Introducing Philautus, the tree frog Philautus, or Thavalai, as he was known to some friends, had not come down from the Big Tree his whole life. ˌɪntrəˈdusɪŋ philautus*, ðə tri frɑg philautus*, ɔr thavalai*, æz hi wɑz noʊn tu sʌm frɛndz, hæd nɑt kʌm daʊn frʌm ðə bɪg tri hɪz hoʊl laɪf. 介绍一下 Philautus，树蛙 Philautus，或一些朋友所熟知的 Thavalai，它一生都没有从大树上下来。 But then, neither had his father. bʌt ðɛn, ˈniðər hæd hɪz ˈfɑðər. 但那时，他父亲也没有。 Or mother. ɔr ˈmʌðər. 或者妈妈。 Or grandparents. ɔr ˈgrændˌpɛrənts. 或者祖父母。 Or great grandparents. ɔr greɪt ˈgrændˌpɛrənts. 或者曾祖父母。 Before that, who knew? bɪˈfɔr ðæt, hu nu? 在此之前，谁知道呢？ They had lived there on the Big Tree for as long as anyone could remember. ðeɪ hæd lɪvd ðɛr ɑn ðə bɪg tri fɔr æz lɔŋ æz ˈɛniˌwən kʊd rɪˈmɛmbər. 从人们记事起，他们就一直住在大树上。 He had been born on the Big Tree, in a small nook, and splashed around as a little froglet in the tiny puddles of water that collected in the tree holes. hi hæd bɪn bɔrn ɑn ðə bɪg tri, ɪn ə smɔl nʊk, ənd splæʃt əraʊnd æz ə ˈlɪtəl froglet* ɪn ðə ˈtaɪni ˈpʌdəlz ʌv ˈwɔtər ðæt kəˈlɛktəd ɪn ðə tri hoʊlz. 他出生在大树上的一个小角落里，像一只小青蛙一样在树洞里积聚的小水坑里嬉戏。 As had his father before him. æz hæd hɪz ˈfɑðər bɪˈfɔr hɪm. 就像他父亲在他之前一样。 Sometimes the other frogs made fun of him, because he had never been a tadpole. səmˈtaɪmz ðə ˈʌðər frɑgz meɪd fʌn ʌv hɪm, bɪˈkɔz hi hæd ˈnɛvər bɪn ə ˈtædˌpoʊl. 有时其他青蛙取笑他，因为他从来都不是蝌蚪。 'You were not a tadpole' they chanted. 'ju wər nɑt ə ˈtædˌpoʊl' ðeɪ ˈʧæntɪd. 他们高喊着“你不是蝌蚪”。 But Thavalai was a tree frog and proud of it. bʌt thavalai* wɑz ə tri frɑg ənd praʊd ʌv ɪt. 但塔瓦莱是一只树蛙，并以此为荣。 The Big Tree was in the middle of a shola forest, a dark, deep and wet forest, dripping with dew, dank with mildew. ðə bɪg tri wɑz ɪn ðə ˈmɪdəl ʌv ə shola* ˈfɔrəst, ə dɑrk, dip ənd wɛt ˈfɔrəst, ˈdrɪpɪŋ wɪð du, dæŋk wɪð ˈmɪlˌdu. 大树在索拉森林的中央，一片黑暗、深邃、潮湿的森林，滴着露水，湿漉漉的，长满了霉菌。 Cosy sholas and harsh grasslands The shola nestled snugly at the bottom of a valley and was surrounded by undulating hills of grassland. ˈkoʊzi sholas* ənd hɑrʃ ˈgræsˌlændz ðə shola* ˈnɛsəld sˈnʌgli æt ðə ˈbɑtəm ʌv ə ˈvæli ənd wɑz sərˈaʊndəd baɪ ˈʌnʤəˌleɪtɪŋ hɪlz ʌv ˈgræsˌlænd. 舒适的 sholas 和严酷的草原 shola 依偎在山谷底部，四周是起伏的草原山丘。 Little fingers of shola forest snaked up the hill- slope where rain-fed streams had cut their courses. ˈlɪtəl ˈfɪŋgərz ʌv shola* ˈfɔrəst snaked* ʌp ðə hɪl- sloʊp wɛr rain-fed* strimz hæd kʌt ðɛr ˈkɔrsəz. 索拉森林的小手指蜿蜒爬上山坡，雨水滋养的溪流截断了它们的路线。 And as much as the seasons raged out in the grassland, inside the shola it was always cool. ənd æz mʌʧ æz ðə ˈsizənz reɪʤd aʊt ɪn ðə ˈgræsˌlænd, ˌɪnˈsaɪd ðə shola* ɪt wɑz ˈɔlˌweɪz kul. 尽管草原上四季如火，但索拉内却始终凉爽。 The grassland is a harsh land, Thavalai's father used to say. ðə ˈgræsˌlænd ɪz ə hɑrʃ lænd, thavalai's* ˈfɑðər juzd tu seɪ. It's sizzling hot in the day and freezing cold at night. ɪts ˈsɪzəlɪŋ hɑt ɪn ðə deɪ ənd ˈfrizɪŋ koʊld æt naɪt. 白天很热，晚上很冷。 But here in the shola, it's always cool and moist. bʌt hir ɪn ðə shola*, ɪts ˈɔlˌweɪz kul ənd mɔɪst. 但在索拉这里，它总是凉爽潮湿。 That's why you must always stay here. ðæts waɪ ju mʌst ˈɔlˌweɪz steɪ hir. 这就是为什么你必须一直呆在这里。 Thavalai and his friends, discussing their world Thavalai had heard all these names, but he had no idea what these places were. thavalai* ənd hɪz frɛndz, dɪˈskʌsɪŋ ðɛr wərld thavalai* hæd hərd ɔl ðiz neɪmz, bʌt hi hæd noʊ aɪˈdiə wʌt ðiz ˈpleɪsəz wər. Thavalai 和他的朋友们讨论他们的世界 Thavalai 听说过所有这些名字，但他不知道这些地方是什么。 Bhavani, Bangitappal, Sispara, Nadugani, Maduppumalai shola, the shola of folds, and so on. bhavani*, bangitappal*, sispara*, nadugani*, maduppumalai* shola*, ðə shola* ʌv foʊldz, ənd soʊ ɑn. Bhavani、Bangitappal、Sispara、Nadugani、Madoppumalai shola、the shola of folds 等等。 But he had a few friends who had been around a bit. bʌt hi hæd ə fju frɛndz hu hæd bɪn əraʊnd ə bɪt. 但他有几个朋友，他们有点关系。 Warbler flew down from the Himalayas each year and had a bird's-eye view of the whole of the Western Ghats. ˈwɔrblər flu daʊn frʌm ðə ˌhɪməˈlaɪəs iʧ jɪr ənd hæd ə bird's-eye* vju ʌv ðə hoʊl ʌv ðə ˈwɛstərn ghats*. 莺每年从喜马拉雅山飞下来，鸟瞰整个西高止山脉。 Of which the Nilgiris was a tiny part. ʌv wɪʧ ðə nilgiris* wɑz ə ˈtaɪni pɑrt. Nilgiris 只是其中的一小部分。 Of which Mukurthi was a section. ʌv wɪʧ mukurthi* wɑz ə ˈsɛkʃən. 其中 Mukurthi 是其中的一部分。 Of which Sispara was a slice. ʌv wɪʧ sispara* wɑz ə slaɪs. 西斯帕拉是其中的一部分。 In which the tree stood. ɪn wɪʧ ðə tri stʊd. 树立在那里。 Thavalai decides to explore the world When Thavalai heard about the big blue sea from his friends, he knew he had to see it. thavalai* ˌdɪˈsaɪdz tu ɪkˈsplɔr ðə wərld wɛn thavalai* hərd əˈbaʊt ðə bɪg blu si frʌm hɪz frɛndz, hi nu hi hæd tu si ɪt. Thavalai 决定探索世界 当 Thavalai 从他的朋友那里听说大海时，他知道他必须去看看。 His frog friends scoffed. hɪz frɑg frɛndz skɔft. 他的青蛙朋友们嗤之以鼻。 Warbler said it was minuscule compared to the seas that she had seen while migrating south in winter. ˈwɔrblər sɛd ɪt wɑz ˈmɪnəˌskjul kəmˈpɛrd tu ðə siz ðæt ʃi hæd sin waɪl ˈmaɪˌgreɪtɪŋ saʊθ ɪn ˈwɪntər. 莺说，与她在冬天向南迁徙时看到的海洋相比，这是微不足道的。 But Thavalai was determined to go. bʌt thavalai* wɑz dɪˈtərmənd tu goʊ. 但塔瓦莱决心要去。 And one morning, he came down the Big Tree, hopping from branch to branch. ənd wʌn ˈmɔrnɪŋ, hi keɪm daʊn ðə bɪg tri, ˈhɑpɪŋ frʌm brænʧ tu brænʧ. 一天早上，他从大树下来，从一个树枝跳到另一个树枝。 He crawled down slowly, toepads gripping the bark till he reached the ground. hi krɔld daʊn sˈloʊli, toepads* ˈgrɪpɪŋ ðə bɑrk tɪl hi riʧt ðə graʊnd. 他慢慢地爬下，脚趾垫紧紧抓住树皮，直到他到达地面。 The soil was moist and covered with dead leaves. ðə sɔɪl wɑz mɔɪst ənd ˈkʌvərd wɪð dɛd livz. 土壤湿润，上面覆盖着枯叶。 A shrew scurried past. ə shrew* ˈskərid pæst. 一只鼩鼱匆匆而过。 Around him, slugs and grubs crawled. əraʊnd hɪm, slʌgz ənd grʌbz krɔld. 在他周围，蛞蝓和蛴螬在爬行。 Thavalai was tempted to climb straight back up the Big Tree to the safety of his home. thavalai* wɑz ˈtɛmptəd tu klaɪm streɪt bæk ʌp ðə bɪg tri tu ðə ˈseɪfti ʌv hɪz hoʊm. Thavalai 很想直接爬上大树回到他家的安全地带。 Instead he hopped towards the edge of the shola. ˌɪnˈstɛd hi hɑpt təˈwɔrdz ðə ɛʤ ʌv ðə shola*. 相反，他跳向索拉的边缘。
