文学作品里的宠物

文/莱妮塔·马赛厄斯 译/罗怀宇

文学作品里的宠物

文/莱妮塔·马赛厄斯 译/罗怀宇

For all the pet lovers who are also avid readers， here is a list of where you can fi nd pets in books.

1. Dogs

Argos from The Odyssey

The epitome of faithfulness， Argos is one of the fi rst dogs to have appeared in Western literature. He was the only one to recognize Odysseus when he returned to his home in disguise， after a long gap of twenty years. Upon seeing his master after so long， old Argos put his ears down and wagged his tail， dying shortly after. Seeing his old friend’s loyalty brought tears in to eyes of Odysseus.

Toto from The Wizard of Oz

The little black dog of Dorothy Gale， Toto is the famous character of the books under the title “the Wizard of Oz”. He accompanied Dorothy on her adventures to Oz and other lands.He does not talk in many of the books unlike his other animal counterparts.Later it is revealed that he is capable of speaking but he only chooses not to.

2. Cats

Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland

Possibly one of the most annoying yet amusing cats of all times， the Cheshire cat is known for his mischievous grin. He often engages Alice in interesting and baffling conversations. He possesses the ability to appear and disappear at will， thus escaping from punishment and danger quite a few times.

The Cat in the Hat

The cat in the hat is a peculiar cat who enters the home of Sally and her brother while their mother is away. He dresses up and talks like a human being.He fi rst proposes to play games with the children， making a mess in their house in the process. But just as their mother is about to return， he also manages to clean up the whole house， thus saving the kids from getting into trouble.

3. Horses

Black Beauty

A must read for all horse lovers，Black Beauty is the story of a horse from his childhood to his old age. Here，the horse himself narrates his story and speaks of his memories. He has to face many hardships and also cruelty at the hands of others. But he overcomes it all and teaches everybody lessons of kindness， sympathy， etc.

Houyhnhnm from Gulliver’s Travels

Houyhnhnm are a race of very intelligent and rational talking horses，with whom Gulliver comes into contact.They are calm and never do wrong things.All of them agree on the rightness of things and so there is never a difference of opinion amongst them. However， these horses are devoid of emotions like love and affection. But they do take interest in the well-being of all.

4. Rabbits

Rabbit from Winnie the Pooh

He is often the self-appointed leader of the lot and can get bossy at times.He makes plans but they do not usually go the way he intends them to， as he misses some important points. He also likes to organize things. He is loyal to his friends but take some time to warm up to outsiders.

Peter Rabbit from The Tale of Peter Rabbit

Peter Rabbit is an anthropomorphic rabbit who wears a jacket and shoes.He lives with his close family members in a rabbit hole. He once goes to his neighbor’s garden and eats a lot of vegetables. As a punishment， his neighbor takes away his jacket and shoes. Later on， Peter once again sneaks into his neighbor’s garden to take back his clothes which now adorn the scarecrow there.

5. Birds

The Ugly Duckling

This is perhaps the most famous story about a bird， which is told to children right from the time when they are small.The story speaks of a little duckling who is ridiculed by everyone for his looks. He moves from place to place but nobody accepts him. Finally when he matures， he turns into a beautiful swan and then is loved by all.

Fawkes from Harry Potter

Fawkes is the name of a mythical creature， called Phoenix， in the Harry Potter series. He was extremely loyal to his master， Dumbledore. He also helped Harry many of the times that he was in danger and also healed him once， with his tear. Fawkes was highly intelligent and understood his master and he was also capable of knowing when his help was needed.

