这是一个由死神讲述的故事。9岁小女孩莉赛尔和弟弟在战乱中被迫被送到寄养家庭,但弟弟不幸死在旅途中,莉赛尔在弟弟冷清的丧礼后偷了一本掘墓工人的手册,为的是要纪念自己永远失去的家庭。养父为她朗诵手册内容,并开始教她识字。在战乱的德国,在吃不饱穿不暖的艰苦生活中,学会认字进而开始读书的莉赛尔,发现了一项比食物更让她难以抗拒的东西——书,她忍不住开始偷书,用偷来的书继续学习认字。从此莉赛尔,这个被死神称为“偷书贼”的可怜女孩,进入了文字的奇妙世界,让她熬过了现实的苦难,也不可思议地帮助了周围同样承受苦难的人。
作者简介
Markus Zusak(马克斯·苏萨克),1975年出生于悉尼,30岁时已成为当代澳大利亚文学界获奖最多、著作最丰、读者群最广的作家。迄今已出版:《输家》(The Underdog)、《与鲁本·乌尔夫战斗》(The Fighting Ruben Wolfe,美国图书馆协会青少年类最佳图书)、《得到那女孩》(Getting the Girl)、《报信者》(I Am the Messenger,澳大利亚儿童图书协会年度最佳图书奖)。《偷书贼》的故事源自他幼年时父母讲述的情节,第二次世界大战时他的父母曾经亲眼目睹盟军轰炸汉堡之后的惨状,也看过纳粹押解犹太人前往死亡集中营的悲剧。苏萨克说,父母讲述的情景他一直记在心里,他知道自己总有一天会把这些故事写成书。
美式发音 适合精听
Part 7 The Complete Duden Dictionary and Thesaurus (Excerpt)
第七章杜登德语辞典
The next raid was real.
下一次空袭是真的。
On the night of September 19, the 1)cuckoo called from the radio, and it was followed by a deep, informative voice. It listed Molching as a possible target.
在9月19日晚上,电台里的布谷鸟叫了,紧接着是一个低沉而又权威的声音。这个声音宣布莫尔钦镇可能是被袭击的目标。
2)Eerie air followed them down to the Fiedlers' basement. “I think it's real tonight,” said Mr. Fiedler, and the children quickly realized that their parents were even more afraid this time around. Reacting the only way they knew, the youngest of them began to wail and cry as the room seemed to swing.
阴森的气氛随着人们到了菲德勒的地窖。“我想今晚这回是真的了,”菲德勒先生说道。孩子们马上意识到他们的父母比以往任何一次都要害怕。而孩子们对此的反应只有一种方式,年纪最小的那些孩子开始大声地哭,地下室也似乎要旋转起来了。
Even from the cellar, they could vaguely hear the tune of bombs. Air pressure shoved itself down like a ceiling, as if to mash the earth. A bite was taken of Molching's empty streets.
即使是在地下室里,他们还是隐约听到外面的爆炸声。气压就像天花板一样往下压,仿佛要把大地压个粉碎。莫尔钦镇空空的街道好像被什么东西咬了一口。
Rosa held furiously on to Liesel's hand.
罗莎紧紧地抓住莉赛尔的手。
The sound of crying children kicked and punched.
到处响起的孩子们的哭声撞击着人们的耳膜。
Even 3)Rudy stood completely erect, 4)feigning 5)nonchalance, tensing himself against the tension. Arms and elbows fought for room. Some of the adults tried to calm the infants. Others were unsuccessful in calming themselves.
就连鲁迪也站得笔直,极力装出一副若无其事的样子,压制着自己紧张不安的情绪。在地窖里,手臂和胳膊肘推挤着想得到更多的空间。有些大人想让幼小的孩子安静下来,有的则是连自己也无法平静下来。
“Shut that kid up!” Frau Holtzapfel 6)clamored, but her sentence was just another 7)hapless voice in the warm chaos of the shelter. Grimy tears were loosened from children's eyes, and the smell of night breath, underarm sweat, and overworn clothes was stirred and stewed in what was now a 8)cauldron swimming with humans.
“让那孩子别哭了!”霍尔茨札菲尔夫人大声叫道,但她的话只不过是在防空洞里一片吵闹声中众多倒霉的话语之一。眼泪在孩子们脏兮兮的脸上往下流,人们晚上的气息、腋下的汗味,还有衣服穿多了散发的味道在地窖里混在一起,在这个挤满了人的大锅里慢慢熬煮着。
For comfort, to shut out the din of the basement, Liesel opened one of her books and began to read. The book on top of the pile was The Whistler and she spoke it aloud to help her concentrate. The opening paragraph was numb in her ears.