Out in the open As he got closer to the light, Thavalai's heart beat faster and faster. aʊt ɪn ðə ˈoʊpən æz hi gɑt ˈkloʊsər tu ðə laɪt, thavalai's* hɑrt bit ˈfæstər ənd ˈfæstər. 在空旷的地方 当他离灯光越来越近时，Thavalai 的心跳越来越快。 What would he find? wʌt wʊd hi faɪnd? 他会找到什么？ Was it the end of the world? wɑz ɪt ðə ɛnd ʌv ðə wərld? 这是世界末日吗？ Or was there an endless supply of food? ɔr wɑz ðɛr æn ˈɛndləs səˈplaɪ ʌv fud? 还是有取之不尽的食物供应？ In other words, frog heaven? ɪn ˈʌðər wərdz, frɑg ˈhɛvən? 换句话说，青蛙天堂？ When he got there finally, it was three parts fog and one part frog. wɛn hi gɑt ðɛr ˈfaɪnəli, ɪt wɑz θri pɑrts fɑg ənd wʌn pɑrt frɑg. 当他终于到达那里时，三份雾和一份青蛙。 A heavy, clammy mist lay over the grassland, and Thavalai could not see anything. ə ˈhɛvi, ˈklæmi mɪst leɪ ˈoʊvər ðə ˈgræsˌlænd, ənd thavalai* kʊd nɑt si ˈɛniˌθɪŋ. 草原上笼罩着一层厚重、湿冷的雾气，塔瓦莱什么也看不见。 And far away, he heard croaking. ənd fɑr əˈweɪ, hi hərd ˈkroʊkɪŋ. 远远地，他听到了嘎嘎声。 Slowly, he stepped out on to the grassland for the very first time. sˈloʊli, hi stɛpt aʊt ɑn tu ðə ˈgræsˌlænd fɔr ðə ˈvɛri fərst taɪm. 慢慢地，他第一次踏上了草原。 The cold surprised him. ðə koʊld sərˈpraɪzd hɪm. 寒冷让他吃惊。 It was all around, the chill in the wind, the frost on the ground. ɪt wɑz ɔl əraʊnd, ðə ʧɪl ɪn ðə waɪnd, ðə frɔst ɑn ðə graʊnd. 四周都是，风中的寒意，地上的霜。 And instead of a cosy cover of leaf litter, there was nothing but the crackling fronds of grasses. ənd ˌɪnˈstɛd ʌv ə ˈkoʊzi ˈkʌvər ʌv lif ˈlɪtər, ðɛr wɑz ˈnʌθɪŋ bʌt ðə ˈkræklɪŋ frɑndz ʌv ˈgræsəz. 没有舒适的落叶覆盖，只有噼啪作响的草叶。 Briefly the fog cleared and Thavalai saw the most amazing sight. ˈbrifli ðə fɑg klɪrd ənd thavalai* sɔ ðə moʊst əˈmeɪzɪŋ saɪt. 雾很快散去，塔瓦莱看到了最惊人的景象。 The entire hill opposite was blue. ðə ɪnˈtaɪər hɪl ˈɑpəzɪt wɑz blu. 对面的整座山都是蓝色的。 It was covered with a carpet of kurinji, the little shrub which flowered only once in twelve years. ɪt wɑz ˈkʌvərd wɪð ə ˈkɑrpət ʌv kurinji*, ðə ˈlɪtəl ʃrʌb wɪʧ flaʊərd ˈoʊnli wʌns ɪn twɛlv jɪrz. 上面覆盖着一层 kurinji 地毯，这是一种十二年才开花一次的小灌木。 And on the edges of the shola were the sturdy rhododendron with their shocking red flowers. ənd ɑn ðə ˈɛʤəz ʌv ðə shola* wər ðə ˈstərdi ˌroʊdəˈdɛndrən wɪð ðɛr ˈʃɑkɪŋ rɛd flaʊərz. 在树丛的边缘是粗壮的杜鹃花，开着令人震惊的红色花朵。 Encounter with Bufo As Thavalai hopped down the hill, he could hear the rushing of water. ɪnˈkaʊntər wɪð bufo* æz thavalai* hɑpt daʊn ðə hɪl, hi kʊd hir ðə ˈrʌʃɪŋ ʌv ˈwɔtər. 与布佛相遇 当塔瓦莱跳下山坡时，他能听到哗啦哗啦的水声。 Within minutes, he came upon a little mountain stream, winding its way down a small hill, decorated with little rocks. wɪˈðɪn ˈmɪnəts, hi keɪm əˈpɑn ə ˈlɪtəl ˈmaʊntən strim, ˈwaɪndɪŋ ɪts weɪ daʊn ə smɔl hɪl, ˈdɛkərˌeɪtəd wɪð ˈlɪtəl rɑks. 几分钟后，他遇到了一条小溪流，蜿蜒流下一座小山，上面装饰着小石头。 And in one of the rocky corners was the biggest frog that Thavalai had ever seen. ənd ɪn wʌn ʌv ðə ˈrɑki ˈkɔrnərz wɑz ðə ˈbɪgəst frɑg ðæt thavalai* hæd ˈɛvər sin. 在其中一个岩石角落里，有一只萨瓦莱见过的最大的青蛙。 Bufo, fat and prosperous, was sitting at the edge of the cold and rocky stream. bufo*, fæt ənd ˈprɑspərəs, wɑz ˈsɪtɪŋ æt ðə ɛʤ ʌv ðə koʊld ənd ˈrɑki strim. 胖胖的富福坐在冰冷多石的溪边。 He looked smug and satisfied with himself. hi lʊkt smʌg ənd ˈsætəsˌfaɪd wɪð hɪmˈsɛlf. 他看起来得意洋洋，对自己很满意。 A long cluster of eggs floated in the water, that would soon become little Bufo tadpoles. ə lɔŋ ˈklʌstər ʌv ɛgz ˈfloʊtəd ɪn ðə ˈwɔtər, ðæt wʊd sun bɪˈkʌm ˈlɪtəl bufo* ˈtædˌpoʊlz. 一串长长的卵浮在水面上，很快就变成了蟾蜍小蝌蚪。 Bufo and his relatives were found throughout the country. bufo* ənd hɪz ˈrɛlətɪvz wər faʊnd θruaʊt ðə ˈkʌntri. 全国各地都发现了蟾蜍和他的亲属。 Field, forest or city, you could find Bufo. fild, ˈfɔrəst ɔr ˈsɪti, ju kʊd faɪnd bufo*. 野外、森林或城市，你都能找到蟾蜍。 "Oh, Giant Frog, do you live in this bog?" "oʊ, ʤaɪənt frɑg, du ju laɪv ɪn ðɪs bɑg?" “哦，巨蛙，你住在这沼泽地里吗？” asked Thavalai. æskt thavalai*. 塔瓦莱问。 "I am a toad, you little runt," Bufo answered pompously, "I live everywhere." "aɪ æm ə toʊd, ju ˈlɪtəl runt*," bufo* ˈænsərd pompously*, "aɪ laɪv ˈɛvriˌwɛr." “我是蟾蜍，你这个小矮子，”Bufo 自负地回答，“我无处不在。” Sally A, the grassland lizard Sally A was at home in the grassland. ˈsæli ə, ðə ˈgræsˌlænd ˈlɪzərd ˈsæli ə wɑz æt hoʊm ɪn ðə ˈgræsˌlænd. 莎莉A，草原蜥蜴莎莉A在草原上如鱼得水。 Like her relative, the garden lizard, Sally could change colours when she wanted. laɪk hər ˈrɛlətɪv, ðə ˈgɑrdən ˈlɪzərd, ˈsæli kʊd ʧeɪnʤ colours* wɛn ʃi ˈwɔntɪd. 和她的亲戚花园蜥蜴一样，莎莉可以随时改变颜色。 When Thavalai landed next to her, she turned a green-brown and merged with the grass behind her. wɛn thavalai* ˈlændəd nɛkst tu hər, ʃi tərnd ə green-brown* ənd mərʤd wɪð ðə græs bɪˈhaɪnd hər. 