牛津書蟲系列 黑駿馬 10 A London cab horse

10 A London cab horse

10 在倫敦拉出租馬車

Jerry Barker was a small man，but well-made and quick in all his movements.He lived in London and was a cab driver.Jerry's wife，Polly，was a little woman with smooth dark hair and dark eyes.His son，Harry，was nearly twelve years old， and was a tall，good-tempered boy.His daughter，Dolly，was eight，and she looked just like her mother.

杰利·巴克爾是個小個兒男人，但他結(jié)實、健壯、動作敏捷。他住在倫敦，是個趕出租馬車的。杰利的妻子波莉身材小巧，有一頭光滑的黑發(fā)和一雙烏黑的眼睛。他兒子叫哈利，快12歲了，個子高高的，脾氣挺好。女兒多莉8歲，看上去和媽媽很像。

Jerry had his own cab and two horses，which he drove and groomed himself.His other horse was a tall，white animal called Captain.The next morning，Polly and Dolly came to see me.Harry had helped his father since early that morning and had already decided that I would be a good horse.Polly brought me a piece of apple and Dolly brought me some bread.

杰利有自己的一輛馬車和兩匹馬，他自己趕馬、料理馬。他的另外一匹馬高大潔白，名叫上尉。第二天上午，波莉和多莉來看我。哈利從那天一大早就幫父親干活兒，已斷定我是匹好馬。波利給我?guī)硪黄O果，多莉給我拿了些面包。

'We'll call him Jack，after the old one，'said Jerry.'Shall we，Polly?'

“我們叫他杰克吧，和上回那匹一樣，”杰利說，“好嗎，波莉?”

'Yes，'she said.'I like to keep a good name going.'

“好，”她說，“我喜歡沿用一個好名字。”

Captain went out in the cab all morning and I went out in the afternoon.Jerry took a lot of care to make sure that my col-lar and bridle were comfortable——and there was no bearing rein!

上尉整個上午都出去拉車，我則是下午當班。杰利非常注意我的軛具和籠頭是否舒服——而且也沒有繩套兒啦!

We went to the cab stand where the other cabs were waiting for passengers，and took our place at the back of the last cab.Several of the other drivers came to look at me.

我們?nèi)チ塑囌?，那兒有其他的馬車在等候旅客，我們站在了最后一輛車的后面。幾個馬車夫過來看我。

'Too handsome，'saia one.'You'll find something wrong with him one morning.'

“太俊了，”一個說，“有一天早上醒來你會發(fā)現(xiàn)他有毛玻”

Then a man in a grey coat and grey hat came up.His name was Grant，and he looked a happy，sensible kind of man.He had been longer on the cab stand than any of the other men，so they let him through to have a look at me，and waited for his opinion.

一個穿灰上衣、戴灰帽的男人走上前來。他叫格蘭特，看上去是那種快活、聰明的人。他在車站的時間比其他人都長，所以大家都讓開道讓他過來看看我，等著聽他的意見。

He looked me all over very carefully，then said：

他非常仔細地打量了我，然后說：

'He's the right kind for you，Jerry.I don't care what you paid for him，he'll be worth it.'

“他正適合你，杰利。不管你付了多少錢，他都值。”

My first week as a cab horse was very hard.I was not used to London—the noise，the hurry，the crowds of horses，carts and carriages.But Jerry was a good driver and soon discovered that I was willing to work and do my best.He never used the whip on me，and we soon understood each other as well as a horse and man can do.Jerry kept his horses clean and gave us plenty of food and fresh water，and on Sundays we rested.

我拉車的第一個星期很辛苦。我不習慣倫敦——噪音、匆忙、擁擠的馬匹和車輛。但是杰利是個好車夫，很快就發(fā)現(xiàn)我愿意工作并且不偷懶。他對我從不用鞭子。很快我們就彼此理解了，那是一匹馬和一個人之間所能達到的最深的理解。杰利總把我們收拾得干干凈凈，還給我們足夠的吃食和清水，星期日我們還休息。

I never knew a better man than my new master.He was kind and good-tempered，like John Manly.Harry was clever at stable work and always wanted to do what he could.Polly and Dolly came in the morning to brush out the cab，and to wash the glass，while Jerry gave Captain and me a grooming.There was a lot of laughing and fun between them，which all helped to keep Captain and me happy. The family came early in the morning because Jerry did not like lateness.It always made him angry when people wanted him to drive hard because of their own lateness.

