “You see, Edith? It’s just a common grey spider.”

　　Wilbur was pleased to receive so much attention. Lurvy was still standing there, and Mr. And Mrs. Zuckerman, all three, stood for about an hour, reading the words on the web over and over, and watching Wilbur.

　　Charlotte was delighted with the way her trick was working. She sat without moving a muscle, and listened to the conversation of the people. When a small fly blundered into the web, just beyond the word “pig,” Charlotte dropped quickly down, rolled the fly up, and carried it out of the way.

　　After a while the fog lifted. The web dried off and the words didn’t show up so plainly. The Zuckermans and Lurvy walked back to the house. Just before they left the pigpen, Mr. Zuckerman took one last look at Wilbur.

　　“You know,” he said, in an important voice, “I’ve thought all along that that pig of ours was an extra good one. He’s a solid pig. That pig is as solid as they come. You notice how solid he is around the shoulders, Lurvy?”

　　“Sure, Sure I do,” said Lurvy. “I’ve always noticed that pig. He’s quite a pig.”

　　“He’s long, and he’s smooth,” said Zuckerman.

　　“That’s right,” agreed Lurvy. “he’s as smooth as they come. He’s some pig.”

　　When Mr. Zuckerman got back to the house, he took off his work clothes and put on his best suit. Then he got into his car and drove to the minister’s house. He stayed for an hour and explained to the minister that a miracle had happened on the farm.

　　“So far,” said Zuckerman, “only four people on earth know about this miracle—myself, my wife Edith, my hired man Lurvy, and you.”

　　“Don’t tell anybody else,” said the minister. “We don’t know what it means yet, but perhaps if I give thought to it, I can explain it in my sermon next Sunday. There can be no doubt that you have a most unusual pig. I intend to speak about it in my sermon and point out the fact that this community has been visited with a wondrous animal. By the way, does the pig have a name?”

　　“Why, yes,” said Mr. Zuckerman. “My little niece calls him Wilbur. She’s rather queer child—full of notions. She raised the pig on a bottle and I bought him from her when he was a month old.”

　　He shook hands with the minister, and left.

　　Secrets are hard to keep. Long before Sunday came, the news spread all over the county. Everybody knew that a sign had appeared in a spider’s web on the Zuckerman place. Everybody knew that the Zuckermans had a wondrous pig. People came from miles around to look at Wilbur and to read the words on Charlotte’s web. The Zuckermans’ driveway was full of cars and trucks from morning till night—Fords and Chevvies and Buick roadmasters and GMC pickups and Plymouths and Studebakers and Packards and De Sotos with gyromatic transmissions and Oldsmobiles with rocket engines and Jeep station wagons and Pontiacs. The news of the wonderful pig spread clear up into the hills, and farmers came rattling down in buggies and buckboards, to stand hour after hour at Wilbur’s pen admiring the miraculous animal. All said they had never seen such a pig before in their lives.

　　When Fern told her mother that Avery had tried to hit the Zuckermans’ spider with a stick, Mrs. Arable was so shocked that she sent Avery to bed without any supper, as punishment.

　　In the days that followed, Mr. Zuckerman was so busy entertaining visitors that he neglected his farm work. He wore his good clothes all the time now—got right into them when he got up in the morning. Mrs. Zuckerman prepared special meals for Wilbur. Lurvy shaved and got a haircut; and his principal farm duty was to feed the pig while people looked on.

　　Mr. Zuckerman ordered Lurvy to increase Wilbur’s feedings from three meals a day to four meals a day. The Zuckermans were so busy with visitors they forgot about other things on the farm. The blackberries got ripe, and Mrs. Zuckerman failed to put up any blackberry jam. The corn needed hoeing, and Lurvy didn’t find time to hoe it.

　　On Sunday the church was full. The minister explained the miracle. He said that the words on the spider’s web proved that human beings must always be on the watch for the coming of wonders.

　　All in all, the Zuckermans’ pigpen was the center of attraction. Fern was happy, for she felt that Charlotte’s trick was working and that Wilbur’s life would be saved. But she found that the barn was not nearly as pleasant—too many people. She liked it better when she could be all alone with her friends the animals.

