A spider's web is stronger than it looks. Although it is made of thin, delicate strands¹, the web is not easily broken. However, a web gets torn every day by the insects that kick around in it, and a spider must rebuild it when it gets full of holes. Charlotte liked to do her weaving during the late afternoon, and Fern liked to sit nearby and watch. One afternoon she heard a most interesting conversation and witnessed a strange event.

一张蜘蛛网实质上要比它看上去的样子要结实。虽然它是用精细的丝线织成的，但却不太容易被弄破。可是，一个蜘蛛网每天都要被那些昆虫又撞又踢，所以里面还是会出现残破的地方。如果里面的破洞太多了，蜘蛛就得重新把网织好才行。夏洛喜欢在傍晚织网，芬也喜欢坐在旁边看她织。一天下午，芬听到了一场最有趣的谈话，并目睹了一起奇怪的事件。

 

"You have awfully² hairy legs, Charlotte," said Wilbur, as the spider busily worked at her task.

“你长着可怕而又多毛的长腿，夏洛，”当夏洛正在忙着她的工作时，威伯说。

 

"My legs are hairy for a good reason," replied Charlotte. "Furthermore, each leg of mine has seven sections—the coxa, the trochanter, the femur, the patella, the tibia, the metatarsus, and the tarsus."

“我的腿上有毛，是有原因的，”夏洛回答。“此外，我的每条腿都由七节骨头构成——髋骨，坐骨，大腿骨，膝盖骨，胫骨，跗骨，蹠骨。”

 

Wilbur sat bolt upright, "You're kidding," he said.

威伯猛地坐了起来。“你骗人。”他说。

 

"No, I'm not, either."

“不，我一点儿也没骗你。”

 

"Say those names again, I didn't catch them the first time."

“把那几个名字再说一遍，我没记住。”

 

"Coxa, trochanter, femur, patella, tibia, metatarsus, and tarsus."

“髋骨，坐骨，大腿骨，膝盖骨，胫骨，跗骨，蹠骨。”

 

"Goodness!" said Wilbur, looking down at his own chubby³ legs. "I don't think my legs have seven sections."

“天哪！”威伯说着，往下看看自己的胖腿。“我不信我的腿上有七根骨头。”

 

"Well," said Charlotte, "you and I lead different lives. You don't have to spin a web. That takes real leg work."

“哦，”夏洛说，“你和我的生活方式不同。你不用织网，那可全是用腿干的活儿。”

 

"I could spin a web if I tried," said Wilbur, boasting. "I've just never tried."

“如果我学学，也能会织网，”威伯吹嘘道。“我只是从没学过而已。”

 

"Let's see you do it," said Charlotte. Fern chuckled⁴ softly, and her eyes grew wide with love for the pig.

“让我看看你能否学会，”夏洛说。芬圆睁着眼睛满是爱意地看着威伯，偷偷地笑了。

 

"O.K.," replied Wilbur. "You coach me and I'll spin one. It must be a lot of fun to spin a web. How do I start?"

“好的。”威伯回答。“你教我织一张网吧。织网一定是特别好玩的。我先要怎么做呢？”

 

"Take a deep breath!" said Charlotte, smiling. Wilbur breathed deeply.

“深呼吸！”夏洛微笑着说。威伯深吸了一口气。

 

"Now climb to the highest place you can get to, like this."

“现在爬到你能到的最高地方去，就像这样。”

 

Charlotte raced up to the top of the doorway⁵. Wilbur scrambled⁶ to the top of the manure⁷ pile.

夏洛跑到了门框的最上端。威伯爬到了牛粪堆的最上面。

 

"Very good!" said Charlotte. "Now make an attachment⁸ with your spinnerets, hurl⁹ yourself into space, and let out a dragline as you go down!"

 “很好！”夏洛说，“现在用你的丝囊造丝把自己用力抛向空中，下落时把丝线抽出来！”

 

Wilbur hesitated a moment, then jumped out into the air. He glanced hastily behind to see if a piece of rope was following him to check his fall, but nothing seemed to be happening in his rear, and the next thing he knew he landed with a thump¹⁰. "Ooomp!" he grunted¹¹.

威伯犹豫了一下，然后朝空中跳去。他扭身回望，看后面是否有一小根能阻止他下落的粘线，可却发现后部似乎什么变化都没有，接着他便听到了自己重重地撞在地上的声音。“嗷姆！”他咕噜着抱怨道。

 

Charlotte laughed so hard her web began to sway.

夏洛笑得连她的网都摇晃起来。

 

"What did I do wrong?" asked the pig, when he recovered from his bump.

