野性的呼喚05 更艱苦的工作

5 More hard work
5 更艱苦的工作

Thirty days after leaving Dawson City， the team arrived back in Skagway. They were very， very tired Buck now weighed only fifty kilograms， and the other dogs were also very thin.
離開道桑鎮(zhèn)30天后，隊伍回到了斯開格威。他們筋疲力荊巴克瘦得只剩下50公斤，別的狗也是瘦骨伶仃。 They were not ill; they just needed a long， long rest. But at Skagway there were mountains of letters waiting to go north，so the men had to buy new， strong dogs The old ones， now useless for work， were sold.
他們并沒有生病，只是需要一個長長的休息。但是在斯開格威還有堆積如山的信等著運到北方。所以人們買了更強壯的狗，以前的狗因為對工作沒有用，被賣掉了。
Two American men， called Hal and Charles， bought Buck and his team， together with the harness. Charles was forty years old， with light hair and watery blue eyes. Hal was a young man of twenty with a big shiny gun and a big knife in his belt .These things， more than anything， showed how young he was Both men were clearly new to the north， and its hard and dangerous life.
兩個美國人，哈爾和查爾斯，連同挽具買下了巴克和他的隊伍。查爾斯大約40歲左右，淺色的頭發(fā)，有一雙水汪汪的藍眼睛。哈爾20歲上下，皮帶上別著一把閃光的大槍和一把大刀。這兩樣東西比任何東西都能顯示他的幼稚。這兩個人顯然對北方和它艱苦危險的生活茫然無知。
They took the dogs back to their untidy camp， where a woman was waiting .This was Mercedes—Charles’s wife and Hal’s sister.
他們把狗帶回凌亂的帳篷，有一個女人正等在那里。她是查爾斯的妻子，哈爾的姐姐，叫瑪爾賽蒂。
Buck watched the men take down the tent and load all their luggage on the sledge. They didn’t know how to do it sensibly， and every time they put something on the sledge，Mercedes moved it. Often they had to take things off the sledge and start again.
巴克冷眼瞧著他們拆掉帳篷，把所有的東西都放到雪撬上。他們不懂得如何把東西有條理地安置好。而且更糟的是，每一次剛把東西放到雪撬上，瑪爾賽蒂就動手移開它。所以他們常常不得不把東西搬下來重新開始。
Three men came up and watched， laughing
3個男人走上前看到這情景，笑了起來。
‘You’ve got a heavy load on that sledge，’ said one of them ‘Why don’t you leave the tent here in Skagway?’
“你們放在雪撬上的東西太沉了，”其中一個人說道，“你們干嘛不把帳篷留在斯開格威?”
‘How could we live without a tent?’ asked Mercedes，throwing up her hands in the air.
“沒有帳篷我們怎么活下去呢?”瑪爾賽蒂問道，向空中伸出雙手。
‘It’s spring now.You won’t have any more cold weather.’
“春天來了，天氣不會再冷啦。”
‘I must have a tent，’she answered， and helped Charles and Hal with the last few boxes.
“我可不能沒有帳篷。”她答道，幫著查爾斯和哈爾搬著最后幾只箱子。
‘Do you think that load will stay on?’asked another man.
“你那些東西裝的不太穩(wěn)當吧?”另一個人說。
‘Why shouldn’t it?’ asked Charles.
“這為什么呢?”查爾斯問。
‘Well， it’s a bit heavy on top. Do you think your dogs will be able to pull that?’
“哦，頂頭太重了。你想你的狗拉這么多東西吃得消嗎?”
‘Of course they will，’said Hal. The sledge was now ready to go.‘ Come on，dogs， pull!’ he shouted .
“他們當然拉得動。”哈爾說。雪撬已經(jīng)準備起程。“來，狗，拉車。”他喊道。
The dogs pulled as hard as they could， but the sledge did not move.
狗使出全身的力氣拉，但雪撬紋絲未動。
‘The lazy animals!’shouted Hal， picking up his whip.