我從沒見過比我的新主人更好的人。他善良、脾氣好，就像約翰·曼利。哈利對馬廄的活兒很精通，總是在賣力地做。波莉和多莉早上來把馬車刷干凈、擦玻璃，同時杰利給我和上尉刷洗。這一家大小之間總是笑聲不斷，樂趣盎然，這一切使我和上尉也很快活。這一家子早上總是來得很早，因為杰利不喜歡遲到。杰利經(jīng)常為那些自己晚了，光會催他快趕車的人生氣。

One day，two wild-looking young men called to him.

一天，兩個野里野氣的年輕人喊他。

'Cabby!Hurry up，we're late for our train at Victoria.Get us there in time for the one o'clock train and we'll pay you double!'

“車夫，快點，我們趕維多利亞火車站一點鐘的火車，快誤點了?？焖臀覀?nèi)?。雙倍付錢!”

'I will take you at the usual speed，gentlemen，'said Jerry.'Extra money doesn't pay for extra speed.'

“我只用正常速度送你們，先生們，”杰利說，“多付錢買不來超速度。”

Larry's cab was standing next to ours.He opened the door and said，'I'm your man，gentlemen!My horse will get you there all right.'And as he shut them in，with a smile at Jerry，he said，'He always refuses to go faster than a trot!'Then，whipping his horse hard，he went off as fast as he could.

拉利的車就在我們旁邊，他打開門說：“我為你們效勞，先生們!我的馬能保證把你們按時送到。”拉利把他們送進車，關(guān)門時，笑著看著杰利說：“他總是不愿意比小跑更快一點!”然后，他狠命抽打著他的馬，飛快地跑走了。

Jerry patted me on the neck.'Extra money won't pay for that kind of thing，will it，Jack?'he said.

杰利拍著我的脖子說：“多付錢也買不來那種事，對嗎，杰克?”

Although he was against hard driving to please careless peo-ple，he always went at a fair speed and was not against going faster if there was a good reason.

雖然他反對死命狂奔以取悅那些粗心大意的人，而總是按正常速度行駛，但是遇上理由正當時，他也不反對趕時間。

I remember one morning we were on the stand waiting for a passenger when a young man carrying a large suitcase went by.He stepped on a piece of apple which lay in the road，and fell down heavily.Jerry ran across the road and helped him up，then took him into a shop to sit him down.

我記得一天早上，我們正站在車站等旅客，一個小伙子拎著一只大箱子從旁邊走過。他踩在了路上的一片蘋果上，重重地摔倒了。杰利跑過去幫助他站起來，然后扶他到一家店鋪里坐下。

Some time later，the young man，looking white and ill，came out again and called Jerry，so we went across the road.

過了一會兒，那小伙子蒼白、病弱地走出店鋪叫杰利，我們走了過去。

'Can you take me to the South-Eastern Railway?'he said.'My fall has made me late，and it's very important that I don't miss the twelve o'clock train.I'll pay you extra if you can get me there in time.'

“你能送我到東南火車站嗎?”他說，“我跌了這一跤，要遲到了，事情很重要，我不能誤12點的火車。如果你能及時送我過去，我會多付錢給你。”

'We'll do our best，sir，'said Jerry，and helped him into the cab.

“我們會盡力的，先生，”杰利說，扶他上了車。

It was always difficult to drive fast in the city in the middle were used to it，and no one was faster at getting through the carriages and carts，all moving at different speeds，going this way and that way.In and out，in and out we went，as fast as a horse can do it.And we got to the station just as the big clock showed eight minutes to twelve.

中午在城市中駕車是很難跑快的，街道上滿是車輛。但是杰利和我已習慣了，沒人能比我們更快了。在這樣的街上，所有的車都以不同的速度向不同的方向行駛著，我們在車流中穿行，進進出出，出出進進，以一匹馬能達到的最快速度向前跑。當我們到達車站時，大鐘正指向差8分鐘12點。

'We're in time!'said the young man，happily.'Thank you，my friend，and your good horse，too.Take this extra money—'

“我們及時到了!”小伙子高興地說。“謝謝你，我的朋友，也謝謝你的好馬。拿著，這是小費……”

'No，sir，said Jerry.'Thank you，but it isn't necessary.I'm glad we were in time—now hurry and catch your train.'

“不，先生，”杰利說，“謝謝你，可是小費就不必了。我很高興能及時趕到——現(xiàn)在快去趕你的火車吧。”

When we got back to the cab stand，the other men were laughing because Jerry had driven hard to the train.

當我們回到車站時，其他人都在大笑，因為杰利剛才為追火車而拼命趕車了。

'How much extra did he pay you，Jerry?'said one driver.

“他付了多少小費給你，杰利?”一個車夫說。

'Nothing，'said Jerry.'He offered me extra but I didn't take it.If Jack and I choose to have a quick run now and then，that's our business and not yours.'

