牛津書蟲系列 黑駿馬 12 Hard times

12 Hard times

12 苦日子

I was sold to a baker who Jerry knew，but the baker's bearing rein up.This made it difficult for me to pull a heavy cart，and I found the work very hard.

我被賣給了杰利認識的一位面包師。這面包師的車夫是個叫賈克的男人。他喜歡把繩套收得緊緊的。這叫我拉重物時很困難。我發(fā)現(xiàn)這工作很不好干。

One day，after three or four months of this，I was pulling the cart，which was much heavier than usual，up a steep hill.I had to stop several times to rest，which didn't please Jakes.

這樣過了三四個月。一天，我正拉車上一個很陡的小山。這次車比以往都沉重得多。我不得不幾次停下來休息，這讓賈克很不高興。

'Move on， you lazy horse， or I'll make you!'he shouted，and he hit me with his whip.

“走啊，你這懶馬!我要抽你了!”他喊著并用鞭子抽我。

After a few more metres，I had to stop again.The whip came down across my back once more and the pain was sharp.I was doing my best but the driver was still punishing me cruelly，which seemed very unfair.

拉了幾米，我又得停下來。鞭子又落在我的后背上，疼得鉆心。我已經(jīng)盡力了，可車夫還無情地懲罰我，這非常不公平。

Jakes was whipping me a third time when a woman hurried over and said，'Oh，please don't whip your horse like that. I think I can help，if you'll let me.'

賈克第三次抽我的時候，一位婦女跑過來說：“噢，請你別那樣抽你的馬。我想我能幫忙，如果你愿意的話。”

Jakes laughed.'Oh?'

賈克笑起來。“噢?”

'He can't use all his strength when his head is held back with that bearing rein，'the woman went on.'If you take it off，I'm sure he'll do better.'

“他的頭被繩套向后拉得抬起來，這樣他就使不上力氣，”婦女接下去說。“如果你卸下繩套，我肯定他能干好。”

'Anything to please a lady，'said Jakes，smiling.

“只要能讓女士開心，我什么事都可以干!”賈克笑著說。

The rein was taken off and I moved my head up and down several times to help my aching neck.

繩套拆了下來，我上下活動了幾次酸疼的脖子。

'Poor boy，is that what you wanted?'said the woman， pat-ting me.She turned to Jakes.'If you speak to him kindly and lead him on，I believe he'll do better.'

“可憐的孩子，你就想這樣吧?”女人說著拍拍我。她轉向賈克：“只要對他說幾句好話，并牽著它，我相信他會干得更好。”

Jakes took the rein，and I put down my head and moved on.I pulled the cart up the hill， then stopped to take a breath.

賈克拾起韁繩，我低下頭拉起來。我把車拉上了山頂，停下來喘著氣。

'Well， that helped，' said Jakes，'but if I went without a bearing rein all the time，the other cart drivers would laugh at me.It's fashionable，you see.'

“咦，倒是管用，”賈克說。“可是如果我一直不用繩套，其他車夫會笑我的。這是潮流，你知道吧。”

'It's better to start a good fashion than to follow a bad one，'said the woman.'Many gentlemen don't use bearing reins now.'

“開始一個好潮流比追隨一個壞潮流強。”婦女說，“現(xiàn)在很多紳士已不再用繩套了。”

She gave me another pat on the neck and walked on.

她又拍了拍我的脖子，然后走了。

After that，Jakes always took off my bearing rein when I was going up a hill，and that made my life easier.But pulling heavy carts day after day slowly began to exhaust me and a younger horse was brought in to do my work.

從那以后，賈克在我上山時就摘下繩套，這讓我的日子好過了一些。但是日復一日地拉重車慢慢耗盡了我的體力，一匹年輕的馬被帶來接替我。

* * *

* * *

I was sold to another cab owner whose name was Nicholas Skinner.He was hard on his drivers，and they were hard on the horses.We worked long hours，had no Sunday rest，and it was a hot summer.

我被賣給了另一個叫尼古拉斯·斯基耐爾的出租馬車車主。他對車夫很冷酷，車夫就把氣撒在馬身上。我們長時間地工作，星期天也不能休息。當時又是炎熱的夏天。

My driver was just as hard as his master，and he had a cruel whip with something sharp at the end which often cut me and made me bleed.It was a terrible life，and sometimes，like poor Ginger，I wished I was dead.

我的車夫和他的主人一樣冷酷，他的鞭子梢上有什么銳利的東西，經(jīng)常使我受傷流血。生活真是可怕，有時，我就像可憐的金兒，巴不得自己死掉。

One day I nearly got my wish.