当 Thavalai 在她旁边着陆时，她变成了绿棕色，并融入了她身后的草地。 After a few minutes, she assured herself that this tiny frog posed no threat, and reappeared. ˈæftər ə fju ˈmɪnəts, ʃi əˈʃʊrd hərˈsɛlf ðæt ðɪs ˈtaɪni frɑg poʊzd noʊ θrɛt, ənd ˌriəˈpɪrd. 几分钟后，她确定这只小青蛙不会构成威胁，然后又出现了。 "Hi there, I'm Thavalai the tree frog and I'm looking for the big blue sea," Thavalai said. "haɪ ðɛr, aɪm thavalai* ðə tri frɑg ənd aɪm ˈlʊkɪŋ fɔr ðə bɪg blu si," thavalai* sɛd. “大家好，我是树蛙塔瓦莱，我正在寻找蔚蓝的大海，”塔瓦莱说。 "Let me show you," said Sally A eagerly and scooted to the top of the hill, Thavalai hopping as fast as he could behind her. "lɛt mi ʃoʊ ju," sɛd ˈsæli ə ˈigərli ənd scooted* tu ðə tɑp ʌv ðə hɪl, thavalai* ˈhɑpɪŋ æz fæst æz hi kʊd bɪˈhaɪnd hər. “让我告诉你，”莎莉 A 急切地说，然后迅速爬上山顶，塔瓦莱在她身后尽可能快地跳来跳去。 "Go down that hill, and up the next one, and down again, and along the river and over the little hill and you will find the sea," said she. "goʊ daʊn ðæt hɪl, ənd ʌp ðə nɛkst wʌn, ənd daʊn əˈgɛn, ənd əˈlɔŋ ðə ˈrɪvər ənd ˈoʊvər ðə ˈlɪtəl hɪl ənd ju wɪl faɪnd ðə si," sɛd ʃi. “从那座山下去，再上一座山，然后再下山，沿着河，翻过小山，你就会发现大海，”她说。 Ahaetulla, the grassland snake Thavalai hopped rapidly down a little path towards the valley they called Bangitappal. ahaetulla*, ðə ˈgræsˌlænd sneɪk thavalai* hɑpt ˈræpədli daʊn ə ˈlɪtəl pæθ təˈwɔrdz ðə ˈvæli ðeɪ kɔld bangitappal*. Ahaetulla，草原蛇 Thavalai 迅速跳下一条小路，朝着他们称为 Bangitappal 的山谷前进。 He fell through the grass, slid down the rock, skated on the moss, till he was in the middle of the valley. hi fɛl θru ðə græs, slɪd daʊn ðə rɑk, ˈskeɪtɪd ɑn ðə mɔs, tɪl hi wɑz ɪn ðə ˈmɪdəl ʌv ðə ˈvæli. 他穿过草地，滑下岩石，在苔藓上滑行，一直滑到山谷中央。 Surrounded by hills and fog, Thavalai felt very lonely. sərˈaʊndəd baɪ hɪlz ənd fɑg, thavalai* fɛlt ˈvɛri ˈloʊnli. 群山环抱，雾霭缭绕，塔瓦莱感到十分孤独。 And suddenly he was eye to eye with a creature that frogs fear the most. ənd ˈsʌdənli hi wɑz aɪ tu aɪ wɪð ə ˈkriʧər ðæt frɑgz fɪr ðə moʊst. 突然间，他与一种青蛙最害怕的生物对视了。 Inches away, the long slits of pupils and flickering tongue of a snake looked straight into Thavalai's eyes. ˈɪnʧəz əˈweɪ, ðə lɔŋ slɪts ʌv ˈpjupəlz ənd ˈflɪkərɪŋ tʌŋ ʌv ə sneɪk lʊkt streɪt ˈɪntu thavalai's* aɪz. 几英寸外，一条长长的瞳孔和闪烁的蛇舌直视着塔瓦莱的眼睛。 Thavalai was transfixed with fear. thavalai* wɑz trænsˈfɪkst wɪð fɪr. Thavalai 被恐惧惊呆了。 But Ahaetulla, the grass snake, had had a very fulfilling day. bʌt ahaetulla*, ðə græs sneɪk, hæd hæd ə ˈvɛri fʊlˈfɪlɪŋ deɪ. 而阿哈埃图拉这只草蛇，却度过了非常充实的一天。 He had just eaten a toad and was done for the week. hi hæd ʤʌst ˈitən ə toʊd ənd wɑz dʌn fɔr ðə wik. 他刚吃了一只蟾蜍，一周就吃完了。 Languidly, he slithered up to Thavalai and asked how he might help. languidly*, hi slithered* ʌp tu thavalai* ənd æskt haʊ hi maɪt hɛlp. 他懒洋洋地溜到塔瓦莱身边，问他能帮上什么忙。 Thavalai explained his quest and was rewarded with a flicker of the tongue. thavalai* ɪkˈspleɪnd hɪz kwɛst ənd wɑz rɪˈwɔrdɪd wɪð ə ˈflɪkər ʌv ðə tʌŋ. Thavalai 解释了他的任务并得到了舌头闪烁的奖励。 Ahaetulla asked Thavalai to follow him up the hill, and said he would show him a path that led straight down to the sea. ahaetulla* æskt thavalai* tu ˈfɑloʊ hɪm ʌp ðə hɪl, ənd sɛd hi wʊd ʃoʊ hɪm ə pæθ ðæt lɛd streɪt daʊn tu ðə si. Ahaetulla 让 Thavalai 跟着他上山，并说他会指给他一条直通大海的小路。 Finds the big blue sea When finally Thavalai looked up, he saw it down in the valley ahead. faɪndz ðə bɪg blu si wɛn ˈfaɪnəli thavalai* lʊkt ʌp, hi sɔ ɪt daʊn ɪn ðə ˈvæli əˈhɛd. 发现大海 当 Thavalai 终于抬起头时，他在前方的山谷中看到了大海。 At last, finally, it lay there in front of him. æt læst, ˈfaɪnəli, ɪt leɪ ðɛr ɪn frʌnt ʌv hɪm. 终于，终于，它躺在了他的面前。 The big, big blue blue sea, its little fingers snaking into the hills around. ðə bɪg, bɪg blu blu si, ɪts ˈlɪtəl ˈfɪŋgərz sˈneɪkɪŋ ˈɪntu ðə hɪlz əraʊnd. 蔚蓝的大大海，它的小手指蜿蜒伸入周围的群山中。 Thavalai looked at it in wonder, watching the blueness disappear into the distance and meeting the sky somewhere beyond the lands where animals lived. thavalai* lʊkt æt ɪt ɪn ˈwʌndər, ˈwɑʧɪŋ ðə ˈblunəs ˌdɪsəˈpɪr ˈɪntu ðə ˈdɪstəns ənd ˈmitɪŋ ðə skaɪ ˈsʌmˌwɛr bɪɑnd ðə lændz wɛr ˈænəməlz lɪvd. Thavalai 惊奇地看着它，看着蓝色消失在远处，在动物居住的土地之外的某个地方与天空相遇。 He hopped down towards it, never quite believing that this was not an illusion, a trick of the the wind and the fog and the sun. hi hɑpt daʊn təˈwɔrdz ɪt, ˈnɛvər kwaɪt bɪˈlivɪŋ ðæt ðɪs wɑz nɑt æn ˌɪˈluʒən, ə trɪk ʌv ðə ðə waɪnd ənd ðə fɑg ənd ðə sʌn. 他朝它跳了下去，一直不敢相信这不是幻觉，是风、雾和太阳的把戏。 And when finally he did reach it, he laid a tentative toe in the water, as if it might swallow him whole. ənd wɛn ˈfaɪnəli hi dɪd riʧ ɪt, hi leɪd ə ˈtɛntətɪv toʊ ɪn ðə ˈwɔtər, æz ɪf ɪt maɪt sˈwɑloʊ hɪm hoʊl. 当他终于到达水底时，他试探性地将脚趾伸入水中，仿佛水会把他整个人吞没似的。 It was cool and fresh to the touch. ɪt wɑz kul ənd frɛʃ tu ðə tʌʧ. 摸起来凉爽清新。 And calm, unlike any water that Thavalai had seen before. ənd kɑm, ənˈlaɪk ˈɛni ˈwɔtər ðæt thavalai* hæd sin bɪˈfɔr. 平静，不像 Thavalai 以前见过的任何水。 The waters in the streams rushed and babbled, and argued and whined, and behaved like juvenile delinquents or raging adults. ðə ˈwɔtərz ɪn ðə strimz rʌʃt ənd ˈbæbəld, ənd ˈɑrgjud ənd whined*, ənd bɪˈheɪvd laɪk ˈʤuvənəl dɪˈlɪŋkwənts ɔr ˈreɪʤɪŋ əˈdʌlts. 小溪里的水奔流着，喋喋不休，争吵着，哀鸣着，表现得像少年犯或愤怒的成年人。 This quiet wisdom of water he had not seen before. ðɪs kwaɪət ˈwɪzdəm ʌv ˈwɔtər hi hæd nɑt sin bɪˈfɔr. 他以前从未见过这种安静的水智慧。 