007 马语与人言

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One of my favorite tasks at Birtwick Park was carrying the mistress when the whole family rode together

在伯特威克庄园，我最喜欢的任务之一，便是在全家人一起骑马出行时，驮着女主人。

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The little girls would take turns on Merrylegs and Sir Oliver, while the squire usually rode Ginger

小姑娘们会轮流骑乐腿儿和奥利弗爵士，而乡绅通常骑金杰。

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I knew that the lady preferred me to Ginger because my mouth was more sensitive, making me easier and more pleasant to ride

我知道夫人比起金杰更喜欢我，因为我的嘴更敏感，骑起来更轻松、更舒适。

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That made Ginger envy me

这让金杰很羡慕我。

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" It's all because of the cruel men who trained me," she complained one day in the orchard

“这全都要怪那些训练我的残忍家伙，”有一天，她在果园里抱怨道。

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Wise old Sir Oliver heard her and said," Don't be so hard on yourself

睿智的老奥利弗爵士听到了，便说：“别对自己太苛刻了。

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You carry the squire's weight easily and still maintain your gaits, your fine ways of walking

你轻松地承载着乡绅的重量，而且依然能保持你的步态，你那优美的行走方式。

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That's nothing to be ashamed of

这没什么好羞愧的。

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Besides, we horses should be content and willing as long as we're treated kindly."

再说了，只要被善待，我们马儿就应该知足且心甘情愿。”

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He swished his tail for emphasis

他甩了甩尾巴，以示强调。

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Sir Oliver's tail was very short — only six or seven inches long

奥利弗爵士的尾巴非常短——只有六七英寸长。

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I'd often wondered what accident had shortened it, and so I asked him now

我常常好奇是什么意外让它变短了，于是现在问了他。

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" Accident?" Sir Oliver let out a fierce snort." It was no accident

“意外？”奥利弗爵士愤愤地哼了一声。“那可不是意外。”

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When I was young, my original owner had it cut off on purpose — flesh, bone, and all!"

我小时候，我的第一个主人故意把它切掉了——连皮带肉带骨头都切了！”

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" That's awful!" I exclaimed

“太可怕了！”我叫道。

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" Indeed it was," Sir Oliver agreed

“确实是这样，”奥利弗爵士表示同意。

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" And it was not only the pain, though that was bad enough

“而且不仅仅是疼痛，尽管那已经够糟了。

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I am left without enough tail to brush the flies off my sides and hind legs

现在我没有足够的尾巴来赶走我两肋和后腿上的苍蝇。

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The rest of you can't imagine what that's like

你们其他的马无法想象那是什么感觉。

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They can bite me all day long, and I'm helpless to flick them away as you can without thinking about it."

它们可以整天叮咬我，而我却没法像你们那样，不假思索就能轻轻一甩尾巴赶走它们。”

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" But why did they cut off your tail?" Ginger asked

“可他们为什么要剪断你的尾巴？”金杰问道。

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" For fashion," Sir Oliver replied." Nothing more."

“为了时髦，”奥利弗爵士回答，“仅此而已。”

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" It must be fashion that makes some humans strap our heads up with the checkrein as well," Ginger said

“肯定也是时髦，让有些人还用勒缰绳把我们的头高高勒起。”金杰说。

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" Yes. It's also fashion that makes them strap those blinkers to our heads when we drive so we can't see anything to the sides," Sir Oliver replied

“是啊。也是时髦，让他们在我们拉车时往我们头上套眼罩，弄得我们两边什么都看不见。”奥利弗爵士回答。

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Justice looked up from his grazing

贾斯蒂斯从吃草中抬起头来。

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" The blinkers are supposed to prevent horses from shying and causing accidents," he said in his calm way

“眼罩本应防止马受惊而造成事故，”他用平和的语气说。

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" Then why don't they put them on riding horses?" I asked

“那为什么不给骑乘马也戴上？”我问。

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" I suppose that's because of fashion," Justice admitted

“我看那也是因为时髦。”贾斯蒂斯承认道。

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" True. Blinkers are especially dangerous at night, when horses can see better than humans," Sir Oliver said

“没错。眼罩在夜里尤其危险，因为马比人看得更清楚。”奥利弗爵士说。

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" I have heard of many accidents that could have been prevented if the horse had been able to see all around him."