“懶東西!”哈爾叫著，掄起了鞭子。
But Mercedes stopped him ‘Oh， Hal， you mustn’t，’ she cried， pulling the whip away from him .‘The poor dogs.You must promise to be nice to them or I’m staying here!’
然爾瑪爾賽蒂制止了他，“哦，哈爾，別這樣!”她哭叫道，奪過鞭子。“可憐的狗。你必須發(fā)誓從此要善待他們，不然我就呆在這兒不走了。”
‘You know nothing about dogs，’ answered Hal.‘ Leave me alone Dogs are lazy， and you have to whip them. Everybody knows that. Ask those men if you don’t believe me.’
“你懂什么，”哈爾回答，“別管我。狗都是犯懶的，你必須鞭打它們。這道理人人皆知，不信你問問那些人。”
Mercedes turned and looked at the watching men.
瑪爾賽蒂轉身去看圍觀的人。
‘They’ re tired， if you really want to know，’ said one of them ‘They’ ve been working very hard and they need a rest.’
“他們太累了，如果你真想知道答案的話，”一個人說。“他們干的太苦了，著實需要休息一下。”
‘Rest?’laughed Hal.‘These stupid dogs are just lazy.’
“休息?”哈爾笑道。“這些蠢狗只是犯懶。”
Now Mercedes decided that her brother was right.‘Don’t listen to that man，’she said ‘You’re driving our dogs and you do what you think is best.’
現(xiàn)在瑪爾賽蒂認為她弟弟是對的。“別聽那人的，”她說。“你駕馭我們的狗，你覺得怎么好就怎么辦。”
Now Hal used his whip on the dogs. They pulled and pulled，but the sledge stayed where it was.Hal was still using his whip when Mercedes stopped him again and put her arms around Buck.
于是哈爾對狗掄起了鞭子。他們拉呀拉呀，但是雪撬仍然原地不動。正當哈爾抽打狗的時候，瑪爾賽蒂又制止了他，然后她用手摟住巴克。
‘You poor，poor dears，’she said.‘Why don’t you pull hard?—then nobody will whip you.’
“你這可憐的，可憐的寶貝，”她說，“你為什么不使勁拉呢——這樣沒有人會打你了。”
One of the men watching now spoke again.‘I don’t care what happens to you，’ he said，‘but I’m sorry for the dogs.The sledge is frozen to the snow，and you’ll have to break it out. Push it from one side to the other to break the ice.’
其中一個觀望的人又說話了，“我可不愿管你們，”他說，“但我認為狗太可憐了。雪撬凍到雪地上了，你必須把冰砸開，從一邊向另一邊推雪撬可以破冰。”
Hal tried again，but this time he broke the ice under the sledge.The heavy sledge started to move slowly，Buck and his team pulling hard under the whip.After a hundred metres they had to turn into another street.It was a difficult turn with a top-heavy load，and Hal was not a good driver.As they turned，the sledge went over onto its side，throwing boxes and packets into the street.The dogs didn’t stop. The sledge was not so heavy now and they pulled it easily on its side.The whip had made them angry and they started to run.Hal cried ‘Stop!’ but the dogs continued through Skagway，and the rest of the luggage fell off as they ran.
哈爾又試了一次，但這一次他終于把雪撬下的冰弄破了，沉重的雪撬慢慢地開始移動。巴克和他的隊伍艱難地在鞭打下拉著雪撬，100米之后他們不得不拐到另一條街上去。拉著頭重腳輕的雪撬是很難轉彎的，何況哈爾又不是個趕車的好手。轉彎時，雪撬向一邊傾斜，把一些包裹和箱子扔到了街上，但狗并未停住腳。雪撬此時不再那么沉重，而他們拉起來容易多了。鞭答激怒了他們，他們開始奔跑。哈爾叫著“停下”，但狗卻繼續(xù)在斯開格威跑著，其余的行李也隨著他們的奔跑紛紛掉下來。
People helped to catch the dogs and to pick up all the things from the street. They also told the men that if they wanted to reach Dawson，they needed twice as many dogs and half as much luggage.Hal and Charles went back to the camp and started to look at the luggage and throw things away.Tent，blankets and plates were taken out.Mercedes cried when most of her clothes went.When they had finished，Mercedes was still crying，there was a lot of luggage on the road，and there was still a lot to go on the sledge.
