本篇节选自《驯龙高手》原著，由译者：学有所长无偿汉化，仅供参考，请酌情引用译文。未经译者授权禁止转载译文。

作者：克蕾西达·考威尔（原著）

译者：学有所长

(资料图)

译文： 

在那天比较晚的时候，小嗝嗝回到家里时，他的父亲史图伊克对他大发雷霆。

“你怎敢公开质疑我，小嗝嗝！”史图伊克大吼，“质疑我的计划，还总说什么要和恐惧龙聊聊，明明大家都知道说龙语是禁止的。这不仅是对我不忠，而且还很危险。你终有一天会成为首领，你可不能让别人以为你会和龙说话。这是不被允许的，而且，呃，这是有点……奇怪！”

小嗝嗝看起来惨兮兮的样子。他总是想让父亲高兴，但是不知怎么他似乎总是做不到。

“向我保证你不会尝试去和这只怪兽说话！”史图伊克命令道，“我不想你离它太近！”

小嗝嗝咕哝说他保证。

“还有一件事情！”史图伊克大喊，“你说这是谁干的？” 史图伊克举起一个被嚼烂的剑带。啊哦。

小嗝嗝的打猎龙，无牙，正亏心地躲在桌子下面。

无牙是古往今来最小的，最可爱的，最喜欢乱钻的打猎平凡龙（Common-or-Garden）。

而且他也是最调皮的。

“呃……”小嗝嗝嘟哝着，“老鼠？”他期待地说。

“这不是老鼠！这些是一只没有牙的龙的牙龈印！”史图伊克喊道，“你的龙，小嗝嗝！而且我估计你是准备告诉我说我这套无价的长矛收藏也是那些喷火老鼠烧的？”

“你那只龙完全失控了！”史图伊克大叫道，“他不乱啃东西的时候，就去烧我的内裤。这个房子里到处都是焦痕。你得让他知道是谁作主，小嗝嗝，让他知道谁是主人。”

然后大块头史图伊克把他肥大的胳膊伸到桌子底下，抓住了无牙的腿，把他拉出来放到桌上。

“你给我听好了，无汁还是什么的，”史图伊克坚定地喊道，“下次你要是再烧坏什么或者咬坏什么我就永久地把你从这房子里扔出去，你听懂了吗？”

“你看到了吧，小嗝嗝？”史图伊克解释道，“这非常简单。在你面前我作主，所以我负责思考出机智策略，然后你就听话照做就好了。而在无牙面前你作主，所以你告诉他该怎么做，他照做就行了。现在我得要早点睡了，这样我才能明天早上早起去打恐惧龙。”

然后他打了一个大大的哈欠，迈着大步去睡觉了。

小嗝嗝责备地看着无牙。

“你不能再自私了。*”小嗝嗝说。

*小嗝嗝在用龙语和他的龙说话，因为小嗝嗝是古往今来都少有的会说这门神奇的语言的维京人。

“但是无牙很饿。”无牙哀嚎着，“是无牙的肚子的错。它告诉无牙它很空，无牙感觉对不起它……”

小嗝嗝叹了口气。

“我们都很饿，无牙。要是你不听话的话，我很难照顾你。你知道规则是怎么样的，规则都写在你的表现表上……不要啃我爸的东西……”

“好——好的。”无牙剧烈地点头，点得他的角都晃动了。

“不在房子里大小便……”

“不会，不会，一定不会……”无牙说。

“而且绝对不准烧着东西……”小嗝嗝用最坚定的声音说，“你不想我爸把你扔出去吧？”

“无牙会听话！”无牙说，“无牙保证。心划十字，以死起誓。无牙会非常听话。”

但是我恐怕是知道事实的，无牙背地里用爪子比了个十字。

注：背地里比十字是表示发誓不对自己算数的意思。

原文：

Later that evening, when Hiccup returned home, Stoick, his father, was furious with him.

‘How dare you question me in public. Hiccup!’ yelled Stoick. ‘Criticising my plan, and banging on about talking to the Dreader, when everyone knows that the speaking of Dragonese is forbidden. Not only is it disloyal to me, it’s dangerous. You will be Chief one day and you can’t have them thinking you talk to dragons. It’s not allowed and, well, it is a little… weird!’

Hiccup looked miserable. He was always trying to please his father, and somehow he never seemed to.

‘Promise me you will not try and talk to this monster!’ ordered Stoick. ‘I don’t want you getting too close to it!’

Hiccup mumbled that he promised.

‘And another thing!’ roared Stoick. ‘Who do you think did this?’

Stoick held up the chewed remains of a swordbelt. Uh-oh.

Hiccup’s hunting-dragon, Toothless, was hiding guiltily under the table.

Toothless was the smallest, cutest, most wriggly Common-or-Garden hunting-dragon that anybody had ever seen, before or since.

He was also the NAUGHTIEST.

‘Umm…’ muttered Hiccup. ‘Mice?’ he suggested hopefully.

‘This was not mice! Those are the gum-marks of a fang-free dragon!’ yelled Stoick. ‘YOUR dragon, Hiccup! And I suppose you’re going to tell me that those flame-breathing mice have

set fire to my priceless spear collection as well?’

‘That dragon of yours is completely out of control!’ screamed Stoick the Vast, If he’s not chewing things, he’s burning my underpants. There are scorch-marks all over this house. You have to show him who’s boss, Hiccup, show him who’s boss,’

And Stoick the Vast reached under the table with his big fat arm, and he caught Toothless by the leg, and sat him on the table.

‘NOW LISTEN TO ME, JUICELESS OR WHATEVER YOU’RE CALLED,’ yelled Stoick firmly. ‘THE NEXT TIME YOU BURN SOMETHING OR CHEW SOMETHING I WILL THROW YOU OUT OF THIS HOUSE FOR EVER, DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?

‘You see. Hiccup?’ explained Stoick, ‘It’s perfectly simple, I am your boss, so I think up the Clever and Intelligent Plan, and you do as you are told. And you are the boss of Toothless, so you tell him what to do and he does it. Now, I’m going to need an early night if I’m going to bash up that Dreader tomorrow.’

And he gave a gigantic yawn and stomped off to bed.

Hiccup looked at Toothless reproachfully.

‘You have to stop being so selfish,’ said Hiccup.*

*Hiccup was speaking to his dragon in Dragonese, for Hiccup was one of the few Vikings, before or since, who have been able to speak this fascinating language.

‘But T-T-Toothless was hungry,’ whined Toothless. ‘Was Toothless’s tummy’s fault. It told Toothless It was so empty and TootMess felt sorry for It…’

Hiccup sighed.

‘We’re all hungry, Toothless. It’s so hard looking after you if you won’t do what you’re told. You know the rules, they’re all written uf on your star chart… No chewing my father’s stuff…’

‘O-O-OK,’ Toothless nodded his head so hard his horns wobbled.

‘No pooing Insihe the house…’

‘N-n-n-no, no, no…’ agreed Toothless.

‘And absolutely no setting fire to things…’ said Hiccup in his sternest voice.

‘You don’t want my father throwing you out, do you?’

‘Toothless will be g-g-good!’ said Toothless. ‘Toothless promises. Cross Toothless’s heart and hope to hie. Toothless will be very, very good.’

But I’m afraid I know the truth, and Toothless had his claws crossed behind his back.

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