【荆棘鸟】第四章 10

带领狗群的那只蓝色的昆士兰大猛犬对这位神父非常亲近，绝对服从，这意味着在它们眼中弗兰克毫无疑问是处于次要地位。弗兰克兰半点儿也没在意，在帕迪的几个儿子中他是唯一的不喜欢德罗海达的生活的人。他当时别无所求而一心想要离开新西兰，但并不是为了想到这儿来。他厌恶无休无止地在围场里逡巡，厌恶大部分夜晚都睡在硬梆梆的地面上，他讨厌那些不能当作宠畜来驯养的凶猛的狗：它们一旦不能干活儿，就会被枪打死。

 

　　但是，骑马跑进正在聚集的云海还是有几分新奇冒险的。就连迎风弯腰、噼啦作响的树木也像是带着一种稀奇古怪的喜悦在狂舞着。拉尔夫神父像着了魔似地奔忙着，教唆着牧羊犬去迫赶那些毫不犯疑的羊群，把那些毛哄哄的傻东西吓得蹦来跳去，咩咩地叫着，直到那些体型低矮的狗飞奔着穿过草地把它们紧紧地赶在一起，然后再把它们赶走。为数不多的牧人只有靠这些牧羊犬才管得了德罗海达这么大的产业，这些狗们经过赶羊赶牛的训练，聪慧令人惊异，极少需要加以指导。

　　夜幕降临的时候，拉尔夫神父和那群狗与跟在他们身后尽力协作但却交果欠佳的弗兰克的帮助下，把一个围栏里的羊全都赶了出来；这在通常情况下，是要付出几天的劳动。他在第二个围场门边的一片树林附近，给他的牝马卸了鞍，乐观的说，看来他们这下可以赶在下雨之前把羊都赶出围栏了。那些狗们此刻伸开四肢伏在草地上，懒洋洋伸着舌头，那头昆士兰大蓝狗摇头摆尾，讨好的爬在了拉尔夫神父的脚下。弗兰克从马褡裢里掏出了一大块看着让人恶心的袋鼠肉，抛给了那群狗；它们立刻扑过去争夺撕咬起来。

 

 

　　"该死的畜生，"他说道。"他们哪像是狗，简直是群豺狼。"

　　"我想，这些狗也许与上帝造狗的意图更接近吧，"拉尔夫神父温和地说。"警觉、聪明，喜欢攻击而又几乎从不驯服。就我自己来说，我宁可要它们，也不喜欢供家里宠养的那些品种。"他笑了笑。"猫也一样。你没发觉它们在棚子边转悠吗？像豹子一样狂野不驯、不让人们接近它们。可是它们捕猎的本领棒极了，谁也当不了它们的主人，谁也养不了它们。"

　　他从自己的马褡裢里掏出一块冷羊肉和一包面包及黄油，从羊肉上切下了一大片，把剩下的递给了弗兰克。他把面包和黄油放在了他们中间的一段圆木上，津津有味地用他那雪白的牙齿咬着羊肉。

 

The big Queensland blue brute¹ that led the dog pack took a slavish fancy to the priest

and followed him without question, meaning Frank was-very definitely the second-string man. Half of Frank didn't mind; he alone among Paddy's sons had not taken to life on Drogheda. He had wanted nothing more than to quit New Zealand, but not to come to this. He hated the ceaseless patrolling of the paddocks, the hard ground to sleep on most nights, the savage² dogs which could not be treated as pets and were shot if they failed to do their work. But the ride into the gathering³ clouds had an element of adventure to it; even the bending, cracking trees seemed to dance with an outlandish joy. Father Ralph worked like a man in the grip of some obsession⁴, sooling the dogs after unsuspecting bands of sheep, sending the silly woolly things leaping and bleating⁵ in fright until the low shapes streaking⁶ through the grass got them packed tight and running. Only having the dogs enabled a small handful of men to operate a property the size of Drogheda; bred to work sheep or cattle, they were amazingly intelligent and needed very little direction. By nightfall Father Ralph and the dogs, with Frank trying to do his inadequate⁷ best behind them, had cleared all the sheep out of one paddock, normally several days' work. He unsaddled his mare⁸ near a clump⁹ of trees by the gate to the second paddock, talking optimistically of being able to get the stock out of it also before the rain started. The dogs were sprawled¹⁰ flat out in the grass,tongues lolling, the big Queensland blue fawning¹¹ and cringing¹² at Father Ralph's feet. Frank dug a repulsive¹³ collection of kangaroo meat out of his saddle bag and flung it to the dogs,which fell on it snapping and biting at each other jealously.