人們幫著拉住狗，撿起街上掉落的行李。他們還告訴這些人如果他們想到達道桑，他們需要多一倍的狗，而行李必須減半。哈爾和查爾斯返回營地，開始檢查行李，扔掉多余的東西。帳篷，毯子和碟子被拿了下來?，敔栙惖倏藓捌饋恚蟛糠忠路脖蝗拥袅?。最后他們結束時，瑪爾賽蒂仍然在哭泣。路上仍然有許多行李，而雪撬上的東西仍然太多。
Then Charles and Hal went out and bought six more dogs，so they now had fourteen. But the new dogs were not real sledge-dogs and they knew nothing about the work.Charles and Hal put them into harness， but Buck could not teach them how to pull a sledge.So now there were six dogs who couldn’t pull at all， and eight who were tired after pulling for four thousand kilometres.But Charles and Hal were happy.They had more dogs than any sledge that they had seen at Skagway.They didn’ t know that no sledge could carry enough food for fourteen dogs.
然后查爾斯和哈爾跑出去買了6條狗，現(xiàn)在他們有14條狗。但是這些新狗并不是真正的拉雪撬的狗，他們不知道如何工作。查爾斯和哈爾給他們套上挽具，但巴克卻無法教他們?nèi)绾卫┣?。于是有?條根本不會拉車的狗，和8條在跋涉了4000公里之后筋疲力盡的狗。但查爾斯和哈爾很高興，他們的狗比斯開格威任何一座雪撬上的狗都多。他們根本不知道沒有一個雪撬可以負載14條狗的食物。
The next morning Buck led the team up the street.They moved slowly， because they were tired before they started.Buck had pulled to Dawson and back twice，and he didn’t want to do it again.He had watched Hal and Charles and Mercedes and he saw that they didn’t know how to do any thing.And，as the days passed，he saw that they could not learn.It took them half the evening to get everything ready for the night;and it took them half the morning to get ready to leave. And when they did start， they often had to stop because something had fallen off the sledge.On some days they travelled twenty kilometres and on some days only ten.
第二天早上，巴克帶領狗隊沿街出發(fā)了。他們走得很慢，因為在旅途開始前他們就很疲憊了。巴克已經(jīng)從道桑來回往返了兩次，他不想再跑了。他觀察了查爾斯、哈爾和瑪爾賽蒂，他看出他們對所有的事情都手足無措。而且，隨著時間一天天過去，他發(fā)現(xiàn)他們學不會任何東西。他們花掉半個夜晚準備晚上的休息;然后又花了半個早晨才準備停當起程。而真正起程后，他們經(jīng)常不得不停下來，因為有些東西從雪撬上滑落下來，有一陣子他們每天只走20公里，有時只走10公里。
They didn’t have enough dog food when they started，and they used what they had much too quickly.Hal gave the dogs extra food because he wanted them to pull harder.Mercedes gave them extra food because she was sorry for them.But it was not food that they wanted，but rest.
他們起程時就沒有足夠的狗食?，F(xiàn)在他們的給養(yǎng)用得太快了。哈爾給狗加餐因為他想讓他們更加賣力地拉車?，敔栙惖僖部偸嵌嘟o狗食物，因為她可憐他們。但是他們需要的不是食物，而是休息。
Soon Hal saw that they had travelled only a quarter of the way to Dawson，but had eaten half their food.He had to give the dogs less food. It was easy to give them less food，but it was impossible to make them travel faster.
很快，哈爾發(fā)現(xiàn)他們只走了去道桑的四分之一的路，卻吃掉了一半的食物，他不得不減少給狗的食物。少給狗食物容易辦到，但是卻無法讓他們跑快。
Dub had pulled hard and well all the way from Skagway，but he had hurt his leg.It got worse and worse until finally Hal had to shoot him.The six new dogs，now weak and ill from hunger and hard work，died next.
