The prime horses of the most speed, courage, and bottom, however, are apt to break through and escape,
那些一流的馬極擅奔跑,具有超凡勇氣耐力,亦最有可能沖出包圍圈逃之夭夭,
so that, in general, it is the second-rate horses that are taken.
因此,一般來(lái)說(shuō),人們捕獲的多為品質(zhì)稍劣的馬匹。
Preparations were now made for a hunt of this kind.
現(xiàn)在開(kāi)始為圍獵做前期準(zhǔn)備。
The pack horses were now taken into the woods and firmly tied to trees, lest in a rush of the wild horses they should break away.
一群馬被牽進(jìn)樹(shù)林,緊緊地系在樹(shù)上,以免等會(huì)野馬沖過(guò)來(lái),它們可能掙脫逃走。
Twenty-five men were then sent under the command of a lieutenant to steal along the edge of the valley within the strip of wood that skirted the hills.
在中尉率領(lǐng)下,一支二十五人的隊(duì)伍悄悄沿著山谷邊緣進(jìn)發(fā),山谷毗鄰山腳下環(huán)山的條形狀樹(shù)林。
They were to station themselves about fifty yards apart, within the edge of the woods,
那二十五人大約以五十碼間隔距離布好位置,藏身在樹(shù)林邊緣,
and not advance or show themselves until the horses dashed in that direction.
等到野馬群朝他們這邊飛奔過(guò)來(lái),他們才冒頭攔阻。
Twenty-five men were sent across the valley to steal in like manner along the river bank that bordered the opposite side,
另有二十五人穿越山谷,在其相應(yīng)地段對(duì)面,沿河岸布陣,
and to station themselves among the trees.
亦藏身樹(shù)林中間。
A third party of about the same number was to form a line,
另外再派出大體數(shù)目相當(dāng)?shù)娜伺懦梢涣校?/p>
stretching across the lower part of the valley, so as to connect the two wings.
沿山谷低段延伸站開(kāi),以此連接兩翼包圍圈。
Beatte and our other half-breed, Antoine, together with the ever-officious Tonish,
比特還有另外一個(gè)混血兒騎手安東尼,再加上總愛(ài)管閑事的托尼斯,
were to make a circuit through the woods so as to get to the upper part of the valley, in the rear of the horses,
他們?nèi)藢⒋┰綐?shù)林,到達(dá)山谷稍高地帶,出現(xiàn)在野馬群后面,
and drive them forward into the kind of sack that we had formed,
驅(qū)趕馬群向前進(jìn)入我們已設(shè)伏好的布袋,
while the two wings should join behind them and make a complete circle.
而其他兩翼亦應(yīng)與其呼應(yīng)連接,形成一個(gè)完整的包圍圈。