《黑骏马》第2章 伯特威克庄园(4)

Yes,I said．

是的，我说。

Then I hope you are well-behaved，'he said．I don't like anyone who bites．

那我希望你举止得体，他说，我不喜欢爱咬人的马。

A horse's head looked over from the stall beyond．

一匹马的头从那边的栏里探出来，

It was a tall brown mare¹，and she did not look pleased．So it's you who has turned me out of my bx，'she said．

那是一匹高高的棕色母马。她看上去不太高兴。这么说就是你把我从我的栏里赶出来的了，她说。

I'm sorry，I said，'but the man put me in here，so it is not my fault．I don't want to argue with anyone；I just wish to live in peace．

对不起，我说，但是是那个人把我放在这儿的，这可不是我的错。我不想和谁吵架，只想平平安安地过日子。

Later，Merrylegs told me about the tall brown mare．

后来，乐腿儿给我讲了高个儿棕色母马的事情。

Ginger² has a bad habit of biting people，he explained．

金儿有个坏毛病，就是爱咬人，他说。

One day，she bit James in the arm，and Miss Flora³ and Miss Jessie，the children，were afraid to come into the stable after that．

一天，她咬了詹姆斯的胳膊，后来弗劳拉小姐、洁茜小姐和其他孩子就不敢到马厩来了。

If you don't bite，I hope they'll start to come again．'

如果你不咬，我希望他们会再来。

I told him I never bit anything except grass and could not understand why Ginger bit people．

我告诉他我除了青草以外，什么都不咬，也想不透金儿为什么咬人。

'No one was ever kind to her before she came here，said Merrylegs．John and James do all they can to please her，and our master is never unkind．

她来这儿之前没人对她好过。乐腿儿说。约翰和詹姆斯想尽办法逗她乐，我们主人也从没有对她不好。

I'm twelve years old，and I know that there isn't a better place for a horse all round the country than this．

我12岁了，我可知道对一匹马来说，附近再没一个地方比这儿更好了。

John has been here fourteen years and is the best groom⁴ there ever was．And you never saw a kinder stableboy than James．

约翰在这儿14年了，是有史以来最棒的马夫。詹姆斯呢，你也找不到比他更好的马童了。

There was no reason for Ginger to bite anyone．It's her own fault that she did not stay in the box．'

金儿没有理由咬任何人。她不能呆在马厩里，这是她的错。

1 mare   

n.母马，母驴

参考例句：

• The mare has just thrown a foal in the stable.那匹母马刚刚在马厩里产下了一只小马驹。
• The mare foundered under the heavy load and collapsed in the road.那母马因负载过重而倒在路上。

2 ginger   

n.姜，精力，淡赤黄色；adj.淡赤黄色的；vt.使活泼，使有生气

参考例句：

• There is no ginger in the young man.这个年轻人没有精神。
• Ginger shall be hot in the mouth.生姜吃到嘴里总是辣的。

3 flora   

n.(某一地区的)植物群

参考例句：

• The subtropical island has a remarkably rich native flora.这个亚热带岛屿有相当丰富的乡土植物种类。
• All flora need water and light.一切草木都需要水和阳光。

4 groom   

vt.给（马、狗等）梳毛，照料，使...整洁

参考例句：

• His father was a groom.他父亲曾是个马夫。
• George was already being groomed for the top job.为承担这份高级工作，乔治已在接受专门的培训。