《黑骏马》第2章 伯特威克庄园(5)（在线收听）

The name of the groom was John Manly．The next morning，he got out his brushes and gave me a good grooming，then put a saddle on me．

马夫叫约翰·曼利。第二天早上，他用刷子把我好好刷洗了一通，然后给我备上了鞍。

He rode me slowly at first，then at a trot，then at a gallop．As we came back through the Park，we met Mr and Mrs Gordon．They stopped and John jumped off．

他起先骑上我慢慢地走，然后是小跑，再后是飞奔。我们穿过庄园回来时，碰上了高顿先生和太太。他们停住脚，约翰跳了下来。

'Well，John，how does he go？'said Mr Gordon．

啊，约翰，他怎么样？高顿先生说。

'He's a fine horse，sir，said John.He's fast，but the light-est touch of the rein will guide him．

先生，他是匹好马。约翰说。他速度很快，轻轻地一碰缰绳就知道往哪儿走。

They were shooting birds near Highwood，and a gun went off closeby． He pulled up a little，but I just held the rein and he wasn't frightened at all．

有人在树林附近打鸟，有一枪就响在旁边，他吓了一小跳，可是我只管抓着缰绳，他就一点儿也不怕了。

It's my opinion he was never frightened or beaten when he was young．'

我觉得他小时候可能从没受过惊吓，也没挨过打。

'Good，'said Mr Gordon．'I'll ride him tomorrow．'

好啊，高顿先生说，我明天骑骑他。

I remembered my mother's advice，and the next day I tried to do exactly what my master wanted me to do．

我还记着妈妈的话，第二天我努力按主人的意思做。

He was a very good rider，and when he came home his wife was waiting for him at the door．

他是个非常好的骑手。他回家时，他的太太在门口等着他。

'How do you like him，my dear？'she asked．

亲爱的，你觉得他怎么样？她问。

'I have never ridden a more pleasant horse，'answered Mr Gordon.What shall we call him？

我还从没骑过这么让人喜欢的马呢，高顿先生说。我们叫他什么名字呢？

'What about Blackbird，like your uncle's old horse？'said his wife．

就跟你叔叔以前的那匹一样，叫黑鸟怎么样？他太太问。

He's far handsomer than Blackbird，'said Mr Gordon．

他可比黑鸟漂亮多了，高顿先生说。

Yes，she said，'he's quite a beauty，and he has a kind，in-telligent face．Shall we call him Black Beauty？'

是啊，她说，他真美，他有一张善良、聪明的脸。我们叫他黑骏马怎么样？

'Black Beauty—why，yes，I think that's a very good name，'said Mr Gordon．

黑骏马——咦，对呀，我觉得这是个非常好的名字。高顿先生说。

John went into the stable and told James．

约翰走进马厩把这一切告诉了詹姆斯。

'I'd call him Rob Roy，'said James，'if it did not remind ev-eryone of the past．I never saw two horses more alike．'

我愿意叫他罗伯·罗伊，詹姆斯说，要是这不会让人想起过去那段事的话。我从没见过两匹马这么相像过。

'That's not surprising，'said John．'Didn't you know that Farmer Grey's old Duchess was the mother of them both？'

那不奇怪，约翰说，你不知道这两匹马的妈妈都是农夫格雷的老杜琪丝吗？

So poor Rob Roy who was killed at the hunt was my brother！ Now I understood why my mother was so unhappy when he died．

原来，在那场狩猎中死去的可怜的罗伯·罗伊是我哥哥！现在我明白了为什么他死时我妈妈那么不高兴了。

John was very proud of me，and seemed to know just how a horse feels．And James was kind，too．

约翰十分以我为荣，而且好像知道马的心思。詹姆斯也很好。

A day or two later，I went out in the carriage with Ginger．I wondered how we would get on together，but I found it easy to trot along beside her．

一两天后，我和金儿一起拉车出去。我开始还担心我们能不能相处得好，后来发现和她一起小跑还是挺自在的。

Merrylegs was a happy little pony and was everyone's favourite．We were soon great friends and I became quite happy in my new home．

乐腿儿是一匹乐呵呵的小马驹，也是大家的宝贝。我们很快成了好朋友，我在新家里逐渐开心起来。