美国西部探险 第9期:牛仔的生活

 　　Cowboys!

　　牛仔！

　　Everyone knows the word "cowboy"!

　　所有人都知道“牛仔”这个词！

　　The cowboy is an important part of American folklore¹.

　　牛仔是美国民俗中重要的一部分。

　　There are many films about cowboys and the West.

　　有很多关于牛仔和西部的电影。

　　The cowboys were young, adventurous² men.

　　牛仔是具有冒险精神的年轻男人。

　　Many cowboys were white, but others were Mexicans or Afro-Americans.

　　许多牛仔是白人，但还有其他墨西哥人或美国黑人。

　　The cowboy's life was difficult.

　　牛仔的生活很艰难。

　　Cowboys followed a severe code of conduct.

　　牛仔遵守着严格的行为准则。

　　They lived in difficult conditions.

　　他们生活在艰苦的环境中。

　　They worked from morning to evening. Often they worked at night, too.

　　他们从早干到晚，他们经常还在夜里工作。

　　Cowboys worked on a ranch³.

　　牛仔在牧场里工作。

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　　They rode horses and looked after cattle day and night.

　　他们骑着马并日夜照看牛群。

　　They moved the cattle from one grazing place to another.

　　他们带领着牛群从一个放牧的地方走到另一个地方。

　　Cowboys took the cattle to the nearest railroad station.

　　牛仔带着牛群来到最近的火车站。

　　This was often about 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) away! It took many weeks to arrive.

　　这通常距离1000英里（1600公里）远，需要几周才能到达。

　　At the railroad station the cowboys sold the cattle.

　　在火车站，牛仔卖出这些牛。

　　The cattle went by train to the East.

　　牛群乘着火车去往东部。

　　Americans liked good meat from the West.

　　美国人喜欢来自西部的好肉。

　　What did cowboys wear?

　　牛仔们穿什么？

　　A cowboy always wore a big hat. It protected him from the hot sun and the rain.

　　牛仔总是戴着一顶大帽子，它保护牛仔们抵抗烈日和大雨。

　　He wore a bandana around his neck.

　　他在脖子上围着大手帕。

　　He used the bandana to protect his nose and mouth.

　　他用大手帕保护口鼻。

　　He wore a shirt, a vest and trousers.

　　他穿着一件衬衫，一个马夹和裤子。

　　Every cowboy wore big boots and had a pistol.

　　每个牛仔都穿着大靴子，并佩着一把手枪。

　　There are still cowboys in the United States today!

　　今天美国仍有一些牛仔！

　　They work on cattle ranches⁴ in the West and they ride horses.

　　他们骑着马，在西部的畜牧场工作。

1 folklore   

n.民间信仰，民间传说，民俗

参考例句：

• Zhuge Liang is a synonym for wisdom in folklore.诸葛亮在民间传说中成了智慧的代名词。
• In Chinese folklore the bat is an emblem of good fortune.在中国的民间传说中蝙蝠是好运的象征。

2 adventurous   

adj.爱冒险的；惊心动魄的，惊险的，刺激的　

参考例句：

• I was filled with envy at their adventurous lifestyle.我很羨慕他们敢于冒险的生活方式。
• He was predestined to lead an adventurous life.他注定要过冒险的生活。

3 ranch   

n.大牧场，大农场

参考例句：

• He went to work on a ranch.他去一个大农场干活。
• The ranch is in the middle of a large plateau.该牧场位于一个辽阔高原的中部。

4 ranches   

大农场， （兼种果树，养鸡等的）大牧场( ranch的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They hauled feedlot manure from the ranches to fertilize their fields. 他们从牧场的饲养场拖走肥料去肥田。
• Many abandoned ranches are purchased or leased by other poultrymen. 许多被放弃的牧场会由其他家禽监主收买或租用。