书城童书义犬阿黄
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第7章

Two days later,I wanted Old Yeller to go stillmore. That was when the two bulls met at our cabinand had their big fight.

两天后,我更想把阿黄赶走了。

就在那一天两头公牛在我们木屋前相遇并且进行了一场恶斗。

We first heard the bulls while we were eatingour dinner of combread,roast meat,and watercressfrom below the spring. One bull came from the highrocks behind the cabin. We could hear his angrybellowing as he came down the hill.

开始听到公牛吼叫声的时候,我们正在吃午饭,吃玉米面包、烤肉以及从山泉下面捞出来的水田芥。

一头公牛从我们屋后高耸的岩石堆里走出来。我们能够听到它下山时发出的怒吼声。

“Tha t old bull’s re a dy to fight,”I told Mamaand Little Arliss.“He”s te lling a ll the oth e r bullshow big a nd fie rce he is .”

“那头公牛要打架了,”我对妈妈和阿里斯说。“它在告诉别的公牛它有多强壮,多厉害。”

Almost before I’d finished talking we heardthe second bull. His bellowing was just as loud. Hewas telling the first bull that he was the biggest andfiercest of all the bulls.

我的话音未落,我们又听到了第二头公牛的吼叫声。它的吼声和第一条公牛一样响。它在告诉第一头公牛,它才是所有公牛中最强壮、最厉害的。

We sat and ate and listened to them. We couldtell by the noise that they were getting nearer eachother and angrier every minute.

我 们坐在那儿,边吃边听。从它们发出的声音,我们可以听得出来它们彼此越挨越近,火气也越来越大了。

I always liked to see a fight between bulls orbears or wild hogs or almost any wild animals. Andnow I jumped up from the table and went to thedoor and stood listening. If the bulls met and starteda fight I was going to see it .

我一向喜欢看斗牛、斗熊、斗野猪,差不多所有野兽之间的搏斗我都爱看。所以我从桌边一跃而起,走到门口,站在那儿倾听着。如果两头公牛相遇而斗的话,我一定要看一看。

Years ago,Papa had cut all the trees fromround the cabin,and there were only two oaks leftto keep out the sun. That was so he could get agood shot at any Comanche or Apache coming toscalp us. Now I saw the first bull,right where Papahad once shot a Comanche off his horse. He was abig black bull,with one horn up and the otherdown. He was hitting the ground with his feet andbellowing all the time.

几年前,爸爸把屋子周围的树都砍了,只留下两棵橡树遮挡阳光。

他这样做的目的是为了能准确地射击前来剥我们头皮的科曼契或阿巴契人( Comanche 或Apache) 。现在我看到了第一头公牛,它就在爸爸有一回曾经开枪把一个科曼契人从马上打落下来的那块地方。这是一头黑色的大公牛,一只牛角往上翘,另一只则往下弯。它的蹄子在地上又蹬又踢,吼叫个不停。

The other bull was bellowing too,and comingcloser.

另一头公牛也在那儿吼叫,并且越走越近。

“Th e y’re going to fight h e re whe re we ca n a lls e e ,”I called to Mama and Little Ariss.

“它们马上就要在这儿,我们能看得清清楚楚的地方斗起来了,”我招呼着妈妈和小阿里斯。

There was a fence round our cabin. I ran outand sat on the top rail. Mama and Little Arlisscame and sat beside me.

我们木屋的周围有一道围栏。

我跑出去,坐在围栏顶上的那根横条上。妈妈和小阿里斯也来了,坐在我身旁。

Then,from the other side,came the second

这时候,第二头公牛也从另一

bull. He was red. He wasn”t so big,but both hishorns went up. He wanted to fight just as much asthe first bull.

边走来了。它是红色的,个头并不太大,可是它的两只角都往上翘着。

象第一头公牛那样,它也很想厮杀一番。

At about that time,from somewhere behind thecabin,came Old Yeller. He was making almost asmuch noise as the bulls. He’d come out to getthem away from the cabin.

大约就在这个时候,阿黄从屋子后面的不知什么地方钻了出来。

它的叫声几乎和那两头公牛一样响。它来的目的是要把这两头牛从屋子旁边赶走。

I shouted at him.“Ge t ba c k the re ,”shouted.

“We wa nt to s e e the fight.”

我对它大声叱喝。“回去,”我喊道,“我们要看它们搏斗。”

That stopped him. But he wasn’t happy and hewent on barking. So I jumped down and picked upa stone. I didn’t even have to throw it. He ran offround the side of the Cabin,yelling as if I’d murderedhim.

这才算把它给喝住了。但它心中闷闷不乐,一直在那儿吠叫。因此我跳了下来,捡起一块石子。还没有等我扔出去,它已经绕过屋子逃走了,一路上汪汪地乱吠,好象我杀了它一样。

That started Little Arliss screaming at me. Hetried to get down so that he could pick up a stone.

这使得小阿里斯对我尖声地喊叫起来了。他想跳下来捡石子。

But Mama held him.“Quie t,now,Arlis s ,”shesaid,“Tra vis isn”t going to hurt your dog. He jus tdoe s n’t wa nt him to frighte n off the bulls .”

可是妈妈把他按住了。“安静点儿,阿里斯,”她说,“特拉维斯不会伤害你那只狗的。他只是不让它把公牛给吓跑了。”

Little Arliss was quiet in the end,and I got onthe fence again. I told Mama that I backed Blacky.

She said she backed Reddy because he had twofighting horns. We sat there and watched the bullsget ready to fight. We talked and we laughed,and小阿里斯总算平静下来了。我重新坐到围栏上去。我对妈妈说我支持黑牛。她说她支持红牛,因为它有一对好斗的牛角。我们坐在那儿,看着两头牛准备拼杀。我们谈never once did we think we were in any danger.

着,笑着,压根儿没有想到我们会有什么危险。

All at once Blacky charged. And Reddy chargedto meet him. I let out a yell. The two bulls met headon,with a loud banging of horns. I could feel the bangup there on the fence. Reddy went down. I let out antheryell,thinking Blacky was winning.

黑牛突然发动了攻击。红牛也冲上去迎战。我大叫一声。在一阵呼呼作响的牛角撞击声中,两条牛头顶头地斗开了。我坐在围栏上都能感到这种撞击。红牛倒下去了。

我又大喝一声,以为黑牛要获胜了。

A second later,though,Reddy was back on hisfeet and charging. He went at Blacky fast and hard.

And then there they were,both of them,comingstraight for our fence.

但是,一刹间,红牛又站起来向黑牛冲去。它迅猛地扑向黑牛。就这样,两条牛都朝我们的围栏直冲过来。

“Look out!”Mama shouted,and jumped downwith Little Arliss.

“当心!”妈妈叫着,和小阿里斯一起跳了下来。

But I was watching the fight too hard to see thedanger in time. I was still sitting on the fence whenthe bulls crashed through it,and down I came,withthe fence,almost under their feet .

可是我看得聚精会神,以致没能及时发现这一危险。当这两条牛撞倒并越过围栏时,我还坐在上面。

我和围栏同时倒了下来,差不多就跌倒在它们的蹄子底下。