The great yellow wasteland lay dim and milky1 in the moonlight as the Big Friendly Giant went
galloping3 across it.
Sophie, still wearing only her nightie, was reclining comfortably in a crevice4 of the BFG’s right
ear. She was actually in the outer rim5 of the ear, near the top, where the edge of the ear folds over,
and this folding-over bit made a sort of roof for her and gave her wonderful protection against the
rushing wind. What is more, she was lying on skin that was soft and warm and almost velvety6.
Nobody, she told herself, had ever travelled in greater comfort.
Sophie peeped over the rim of the ear and watched the desolate7 landscape of Giant Country go
whizzing by. They were certainly moving fast. The BFG went bouncing off the ground as though
there were rockets in his toes and each stride he took lifted him about a hundred feet into the air. But
he had not yet gone into that whizzing top gear of his, when die ground became blurred8 by speed and
the wind howled and his feet didn’t seem to be touching9 anything but air. That would come later.
Sophie had not slept for a long time. She was very tired. She was also warm and comfortable.
She dozed10 off.
She didn’t know how long she slept, but when she woke up again and looked out over the edge
of the ear, the landscape had changed completely. They were in a green country now, with mountains
and forests. It was still dark but the moon was shining as brightly as ever.
Suddenly and without slowing his pace, the BFG turned his head sharply to the left. For the first
time during the entire journey he spoke11 a few words. ‘Look quick-quick over there,’ he said, pointing
his long trumpet12.
Sophie looked in the direction he was pointing. Through the murky13 darkness all she saw at first
was a great cloud of dust about three hundred yards away.
‘Those is the other giants all galloping back home after their guzzle,’ the BFG said.
Then Sophie saw them. In the light of the moon, she saw all nine of those monstrous14 half-naked
brutes15 thundering across the landscape together. They were galloping in a pack, their necks craned
forward, their arms bent16 at the elbows, and worst of all, their stomachs bulging17. The strides they took
were incredible. Their speed was unbelievable. Their feet pounded and thundered on the ground and
left a great sheet of dust behind them. But in ten seconds they were gone.
‘A lot of little girlsies and boysies is no longer sleeping in their beds tonight,’ the BFG said.
Sophie felt quite ill.
But this grim encounter made her more than ever determined18 to go through with her mission.
It must have been about an hour or so later that the BFG began to slow his pace. ‘We is in
England now,’ he said suddenly.
Dark though it was, Sophie could see that they were in a country of green fields with neat
hedges in between the fields. There were hills with trees all over them and occasionally there were
roads with the lights of cars moving along. Each time they came to a road, the BFG was over it and
away, and no motorist could possibly have seen anything except a quick black shadow flashing
overhead.
All at once, a curious orange-coloured glow appeared in the night sky ahead of them.
‘We is coming close to London,’ the BFG said.
He slowed to a trot19. He began looking about cautiously.
Groups of houses were now appearing on all sides. But there were still no lights in their
windows. It was too early for anyone to be getting up yet.
‘Someone’s bound to see us,’ Sophie said.
‘Never is they seeing me,’ the BFG said confidently. ‘You is forgetting that I is doing this sort of
thing for years and years and years. No human bean is ever catching20 even the smallest wink21 of me.’
‘I did,’ Sophie whispered.
‘Ah,’ he said. ‘Yes. But you was the very first.’
During the next half-hour, things moved so swiftly and so silently that Sophie, crouching23 in the
giant’s ear, was unable to understand exactly what was going on. They were in streets. There were
houses everywhere. Sometimes there were shops. There were bright lamps in the streets. There were
quite a few people about and there were cars with lights on. But nobody ever noticed the BFG. It was
impossible to understand quite how he did it. There was a kind of magic in his movements. He
seemed to melt into the shadows. He would glide24 – that was the only word to describe his way of
moving – he would glide noiselessly from one dark place to another, always moving, always gliding25
forward through the streets of London, his black cloak blending with the shadows of the night.
It is quite possible that one or two late-night wanderers might have thought they saw a tall black
shadow skimming swiftly down a murky sidestreet, but even if they had, they would never have
believed their own eyes. They would have dismissed it as an illusion and blamed themselves for
seeing things that weren’t there.
