美国小学英语教材5:第25课 邮件必须送达(7)

 　　“True, but he had been across the plains, had fought Indians, and was more experienced in every way,” was the reply. “不错，但他曾穿越平原，与印第安人作战，在各方面都更有经验，” 梅杰斯先生答复说。

　　“Still, you've been a good boy, attended to your duties faithfully, helped to make the Pony¹ Express successful. “尽管如此，你一直是个好孩子，尽职尽责，帮助‘快马邮递'取得成功。

　　I want to help you along, and merely raising your wages won't do that. 我想帮助你，仅仅提高你的工资是不够的。

　　I'll tell you what I'll do. 我会告诉你我要做什么。

　　I'll put you in charge of one of the wagons³ that carries supplies to the relay stations. 我让你负责一辆运送物资到中转站的货车。

　　That will give you trail experience, and it'll give you fighting experience, too. 这会给你尝试的经验，也会给你战斗的经验。

　　The redskins have been active lately, and scarcely a wagon² train has come through without a brush with them. 印第安人最近很活跃，几乎每一列马车都和他们擦肩而过。

　　Will that do for the present? 现在这样行吗？

　　In a year or so, if you make good. 如果你做得好的话，一年左右，

　　I'll give you a riding job.” 我就给你骑手的职位。”

　　With that William was forced to be content. 听了这话，威廉只好心满意足了。

　　Once he made the long journey by wagon train to California and back again, with hardly a rest between. 有一次，他乘马车往返加利福尼亚，其间几乎没有休息。

　　There were meetings with hostile Indians, both coming and going, and the boy proved a cool, clear-headed fighter. 多次见过敌对的印第安人，来来去去，这个男孩被证明是一个冷静、头脑清醒的战士。

　　But still he was denied his dearest wish. 但他仍然没有实现他最热切的愿望。

　　“Make one more trip with supplies, and we shall see,” he was told; “再带着补给品旅行一次，我们再看看，”他们告诉他；

　　and cheerfully he set about doing it. 他高高兴兴地开始做这件事。

　　Already there was a hint of winter in the air. 空气中已经有了一丝冬天的气息。

　　The stream of pioneers, westbound, had stopped until spring again made the hardships of life in a prairie schooner⁴ more bearable for women and children. 拓荒者的队伍往西走，然后停下来，直到春天再一次使妇女和儿童能忍受草原纵帆船上的艰苦生活。

　　Only the Pony Express riders now rode out of St. Joseph with their faces turned toward the golden coast of California. 现在只有“快马邮递”的骑手们离开了圣约瑟夫，他们的脸转向了加利福尼亚的黄金海岸。

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 wagon   

n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车

参考例句：

• We have to fork the hay into the wagon.我们得把干草用叉子挑进马车里去。
• The muddy road bemired the wagon.马车陷入了泥泞的道路。

3 wagons   

n.四轮的运货马车( wagon的名词复数 )；铁路货车；小手推车

参考例句：

• The wagons were hauled by horses. 那些货车是马拉的。
• They drew their wagons into a laager and set up camp. 他们把马车围成一圈扎起营地。

4 schooner   

n.纵帆船

参考例句：

• The schooner was driven ashore.那条帆船被冲上了岸。
• The current was bearing coracle and schooner southward at an equal rate.急流正以同样的速度将小筏子和帆船一起冲向南方。