书城外语当英语也成为时尚——猫咪伴我行
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第28章 The Christmas Pup 蒙难圣诞节

Anonymous

Up to the preceding day,the baby collie had lived cozily in the puppy yard along with his gentle mother and his three brothers and sisters。It had been a peaceful and jolly life。From humans he had known nothing but friendliness。The world,to him,was a wondrous nice place to live in;a friendly and amusing place。

Then he had been put into a crate and sent on a bewilderingly long and jolting train trip that had lasted for a whole day。Still his faith in the friendliness of the world had not wavered,nor had his gay courage been shaken。From the train his crate had been loaded on a truck,and presently he had been lifted out at this strange and brightly lit house,and had been tied to a chair in a strange and brightly lit room and left there alone-he who never before had been in a house or been awake at such a late hour。

It had not occurred to anyone that he might be dead tired from his long trip,or that he might be half starved or suffering from thirst as he was or that rest and quiet are the first and greatest needs of a puppy on reaching a new home。But he was a gallant little chap,and eager for new,happy adventure。So he did not cry out nor give other signs of his growing physical malaise。Then to him advanced a mob of young humans,who caught him up and pulled him about and yelled to him,and,in their grabbing,bruised his pudgily tender little body。It was a bedlam of noise and rough handling and of slowly dawning terror……

The parents beamed fondly on the pretty sight。They were pleased that they had made their children so happy by this expensive gift。

The puppy whimpered as one child yanked him away from another。There was a roar of laughter,as someone suggested the little collie was trying to sing。To cause an encore of the“song”,the oldest girl tweaked his tail。

Panic and pain had begun to replace the puppy's first gladness at meeting these new humans。Panic and pain and bewilderment。The sharp tug at his sensitive tail completed the wreck of his highstrung nerves。Not knowing what he did,he turned and snapped,in feeble protest,at the torturing hand。One milk tooth scratched lightly the girl's thumb。At once her father strode forward,snatched the puppy from his precious daughter and struck him heavily over the head;then kicked him into a corner。

“They've sent me a vicious dog!The crooks!”he thundered,while his wife stooped to kiss the abraded thumb。“The filthy brute has hydrophobia。Look at him!”

The puppy was lying in a quivering heap in the corner,whither he had been kicked。Foam was flecking his mouth;his eyes were rolling。Physical agony enforced by hideous terror had thrown him into a convulsion。

Next morning the ashman poked curiously at a rumpled and moveless little bundle of soft brown fur on the top of the garbage can。The father's brave promptitude had saved countless people from being bitten by a rabid brute。And now he knew from terrible experience that a collie is an incurably savage dog,and no safe pet for a child……

直到前一天,这只刚出生不久的柯利牧羊狗还安逸地住在幼犬畜栏里,他那慈祥的母亲,还有他的三个兄弟姐妹都在这里陪着他。那曾经是多么平静、惬意的生活啊。从人类那里,他只学到了友好、善良。对他来说,生活在这个世界是那么奇妙、那么美好;世界真是个既舒适又好玩的地方。

然后,他被放进柳条箱里,又被打发到火车上,开始了漫长的、不停颠簸的行程,这让他非常困惑。在火车上,他整整坐了一天。他坚信这个世界非常友好,他的信念还不曾动摇,他快乐的天性、他的勇气都还与他同在。后来,有人把盛放他的柳条箱从火车上卸下来,又装在一辆卡车上。不久,又有人把他抬出来,放在这座陌生的、灯火辉煌的房子里。再后来,有人把他拴在房子里一个陌生的、灯照得亮亮的房间的椅子上,然后,丢下他走了。他以前从来不曾在这个房子里呆过,也不曾有过这样的经历:这么晚了,还没有睡觉。

没有一个人想到,走了这么远的路,他可能筋疲力尽,或者他可能饿得要死,或者渴得要命——他那时真的又累又饿又渴——或者刚到达一个新家的幼犬最需要、最大的愿望就是休息一下,需要安静。可是,他是个勇敢的小家伙,而且非常向往新奇、快乐的冒险经历。所以,他没有大叫,也没有流露出其他迹象,来告诉别人,他身体越来越不舒服。过了一会儿,一群唧唧喳喳、吵吵闹闹的孩子向他走来,捉住他,对他拉拉扯扯的,对着他大喊大叫,并且,在这些人争夺他的过程中,抓伤了他短小、脆弱、小小的身体。这里好像是个疯人院,到处是吵闹,人们粗暴地对待他,在这里,他慢慢地体会到了恐怖。