Sophie and the BFG came at last to a large place full of trees. There was a road running through
it, and a lake. There were no people in this place and the BFG stopped for the first time since they
had set out from his cave many hours before.
‘What’s the matter?’ Sophie whispered in her under-the-breath voice.
‘I is in a bit of a puddle,’ he said.
‘You’re doing marvellously,’ Sophie whispered.
‘No, I isn’t,’ he said. ‘I is now completely boggled. I is lost.’
‘But why?’
‘Because we is meant to be in the middle of London and suddenly we is in green pastures.’
‘Don’t be silly,’ Sophie whispered. ‘This is the middle of London. It’s called Hyde Park. I know
exactly where we are.’
‘You is joking.’
‘I’m not. I swear I’m not. We’re almost there.’
‘You mean we is nearly at the Queen’s Palace?’ cried the BFG.
‘It’s just across the road,’ Sophie whispered. ‘This is where I take over.’
‘Which way?’ the BFG asked.
‘Straight ahead.’
The BFG trotted26 forward through the deserted27 park.
‘Now stop.’
The BFG stopped.
‘You see that huge roundabout ahead of us just outside the Park?’ Sophie whispered.
‘I see it.’
‘That is Hyde Park Corner.’
Even now, when it was still an hour before dawn, there was quite a lot of traffic moving around
Hyde Park Corner.
Then Sophie whispered, ‘In the middle of the roundabout there is an enormous stone arch with a
statue of a horse and rider on top of it. Can you see that?’
The BFG peered through the trees. ‘I is seeing it,’ he said.
‘Do you think that if you took a very fast run at it, you could jump clear over Hyde Park Corner,
over the arch and over the horse and rider and land on the pavement the other side?’
‘Easy,’ the BFG said.
‘You’re sure? You’re absolutely sure?’
‘I promise,’ the BFG said.
‘Whatever you do, you mustn’t land in the middle of Hyde Park Corner.’
‘Don’t get so flussed,’ the BFG said. ‘To me that is a snitchy little jump. There’s not a
thingalingaling to it.’
‘Then go!’ Sophie whispered.
The BFG broke into a full gallop2. He went scorching28 across the Park and just before he reached
the railings that divided it from the street, he took off. It was a gigantic leap. He flew high over Hyde
Park Corner and landed as softly as a cat on the pavement the other side.
‘Well done!’ Sophie whispered. ‘Now quick! Over that wall!’
Directly in front of them, bordering the pavement, there was a brick wall with fearsome-looking
spikes29 all along the top of it. A swift crouch22, a little leap and the BFG was over it.
‘We’re there!’ Sophie whispered excitedly. ‘We’re in the Queen’s back garden!’
去伦敦
当好心眼儿巨人飞也似的奔跑时，黄色的荒原在月光下十分阴暗，像混浊的牛奶的颜
色。
索菲仍旧只穿着她那件睡袍，在好心眼儿巨人耳朵的一道缝里舒舒服服地斜躺着。说准
确点，她是在耳朵的外沿靠近耳朵尖的地方。耳朵边在那里卷起来，正好给她当屋顶，也给
她挡住了呼呼吹来的风。她直接躺在皮肤上，又柔软又暖和，简直像躺在天鹅绒上面。索菲
心里说：“没有人出去旅行能比这更舒服的了。”
索菲从耳朵边朝外看去，巨人国荒凉的景色呼呼而过。他们跑得实在是快。好心眼儿巨
人在地上蹦跳着跑，就像他脚趾上有火箭似的，每一步跳起来足有一百英尺高。可他还没用
上最快的速度，到他用上最快速度时，大地上的景物就要一片模糊了，大风咆哮，他脚不沾
地，只在空气中飘着走。
索菲已经好长时间没睡觉了，她感觉非常累。巨人耳朵里又温暖又舒服，她很快睡着
了。
她不知道已经睡了多久，等到重新醒来，从耳朵边看出去，外面的景色完全变了。他们
这时候是在绿色的乡间，看得见高山和森林。天还黑着，但是月亮跟往常一样亮。
忽然之间，好心眼儿巨人猛转过他的头。在整个路程中，他还是第一次开口说话。“快快
瞧那边。”他用他的长小号指着说。
索菲朝他指点的方向看去。在黑暗中，她只看到大约三百码远的地方灰尘滚滚。
“那些巨人，他们吃饱了正往家里跑呢。”好心眼儿巨人说。
