Chapter11 Indians in the House 印第安人进屋了-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《草原小屋Little House on the Prairie》上

Chapter1l lndians in theHouse EARLY one morning Pa took his gun and went hunting. He had meant to make the bedstead that day. He had brought in the slabs, when Ma said she had no meat for dinner. So he stood the slabs against the wall and took down his gun. Jack wanted to go hunting, too. His eyes begged Pa to take him, and whines^{①} came up from his chest②} and quivered③} in his throat^④till Laura almost cried with him, But Pa chained him to the stable. "No, Jack,"Pa said. "You must stay here and guard the place." Then he said to Mary and Laura,"Don't let him loose, girls." Poor Jack lay down. It was a disgrace{} to be chained, and he felt it deeply. He turned his head from Pa and would not watch him going away with the gun on his shoulder{}. Pa went farther and farther away, till the prairies swallowed^{}him and he was gone. Laura tried to comfort{} Jack, but he would not be comforted. The more he thought about the chain, the worse he felt. Laura tried to cheer him up{②to frisk and play, but he only grew more sullen^{} Both Mary and Laura felt that they could not leave Jack while he was so unhappy. So all that morning they stayed by the stable. They 156. 11 印第安人进屋了 一天清晨,爸爸带着枪出去打猎。 爸爸本来打算在那天做床架子,他已经把一块 块木板搬进屋子。可妈妈说午饭没有肉吃了,于 是,他把木板靠墙立好,从墙上摘下猎枪 杰克也想去打猎。它用月光乞求着要爸爸带它 ① whine /(h)wain/ n. 抱怨 一起去,它那发自胸腔的哀求声在喉咙里矶哩咕噜 ② chest /tfest/n. 胸 地响,惹得劳拉几乎要陪它一起哭。可是,爸爸没 ③quiver/kwIva/v. 颤 抖 理踩它,把它挫在了马既旁 ④ throat /raot/ n. 唯 咙 “不行,杰克,”爸爸说,“你必须留在这里看家。” disgrace /drs'grers/ 然后,他嘱咐玛丽和劳拉说:“姑娘们,不要放开它。” n.耻辱 shoulder /'foolda/ n 可怜的杰克只好躺下。让人用链子挫住是一种 肩膀 耻辱,它深深地感到这一点。它扭过头不去看爸 swallow /swploo v.吞下 爸,它不愿看到爸爸扛着枪离开的情景。爸爸越走 ⑧ comfort /kAmfat/ v. 安慰 越远,一直到他的身影被大草原所吞没,他走了。 ocheer up高兴起来 劳拉一心想安慰杰克,可是它却不能得到安慰。它 o sullen/sAlan/ a. 慌 怒的 越想着链子就越觉得伤心。为了让它高兴,劳拉想方设 法逗它跳逗它崩,但是它无动于衷,越发郁郁不乐了。 玛丽和劳拉都认为,杰克这么难过,她们不能离开 157 cittfe 3House on the Prairie stroked Jack's smooth, brindled head and scratched around his ears, and told him how sorry they were that he must be chained. He lapped their hands a little bit, but he was very sad and angry. His head was on Laura's knee^{} and she was talking to him, when suddenly he stood up and growled a fierce②, deep growl. The hair on his neck stood straight up and his eyes glared③} red Laura was frightened. Jack had never growled at her before. Then she looked over her shoulder, where Jack was looking, and she saw two naked④, wild men coming, one behind the other, on the Indian trail. "Mary! Look!" she cried. Mary looked and saw them, too. They were tall, thin, fierce-looking men. Their skin was brownish- red. Their heads