有一天，這個愿望差點就實現(xiàn)了。

We were at the railway station when a family of four people hired us There was a noisy man with a lady，a little boy，a young girl， and a lot of heavy luggage.

當時我們在火車站，有一家四口來叫車。這一家有一個吵吵嚷嚷的男人和一位女士、一個小男孩和一個小女孩，還有很多沉重的行李。

'Father，'said the young girl，'this poor horse can't take us and all our luggage.He's too tired.'

“爸爸，”小女孩說，“這匹可憐的馬拉不了我們和我們的行李，他太累了。”

'Oh， he's all right， miss!'said my driver.He put a heavy box on the cab with the other luggage.

“哦，他沒問題，小姐1”我的車夫說。他把一個重箱子放到車上，和其它行李放在一起。

'Father，please take a second cab，'said the girl.'I'm sure this is very cruel.'

“爸爸，坐別的車吧，”小女孩說，“我覺得這太殘酷了。”

'Grace，get in at once，and don't be stupid，'said her father.'The driver knows his own business.'

“格蕾絲，趕快上車，別犯傻了，”她爸爸說。“車夫自己知道。”

My gentle friend had to obey，and box after box was lifted up and put on the top of the cab，or next to the driver.Then the driver hit me with his whip and we moved out of the sta-tion. The cab was very heavy and I had not eaten or rested since early that morning.I did my best and got along quite well un-til we came to Ludgate Hill.By then I was exhausted，and the heavy cab was too much for me.My feet went from under me and I fell heavily，knocking all the breath out of me.I lay quite still because I could not move.Indeed， I expected to die.

我溫柔的朋友只好遵從，一個又一個箱子被舉起放到車頂上，或是車夫旁。然后車夫抽了我一鞭子，我們走出了車站。車子很沉。我從清早起就沒吃過東西，也沒休息過。我盡力在拉，直到魯?shù)律w特山，我都做得很好。到了那兒我已精疲力盡了，車子實在是太重了。我的腳在身子下面絆了一下，便重重地跌倒了，氣都喘不上來了。我靜靜地躺在地上動彈不得。真的，我希望死掉。

There were angry voices above me and luggage was taken off the cab，but it was all like a dream.I tnought I heard the girl's voice saying，'Oh，that poor horse!It's all our fault!'

我頭頂上響起憤怒的聲音，行李被從車上卸下來，這一切都像是個夢。我好像聽到那女孩的聲音在說：“噢，可憐的馬，這全是我們的錯!”

Someone loosened my bridle and collar，and another voice said，'He's dead，he'll never get up again.'I heard a police-man giving orders but I did not open my eyes.Cold water was thrown over my head，some medicine was put into my mouth，and I was covered with a cloth.

有人解下了我的籠頭和軛具，另一個聲音說：“他死了，再也站不起來了。”我聽見一個警察在下命令，可我沒有睜開眼睛。冷水澆在我的頭上，藥喂進我嘴里，一塊布蓋到了我的身上。

I don't know how long I was there，but a man with a kind voice persuaded me to try to get up and I managed it.Then I was gently led to some stables close by.

我不知道在那兒躺了多久，后來一個男人和善的聲音勸我試著站起來——我做到了。隨后我被輕輕地牽到附近的一個馬廄。

That evening，I was taken back to Skinner's stables，and the next morning the horse-doctor came to see me.

那天晚上，我被帶回斯基耐爾的馬廄。第二天一早獸醫(yī)來看我。

'He's been worked too hard，'said the doctor.'There's no strength left in him.'

“他干活過于勞累，”醫(yī)生說。“已經(jīng)沒體力了。”

'Then he must go for dog food，'said Skinner.'I have no fields for sick horses.It doesn't suit my business.I work them for as long as they'll go，then I sell them for what I can get.'

“那他只有去喂狗了，”斯基耐爾說。“我可沒地方養(yǎng)這些病馬。這對我的生意不利。我得盡可能地使用他們，然后賣掉，能得一點是一點。”

'There's a horse fair in ten days' time，' said the doctor.'If you rest him and give him food， he may get better，and then you may get more than his skin's worth.'

“10天后有一個馬市，”醫(yī)生說。“如果讓他休息一下，再喂些吃的，他會好起來，你也能賣個比馬皮好點的價錢。”

Luckily for me，Skinner took the doctor's advice and，after rest and food，I began to feel better.Ten days later， I was taken to the horse fair，a few miles outside London.

真幸運，斯基耐爾聽從了醫(yī)生的建議?？恐菹⒑褪澄?，我開始覺得好一點了。10天后，我被帶到倫敦外幾英里的馬市。