 

　　第二天起雾了。农场里的一切都被雾水打湿了。草地看起来像有魔力的地毯。龙须菜地看起来则像一片银色的森林。

　　晨雾中，夏洛的网显得异常的绮丽。每一缕细细的丝线上都缀满无数的小珠子。这张在晨光中泛着莹光的网，里面织着可爱而又神秘的图案，看起来就如同一层纤美的面纱。即使从来对美丽不是很在意的鲁维，在给威伯送早饭时也注意到了这张网。他注意到这网被编织得有多么大，多么的精致。当他再看时，发现了某种使他吃惊的事，慌乱中不觉扔下了食桶。那儿，就在网的中心，织着两排漂亮的大写字母，好像是在传达某种信息。那上面的字母是：

　　“好猪！”①

　　鲁维怔住了。他用手来回揉了揉眼睛，死死地盯向夏洛的网。

　　“我看到什么了？”他喃喃说着，跌跪下去，急急地祈祷了一番。然后，他忙回到房子里去喊祖克曼先生，全没想到威伯的早餐。

　　“我想你最好到猪圈去一下，”他说。

　　“怎么了？”祖克曼先生问，“猪出什么毛病了吗？”

　　“不-不是，”鲁维说，“你自己去看吧。”

　　两个男人悄悄来到威伯的院子里。鲁维指向那蜘蛛网。“你看我看见了什么？”他说。

　　祖克曼先生盯着网上的字母，念着上面的“好猪”这个词。然后他看了看鲁维。这时他们都开始哆嗦了。昨夜忙碌了一宿的夏洛，此刻已经醒来，正微笑着看着这一切。威伯一直朝网这边走过来。

　　“好猪！”鲁维低声嘟囔着。

　　“好猪！”祖克曼先生低语。接下来的很长一段时间里，他们只是把威伯看了又看，然后才朝夏洛看去。

　　“你不是猜是那…那只蜘蛛……”祖克曼先生摇摇头，没再继续说下去。他神色庄重地回到房子里，把这事情说给他的太太听。“伊迪丝，某种事情发生了，”他嗫嚅着，走进起居室坐下。祖克曼太太跟了过来。

　　“我有些话要告诉你，伊迪丝，”他说，“你最好还是坐下来。”

　　祖克曼太太陷到了椅子里。她吓得脸都白了。

　　“伊迪丝，”他试着让他的声音听起来不那么激动，“我想你最好知道，我们有了一头极不寻常的猪。”

　　祖克曼太太的脸上显出一副迷惑不解的神情。“霍默·祖克曼，你到底想要说什么？”她说。

　　“这是一件非常严肃的事情，伊迪丝，”他回答道，“我们的猪完全是出类拔萃的。”

　　“这猪有什么特别的地方？”祖克曼太太问着，开始不那么害怕了。

　　“嗯，我也不知道该怎么说，”祖克曼先生说，“我们得到了一个暗示，伊迪丝——一个神秘的暗示。一个奇迹已经在这个农场上出现了。谷仓地窖门口有一个大蜘蛛网，它就在猪圈上边。今早我和鲁维去喂猪时，因为雾的关系他看到了那张网，你知道一张蜘蛛网在雾里显得有些特别。就在网的中央，写着‘好猪’这个词。这个词完全是由蜘蛛网织出来的。它们本身就是网的一部分，伊迪丝。我知道这点，因为我在那儿看到了它。那上面写着的‘好猪’，看起来再清楚不过了。我绝不能看错的。一个奇迹发生了，一个神示在地球上出现了，它就在我们的农场，我们有了一头不同凡响的猪。”

　　“哦，”祖克曼太太说，“我觉得你好像弄拧了。我看我们是有了一头不同凡响的蜘蛛才对。”

　　“噢，不！”祖克曼说，“是这猪不一般，那蜘蛛网的中间就这么说的。”

　　“可能如此吧，”祖克曼太太说，“虽然如此，我还是打算去看看那只蜘蛛。”

　　“那只是一只很普通的灰蜘蛛。”祖克曼说。

　　他们站起来，一同往威伯的院子走。“你看到了吗，伊迪丝？它是只很平常的灰蜘蛛。”

　　威伯很高兴能如此引人注目。还在那儿站着的鲁维，祖克曼先生和太太，三个人一起在那里站了大约一小时，一遍遍地读着网里的词，并观察着威伯。

　　夏洛为她成功地愚弄了这些人而开心。她一动不动地坐在那里，听着人们的交谈。一只小苍蝇撞到网里，马上就要朝“猪”这个字爬过来了。夏洛见了忙跑过去把苍蝇缠住，拖远。

　　不久，雾散了。网也干了，这些字母看起来也不那么美了。祖克曼夫妇和鲁维走回了房子。在离开猪圈前，祖克曼先生最后又看了威伯一眼。

　　“你知道，”他庄重地说，“我想从哪方面看我们的猪都格外的优秀。他是头很结实的猪，比别的猪都壮实。你注意到他的肩膀下有多么结实吗，鲁维？”

