The Battle of the Red and the Black Ants 红蚂蚁大战黑蚂蚁

亨利·戴维·梭罗　张白桦

One day when I went out to my wood-pile， or rather my pile of stumps， I observed two large ants， the one red， the other much larger， nearly half an inch long， and black， fiercely contending with one another. Having once got hold they never let go， but struggled and wrestled and rolled on the chips incessantly. Looking farther I was surprised to find that the chips were covered with such combatants， that it was not a “duellum” but a “bellum，” a war between two races of ants， the red always pitted against the black， and frequently two red ones to one black. The legions of these Myrmidons covered all the hills and vales in my woodyard， and the ground was already strewn with the dead and dying， both red and black. It was the only battle which I have ever witnessed， the only battlefield I ever trod while the battle was raging; internecine war; the red republicans on the one hand and the black imperialists on the other hand. On every side they were engaged in deadly combat， yet without any noise that I could hear， and human soldiers never fought so resolutely.

I watched a couple that were fast locked in each others embraces in a little sunny valley amid the chips; now at noonday prepared to fight till the sun went down， or life went out. The smaller red champion had fastened himself like a vise on his adversarys front， and through all the tumblings on that field never for an instant ceased to gnaw at one of his feelers near the root， having already caused the other to go by the board; while the stronger black one dashed him from side to side， and， as I saw on looking nearer， had already divested him of several of his members. They fought with more pertinacity than bulldogs. Neither manifested the least disposition to retreat. It was evident that their battle-cry was “Conquer or die.”

In the meanwhile there came along a single red ant on the hillside of this valley， evidently full of excitement， who either had dispatched his foe， or had not yet taken part in the battle; probably the latter， for he had lost none of his limbs; whose mother had charged him to return with his shield or upon it. He drew near with rapid pace till he stood on his guard within half an inch of the combatants; then， watching his opportunity， he sprang upon the black warrior， and commenced his operations near the root of his right foreleg， leaving the foe to select among his own members; and so there were three united for life， as if a new kind of attraction had been invented which put all other locks and cements to shame. I should not have wondered by this time to find that they had their respective musical bands stationed on some eminent chip， and playing their national airs the while， to excite the show and cheer the dying combatants. I was myself excited somewhat even as if they had been men. The more you think of it， the less the difference.

有一天，我出门到我的木材堆那儿去，更确切地说，是树根堆。我看见了两只大蚂蚁在争斗，一只红的，另一只是黑的，比红的大许多，差不多有半英寸那么长。双方一交手，就谁也不肯放松，搏斗着，扭打着，在木片上不停地滚来滚去。再向远处看去，我惊叹不已，木材堆上这样厮杀的勇士四处可见，看来不是“单挑”，而是“群架”，是一场发生在两个蚂蚁族群之间的战争。红蚂蚁总是挑战黑蚂蚁，通常是两只红蚂蚁对一只黑蚂蚁。我的堆木场上所有木料堆出的山丘上和山谷中四处可见这些能征善战的弥尔弥冬军团，地上躺满已死的和濒死的蚂蚁，有红蚂蚁，也有黑蚂蚁。这是我亲眼目睹的唯一一場战役，是我第一次踏上正在酣战中的战地。这一场两败俱伤的生死对决，一方是红色的共和党，一方是黑色的保皇派。双方都在进行殊死搏斗，尽管耳畔不闻嘶吼，我却从来没有看到人类的士兵这样奋不顾身。

在一片阳光灿烂的木片小山谷里，一对蚂蚁死死地抱住了对方，此时正值正午，艳阳高照，它们准备战斗到日落，或者战斗到生命的最后一刻。那体型较小的红色勇士像老虎钳一样紧紧咬住死敌的额头不放。双方在战场上滚来滚去，红色勇士在咬断对方的一根触须以后，又咬定了对手另一根触须的根部，一刻也不肯放松。而更强壮的黑蚂蚁则把对手甩过来甩过去。我凑近了看个仔细，发现红蚂蚁的身体有几个部位已经被黑蚂蚁扯掉了。它们比斗牛犬斗得还要顽强。双方都没有一丝一毫退却的表现，显然他们的战争口号是“不成功便成仁”。

在小山谷的山腰上出现了一只红蚂蚁独行侠，显而易见，它斗志昂扬，要么是刚刚置一个对手于死地，要么就是刚刚投入战斗。大概是后者，因为它的四肢健全完好。它的母亲命令它要么手持盾牌胜利归来，要么躺在盾牌上被抬回来。它冲了过来，与对手拉开约半英寸的距离，等时机一到，就向黑武士扑了上去，一下咬住对方的右前腿，完全不顾对手会在自己身上哪个部位反咬一口。所以，此时是三只蚂蚁黏在一起生死搏命，好像产生出一种新的迷人的黏合剂似的，让所有的锁链和水泥都自愧不如。这时，如果我看到它们各自的军乐队在突起的木片上演奏国歌来助阵，鼓舞那些奄奄一息的斗士，也不会感到惊奇。甚至我自己都已经血脉偾张，把它们视为人类了。你越想就越会觉得它们和人类没有什么不同。

1中国比较文学学会翻译研究会理事，上海翻译家协会会员，内蒙古作家协会会员，现任内蒙古工业大学外国语学院英语系副教授。本文选自《西南联大英文课》（有声珍藏版）（陈福田主编，中译出版社，2019年4月）。