“一個子兒也沒有。”杰利說，“他要給我小費，但是我沒拿。如果杰克和我愿意時不時快跑一下，那也是我們的事，你們管不著。”

'You'll never be a rich man then，'said Larry.

“你這樣永遠也成不了富翁，”拉利說。

'Perhaps not，'said Jerry，'but I'll be a happy one!'

“也許成不了，”杰利說，“但我會是個快樂的人!”

'And you，Larry，'added Mr Grant，'will die poor，because you spend too much money on new whips，beating your poor horse until it's exhausted—and then you have to buy another one.'

“而你呢，拉利，”格蘭特先生加了一句，“會貧窮地死去，因為你花太多錢買新鞭子，把你可憐的馬抽個半死——然后你就得再買一匹。”

'well，I've never had good luck with my horses，'said Larry.

“唉，我靠我的馬從沒走過運，”拉利說。

'And you never will，'said Mr Grant.'Good Luck is very careful who she travels with，and mostly chooses those who are kind and sensible.That's my experience，anyway.'

“你走不了運，”格蘭特先生說，“好運挑選良伴，挑的常是那些善良、聰明的人。反正這是我的經(jīng)驗。”

He turned round again to his newspaper，and the other men went back to their cabs.

他又轉(zhuǎn)回身去看報紙了，其他人也回到了自己的車里。

* * *

* * *

Winter came early，with snow，rain or strong winds almost ev-ery day for weeks.Jerry sometimes went to a coffee-shop near the cab stand，and sometimes Dolly came with some hot soup that Polly had made for him.

冬天來得早，帶著雪、雨和強勁的風，差不多連著幾個星期都是如此。杰利有時去車站附近的一個咖啡店。有時多莉送來一些波莉給他做的熱湯。

One cold windy day，Dolly was waiting for Jerry to finish his soup when a gentleman came towards us.Jerry started to give the soup bowl back to Dolly and was just going to take off my warm cloth when the man said，'No，no，finish your soup，my friend.I can wait in the cab until you've finished.'Jerry thanked him，then came back to Dolly.

一個刮風的冷天，多莉正等著杰利喝湯，一個先生走了過來。杰利忙把湯碗遞給多莉，正要揭我身上的蓋布，那人說：“不，不，把湯喝完，我的朋友。我可以在車里等著你喝完。”杰利謝過他，回到多莉身旁。

'That's a real gentleman'Dolly，'he said.'He has time and thought for the comfort of a poor cab driver.'

“那是個真正的紳士，多莉，”他說，“他肯為一個可憐的趕車人的冷暖著想。”

Jerry finished his soup，then we took the man to Clapham.After that，he took our cab several times，and often came to pat me.It was very unusual for anyone to notice a cab horse，and I was grateful.

杰利喝完了湯，我們就把那人拉到克萊范姆。后來他又坐了幾次我們的車，常來拍拍我。有人這么注意一匹拉車的馬可真少見。我對他心存感激。

Another day，the gentleman saw a cart with two horses standing in the street.The driver was not with them and I don't know how long they had been standing there.However，they decided to move on a few steps.

又有一天，這位先生看見兩匹馬拉著一輛車站在街道上。車夫不在，我不知道他們已等了多久。不過，他們開始踱了幾步。

Suddenly，the cart driver ran out of a building and caught them.He seemed very angry and began to whip the horses hard，even beating them around the head.

突然，車夫從一棟樓里跑出來抓住了他們。他看上去很生氣，狠狠地抽打起馬，甚至抽打馬頭。

Our gentleman saw him and walked quickly across.'Stop that at once，or I'll call the police!'he said.

我們這位先生看見了他，就快步走過去。“立刻住手，不然我喊警察了!”他說。

The driver was drunk and he began to shout，but he stopped whipping the horses.Meanwhile，our gentleman wrote down the name and address that was on the side of the cart.

車夫醉了，他喊叫起來，不過他不再抽馬了。同時，我們的先生抄下了在車身一側(cè)的名字和地址。

'Why do you want that?'shouted the driver.

“你干嘛這樣?”車夫喊道。

Our gentleman didn't answer.He came back to the cab.'Many people have thanked me fof telling them how their horses have been used，'he told Jerry.

我們的先生沒有回答。他走回我們的車。“很多人都感謝我，因為我告訴了他們，他們的馬是被怎樣使用的。”他對杰利說。

'I wish there were more gentlemen like you，sir，said Jerry.'They're needed in this city.'

“我希望有更多的人像您，先生，”杰利說，“這座城市需要這樣的人。”