　　“当然，当然，”鲁维说，“我总是注意那头猪。他是头不一般的猪。”

　　“他是那么的长，身上那么的光滑。”祖克曼说。

　　“的确，”鲁维表示同意，“他比别的猪光滑得多。他是头好猪。”

　　祖克曼先生回到了家，便脱下工作服，穿上了他最好的衣裳。然后他进了他的车，向牧师家驶去。他在牧师那里花了一小时，讲述在他的农场出现的奇迹。

　　“到现在为止，”祖克曼说，“这个地球上只有四个人知道这个奇迹——我，我妻子伊迪丝，我的雇工鲁维，还有你。”

　　“先别对任何人说，”牧师说，“我们还不知道那预示着什么，但如果我思考一下，就能在下周的布道会上解释这一切。无疑，你有了一头最不寻常的猪。我打算在我的布道会上指出，这个社区出现了一种多么不寻常的动物。顺便问一句，那猪有名字吗？”

　　“是的，有，”祖克曼先生说,“我的小外甥女叫他威伯。她是个相当古怪的小孩——脑子里都是奇特的念头。她用奶瓶给这头猪喂奶，当小猪一个月大时，我才把他从她那里买来的。”

　　他和牧师握了握手，然后离开了。

　　秘密是很难被保住的。远在星期日到来之前，这消息就传遍了整个村子。每个人都知道一个神示在祖克曼先生家的蜘蛛网里出现了。每个人都知道祖克曼一家有了一头奇异的猪。人们从四面八方赶来看威伯，读着夏洛的网里的字。祖克曼家的车道上从早到晚都停满了小车和大卡车——福特，雪佛莱，别克，通用皮卡、普利茅斯、斯塔德贝克、帕卡德、带陀螺变速器的德索托、带火箭引擎的奥兹莫比尔、旅行吉普和庞蒂亚克牌汽车等等都开过来了。②这头神奇的小猪的消息也传进了山里，那些农场主们都赶着他们各式的马车来了，一小时接一小时地在威伯的猪圈里艳羡地看着这头神奇的动物。所有人都声称在一生中从没见过这样的猪。

　　当芬把埃弗里曾想把祖克曼的蜘蛛用棍子打下来的事告诉了她的妈妈后，阿拉贝尔太太一怒之下没让埃弗里吃晚饭，就把他赶上了床，以示惩罚。

　　接下去的几天里，祖克曼先生由于整天忙着招待这些来访者，竟然忘记了他的农活。他时刻穿着他最好的衣服——早上一起床就往人群里走。祖克曼太太给威伯准备了特别的饭菜。鲁维刮了脸，也理了发；他在农场里最首要的任务就是在人们来参观时喂那头猪。

　　祖克曼先生命令鲁维把威伯的吃饭次数从一天三次增加到四次。祖克曼一家如此忙于应付这些来访的人众，都忘了农场里还有别的事情要做了。黑莓熟了，可祖克曼太太却忘了把它们采摘，做成果酱。玉米地需要锄草了，可鲁维却找不到时间去锄草。

　　星期日，教堂挤满了人。牧师对这奇迹解释了一通。他说这蜘蛛网上的字说明，人类必须时刻准备去观察神迹的出现。

　　祖克曼家的猪圈成了众人注意的焦点。芬很开心，因为她知道夏洛的把戏取得了成效，威伯的命也保住了。只是她觉得谷仓里现在不那么令她高兴了——那里的人太多了。她更愿意能和她的动物朋友单独在一起。

 

　　注释① 好猪：这个词的原文是Some pig。

　　注释② 这里涉及到的车名我除了几个外，几乎都不知道，只好请索易的洪立为我翻译，特此致谢。其中的部分原文如下："...and GMC pickups and Plymouths and Studebakers and Packards and De Sotos with gyromatic transmissions and Oldsmobiles with rocket engines and Jeep station wagons and Pontiacs。” 据新语丝的朋友半山说，这里写的那些带"陀螺变速器，火箭发动机"的汽车，对不熟悉老美汽车文化的中国读者，大概没有车名汉译标准，何况Studebaker,Packard,De Soto 是倒闭几十年的老车厂，除了古董车收藏家，一般美国人都不一定熟，所以很难翻译。有全能说出这些车的厂家，国别的人请告诉我，谢谢。