018 新宠物

旁白 neutral

I joined my family, who were safely inside Rockburg

我与家人会合，他们都安全地待在岩堡里。

旁白 neutral

With pounding hearts, we watched the giant snake's approach

我们怦怦心跳着，看着巨蛇靠近。

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" It's a boa constrictor!" I whispered

“是一条蟒蛇！”我低声说道。

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The boys fired their guns, one right after another. I also fired and missed

男孩们接连开枪，我也开了枪，但没打中。

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Startled but unhurt, the snake glided into the nearby marsh

蛇受惊了但没受伤，滑进了附近的沼泽里。

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" No one is to leave the cave without my permission," I said sternly

“没有我的允许，任何人不得离开山洞，”我严厉地说。

旁白 neutral

" That is a very dangerous snake!"

“那是一条非常危险的蛇！”

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For three days we — and our animals — stayed inside

整整三天，我们——还有我们的动物们——都待在里面。

旁白 neutral

The ducks and geese were still out on the marsh

鸭和鹅还在外面的沼泽地上。

旁白 neutral

I knew the snake must be lurking in the reeds because the birds were so restless

我知道蛇一定潜伏在芦苇丛中，因为鸟儿们如此躁动不安。

旁白 neutral

We were running out of hay for the animals

给动物准备的干草快用完了。

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I was debating what to do when I looked out and saw the snake approaching again

我正犹豫该怎么办，往外一看，又见那条蛇爬过来了。

旁白 neutral

Grabbing my gun, I fired at the snake, and this time I did not miss

我抓起枪向蛇射击，这次没有打偏。

旁白 neutral

After this episode I decided to take my family to our farm at Woodlands

这之后，我决定带全家去树林地的农场。

旁白 neutral

The boys were soon bored, so I said they could go on an expedition without me

孩子们很快就觉得无聊了，于是我说他们可以自己去探险，不用我跟着。

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I wanted to encourage their independence

我想鼓励他们独立。

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" I'd rather stay here with you and Mother," said Ernest

“我宁可和你们还有妈妈留在这儿，”欧内斯特说。

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" Not me," said little Franz." I can't wait to go exploring!"

“我可不想，”小弗朗茨说，“我巴不得马上去探险！”

旁白 neutral

I would have preferred to keep Franz with us

我本想留弗朗茨和我们待在一起。

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But I had made the offer to all the boys, so I couldn't withdraw it

可我已经对孩子们都这样说了，不好收回这番话。

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In high spirits, the three boys rode off

三个男孩兴致勃勃地骑马离去。

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All day I wondered about their adventures

我整天都在猜想他们的冒险经历。

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At sunset they returned and joined us around the campfire

日落时分，他们归来，和我们一起围坐在篝火旁。

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" We had a splendid ride!" said Jack

“我们骑得很尽兴！”杰克说。

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" We went all the way through the Gap!" said little Franz

“我们一路穿过了峡谷！”小弗朗茨说。

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He was talking about a narrow pass we'd previously found through the rocky hills

他指的是我们之前在岩石丘陵中发现的一条狭窄通道。

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" They're forgetting the most important thing," Fritz said impatiently

“他们忘了最重要的事，”弗里茨不耐烦地说。

旁白 neutral

" We drove a herd of antelope right through the Gap!

“我们赶着一群羚羊穿过了峡谷！

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The antelope are in our territory now. All ready for us to hunt or tame."

羚羊现在到了我们的领地。随时可以捕猎或驯养。”

旁白 neutral

" That's wonderful," I said." But what's to keep them there, Fritz?"

“真了不起，”我说，“但怎么把它们留在这儿呢，弗里茨？”

旁白 neutral

" We strung a line across the pass — "

“我们在隘口拉了一根绳子——”

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" And hung feathers and rags from it," interrupted Franz

“上面挂了些羽毛和破布，”弗朗茨插嘴道。

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" Those things will dance in the wind and spook the antelope," explained Fritz

“那些东西在风中飘来飘去，会吓到羚羊，”弗里茨解释道。

旁白 neutral

" I'm sure the herd won't try to go through the Gap."

“我敢肯定，羊群不会再想穿过隘口了。”

旁白 neutral

" Well done," I said." Tomorrow I'd like to go out riding with you."

