The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter,

为猫命名是件困难事情，

It isn’t just one of your holiday games;

那可不像你假日里玩个游戏；

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

你乍一听会觉得我是发了疯

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

要是我跟你说，一只猫必须有三个不一样的名字。

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

首先，得有个家里人日常用的名字，

Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James,

比如彼得、奥古斯都、阿隆索或是詹姆斯，

Such as Victor or Jonathan, George or Bill Bailey—

比如维克多或是乔纳森，乔治或是比尔·贝利——

All of them sensible everyday names.

全都是入情入理的平常名字。

There are fancier names if you think they sound sweeter,

还有些更炫酷的名字，如果你想让它们更悦耳，

Some for the gentlemen, some for the dames:

有的适合先生，有的适合女士：

Such as Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter—

比如柏拉图、阿德墨托斯、厄勒克特拉、德墨忒耳——

But all of them sensible everyday names.

但这全都是入情入理的平常名字。

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

可我告诉你，一只猫需要一个特别的名字，

A name that’s peculiar, and more dignified,

这名字要不同凡响，更加富丽堂皇，

Else how can he keep up his tail perpendicular,

否则他凭什么把尾巴翘得笔直，

Or spread out his whiskers, or cherish his pride?

或是乍开胡须，或是得意扬扬？

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

说到这类名字，我能给你举出一组，

Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo, or Coricopat,

比如蒙库斯陷阱、夸克索或是科里科拍打，

Such as Bombalurina, or else Jellylorum—

比如炸弹鲁丽娜，要么就用果冻洛卢姆——

Names that never belong to more than one cat.

这类专属名号绝不会有第二只猫领下。

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

但是还剩下一个无与伦比的名字，

And that is the name that you never will guess;

这个名字你绝对猜不出来；

The name that no human research can discover—

人类的所有研究都不能将它揭示——

But THE CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess.

但是猫自己知道，而永远不会坦白。

When you notice a cat in profound meditation,

当你注意到一只猫陷入玄想，

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

个中原因，我告诉你，总是一致：

His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation

他的头脑正专注于苦思冥想

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

他的名字的奥义、奥义、奥义：

His ineffable effable

他那不可言说而可言说的

Effanineffable

可言说而不可言说的

Deep and inscrutable singular Name.

高深、难解、独一无二的名字。