为猫命名是件困难事情，

The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter,

那可不像你假日里玩个游戏；

It isn’t just one of your holiday games;

你乍一听会觉得我是发了疯

You may think at first I’m as mad as a hatter

要是我跟你说，一只猫必须有三个不一样的名字。

When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.

首先，得有个家里人日常用的名字，

First of all, there’s the name that the family use daily,

比如彼得、奥古斯都、阿隆索或是詹姆斯，

Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James,

比如维克多或是乔纳森，乔治或是比尔·贝利——

Such as Victor or Jonathan, George or Bill Bailey—

全都是入情入理的平常名字。

All of them sensible everyday names.

还有些更炫酷的名字，如果你想让它们更悦耳，

There are fancier names if you think they sound sweeter,

有的适合先生，有的适合女士：

Some for the gentlemen, some for the dames:

比如柏拉图、阿德墨托斯、厄勒克特拉、德墨忒耳——

Such as Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter—

但这全都是入情入理的平常名字。

But all of them sensible everyday names.

可我告诉你，一只猫需要一个特别的名字，

But I tell you, a cat needs a name that’s particular,

这名字要不同凡响，更加富丽堂皇，

A name that’s peculiar, and more dignified,

否则他凭什么把尾巴翘得笔直，

Else how can he keep up his tail perpendicular,

或是乍开胡须，或是得意扬扬？

Or spread out his whiskers, or cherish his pride?

说到这类名字，我能给你举出一组，

Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum,

比如蒙库斯陷阱、夸克索或是科里科拍打，

Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo, or Coricopat,

比如炸弹鲁丽娜，要么就用果冻洛卢姆——

Such as Bombalurina, or else Jellylorum—

这类专属名号绝不会有第二只猫领下。

Names that never belong to more than one cat.

但是还剩下一个无与伦比的名字，

But above and beyond there’s still one name left over,

这个名字你绝对猜不出来；

And that is the name that you never will guess;

人类的所有研究都不能将它揭示——

The name that no human research can discover—

但是猫自己知道，而永远不会坦白。

But THE CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess.

当你注意到一只猫陷入玄想，

When you notice a cat in profound meditation,

个中原因，我告诉你，总是一致：

The reason, I tell you, is always the same:

他的头脑正专注于苦思冥想

His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation

他的名字的奥义、奥义、奥义：

Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name:

他那不可言说而可言说的

His ineffable effable

可言说而不可言说的

Effanineffable

高深、难解、独一无二的名字。

Deep and inscrutable singular Name.