“干得好，”我说，“明天我想跟你们一起骑马出去。”

旁白 neutral

The next day we rode to the Gap. I helped the boys to build a fence of bamboo

第二天，我们骑马到了隘口。我帮孩子们用竹子搭了一道栅栏。

旁白 neutral

" That ought to keep the antelope on our side of the Gap," I said

“这应该能把羚羊留在隘口我们这一边，”我说。

旁白 neutral

We were on our way back to Woodlands when Jack and Franz decided to gallop ahead

我们正返回林地时，杰克和弗朗茨决定先策马跑前头。

旁白 neutral

Suddenly four ostriches rose up from where they'd been resting

突然，四只鸵鸟从它们休息的地方窜了起来。

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Jack brought down the large male ostrich with his lasso

杰克用他的套索把那只大公鸵鸟给套住了。

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We leaped from our steeds and tried to approach the captured bird

我们从马背上跳下来，试着靠近那只被捉住的鸟。

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He kicked and struggled so hard that I feared we'd have to let him go

它又踢又挣扎，我非常担心我们不得不放它走。

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" If only we could block out the light," said Fritz

“要是我们能挡住光线就好了，”弗里茨说。

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" Sometimes that calms birds — like putting a cover over a parrot's cage."

“有时候这样能让鸟安静——就像在鹦鹉笼子上盖块布。”

旁白 neutral

I threw my coat over the bird's head, and he stopped struggling

我把外套扔到那只鸟头上，它就停止挣扎了。

旁白 neutral

" How are we going to get him home?" asked Jack

“我们怎么把它带回家呢？”杰克问。

旁白 neutral

" I've heard it's possible to tame a wild elephant by making it walk between two tame elephants," I said

“我听说，让一头野象走在两头驯服的大象之间，就有可能驯服它，”我说。

旁白 neutral

" Maybe that would work here."

“也许这招在这儿也能行。”

旁白 neutral

" But, Father, we don't have any tame ostriches," said little Franz

“可是，爸爸，我们可没有驯服的鸵鸟呀，”小弗朗茨说。

旁白 neutral

" We have Storm and Grumble," Jack pointed out

“我们有风暴和嘀咕呀，”杰克指出。

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" I don't think they'll object to helping us."

“我觉得它们不会介意帮我们一把。”

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So we fastened the ostrich between the buffalo and the bull

于是我们把鸵鸟拴在了水牛和公牛之间。

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Franz and Jack mounted their steeds

弗朗茨和杰克跨上了他们的坐骑。

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I removed my coat from the ostrich's head

我把蒙在鸵鸟头上的外套拿了下来。

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For a few moments he lay perfectly still

起初有那么一小会儿，它躺在地上一动不动。

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Then he bounded up and tried to escape

接着它猛地跳起来，想要逃跑。

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But Storm and Grumble weren't about to let him do that

可暴风和牢骚哪能由着它乱来。

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We slowly walked our prisoner home

我们就这样慢慢地把这个“俘虏”往家领。

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As we approached, I could see the look of dismay on my wife's face

快到家时，我远远就看到了妻子脸上那无奈的神情。

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" See what we've got!" crowed little Franz." An ostrich!"

“看我们带回了什么！”小弗朗茨得意地喊道。“一只鸵鸟！”

旁白 neutral

" Another mouth to feed!" my wife exclaimed

“又多一张吃饭的嘴！”我妻子大声说道。

旁白 neutral

" You've brought home a useless pet!"

“你们带回来一个没用的宠物！”

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" He's not useless, Mother," protested Jack

“它可不是没用的，妈妈，”杰克辩解道。

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" You should see how fast he runs

“您真该看看它跑得有多快。

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He'll be the fastest animal in our stables. Just wait and see."

它会是咱们家畜里跑得最快的。您等着瞧吧。”

旁白 neutral

A month later the ostrich was completely tame. Jack named him Hurricane

一个月后，这只鸵鸟完全被驯服了。杰克给它起名叫“飓风”。

旁白 neutral

I made a saddle and a special bridle

我给它做了一副鞍子和一个特别的笼头。

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The reins were attached to flaps over the bird's eyes

缰绳连在遮住它眼睛的皮罩上。

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With both flaps open, the bird galloped straight ahead

两块皮罩都打开时，它就径直向前飞跑。

旁白 neutral

Cover his right eye and he turned left

遮住它的右眼，它就向左转。

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Cover his left eye and he turned right. Cover both eyes and he stopped

遮住左眼，它就向右转；把两只眼睛都遮上，它就停下了。

旁白 neutral

Jack took him out for a ride, and the bird galloped away

杰克骑着它出去跑了一圈，这鸟一路飞奔。

旁白 neutral

" Forget Hurricane," Jack said breathlessly when they returned

“别叫飓风了，”他们回来时，杰克上气不接下气地说。

旁白 neutral

" This bird's name should be Hurry."

“这只鸟的名字应该叫‘飞毛腿’。”