Pinocchio, Chapter 11: Fire Eater匹诺曹，第11章：吃火
木偶戏班班主吃火人（他就叫这么个名字）看样子是个可怕的人，那是没话说的，特别是他那把黑色大胡子，像围裙似地盖住他整个胸口和整整两条腿，可他到底不是个坏人，事实上，他一看见可怜的匹诺曹给带到他面前，拼命挣扎，哇哇大叫：“我不要死，我不要死！”心马上就软，可怜起他来了，他鼻子忽然发热，忍了好大一会儿，可终于忍不住，就大声打了一个喷嚏。
In the theater, great excitement reigned.
Fire Eater (this was really his name) was very ugly, but he was far from being as bad as he looked. Proof of this is that, when he saw the poor Marionette being brought in to him, struggling with fear and crying, “I don’t want to die! I don’t want to die!” he felt sorry for him and began first to waver and then to weaken. Finally, he could control himself no longer and gave a loud sneeze.
花衣小丑一直在伤心，像垂柳那样弯下身子，可一听见打喷嚏，马上喜容满面，向匹诺曹弯过身来，轻轻跟他咬耳朵说：
At that sneeze, Harlequin, who until then had been as sad as a weeping willow, smiled happily and leaning toward the Marionette, whispered to him:
“好消息，兄弟，班主打喷嚏了，这表示他已经感动，在可怜你，如今你有救了。”
“Good news, brother mine! Fire Eater has sneezed and this is a sign that he feels sorry for you. You are saved!”
因为要知道，有许多人一同情什么人，或者是哭，戒者至少是假装擦眼睛，可吃火入不同，他真的．，感动了，就要打喷嚏，这也是一种表示他心软的的方式，
For be it known, that, while other people, when sad and sorrowful, weep and wipe their eyes, Fire Eater, on the other hand, had the strange habit of sneezing each time he felt unhappy. The way was just as good as any other to show the kindness of his heart.
打过喷嚏以后，木偶戏班班主还是装出很凶的样于，对匹诺曹叫道：
After sneezing, Fire Eater, ugly as ever, cried to Pinocchio:
“别哭了！你哇哇哭，叫我肚子里难受极了……叫我觉得绞痛，几乎，几乎……啊嚏，啊嚏……”又打了两个喷嚏。
“Stop crying! Your wails give me a funny feeling down here in my stomach and–E–tchee!–E–tchee!” Two loud sneezes finished his speech.
“长命百岁！”匹诺曹说，
“God bless you!” said Pinocchio.
“谢谢！你爸爸妈妈都活着吗？”吃火人问他，
“Thanks! Are your father and mother still living?” demanded Fire Eater.
“爸爸活着，可我从来不知道妈妈，”
“My father, yes. My mother I have never known.”
“我这会儿要是把你扔到炭火里，谁知道你的老父亲要多么伤心啊！可怜的老头！我很同情他！……啊嚏，啊嚏，啊嚏！”他又打了三个喷嚏，
“Your poor father would suffer terribly if I were to use you as firewood. Poor old man! I feel sorry for him! E–tchee! E–tchee! E–tchee!” Three more sneezes sounded, louder than ever.
“长命千岁！”匹诺曹说，
“God bless you!” said Pinocchio.
“谢谢！不过也得同情同请我，因为你看，我要把这头羊烤熟，木柴没有了，说老实话，你在这种情况下对我非常有用！可如今我很感动，我想忍耐看不烧你，既然不烧你，我就得在我的戏班里另找一个木偶来代替你，把他扔到叉子底下去烧……喂，守卫的！”
“Thanks! However, I ought to be sorry for myself, too, just now. My good dinner is spoiled. I have no more wood for the fire, and the lamb is only half cooked. Never mind! In your place I’ll burn some other Marionette. Hey there! Officers!”
一声命今，马上来了两个木头守卫，他们挺高挺高，挺瘦挺瘦，头戴两角帽，手握出鞘的剑，
At the call, two wooden officers appeared, long and thin as a yard of rope, with queer hats on their heads and swords in their hands.
木偶戏班班主气咻咻地对他们说：
Fire Eater yelled at them in a hoarse voice:
“给我把这个花衣小丑抓住，捆得牢牢的，扔到火里去，我要让我这只羊烤得香香的！”
“Take Harlequin, tie him, and throw him on the fire. I want my lamb well done!”
