Chapter17 Pa Goes to Town 爸爸进城去了-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《草原小屋Little House on the Prairie》下

Chapter17 Pa Goes to Town BEFORE dawn, Pa went away. When Laura and Mary woke, he was gone and everything was empty and lonely. It was not as though Pa had only gone hunting. He was going to town, and he would not be back for four long days. Bunny had been shut in the stable, so she couldn't follow her mother. The trip was too long for a colt. Bunny whinnied{lonesomely② Laure and Mary stayed in the house with Ma. Outdoors was too large and empty to play in when Pa was away. Jack was uneasy, too, and watchful{. At noon Laura went with Ma to water Bunny and to move the cow's picket{-pin} to fresh grass. The cow was quite gentle now. She followed where Ma led, and she would even let Ma milk her. At milking-time Ma was putting on her bonnet, when suddenly all Jack's hair stood up stiff on his neck and back, and he rushed out of the house. They heard a yell{} and a scramble^{} and a shout: "Call off{③} your dog! Call off your dog!" Mr. Edwards was on top of the woodpile, and Jack was climbing up after him. 248 17 爸爸进城去了 黎明前,爸爸出发了。劳拉和玛丽醒来时,他 已经走了,屋子里显得空荡荡、冷清清的。这次不 像平时爸爸只是出去打猎。他是进城去,4天以后 才能回来。 邦尼被关在马既里,它不能跟随母马一起去 ①whine /(h)wan/v. 哭诉,发牢骚 这次行程对一个小马狗来说太长了。它凄凉地嘶叫 ② lonesomely ad. 孤独 着。劳拉和玛丽跟妈妈呆在屋子里。爸爸不在家 地 连门外的院落也好像变大了,玩起来空落落的。杰 克也总是局促不安,非常警惕。 ③ watcbful /wpt ffol a.注意的,警惕的 到了中午,劳拉跟妈妈去给邦尼饮水,把铨母牛 ④ picket /pikit/n. 尖 木桩 的桩子移到新鲜的草地上。母牛现在很温顺。妈妈把 pin/pn/n.挫 它牵到哪儿,它就跟到哪儿,甚至让妈妈挤它的奶。 妈妈戴着无边帽正在挤奶,突然,只见杰克脖 子和背上的毛直挺挺地立了起来,它“呼”地一下 yell/jel/n..大叫 scramble /skraembl 冲出房子。她们听到一声呼叫,一阵扑腾的声音 n.攀缘,争取 接着是大声的叫喊:“快叫住你们的狗!快叫住你 call off 叫走 们的狗!” 爱德华兹先生躲在木头堆顶上,杰克追着他爬 ·249· cittfe 3House on the Prairie "He's got me treed^{①,"Mr. Edwards said, backing along the top of the woodpile. Ma could hardly make Jack come away. Jack grinned savagely② and his eyes were red. He had to let Mr. Edwards come down from the woodpile, but he watched him every minute. Ma said, "I declare③, he seems to know that Mr. Ingalls isn't here." Mr. Edwards said that dogs knew more than most folks gave them credit for. On his way to town that morning, Pa had stopped at Mr. Edwards' house and asked him to come over every day to see that everything was all right. And Mr. Edwards was such a good neighbor that he had come at chore④-time, to do the chores for Ma. But Jack had made up his mind not to let anyone but Ma go near the cow or Bunny while Pa was gone. He had to be shut in the house while Mr. Edwards did the chores. When Mr. Edwards went away he said to Ma, "Keep that dog in the house tonight, and you'll be safe enough." The dark crept slowly all around the house. The wind cried mournfully} and owls said, "Who-oo? Oo-oo." A wolf howled, and Jack growled low in his throat. Mary and Laura sat close to Ma in the firelight. They knew they were safe in the house, because Jack was there and