voyages of dr[1]. doolittle(都利特尔的航行)-第2节
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nacheralist。〃
〃What's a nacheralist？〃
〃A nacheralist；〃 said Joe； putting away his glasses and starting to fill
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his pipe； 〃is a man who knows all about animals and butterflies and plants
and rocks an' all。 John Dolittle is a very great nacheralist。 I'm surprised
you never heard of himand you daft over animals。 He knows a whole lot
about shellfishthat I know from my own knowledge。 He's a quiet man
and don't talk much； but there's folks who do say he's the greatest
nacheralist in the world。〃
〃Where does he live？〃 I asked。
〃Over on the Oxenthorpe Road； t'other side the town。 Don't know just
which house it is； but 'most anyone 'cross there could tell you； I reckon。
Go and see him。 He's a great man。〃
So I thanked the mussel…man； took up my squirrel again and started oft
towards the Oxenthorpe Road。
The first thing I heard as I came into the marketplace was some one
calling 〃Meat！ M…E…A…T！〃
〃There's Matthew Mugg；〃 I said to myself。 〃He'll know where this
Doctor lives。 Matthew knows everyone。〃
So I hurried across the market…place and caught him up。
〃Matthew；〃 I said； 〃do you know Doctor Dolittle？〃
〃Do I know John Dolittle！〃 said he。 〃Well； I should think I do！ I know
him as well as I know my own wifebetter； I sometimes think。 He's a
great mana very great man。〃
〃Can you show me where he lives？〃 I asked。 〃I want to take this
squirrel to him。 It has a broken leg。〃
〃Certainly；〃 said the cat's…meat…man。 〃I'll be going right by his house
directly。 Come along and I'll show you。〃
So off we went together。
〃Oh； I've known John Dolittle for years and years；〃 said Matthew as
we made our way out of the market…place。 〃But I'm pretty sure he ain't
home just now。 He's away on a voyage。 But he's liable to be back any day。
I'll show you his house and then you'll know where to find him。〃
All the way down the Oxenthorpe Road Matthew hardly stopped
talking about his great friend； Doctor John Dolittle〃M。 D。〃 He talked so
much that he forgot all about calling out 〃Meat！〃 until we both suddenly
noticed that we had a whole procession of dogs following us patiently。
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〃Where did the Doctor go to on this voyage？〃 I asked as Matthew
handed round the meat to them。
〃I couldn't tell you；〃 he answered。 〃Nobody never knows where he
goes； nor when he's going； nor when he's coming back。 He lives all alone
except for his pets。 He's made some great voyages and some wonderful
discoveries。 Last time he came back he told me he'd found a tribe of Red
Indians in the Pacific Oceanlived on two islands； they did。 The husbands
lived on one island and the wives lived on the other。 Sensible people； some
of them savages。 They only met once a year； when the husbands came
over to visit the wives for a great feast Christmas…time； most likely。 Yes；
he's a wonderful man is the Doctor。 And as for animals； well； there ain't no
one knows as much about 'em as what he does。〃
〃How did he get to know so much about animals？〃 I asked。
The cat's…meat…man stopped and leant down to whisper in my car。
〃HE TALKS THEIR LANGUAGE；〃 he said in a hoarse； mysterious
voice。
〃The animals' language？〃 I cried。
〃Why certainly；〃 said Matthew。 〃All animals have some kind of a
language。 Some sorts talk more than others； some only speak in sign…
language； like deaf…and…dumb。 But the Doctor； he understands them all
birds as well as animals。 We keep it a secret though； him and me； because
folks only laugh at you when you speak of it。 Why； he can even write
animal…language。 He reads aloud to his pets。 He's wrote history…books in
monkey…talk； poetry in canary language and comic songs for magpies to
sing。 It's a fact。 He's now busy learning the language of the shellfish。 But
he says it's hard workand he has caught some terrible colds； holding his
head under water so much。 He's a great man。〃
〃He certainly must be；〃 I said。 〃I do wish he were home so I could
meet him。〃
〃Well； there's his house； look；〃 said the cat's； meat…man〃that little one
at the bend in the road therethe one high up like it was sitting on the
wall above the street。〃
We were now come beyond the edge of the town。 And the house that
Matthew pointed out was quite a small one standing by itself。 There
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seemed to be a big garden around it； and this garden was much higher than
the road； so you had to go up a flight of steps in the wall before you
reached the front gate at the top。 I could see that there were many fine fruit
trees in the garden； for their branches hung down over the wall in places。
But the wall was so high I could not see anything else。
When we reached the house Matthew went up the steps to the front
gate and I followed him。 I thought he was going to go into the garden； but
the gate was locked。 A dog came running down from the house； and he
took several pieces of meat which the cat's…meat…man pushed through the
bars of the gate； and some paper bags full of corn and bran； I noticed that
this dog did not stop to eat the meat； as any ordinary dog would have done；
but he took all the things back to the house and disappeared。 He had a
curious wide collar round his neck which looked as though it were made
of brass or something。 Then we came away。
〃The Doctor isn't back yet；〃 said Matthew； 〃or the gate wouldn't be
locked。〃
〃What were all those things in paper…bags you gave the dog？〃 I asked。
〃Oh； those were provisions；〃 said Matthew〃things for the animals to
eat。 The Doctor's house is simply full of pets。 I give the things to the dog；
while the Doctor's away； and the dog gives them to the other animals。〃
〃And what was that curious collar he was wearing round his neck？〃
〃That's a solid gold dog…collar；〃 said Matthew。 〃It was given to him
when he was with the Doctor on one of his voyages long ago。 He saved a
man's life。〃
〃How long has the Doctor had him？〃 I asked。
〃Oh； a long time。 Jip's getting pretty old now。 That's why the Doctor
doesn't take him on his voyages any more。 He leaves him behind to take
care of the house。 Every Monday and Thursday I bring the food to the gate
here and give it him through the bars。 He never lets any one come inside
the garden while the Doctor's awaynot even me； though he knows me
well。 But you'll always be able to tell if the Doctor's back or not because
if he is； the gate will surely be open。〃
So I went off home to my father's house and put my squirrel to bed in
an old wooden box full of straw。 And there I nursed him myself and took
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care of him as best I could till the time should come when the Doctor
would return。 And every day I went to the little house with the big garden
on the edge of the town and tried the gate to see if it were locked。
Sometimes the dog； Jip； would come down to the gate to meet me。 But
though he always wagged his tail and seemed glad to see me； he never let
me come inside the garden。
THE THIRD CHAPTER
THE DOCTOR'S HOME
ONE Monday afternoon towards the end of April my father asked me
to take some shoes which he had mended to a house on the other side of
the town。 They were for a Colonel Bellowes who was very particular。
I found the house and rang the bell at the front door。 The Colonel
opened it； stuck out a very red face and said； 〃Go round to the tradesmen's
entrancego to the back door。〃 Then he slammed the door shut。
I felt inclined to throw the shoes into the middle of his flower…bed。 But
I thought my father might be angry； so I didn't。 I went round to the back
door； and there the Colonel's