The bigger sea Tree frogs were happy with the little pools that collected in tree boles and tree holes. ðə ˈbɪgər si tri frɑgz wər ˈhæpi wɪð ðə ˈlɪtəl pulz ðæt kəˈlɛktəd ɪn tri boʊlz ənd tri hoʊlz. 较大的海树蛙对聚集在树干和树洞中的小水池很满意。 And compared to a little saucepan of water in the crevice between two crooked branches, this expanse of water was like the universe itself. ənd kəmˈpɛrd tu ə ˈlɪtəl ˈsɔˌspæn ʌv ˈwɔtər ɪn ðə ˈkrɛvəs bɪtˈwin tu ˈkrʊkəd ˈbrænʧəz, ðɪs ɪkˈspæns ʌv ˈwɔtər wɑz laɪk ðə ˈjunəˌvərs ˌɪtˈsɛlf. 比起两根弯曲的树枝缝隙中的一小锅水，这一片水域简直就是宇宙本身。 "Where are you going now?" "wɛr ɑr ju goʊɪŋ naʊ?" “你现在去哪儿？” Ahaetulla asked. ahaetulla* æskt. 阿哈埃图拉问道。 "I don't know," said Thavalai, "I came to see the sea, and now that I have, maybe I'll go home." "aɪ doʊnt noʊ," sɛd thavalai*, "aɪ keɪm tu si ðə si, ənd naʊ ðæt aɪ hæv, ˈmeɪbi aɪl goʊ hoʊm." “我不知道，”Thavalai 说，“我是来看海的，现在我已经看海了，也许我会回家。” "But there is so much else to see," said Ahaetulla, whose forefathers had come up the hill from the west. "bʌt ðɛr ɪz soʊ mʌʧ ɛls tu si," sɛd ahaetulla*, huz ˈfɔrˌfɑðərz hæd kʌm ʌp ðə hɪl frʌm ðə wɛst. “但还有很多其他东西要看，”阿哈图拉说，他的祖先从西部爬上山。 "This is just a lake, and there is a much bigger sea, at the bottom of mountains, where the sun sets." "ðɪs ɪz ʤʌst ə leɪk, ənd ðɛr ɪz ə mʌʧ ˈbɪgər si, æt ðə ˈbɑtəm ʌv ˈmaʊntənz, wɛr ðə sʌn sɛts." “这只是一个湖，还有一个更大的海，在山脚下，太阳落山的地方。” "A bigger sea?" "ə ˈbɪgər si?" “更大的海？” cried Thavalai. kraɪd thavalai*. 塔瓦莱叫道。 "How can that even be?" "haʊ kæn ðæt ˈivɪn bi?" “那怎么可能？” Up the western catchment Up the hill they went, Ahaetulla winding his way up the sinuous path, Thavalai but a few hops behind. ʌp ðə ˈwɛstərn ˈkæʧmənt ʌp ðə hɪl ðeɪ wɛnt, ahaetulla* ˈwaɪndɪŋ hɪz weɪ ʌp ðə ˈsɪnwəs pæθ, thavalai* bʌt ə fju hɑps bɪˈhaɪnd. 沿着西部集水区，他们上了山，阿哈图拉沿着蜿蜒的小路蜿蜒前行，塔瓦莱仅落后几步。 They went past a little shola nestled in the cup of the hill's palm. ðeɪ wɛnt pæst ə ˈlɪtəl shola* ˈnɛsəld ɪn ðə kʌp ʌv ðə hɪlz pɑm. 他们经过一座小山丘，坐落在山上的棕榈树中。 The cinnamon beckoned him, the familiar smells, the warmth, the wetness. ðə ˈsɪnəmən ˈbɛkənd hɪm, ðə fəˈmɪljər smɛlz, ðə wɔrmθ, ðə ˈwɛtnəs. 肉桂向他招手，熟悉的气味，温暖，湿润。 The shola is like a sponge, absorbing the torrents of rain, storing it in every crack, crevice and keyhole, absorbing it into its bark, its mud, its rock, and leaking it out bit by bit, through the little streams that rush out. ðə shola* ɪz laɪk ə spʌnʤ, əbˈzɔrbɪŋ ðə ˈtɔrənts ʌv reɪn, ˈstɔrɪŋ ɪt ɪn ˈɛvəri kræk, ˈkrɛvəs ənd ˈkiˌhoʊl, əbˈzɔrbɪŋ ɪt ˈɪntu ɪts bɑrk, ɪts mʌd, ɪts rɑk, ənd ˈlikɪŋ ɪt aʊt bɪt baɪ bɪt, θru ðə ˈlɪtəl strimz ðæt rʌʃ aʊt. 索拉像一块海绵，吸收着倾盆大雨，把它储存在每一个裂缝、缝隙和钥匙孔里，把它吸收到它的树皮、它的泥土、它的岩石中，然后一点一点地从涌出的小溪流中漏出来. And then he stopped, because there was a rock in front of him. ənd ðɛn hi stɑpt, bɪˈkɔz ðɛr wɑz ə rɑk ɪn frʌnt ʌv hɪm. 然后他停了下来，因为他面前有一块石头。 But it was soft, warm, steaming almost and smelled very strange. bʌt ɪt wɑz sɑft, wɔrm, ˈstimɪŋ ˈɔlˌmoʊst ənd smɛld ˈvɛri streɪnʤ. 但它又软又暖，几乎冒着热气，闻起来很奇怪。 "Elephants," Ahaetulla said. "ˈɛləfənts," ahaetulla* sɛd. “大象，”阿哈埃图拉说。 "Is this an elephant?" "ɪz ðɪs æn ˈɛləfənt?" “这是大象吗？” he asked, thinking it was not as impressive as he thought it may have been. hi æskt, ˈθɪŋkɪŋ ɪt wɑz nɑt æz ˌɪmˈprɛsɪv æz hi θɔt ɪt meɪ hæv bɪn. 他问道，心想这并没有他想象的那么令人印象深刻。 "No, silly, that's just their poop. "noʊ, ˈsɪli, ðæts ʤʌst ðɛr pup. “不，傻瓜，那只是他们的便便。 Elephants are a thousand times your size. ˈɛləfənts ɑr ə ˈθaʊzənd taɪmz jɔr saɪz. 大象是你的一千倍大。 Maybe a zillion." ˈmeɪbi ə ˈzɪljən." 也许是十亿。” "But how do they get up here?" "bʌt haʊ du ðeɪ gɛt ʌp hir?" “可是他们怎么上来的？” "Elephants can go anywhere," Ahaetulla said mysteriously and went on. "ˈɛləfənts kæn goʊ ˈɛniˌwɛr," ahaetulla* sɛd ˌmɪˈstɪriəsli ənd wɛnt ɑn. “大象可以去任何地方，”阿哈埃图拉神秘地说，然后继续说道。 To the top of the mountain And then it started to rain. tu ðə tɑp ʌv ðə ˈmaʊntən ənd ðɛn ɪt ˈstɑrtəd tu reɪn. 到了山顶然后开始下雨了。 The water came down in buckets, till there were rivulets flowing through the grassland. ðə ˈwɔtər keɪm daʊn ɪn ˈbʌkəts, tɪl ðɛr wər rivulets* floʊɪŋ θru ðə ˈgræsˌlænd. 水一桶一桶地往下流，直到有小溪流过草原。 It can rain for months, yelled Ahaetulla, through the rain. ɪt kæn reɪn fɔr mʌnθs, jɛld ahaetulla*, θru ðə reɪn. 它可以下几个月的雨，阿哈埃图拉在雨中喊道。 I know, cried Thavalai, in reply. aɪ noʊ, kraɪd thavalai*, ɪn rɪˈplaɪ. 我知道，塔瓦莱大声回答。 He loved the rain. hi lʌvd ðə reɪn. 他喜欢下雨。 But the going was getting difficult and slippery. bʌt ðə goʊɪŋ wɑz ˈgɛtɪŋ ˈdɪfəkəlt ənd sˈlɪpəri. 但是事情变得越来越困难和滑溜。 Thavalai could manage on any tree, but the mud and the grass was very uncomfortable. thavalai* kʊd ˈmænəʤ ɑn ˈɛni tri, bʌt ðə mʌd ənd ðə græs wɑz ˈvɛri ənˈkʌmfərtəbəl. Thavalai 可以爬上任何一棵树，但泥泞和草地非常不舒服。 After what seemed like a very long time, they came up to the top. ˈæftər wʌt simd laɪk ə ˈvɛri lɔŋ taɪm, ðeɪ keɪm ʌp tu ðə tɑp. 似乎过了很长时间，他们才登上了山顶。 It was covered by a deep fog, and Thavalai sighed. ɪt wɑz ˈkʌvərd baɪ ə dip fɑg, ənd thavalai* saɪd. 它被浓雾笼罩，塔瓦莱叹了口气。 This looked like another wild goose chase. ðɪs lʊkt laɪk əˈnʌðər waɪld gus ʧeɪs. 这看起来像是又一次徒劳的追逐。 But then the mist cleared. bʌt ðɛn ðə mɪst klɪrd. 但随后迷雾散去。 An amphitheatre for the amphibian Everything that Thavalai had seen so far - the tree, the sea, the kurinji flowers - it all paled in comparison. æn ˈæmfəθiˈeɪtər fɔr ðə æmˈfɪbiən ˈɛvriˌθɪŋ ðæt thavalai* hæd sin soʊ fɑr ðə tri, ðə si, ðə kurinji* flaʊərz ɪt ɔl peɪld ɪn kəmˈpɛrəsən. 