Ma had pulled the latch-string in. Next day was empty like the first. Jack paced around the stable and around the house, then around the stable and back to the house. He would not pay any attention to Laura. That afternoon Mrs. Scott came to visit with Ma. While they visited, Laura and Mary sat politely, as still as mice. Mrs. Scott admired the new rocking-chair. The more she rocked in it, the more she enjoyed it, and she said how neat and comfortable and pretty the 250 草原小屋 ①tree/tri:/v. 把(人、 了上去。 兽等)追赶上树:使 人走投无路 “它逼得我走投无路了。”爱德华兹先生躲到木 ② savagely /saevid3l 头堆顶的背面说。妈妈好不容易才把杰克赶开。杰 ad. 野蛮地,残酷地 克恶狠狠地龄牙咧嘴,两眼发幻。它只好让爱德华 兹先生从木堆上走下来,但眼睛却紧紧盯着他,一 ③declare /dr'klea/v 宣 布,声明 刻也不放松 妈妈说; “怪了,它好像知道英格尔斯先生不 在家。” 爱德华兹先生说,狗通人性,比人们想象的还 懂事。 那天早晨,爸爸在进城的路上,顺便在爱德华 兹先生的家门口停下来,请求他每天到家里来关照 ④chore/tfo:/n. 零工 关照。爱德华兹先生真是个好邻居,到做杂活的时 间他就来了,帮妈妈做些零活。可自从爸爸走了以 后,除了妈妈以外,杰克决不让任何人接近母牛和 邦尼。因此,爱德华兹先生来干活时,只好把杰克 关在房子里。 爱德华兹先生走的时候对妈妈说 “晚上把狗 mournfully 关在屋子里,你们就万无一失了。” /mo:nfol/ad.悲哀 地 夜色不知不觉慢慢笼罩了房子。风在悲伤地哭 泣,猫头鹰叫道:“呼--哦?呼-哦。”一只 狼在嚎叫。杰克低沉地响吟着。玛丽和劳拉依偎着 妈妈坐在炉火旁。她们知道在屋里是安全的,因为 杰克在屋里,而且妈妈把门问绳拉进来门上了门。 第二天还像前一天一样,家里空落落的。杰克围 着马既转一圈,围着房子转一圈,然后再到马既那边 mice /mais/n. 老鼠 (复数) 转转,再回到房子这边。它一点都不注意劳拉。 那天下午,斯科特太太来看妈妈。她和妈妈聊 天的时候,劳拉和玛丽有礼貌地坐着,和小耗子一 251 Cittfe 3House on the Prairie house was. She said she hoped to goodness they would have no trouble with Indians. Mr. Scott had heard rumors^{} of trouble. She said, "Land knows, they'd never do anything with this country themselves. All they do is roam②} around over it like wild animals. Treaties③} or no treaties, the land belongs to folks that'll farm it. That's only common sense and justice^{." She did not know why the government made treaties with Indians. The only good Indian was a dead Indian. The very thought of Indians made her blood run cold. She said, "I can't forget the Minnesota massacre}. My Pa and my brothers went out with the rest of the settlers, and stopped them only fifteen miles west of us. I've heard Pa tell often enough how they-” Ma made a sharp sound in her throat, and Mrs. Scott stopped. Whatever a massacre was, it was something that grown-ups would not talk about when little girls were listening. After Mrs. Scott had gone, Laura asked Ma what a massacre was. Ma said she could not explain that now; it was something that Laura would understand when she was older. Mr. Edwards came to do the chores again that evening, and again Jack treed him on the woodpile. Ma had to drag him off. She told Mr. Ed- wards she couldn't think what had got into that dog. Maybe it was the wind that upset^{}him. The wind had a strange, wild^{③} howl{} in it, and itwent through Laura's clothes as if the clothes weren't there. Her teeth and Mary's teeth chattered^{} while they carried many armfuls of wood into the house. That night they thought of Pa, in Independence. If nothing had delayed him, he would be camping{} there now, near the houses and the 252 草原小屋 样安静。