索菲看到了他们。在月光下，她看到了九个半裸的巨大野兽，一块儿轰隆隆地从前面跑
过。他们成群地跑，脖子向前直伸，双臂在手肘处弯曲，最可怕的是他们的肚子都鼓了出
来。他们的步子叫人真不敢相信。他们的速度叫人真不敢相信。他们的脚在地面上踏得像打
雷一样响，在身后留下滚滚的灰尘。不到十秒钟，他们就不见了。
“许多小女孩小男孩今天夜里不再睡在他们的床上了。”好心眼儿巨人说。
索菲觉得直想吐。
这悲惨的相遇使她更加坚定了决心，一定要完成她的使命。
等到好心眼儿巨人开始放慢脚步，一定是在一个小时以后了。“我们现在已经在英国
了。”他忽然说。
尽管黑，索菲还是能够看到，他们是在乡下绿色的田野上，一块块田地之间有整齐的树
篱。这里有长满树木的小山，偶尔有路，路上有移动的汽车灯光。每次来到一条路那里，好
心眼儿巨人就跨过它跑掉，开汽车的除了看见一个黑影在头上很快地闪过以外，看不到什
么。
忽然之间，他们前面的夜空中出现了一道橙黄色的奇怪闪光。
“我们靠近伦敦了。”好心眼儿巨人说。
他放慢脚步，改成小跑。他开始小心地向四下张望。
四面八方开始出现一片一片的房子，但是它们的窗子依旧没有灯光。现在起床还太早
了。
“一定会有人看见我们。”索菲说。
“不会有人豆子看见我，”好心眼儿巨人自信地说，“你忘了，我做这种事不知多少年了，
从来没有一个人豆子哪怕看到过我一眼。”
“我看到了。”索菲悄悄地说。
“啊，”他说，“对。你是第一个。”
在接下来的半个钟头里，东西移动得那么快，那么安静，索菲蹲在巨人的耳朵里，简直
弄不清楚都发生了什么事。他们是在街上。到处是房子。有时候有店铺。街上有很亮的街
灯。附近有些人，有些汽车点着灯。没有人注意到好心眼儿巨人。真不明白他是怎么做到
的。在他的行动中有一种魔法，他好像融入了影子。他会滑过去——这是形容他的行动惟一
可以用的字眼——他会悄没声儿地从一个黑暗地方滑进另一个黑暗地方。他一直在伦敦的一
条条街上向前移动着，他的黑色大氅和黑夜融为一体。
很可能有一两个深夜的路人会觉得，他们好像看见一个细而高的黑影很快地在一条漆黑
的街上掠过，可就算他们这样觉得，他们也永远不会相信自己的眼睛。他们只会把这当做一
个幻影，只会怪自己眼花，看到了其实根本不存在的东西。
就这样，索菲和好心眼儿巨人最后来到了一个满是树木的地方。这里当中有条路穿过，
还有个湖。这地方没有人，从离开山洞以来，好心眼儿巨人第一次停下了。
“什么事？”索菲压低嗓子悄悄地问道。
“我有点迷糊了。”他说。
“你走得挺棒的。”索菲悄悄地说。
“不，我没有。”他说，“我这会儿完全迷糊了，我迷路了。”
“为什么？”
“因为我们应该是在伦敦的中心，可忽然之间我发现我们是在绿色的牧场上。”
“别犯傻了，”索菲悄悄地说，“这是伦敦的中心。这里叫做海德公园。我很清楚我们在什
么地方。”
“你在开玩笑。”
“我没有玩笑。我发誓我没有开玩笑。我们差不多到了。”索菲说。
“你是说我们差不多到女王的王宫了？”好心眼儿巨人叫道。
“它就在路那边，”索菲悄悄地说，“我来过这里。”
“走哪一边？”好心眼儿巨人问道。
“一直向前走。”
好心眼儿巨人穿过没有人的公园一直向前跑。
“现在停下。”
好心眼儿巨人停下了。
“你看到我们前面那环形交叉路了吗，就在公园外面的？”索菲悄悄地说。
“看到了。”
“那就是海德公园角。”
在离天亮还有一小时的时候，海德公园角就已经有不少车辆来来往往了。
索菲悄悄地说：“在交叉路中心广场有一座很大的石拱门，门顶有一座雕像，一个人骑着
一匹马。你看到了吗？”
好心眼儿巨人从树木间看过去。“我看到了。”他说。
“你认为，你只要飞快地跑过去，能够一跳就跳过海德公园角、跳过拱门、跳过骑马的
人，落到另一边的人行道上吗？”
“那太容易了。”好心眼儿巨人说。
“你能百分之百地吃准？”
“我保证。”好心眼儿巨人说。
“不管怎样，你千万不要落到海德公园角当中。”
“别那么大惊小怪，”好心眼儿巨人说，“对我来说，这不过是小小的一跳而已，根本算不
了什么。”
“那么跑起来吧！”索菲悄悄地说。
好心眼儿巨人于是全速奔跑起来。他飞也似的跑过公园，就在到达把公园和街道隔开的
围栏前面，他起跳了。这是一个巨大的飞跃。他飞过海德公园角，像只猫那样轻快地落到另
一边的人行道上。
“干得好！”索菲悄悄地说，“现在快跳过那围墙！”
就在他们前面，沿着人行道有一道砖墙，墙顶一路过去都是可怕的铁蒺藜。好心眼儿巨
人把身子一蹲，只那么一小跳，就轻松地过去了。
“我们到了！”索菲兴奋地悄悄说，“我们已经在女王的后花园了！”
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
milky
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| adj.牛奶的，多奶的；乳白色的 | |
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2
gallop
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| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
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3
galloping
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| adj. 飞驰的, 急性的 动词gallop的现在分词形式 | |
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4
crevice
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| n.(岩石、墙等)裂缝；缺口 | |
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5
rim
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| n.(圆物的)边，轮缘；边界 | |
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6
velvety
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| adj. 像天鹅绒的, 轻软光滑的, 柔软的 | |
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7
desolate
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| adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂 | |
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8
blurred
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| v.（使）变模糊( blur的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）难以区分；模模糊糊；迷离 | |
