The Dog

狗

◎ Ba Jin

◎　巴　金

I used to be afraid of dogs when I was a child. One day during lunar new year, I remember, I happened to be chased after by a big black dog while I was playing about in the garden of Second Uncle's home. Fortunately, after running past several flower beds, I gave him the slip by rushing upstairs in a storeyed building, thus avoiding the mishap of having my legs bitten by the fierce animal.

小时候我害怕狗。记得有一回在新年里，我到二伯父家去玩。在他那个花园内，一条大黑狗追赶我，跑过几块花圃。后来我上了洋楼，才躲过这一场灾难①，没有让狗嘴咬坏我的腿。

From then on, I always played the fugitive while the dog the pursuer. He would bark furiously at the sight of me. And the more scared I was, the fiercer he became.

以后见着狗，我总是逃，它也总是追②，而且屡屡望着我的影子狺狺狂吠③。我愈怕，狗愈凶。

I developed a canine phobia.

怕狗成了我的一种病④。

As I was growing up, one day it suddenly dawned on me somehow that it was shameful to be afraid of a dog. Hence instead of shying away in fear, I stood confronting him.

我渐渐地长大起来。有一天不知道因为什么，我忽然觉得⑤怕狗是很可耻的事情。看见狗我便站住，不再逃避⑥。

I stood firm and so did he. He barked angrily with his mouth wide open as if he were about to run at me. But, nevertheless, he never moved a single step towards me.

我站住，狗也就站住。它望着我狂吠，它张大嘴，它做出要扑过来的样子。但是它并不朝着我前进一步。

He glowered at me, and so did I at him. But he always kept the same distance between us.

它用怒目看我，我便也用怒目看它。它始终保持着我和它中间的距离。

After a time, the minute my back was turned he immediately followed in pursuit.

这样地过了一阵子，我便转身走了。狗立刻追上来。

However, as I looked back he stopped right away and stood barking at me savagely, but dared not attack me.

我回过头。狗马上站住了。它望着我恶叫，却不敢朝我扑过来。

Aha, he's now used up all his tricks! said I to myself, feeling much more emboldened. I stared at him scornfully, stamped my feet and shouted vicious abuse.

“你的本事不过这一点点⑦，”我这样想着，觉得胆子更大了。我用轻蔑的眼光看它，我顿脚，我对它吐出骂语。

He backed up a few steps, it being his turn to show signs of inner fear. He kept barking but with reduced savagery.

它后退两步，这次倒是它露出了害怕的表情⑧。它仍然汪汪地叫，可是叫声却不像先前那样地“恶”了。

Disgusted with the din of barks, I picked up a stone from the ground and threw it right at him.

我讨厌这种纠缠不清的叫声。我在地上拾起一块石子，就对准狗打过去。

It hit him on the back. He let out a piteous cry apparently with pain and, before my second stone was to fall upon his head, quickly turned round to run away with the tail between the legs.

石子打在狗的身上⑨，狗哀叫一声，似乎什么地方痛了。它马上掉转身子夹着尾巴就跑，并不等我的第二块石子落到它的头上。

I gazed after the fleeing animal and gave a disdainful laugh.

我望着逃去了的狗影，轻蔑地冷笑两声。

Thenceforth he would promptly take to his heels whenever he saw me with a stone in my hand.

从此狗碰到我的石子就逃。

巴金的随笔《狗》是另一脍炙人口的名篇。文章写于1941年7月24日，后编入散文集《龙·虎·狗》。作者托物喻志，揭示了这样一个道理：一切邪恶都是纸老虎，必须奋力反抗，才能伸张正气，不应畏惧退缩。