斯科特太太很欣赏那把新摇椅。她坐在椅 子里面摇啊摇啊,越摇越喜欢,她晴晴称赞屋子整 ①umor /ru:mo/ n. 谣 言,传闻 洁、舒适又漂亮。 她说,但愿大家和印第安人之间不发生什么纠 ② roam /room/v. 漫 纷。斯科特先生听到一些这方面的传闻。她说: 游,闲逛,徜徉 “天知道,他们从来不为这个地方干什么事情。他 ③ treaty/tri:t/n 条 约,协定 们完全像野兽一样四处游逛。不管有没有条约,土 ④ justice /d3Ast1s/ n. 司法,正义,公正 地属于耕耘的人。这是起码的常识和公道。” Minnesota 她不明白政府为什么和印第安人签订条约。只 /mnr'souto/ n. 明尼 苏达(美国州名) 有死了的印第安人才是好印第安人。一想起印第安 massacre /maesaka n.大曙杀 人她就心寒胆战。她说:“我忘不了那次明尼苏达 大屠杀。我爸爸和我的兄弟们跟其他移民一起出 去,在离我们家西边15英里的地方才把印第安人 挡住。我经常听我爸爸讲起,他们怎样.....” 妈妈嗓门儿上“哮”了一声,斯科特太太这才 打住。关于大屠杀之类的话,不管情况如何,有小 姑娘在场,大人最好不要谈论。 斯科特太太走了以后,劳拉问妈妈,什么是大 屠杀。妈妈说她现在解释不清楚,等劳拉长大了自 然会明白的。 那天晚上,爱德华兹先生又来做杂活,杰克又 把他逼上木头堆。妈妈只好把它拉开。她对爱德华 兹先生说,不知道狗为什么会变成这个样子,也许 upset /Ap'set/ v: 使 心烦意乱,使不舒服 是风吹得它烦躁不安 wild /watld/a. 野 的,野生的,原始的 风发出一种奇怪的、野蛮的嚎叫,它吹透了劳拉 howl /haol/ n. 吠声. 的衣服,就好像她身上没穿衣服似的。劳拉和玛丽一 号叫 ochatter /tfaeta/v 卡 抱一抱地把木柴抱进屋子,冻得两人牙齿直打战 搭作响 那天晚上,她们想到了在独立镇的爸爸。如果 camp/kaemp/v. 露 营,扎营 没有什么耽搁的话,他现在正在人家的房子附近宿 Cittfe 3House on the Prairie people. Tomorrow he would be in the store, buying things. Then, if he could get an early start, he could come part way home and camp on the prairie tomorrow night. And the next night he might come home. In the morning the wind was blowing^{}fiercely and it was so cold that Ma kept the door shut. Laura and Mary stayed by the fire and listened to the wind, screaming around the house and howling in the chimney. That afternoon they wondered if Pa was leaving Independence and coming toward them, against that wind. Then, when it was dark, they wondered where he was camping. The wind was bitterly cold. It came even into the snug house and made their backs shiver while their faces roasted in the heat of the fire. Somewhere on the big, dark, lonesome prairie Pa was camping in that wind The next day was very long. They could not expect Pa in the morning, but they were waiting till they could expect him. In the afternoon they began to watch the creek road. Jack was watching it, too He whined to go out, and he went all around the stable and the house, stopping to look toward the creek bottoms and show his teeth. The wind almost blew him off his feet When he came in he would not lie down. He walked about, and worried. The hair rose on his neck, and flattened{②}, and rose again. He tried to look out of the window, and then whined at the door. But when Ma opened it, he changed his mind and would not go out. "Jack's afraid of something,"Mary said "Jack's not afraid of anything, ever!" Laura contradicted③. "Laura, Laura,"Ma said."It isn't nice to contradict." In a minute Jack decided to go out. He went to see that the cow and calf and Bunny were safe in the stable. And Laura wanted to tell Mary, “I told you so!" She didn't, but she wanted to. 254 草原小屋。 营。明天就可以到市场上去买东西。然后,假如能 早点动身,就可以赶一段回家的路程,明晚宿营在 草原上。这样,后天晚上他就可以到家了。 ①blow off wr. 吹走 到了早晨,风刮得更凶了,天冷得出奇,妈妈 一直关着门。劳拉和玛丽坐在炉火旁边,听见风在 房子周围呜呜乱叫,在烟肉里呼呼响。那天下午, 她们又说起爸爸,不知爸爸是不是离开了独立镇 顶着大风往回赶呢 天黑了,她们想到爸爸不知在哪儿宿营。