Extracts from Adam's Diary

MONDAY.—This new creature with the long hair is a good deal in the way. It is always hanging around and following me about. I don't like this; I am not used to company. I wish it would stay with the other animals… Cloudy today, wind in the east; think we shall have rain… We? Where did I get that word—the new creature uses it.

星期一。——这个长着长发的新生物挺碍事的。它总是在附近晃悠，跟在我后面。我不喜欢这样；我不习惯有伴。我倒希望它能跟别的动物待在一起……今天多云，刮东风；看来要下雨了……我们？我是从哪儿学来这个词的——是那个新生物用的。

TUESDAY.—Been examining the great waterfall. It is the finest thing on the estate, I think. The new creature calls it Niagara Falls—why, I am sure I do not know. Says it looks like Niagara Falls. That is not a reason, it is mere waywardness and imbecility. I get no chance to name anything myself. The new creature names everything that comes along, before I can get in a protest.

星期二。——一直在观察那道大瀑布。我觉得那是这片庄园上最美的东西。那个新生物管它叫尼亚加拉瀑布——为什么这么叫，我实在不知道。它说这看起来像尼亚加拉瀑布。这算不上什么理由，纯粹是任性和愚蠢。我自己却从来没有机会给任何东西命名。凡是出现的东西，新生物都会抢在我提出异议之前先给它取好名字。

And always that same pretext is offered—it looks like the thing. There is a dodo, for instance. Says the moment one looks at it one sees at a glance that it “looks like a dodo.” It will have to keep that name, no doubt. It wearies me to fret about it, and it does no good, anyway. Dodo! It looks no more like a dodo than I do.

而且它总是拿出同一个借口——说这东西看起来像那个样子。比方说，有一只渡渡鸟。它说，只要一眼看去，任谁都会一下子明白“这看起来像只渡渡鸟”。想必这个名字是非留下不可了。为这事发愁只会让我心烦，反正也没什么用处。渡渡鸟！这东西看起来才不像渡渡鸟呢，就跟我看起来不像渡渡鸟一样。

WEDNESDAY.—Built me a shelter against the rain, but could not have it to myself in peace. The new creature intruded. When I tried to put it out it shed water out of the holes it looks with, and wiped it away with the back of its paws, and made a noise such as some of the other animals make when they are in distress. I wish it would not talk; it is always talking.

星期三。——给自己搭了个避雨的棚子，可就是没法清清静静地独自享用。新生物闯了进来。我想把它赶出去的时候，它从看东西用的那两个洞里冒出水来，又用爪子背面把水抹掉，还发出一种别的动物遇到困境时才会发出的声音。我真希望它别说话；它总是不停地说个不停。

That sounds like a cheap fling at the poor creature, a slur; but I do not mean it so. I have never heard the human voice before, and any new and strange sound intruding itself here upon the solemn hush of these dreaming solitudes offends my ear and seems a false note. And this new sound is so close to me; it is right at my shoulder, right at my ear, first on one side and then on the other, and I am used only to sounds that are more or less distant from me.

这听起来像是对这个可怜生物的廉价挖苦，一种诋毁；可我并不是这个意思。我以前从未听过人类的声音，任何新奇陌生的声响闯入这片沉睡般肃穆寂静的天地，都会刺痛我的耳朵，让我觉得不谐调。而这个新出现的声音离我又是这么近；它就在我肩头，就在我耳边，一会儿这边一会儿那边，我原本只习惯于那些多多少少离我有些距离的声音。

FRIDAY. The naming goes recklessly on, in spite of anything I can do. I had a very good name for the estate, and it was musical and pretty—Garden Of Eden. Privately, I continue to call it that, but not any longer publicly. The new creature says it is all woods and rocks and scenery, and therefore has no resemblance to a garden. Says it looks like a park, and does not look like anything but a park. Consequently, without consulting me, it has been new-named _Niagara Falls Park_. This is sufficiently high-handed, it seems to me.

星期五。命名这件事仍在肆无忌惮地继续着，无论我怎么阻止都没用。我原本给这片庄园起了个很好的名字，既好听又雅致——伊甸园。我私底下还是这么叫它，只是不再公开这么叫了。新生物说这里全是树林、岩石和风景，一点儿都不像花园。它说这看起来像座公园，除了公园什么都不像。于是，没有征求我的意见，它就把这里重新命名为“尼亚加拉瀑布公园”。这在我看来实在是太专横了。