蔡劍媚

（廣東省中山市第二中學(xué)）

本期我們探討一個(gè)很有愛的話題——人與動(dòng)物之間的友誼。地球本就是人類與動(dòng)物共同的家，人類和動(dòng)物是相互依存的。我們應(yīng)該善待動(dòng)物，敬畏生命，學(xué)會與其和諧相處，構(gòu)建“山氣日夕佳，飛鳥相與還”“舍南舍北皆春水，但見群鷗日日來”的天人之境。和平是人類世界的主題，共生是天地宇宙的規(guī)律。

It was the fif h day.At dust,I delivered Mother wolf her daily fare of venison（鹿 肉）.“Here’s dinner,”I said softly as I approached.“C’mon,girl.Nothing to be afraid of.”Suddenly,the pups（狼崽）came bounding to me.At least I had their trust.But I was beginning to lose hope of ever winning over the mother.Then I thought I saw a slight wagging of her tail.I moved within the length of her chain.She remained motionless.My heart in my mouth,I sat down eight feet from her.One snap of her huge jaws and she could break my arm...or my neck.I wrapped my blanket around myself and slowly settled onto the cold ground.It was a long time before I fell asleep.

I awoke at dawn,stirred by the sound of the pups nursing.Gently,I leaned over and petted them.The mother wolf stiffened.“Good morning,friends,”I said tentatively.Then I slowly placed my hand on the wolf ’s injured leg.She flinched but made no threatening move.This can’t be happening,I thought.Yet it was.

I could see that the trap’s steel jaws had imprisoned only two toes.They were swollen and lacerated,but she wouldn’t lose the paw — if I could free her.

“OK,”I said.“Just a little longer and we’ll have you out of there.”I applied pressure,the trap sprang open,and the wolf pulled free.

Whimpering,she loped about,favoring the injured paw.My experience in the wild suggested that the wolf would now gather her pups and vanish into the woods.But cautiously,she crept toward me.The pups nipped（啃咬）playfully at their mother as she stopped at my elbow.Slowly,she sniffed my hands and arms.Then the wolf began licking my fingers.I was astonished.This went against everything I’d ever heard about timber wolves.Yet,strangely,it all seemed so natural.

After a while,with her pups scurrying around her,the mother wolf was ready to leave and began to limp off toward the forest.Then she turned back to me.

“You want me to come with you,girl?”I asked.Curious,I packed my gear and set off.

Following Coho Creek for a few miles,we ascended（攀登）Kuprean of Mountain until we reached an alpine meadow.There,lurking（潛伏）in the forested perimeter（周 圍）,was a wolf pack —I counted nine adults and,judging by their playful antics（滑稽動(dòng)作）,four nearly full-grown pups.After a few minutes of greeting,the pack broke into howling.

At dark,I set up camp.By the light of my fire and a glistening moon,I could see furtive wolf shapes dodging in and out of the shadows,eyes shining.I had no fear.They were merely curious.So was I.

I awoke at first light.It was time to leave the wolf to her pack.She watched as I assembled my gear and started walking across the meadow.

Reaching the far side,I looked back.The mother and her pups were sitting where I had left them,watching me.I don’t know why,but I waved.At the same time,the mother wolf sent a long,mournful howl into the crisp air.

故事背景簡介

本文是“人與自然”主題語境下的一個(gè)關(guān)于人與狼之間的友誼的動(dòng)人故事。該文章曾刊登于Reader’s Digest（《讀者文摘》）。故事講述的是多年前的一個(gè)春天的早晨，作者在阿拉斯加?xùn)|南部的庫普雷諾夫島的銀河溪（Coho Creek）尋找金礦時(shí)，偶遇了一只巨大的阿拉斯加森林狼被困在特拉普?喬治布下的陷阱中。不過，老喬治在前一周死于心臟病，所以，她不會被他獵殺，但她會因?yàn)橐恢崩г谙葳逯卸劳?。幸運(yùn)的是作者剛好經(jīng)過，看到了被困的狼媽媽。作者在附近找到了小狼崽，并把它們帶到了狼媽媽的身邊。但是狼媽媽非常警惕，不讓他靠近。為了讓狼媽媽和小狼崽都生存下去，作者開始投喂狼媽媽。經(jīng)過連續(xù)四天的投喂和接觸，狼媽媽漸漸放松了警惕，開始接受作者的善意。本文講述的是發(fā)生在第五天以及之后的故事。