“我哪一步做错了？”清醒过来以后，威伯问道。

 

"Nothing," said Charlotte. "It was a nice try."

“都没错，”夏洛说，“你练得很好。”

 

"I think I'll try again," said Wilbur, cheerfully. "I believe what I need is a little piece of string to hold me."

“我想我该再试一次。”威伯又来劲儿了。“我相信这一次我只需要一段能拴住我的绳子就够了。”

 

The pig walked out to his yard. "You there, Templeton?" he called. The rat poked¹² his head out from under the trough.

威伯走到院子里。“你在吗，坦普尔曼？”他喊道。老鼠从食槽下探出了头。

 

"Got a little piece of string I could borrow?" asked Wilbur. "I need it to spin a web."

“我能向你借一小根绳子吗？”威伯请求。”我要用它来织网。”

 

"Yes, indeed," replied Templeton, who saved string. "No trouble at all. Any thing to oblige." He crept down into his hole, pushed the goose egg out of the way, and returned with an old piece of dirty white string. Wilbur examined it.

“好的，可以。”有绳子的坦普尔曼回答。“这事儿很容易，你不必客气。”他推开洞口的那只鹅蛋，钻进了洞里，一会儿就抓着一根脏旧的白绳子出来了。威伯检查了一下。

 

"That's just the thing," he said. "Tie one end to my tail, will you, Templeton?"

“就是这东西，”他说。“坦普尔曼，请你把绳子的一头系到我的尾巴上，好吗？”

 

Wilbur crouched¹³ low, with his thin, curly tail toward the rat. Templeton seized the string, passed it around the end of the pig's tail, and tied two half hitches¹⁴. Charlotte watched in delight. Like Fern, she was truly fond of Wilbur, whose smelly pen and stale food attracted the flies that she needed, and she was proud to see thathe was not a quitter and was willing to try again to spin a web.

威伯趴下来，把他那根又细又弯的尾巴朝向老鼠那边。坦普尔曼抓住绳子，把它绕到威伯的尾巴尖上，打了两个结。夏洛开心地看着这一切。像芬一样，她也是真心的喜欢威伯，这不只是因为他那肮脏的猪圈与尿的臭味儿能招来她需要的苍蝇，还因为她骄傲地看出他不是一个懦夫，勇于一再的学习织网。

 

While the rat and the spider and the little girl watched, Wilbur climbed again to the top of the manure pile, full of energy and hope.

就在老鼠，蜘蛛和小女孩的注视下，威伯又满怀着活力与希望爬到牛粪堆的顶上。

 

“Everybody watch!” he cried. And summoning all his strength, he threw himself into the air, headfirst. The string trailed behind him. But as he had neglected to fasten the other end to anything, it didn't really do any good, and Wilbur landed with a thud, crushed and hurt. Tears came to his eyes. Templeton grinned. Charlotte just sat quietly. After a bit she spoke¹⁵.

“大家看着！”他叫着，拼着全身的力气，头朝前往空中跳去。绳子虽然系在他身后，但是他忘了把另一头拴到什么地方了，这可真糟糕，威伯砰的一声就着了陆，把自己跌伤了。泪水开始在他的眼眶打转了。坦普尔曼呲着牙大笑起来。夏洛沉默了片刻，才开始说话。

 

“You can't spin a web, Wilbur, and I advise you to put the idea out of your mind. You lack two things needed for spinning aweb.”

“你不能织网，威伯，我劝你把这念头从脑子里赶出去吧。你缺少织网所必需的两种东西。”

 

“What are they?” asked Wilbur, sadly.

“那都是什么？”威伯丧气地问。

 

“You lack a set of spinnerets, and you lack know-how¹⁶. But cheer up, you don't need a web. Zucherman supplies you with three big meals a day. Why should you worry about trapping food?”

“你缺少一副丝囊，你也缺乏织网的技巧。但是振作些，你不需要织网，反正祖克曼先生每天都给你提供三顿大餐。你又何必为捕食的事情操心？”

 

Wilbur sighed. “You're ever so much cleverer and brighter thanI am, Charlotte. I guess I was just trying to show off. Serves me right.”

威伯悲叹。“你比我要聪明伶俐得多，夏洛。可我也想显一显我的能耐。我这是活该。”

 

Templeton untied¹⁷ his string and took it back to his home. Charlotte returned to her weaving.

坦普尔曼把他的绳子解下来，带回了他的家。夏洛又继续她的织网工作了。

 

“You needn't feel too badly, Wilbur,” she said. “Not many creatures can spin webs. Even men aren't as good at it as spiders, although they think they're pretty good, and they'll try anything. Did you ever hear of the Queensborough Bridge?”

