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And with that, the conversation was over. The cat’s fantasising, on the other hand, continued strong.
就这样，谈话结束了。而另一方面，猫的幻想仍在继续。
A week passed, and the desire to go for another secret meal filled the cat up, until she simply had to do something.
一个星期过去了，猫又想去吃一顿秘密大餐的欲望充满了她的内心，直到她再也忍不住了。
So once more, she went to her housemate and said, ‘My dear mouse, I’m afraid I must ask for your assistance again.
所以她又一次去找她的室友说：“亲爱的老鼠，恐怕我又得请你帮忙了。”
My cousin has quite an active disposition, and has already given birth to another child. I know, can you believe such things?
我的表妹性格相当活泼，而且已经生了另一个孩子。我知道，你能相信这种事吗？
This one has a white ring around her neck, which is quite a rarity.
这一只脖子上有一圈白色的环，这是相当罕见的。
They want me to be godmother again, and I am afraid I cannot say no.
他们想让我再次担任教母，恐怕我无法拒绝。
Would you be so kind as to look after the house one more time? ’
“你能不能再帮我看一次房子？”
‘No problems, friend! Go and enjoy yourself, and if you could possibly spare a few drops of that christening wine…’ ‘Oh, we drank it up so quickly last time! But I will try.
“没问题，朋友！去尽情享受吧，如果你能匀出几滴洗礼酒的话……”“哦，我们上次喝得太快了！但我会试试的。
Of course, the cat did not go to any christening, but to the altar in the church.
当然，这只猫没有去参加任何洗礼，而是去了教堂的祭坛。
And this time, she ate half the pot of fat, filling her stomach up to bursting.
而这一次，她吃了半锅脂肪，把肚子填得满满的。
‘Food tastes much better when you don’t have to share it with anyone else.’
当你不必与任何人分享食物时，它的味道会好得多。
Upon arriving home, the mouse of course asked her, ‘What did they name the child this time? ’ ‘Half-Done,’ said the cat.
回到家后，老鼠当然问她：“这次他们给孩子取了什么名字？”“没了一半，”猫说。
‘Half-Done! Are you telling the truth? I have never heard of that name. I don’t think you would find it in a single name dictionary in the country!’
“没了一半! 你说的是实话吗? 我从来没听说过那个名字。我想你在这个国家的任何字典里都找不到它!”
‘Then perhaps the dictionaries should be rewritten,’ grumbled the cat.
“那么也许这些字典得重写了。”猫抱怨道。
A few days later – and what else could you really expect?– the greedy cat got hungry again, and once more fantasised about the fat.
几天后——你在期待什么呢？- 那只贪婪的猫又饿了，再次幻想那块油脂。
Well, if she had already gone this far, why not go further?
好吧，如果她已经错了，为什么不一错到底呢？
‘Good things come in threes,’ announced the cat to the mouse. ‘I have been asked to be godmother again.
“好事成三，”猫对老鼠说，“又有人请我当教母了。”
I have decided I must have some truly professional qualities to make me such a desirable godparent.
我决定我必须有一些真正的专业素质才能使我成为一个如此理想的教父教母。
Now, this child is black with white hands, which, as I’m sure you can imagine, makes it really quite a special kitty. I must attend the christening. Will you take care of the house while I’m gone? ’
现在，这孩子是黑色的，长着白色的手，我相信你能想象得到，这使它成为一只非常特别的小猫。我必须参加洗礼。我不在的时候你能照看一下房子吗？”
‘Top-Off! Half-Done! Those names really do make me think. I wonder what name it will be today?’
“顶没了””没了一半！这些名字确实让人迷惑。我想知道今天会是什么名字呢？
‘Well you just sit at home and wonder while I go and take part in the christening. ’ So the cat headed off to the church.
“好吧，你就坐在家里想吧，我要去参加洗礼了。”于是猫就向教堂走去。
In the meantime, the mouse cleaned the house from top to bottom, and while she rested from her labours, the cat finished off the pot of fat.
与此同时，老鼠从上到下打扫了房子，当她从干完活休息时，猫吃完了那罐脂肪。
‘It is so good to finish a meal,’ said the cat. ‘I simply felt so incomplete before. It was wrong of me not to eat all the fat in one go. But I have corrected my mistake, yes.
“吃完饭真是太好了，”猫说。“我以前只是觉得很不完整。我没有一口气吃掉所有的脂肪，这是我的错。但我已经纠正了我的错误，是的。”
She was so full that she had a long sleep on the roof and did not return home until the late hours of the night.
她吃得太饱了，以至于在屋顶上睡了很久，直到深夜才回家。
The mouse woke up from her nap and eagerly asked what they had named the third child. ‘You’re not going to like this,’ said the cat. ‘He is called All-Gone. ’
老鼠从午睡中醒来，急切地问他们给第三个孩子取了什么名字。“你不会喜欢这个名字的，”猫说。“他叫全没了。”
‘All-Gone! ’ cried the mouse. ‘Why, that is the strangest name of all! I have never heard such a name in my entire life. What could it mean?’
“全没了！”老鼠叫道。“哎呀，这是所有名字中最奇怪的一个！我这辈子从来没听过这样的名字。这能是什么意思呢？”
Pondering these questions, the mouse went off to bed.
思考着这些问题，老鼠去睡觉了。
After that day, the cat’s ‘cousin’ did not have any more children, and she was called to no more christenings.
那天之后，猫的“表亲”再也没有生过孩子，也没有再被叫去参加洗礼。
Winter finally arrived, and the cupboards ran empty, but the mouse was not put off by this. ‘It is a good thing we have that pot of fat! ’ she said. ‘Let’s go to the church and enjoy our food.’
冬天终于到来了，橱柜里空空如也，但老鼠并没有因此而退缩。“幸好我们还有那罐脂肪！”她说。“我们去教堂享受我们的食物吧。”
‘Yes,’ said the cat to herself, ‘although you might as well stick your tongue out of the window and lick the air for all the good it will do you. ’ ‘Hmm, what was that? ’ ‘Oh, nothing! I am simply looking forward to our food.’
“是的，”猫自言自语地说，“不过你还不如把舌头伸出窗外，舔舔空气，这样对你才有好处呢。”“嗯，那是什么?”“哦，没什么!”我只是期待我们的食物。
But when they arrived at the church, the pot was as empty as an eggshell.
但是当他们到达教堂时，罐子像蛋壳一样空了。
‘Oh no! ’ said the mouse. ‘I see what has happened. I thought we were friends, but in fact you have betrayed me!
“哦，不！”老鼠说。“我知道发生了什么事。” 我以为我们是朋友， 但实际上你背叛了我！
While you were “going to christenings”, you were really off eating the fat.
当你在“去参加洗礼”的时候，你实际上是在外面大吃大喝。
First Top-Off, then Half-Done, then–’ ‘Do not finish,’ said the cat darkly.
首先是“顶没了”，然后是“没了一半”，然后是——“不要说完，”猫阴沉地说。
Just the sound of the names brought back memories of the delicious fat, and she was getting very hungry. ‘If you say another word, I’ll–’ ‘All-Gone! ’ cried the mouse.
光是听到这些名字就勾起了她对美味肥肉的回忆，她感到越来越饿了。“你要是再敢说一个字，我就——”“全没了！”老鼠喊道。
And with that, the cat jumped on her and ate her up. Because that is the way of the world. Cats eat mice, and cats get fat.
就这样，猫跳到她身上，把她吃掉了。因为这就是世界的法则。猫吃老鼠，猫就会变胖。