Most of you might be familiar with many of the pet characters above for they have appeared in famous works of literature. Some of these works have also been made into movies， cartoons or series. But the adaptation of the book is not always perfect on screen. Therefore，it is suggested that you read the books fi rst. Happy reading! ■

我们为所有既喜爱宠物又热爱阅读的读者列出了以下包含宠物的文学作品。

1. 狗

《奥德赛》里的阿尔戈斯

阿尔戈斯象征着忠诚，是西方文学中最早出现的狗狗之一。当阔别20年的奥德修斯乔装改扮回到家中，只有阿尔戈斯还认得他。看到离家那么久的主人，老狗阿尔戈斯垂下耳朵，使劲摇着尾巴，不久后便死去了。老朋友的忠诚让奥德修斯热泪盈眶。

《绿野仙踪》里的托托

托托是《绿野仙踪》系列作品中的著名角色，它是主人公桃乐丝（又译多萝茜）养的小黑狗，跟随桃乐丝在奥兹国和其他国度历险。不同于其他动物，托托在很多作品中都不说话。后来我们才知道，原来托托也是能讲话的，它只是选择了不轻易开口。

2. 猫

《爱丽丝漫游奇境记》里的柴郡猫

以咧嘴坏笑闻名的柴郡猫可能是文学史上最烦人却又叫人忍俊不禁的猫咪之一。它和爱丽丝的对话往往有趣而又费解。它具有随意现身和消失的能力，所以能多次逃脱惩罚和险境。

《戴帽子的猫》

戴帽子的猫是一只挺稀奇的猫。它穿成人样，说着人话，趁着赛丽的妈妈出门，只有她和哥哥单独在家时，拜访了他们。一开始，它建议和孩子们玩游戏，玩着玩着，就把他们家弄得一团糟。但就在妈妈快回来的时候，它能够打扫干净整个屋子，为小伙伴们省去了一场麻烦。

3. 马

《黑骏马》

《黑骏马》是所有爱马者的必读书，讲述的是一匹马从童年到老年的故事。在书中，马儿自己就是故事的叙述者，它回忆着自己往事。它的一生历经了许多苦难，也曾被人残暴对待。但它最终战胜了一切，教给我们善良、同情等。

《格列佛游记》里的慧骃

慧骃（又译胡伊纳姆）是格列佛遇到的一个富有智慧和理性、会说人话的马种。它们生性沉稳，从不犯错。所有的慧骃都对是非正误持有共识，所以它们之间永远不会意见不一。然而，这些马却也没有情感，没有爱。但它们真的是以为所有人谋利为己任。

4. 兔

《小熊维尼》里的瑞比

它常常是群体中自封的领袖，有时还可能变得蛮横。它万事喜欢计划，但由于不得要领，往往事与愿违。它也喜欢凡事井井有条。它对朋友忠诚，但对外来者则需要一点适应的时间。

《彼得兔的故事》里的彼得兔

彼得兔是一只拟人化的兔子，它穿着夹克和鞋子，与家人生活在一个兔子洞里。一次，它跑到邻居的园子里，偷吃了很多蔬菜。邻居发现后，拿走它的夹克和鞋子，以示惩戒。后来，彼得兔再次溜进邻居的园子想拿回自己的衣物，却发现它们已被穿在了稻草人身上。

5. 鸟

《丑小鸭》

这或许是最家喻户晓的一个关于鸟的故事，孩子们很小的时候就听过。故事的主角是一只因为相貌被所有人嘲笑的小鸭子。它不断更换栖息地，却没人接受它。终于，它长大了，变成了一只美丽的天鹅，从此所有人都喜欢它了。

《哈利·波特》中的福克斯

福克斯是《哈利·波特》系列小说中一种神奇动物（即凤凰）的名字。它对主人邓布利多极为忠诚。它在哈利遇险时多次帮助过他，有一次还用自己的眼泪为哈利疗伤。福克斯拥有高度的智慧，理解自己的主人，还能知道主人什么时候需要自己帮助。

大多数人可能对上面这些在文学名著中出现的宠物角色耳熟能详。其中一些作品已被改编成电影、动画片或连续剧。但是，改编后搬上荧屏的作品并非总是尽善尽美。所以，建议大家从阅读书籍开始。阅读愉快！ □

（译者单位：北京化工大学）

Pets in Literature

By Lenita Mathias