Chapter25 Soldiers 士兵-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《草原小屋Little House on the Prairie》下

Chapter 25 Soldiers AFTER the Indians had gone,a great peace settled on the prairie. And one morning the whole land was green. “When did that grass grow?”Ma asked,in amazement.“I thought the whole country was black,and now there's nothing but green grass as far as the eye can see.” The whole sky was filled with lines of wild ducks and wild geese flying north.Crows cawed above the trees along the creek.The winds whispered in the new grass,bringing scents of earth and of growing things. In the mornings the meadow larks5 rose singing into the sky.All day the curlews and killdeers and sandpipers chirped and sang in the creek bottoms.Often in the early evening the mockingbirds were singing. One night Pa and Mary and Laura sat still on the doorstep, watching little rabbits playing in the grass in the starlight.Three rabbit mothers hopped about with lopping ears and watched their little rabbits playing,too. In the daytime everyone was busy.Pa hurried with his plowing,and ·366· 25 士兵 印第安人走了以后，草原上出现了异乎寻常的 和平景象。一天上午，整个大地变得一片绿色。 D amazement “草是什么时候长出来的？”妈妈惊奇地问， /a'me1 zmant/.n惊 愕，惊异 “我原以为整个地区都是黑糊糊的，现在，极目所 至，除了绿草以外，别无他物。” ②caw/k3:/g乌鸦叫 整个天空上一群群野鸭、大雁正在飞往北方。 (声) ③scent/sent/h.气味 乌鸦在沿河的树上呱呱乱叫。风在新长出来的草丛 ④neadow/'medau/n. 草地，牧场 中低声细语，带来了土地和新生植物的阵阵香气。 5lark1a:k/n.云雀 早上，野百灵唱着歌儿飞向天空。鹬，喧鸻和 6curlew"k3lu:/n.麻 鹬 鹬整天在河边低地啁啾着，歌唱着。嘲鸫经常在傍 ⑦killdeer/'kildia/n. 动/喧口（小水鸟的 晚唱歌。 一种，产于北美) ·天晚上，爸爸和玛丽、劳拉静静地坐在门前 8 sandpiper /'saendpaipa(r/n. 的石阶上，看着小兔子在星光下的草丛中嬉戏玩 矶鹞 ⑨chirp /tf3ply.吱喳 耍。3只兔妈妈垂着耳朵，在那儿跳来跳去，也在 而鸣 看着它们的小兔子嬉戏玩耍。 10 mockingbird mpkinb3:dn.模 白天，每个人都很忙。爸爸抓紧时光耕地，玛 仿鸟 lopping.摇摇晃晃 丽和劳拉帮助妈妈播种早茬蔬菜。妈妈用锄头在翻 ·367· Little House on the Prairie Mary and Laura helped Ma plant the early garden seeds.With the hoe Ma dug small holes in the matted grass roots that the plow had turned up,and Laura and Mary carefully dropped the seeds.Then Ma covered them snugly with earth.They planted onions and carrots and peas and beans and turnips.And they were all so happy because spring had come, and pretty soon they would have vegetables to eat.They were growing very tired of just bread and meat. One evening Pa came from the field before sunset and he helped Ma set out the cabbage plants and the sweet-potato plants.Ma had sowed the cabbage seed in a flat box and kept it in the house.She watered it carefully,and carried it every day from the morning sunshine to the afternoon sunshine that came through the windows.And she had saved one of the Christmas sweet potatoes,and planted it in another box.The cabbage seeds were now little gray-green plants,and the sweet potato had sent up a stem5 and green leaves from every one of its eyes. Pa and Ma took each tiny plant very carefully and settled its roots comfortably in holes made for them.They watered the roots and pressed earth upon them firmly.It was dark before the last plant