“我听过好多事故，要是马能看清周围，本来是可以避免的。”

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We horses were not the only ones who thought badly of such things

我们马并不是唯一觉得这些东西不好的。

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The squire might still put blinkers on us when we pulled a cart or carriage

当我们拉车时，庄园主可能还是会给我们戴眼罩。

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But he disliked checkreins as much as Ginger did

但他和金杰一样，不喜欢勒缰。

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One day out on the road, the squire and I passed a team of fine horses

有一天在野外路上，我和庄园主路过一队骏马。

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The driver was a friend of the squire's

那位赶车人是庄园主的朋友。

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He asked the squire what he thought of the new team

他问庄园主对这组新马队有什么看法。

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" They're a handsome pair," the squire replied

“它们是一对漂亮的马，”庄园主回答。

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" But I see you still insist on lessening their power."

“但我看你仍然执意减弱它们的力量。”

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" Oh, you mean the checkrein?" the other man said

“哦，你是说勒缰？”另一人说。

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" I like to see my horses hold their heads up."

“我喜欢看到我的马把头抬起来。”

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" So do I, but I prefer to see them do so on their own," the squire said

“我也这么认为，但我更希望看到它们自己主动那样做。”乡绅说。

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" Besides, if you don't let them throw all their weight into their work, it wears them out faster."

“再说了，如果不让它们使出全身力气干活，反而会让它们累得更快。”

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" Maybe you're right, my friend," the other man said

“也许你说得对，我的朋友。”另一位先生说。

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" I don't promise to change my ways

“我不保证会改变我的做法。

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But I do promise to think about what you've said."

但我保证会考虑你说的话。”

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The squire tried to discourage people from being cruel to animals in any way he could

乡绅总是想方设法劝阻人们不要虐待动物。

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For instance, one day we were riding toward home

比如有一天，我们正骑马回家。

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We came into view of the Birtwick Park gate just in time to see a pony cart approaching

我们远远望见伯特威克庄园大门，正好看到一辆小马车驶近。

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The delicate little pony was being driven by a large, strong man

赶着那匹娇弱小马的是一个高大强壮的男人。

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When the cart neared the gate, the pony turned toward it

当车靠近大门时，小马朝大门转去。

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With a growl the man yanked the pony's head around so strongly that the pony almost fell over

那男人低吼一声，猛地一拉马头，力气大得小马差点摔倒。

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But the pony recovered and started forward again

但小马稳住了身形，又继续往前走。

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The man wasn't satisfied with that

那男人对此还不满意。

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He lifted his whip and began lashing the pony cruelly

他举起鞭子，开始残忍地抽打小马。

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The squire urged me forward until we were beside the cart

乡绅催我向前，直到我们与马车并行。

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" Mr. Sawyer!" he called in a stern voice

“索耶先生！”他用严厉的声音喊道。

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" Is that pony made of flesh and blood?"

“这匹小马难道不是血肉之躯吗？”

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" Yes, and temper too," the other man retorted." I didn't ask him to turn there

“是，坏脾气也是，”那人回嘴道，“我又没让它往那儿拐。

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He needs to learn to do only as I say."

它得学会只照我说的做。”

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" You've driven that pony to my place many times," the squire said

“你赶着这匹小马来过我家好多次了，”乡绅说，

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" How could he know you weren't going there again?

“它怎么知道你这次不是又要去那里呢？

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Remembering the turn only shows his intelligence. But that's not the point

记得转弯，恰恰说明了它很聪明。但这并不是重点。

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Your cruel treatment of that creature shows your own poor character."

你对这生灵的残忍对待，恰恰暴露了你自己的劣根性。”

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Sawyer didn't respond to that

索耶没有接话。

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But he stopped whipping the pony and drove on, leaving me glad to have such a kind master

但他停止了鞭打小马，赶着车走了，这让我庆幸自己有一个这样仁慈的主人。