从前有一条小鲈鱼,名字叫做“闪电”。他喜欢在清澈的湖水里四处游玩,对看见的任何东西都充满了好奇。每当一条大鱼游过来,想一口吞掉他的时候,他都会迅速地游开,快得就像闪电一样,让那些大鱼只好目瞪口呆地留在了那里。
“闪电”没有妈妈,也没有爸爸。小鱼都没有父母,因为大鱼记不清那么多小鱼中哪些小鱼是属于他们的。但“闪电”有很多的叔叔和阿姨。
Once upon a time there was a little perch called Flash. He loved to swim around in the clear water of the lake, and was curious about everything he saw. Whenever a big fish came along who might want to gobble him up, quick as a flash, off he would swim, and the big fish would be left gaping.
Flash had no mother or father. Little fish don’t have parents, as big fish cannot remember which of the many little fish belong to them. But Flash had many uncles and aunts instead.
他有身上带着红色斑点的亲爱的比目鱼阿姨,有相貌堂堂、银光闪闪的鳊鱼叔叔,还有又长又壮、满口尖牙的梭子鱼叔叔。他们都比“闪电”的个头儿大很多,但他们从来也没想过要吃掉他,因为“闪电”实在是太可爱了。
有一天,他们警告他说:“你知道吗,你这么好奇是很危险的。你也许会被拖到那片可怕的干涸的陆地上,在那里,任何鱼都没法游泳,那里只有两条腿的‘巨青蛙’在东奔西走。那些‘巨青蛙’叫做‘人’。”
“噢,我倒愿意去看看陆地上的样子。”“闪电”说。
There was dear Aunt Flounder with her red spots, splendid, silvery Uncle Bream and long, strong Uncle Pike with his sharp teeth. They were much bigger than Flash, but they never thought of eating him. He was much too charming for that.
One day they warned him,“It’s dangerous to be so curious, you know. You might get pulled up on to that terrible dry land where no one can swim, and where giant frogs run around on two legs. They’re called people.”
“ Oh, I’d love to see that,” said Flash.
“看在老天的份上,你千万不要那样做啊,傻孩子!”比目鱼阿姨用她的尾巴画了一个圈,说道。(如果鱼儿不想让某件坏事发生,他们就会那样做的,而不是去摸木头 什么的。)
梭子鱼叔叔嘟哝道:“快到这里来吧,我的孩子,不要那样淘气了。”
但是,“闪电”嗖地一下游走了,快得就像闪电一样。
“ For heaven’s sake, you must not, silly boy!” Aunt Flounder said as she twirled her tail in a circle. (Fish do that instead of touching wood, if they don’t want something bad to happen.)
Uncle Pike muttered,“Come here immediately, my boy, and don’t be so naughty.”
But, quick as a flash, off Flash swam.