诸位想象一下这个可怜的花衣小丑吧！他吓得两条腿一弯，跪在地上了，
Think how poor Harlequin felt! He was so scared that his legs doubled up under him and he fell to the floor.
匹诺曹看见这种凄惨场面，就扑倒在班主脚下，嚎啕大哭，泪水把他那把大胡子也给弄湿了，开始哀求他说：
Pinocchio, at that heartbreaking sight, threw himself at the feet of Fire Eater and, weeping bitterly, asked in a pitiful voice which could scarcely be heard:
“可怜可怜吧，吃火人先生！……”
“Have pity, I beg of you, signore!”
“这里没有先生！……”木偶戏班班主冷冰冰地回答说。
“There are no signori here!”
“可怜可怜吧，骑士先生！……”
“Have pity, kind sir!”
“这里没有骑士！……”
“There are no sirs here!”
“可怜可怜吧，大老爷！……”
“Have pity, your Excellency!”
木偶戏班班主—听见叫他大老爷，马上噘起了嘴，变得慈祥多了，温和多了，问匹诺曹说：
On hearing himself addressed as your Excellency, the Director of the Marionette Theater sat up very straight in his chair, stroked his long beard, and becoming suddenly kind and compassionate, smiled proudly as he said to Pinocchio:
“你到底求我什么事？”
“Well, what do you want from me now, Marionette?”
“我求您开开恩，放了可怜的花衣小丑！”
“I beg for mercy for my poor friend, Harlequin, who has never done the least harm in his life.”
“这可开不得恩。我不烧你就得烧他，因为我要把我这只羊烤得香香的。”
“There is no mercy here, Pinocchio. I have spared you. Harlequin must burn in your place. I am hungry and my dinner must be cooked.”
“那么，”匹诺曹大叫一声，站了起来，扔掉头上的面包心帽子，“那么，我知道我该怎么做了。来吧，守卫先生们！把我捆起来扔到火里去，不行，让可怜的花衣小丑，我的真正朋友，替我去死是不公道的！……”
“In that case,” said Pinocchio proudly, as he stood up and flung away his cap of dough, “in that case, my duty is clear. Come, officers! Tie me up and throw me on those flames. No, it is not fair for poor Harlequin, the best friend that I have in the world, to die in my place!”
这番话说得丁当响亮，声调豪迈激昂，在场的木偶听了没有不哭的，连两个守卫，虽然是木头做的，也哭得像吃奶的羊羔。
These brave words, said in a piercing voice, made all the other Marionettes cry. Even the officers, who were made of wood also, cried like two babies.
吃火人起先一点不动心，冷得像块冰，可后来慢慢地、慢慢地也开始感动了，又打喷嚏了。他一口气打了四五个喷嚏，于是疼爱地张开怀抱，对匹诺曹说：
Fire Eater at first remained hard and cold as a piece of ice; but then, little by little, he softened and began to sneeze. And after four or five sneezes, he opened wide his arms and said to Pinocchio:
“你是个好小子！过来，给我一个吻。”
“You are a brave boy! Come to my arms and kiss me!”
匹诺曹马上跑过去，像只松鼠似地顺着木偶戏班班主的大胡子往上爬，爬到上面，在他鼻尖上给了他一个最甜最甜的吻。
Pinocchio ran to him and scurrying like a squirrel up the long black beard, he gave Fire Eater a loving kiss on the tip of his nose.
“那么，您开恩啦？”可怜的花衣小丑问道，声音细得好不容易才听见。
“Has pardon been granted to me?” asked poor Harlequin with a voice that was hardly a breath.
“开恩了！”吃火人回答说。接着他叹口气，摇摇头，“没法子！今儿晚上我只能吃半生不熟的羊肉了。可下一回，谁要是打动我的心，他就活该倒霉！……”
“Pardon is yours!” answered Fire Eater; and sighing and wagging his head, he added: “Well, tonight I shall have to eat my lamb only half cooked, but beware the next time, Marionettes.”
一听说开了恩，所有的木偶都跑到戏台上，像开盛大晚会那样，点亮了所有的灯和烛台，开始又跳又舞。他们就这样一直跳啊舞的直到大天亮。
At the news that pardon had been given, the Marionettes ran to the stage and, turning on all the lights, they danced and sang till dawn.