達布在離開斯開格威的一路都拉得很賣力，但是他的腿受了傷。他的腿傷越來越厲害，直到最后哈爾不得不殺了他。那6條新狗，由于饑餓和辛苦而病弱不堪，很快就死掉了。
Hal，Charles，and Mercedes had started the journey happily;but now they were tired，cross and miserable.Charles and Hal argued about everything，because each thought that he was working harder than the other.And Mer cedes was unhappy because she thought that she shouldn’t have to work.She was tired，so she rode on the sledge，mak ing the work even harder for the dogs.She rode for days，until the dogs could not move the sledge.The men asked her to walk，but she would not leave the sledge.One day they lifted her off.She sat in the snow and did not move.They went off with the sledge and travelled five kilometres.Then they turned，went back，and lifted her on again.
哈爾、查爾斯和瑪爾賽蒂開始旅行時高高興興，但現(xiàn)在他們疲憊，暴躁又沮喪。查爾斯和哈爾為每件事爭吵不休，每個人都自覺比別人干的活兒更多。瑪爾賽蒂也不高興，因為她覺得她不應該工作。她很累，所以就坐到雪撬上，這使狗的工作更加艱難。她一直坐著直到狗拉不動雪撬了。男人們請求她走路。但她不肯離開雪撬，一天他們把她抬了下來，她坐到雪地上不肯起來，他們?nèi)酉滤吡?公里，然后又返回來捎上了她。
Buck and the other dogs were now just skin and bone.They pulled when they could，and when they couldn’t they lay down in the snow.When they were whipped，they stood up and tried to pull again.
巴克和其余的狗都已瘦得皮包骨頭了。他們能拉車時就拉，拉不動時就倒在雪地上，當鞭子抽打下來時，就再站起來吃力地拉雪撬。
One day Billee fell and could not stand up.Hal killed him and threw him into the snow. Buck and the other dogs knew that soon they were going to die，too.On the next day Koona died，and there were only five dogs left：Joe，Pike，Sol-leks the one-eyed，Teek，and Buck.
一天，貝利倒下去再也沒有站起來。哈爾殺了他然后把他拋在了雪地上。巴克和別的狗都意識到他們很快也要死去。第二天，科娜也死了，現(xiàn)在只剩下五條狗：喬，派克，獨眼索拉克斯，蒂克還有巴克。
It was beautiful spring weather.The snow and ice were melting，the plants were growing，and the forest animals were waking from their winter sleep.It was a lovely morning when the two men， and the five dogs pulling Mercedes on the sledge，came into John Thornton’s camp at White River.They stopped，and the dogs dropped down immediately to rest.
美麗的春天終于來了，冰雪消融，萬物復蘇。在一個可愛的早晨，兩個人，和5條狗拉著雪撬上的瑪爾賽蒂，抵達了白河河畔，約翰·桑頓的營地。他們剛停下來，狗立刻癱倒在地休息。
John Thornton was mending an axe，and he went on working as he talked to Hal.
約翰·桑頓正在做一把斧子，他一邊同哈爾聊天一邊干活兒。
‘Is it safe to cross the river here?’asked Hal.
“現(xiàn)在過河安全嗎?”哈爾問道。
‘No，the ice is too thin.It’s much too dangerous，answered Thornton.
“不行，冰太薄了，非常危險。”桑頓回答。
‘People have told us that before，’laughed Hal，‘but we got here with no problems.’
“人們老早就告訴過我們這個。”哈爾笑道，“但是我們平安到了這里。”
‘Only somebody very stupid would cross the White River here，’said Thornton.
“只有愚蠢的人才會從這兒過白河。”桑頓說。
‘That’s what you think，’said Hal.‘But we’ve got to get to Dawson.’He pickd up his whip.‘Come on，Buck!Get up now!Let’s go!’
“也就你這么想吧，”哈爾說，“但我們無論如何是要到道桑去的。”他拾起鞭子。“來，巴克!現(xiàn)在起來!我們走!”
Thornton went on working.He had warned them，but he knew he couldn’t stop these stupid men from going on.