  "Bloody¹⁴ awful brutes," he said. "They don't behave like dogs; they're just jackals."

  "I think these are probably a lot closer to what God intended dogs should be," said

Father Ralph mildly. "Alert, intelligent, aggressive and almost untamed. For myself, I

prefer them to the house-pet species." He smiled. "The cats, too. Haven't you noticed them around the sheds? As wild and vicious as panthers; won't let a human being near them. But they hunt magnificently, and call no man master or provider."

  He unearthed¹⁵ a cold piece of mutton and a packet of bread and butter from his saddlebag, carved a hunk from the mutton and handed the rest to Frank. Putting the bread and butter on a log between them, he sank his white teeth into the meat with evident enjoyment¹⁶.

1 brute   

n.野兽，兽性

参考例句：

• The aggressor troops are not many degrees removed from the brute.侵略军简直象一群野兽。
• That dog is a dangerous brute.It bites people.那条狗是危险的畜牲，它咬人。

2 savage   

adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人

参考例句：

• The poor man received a savage beating from the thugs.那可怜的人遭到暴徒的痛打。
• He has a savage temper.他脾气粗暴。

3 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

4 obsession   

n.困扰，无法摆脱的思想(或情感)

参考例句：

• I was suffering from obsession that my career would be ended.那时的我陷入了我的事业有可能就此终止的困扰当中。
• She would try to forget her obsession with Christopher.她会努力忘记对克里斯托弗的迷恋。

5 bleating   

v.（羊，小牛）叫( bleat的现在分词 )；哭诉；发出羊叫似的声音；轻声诉说

参考例句：

• I don't like people who go around bleating out things like that. 我不喜欢跑来跑去讲那种蠢话的人。 来自辞典例句
• He heard the tinny phonograph bleating as he walked in. 他步入室内时听到那架蹩脚的留声机在呜咽。 来自辞典例句

6 streaking   

n.裸奔（指在公共场所裸体飞跑）v.快速移动( streak的现在分词 )；使布满条纹

参考例句：

• Their only thought was of the fiery harbingers of death streaking through the sky above them. 那个不断地在空中飞翔的死的恐怖把一切别的感觉都赶走了。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）
• Streaking is one of the oldest tricks in the book. 裸奔是有书面记载的最古老的玩笑之一。 来自互联网

7 inadequate   

adj.(for,to)不充足的，不适当的

参考例句：

• The supply is inadequate to meet the demand.供不应求。
• She was inadequate to the demands that were made on her.她还无力满足对她提出的各项要求。

8 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。

9 clump   

n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走

参考例句：

• A stream meandered gently through a clump of trees.一条小溪从树丛中蜿蜒穿过。
• It was as if he had hacked with his thick boots at a clump of bluebells.仿佛他用自己的厚靴子无情地践踏了一丛野风信子。

10 sprawled   

v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的过去式和过去分词)；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着）

参考例句：

• He was sprawled full-length across the bed. 他手脚摊开横躺在床上。
• He was lying sprawled in an armchair, watching TV. 他四肢伸开正懒散地靠在扶手椅上看电视。

11 fawning   

adj.乞怜的，奉承的v.（尤指狗等）跳过来往人身上蹭以示亲热( fawn的现在分词 )；巴结；讨好

参考例句：

• The servant worn a fawning smile. 仆人的脸上露出一种谄笑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Then, what submission, what cringing and fawning, what servility, what abject humiliation! 好一个低眉垂首、阿谀逢迎、胁肩谄笑、卑躬屈膝的场面！ 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

12 cringing   

adj.谄媚，奉承

参考例句：

• He had a cringing manner but a very harsh voice.他有卑屈谄媚的神情，但是声音却十分粗沙。
• She stepped towards him with a movement that was horribly cringing.她冲他走了一步，做出一个低三下四，令人作呕的动作。

13 repulsive   

adj.排斥的，使人反感的

参考例句：

• She found the idea deeply repulsive.她发现这个想法很恶心。
• The repulsive force within the nucleus is enormous.核子内部的斥力是巨大的。

14 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

15 unearthed   

出土的（考古）

参考例句：

• Many unearthed cultural relics are set forth in the exhibition hall. 展览馆里陈列着许多出土文物。
• Some utensils were in a state of decay when they were unearthed. 有些器皿在出土时已经残破。

16 enjoyment   

n.乐趣；享有；享用

参考例句：

• Your company adds to the enjoyment of our visit. 有您的陪同，我们这次访问更加愉快了。
• After each joke the old man cackled his enjoyment.每逢讲完一个笑话，这老人就呵呵笑着表示他的高兴。