全篇譯文

第五天黃昏，我給狼媽媽送來了每日的鹿肉。我走近時(shí)輕聲說道：“這是晚餐，來吧，大妞。沒什么好害怕的?！蓖蝗?，小狼們向我撲來。至少我得到了他們的信任。但我開始對贏得狼媽媽的信任不抱什么希望了。然后我想我看到了她的尾巴輕微地?cái)[動(dòng)了一下。我在她鏈條長度內(nèi)移動(dòng)。她一動(dòng)不動(dòng)。我坐在離她八英尺的地方，緊張得心都提到了嗓子眼兒。她巨大的下巴一咬，就可能咬斷我的胳膊……或脖子。我把毯子裹在身上，慢慢地躺在冰冷的地面上。過了很長時(shí)間我才睡著。

黎明時(shí)分，我被幼崽的吃奶聲驚醒。我輕輕地俯身撫摸它們。狼媽媽僵直著身體。我試探性地說：“早上好，伙計(jì)們?！比缓笪衣匕咽址旁诶菋寢屖軅耐壬?。她縮了回去，但沒有做出威脅性的舉動(dòng)。這不可能啊，我想。但事實(shí)的確如此。

我可以看到，夾子的鋼齒只夾住了（狼媽媽的）兩個(gè)腳趾。它們腫起來，撕裂了，但如果我能幫她解開，她就不會失去這只爪子。

我說：“好，再等一小會兒，我就把你救出來?！蔽矣昧它c(diǎn)兒勁，夾子彈開了，狼解脫了。

她嗚咽著，四處跑動(dòng)，護(hù)著受傷的爪子。我在野外的經(jīng)驗(yàn)表明，這只狼現(xiàn)在會聚集她的幼崽，然后消失在森林中。但她小心翼翼地向我走來。當(dāng)狼媽媽停在我的胳膊肘旁時(shí)，小狼們頑皮地啃咬著她。她慢慢地嗅了嗅我的手和胳膊，然后開始舔我的手指。我很震驚。這違背了我曾聽說過的關(guān)于森林狼的一切。然而，奇怪的是，這一切又似乎如此自然。

過了一會兒，她的幼崽們開始在狼媽媽身邊亂竄，狼媽媽準(zhǔn)備離開，開始一瘸一拐地走向森林。然后她朝我轉(zhuǎn)過身來。

我問：“你想讓我和你一起去嗎，大妞？”出于好奇，我收拾好裝備出發(fā)了。

沿著銀河溪走了幾英里，我們爬上了庫普雷諾夫山，直到我們到達(dá)一片高寒草甸草地。在森林的外圍潛伏著一個(gè)狼群——我數(shù)了數(shù)，有九只成年狼，從它們頑皮又滑稽的動(dòng)作來看，還有四只接近成年的幼狼。打了幾分鐘招呼后，那群狼突然嚎叫起來。

天黑時(shí)，我搭起了帳篷。借著我的火光和明亮的月亮，我可以看到鬼鬼祟祟的狼的身影在陰影中晃動(dòng)，眼睛熠熠發(fā)光。我沒有恐懼。他們只是好奇。我也是。

天一亮我就醒了。是時(shí)候把狼留給她的狼群了。她看著我整理好裝備，開始穿過草地。

到達(dá)遠(yuǎn)處，我回頭看了看。狼媽媽和她的幼崽們坐在我離開他們的地方，望著我。我也不知道為什么，但我還是揮了揮手。與此同時(shí)，狼媽媽在清冽的空氣中發(fā)出了一聲長長的悲傷的嚎叫。

