Skimbleshanks the railway cat

Skimbleshanks　那火車之貓

The cat of the railway train

那在火車上的貓

There’s a whisper down the line

鐡路上傳來竊竊私語

At eleven thirty-nine

在十一時三十九分

When the Night Mail’s ready to depart

當午夜列車已準備到達

Saying “Skimble where is Skimble?

在說「Skimble，Skimble在哪？

Has he gone to hunt the thimble?

他是在找那頂針嗎？

We must find him or the train can’t start.”

我們得找到他不然火車就不能出發了」

All the guards and all the porters

所有警衛和所有搬運工

And the station master’s daughters

和站長的女兒

Will be searching high and low

都在翻高找低的

Saying “Skimble where is Skimble?

在說「Skimble，Skimble在哪？

For unless he’s very nimble

除非他非常機敏

Then the Night Mail just can’t go.”

否則午夜列車就不能離開了。」

At eleven forty-two

到了十一時四十二分

When the signal’s overdue

過時的訊號已出現

And the passengers are frantic to a man

而乘客正毫無猶豫地在發脾氣

Then I will appear and I’ll saunter to the rear

然後我會出現並漫步走到後面

I’ve been busy in the luggage van

我在行李艙中忙著哩！

And he gives one flash of his glass-green eyes

他以他玻璃似的綠眼睛發出閃光

And the signal went “all clear”

表示一切都通過了

And we’re off at last for the northern part

然後我們終於向著

Of the Northern Hemisphere.

北半球的北方走去

Skimbleshanks the railway cat

Skimbleshanks　那火車之貓

The cat of the railway train

那在火車上的貓

You could say that by and large

你可以說大致上

it was me who’s in charge

都是我在負責

Of the sleeping car express

那特快臥卡的

From the driver and the guards

由駕駛員到那守衛

To the bagmen playing cards

到那在玩牌的旅行推銷員

I will supervise them all, more or less

我多少都會在監視著的

Down the corridor he paces

在他監管的走廊上

And examines all the faces

他察看著每張臉

Of the travelers in the First and the Third

不論是在頭等或是三等車廂內

He establishes control by a regular patrol

他定時巡邏以確定都是受控的

And he’d know at once if anything occurred

並第一時間知道有任何事發生

he will watch you without winking

他會眼也不眨的看著你

And he sees what you are thinking

他似乎知道你在想什麼

And it’s certain that he doesn’t approve

並肯定他是不容許

Of hilarity and riot

喧嘩和騷動

So the folk are very quite

因此人們都很安靜

When Skimble is about and on the move

當Skimble正在走動四處察看時

You can play no pranks with Skimbleshanks

你可不能對Skimbleshanks惡作劇

He’s the car that can’t be ignored

他是隻不容忽視的貓

So nothing went wrong on the Northern Mail

因為在北方列車上不會有問題

When Skimbleshanks aboard.

只要Skimbleshanks在車上

It was very pleasant

那是非常欣喜的

When they found their little den

當他們找到他們那小小的私人車廂

With their name written on the door

就是在門上寫了他們的名字

And the berth was very neat

臥鋪都非常整潔

With a newly folded sheet

鋪著新摺好的床單

And not a speck of dust on the floor

並沒有一小顆塵埃在地上

There was every sort of light

每一道燈光

You can make it dark or bright

你都可以調校光暗

And a button you could turn to make a breeze

並有個鈕製讓你製造微風

And a funny little basin

有個有趣的小盆

You’re supposed to wash your face in

是預備給你洗臉的

And a crank to shut the window should you sneeze

還有個機關曲柄可以關上窗戶免得你打噴嚏

Then the guard looked in politely

然後那守衛會有禮地進來

And would ask you very brightly

並愉快地問你：

Do you like your morning tea

「請問你需要早茶嗎？

Weak or strong?

要淡的還是濃的？」

But I was just behind him

但我會就在他的後面

And was very ready to remind him

並準備提醒他

For Skimble won’t let anything go wrong

就是Skimble不會讓任何事出錯

When they crept into their cozy berth

當他們爬進他們溫暖舒適的臥鋪

And pulled the counterpane

並蓋上床單時

They ought to reflect that

他們會回應

It was very nice

這可非常好

To know that they won’t be bothered by mice

並知道他們不會被老鼠騷擾

they could leave all that to the railway cat

他們可以將事情都給火車之貓

The cat of the railway train

那在火車上的貓

Skimbleshanks the railway cat

Skimbleshanks　那火車之貓

The cat of the railway train

那在火車上的貓

Skimbleshanks the railway cat

Skimbleshanks　那火車之貓

The cat of the railway train

那在火車上的貓

In the watches of the night

在守夜的晚上

I was always fresh and bright

我總是精神又機敏的

Every now and then I’d have a cup of tea

在一切之後我會喝杯茶

With perhaps a drop of scotch

或許加上一滴威士忌

While I was busy keeping on the watch

當我忙碌地看著錶時

Only stopping here and there to catch a flea

只會停下來以抓隻跳蚤

They were fast asleep at Crewe

他們都在員工休息室中打瞌睡

And so they never knew

因此他們從不知道

That I was walking up and down the station

是我在站上跑上走下的

They were sleeping all the while

他們在那時全都睡著

I was busy at Carlisle

當我在Carlisle忙著時

Where I met the stationmaster with elation

就是那我會見站長的地方

They might see me at Dumfries

他們可能在Dumfries見到我

if I summoned the police

若我聯絡了警察

When they got to Gallowgate

當他們到了Gallowgate時

There they did not have to wait

他們就不用等待

For Skimbleshanks will help them to get out

Skimbleshanks會協助他們登車

And he gives you a wave

然後他會給你揮揮

Of his strong brown tail

他那強壯的啡色尾巴

Which says “I’ll see you again”

就是說「我會再見到你的」

You’ll meet without fail on the midnight Mail

你永遠都不曾在午夜列車上錯過

The cat of the railway train

那火車之貓

Skimbleshanks the railway cat

Skimbleshanks　那火車之貓

The cat of the railway train

那在火車上的貓