美国语文第六册 第199期:乘坐扫雪机(1)

Did you ever ride on a snowplow?

你乘过扫雪机吗？

Not the pet and pony¹ of a thing that is attached to the front of an engine, sometimes, like a pilot;

我说的不是前面安个很小的发动机，有时像降落伞的那种东西。

but a great two-storied monster of strong timbers, that runs upon wheels of its own,

而是有两层楼高的由坚硬的木材做成的庞然大怪物，底下安有轮子驱动，

and that boys run after and stare at as they would after and at an elephant.

男孩子们追着它跑，不错眼珠地盯着它看，就像看一头大象似的。

You are snow-bound at Buffalo².

你在布法罗为雪所阻，

The Lake Shore Line is piled with drifts like a surf.

湖滨道上堆积物如山。在大雪皑皑的肖陶扩湖，

Two passenger trains have been half-buried for twelve hours somewhere in snowy Chautauqua.

两列客车一半被埋在雪地里已经十二个小时了。

The storm howls like a congregation of Arctic bears.

暴风雪的狂吼声就像北极熊聚在一起发出的声音。

But the superintendent³ at Buffalo is determined⁴ to release his castaways, and clear the road to Erie.

但是，布法罗的监管人员决定让那些遭难的人离开这里，于是开始清理通往伊利湖的道路。

He permits you to be a passenger on the great snowplow; and there it is, all ready to drive.

他允许你作为一名旅客乘坐大扫雪机；一旦准备就绪，就开始出发。

Harnessed behind it, is a tandem⁵ team of three engines.

扫雪机后面配上马具，成了一架由三个发动机组成的串联式双轮马车。

It does not occur to you that you are going to ride on a steam drill, and so you get aboard.

不是说你马上就能骑在一辆蒸汽钻头上，如果那样的话你就登上飞机了。

It is a spacious⁶ and timbered room, with one large bull's eye window,—an overgrown lens.

这是一个宽敞、用木材搭建的房间，有一个大牛眼似的窗子——就像长得过快的眼睛中的水晶体。

The thing is a sort of Cyclops. There are ropes, and chains, and a windlass.

这个东西有点类似希腊神话中的独眼巨人，有绳子，锁链和绞盘。

There is a bell by which the engineer of the first engine can signal the plowman, and a cord whereby the plowman can talk back.

上面还安有一个铃，系第一台发动机的机械师向驾驶人员发信号用的，而那根细绳是驾驶人员回答用的。

1 pony   

adj.小型的；n.小马

参考例句：

• His father gave him a pony as a Christmas present.他父亲给了他一匹小马驹作为圣诞礼物。
• They made him pony up the money he owed.他们逼他还债。

2 buffalo   

n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛

参考例句：

• Asian buffalo isn't as wild as that of America's. 亚洲水牛比美洲水牛温顺些。
• The boots are made of buffalo hide. 这双靴子是由水牛皮制成的。

3 superintendent   

n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长

参考例句：

• He was soon promoted to the post of superintendent of Foreign Trade.他很快就被擢升为对外贸易总监。
• He decided to call the superintendent of the building.他决定给楼房管理员打电话。

4 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

5 tandem   

n.同时发生；配合；adv.一个跟着一个地；纵排地；adj.（两匹马）前后纵列的

参考例句：

• Malcolm's contract will run in tandem with his existing one.马尔科姆的合同将与他手头的合同同时生效。
• He is working in tandem with officials of the Serious Fraud Office.他正配合欺诈重案办公室的官员工作。

6 spacious   

adj.广阔的，宽敞的

参考例句：

• Our yard is spacious enough for a swimming pool.我们的院子很宽敞，足够建一座游泳池。
• The room is bright and spacious.这房间很豁亮。