was in its place,and Pa and Ma were tired.But they were glad,too,because this year they'd have cabbages and sweet potatoes. Every day they all looked at that garden.It was rough and grassy because it was made in the prairie sod,but all the tiny plants were growing.Little crumpled leaves of peas came up,and tiny spears0 of onions.The beans themselves popped out of the ground.But it was a little yellow bean stem,coiled like a spring,that pushed them up.Then the bean was cracked open and dropped by two baby bean-leaves,and the leaves unfolded flat to the sunshine. Pretty soon they would all begin to live like kings. Every morning Pa went cheerfully whistling to the field.He had ·368· 草原小屋【 ①hoe /hau/n.锄头 过的草根盘结的土地上挖出一个个小坑，劳拉和玛 ②matted /maetid/a. 纠缠的 丽小心翼翼地下种，然后妈妈用土把种子舒舒服服 ③onion∥njan/n.洋 地盖好。他们种了洋葱、胡萝卜、豌豆、蚕豆和芜 葱 ④carrot/'kaerat/n.胡 菁甘蓝。他们都很高兴，因为春天已经来到，很快 萝卜 他们就会有蔬菜吃了。他们对于只吃面包和肉类感 到很腻味了。 一天晚上，爸爸在日落之前从地里回来，他帮 助妈妈移栽卷心菜和白薯。妈妈早几天已把卷心菜 种子播在一个平底箱子里，放在屋里。她精心地给 它浇水，每天从早上日出到晚上日落把它放在窗口 射进来的阳光下。她分出一个供圣诞节用的白薯， 种在另一个箱子里。卷心菜种现在已长成小小的灰 绿色菜芽了，而薯种则从一棵棵芽眼里长出了嫩茎 和片片绿叶。 5stem/stem/n.,干 爸爸和妈妈非常小心地挖出每一棵嫩秧，把秧根 妥善地移到为它们挖好的坑里。他们给秧浇上水，然 press/pres/.按，压 后在秧根上结结实实地压上土。在最后一棵菜秧栽好 firmly /'f3:mli/ad. 牢牢地 时天已黑了，爸爸和妈妈都累了。但是他们却很高 兴，因为今年他们就能吃上卷心菜和白薯了。 每天他们都要看看那个菜园。菜园是在草原上 8 rough /rAf/a.粗糙 刚刚开出的，所以土壤粗糙多草，但是所有的小苗 的 ⑨crumpled a.弯扭的 都在成长。弯曲的小豌豆叶出土了，还有小小的洋 (变皱的) 葱嫩茎也出来了。蚕豆从地下破土而出，但是把它 0 spear/spIa/h.矛 们推上去的是盘绕得像弹簧一样的嫩小黄色蚕豆 茎。接着蚕豆裂开来，抖出两片子叶，继而生出蚕 ①coil /koil/盘绕，卷 豆新叶，冲着阳光平展展地伸开。 22 unfold /An'fauld/v. 很快地，他们就要开始过国王一样的日子了。 展开 每天早晨，爸爸都高高兴兴地吹着口哨下地。 他曾在生草地上种了一些早熟土豆；留下一些以后 ·369· Little House on the Prairie planted some early sod potatoes,and some potatoes were saved to plant later.Now he carried a sack of corn fastened to his belt,and as he plowed he threw grains of corn into the furrow beside the plow's point. The plow turned over a strip of sod on top of the seed corn.But the corn would fight its way up through the matted roots,and there would be a corn-field. There would be green corn for dinner some day.And next winter there would be ripe corn for Pet and Patty to eat. One morning Mary and Laura were washing the dishes and Ma was making the beds.She was humming softly to herself and Laura and Mary were talking about the garden.Laura liked peas best,and Mary liked beans.Suddenly they heard Pa's voice,loud and angry. Ma went quickly to the door,and Laura and Mary peeped out on either side of her. Pa was driving Pet and Patty from the field,dragging the plow behind them.Mr.Scott and Mr.Edwards were with Pa,and Mr.Scott was talking earnestly “No,Scott!”Pa answered him.“T''ll not stay here to be taken away by the soldiers like an outlaw5!If some blasted politicians in Washington hadn't sent out word it would be all right to settle here,I'd never have been three miles over the line into Indian Territory.But I'll not wait for the soldiers to take us out.We're going now!" "What is the matter,Charles?Where are we going?"Ma asked. "Durned if I know!But we're going.We're leaving here!"Pa said."Scott and Edwards say the government is sending soldiers to take all us settlers out of Indian Territory." His face was very red and his eyes were like blue fire.Laura was frightened;she had never seen Pa look like that.She pressed close against Ma and was still,looking at Pa. 370· 草原小屋【 种。