为了缓和自己的情绪,也为了屏蔽地下室里的吵闹声,莉赛尔打开了她其中的一本书,开始读了起来。在她那堆书里最上面的那本是《吹口哨的人》。她大声地念着,好让自己集中精神。其实她在读第一段时,自己根本什么都听不到。
“What did you say?” Mama roared, but Liesel ignored her. She remained focused on the first page.
“你在说什么?”她妈妈吼道,但莉赛尔不理她,她继续集中精神读第一页。
When she turned to Page Two, it was Rudy who noticed. He paid direct attention to what Liesel was reading, and he tapped his brother and his sisters, telling them to do the same. Hans Hubermann came closer and called out, and soon, a quietness started bleeding through the crowded basement. By Page Three, everyone was silent but Liesel.
等她翻到第二页时,鲁迪注意到了。他专心地听莉赛尔在读什么,然后他轻轻地拍拍自己的弟妹,让他们也留意听。汉斯·休伯曼走近,朝人群大吼了一声。在拥挤的地下室里,安静慢慢地在人群中蔓延。等书翻到第三页时,地下室里只能听到莉赛尔的声音了。
She didn't dare to look up, but she could feel their frightened eyes hanging on to her as she hauled the words in and breathed them out. A voice played the notes inside her. This, it said, is your accordion.
她根本不敢抬头看,但她感觉得到,在她把词语拽进自己体内,再把它们呼出来的同时,他们惊恐的目光往下看着她。在她的心里,有一个声音在弹奏着音符。那个声音说:这就是你的手风琴。
The sound of the turning page carved them in half.
翻页的声音把旋律切成两半。
Liesel read on.
莉赛尔继续读着。
For at least 20 minutes, she handed out the story. The youngest kids were 9)soothed by her voice, and everyone else saw visions of the whistler running from the crime scene. Liesel did not. The book thief saw only the mechanics of the words—their bodies stranded on the paper, beaten down for her to walk on.
至少有20分钟,她在讲述书中的故事。她的声音让最年幼的那些孩子们安静下来,其他人都仿佛看到故事里吹口哨的人离开犯罪现场。但莉赛尔并没有看到这些,这个偷书贼眼里只有词语的结构,它们的身体被困在纸上,被打败了,任由她践踏。
Everyone waited for the ground to shake.
所有人都在等大地颤抖。
That was still an 10)immutable fact, but at least they were distracted now, by the girl with the book. One of the younger boys 11)contemplated crying again, but Liesel stopped at that moment and imitated her papa, or even Rudy for that matter. She winked at him and resumed.
那还是一个无法改变的事实,但至少他们的注意力现在被转移了,被这个念书女孩子吸引住了。一个小一点的男孩又想哭了,但莉赛尔在那个时候停了下来,学她父亲,或者甚至是鲁迪碰到这类事的做法,她对小男孩使了个眼色,又继续念下去了。
Only when the sirens leaked into the cellar again did someone interrupt her. “We're safe,” said Mr. Jenson.
直到空袭解除警报传入地窖时,才有人打断她。“我们安全了,”詹森先生说。
“Shhh!” said Frau Holtzapfel.
“嘘!”霍尔茨札菲尔夫人示意。
Liesel looked up. “There are only two paragraphs till the end of the chapter,” she said, and she continued reading with no 12)fanfare or added speed. Just the words.
莉赛尔抬起头。“还有两段这一章就完了,”她说道,然后她接着念下去,既没有任何炫耀之意,也没有加快朗读的速度。只是念着词语。
Out of respect, the adults kept everyone quiet, and Liesel finished Chapter One of The Whistler.
出于敬意,大人们让所有人都保持安静。随后,莉赛尔念完了《吹口哨的人》的第一章。
On their way up the stairs, the children rushed by her, but many of the older people thanked the girl for the distraction. They did so as they made their way past and hurried from the house to see if Himmel Street had sustained any damage.
从楼梯往上走的时候,孩子们匆匆在她身旁经过,但许多年纪大点的人都感谢女孩转移了他们的注意力。他们在经过她身边时向她表示谢意,匆匆地走出去,要看看汉密尔街遭受了什么样的损失。
Himmel Street was untouched.
汉密尔街丝毫无损。
