Chapter 2 We start to make plans 
　  
　　We pulled out the maps and we discussed plans． 
　　We decided to start on the following Saturday．Har-ris and I would go down to Kingston in the morning and take the boat up to Chertsey，but George could not leave the City until the afternoon．（George goes to sleep at a bank from ten o'clock until four o'clock from Monday to Friday．On Satur-day they wake him up and put him out onto the street at two o'clock．）So George was going to meet us at Chertsey． 
　　The next question was where to sleep at night． 
　　George and I did not want to sleep in hotels at night．We wanted to sleep outside．'How beautiful，'we said，'in the country，by the river，with the birds，the flowers and the trees all around us！' 
　　I can imagine it easily… 
　　At the end of the day，night comes and the world is peaceful and calm．Our little boat moves silently into some quiet little corner on the river．There we put up our tent，and we cook and eat our simple supper．Then we fill our pipes and we sit and talk quietly．Sometimes we stop for a moment or two and we listen to the water as it plays gently against the boat．The silver moon shines down on us and our heads are full of beautiful thoughts．We sit in silence for a time．We do not want to speak．Then we laugh quietly，put away our pipes，say'Goodnight'and go to bed．The peaceful sound of the water against the boat sends us to sleep-and we dream．We dream that the world is young again… 
　　'And what about when it rains？'Harris said． 
　　He was right．When it rains，you do not enjoy living in tents． 
　　I thought about it again… 
　　It is evening．You are very wet．There is a lot of water in the boat and everything in it is wet，too．You find a place on the river bank which is not as wet as other places．You get out of the boat，pull out the tent，and two of you try to put it up．Because it is wet，it is very heavy．And then it falls on top of you．You cannot get it off your head，and you get angry．All the time it is raining heavily．It is difficult to put up a tent in good weather．In wet weather it is almost impossible．The other man does not help you．He starts to play about．You get your side of the tent up and begin to tie the ropes to the ground．Just then he pulls the tent from his side，and he destroys all your hard work． 
　　'Here！What do you think you're doing？'you call out． 
　　'What are you doing，you mean，'he answers angrily． 
　　'Don't pull it！You've got it all wrong，you stupid man！'you cry． 
　　'No，I haven't！'he shouts．'Let your side go！' 
　　'I tell you，you're wrong！'you scream，and you wish you could get to him to hit him．You pull your side of the tent hard-and pull out all the ropes on his side． 
　　'Ah！The stupid fool！'you hear him say to himself．And then，suddenly，he gives a violent pull-and your side comes out，too．Slowly，you start to go round to his side to tell him what you think of him．At the same time，he begins to come round the other way，to tell you what he feels．And you follow each other round and round，and you shout at each other-until the tent falls down．And there you are！You stand and look at each other across the tent．At the same time，you both call out，'There you are！What did I tell you？' 
　　Meanwhile，the third man has been trying to get the water out of the boat．The water has run up his arms，and he is wet and angry．Suddenly，he wants to know what you are doing，and why the tent is not up yet． 
　　When，at last，the tent is up，you carry the things out of the boat．Supper is mostly rainwater-rainwater bread，rainwater soup．Happily，you have something strong to drink．This brings back your interest in life until it is time to go to bed． 