现在他用背带背着一袋玉米，一边犁地，一边 ①fasten/fa:snlg.拴 将玉米种子撒入犁头旁边的犁沟。犁把一道土壤翻 紧 在玉米种子上面。但是，玉米将从盘结的草根中杀 出一条向上生长的路，于是就有了一块玉米地。 总有一天，午餐就会有嫩玉米吃了。第二年冬 天就会有足够的成熟谷物喂皮特和帕蒂了。 一天早晨，玛丽和劳拉正在洗盘子，妈妈在收 拾床铺。妈妈独自轻轻地哼着曲子，劳拉和玛丽谈 论着菜园，劳拉最喜欢豌豆，玛丽喜欢蚕豆。突 2 hum /hAm/g.闭▣ 哼歌 然，她们听到爸爸的声音，声音很大而且愤怒。 妈妈急忙走到门口，劳拉和玛丽在妈妈的两旁 向外窥视。 ③peep/pi:pl.瞥见， 偷看 爸爸正在把皮特和帕蒂从地里赶出来，它们后 面拖着型。斯科特先生和爱德华兹先生正和爸爸在 一起，斯科特先生正在认真地说话。 “不，斯科特！”爸爸回答他，“我不会呆在这 ④earnestly/'3:nistl/ 儿像逃犯一样被士兵赶走！如果华盛顿的一些该死 ad.认真地（真实地】 的政客没有发出命令，说在这儿定居完全合法，我 ⑤outlaw/autlo:/n. 被剥夺法律保护的 绝不会进入印第安领土界线3英里的地方。但是， 人，罪犯 我也不想坐等士兵来把我们赶走。我们现在就走！” “出了什么事儿啦，查尔斯！我们要去哪儿？” 妈妈问他。 odum/d3:nlk责难， “我也不知道，该死的！但是我们就要走。我们 毁谤，贬责 要离开这儿！”爸爸愤怒地说，“斯科特和爱德华 兹说，政府要派军队来把我们所有这些定居者赶出 印第安领土。” 他的脸涨得通红，他的眼睛像蓝色的火焰。劳 拉很害怕，她从来没见过爸爸这个样子。她紧紧地 ·371· Little House on the Prairie Mr.Scott started to speak,but Pa stopped him."Save your breath, Scott.It's no use to say another word.You can stay till the soldiers come if you want to.I'm going out now." Mr.Edwards said he was going,too.He would not stay to be driven across the line like an ornery yellow hound2. "Ride out to Independence with us,Edwards,"Pa said.But Mr. Edwards answered that he didn't care to go north.He would make a boat and go on down the river to some settlement farther south. “Better come out with us,”Pa urged3him,“and go down on foot through Missouri.It's a risky trip,one man alone in a boat,going down the Verdigrisamong the wild Indian tribes." But Mr.Edwards said he had already seen Missouri and he had plenty of powder5 and lead. Then Pa told Mr.Scott to take the cow and calf."We can't take them with us,"Pa said."You've been a good neighbor,Scott,and I'm sorry to leave you.But we're going out in the morning." Laura had heard all this,but she had not believed it until she saw Mr.Scott leading away the cow.The gentle cow went meekly away with the rope around her long horns,and the calf frisked and jumped behind.There went all the milk and butter. Mr.Edwards said he would be too busy to see them again.He shook hands with Pa,saying,"Good-by,Ingalls,and good luck."He shook hands with Ma and said,"Good-by,ma'am.I won't be seeing you all again,but I sure will never forget your kindness. Then he turned to Mary and Laura,and he shook their hands as if they were grown up.“Good-by,”he said. Mary said,politely,"Good-by,Mr.Edwards."But Laura forgot to be polite.She said:"Oh,Mr.Edwards,I wish you wouldn't go away! Oh,Mr.Edwards,thank you,thank you for going all the way to 372· 草原小屋 依偎着妈妈，一动不动地看着爸爸。 斯科特先生正要说话，但爸爸打断了他。“不 必说了，斯科特。再讲也没有用了。如果你愿意， 你可以呆在这儿等士兵来。我现在就走。” ①omery"b:n3rla.下 等的，低劣的 爱德华兹先生说他也要走。他不愿像一个卑鄙 hound/haond/.n.