010 变化

旁白 neutral

I wasn't sure how long I'd been at Birtwick Park, for horses don't keep track of time the way humans do

我不太确定自己在伯特威克庄园待了多久，因为马不像人类那样计算时间。

旁白 neutral

But it had been long enough for everything about the place to feel familiar

但已经足够久了，久到我对这里的一切都感到熟悉。

旁白 neutral

I was used to my life there, and to the horses and people

我习惯了那里的生活，也习惯了那里的马和人们。

旁白 neutral

I never expected anything to change

我从没想过任何事情会改变。

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Then one day the squire came to the stable

后来有一天，乡绅来到了马厩。

旁白 neutral

John Manly had just ridden me out for some exercise

约翰·曼利刚刚骑着我出去活动了一下。

旁白 neutral

Now he was grooming me while James fetched some oats from the shed where the horses' feed was stored

现在他正在给我刷洗，而詹姆斯则从存放马饲料的棚子里取了些燕麦。

旁白 neutral

When the squire came over, his face was serious. He was holding a letter

乡绅走过来时，面色凝重。他手里拿着一封信。

旁白 neutral

John immediately noticed the squire's serious face

约翰立刻注意到了乡绅凝重的表情。

旁白 neutral

He quickly led me into my stall and shut the door behind me

他赶紧把我牵进我的隔间，并关上了我身后的门。

旁白 neutral

Then he turned to face the squire

然后他转身面向乡绅。

旁白 neutral

" Good morning, sir," he said." What can I do for you?"

“早上好，先生，”他说，“有什么能为您效劳的？”

旁白 neutral

" Good morning, John." The squire's voice was as serious as his face

“早上好，约翰。”乡绅的声音和他的脸色一样严肃。

旁白 neutral

" I need to ask you something. Do you have any complaints about young James?"

“我需要问你一些事。你对年轻的詹姆斯有什么不满吗？”

旁白 neutral

James himself had just emerged from the feed shed

詹姆斯自己刚从饲料棚里出来。

旁白 neutral

He stood there in the doorway looking surprised

他站在门口，一脸惊讶。

旁白 neutral

But John was quick to answer." Complaints, sir?" he said." Absolutely not."

但约翰很快回答。“不满，先生？”他说，“绝对没有。”

旁白 neutral

" Is he a hard worker?" the squire asked

“他干活勤快吗？”乡绅问。

旁白 neutral

" Or does he get lazy when your back is turned?"

“还是在你背过身去时就偷懒？”

旁白 neutral

" He works as hard as I do," John said

“他和我一样勤快，”约翰说。

旁白 neutral

" I've never known him to be lazy about anything."

“我从不知道他在任何事情上偷懒。”

旁白 neutral

" That's good." The squire glanced at the letter he was holding

“那就好。”乡绅扫了一眼手中拿着的信。

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" But now I have another question for you

“不过，我现在还有个问题要问你。

旁白 neutral

When he goes out with the horses to exercise them or to deliver a message, does he do only what he's supposed to be doing?

当他带马出去遛马或送信时，他只做他该做的事吗？

旁白 neutral

Or do you think he might sometimes stop to talk with his friends?"

还是你觉得，他有时可能会停下来跟朋友们聊天？”

旁白 neutral

" I have no reason to suspect that," John said, frowning

“我没有任何理由那样怀疑，”约翰皱着眉头说。

旁白 neutral

" And if anybody has been saying that sort of thing about James, I want to know who it is

“要是有人在说詹姆斯那种话，我想知道是谁。

旁白 neutral

James is the most honest young man I know, and the hardest worker too

詹姆斯是我认识的最诚实的年轻人，也是最勤快的。

旁白 neutral

He's gentle and clever with the horses, and I never worry about leaving him in charge when I have to go somewhere

他对马既温柔又聪明，我要是必须去别处，让他负责这边，我从不担心。

旁白 neutral

If anyone wants to say otherwise, send him to me!"

要是有人想说他的不是，让他来找我！”

旁白 neutral

The squire's serious look disappeared. He chuckled and glanced over at James

乡绅严肃的神情消失了。他轻声笑着，瞥了詹姆斯一眼。

旁白 neutral

" Come on out, young man," he said to him

“出来吧，年轻人，”他对他说。

旁白 neutral

" I'm glad to hear that John's opinion of you is the same as my own

“我很高兴听到约翰对你的看法和我自己的一样。

旁白 neutral

Now let me tell you why I needed to hear it."

