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黑骏马|Black Beauty

Chapter 5 The storm|Chapter 5 The storm

属类: 双语小说 【分类】世界名著 -[作者: 安娜-塞维尔] 阅读:[7673]
“我还想要什么呢?”黑骏马描述他愉快的家和好心的主人时说。“自由!在我生命的头4年,我曾拥有那么广阔的田野,我可以在那儿全速奔驰——没有缰绳,没有嚼口,也没有眼罩。现在,除了有活儿干的时候,我得日夜呆在马厩里”。
在19世纪70年代,有很多活儿要马来干——在各种天气中,拉着各种车子穿过拥挤的城市,走过乡村的小道。
黑骏马受过良好的训练。他知道他永不能踢、咬或是逃跑,永远都得服从命令,不管多累多饿。他总是举止得体,但是当他从一个主人被卖到另一个主人,他懂得了一匹马的一生是多么艰难,某些人又是多么愚蠢和多么冷酷……
作者简介:安娜·塞维尔于1820年生于诺福克,于1878年去世。出于对虐待动物的强烈不满,她写下了《黑骏马》,以说服人们对马仁慈一些。这是她身染重病的时候花了6年的时间写的,也是她写的唯一的一本书。本书出版后不久她就去世了,从那时以来这本书销售了3,000多万本。[
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秋天的一天,主人因生意上的事得到远处的镇子上去一趟。约翰给我套上车,我们三个就上路了。雨下得很大,风也非常强劲。当我们来到河边时,水已经快涨上了木桥,大片的田野都被水淹了。在路上地势低洼的地方,水几乎没过了我的膝盖。

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One day in the autumn my master had to go to a distant town on business. John harnessed me to the carriage and the three of us went off. There had been a lot of rain, and the wind was very strong.When we came to the river,the wa-ter was so high it nearly reached the wooden bridge,and many of the fields were under water. In one low part of the road the water was half-way up to my knees.

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我们到了镇上,主人办事用了好长时间。当我们往回赶时,已是快晚上了。风更紧了,当我们穿过一片树林时,我听见主人说:“我还没在这么大的暴风雨中外出过,约翰。”的确,我也这么想呢,狂风在树林间发出那么可怕的呼啸。

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We got to the town and the master’s business took a long time.It was late in the afternoon when we started back for home.The wind was much stronger,and as we drove through a wood,I heard my master say,’I’ve never been out in a storm as bad as this,John.’Indeed,I thought so too, hearing the ter-rible noise of that wild wind in the trees.

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“我希望我们快点儿走出这片林子,”主人说。

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’I wish we were out of this wood,’said my master.

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“是啊,先生,”约翰附和说。“我们可不希望那些树枝砸到头上。”

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’Yes,sir,’agreed John.’We don’t want one of those bran-ches coming down on top of us.’

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他话音刚落,随着一阵树木折断的巨响,一棵大树砸过几棵小点儿的树,轰然倒地,横在我们前面的路上!我吓了一大跳,立刻收住脚,不过,我既没有转身,也没有跑开。约翰跳出来飞跑到我身边。

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But just as he finished speaking,there was a great noise of wood breaking, and a big tree came crashing down through the other smaller trees and fell across the road right in front of us!I was very frightened and I stopped immediately, but I didn’t turn round or try to run away.John jumped out and quickly ran to my side.

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“现在怎么办,约翰?”主人说。

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’What can we do now,John?’said my master.

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“我们没法儿从这棵树上过去,也绕不开,先生,”约翰说。“我们得到路口,绕远儿走那座木桥。会晚一点儿到家,不过马还不累。”

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’We can’t drive over the tree or get round it,sir,’said John.’We’ll have to go back to the crossroads,and take the longer road round to the wooden bridge.It will make us late,but the horse isn’t tired.’

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我们到木桥时,天将近全黑了。水已漫过了木桥的中段。河水上涨时,这是常有的事儿。但是我的蹄子一踏上桥,就觉得不对劲。我立刻收住了脚。

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It was nearly dark when we got to the wooden bridge.We could see water over the middle of it,but this often happened when the river was high.But the moment my feet touched the first part of the bridge,I was sure something was wrong,and I stopped suddenly.

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“走啊,黑骏马,”主人说,他用鞭子碰碰我。我没有走,他狠抽了我一下,但我还是不向前走。

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’Go on,Beauty,’said my master,and he touched me with the whip.I did not move, so he hit me sharply, but I would not go forward.

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“不对劲!”约翰说。他从车上跳下来四处打量。他试着牵着我向前走。“来啊,黑骏马,怎么了?”

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’There’s something wrong,’said John,and he jumped from the carriage and began to look round.He tried to lead me for-ward.’Come on,Beauty,what’s the matter?’

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我当然没法儿告诉他。但是我知道这桥不安全。

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Of course I could not tell him, but I knew the bridge was not safe.

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这时桥那头的屋子里跑出来一个人。“站住!站住!”他喊着。

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Just then a man ran out of the house on the other side of the bridge.’Stop!Stop!’he cried.

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“怎么回事?”我的主人喊道。

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’What’s the matter?’shouted my master.