“你不必太难过，威伯，”她说。“不是所有的动物都会织网的。即使人类也不能织得像蜘蛛一样好，虽然他们自认很优秀，可以学会任何事情。你听说过昆斯伯勒大桥吗？”

 

Wilbur shook his head. “Is it a web?”

威伯摇摇头。“那是一张网吗？”

 

“Sort of,” replied Charlotte. “But do you know how long it took men to build it? Eight whole years. My goodness, I would have starved to death waiting that long. I can make a web in a single evening.”

“有点儿像吧，”夏洛回答。“你知道人们用了多久才建成它的吗？整整八年。我的老天，如果我的网等那么久才能织成，我早饿死了。我只用一个晚上就能织出一张网。”

 

“What do people catch in the Queensborough Bridge—bug?” asked Wilbur.

“人们在昆斯伯勒大桥上抓什么——虫子吗？”威伯问。

 

“No,” said Charlotte. “They don't catch anything. They just keep trotting¹⁸ back and forth¹⁹ across the bridge thinking there is something better on the other side. If they'd hang head-down at the top of the thing and wait quietly, maybe something good would comealong. But no—with men it's rush, rush, rush, every minute. I'm glad I'm a sedentary spider.”

“不，”夏洛说。“他们什么也不抓。他们只是觉得那上面比别的地方更好，所以就不停地在上面来回疾驰。如果他们头朝下静静地挂在桥上等着，也许会等来一些好东西吧。可他们却不这么做——人们总是在桥上狂奔，狂奔，狂奔，每分钟都是如此。我很高兴我只是一只定居的蜘蛛。”

 

“What does sedentary mean?” asked Wilbur.

“定居是什么意思？”威伯问。

 

“Means I sit still a good part of the time and don't go wandering all over creation. I know a good thing when I see it, and my web is a good thing. I stay put and wait for what comes. Gives me a chance to think.”

“就是说，我大部分时间都可以静静地呆着，不必满世界乱跑。当我一眼望去，就会发现什么是好东西，我的网就是一个好东西。因为在织网或等待什么东西飞来时，我总有我充分思考的机会。”

 

“Well, I'm sort of sedentary myself, I guess,” said the pig. “I have to hang around here whether I want to or not. You know where I'd really like to be this evening?”

“哦，那么我也是一种定居的动物，我猜，”威伯说。“因为不管喜不喜欢我都得呆在这儿。你知道今天晚上我最想去哪里吗？”

 

“Where?”

“哪里？”

 

“In a forest looking for beechnuts and truffles and delectable²⁰ roots, pushing leaves aside with my wonderful strong nose, searching and sniffing²¹ along the ground, smelling, smelling, smelling…”

“我想去大森林里寻找柏子，麦蕈，还有令我开心的树根，用我那奇妙而又强壮的鼻子把腐叶都清走，沿着地面搜索，吸取，闻呀，闻呀，闻呀……"

 

“You smell just the way you are,” remarked a lamb who had just walked in. I can smell you from here. You're the smelliest creature in the place.”

“好像你正在森林里闻似的，”刚走进来的羊羔挖苦道，“我从这里就能闻到你的味儿。你是这地方最臭的动物。”

 

Wilbur hung his head. His eyes grew wet with tears. Charlotte noticed his embarrassment²² and she spoke sharply to the lamb.

威伯伤心地垂下了头。他的眼睛被泪水打湿了。看到他难过的样子，夏洛毫不客气地讥讽起羊羔来。

 

“Leave Wilbur alone!” she said. “he has a perfect right to smell, considering his surroundings. You're no bundle of sweet peas yourself. Furthermore, you are interrupting a very pleasant conversation. What were we talking about, Wilbur, when we were so rudely interrupted?”

“用不着你管威伯！”她说。“生活在这种环境里，他已经算是很干净的了。你自己也不是什么甜豌豆。此外，你正在打搅我们之间的愉快谈话。我们谈到哪儿了，威伯，在我们的谈话被无礼打断之前？”

 

“Oh, I don't remember,” said Wilbur. “It doesn't make any difference. Let's not talk any more for a while, Charlotte. I'm getting sleepy. You go ahead and finish fixing your web and I'll just lie here and watch you. It's a lovely evening.” Wilbur stretched out on his side.

“噢，我不记得了，”威伯说。“这没什么关系。我们别再谈下去了，夏洛。我有点儿困了。你还是继续把你的网修补完吧，我就躺在这儿看你织。这是一个多么可爱的夜晚。”威伯伸了个懒腰躺下了。

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