桑頓繼續(xù)他的工作。他已經(jīng)警告過他們，但是他知道他無法阻止這些愚蠢的人。
But Buck didn’t get up.Sol-leks stood up slowly，then Teek and Joe，and finally Pike.But Buck stayed where he was.The whip came down on him again and again.Thornton started to speak，then stopped，and began to walk up and down.
但是巴克卻沒有起來，索拉克斯慢騰騰地爬起來，然后是蒂克和喬，最后是派克。只有巴克沒挪身子，鞭子一次又一次抽到他的身上。桑頓想說什么，又忍住了，然后他開始走來走去。
Hal now put down his whip and started to hit Buck with a club.But Buck had decided not to get up.He had felt thin ice under his feet all day and he saw thin ice in front of him.The club hit him again and again，but Buck felt almost nothing.
哈爾放下鞭子開始用木棍打巴克。但是巴克鐵了心不再站起來。整整一天他的腳下都是稀薄的冰，現(xiàn)在他看到那不堪重負的冰層就在面前。木棍劈頭蓋臉砸下來，而巴克卻全無知覺。
Then suddenly， with a wild cry，John Thornton jumped on Hal，throwing him backwards.Mercedes screamed.
突然，伴著一聲狂吼，約翰·桑頓撲向哈爾，把他向后撞去?，敔栙惖偌饨衅饋怼?br /> ‘If you hit that dog again，I’11 kill you，’Thornton shouted.
“如果你再動那狗一下，我就宰了你，”桑頓怒喊著。
‘He’s my dog，’Hal replied.There was blood on his face.‘Get out of my way，or I’11 hit you，too.I’m going to Dawson.’
“他是我的狗。”哈爾回答說，他的臉上沾著鮮血。“別礙我的事兒，否則我連你一塊揍，我要去道桑。”
Thornton stood between Hal and Buck and did not move.Hal took out his long knife，but Thornton knocked it out of his hand.Mercedes screamed again.Then Thornton picked up Hal’s knife and cut Buck out of the harness.
桑頓站在哈爾和巴克中間一動未動。哈爾抽出了他的長刀，但是桑頓把它打落了?，敔栙惖儆旨饨衅饋恚缓笊ｎD拾起哈爾的長刀，劈開巴克身上的挽具。
Hal didn’t want to fight，and Buck was not worth fighting for;he was nearly dead. Hal started the sledge and went down towards the river.Buck lifted his head and watched the sledge move away.Pike was leading，and Joe，Teek and Sol-leks were behind him.Hal was walking in front of the sledge and Mercedes was riding on it;Charles was walking behind.
哈爾并不想打架，何況為巴克也不值得去打架，他已經(jīng)奄奄一息了。哈爾駕著雪撬向河駛去。巴克抬起頭望著移動的雪撬。派克打頭，喬，蒂克和索拉克斯跟在他后面。哈爾走在雪撬前面，瑪爾賽蒂坐在雪撬上，查爾斯隨后。
As Buck watched，Thornton felt his body with gentle hands，searching for broken bones.Buck was very thin，very tired and very weak，but Thornton didn’t think he was going to die.Then both dog and man watched the sledge as it went slowly out on to the ice in the middle of the river.Suddenly the back of the sledge went down and the front went up into the air. Mercedes screamed，and Charles turned and took one step back. Then a big piece of ice broke off，and dogs，sledge and people disappeared;there was only a big hole in the ice.
巴克一邊看著他們，桑頓一邊用手輕輕撫摸著他的身體，尋找著破碎的骨頭。巴克雖然瘦骨嶙峋，衰疲不已，但桑頓卻仍然覺得他有救。人和狗一起注視著雪撬緩緩地行到河中央。突然雪撬的后部陷了下去，前部向空中翹起?，敔栙惖偌饨衅饋恚闋査罐D身剛后退了一步，隨后一大塊冰破裂了，雪撬、狗還有人一起沒了蹤影，冰面上只留下了一個大洞。
John Thornton and Buck looked at one another.
約翰·桑頓和巴克互相對視著。
‘You poor thing，’said John Thornton，and Buck licked his hand.
“你這可憐兒，”約翰·桑頓說，巴克舔著他的手。