现在让我告诉你，为什么我需要听到这个。”

旁白 neutral

James came out to the yard. He looked nervous

詹姆斯来到院子里。他看起来很紧张。

旁白 neutral

" What is it, sir?" he asked." Has someone been saying bad things about me?"

“什么事，先生？”他问道。“是有谁在说我坏话吗？”

旁白 neutral

" Not at all, my boy," the squire assured him." I'm sorry to worry you

“完全没有，我的孩子，”乡绅向他保证道。“很抱歉让你担心了。

旁白 neutral

But I needed to make sure I got John's honest opinion

但我需要确保我得到的是约翰诚实的看法。

旁白 neutral

You see, my brother-in-law just wrote to me."

你看，我的姐夫刚刚给我写了信。”

旁白 neutral

He held up the letter

他举起了那封信。

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Then he explained that his brother-in-law was looking for a groom

接着他解释说，他的姐夫正在找一个马夫。

旁白 neutral

" His old coachman has been with him for thirty years," he went on

“他的老车夫已经跟着他三十年了，”他继续说道。

旁白 neutral

" He wants a young man to work with him for a few years and take over when he retires

“他想要个年轻人跟着他干几年，等他退休了好接班。

旁白 neutral

It would be a good job, with a fair salary and a nice place to live."

这会是份好差事，薪水不错，住的地方也好。”

旁白 neutral

" Oh," John said slowly." I see

“哦，”约翰慢慢地说，“我明白了。

旁白 neutral

Well, I'll miss James if he takes the job, sir

呃，先生，要是詹姆斯接了这份工，我会想他的。

旁白 neutral

But nobody deserves a good opportunity more than he does."

但没人比他更配得上一个好机会了。”

旁白 neutral

" I agree," the squire said." So do you think he can do the job?"

“我同意，”乡绅说，“那你觉得他能干得了这活儿吗？”

旁白 neutral

" Yes, I do," John replied." He doesn't have much experience in driving yet

“能，我觉得他能，”约翰回答，“他驾车的经验还不多。

旁白 neutral

But he can do everything else there is to do around the stable, and do it well

但马厩里其他的活计他都能干，而且干得很好。

旁白 neutral

Your brother-in-law would be lucky to have him."

您姐夫要是能用他，那可走运了。”

旁白 neutral

I was listening along with the other horses

我和其他马儿一起在旁边听着。

旁白 neutral

At first I didn't understand all of what the men were saying

一开始，我不完全明白他们说的话。

旁白 neutral

But Merrylegs, who understands humans better than any of us, figured it out

但欢蹄比我们谁都更懂人类，他弄明白了。

旁白 neutral

James was going to be leaving us in about a month to work at another stable

詹姆斯大约一个月后就要离开我们，去另一个马厩工作了。

旁白 neutral

In the meantime he needed practice driving the carriage as much as he could

在这期间，他得尽可能多地练习驾马车。

旁白 neutral

For the next few weeks, the carriage went out more than ever before

接下来的几周，马车出门的次数比以前都多。

旁白 neutral

Normally the squire only used it when his wife was going somewhere with him

平时，乡绅只在夫人和他一起出门时才用马车。

旁白 neutral

But now Ginger and I were hitched to the carriage for every errand, no matter how small

但现在，不管多小的差事，金儿和我都得套上马车。

旁白 neutral

At first John rode along to give instructions while James drove

起初，詹姆斯驾车时，约翰在一旁跟着指点。

旁白 neutral

After a while James was allowed to take us out by himself

过了一阵子，詹姆斯就可以独自带我们出去了。

旁白 neutral

His driving got better all the time

他驾车的技术越来越好了。

旁白 neutral

Finally the squire decided it was time for the final test

最后，乡绅决定是时候进行最终考验了。

旁白 neutral

He and his wife wanted to pay a visit to some friends who lived about fifty miles away

他和夫人想去拜访几位住在约五十英里外的朋友。

旁白 neutral

It would be a two-day trip, and James would drive them there and back

这趟行程需要两天，詹姆斯将驾车送他们往返。