两栖动物的圆形剧场 Thavalai 到目前为止所看到的一切——树木、大海、kurinji 花——相比之下都显得苍白无力。 The fog lifted over the grandest stage of all. ðə fɑg ˈlɪftəd ˈoʊvər ðə ˈgrændəst steɪʤ ʌv ɔl. 迷雾笼罩了最宏伟的舞台。 Three cliffs surrounded the peak that Thavalai and Ahaetulla sat on. θri klɪfs sərˈaʊndəd ðə pik ðæt thavalai* ənd ahaetulla* sæt ɑn. 三座悬崖环绕着塔瓦莱和阿哈埃图拉所在的山峰。 "An amphitheatre for the amphibian," Ahaetulla muttered. "æn ˈæmfəθiˈeɪtər fɔr ðə æmˈfɪbiən," ahaetulla* ˈmʌtərd. “两栖动物的圆形剧场，”Ahaetulla 喃喃自语。 Each cliff plunged thousands of feet to land below, sweeping down into a plateau to the south and undulating lush hills to the north, towards bigger, larger peaks. iʧ klɪf plʌnʤd ˈθaʊzəndz ʌv fit tu lænd bɪˈloʊ, sˈwipɪŋ daʊn ˈɪntu ə plæˈtoʊ tu ðə saʊθ ənd ˈʌnʤəˌleɪtɪŋ lʌʃ hɪlz tu ðə nɔrθ, təˈwɔrdz ˈbɪgər, ˈlɑrʤər piks. 每一个悬崖都从数千英尺的高度坠落到下面，向南延伸到一片高原，向北延伸到起伏的郁郁葱葱的山丘，朝向越来越大的山峰。 Kestrels wheeled around screaming. ˈkɛstrəlz wild əraʊnd ˈskrimɪŋ. 红隼尖叫着转来转去。 The west glowed orange as the sun set, bathing the entire landscape with a soothing light. ðə wɛst gloʊd ˈɔrənʤ æz ðə sʌn sɛt, ˈbeɪðɪŋ ðə ɪnˈtaɪər ˈlændˌskeɪp wɪð ə ˈsuðɪŋ laɪt. 夕阳西下时，西边泛着橙色的光，整个地貌都沐浴在柔和的阳光中。 As evening gave way to twilight, and twilight to darkness, they stayed there on the ridge, watching the west. æz ˈivnɪŋ geɪv weɪ tu tˈwaɪˌlaɪt, ənd tˈwaɪˌlaɪt tu ˈdɑrknəs, ðeɪ steɪd ðɛr ɑn ðə rɪʤ, ˈwɑʧɪŋ ðə wɛst. 当黄昏让位于暮色，又由暮色变为黑暗时，他们留在山脊上，注视着西方。 A small glimmer of light from very, very far caught their eye. ə smɔl ˈglɪmər ʌv laɪt frʌm ˈvɛri, ˈvɛri fɑr kɑt ðɛr aɪ. 一道微弱的光从很远很远的地方映入了他们的眼帘。 Somewhere near the lights, Ahaetulla said, is the sea. ˈsʌmˌwɛr nɪr ðə laɪts, ahaetulla* sɛd, ɪz ðə si. 阿哈图拉说，靠近灯光的地方就是大海。 And it goes on forever and ever until the end of the world. ənd ɪt goʊz ɑn fərˈɛvər ənd ˈɛvər ənˈtɪl ðə ɛnd ʌv ðə wərld. 它会永远持续下去，直到世界的尽头。 Heads down the hill to the silent valley Thavalai made up his mind to go on to the big sea, but Ahaetulla would go no further. hɛdz daʊn ðə hɪl tu ðə ˈsaɪlənt ˈvæli thavalai* meɪd ʌp hɪz maɪnd tu goʊ ɑn tu ðə bɪg si, bʌt ahaetulla* wʊd goʊ noʊ ˈfərðər. 下山前往寂静的山谷 Thavalai 决定继续前往大海，但 Ahaetulla 不会再往前走。 He pointed him to the Silent Valley. hi ˈpɔɪntɪd hɪm tu ðə ˈsaɪlənt ˈvæli. 他指着他去寂静谷。 Thavalai wondered why it had been given this name. thavalai* ˈwʌndərd waɪ ɪt hæd bɪn ˈgɪvən ðɪs neɪm. Thavalai 想知道为什么它被赋予了这个名字。 But after he had been in it for a while, he began to realize why. bʌt ˈæftər hi hæd bɪn ɪn ɪt fɔr ə waɪl, hi bɪˈgæn tu ˈriəˌlaɪz waɪ. 但在他置身其中一段时间\u200b\u200b后，他开始意识到这是为什么。 It was quiet as a tomb. ɪt wɑz kwaɪət æz ə tum. 四周静得像一座坟墓。 And the trees were tall, unlike in the sholas above. ənd ðə triz wər tɔl, ənˈlaɪk ɪn ðə sholas* əˈbʌv. 树木很高，与上面的 sholas 不同。 And the lower he descended, the taller they became. ənd ðə loʊər hi dɪˈsɛndəd, ðə ˈtɔlər ðeɪ bɪˈkeɪm. 他降得越低，他们就变得越高。 This was a magical land. ðɪs wɑz ə ˈmæʤɪkəl lænd. 这是一片神奇的土地。 With hornbills, frogmouths, and owls. wɪð ˈhɔrnˌbɪlz, ˈfrɑgˌmaʊθs, ənd aʊlz. 有犀鸟、蛙嘴鸟和猫头鹰。 Strange birds and stranger animals. streɪnʤ bərdz ənd ˈstreɪnʤər ˈænəməlz. 奇怪的鸟和陌生的动物。 Sometimes, the forest echoed with the hoots of langurs and the calls of lion-tailed macaques. səmˈtaɪmz, ðə ˈfɔrəst ˈɛkoʊd wɪð ðə huts ʌv langurs* ənd ðə kɔlz ʌv lion-tailed* məˈkɑks. 有时，森林里回荡着叶猴的叫声和狮尾猴的叫声。 In the evening, the forest filled with calls and shrieks and squeaks. ɪn ðə ˈivnɪŋ, ðə ˈfɔrəst fɪld wɪð kɔlz ənd ʃriks ənd skwiks. 傍晚时分，森林里充满了叫喊声、尖叫声和吱吱声。 Some new froggy friends High above in the canopy, Thavalai could hear the sounds of the birds, ones that he had seen flying around the Big Tree at home. sʌm nu froggy* frɛndz haɪ əˈbʌv ɪn ðə ˈkænəpi, thavalai* kʊd hir ðə saʊndz ʌv ðə bərdz, wʌnz ðæt hi hæd sin flaɪɪŋ əraʊnd ðə bɪg tri æt hoʊm. 一些新的青蛙朋友 在树冠的高处，Thavalai 可以听到鸟儿的声音，他曾在家里的大树周围看到过这些鸟儿。 He saw many frogs like Nycti, the torrent frog, who loved the water-washed rocks as their home. hi sɔ ˈmɛni frɑgz laɪk nycti*, ðə ˈtɔrənt frɑg, hu lʌvd ðə water-washed* rɑks æz ðɛr hoʊm. 他看到许多青蛙，例如激流蛙 Nycti，它们喜欢将被水冲刷的岩石当作自己的家。 They clung to the wet surface as the rapids splashed and smashed against the rocks, and called from the cracks and laid their eggs on the wet leaves that overhung the streams. ðeɪ klʌŋ tu ðə wɛt ˈsərfəs æz ðə ˈræpədz splæʃt ənd smæʃt əˈgɛnst ðə rɑks, ənd kɔld frʌm ðə kræks ənd leɪd ðɛr ɛgz ɑn ðə wɛt livz ðæt oʊvərˈhʌŋ ðə strimz. 当急流拍打和撞击岩石时，它们紧紧抓住潮湿的水面，从裂缝中呼唤，将卵产在悬在溪流上方的湿叶上。 At this time, he heard the strangest sound that he had ever heard. æt ðɪs taɪm, hi hərd ðə ˈstreɪnʤɪst saʊnd ðæt hi hæd ˈɛvər hərd. 就在这个时候，他听到了他这辈子听过的最奇怪的声音。 It seemed to come from deep within the earth. ɪt simd tu kʌm frʌm dip wɪˈðɪn ðə ərθ. 仿佛来自地底深处。 But that could not be. bʌt ðæt kʊd nɑt bi. 但那不可能。 It sounded so like a frog, and yet not like a frog. ɪt ˈsaʊndɪd soʊ laɪk ə frɑg, ənd jɛt nɑt laɪk ə frɑg. 它听起来很像一只青蛙，但又不像一只青蛙。 The balloon frog incident Then he saw it lumbering towards him, the strangest animal he had ever seen. ðə bəˈlun frɑg ˈɪnsədənt ðɛn hi sɔ ɪt ˈlʌmbərɪŋ təˈwɔrdz hɪm, ðə ˈstreɪnʤɪst ˈænəməl hi hæd ˈɛvər sin. 气球蛙事件 然后他看到它缓慢地朝他走来，这是他见过的最奇怪的动物。 It seemed quite amorphous and shapeless, purple like rich humus earth. ɪt simd kwaɪt əˈmɔrfəs ənd ˈʃeɪpləs, ˈpərpəl laɪk rɪʧ ˈhjuməs ərθ. 