寒风 凛冽,甚至吹进暖和的屋子里,她们脸对着炉火烧 着,背上却冷得打哆嗦。而爸爸正在那无边无际。 荒凉漆黑的大草原上,风餐露宿 第二天的日子特别长。她们知道爸爸早晨回不 来,但一直等待着,盼望他能回来。下午,她们便 开始向河边低地的大路张望。杰克也在朝那里张 望。它叫着跑出去,在马既和房子周围转了一圈, 停下来,着牙朝河边低地望着。狂风吹来,几乎 把它吹走。 它回到屋里也不想躺下。它来回来去地走着, ②flatten /flaetn/v. 变 显得烦躁不安。脖子上的毛一会儿竖起,一会儿倒 平 下,一会儿又竖起来。它试图从窗户上往外看,接 着又在门口汪汪叫。可是,妈妈把门打开时,它又 改变了主意,不想出去了 “杰克好像害怕什么东西。”玛丽说。 ③contradic /kpntro'dkt/v. 反 “杰克从来就不害怕!”劳拉反驳玛丽。 驳:否认 “劳拉,劳拉,不能那么顶撞姐姐。”妈妈说。 过了一会儿,杰克决定出去。它去看马既里的母 牛、牛犊和邦尼是不是安全。劳拉想告诉玛丽,“我 255 cittfe 3House on the Prairie At chore-time Ma kept Jack in the house so he could not tree Mr. Edwards on the woodpile. Pa had not come yet. The wind blew Mr. Edwards in through the door. He was breathless^①}, and stiff^{②} with cold. He warmed himself by the fire before he did the chores, and when he had done them he sat down to warm himself again He told Ma that Indians were camping in the shelter③ of the bluffs④. He had Seen the smoke from their fires when he crossed the bottoms. He asked Ma if she had a gun Ma said she had Pa's pistol, and Mr. Edwards said, "I reckon they'll stay close in camp, a night like this." "Yes,"Ma said. Mr. Edwards said he could make himself right comfortable with hay in the stable, and he would spend the night there if Ma said so. Ma thanked him nicely, but said she would not put him to that trouble. They would be safe enough with Jack. "I am expecting Mr. Ingalls any minute now," she told him. So Mr. Edwards put on his coat and cap and muffler} and mittens^{} and picked up his gun. He said he didn't guess that anything would bother{} her, anyWay. "No,"Ma said. When she shut the door behind him, shepulled the latch-string {in, though darkness had not yet come. Laura and Mary could see the creek road plainly{, and they watched it until the dark hid it. Then Ma closed and barred the wooden window shutter. Pa had not come. They ate supper. They washed the dishes and swept the hearth, and still he had not come. Out in the dark where he was, the wind shrieked and wailed and howled. It rattled the door-latch and shook the shutters. It screamed down the chimney and the fire roared and flared^{}. 256· 草原小屋 说的没错吧!”她没有说出口,但心里想这么说。 到了干杂活的时间,妈妈把杰克关在屋子里, ①breathless /breels/ 不让它再把爱德华兹先生追到木头堆上去。爸爸还 a. 气喘吁吁的 ②stiff /stif/ a. 坚硬的 没有回来。风把爱德华兹先生吹进门来。他气喘吁 吁的,都冻僵了。干零活前,他在炉火边烤了烤, ③ shelter /felta/n. 庇 干完以后,他又坐下来烤了烤。 护所,避难所 ④bluff/blAf/ n. 断崖 他告诉妈妈,印第安人在沟崖的遮风处宿营 绝壁 他路过河边低地的时候,看到他们烧火冒的烟。他 问妈妈有没有枪。 reckon/rekon/ v 计 算 妈妈说,她有爸爸的手枪,爱德华兹先生说 “像今天这样的天气,我估计他们晚上会呆在营盘 里。” “对。”妈妈说。 爱德华兹先生说,如果妈妈觉得需要的话,他 可以在马既里铺好干草,在那儿舒舒服服地过一 夜。妈妈感谢他的好意,不过,她说,不这么麻烦 muffler /mAflo/ n 他了。她们和杰克在一起不会有什么问题。 围中 mitten /mitn/ n. 连 “我想英格尔斯先生可能快回来了。”她对他说。 指手套,露指手套 听了妈妈的话,爱德华兹先生穿上大衣,戴上帽 ⑧bother/bpos/ v. 烦 扰 子,围上围巾,戴好连指手套,拿起他的枪。 他 说,他估计不会有什么事难为她 “不会的。”妈妈说。 他出去以后,妈妈关上门,尽管天还没有黑 plainly /pleinli/ ad 她就把门问绳拉了进来。这时,劳拉和玛丽还能清 平坦地,明白地 清楚楚地看见通往河边低地的大路,她们一直望着 大路,直到暮色隐没了它。这时妈妈关上百叶窗, 门上窗门。爸爸还没有回来。 她们吃晚饭。刷洗盘子,打扫炉床,他仍然没回 flare /flea/v.闪光. 闪耀 来。他身处户外,在漆黑的夜里,风在呼啸,在悲 257