seemed to go up to a peak, and the peak was a tuftof hair that stood straight up and ended in feathers. Their eyes were black and still and glittering, like snake's eyes. They came closer and closer. Then they went out of sight, on the other side of the house. Laura's head turned and so did Mary's,and they looked at the place where those terrible men would appear when they came past the house. "Indians!" Mary whispered. Laura was shivery; there was a queer feeling in her middle and the bones in her legs felt weak. She wanted to sit down. But she stood and looked and waited for those Indians to come out from beyond the house. The Indians did not do that. All this time Jack had been growling. Now he stopped growling and was lunging against the chain. His eyes were red and his lips curled{}back and all the hair on his back was bristling{}. He bounded and bounded, clear off the ground, trying to get loose from the chain. Laura was glad 158 草原小屋 它不管。因此,早晨她们一直呆在马既旁。她们抚摸杰 克那光滑的、有斑纹的头,在它的两只耳朵周围摩着 告诉它说,她们对它被链子全住感到非常遗憾。杰克辞 ① knee /ni:/ n. 膝盖 了舔她们的手,但仍然沉浸在悲伤和恼怒之中 ②fierce /fios/ a. 猛烈 的 杰克的头靠在劳拉膝上,劳拉正在对它说话 ③glare /glea/v: 发眩 忽然,杰克猛地站起来,发出一阵凶猛的咆哮。它 光 脖子上的毛竖了起来,两只眼睛放射出红光。 劳拉吓坏了。杰克从来没有对她这样叫过。于 ④naked /neikid/ a. 裸 是劳拉不禁转过头向杰克注视的地方望去,她看见 体的 有两个赤身露体的山野之人,一个跟着一个,从印 第安人踏出的小路上走来 “玛丽!快看!”她喊道。玛丽放眼望去,也看 到了那两个人。 tuft /tAft/n.头发一 络 那是两个又高又瘦,一脸凶相的冷峻汉子。他们 的皮肤是棕红色的,头顶上好像耸立着一座小山,那 小山是一络直挺挺的头发,上面插着几根羽毛。他们 的眼睛黜黑闪亮,瓷呆呆的,像蛇的眼睛一样。 他们越走越近,走到他们家房子的那边,就看 不见了。 劳拉转过头,玛丽也转过头,她们望着那两个 可怕的人经过房子后将要出现的地方。 shivery /frvory/ a. 寒 冷的 “印第安人!”玛丽低声惊呼道。劳拉直打哆嗦 心中有一种异样的感觉,两腿发软,直想坐下来。但 是,她强打精神站着,望着,等待着那两个印第安人 从房子那边出来。可是,印第安人没有出来 一直在狂吠的杰克这时不叫了,只是一个劲冲撞 curl /ka:l/v. 卷曲 着。它的眼睛红红的,嘴唇向上翻卷,背上的毛支枝 ⑧bristle /brisl/ v. 毛 发竖起 着。它上窜下跳,竭力想挣脱挫它的链子。劳拉心中 感到庆幸,幸亏有链子把它捡着和她呆在一起。 159· cittfe 3House on the Prairie that the chain kept him right there with her. "Jack's here," she whispered to Mary."Jack won't let them hurt us. We'll be safe if we stay close to Jack." "They are in the house," Mary whispered. "They are in the house with Ma and Carrie." Then Laura began to shake all over. She knew she must do something. She did not know what those Indians were doing to Ma and Baby Carrie. There was no sound at all from the house "Oh, what are they doing to Ma!" she screamed①, in a whisper “Oh, I don't know!" Mary whispered. "I'm going to let Jack loose," Laura whispered, hoarsely②. "Jack will kill them." “Pa said not to,"Mary answered. They were too scared to speak out loud. They put their heads together and watched the house and whispered. "He didn't know Indians would come,"Laura said. "He said not to let Jack loose."Mary was almost crying. Laura thought of little Baby Carrie and Ma, shut in the house with those