　　There you dream that a very large animal has suddenly sat down on you．You wake up and you understand that something terrible has happened．At first，you think that the world has ended．Then you think that this cannot be true．So it must be thieves，or murderers，or fire．No help comes，and all you know is that thousands of people are kicking you，and you cannot breathe． 
　　Somebody else is in trouble，too．You can hear his cries．They are coming from under your bed． 
　　You decide to fight，and you hit out，left and right，with your arms and your legs．You are shouting all the time．At last you find your head in the fresh air．Near you，you see a half-dressed murderer．He is waiting to kill you．You are just going to start fighting him when you see that is Jim． 
　　At the same moment，he sees that it is you． 
　　'Oh，it's you，is it？'he says． 
　　'Yes，'you answer．'What's happened？' 
　　'The tent has blown down，I think，'he says．'Where's Bill？' 
　　Then you both shout for Bill．The ground underneath you moves，and a voice says，'Get off my head！' 
　　The next day you have no voices because you have all caught colds，and all day you argue with each other in angry whispers… 
　　We therefore decided that we would sleep out in tents on fine nights，and in hotels when it rained． 
　　Montmorency was very pleased about this．He does not like peace and quiet．He prefers noise．But he looks so good，so well-behaved．When old ladies and gentlemen look at him，tears come into their eyes． 
　　When he first came to live with me，I thought，'This dog will not be with me long．He is too good for this world．'But，by the end of the year，he had killed twelve chickens，which I had to pay for…I had pulled him out of a hundred and four-teen street fights…A woman had brought me a dead cat and had called me a murderer．Then I changed my ideas about Montmorency． 
　　We had decided where to sleep，so now we had to discuss what to take with us．We began to argue about this，so we a-greed that we had done enough for one night． 
　  
2 我们开始订计划 
　  
　　拉开地图，我们开始讨论出行计划。 
　　我们准备下星期六出发。早上哈里斯和我先到金斯顿，从那儿把船划到彻特西和乔治碰头。但乔治下午才能离开伦敦城。（因为乔治周一到周五要在银行从上午十点“睡”到下午四点，只有在周六下午两点他们才把他叫醒，撵到街上来。）所以，我们决定到彻特西和乔治碰头。 
　　下一个问题是晚上在哪儿歇脚。 
　　乔治和我一致主张露营而不想睡在旅馆里。我们说露营多么逍遥自在，“在河边的野地里，小鸟，鲜花，树木团团陪伴在周围。” 
　　我简直能想象得出那幅情景…… 
　　白天渐渐隐去，夜晚悄悄来临，周围一片安宁、静谧，我们的小船轻轻滑进幽静的河湾。我们在那里支起帐篷，做点简单的晚餐，吃完饭，我们装满烟斗，坐在那儿娓娓清谈。聊一会儿天，我们便歇一会儿，听着河水轻轻拍着小船。银色的月光洒在身上，我们不禁浮想联翩。一时大家端坐在寂静里，心头一番滋味无以言表。我们静静相视一笑，放下烟斗，互道一声晚安，起身去睡觉。河水潺潺，轻拍船舷，送我们入梦。在梦里，世界重新变得年轻…… 
　　“可是，要是下起雨来怎么办呢？”哈里斯问。 
　　他说的没错，下雨天露营实在是令人难以消受。 
　　我又联想起来…… 
　　你看，天色已晚，你全身已经湿透，船里到处是水，所有东西都打湿了。你在岸上找了一块稍微干一点的地方，两个人出了船，把帐篷拖上岸，忙着把它支起来。帐篷浸透了水，异常沉重，突然又倒在你身上，压着你，头也伸不出来。你呢，简直快气疯了，而雨还是瓢泼似地下。本来，天好的时候支帐篷就不容易，而到了雨天，根本没戏。另一个人也不帮你，反而自己找乐子。你这边的帐篷刚支起来，把绳子绑在地上的桩子上，他那边使劲一拉，一下子把你辛辛苦苦干的活全废了。 
　　“喂！你干什么？”你冲他大声喊叫。 
　　“你说，你自己在干什么？”他气呼呼地答道。 
　　“别再扯了，全让你扯乱了，你这头蠢驴！”你又喊道。 
　　“得了，我才没扯呢！”他也喊着，“你那边不能松一松吗？” 
　　“我跟你说，你那样不对！”你尖声吼起来，恨不能够走过去揍他一顿。你使劲拉你这边的帐篷，一下子把他那边的绳子、桩子都拔了出来。 
　　“咳！你这个傻蛋！”你听着他咕哝着，接着，也猛地一拉，你这边绳子、桩子也出来了。你缓缓地朝他那边走去，要和他理论；与此同时，他也绕过来要和你评是非。于是，两个人隔着帐篷，你追我赶绕着圈，互相骂个不停。最后整个帐篷都倒了，你们两个站在那儿，隔着这堆帐篷，互相瞪着眼，又异口同声地叫道：“你看你！我是怎么对你说的？” 
　　这时候，还有第三个人，一直从小船里往外舀水。水已经到胳膊了，他也是湿漉漉的，一肚子气，他不明白你们在搞什么名堂，怎么帐篷还没支起来。 
　　最后，帐篷算是支起来了，你把东西从船里搬出来。晚餐主要是雨水——雨水面包，雨水汤。幸亏你还有点够味的东西喝，使你恢复对人生的兴趣，然后酣然入梦。 
　　在梦里，你觉得有一只庞大的动物突然坐在你身上，你一下子醒了，意识到有什么可怕的事发生了。起初你还以为世界末日到了，后来想想又觉得不大可能，那么一定是盗劫、谋杀或者火灾。谁也不来救助，你只觉得成千上万的人在踢你，简直透不过气来。 
　　还有人也遇到了麻烦，你听见从床底下传来的叫喊声。 
　　你决心反抗，手脚并用，左踢右抡，嘴里乱叫乱嚷，终于发现自己脑袋露出来了。离你不远，你看见那个坏蛋了，半裸着身子，正等着要杀你。你正要和他拼命，才发现坏蛋不是别人正是吉姆。 
　　这时候，他也认清了是你。 
　　“哦，原来是你！没错吧？”他说。 
　　“正是我！”你答道，“出什么事了？” 
　　“我想帐篷给刮倒了吧，”他说，“比尔哪里去了？” 
　　两个人扯起嗓子喊比尔。你脚下有什么东西在动，一个声音传出来：“别踩我的脑袋！” 
　　第二天，你们都说不出话来，因为都感冒了。大家整天都气呼呼的，低声粗气，还不停地互相争辩着。 
　　所以我们决定天气好就在外面露营，下雨就住旅馆。 
　　“元帅”对此非常高兴。它生来不喜欢安静、寂寞的生活，而喜欢吵吵闹闹的场面。但它看着讨人喜欢、举止也得体，那些老太太、老先生们看着它那副模样，准会感动得掉下泪来。 
　　当它第一次来和我住的时候，我想：“这只小狗不会在我这儿久留的，对于这个世界来讲，它实在是太好了。”可是到了年底，它已经杀死了人家十二只小鸡，我不得不替它赔偿损失……它在街上打了一百一十四次架，每次我都得把它拉出来……一位妇女抱着一只给它咬死的猫来找我，叫我是凶手。于是我对“元帅”改变了看法。 
　　我们已经决定了在哪里住宿，现在的问题是要讨论该带些什么东西，于是大家又争执起来。最后我们都说这一个晚上发的议论可真不少哇！ 
　　　    


 