第二講
如何寫形,色,味
〈原文〉
...Its two solid little chimneys, glued on to the roof, were painted red and white, and the door, gleaming with yellow varnish, was like a little slab of toffee. Four windows, real windows, were divided into panes by a broad streak of green. There was actually a tiny porch, too, painted yellow, with big lumps of congealed paint hanging along the edge.
But perfect, perfect little house! Who could possibly mind the smell? It was part of the joy, part of the newness.
‘Open it quickly, someone!’
The hook at the side was stuck fast. Pat pried it open with his penknife, and the whole house-front swung back, and-there you were, gazing at one and the same moment into the drawing-room and dining-room, the kitchen and two bedrooms. That is the way for a house to open! Why don all houses open like that? How much more exciting than peering through the slit of a door into a mean little hall with a hatstand and two umbrellas! That is-isn’t it?-what you long to know about a house when you put your hand on the knocker...
〈譯文〉
黏在屋頂上的兩個實心煙囪,漆著紅白兩色;閃亮黃漆的小門,像一塊厚厚的太妃糖。有四扇窗戶,真正的窗子,用綠色粗線畫成窗格子。而且還真有一個小門亭呢,也是漆成黃色,邊緣還垂懸著一滴一滴的油漆。
多麼完美的一座小房子啊!誰還會在乎那股油漆味呢?那也成了喜悅、嶄新感覺的一部分了。
「來人啊!趕緊打開它!」
玩具屋旁邊的鉤子卡得緊緊的,派特用削鉛筆刀把它撬開,房子的整個前壁就掀開了。看哪!你一眼就可同時看到客廳、餐廳、廚房和兩間臥室。房門就應該那樣的開才是!為何不讓所有的房子都用這種方法打開?比起從門縫裡望見擺著衣帽架和兩把雨傘的小門廳,這有趣太多了,當你伸手扣響門環時,這不正是你渴望看到的房子裡的一切嗎?