Indians. She said, "I'm going in to help Ma!" She ran two steps, and walked a step, then she turned and flew back to Jack. She clutched him wildly and hung on to his strong, panting③ neck. Jack wouldn't let anything hurt her. "We mustn't leave Ma in there alone,"Mary whispered. She stood still and trembled. Mary never could move when she was frightened. Laura hid her face against Jack and held on to him tightly. Then she made her arms let go. Her hands balled^④} into fists and her eyes shut tight and she ran toward the house as fast as she could run. 160 草原小屋 “杰克在这儿,”劳拉悄悄地对玛丽说, “杰克 不会让他们伤害咱们。要是咱们和杰克挨得近点, 我们会平安无事的。” “可是他们在屋子里,”玛丽小声说, “他们在 屋子里和妈妈、卡里在一起呢。” 听了这话劳拉浑身发抖。她意识到自已必须去 干点什么。她不知道那两个印第安人正在对妈妈和 小卡里干什么。屋子里一点动静都没有。 “暖,他们在对妈妈干什么呢!”她焦急地小声 ① scream /skri:m/ v 尖叫 叫喊着。 “噢,我不知道!”玛丽低声说。 ② hoarsely /'ho:sl/ ad “我要放开杰克,”劳拉嘎声嘎气地说 “杰克 嘶哑地 会咬死他们。” “爸爸说不让放开杰克。”玛丽回答说。她们太 害怕了,不敢大声说话。两人把头凑在一起,盯着 房子,小声急辩。 “他不知道印第安人会来。”劳拉说。 “他说过不让放开杰克。”玛丽几乎是在哭了。 劳拉想着小卡里和妈妈,她们都在房子里,和那 两个印第安人在一起。她说:“我要去帮助妈妈!” 她跑了两步,放慢脚步走了一步,却又突然转 ③ pant /paent/v. 喘息 身向杰克飞奔过去。她鲁莽地抓住杰克,紧紧抱住 它那强壮的、喘吁吁的脖子。她深信,杰克不会让 任何东西伤害她。 “我们决不能把妈妈一个人留在那儿。”玛丽耳 语道。她一动不动地站在那儿,哆嗦着。玛丽一害 ④ball /bo:l/v. 把...... 怕,就动弹不了。 捏成球状 fist /fist/n. 拳头 劳拉把脸贴在杰克身上,紧紧地抱着它。 然后,她松开胳膊,握紧拳头,紧闭双眼,以 161. cittfe 3House on the Prairie She stumbled{①} and fell down and her eyes popped open. She was up again and running before she could think. Mary was close behind her. They came to the door. It was open, and they slipped② into the house without a sound. The naked wild men stood by the fireplace. Ma was bending over the fire, cooking something. Carrie clung to Ma's skirts with both hands and her head was hidden in the folds. Laura ran toward Ma, but just as she reached the hearth③ she smelled a horribly bad smell and she looked up at the Indians. Ouick as a flash, she ducked④}behind the long, narrow slab that leaned against the wall. The slab was just wide enough to cover both her eyes. If she held her head perfectly still and pressed her nose against the slab, she couldn't see the Indians. And she felt safer. But she couldn't help moving her head just a little, so that one eye peeped out and she could see the wild men. First she saw their leather moccasins. Then their stringy^{}, bare, red-brown legs, all the way up. Around their waists each of the Indians wore a leather thong{} and the furry{} skin of a small animal hung down in front. The fur was striped black and white, and now Laura knew wha made that smell. The skins were fresh skunk{} skins. A knife like Pa's hunting-knife, and a hatchet like Pa's hatchet, were stuck into each skunk skin. The Indians' ribs^{} made little ridges up their bare sides. Their arms were folded on their chests. At last Laura looked again at their faces, and she dodged^{} quickly behind the slab. Their faces were bold^{} and fierce and terrible. Their black eyes glittered. High on their foreheads and above their ears where hair grows, these wind^{}men had no hair. But on top of their heads a tuft of hair 162 草原小屋 ① stumble /'stAmbl/ y 最快的速度朝房子跑去。 