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9
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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10
dozed
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| v.打盹儿，打瞌睡( doze的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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11
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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12
trumpet
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| n.喇叭，喇叭声；v.吹喇叭，吹嘘 | |
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13
murky
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| adj.黑暗的，朦胧的；adv.阴暗地，混浊地；n.阴暗；昏暗 | |
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14
monstrous
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| adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的 | |
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15
brutes
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| 兽( brute的名词复数 )； 畜生； 残酷无情的人； 兽性 | |
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16
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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17
bulging
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| 膨胀； 凸出（部）； 打气； 折皱 | |
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18
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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19
trot
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| n.疾走，慢跑；n.老太婆；现成译本；(复数）trots:腹泻（与the 连用）；v.小跑，快步走，赶紧 | |
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catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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21
wink
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| n.眨眼，使眼色，瞬间；v.眨眼，使眼色，闪烁 | |
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22
crouch
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| v.蹲伏，蜷缩，低头弯腰；n.蹲伏 | |
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23
crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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24
glide
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| n./v.溜，滑行；(时间)消逝 | |
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25
gliding
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| v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
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26
trotted
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| 小跑，急走( trot的过去分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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27
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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28
scorching
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| adj. 灼热的 | |
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29
spikes
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| n.穗( spike的名词复数 )；跑鞋；（防滑）鞋钉；尖状物v.加烈酒于( spike的第三人称单数 )；偷偷地给某人的饮料加入（更多）酒精（ 或药物）；把尖状物钉入；打乱某人的计划 | |
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