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“桥中间断了,”那人说,“有一部分被水冲走了,要是你们过来,会掉进水里去的!”

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’The bridge is broken in the middle,’said the man,’and part of it was carried away.If you come across, you’ll fall in the river!’

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“谢谢你,黑骏马!”约翰对我说,轻轻地牵着我顺着河边右首的路走。

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’Thank you,Beauty!’John said to me, and turned me gently round to the right-hand road by the riverside.

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天色更暗了,当我顺着另一条远得多的路小跑回家时,风小些了。两个男人静默了一阵,然后主人开口了。

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It got darker and the wind got quieter as I trotted towards home by another,much longer road.The two men were quiet for some time, but then my master spoke.

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“我们只差一点儿就淹死在河里了,约翰。”他说。“人们为自己考虑的时候挺聪明,可是,动物根本用不着考虑就能知道,这经常能救人一命,就像今晚救了我们!人们不知道他们的动物有多棒。本应和动物交朋友,可是他们没有。”

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’We were very close to drowning in that river,John,’he said.’Men may be clever enough to think of things for them-selves,but animals know things without thinking,and that’s often saved a man’s life,as it has ours tonight.People don’t realize how wonderful their animals are,nor do they make friends with them as they should.’

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到家了,女主人跑出来迎接我们。“我担了好大的心!”她说,“你们都好吗?没出什么事吧?”

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When we arrived back at Birtwick Park,the mistress ran out to meet us.’I’ve been so worried!’she said.’Are you all right? Did you have an accident?’

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“差点儿!”主人说,“但是黑骏马比我们聪明,他使我们没被淹死!”

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’We nearly did,’said my master.’But Black Beauty was cleverer than we were,and saved us all from drowning!’

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12月初的一个清早,主人拿着一封信来到马厩,表情严肃。

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One morning early in December,the master came to the stable with a letter in his hand,looking very serious.

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“早,约翰,”他说。“告诉我,詹姆斯工作认真吗?他听你吩咐吗?”

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’Good morning,John,’he said.’Tell me,does James work hard and do what you tell him to do?’

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“是啊,先生,他一直这样。”约翰回答。

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’Yes,sir, always,’replied John.

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“你不在,他也不偷懒吗?”

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’And he doesn’t stop work when your back is turned?’

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“从不,先生。”

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’Never,sir.’

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“如果赶马出去,他会停下来和朋友聊天,或是把马丢在外面而他去乱串门儿吗?”主人问。

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’And if he goes out with the horses,does he stop to talk to friends,or go into houses where he has no business, leaving the horses outside?’said the master.

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“不,先生,”约翰说,“如果有人这么说詹姆斯,我可不信。我在马厩还没碰到过他这么令人愉快、诚实可靠的小伙子呢!”

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’No,sir,’said John.’And if anybody has said that about James, I don’t believe it.I never had a pleasanter, more honest young man in this stable.’

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主人微笑着看着正站在门边的詹姆斯。“詹姆斯,我很高兴约翰对你的看法和我的一致,”他说,“我太太的哥哥,柯立福德·威廉爵士来了封信,要我帮他找一名诚实可信的马夫。他现在的马夫年纪大了,需要找一个年轻人和他一道干,而且得准备有一天接他的班。你多大了?”

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The master smiled and looked across at James,who was standing by the door.’James, I’m glad John’s opinion of you agrees with my own,’he said.’I’ve had a letter from my wife’s brother,Sir Clifford Williams. He wants me to find him an honest young groom who knows what he’s doing.The man who drives his carriage is getting old and needs a young man who will work with him and be able to do his job one day.How old are you?’

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“19岁,先生,”詹姆斯说。

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’Nineteen next May,sir,’said James.

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“真年轻。你说呢,约翰?”

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’That’s young. What do you think,John?’

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“是啊,先生,”约翰说,“可是他又高又壮。虽然还没有多少赶车的经验,但是他动作轻,眼神好。”

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’It is young, sir,’said John,’but he’s tall and strong. He doesn’t have much experience of driving,but he has a light touch and a quick eye.’

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“好吧,詹姆斯,”主人说,“晚饭的时候和你妈妈谈谈,然后告诉我你的想法。”

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’Well,James,’said the master,’talk to your mother at din-ner-time and let me know what you want to do.’

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几天后商定詹姆斯在1个月或6个星期后去柯立福德府,所以接下来的几周由他赶车。我们进城出城,穿过拥挤的街道,去道路狭窄的火车站,那条路上还有很多别的马车匆匆忙忙地进站出站。

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A few days later it was agreed that James would go to Clif-ford Hall in a month or six weeks,and for the next few weeks he drove the carriage.We went in and out of town,through busy streets, and to the railway station, where the road was narrow and there were lots of other carriages hurrying to and from the station.

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然后主人和太大决定去拜访住在距家大概75公里的一些朋友。主人说:“你可以为我们赶车,詹姆斯。”

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Then my master and mistress decided to visit some friends who lived about seventy-five kilometres from our home.’You can drive us,James,’said my master.

简典