绊倒 她绊了一个跟头摔倒了,眼睛才猛然睁开。她 没来得及想什么就爬起来继续跑。玛丽紧跟着她, ②slip /shp/v. 滑 她们跑到门口。门开着,她们悄悄地溜进了屋子。 那两个赤身露体的野人站在壁炉旁。妈妈弯着 腰在火上做吃的。卡里双手抓着妈妈的裙子,头藏 在裙褶里。 ③ hearth /ha:/n. 社台 劳拉向妈妈跑过去,但就在她跑到炉边的时候。 她闻到一股极难闻的气味,她抬头看了看印第安 人。像闪电似的,她急忙闪进靠墙的长而窄的木板 ④duck /dAk/v. 闪避 后面。 木板的宽度刚够遮住她的两只眼睛。 如果她把 头放正,鼻子顶在木板上,就看不见印第安人了。 这样她觉得比较安全。不过,她忍不住把头稍微移 peep /pi:p/n. 偷看 动了一点,这样偷偷露出一只眼晴往外看,就能看 见那两个野人了。 moccasin/mpkasin 开始,她看到了他们穿的鹿皮软鞋。再往上看, n.鹿皮鞋 stringy /strin/a. 纤 是肌肉发达、光溜溜的红棕色大腿。两个印第安人 维的 ⑧ thong/epn/n. 皮带 每人腰里系着一根皮带,前面挂着一种小动物的毛 furry /fa:rv/a. 毛皮 皮。毛皮上有黑白相间的条纹。这时,劳拉明白那 的 o skunk /skAnk/n. 臭 难闻的气味是从哪儿来的了。原来那皮子是臭雕鼠 融鼠 的生皮。 每个人腰间的臭融鼠皮里,都插着一把刀和一 把斧头,那刀像爸爸的猎刀,而斧头则像爸爸的短 rib/rib/n. 助青 柄斧头。 那两印第安人赤裸裸的两助微微隆起。 dodge /dpd3/ v. 避 他们的 开 bold/boold/ a. 大胆 双臂交叉在胸前。最后,劳拉又看了一眼他们的 的 脸,急忙躲到木板后面。 wind /wind.waind v.缠绕 他们的脸梭角分明,凶恶可怕。黑黝黜的眼睛 163· cittfe 3House on the Prairie stood straight up. It was wound around with string, and feathers were stuck in it. When Laura peeked out from behind the slab again, both Indians were looking straight at her. Her heart jumped into her throat and choked{①} her with its pounding. Two black eyes glittered down into her eyes. The Indian did not move, not one muscle②} of his face moved. Only his eyes shone and sparkled at her. Laura didn't move, either. She didn't even breathe. The Indian made two short, harsh③ sounds in his throat. The other Indian made one sound, like "Hah!" Laura hid her eyes behind the slab again. She heard Ma take the cover off the bake-oven. She heard the Indians squat④ down on the hearth. After a while she heard them eating Laura peeked, and hid, and peeked again, while the Indians ate the cornbread that Ma had baked. They ate every morsel of it, and even picked up the crumbs{} from the hearth. Ma stood and watched them and stroked Baby Carrie's head. Mary stood close behind Ma and held on to 164 草原小屋 闪闪发光。这两个野人头上没有蓄发,前额和耳朵 上面留了一络头发,但在头顶上一给头发直立着, 用细绳扎着,上边插着羽毛 ### 当劳拉又一次从木板后面窥视时,两个印第安 ① choke /t faok/ v. 室 人正直勾勾地看着她。劳拉的心一下提到嗓子眼儿 息 里,抨抨乱跳,堵得她喘不过气来。两只黑黜黝的 ②muscle /mAsl/ n.朋 眼睛正朝下对着她的眼睛闪光。一个印第安人一动 肉 不动,脸上毫无表情,只用火辣辣的目光盯着她。 劳拉也没有动,她几乎要窒息了。 ③harsh /ha:f/ a. 刺耳 一个印第安人的喉咙里发出两声短促刺耳的声 的 音。另一个附和了一声,像是说“哈!”劳拉又把 眼睛藏在木板后面 劳拉听到,妈妈揭开了烤炉盖,听到印第安人在 ④souat /skwpt/v. 壁炉边蹲下的声音,随后又听到他们吃东西的声音 劳拉偷偷地往外看一下,藏起来,再看一下,而 那两个印第安人都在吃妈妈烤的玉米面包。他们一片 morsel /mo:sal/ n 一片 接一片地吃,甚至把掉在炉边的面包屑都捡起来吃 crumb/krAm/n. 碎 屑 了。妈妈站在那儿,一边看他们吃,一边抚摸小卡里 .165·