它看起来非常无定形和无形，紫色像富含腐殖质的土壤。 It seemed to flow forward, rather than walk or jump, almost as if it was the mud itself come to life in a strange frog form. ɪt simd tu floʊ ˈfɔrwərd, ˈræðər ðæn wɔk ɔr ʤʌmp, ˈɔlˌmoʊst æz ɪf ɪt wɑz ðə mʌd ˌɪtˈsɛlf kʌm tu laɪf ɪn ə streɪnʤ frɑg fɔrm. 它似乎在向前流动，而不是行走或跳跃，几乎就像泥土本身以一种奇怪的青蛙形式复活一样。 Apart from its pointy pig snout, Thavalai could make out no other feature. əˈpɑrt frʌm ɪts ˈpɔɪnti pɪg snaʊt, thavalai* kʊd meɪk aʊt noʊ ˈʌðər ˈfiʧər. 除了尖尖的猪鼻子，塔瓦莱看不出其他特征。 From the safety of his root haven, Thavalai called out to the creature. frʌm ðə ˈseɪfti ʌv hɪz rut ˈheɪvən, thavalai* kɔld aʊt tu ðə ˈkriʧər. 从他安全的避风港，塔瓦莱向这个生物呼唤。 Alarmed, it swelled up like a balloon, and looked around with its beady eyes. əˈlɑrmd, ɪt swɛld ʌp laɪk ə bəˈlun, ənd lʊkt əraʊnd wɪð ɪts ˈbidi aɪz. 它惊慌失措，膨胀得像个气球，瞪着圆溜溜的眼睛四处张望。 "Who are you?" "hu ɑr ju?" “你是谁？” Thavalai ventured. thavalai* ˈvɛnʧərd. Thavalai 冒险了。 Looking at him carefully, the ancient creature answered, "I am the oldest frog of the forest. ˈlʊkɪŋ æt hɪm ˈkɛrfəli, ðə ˈeɪnʧənt ˈkriʧər ˈænsərd, "aɪ æm ðə ˈoʊldəst frɑg ʌv ðə ˈfɔrəst. 仔细地看着他，古老的生物回答说：“我是森林里最老的青蛙。 My ancestors came here long before anyone else. maɪ ˈænˌsɛstərz keɪm hir lɔŋ bɪˈfɔr ˈɛniˌwən ɛls. 我的祖先比任何人都早来到这里。 They call me Nasika. ðeɪ kɔl mi nasika*. 他们叫我纳西卡。 I live deep inside the earth most of the time." aɪ laɪv dip ˌɪnˈsaɪd ðə ərθ moʊst ʌv ðə taɪm." 我大部分时间都住在地球深处。” "It must be lonely down there, and dark and scary," said Thavalai. "ɪt mʌst bi ˈloʊnli daʊn ðɛr, ənd dɑrk ənd ˈskɛri," sɛd thavalai*. “那里一定很寂寞，又黑又可怕，”塔瓦莱说。 Nasika smiled, as much as her narrow mouth would allow. nasika* smaɪld, æz mʌʧ æz hər ˈnɛroʊ maʊθ wʊd əˈlaʊ. 纳西卡笑了笑，她的窄嘴允许笑到什么程度。 "It's a busy world down there," she said. "ɪts ə ˈbɪzi wərld daʊn ðɛr," ʃi sɛd. “那里是一个繁忙的世界，”她说。 "There are earthworms, and bugs and beetles, and spiders, and cockroaches, and scorpions. "ðɛr ɑr ˈərθˌwərmz, ənd bʌgz ənd ˈbitəlz, ənd ˈspaɪdərz, ənd ˈkɑˌkroʊʧɪz, ənd ˈskɔrpiənz. “有蚯蚓、虫子、甲虫、蜘蛛、蟑螂和蝎子。 And even snakes." ənd ˈivɪn sneɪks." 甚至还有蛇。” "Snakes?" "sneɪks?" “蛇？” said Thavalai in astonishment. sɛd thavalai* ɪn əˈstɑnɪʃmənt. 塔瓦莱惊讶地说。 "Yes, beautiful shiny snakes with a little shield on their tail that they use to dig. "jɛs, ˈbjutəfəl ˈʃaɪni sneɪks wɪð ə ˈlɪtəl ʃild ɑn ðɛr teɪl ðæt ðeɪ jus tu dɪg. “是的，美丽闪亮的蛇，尾巴上有一个小盾牌，用来挖掘。 But where do you live, little one?" bʌt wɛr du ju laɪv, ˈlɪtəl wʌn?" 但是你住在哪里，小家伙？” "Oh, I live up in the tree," Thavalai said, "up on the mountain." "oʊ, aɪ laɪv ʌp ɪn ðə tri," thavalai* sɛd, "ʌp ɑn ðə ˈmaʊntən." “哦，我住在树上，”塔瓦莱说，“在山上。” "You can climb trees!" "ju kæn klaɪm triz!" “你会爬树！” said Nasika with astonishment now. sɛd nasika* wɪð əˈstɑnɪʃmənt naʊ. 纳西卡现在惊讶地说。 Flying frogs, lizards and snakes Thavalai decided to climb up a tree to get a breath of fresh sky and plan his next hop, step and jump. flaɪɪŋ frɑgz, ˈlɪzərdz ənd sneɪks thavalai* ˌdɪˈsaɪdɪd tu klaɪm ʌp ə tri tu gɛt ə brɛθ ʌv frɛʃ skaɪ ənd plæn hɪz nɛkst hɑp, stɛp ənd ʤʌmp. 会飞的青蛙、蜥蜴和蛇 Thavalai 决定爬上一棵树呼吸新鲜的天空，并计划他的下一跳、跨步和跳跃。 He climbed till he reached the canopy. hi klaɪmd tɪl hi riʧt ðə ˈkænəpi. 他一直爬到树冠处。 A cloud overhung the valley, little wisps of smoke lingering over the treetops, little rings of cloud hanging like halos over wizened trees. ə klaʊd oʊvərˈhʌŋ ðə ˈvæli, ˈlɪtəl wisps* ʌv smoʊk ˈlɪŋgərɪŋ ˈoʊvər ðə ˈtriˌtɔps, ˈlɪtəl rɪŋz ʌv klaʊd ˈhæŋɪŋ laɪk ˈheɪloʊz ˈoʊvər ˈwaɪzənd triz. 一朵云笼罩在山谷上空，小缕缕烟雾在树梢上徘徊，小云环像光环一样悬挂在枯萎的树木上。 Thavalai's reverie was interrupted by streaks of colour flying by. thavalai's* ˈrɛvəri wɑz ˌɪntərˈʌptɪd baɪ striks ʌv ˈkʌlər flaɪɪŋ baɪ. Thavalai 的遐\u200b\u200b想被飞过的彩色条纹打断了。 Thavalai thought these were more birds, but all of a sudden, a frog landed next to him. thavalai* θɔt ðiz wər mɔr bərdz, bʌt ɔl ʌv ə ˈsʌdən, ə frɑg ˈlændəd nɛkst tu hɪm. Thavalai 以为这些是更多的鸟，但突然之间，一只青蛙落在他旁边。 A flying frog, he marveled. ə flaɪɪŋ frɑg, hi ˈmɑrvɛld. 一只会飞的青蛙，他惊叹不已。 "I'm Rhaco," said the flying frog. "aɪm rhaco*," sɛd ðə flaɪɪŋ frɑg. “我是 Rhaco，”会飞的青蛙说。 Soon, Rhaco's friend, Draco, the flying lizard and Chrysopelea, the flying snake came gliding down to join them, and they engaged in a frenzy of jumping and gliding. sun, rhaco's* frɛnd, ˈdreɪkoʊ, ðə flaɪɪŋ ˈlɪzərd ənd chrysopelea*, ðə flaɪɪŋ sneɪk keɪm ˈglaɪdɪŋ daʊn tu ʤɔɪn ðɛm, ənd ðeɪ ɪnˈgeɪʤd ɪn ə ˈfrɛnzi ʌv ˈʤʌmpɪŋ ənd ˈglaɪdɪŋ. 很快，Rhaco 的朋友 Draco，飞蜥和 Chrysopelea，飞蛇滑翔下来加入他们，他们开始疯狂地跳跃和滑翔。 The slightly and very venomous snakes Thavalai also met Bamboo Pambu, the slightly venomous snake. ðə sˈlaɪtli ənd ˈvɛri ˈvɛnəməs sneɪks thavalai* ˈɔlsoʊ mɛt bæmˈbu pambu*, ðə sˈlaɪtli ˈvɛnəməs sneɪk. 微毒蛇 Thavalai 也遇到了微毒蛇 Bamboo Pambu。 Later, he saw a young ratsnake, all bronze and glistening in the rays of sunlight that sneaked through the foliage and survived the maze of leaves. ˈleɪtər, hi sɔ ə jʌŋ ratsnake*, ɔl brɑnz ənd ˈglɪsənɪŋ ɪn ðə reɪz ʌv ˈsʌnˌlaɪt ðæt snikt θru ðə ˈfoʊlɪʤ ənd sərˈvaɪvd ðə meɪz ʌv livz. 后来，他看到一条年轻的鼠蛇，浑身青铜色，在穿过树叶的阳光下闪闪发光，在树叶迷宫中幸存下来。 Suddenly, a large pair of jaws closed around the head of the ratsnake and swallowed him whole. ˈsʌdənli, ə lɑrʤ pɛr ʌv ʤɔz kloʊzd əraʊnd ðə hɛd ʌv ðə ratsnake* ənd sˈwɑloʊd hɪm hoʊl. 