这一群孩子的父母亲看到这美好的情景,怜爱地笑了。花费很多钱,为孩子们买到这个圣诞节礼物。这个礼物让孩子们这么快乐,他们自己非常满意。

一个孩子把小狗从另一个孩子手里猛地扯过来,小狗禁不住发出哀鸣声。人们大声笑起来,因为有人说这只小柯利狗试着给大家唱歌听。为了让他再“唱”一句,那个年龄最大的女孩使劲揪了一下他的尾巴。

在小狗的心里,刚见到这些陌生人时那种愉快的感觉荡然无存,取而代之的是惊慌、痛苦,还有困惑。那个女孩使劲猛扯他敏感的尾巴,彻底破坏了他本来就极度不安的神经。还没来得及想清楚自己在干什么,他突然转过身,猛地咬了一下那双正在折磨他的手,进行虚弱的反抗。那只不过是一颗乳齿轻微地蹭了一下女孩的手指。然而,她的爸爸马上大步走过来,从他宝贝女儿的手里夺过小狗,重重地打着他的头,接着一脚把他踢到角落里。

“他们竟然送给我一只恶狗!那些无赖!”他怒喝道,这时候他的老婆弯下腰,去吻那个擦伤的手指。“这个肮脏的畜生得了狂犬病。看看他那个样子!”

小狗正缩成一团,躺在角落里,浑身不停地颤抖。他被踢到了那里。他嘴里满是白沫,眼珠在上下打转。身体上的疼痛,再加上可怕的恐惧使他开始痉挛。

第二天早上,垃圾清运工拨弄着放在垃圾箱上端的一团毛茸茸的东西,感到很好奇。柔软的毛皮非常凌乱,而且一动不动,早已失去了生命。那位爸爸的勇敢、果断导致了这只可怜的小狗的死亡,从而使得无数的人不会被患了狂犬病的畜生咬伤,他救了这些人的命呢。还有,从自己可怕的经历中,这位爸爸现在明白:柯利狗无可救药地野蛮,绝对不适合当做孩子的宠物……

牛角挂书

New Words

jolt v。震动;慌乱;颠簸

gallant adj。英勇的,勇敢的;华丽的;雄伟的

malaise n。不舒服;心神不安

pudgy adj。短而粗的;矮胖的;圆胖的

bedlam n。混乱,骚乱;精神病院,疯人院

tweak n。拧;扭;焦急vt。扭;用力拉;开足马力

highstrung adj。易激动的;极度紧张的;

fleck n。斑点;微粒,小片vt。使起斑点;使有斑驳

T

猩猩出手

ranslation

1.Up to the preceding day,the baby collie had lived cozily in the puppy yard along with his gentle mother and his three brothers and sisters。

2.Then to him advanced a mob of young humans,who caught him up and pulled him about and yelled to him,and,in their grabbing,bruised his pudgily tender little body。

3.It was a bedlam of noise and rough handling and of slowly dawning terror……

4.Next morning the ashman poked curiously at a rumpled and moveless little bundle of soft brown fur on the top of the garbage can。

Keys:

1.直到前一天,这只刚出生不久的柯利牧羊狗还安逸地住在幼犬畜栏里,他那慈祥的母亲,还有他的三个兄弟姐妹都在这里陪着他。

2.过了一会儿,一群唧唧喳喳、吵吵闹闹的孩子向他走来,捉住他,对他拉拉扯扯的,对着他大喊大叫,并且,在这些人争夺他的过程中,抓伤了他短小、脆弱、小小的身体。

3.这里好像是个疯人院,到处是吵闹,人们粗暴地对待他,在这里,他慢慢地体会到了恐怖。

4.第二天早上,垃圾清运工拨弄着放在垃圾箱上端的一团毛茸茸的东西,感到很好奇。柔软的毛皮非常凌乱,而且一动不动,早已失去了生命。