猎 小人那样被赶出领土分界线。 犬 “跟我们一起到独立镇去，爱德华兹。”爸爸对 他说。但是爱德华兹先生回答说他不想往北走。他 3urge/3:d3/.力劝 将做一条船，沿河向下到更南边的某个定居点去。 ④Verdigris “最好和我们一起走，”爸爸敦促他说，“步行 "v3:digris/n.维地 格里斯河 穿过密苏里。独自一人驾船，在印第安野人部落之 间顺着危地格里斯河向下走是一次冒险的旅行。” 但是爱德华兹先生说，他已经看到过密苏里， 5 powder"pauda/n火 药 而且他有充足的火药和铅。 于是，爸爸让斯科特先生带走母牛和小牛。 “我们不能带着它们，”爸爸说，“你是一个好邻 居，斯科特，离开你我很难过。但是我们早上就启 6meekly /'mi:kl/ad. 程。” 温顺地 劳拉全听到了，但是，在她看到斯科特先生牵 ⑦horn /ho:n/n.(牛、 羊等的)角 着奶牛离开之前一直不相信她听到的一切。温顺的 ⑧frisk /frisk/g.蹦跳 奶牛顺从地走远了，在它的长角上拴着一根绳子， 小牛蹦蹦跳跳地跟在后面。牛奶和奶油也随之而去 了。 爱德华兹先生说他将很忙，不能再见到他们了。 他和爸爸握手说：“再见，英格尔斯，祝你好运。” ⑨kindness /'kaindnis/ .仁慈，好意 他和妈妈握手说：“再见，夫人，我将再见不到你 们一家了，但是，我深信永远也不会忘记您的友善 情谊。” 然后他转向玛丽和劳拉，和她们握手，好像她 们都是大人了，“再见。”他说 玛丽礼貌地说：“再见，爱德华兹先生。”但是 ·373· Little House on the Prairie Independence to find Santa Claus for us." Mr.Edwards'eyes shone very bright,and he went away without saying another word. Pa began to unhitch Pet and Patty in the middle of the morning,and Laura and Mary knew it was really true;they really were going away from there.Ma didn't say anything.She went into the house and looked around,at the dishes not washed and the bed only partly made,and she lifted up both hands and sat down. Mary and Laura went on doing the dishes.They were careful not to let them make a sound.They turned around quickly when Pa came in. He looked like himself again,and he was carrying the potato sack. "Here you are,Caroline!"he said,and his voice sounded natural. "Cook a plenty for dinner!We've been going without potatoes,saving them for seed.Now we'll eat'em up!" So that day for dinner they ate the seed potatoes.They were very good,and Laura knew that Pa was right when he said,"There's no great loss without some small gain." After dinner he took the wagon bows from their pegs in the barn. He put them on the wagon,one end of each bow in its iron strap on one side of the wagon box,and the other end in its iron strap on the other side.When all the bows were standing up in their places,Pa and Ma spread the wagon cover over them and tied it down tightly.Then Pa pulled the rope in the end of the wagon cover till it puckered together and left only a tiny round hole in the middle of the back. There stood the covered wagon,all ready to load in the morning. Everyone was quiet that night.Even Jack felt that something was ·374· 草原小屋【 劳拉忘记了要有礼貌，她说：“噢，爱德华兹先生， 我希望您不要离开我们！噢，爱德华兹先生，谢谢 您，谢谢您远道去独立镇为我们找到圣诞老人。” 爱德华兹先生的眼睛炯炯发光，他走了，没有 再说一句话。 爸爸在前半晌儿就卸下皮特和帕蒂，劳拉和玛 丽知道发生的事情确实是真的；他们真要离开这里 了。妈妈一言不发。她走进屋子，环视一切，看了 看未洗好的盘子和未收拾完的床铺，她举起双手， 坐了下来。 玛丽和劳拉接着刷洗盘子。她们小心翼翼地尽 力不使盘子发出声来。爸爸走进来时，她们迅速地 转过身来。 D natural /'naetforal/a. 自然的，正常的 看上去他又像他原来的样子了，他背着土豆袋 子。 “给你，卡罗琳！”他说，他的声音听起来很自 然，“多多地煮午饭吃！我们一直没吃土豆，省着 作种子。现在我们要把这些土豆吃光！” 于是，那天午饭他们吃了作种子用的土豆。这 ②bow/b3U/n.弓 些土豆美味可口，劳拉知道爸爸说得对：“重大损 失必有微小所得。” 午饭后，爸爸从马厩里的木桩上取下马车篷架， 把它们装上马车，把篷架的头插在车厢一边的铁皮条 里，另一头插在车厢另一边的铁皮条里。当所有篷架 ③pucker'pAka/t.折 都安好以后，爸爸和妈妈将车篷盖在上面，然后紧紧 叠 地系牢。爸爸又抽紧车篷尾部的绳子，使车篷皱拢在 ④1oad1bud/装载， 一起，只在车后的中间留出一个小小的圆孔。 装填 有篷马车伫立在那儿，只等明天早晨装车了。 那一夜，大家都安安静静，默默无言。甚至杰 ·375·