025 伦敦的日子

旁白 neutral

My new owner's name was Jerry Barker

我的新主人名叫杰里·巴克。

旁白 neutral

He rode me to a narrow street lined with shabby-looking houses on one side and modest stables on the other

他骑着我来到一条狭窄的街道，一边是破旧的房屋，另一边是简陋的马厩。

旁白 neutral

Stopping in front of one house, he whistled

他在一所房子前停下，吹了声口哨。

旁白 neutral

The door flew open, and Jerry's family rushed out

门猛地打开，杰里的家人冲了出来。

旁白 neutral

His wife was a plump, pretty woman known as Polly

他的妻子是个丰满、漂亮的女人，叫波莉。

旁白 neutral

Jerry also had a twelve-year-old son, Harry, and an eight-year-old daughter, Dolly

杰里还有个十二岁的儿子哈里，和八岁的女儿多莉。

旁白 neutral

All three of them were just as cheerful and kind as Jerry himself

他们三个都像杰里一样快乐善良。

旁白 neutral

They were the most happy, loving family I'd ever seen

他们是我见过的最幸福、最有爱的家庭。

旁白 neutral

Soon all four of them were standing around me in a small but clean stable

很快，他们四个人都围着我站在一个虽小但干净的马厩里。

旁白 neutral

" Is he gentle, Father?" Dolly asked

“它温顺吗，爸爸？”多莉问。

旁白 neutral

" Yes, Dolly," Jerry told her." He's as gentle as a kitten. Come and pat him."

“是的，多莉，”杰里对她说，“他温顺得像只小猫。过来拍拍他吧。”

旁白 neutral

While the little girl patted me, her mother hurried inside to make me a bran mash

小女孩拍着我时，她的妈妈赶紧进屋给我做麸皮糊糊去了。

旁白 neutral

Jerry and his son lined my stall with soft straw, and soon I was comfortable and happy

杰里和他儿子在我的马厩里铺上了软软的干草，我很快就感到舒服又开心。

旁白 neutral

The family decided to call me Jack, after a fine old horse they'd once had

这家人决定叫我杰克，这是他们以前养过的一匹好马的名字。

旁白 neutral

There was one other horse in the stable

马厩里还有另外一匹马。

旁白 neutral

He was a gray, large-boned animal who had a proud and handsome look, despite his great age

他是一匹灰色的大骨架马，虽然年纪很大，但样子依然骄傲英俊。

旁白 neutral

His name was Captain, and he'd once been a war horse in the Crimean War

他叫上尉，曾经是克里米亚战争中的一匹战马。

旁白 neutral

As we got to know each other, Captain told me many stories about those days

我们渐渐熟悉后，上尉给我讲了许多那些年的故事。

旁白 neutral

Some were fine tales about marching in formation with the other horses

有些是很好的故事，讲的是和其他马匹一起列队行军。

旁白 neutral

Others were terrible stories about seeing awful things during the fighting

另一些则是可怕的故事，讲的是战斗中目睹的惨状。

旁白 neutral

I soon learned that Jerry was a cab driver

我很快就知道杰里是个出租马车夫。

旁白 neutral

People hired him to drive them places in his cab, which was a boxy black carriage

人们雇他用自己的马车载他们去各处，那辆车是四四方方的黑色车厢。

旁白 neutral

On my first day, Jerry took Captain out with the cab in the morning

第一天早上，杰里驾着马车带上尉出去了。

旁白 neutral

When they returned in the afternoon, it was my turn

下午他们回来时，就轮到我了。

旁白 neutral

Jerry took his time putting on my harness, making sure it fit me as well as possible

杰里不慌不忙地为我套上马具，尽量确保它合身。

旁白 neutral

Even John Manly from Birtwick Park couldn't have been more careful!