突然，一双大颚合上了鼠蛇的脑袋，将他整个吞了下去。 It was Hannah, the extremely venomous snake. ɪt wɑz ˈhænə, ðə ɪkˈstrimli ˈvɛnəməs sneɪk. 是汉娜，那条剧毒无比的蛇。 The snake who ate other snakes. ðə sneɪk hu eɪt ˈʌðər sneɪks. 吃其他蛇的蛇。 Thavalai looked at her in awe and amazement. thavalai* lʊkt æt hər ɪn ɑ ənd əˈmeɪzmənt. Thavalai 敬畏而惊奇地看着她。 Hannah was a striking yellow and black, that went on and on, as far as his eyes could see. ˈhænə wɑz ə ˈstraɪkɪŋ ˈjɛloʊ ənd blæk, ðæt wɛnt ɑn ənd ɑn, æz fɑr æz hɪz aɪz kʊd si. 汉娜是醒目的黄黑相间，一直延伸到他的眼睛所能看到的范围内。 He wondered if he should try and follow the path to the end of the snake. hi ˈwʌndərd ɪf hi ʃʊd traɪ ənd ˈfɑloʊ ðə pæθ tu ðə ɛnd ʌv ðə sneɪk. 他想知道他是否应该尝试沿着这条路走到蛇的尽头。 But there seemed to be no end to the snake called Hannah! bʌt ðɛr simd tu bi noʊ ɛnd tu ðə sneɪk kɔld ˈhænə! 但这条叫汉娜的蛇，似乎没有尽头！ The philosophy of Rana Thavalai wondered how much further he would need to go. ðə fəˈlɑsəfi ʌv ˈrænə thavalai* ˈwʌndərd haʊ mʌʧ ˈfərðər hi wʊd nid tu goʊ. Rana Thavalai 的哲学想知道他还需要走多远。 At the edge of the forest, everything looked very strange - barren, noisy, peopled. æt ðə ɛʤ ʌv ðə ˈfɔrəst, ˈɛvriˌθɪŋ lʊkt ˈvɛri streɪnʤ ˈbærən, ˈnɔɪzi, ˈpipəld. 在森林的边缘，一切看起来都很奇怪——贫瘠、嘈杂、人烟稀少。 At the edge of a field, he met an even larger frog than Bufo. æt ðə ɛʤ ʌv ə fild, hi mɛt æn ˈivɪn ˈlɑrʤər frɑg ðæn bufo*. 在田边，他遇到了一只比Bufo还要大的青蛙。 But he had a really pleasant disposition. bʌt hi hæd ə ˈrɪli ˈplɛzənt ˌdɪspəˈzɪʃən. 但他有一个非常愉快的性格。 "You can call me Rana," he said, giving him a hug (and rubbing his belly), "though its not my real name. "ju kæn kɔl mi ˈrænə," hi sɛd, ˈgɪvɪŋ hɪm ə hʌg (ənd ˈrʌbɪŋ hɪz ˈbɛli), "ðoʊ ɪts nɑt maɪ ril neɪm. “你可以叫我拉娜，”他说，给了他一个拥抱（并揉了揉他的肚子），“虽然这不是我的真名。 My real name is much longer and you would have trouble pronouncing it." maɪ ril neɪm ɪz mʌʧ ˈlɔŋgər ənd ju wʊd hæv ˈtrʌbəl prəˈnaʊnsɪŋ ɪt." 我的真名要长得多，你会很难发音。” Rana told him that the sea was far away, and the path held too many dangers. ˈrænə toʊld hɪm ðæt ðə si wɑz fɑr əˈweɪ, ənd ðə pæθ hɛld tu ˈmɛni ˈdeɪnʤərz. 拉纳告诉他，大海很远，路上有太多的危险。 And too few trees. ənd tu fju triz. 而且树太少了。 Where once there was forest, there was now field, or city. wɛr wʌns ðɛr wɑz ˈfɔrəst, ðɛr wɑz naʊ fild, ɔr ˈsɪti. 曾经是森林的地方，现在是田野或城市。 The real sea was not friendly to frogs, nor was the path to it. ðə ril si wɑz nɑt ˈfrɛndli tu frɑgz, nɔr wɑz ðə pæθ tu ɪt. 真正的大海对青蛙并不友好，通向大海的道路也不友好。 "Little seas at home are as grand as big seas in other worlds," he said. "ˈlɪtəl siz æt hoʊm ɑr æz grænd æz bɪg siz ɪn ˈʌðər wərldz," hi sɛd. “家里的小海和其他世界的大海一样大，”他说。 Rana told him that maybe it was time for him to go home after all his adventures. ˈrænə toʊld hɪm ðæt ˈmeɪbi ɪt wɑz taɪm fɔr hɪm tu goʊ hoʊm ˈæftər ɔl hɪz ædˈvɛnʧərz. 拉纳告诉他，也许是时候让他在经历了所有的冒险之后回家了。 Thavalai goes home Thavalai had learnt that the world was a strange and dangerous place. thavalai* goʊz hoʊm thavalai* hæd lərnt ðæt ðə wərld wɑz ə streɪnʤ ənd ˈdeɪnʤərəs pleɪs. Thavalai 回家 Thavalai 了解到这个世界是一个陌生而危险的地方。 He did not like the fast torrents that Nycti lived in, nor could he live under the soil like Nasika. hi dɪd nɑt laɪk ðə fæst ˈtɔrənts ðæt nycti* lɪvd ɪn, nɔr kʊd hi laɪv ˈʌndər ðə sɔɪl laɪk nasika*. 他不喜欢Nycti生活的急流，也不能像Nasika那样生活在泥土之下。 He liked the top of trees. hi laɪkt ðə tɑp ʌv triz. 他喜欢树顶。 On the tops of mountains. ɑn ðə tɑps ʌv ˈmaʊntənz. 在山顶上。 And now it was time to return there. ənd naʊ ɪt wɑz taɪm tu rɪˈtərn ðɛr. 现在是时候返回那里了。 Philautus Frog did not go around the world. philautus* frɑg dɪd nɑt goʊ əraʊnd ðə wərld. 菲劳图斯蛙并没有环游世界。 But he went as far as any tree frog from the Big Tree had ever gone in a very long time. bʌt hi wɛnt æz fɑr æz ˈɛni tri frɑg frʌm ðə bɪg tri hæd ˈɛvər gɔn ɪn ə ˈvɛri lɔŋ taɪm. 但他走到了很长一段时间以来大树上任何一只树蛙走得最远的地方。 Thavalai, the tree frog turned towards the hills and set off again to go back to his friends and family on the Big Tree. thavalai*, ðə tri frɑg tərnd təˈwɔrdz ðə hɪlz ənd sɛt ɔf əˈgɛn tu goʊ bæk tu hɪz frɛndz ənd ˈfæməli ɑn ðə bɪg tri. Thavalai，树蛙转向山丘，再次出发，回到大树上的朋友和家人身边。 Information The Western Ghats: The Western Ghats are a long chain of mountains running along the west coast of India from the southern tip of the peninsula to the River Tapti in Maharashtra. ˌɪnˌfɔrˈmeɪʃən ðə ˈwɛstərn ghats*: ðə ˈwɛstərn ghats* ɑr ə lɔŋ ʧeɪn ʌv ˈmaʊntənz ˈrʌnɪŋ əˈlɔŋ ðə wɛst koʊst ʌv ˈɪndiə frʌm ðə ˈsʌðərn tɪp ʌv ðə pəˈnɪnsələ tu ðə ˈrɪvər tapti* ɪn ˌmɑhərˈɑʃˌtrə. 信息 西高止山脉：西高止山脉是沿着印度西海岸从半岛南端延伸到马哈拉施特拉邦塔普蒂河的一长串山脉。 Sholas and grasslands: In the southern Western Ghats, the tops of the mountains have a unique habitat which consists of undulating plains of grasslands, with small patches of evergreen forests with stunted trees, known as sholas. sholas* ənd ˈgræsˌlændz: ɪn ðə ˈsʌðərn ˈwɛstərn ghats*, ðə tɑps ʌv ðə ˈmaʊntənz hæv ə juˈnik ˈhæbəˌtæt wɪʧ kənˈsɪsts ʌv ˈʌnʤəˌleɪtɪŋ pleɪnz ʌv ˈgræsˌlændz, wɪð smɔl ˈpæʧəz ʌv ˈɛvərˌgrin ˈfɔrəsts wɪð ˈstʌntɪd triz, noʊn æz sholas*. Sholas 和草地：在西高止山脉南部，山顶有一个独特的栖息地，包括起伏的草原平原，以及长有矮小树木（称为 sholas）的小片常绿森林。 Frogs and toads: A toad is actually a kind of frog. frɑgz ənd toʊdz: ə toʊd ɪz ˈæˌkʧuəli ə kaɪnd ʌv frɑg. 青蛙和蟾蜍：蟾蜍实际上是青蛙的一种。 Toads generally have a dry and warty skin. toʊdz ˈʤɛnərəli hæv ə draɪ ənd warty* skɪn. 蟾蜍通常有干燥和长疣的皮肤。 