美国小学英语教材6:第191课 非洲的放牧女孩琳珐(6)

Softly she began to coax¹ and pat the great beast. Moy, Moy, she begged, be not afraid. It is I, Rimfa, that clings to thy back.

她开始温柔地劝诱和轻拍这头大牛，她恳求道“老头”“老头”，不要害怕，是我琳珐在牵住你的后背。

Be still, great one. Be not afraid! And she pushed hard on his left side with her knee,

你这头大牛，镇静下来，不要害怕，她重重地用膝盖敲击它的左边。

reaching out to give a similar push on his left horn. Gently she pushed again. Softly she coaxed². Desperately³ she steadied herself on Moy's back.

伸手用类似的方法推动它左边的牛角，她轻轻地再次推动，她轻声地劝诱，她奋力在“老头”的背上坐稳。

Knowing that the torrent⁴ of rain was not far off, she tried again.

她知道大雨要来了，她再一次尝试。

This time the great beast responded slightly, wheeling a bit to the right. Then more and more he changed the course of the runaway⁵ herd⁶.

这一次大牛轻轻地做出了回应，稍稍向右转动，它让整个牛群的方向有了更多的变化。

They were running now where the waterway spread out, to a firm shallow beach. Moy's pace slowed.

它们在水道摊开的地方跑着，它们要跑到坚固的浅沙滩上，“老头”的步伐慢了下来。

Then a sharp spatter of rain stung Rimfa's back. There was a sudden blinding flash of lightning,

雨点子噼噼啪啪地掉落在琳珐的后背，突然出现了刺眼的闪电光。

and immediately a great crash of thunder seemed to split the sky apart.

一道大闪电似乎将天空劈成两半。

Moy tore forward again, but it was no longer in a straight line. He kept turning to the right, and the herd, following as always, turned with him,

“老头”再次向前跑，但不再是直线，它一直在向右拐，牛群依然跟随着它，和它一起转向，

till soon the cattle crashed against the sandy wide banks of the watercourse.

不久后，牛群就冲到了河道岸边的宽广沙滩上。

The stampede was over. Rain was coming in torrents⁷, but the big cattle were used to rain,

狂奔结束了，大雨来临，但牛群已经适应了雨水，

with flash after flash of lightning making an almost continuous flare⁸ across the sky.

一道道闪电让天空不断地在闪耀。

By this light, Rimfa, breathless and shaken, slid to the ground and stood leaning a moment against Moy's soaked flank.

此时此刻，琳珐无法呼吸，浑身颤抖，她滑落到了地上，靠着“老头”湿漉漉的侧面待了一会。

Her knees were shaking with fatigue⁹ and excitement, but there was a feeling of triumph.

她的膝盖因为劳累和刺激颤抖着，但却有一种胜利的感觉。

No boy of the village could have done better, nor, perhaps, as well.

村里没有哪个男孩可以做得更好，或者说肯定没有。

RIMFA WINS MOY

琳珐赢得了“老头”

She was too weary, when she finally drove the tired cattle into the corral, to seek her father that night,

当她骑着劳累的牛进入围栏时，她感觉很疲惫，没有去找寻她的父亲。

but gulping¹⁰ down a few handfuls of hot porridge and curling up in her blanket within the shelter of the hut,

她用手一把把地喝着热粥，卷曲在茅草屋内的毯子里。

she went immediately off into a dreamless sleep to the sound of the cool pattering rain on the thatching.

她马上就睡了过去，没有做梦，盖草屋顶有啪啪的雨水声。

1 coax   

v.哄诱，劝诱，用诱哄得到，诱取

参考例句：

• I had to coax the information out of him.我得用好话套出他掌握的情况。
• He tried to coax the secret from me.他试图哄骗我说出秘方。

2 coaxed   

v.哄，用好话劝说( coax的过去式和过去分词 )；巧言骗取；哄劝，劝诱

参考例句：

• She coaxed the horse into coming a little closer. 她哄着那匹马让它再靠近了一点。
• I coaxed my sister into taking me to the theatre. 我用好话哄姐姐带我去看戏。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

4 torrent   

n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发

参考例句：

• The torrent scoured a channel down the hillside. 急流沿着山坡冲出了一条沟。
• Her pent-up anger was released in a torrent of words.她压抑的愤怒以滔滔不绝的话爆发了出来。

5 runaway   

n.逃走的人，逃亡，亡命者；adj.逃亡的，逃走的

参考例句：

• The police have not found the runaway to date.警察迄今没抓到逃犯。
• He was praised for bringing up the runaway horse.他勒住了脱缰之马受到了表扬。

6 herd   

n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• He had no opinions of his own but simply follow the herd.他从无主见，只是人云亦云。

7 torrents   

n.倾注；奔流( torrent的名词复数 )；急流；爆发；连续不断

参考例句：

• The torrents scoured out a channel down the hill side. 急流沿着山腰冲刷出一条水沟。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Sudden rainstorms would bring the mountain torrents rushing down. 突然的暴雨会使山洪暴发。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 flare   

v.闪耀，闪烁；n.潮红；突发

参考例句：

• The match gave a flare.火柴发出闪光。
• You need not flare up merely because I mentioned your work.你大可不必因为我提到你的工作就动怒。

9 fatigue   

n.疲劳，劳累

参考例句：

• The old lady can't bear the fatigue of a long journey.这位老妇人不能忍受长途旅行的疲劳。
• I have got over my weakness and fatigue.我已从虚弱和疲劳中恢复过来了。

10 gulping   

v.狼吞虎咽地吃，吞咽( gulp的现在分词 )；大口地吸（气）；哽住

参考例句：

• She crawled onto the river bank and lay there gulping in air. 她爬上河岸，躺在那里喘着粗气。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• And you'll even feel excited gulping down a glass. 你甚至可以感觉到激动下一杯。 来自互联网