就连伯特威克庄园的约翰·曼利也不会比这更细心了！

旁白 neutral

Best of all, there was no checkrein and no harsh bit, so I was quite comfortable

最棒的是，没有勒马绳，也没有狠硬的马嚼子，所以我非常舒服。

旁白 neutral

When I was hitched to the cab, Jerry drove me down the narrow street and out into a wider one

当我被套上马车后，杰里驾车带我穿过狭窄的街道，来到一条更宽的街上。

旁白 neutral

We stopped at the cab stand, which was where all the taxicabs waited for customers on the street

我们在出租马车停靠站停了下来，那里是街上所有出租马车等客的地方。

旁白 neutral

The block was lined with shops on one side and an old church and churchyard on the other

这个街区一边是成排的商店，另一边是一座老教堂和教堂墓地。

旁白 neutral

There were several cabs lined up there already when we arrived, and all the drivers called or waved to Jerry

我们到达时，那里已经停着好几辆马车，所有的车夫都向杰里打招呼或挥手。

旁白 neutral

A couple of the men came over to look at me

有两三个人走过来看我。

旁白 neutral

" He's very nice-looking," one of them said

其中一个人说：“他长得真好看。”

旁白 neutral

" He's too nice-looking," another added

另一个补充道：“他太好看了。”

旁白 neutral

" There must be something wrong with him. You'll find out one of these days."

“他肯定有什么毛病。你总有一天会发现的。”

旁白 neutral

" Perhaps," Jerry said with a chuckle

“也许吧，”杰里轻笑着说。

旁白 neutral

" But until then, I won't waste time worrying about it."

“但在那之前，我不会浪费时间去担心这个。”

旁白 neutral

Another man was approaching

另一个男人正走过来。

旁白 neutral

He had a broad, jolly face and a huge gray cape with a matching hat

他有一张宽大、快活的脸，穿着一件巨大的灰色披风，戴着相配的帽子。

旁白 neutral

The other men made way for him as he came toward me

当他向我走来时，其他人都给他让路。

旁白 neutral

I would later learn that he was known as the Governor

我后来才知道，大家都叫他“总督”。

旁白 neutral

He'd been working at the cab stand for longer than anyone else, and the others all respected his opinions a great deal

他在这个候客站工作的时间比任何人都长，其他人非常尊重他的意见。

旁白 neutral

The Governor looked me over carefully

总督仔细地把我打量了一番。

旁白 neutral

" He's the right type of horse for you, Jerry," he declared at last

他最后宣布：“杰里，他正是适合你的那种马。”

旁白 neutral

" I don't care what you paid for him. He'll be worth it."

“我不管你花了多少钱买的他。他会值得的。”

旁白 neutral

And so my life as a London cab horse began

就这样，我作为一匹伦敦拉车马的生活开始了。

旁白 neutral

For the first week, I found it difficult to get used to my new job

第一个星期，我发现很难适应我的新工作。

旁白 neutral

The noise, the crowds, and the hurry made me feel anxious most of the time

噪音、人群和匆忙的节奏让我大部分时间都感到焦虑。

旁白 neutral

But I soon found that I could trust Jerry to help me through it

但我很快发现，我可以信赖杰里帮助我渡过难关。

旁白 neutral

He was as good a driver as I'd ever known, and paid as much attention to his horses' comfort as he did to his own

他是我认识的最好的车夫，他关注马匹舒适的程度，丝毫不亚于关心他自己。

旁白 neutral

He soon found out that I was always willing to work and do my best

他很快就发现，我总是愿意工作并竭尽全力。

旁白 neutral

After that he never used the whip on me except to draw it gently across my back to ask me to move on

从那以后，他再也没用鞭子抽过我，只是轻轻地在我背上划过，示意我往前走。

旁白 neutral

Before long my master and I understood each other as well as horse and man can

没过多久，我和主人之间的理解就已经达到了人马之间所能达到的最佳程度。

旁白 neutral

Jerry was good to us in the stable too

杰里在马厩里对我们也很照顾。

旁白 neutral

Captain and I always had enough food and water

上尉和我总能得到足够的食物和水。

旁白 neutral

Jerry took off our halters at night so we could move around our stalls at will

杰里晚上会取下我们的笼头，让我们可以在马厩里随意走动。

旁白 neutral

But there was one thing Jerry did for us that was even better than the rest

但杰里为我们做的一件事，比其他所有事都好。

旁白 neutral

He always gave us Sundays off

他总是在星期天让我们休息。

旁白 neutral

We worked so hard during the week that I was always glad when Sunday came

我们一周工作太辛苦了，所以每当星期天到来时，我总是很高兴。

旁白 neutral

Jerry believed a day off was necessary for man and animal, and he always lived as he believed

杰里认为，休息日对人和动物都是必要的，而他一直也是这样做的。