They tend to be more terrestrial than most other frogs, but usually lay their eggs in the water. ðeɪ tɛnd tu bi mɔr tərˈɛstriəl ðæn moʊst ˈʌðər frɑgz, bʌt ˈjuʒəwəli leɪ ðɛr ɛgz ɪn ðə ˈwɔtər. 与大多数其他青蛙相比，它们往往更适合陆地生活，但通常会在水中产卵。 Scientific names: Plants and animals are known by scientific names which consist of a genus and species (Eg. ˌsaɪənˈtɪfɪk neɪmz: plænts ənd ˈænəməlz ɑr noʊn baɪ ˌsaɪənˈtɪfɪk neɪmz wɪʧ kənˈsɪst ʌv ə ˈʤinəs ənd ˈspiʃiz (eg*. 学名：植物和动物的学名由属和种组成（例如 Homo sapiens for humans). ˈhoʊmoʊ ˈseɪpiənz fɔr ˈhjumənz). 人类的智人）。 Scientific names sometimes change on the basis of new discoveries about taxonomy and evolution. ˌsaɪənˈtɪfɪk neɪmz səmˈtaɪmz ʧeɪnʤ ɑn ðə ˈbeɪsəs ʌv nu dɪˈskʌvəriz əˈbaʊt taxonomy* ənd ˌɛvəˈluʃən. 科学名称有时会根据有关分类学和进化的新发现而改变。 Cast of Characters (in order of appearance) Philautus: Philautus are a group of tree frogs or bush frogs found in India, Sri Lanka and South East Asia. kæst ʌv ˈkærɪktərz (ɪn ˈɔrdər ʌv əˈpɪrəns) philautus*: philautus* ɑr ə grup ʌv tri frɑgz ɔr bʊʃ frɑgz faʊnd ɪn ˈɪndiə, ʃri ˈlæŋkə ənd saʊθ ist ˈeɪʒə. 角色扮演（按出场顺序） Philautus：Philautus 是一群在印度、斯里兰卡和东南亚发现的树蛙或灌木蛙。 Unlike other frogs, most species belonging to this group lay eggs that undergo direct development. ənˈlaɪk ˈʌðər frɑgz, moʊst ˈspiʃiz bɪˈlɔŋɪŋ tu ðɪs grup leɪ ɛgz ðæt ˌəndərˈgoʊ dərˈɛkt dɪˈvɛləpmənt. 与其他青蛙不同，属于这一类的大多数物种产下直接发育的卵。 That is, they bypass the tadpole stage and little froglets hop out of the eggs! ðæt ɪz, ðeɪ ˈbaɪˌpæs ðə ˈtædˌpoʊl steɪʤ ənd ˈlɪtəl froglets* hɑp aʊt ʌv ðə ɛgz! 也就是说，它们绕过了蝌蚪阶段，小青蛙从卵中跳了出来！ Most bush frogs of the Western Ghats now belong to the genus Raorchestes. moʊst bʊʃ frɑgz ʌv ðə ˈwɛstərn ghats* naʊ bɪˈlɔŋ tu ðə ˈʤinəs raorchestes*. 西高止山脉的大多数丛林蛙现在都属于 Raorchestes 属。 Bufo: Bufo is a genus of toads. bufo*: bufo* ɪz ə ˈʤinəs ʌv toʊdz. Bufo：Bufo 是一种蟾蜍。 The common toad in India was long known by the scientific name, Bufo melanostictus; it is now called Duttaphrynus melanostictus. ðə ˈkɑmən toʊd ɪn ˈɪndiə wɑz lɔŋ noʊn baɪ ðə ˌsaɪənˈtɪfɪk neɪm, bufo* melanostictus*; ɪt ɪz naʊ kɔld duttaphrynus* melanostictus*. 印度的普通蟾蜍长期以来以学名 Bufo melanostictus 而为人所知。它现在被称为 Duttaphrynus melanostictus。 Sally A: Salea are agamid lizards, part of the same family as the garden lizards, Calotes. ˈsæli ə: salea* ɑr agamid* ˈlɪzərdz, pɑrt ʌv ðə seɪm ˈfæməli æz ðə ˈgɑrdən ˈlɪzərdz, calotes*. Sally A：Salea 是蜥蜴蜥蜴，与花园蜥蜴 Calotes 属于同一科。 Ahaetulla: Ahaetulla is a genus of grass snakes. ahaetulla*: ahaetulla* ɪz ə ˈʤinəs ʌv græs sneɪks. Ahaetulla：Ahaetulla 是草蛇属。 The common vine snake, which is found all over India, is also a species that belongs to the genus Ahaetulla. ðə ˈkɑmən vaɪn sneɪk, wɪʧ ɪz faʊnd ɔl ˈoʊvər ˈɪndiə, ɪz ˈɔlsoʊ ə ˈspiʃiz ðæt bɪˈlɔŋz tu ðə ˈʤinəs ahaetulla*. 遍布印度的普通藤蛇也是属于 Ahaetulla 属的一种。 Nasika: The frog, Nasikabatracus sahyadrensis, was discovered only a few years ago. nasika*: ðə frɑg, nasikabatracus* sahyadrensis*, wɑz dɪˈskʌvərd ˈoʊnli ə fju jɪrz əˈgoʊ. Nasika：青蛙 Nasikabatracus sahyadrensis 是几年前才被发现的。 It is believed to be one of the oldest frogs in India, which means it has remained relatively unchanged for over 100 million years. ɪt ɪz bɪˈlivd tu bi wʌn ʌv ðə ˈoʊldəst frɑgz ɪn ˈɪndiə, wɪʧ minz ɪt hæz rɪˈmeɪnd ˈrɛlətɪvli ənˈʧeɪnʤd fɔr ˈoʊvər 100 ˈmɪljən jɪrz. 它被认为是印度最古老的青蛙之一，这意味着它在 1 亿多年的时间里一直保持相对不变。 Its closest relatives live in Seychelles. ɪts ˈkloʊsəst ˈrɛlətɪvz laɪv ɪn ˈseɪʃɛlz. 它的近亲居住在塞舌尔。 Nycti: Nyctibatrachus are torrent frogs which live in fast-flowing streams in the Western Ghats. nycti*: nyctibatrachus* ɑr ˈtɔrənt frɑgz wɪʧ laɪv ɪn fast-flowing* strimz ɪn ðə ˈwɛstərn ghats*. Nycti：Nyctibatrachus 是生活在西高止山脉湍急溪流中的激流青蛙。 Rhaco: Rhacophorus are also tree frogs, and some are known for their gliding ability; they build foam nests attached to leaves hanging over water bodies. rhaco*: rhacophorus* ɑr ˈɔlsoʊ tri frɑgz, ənd sʌm ɑr noʊn fɔr ðɛr ˈglaɪdɪŋ əˈbɪləˌti; ðeɪ bɪld foʊm nɛsts əˈtæʧt tu livz ˈhæŋɪŋ ˈoʊvər ˈwɔtər ˈbɑdiz. Rhaco：Rhacophorus 也是树蛙，有些以滑翔能力而闻名；它们在水体上方的树叶上筑起泡沫巢。 Draco: Draco is a lizard and Chrysopelea is a snake, both known for their gliding ability. ˈdreɪkoʊ: ˈdreɪkoʊ ɪz ə ˈlɪzərd ənd chrysopelea* ɪz ə sneɪk, boʊθ noʊn fɔr ðɛr ˈglaɪdɪŋ əˈbɪləˌti. Draco：Draco 是蜥蜴，Chrysopelea 是蛇，两者都以滑翔能力着称。 Hannah: The king cobra, or Ophiophagus hannah, is the world's longest venomous snake and feeds exclusively on other snakes. ˈhænə: ðə kɪŋ ˈkoʊbrə, ɔr ophiophagus* ˈhænə, ɪz ðə wərldz ˈlɔŋgəst ˈvɛnəməs sneɪk ənd fidz ɪkˈsklusɪvli ɑn ˈʌðər sneɪks. 汉娜：眼镜王蛇，或 Ophiophagus hannah，是世界上最长的毒蛇，专门以其他蛇类为食。 Bamboo Pambu: This refers to the common and mildly venomous bamboo pit viper. bæmˈbu pambu*: ðɪs rəˈfərz tu ðə ˈkɑmən ənd ˈmaɪldli ˈvɛnəməs bæmˈbu pɪt ˈvaɪpər. Bamboo Pambu：这是指常见且有轻微毒性的竹坑毒蛇。 Rana: Rana is a genus of frogs, now known by several different names. ˈrænə: ˈrænə ɪz ə ˈʤinəs ʌv frɑgz, naʊ noʊn baɪ ˈsɛvərəl ˈdɪfərənt neɪmz. 林蛙：林蛙是青蛙属，现在有几个不同的名字。 The bull frog, once called Rana tigerina, is now called Hoplobatrachus tigerinus. ðə bʊl frɑg, wʌns kɔld ˈrænə tigerina*, ɪz naʊ kɔld hoplobatrachus* tigerinus*. 牛蛙，曾经被称为 Rana tigerina，现在被称为 Hoplobatrachus tigerinus。 It is the largest frog in India. ɪt ɪz ðə ˈlɑrʤəst frɑg ɪn ˈɪndiə. 它是印度最大的青蛙。
