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The animals were evidently puzzled and taken aback by this unexpected attitude of his; and Toad felt, as he moved from one guest to the other, making his modest responses, that he was an object of absorbing interest to every one.
蟾蜍这种出人意外的表现，使动物们大惑不解，不知所措。当蟾蜍一一走到客人面前；做出谦虚的表示时，他觉得，自己成了每位客人深感兴趣的目标。
The Badger had ordered everything of the best, and the banquet was a great success.
獾把一切安排得尽善尽美，晚宴获得了巨大成功。
There was much talking and laughter and chaff among the animals, but through it all Toad, who of course was in the chair, looked down his nose and murmured pleasant nothings to the animals on either side of him.
动物们欢声笑语不绝。可是整个晚上，端坐主位的蟾蜍，却始终双眼低垂，目不斜视，对左右两侧的动物，低声说些无关痛痒的客套话。
At intervals he stole a glance at the Badger and the Rat, and always when he looked they were staring at each other with their mouths open;
他偶尔偷瞄獾和河鼠一眼。这时，他俩总是张大嘴巴，互相对视一下
And this gave him the greatest satisfaction. Some of the younger and livelier animals, as the evening wore on, got whispering to each other that things were not so amusing as they used to be in the good old days;
这使蟾蜍深感快意。晚宴进行到一定时候；一些年轻活泼的动物就交头接耳，说这回晚会不像往年开得那么热闹有趣。
And there were some knockings on the table and cries of “Toad! Speech! Speech from Toad! Song! Mr. Toad’s song!”
有人敲桌子，喊道：“蟾蜍，讲话呀！蟾蜍来段演说呀！唱支歌呀！蟾蜍先生来支歌呀！”
But Toad only shook his head gently, raised one paw in mild protest, and, by pressing delicacies on his guests, by topical small-talk, and by earnest inquiries after members of their families not yet old enough to appear at social functions, managed to convey to them that this dinner was being run on strictly conventional lines.
可蟾蜍只是轻轻地摇摇头，举起只爪子，温和地表示反对，只一个劲劝客人们多进美食，和他们聊家常，关切地问候他们家中尚未成年不能参加社交活动的成员，设法让他们知道，这次晚宴是严格遵照传统方式进行的。
He was indeed an altered Toad!
蟾蜍真的变了！
After this climax, the four animals continued to lead their lives, so rudely broken in upon by civil war, in great joy and contentment, undisturbed by further risings or invasions.
这次盛会之后，四只动物继续过着欢快惬意的生活，这种生活曾一度被内战打断，但以后再也没有受到动乱或入侵的干扰。
Toad, after due consultation with his friends, selected a handsome gold chain and locket set with pearls, which he dispatched to the gaoler’s daughter with a letter that even the Badger admitted to be modest, grateful, and appreciative;
蟾蜍和朋友们商量后，选购了一条漂亮的金项链，配有一只镶珍珠的小匣子，外加一封连獾也承认是谦虚知恩的感谢倍，差人送给狱卒的女儿。
And the engine-driver, in his turn, was properly thanked and compensated for all his pains and trouble.
火车司机也因他付出的辛劳和遭到的风险，得到了适当的酬谢和补偿。
Under severe compulsion from the Badger, even the barge-woman was, with some trouble, sought out and the value of her horse discreetly made good to her;
在獾的严厉敦促下，就连那位船娘，也费了颇大周折找到，适当地赔偿了她的马钱。
Though Toad kicked terribly at this, holding himself to be an instrument of Fate, sent to punish fat women with mottled arms who couldn’t tell a real gentleman when they saw one.
尽管蟾蜍对此暴跳如雷，极力申辩说，他是命运之神派来惩罚那个臂上长色斑的胖女人的，因为她明白面对一位绅士，却有眼不识泰山。
The amount involved, it was true, was not very burdensome, the gipsy’s valuation being admitted by local assessors to be approximately correct.
酬谢和赔偿的总额，说实在的，倒也不算太高。那吉卜赛人对马的估价，据当地评估员说，大体上符合实际。
Sometimes, in the course of long summer evenings, the friends would take a stroll together in the Wild Wood, now successfully tamed so far as they were concerned;
在长长的夏日黄昏，四位朋友有时一起去野林散步。野林现在已被他们整治得服服帖帖了。
And it was pleasing to see how respectfully they were greeted by the inhabitants, and how the mother-weasels would bring their young ones to the mouths of their holes, and say, pointing
他们高兴地看到，野林居民们怎样恭恭敬敬向他们问好，黄鼠狼妈妈们怎样教导她们的小崽子，把小家伙们带到洞口，指着四只动物说：
“Look, baby! There goes the great Mr. Toad! And that’s the gallant Water Rat, a terrible fighter, walking along o’ him!”
“瞧，娃娃！那位是伟大的蟾蜍先生！他旁边是英勇的河鼠，一位无畏的战士。”
“And yonder comes the famous Mr. Mole, of whom you so often have heard your father tell!”
“那一位，是著名的鼹鼠先生，你们的父亲常说起的！”
But when their infants were fractious and quite beyond control, they would quiet them by telling how, if they didn’t hush them and not fret them, the terrible grey Badger would up and get them.
要是娃娃们使性子，不听话，妈妈们就吓唬说，要是他们再闹，再烦人，可怕的大灰獾就会把他们抓走。
This was a base libel on Badger, who, though he cared little about Society, was rather fond of children; but it never failed to have its full effect.”
其实，这是对獾的莫大诬蔑，因为獾虽不大喜欢同人交往，却挺喜欢孩子的。不过，黄鼠狼妈妈这样说，总是很奏效的。”
