Runaway Bunny

Runaway Bunny

Margaret Wise Brown [23 May 1910 – 13 November 1952] in 1942



Once there was a little bunny who wanted to run away.
So he said to his mother, "I am running away."
"If you run away," said his mother,
"I will run after you. For you are my little bunny."

"If you run after me,"said the little bunny,
"I will become a fish in a trout stream and I will swim away from you."
"If you become a fish in a trout stream," said his mother,
"I will become a fisherman and I will fish for you."

"If you become a fisherman,"said the little bunny,
"I will become a rock on the mountain, high above you."
"If you become a rock on the mountain high above me,"said his mother,
"I will be a mountain climber, and I will climb to where you are."

"If you become a mountain climber," said the little bunny,
"I will become a crocus in a hidden garden."
"If you become a crocus in a hidden garden," said his mother,
"I will be a gardener. And I will find you."

"If you are a gardener and find me," said the little bunny,
"I will become a bird and fly away from you."
"If you become a bird and fly away from me," said his mother,
"I will be a tree that you come home to."

"If you become a tree," said the little bunny,
"I will become a little sailboat, and I will sail away from you."
"If you become a sailboat and sail away from me," said his mother,
"I will become the wind and blow you where I want you to go."

"If you become the wind and blow me," said the little bunny,
"I will join a circus and fly away on a flying trapeze."
"If you go flying on a flying trapeze," said his mother,
"I will be a tightrope walker, and I will walk across the air to you."

"If you become a tightrope walker and walk across the air," said the bunny,
"I will become a little boy and run into a house."
"If you become a little boy and run into a house," said the mother bunny,
"I will become your mother and catch you in my arms and hug you."

"Shucks, " said the bunny, "I might just as well stay where I am and be your little bunny."
And so he did.
"Have a carrot," said the mother bunny.


最初接觸這個童話，是在 Emma Thompson 主縯的電影 WIT 裡，女主角在罹患癌癥以後，在病房裡，她的小學老師來探望她，陪她躺在病牀上，老太太將帶來的禮物，就是這本初版於1942年的童話，讀給她聽。雖然我別的臺詞聽不太懂，但是這個童話卻聽得八九不離十。配閤影片劇情，帶給我的感動和心靈上的震撼，用語言是無法盡述的。

後來在維基百科上查了查這本書以及作者，才知道原來這本童話被譽為“不朽的經典”。囬顧我的感動，無需探尋字裏行間的隱喻，就可自然而然地得到為何被稱為“不朽”的原因：這個童話所要敍述的，是這世間最博大寬廣的，最真摯也是最熾烈的，即使所有華麗的辭藻，也難以描述的至高無上的情感：母愛。

這也是人從來到世間，便開始體會的最初的感情。在電影之中雖隻是個小小的橋段，但卻是畫龍點睛之筆。

因為電影，我接觸到這個童話，又因為這個童話，讓我愛上這部電影。但即便拋開電影不談，僅僅讀一讀這質樸純真的文字，就會由衷地感動。我的朋友，你是不是也一樣呢？


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附：《逃家小兔》譯文

瑪格麗特·維絲·布朗（1910.5.23-1952.11.13）著 於1942年

從前，有一隻小兔子，他不想呆在家裏。
於是，他對自己的媽媽說：“我要逃跑。”
“如果你跑了，”他的媽媽說道，
“我一定會追上你，因爲你永遠是我的小兔子。”

“如果你追上我，”小兔子說，
“我就變成一條魚兒，跳進涼涼的小溪，從你身邊遊開。”
“如果你變成一條涼涼小溪中的魚兒，”他的媽媽說，
“我就變成一個漁夫，我會抛下魚餌等著你。”

“如果你變成一個漁夫，”小兔子說，
“我就變成一塊石頭，在高高的山崖上，讓你夠不著。”
“如果你變成一塊高高山崖上的石頭，”他的媽媽說，
“我就變成一個登山的人，我會爬上山頂，找到你。”

“如果你變成一個登山的人，”小兔子說，
“我就變成一朵番紅花，藏在一個秘密的花園裏。”
“如果你變成一朵秘密花園裏的番紅花，”他的媽媽說，
“我就變成一個園丁，我會在花叢裏發現你。”

“如果你變成一個園丁，發現了我，”小兔子說，
“我就變成一隻鳥兒，從你身邊飛走。”
“如果你變成一隻鳥兒，從我身邊飛走，”他的媽媽說，
“我就變成一棵樹，讓你來我枝頭做窩。”

“如果你變成一棵樹，”小兔子說，
“我就變成一艘小船，揚著帆，離開你。”
“如果你變成一艘小船，揚帆離開我，” 他的媽媽說，
“我就變成風，吹著你，讓你開往回家的方向。”

“如果你變成吹著我的風，”小兔子說，
“我就去參加馬戲團，做個空中飛人，在你摸不著的地方蕩秋千。”
“如果你去做空中飛人，”他的媽媽說，
“我就做一個走鋼絲的人，我會穿過空氣，走到你身邊。”

“如果你變成一個走鋼絲的人，向我走來，”小兔子說，
“我就變成一個小男孩，跑進大屋子裏躲起來。”
“如果你變成一個小男孩，跑進大屋子裏，”兔媽媽說，
“我就變成你的媽媽，用雙手捉住你，把你抱在懷裏。”

“得啦，”小兔子說，“也許我還是就呆在這兒，做你的小兔子吧。”
他也真的這麽做了。
“來，吃個胡蘿蔔吧。”兔媽媽說。
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