詞匯積累

faren.飯菜；車費(fèi)，船費(fèi)，飛機(jī)票價(jià)；出租車乘客

boundv.跳躍著跑

motionlessadj.一動(dòng)不動(dòng)的；靜止的

stiffenv.繃緊；變堅(jiān)定；（使）變強(qiáng)硬

tentativelyadv.試驗(yàn)性地

flinchv.畏縮；（突然）退縮

imprisonv.監(jiān)禁；關(guān)押

laceratedadj.撕裂的；受傷的

whimperv.嗚咽；啜泣

lopev.輕松地大步跑

vanishv.消失

creepv.悄悄地緩慢行進(jìn)（crept,crept）

scurryv.碎步疾跑

limpv.跛行；蹣跚

gearn.設(shè)備；所有物

meadown.草地；牧場

glisteningadj.閃耀的

furtiveadj.偷偷摸摸的，鬼鬼祟祟的

assemblev.集合；收集；裝配

閱讀小練

1.Why did the author fall asleep after a long time on the fifth night

A.Because he slept on the ground.

B.Because it was cold in the forest.

C.Because he was still afraid of the wolf.

D.Because the wolf needed nursing anytime.

2.What would happen if the author hadn’t saved the Mother wolf?

A.She would have lost a part of her body.

B.Her friends would have come and saved her.

C.Her pups would have turned to some passers-by.

D.She would have gotten rid of the steel jaws easily.

3.What did a timber wolf usually do after being freed from a trap?

A.It would begin to lick its fur.

B.It would escape into the forest.

C.It would smell a man’s hands and arms.

D.It would nip playfully at his mother.

4.Why did the wolf take the writer to her wolf pack?

A.Because she wanted to protect the writer.

B.Because she wanted the writer to help her family.

C.Because she wanted her family members to know the writer.

D.Because she had accepted the writer as a member of her group.

5.How did the wolf probably feel when the author left?

A.Mournful.

B.Reluctant.

C.Worried.

D.Excited.

美句積累

1.突然，小狼們向我撲來。

Suddenly,the pups _________________________.

2.我坐在離她八英尺的地方，緊張得心都提到了嗓子眼兒。

________________,I sat down eight feet from her.

3.我輕輕地俯身撫摸它們。

Gently,I _____________________________.

4.我用了點(diǎn)兒勁，夾子彈開了，狼解脫了。

I ____________,the trap _____________,and the wolf _____________.

5.這違背了我曾聽說過的關(guān)于森林狼的一切。

This ________________________ everything I’d ever heard about timber wolves.

6.過了一會兒，幼崽們在狼媽媽身邊亂竄，狼媽媽準(zhǔn)備離開，開始一瘸一拐地走向森林。

After a while,with __________________,the mother wolf _____________ and ______________toward the forest.

7.狼媽媽和她的幼崽們坐在我離開他們的地方，看著我。

The mother and her pups were sitting _______________________,________________.

答案和解析

閱讀小練

1.C。推理判斷題。本題問的是“為什么作者第五個(gè)晚上很久才入睡？”根據(jù)關(guān)鍵詞“the fifth night”和“fall asleep”可知，線索在第一段。根據(jù)第一段最后四句“My heart in my mouth,I sat down eight feet from her.One snap of her huge jaws and she could break my arm ...or my neck.I wrapped my blanket around myself and slowly settled onto the cold ground.It was a long time before I fell a sleep.”可知，“我”坐在離她八英尺的地方，緊張得心都提到了嗓子眼兒。她巨大的下巴一咬，就可能咬斷“我”的胳膊……或脖子?！拔摇卑烟鹤庸谏砩?，慢慢地躺在冰冷的地面上。過了很長時(shí)間“我”才睡著。由此可推知，作者對這只狼還是感到害怕，所以遲遲不能入睡。故選C。

2.A。細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)第三段內(nèi)容可知，“我”可以看到，夾子的鋼齒只夾住了狼媽媽的兩個(gè)腳趾。它們腫起來，撕裂了，但如果“我”能幫她解開，她就不會失去這只爪子。由此可知，如果作者不救狼媽媽，她將會失去一只爪子。故選A。

3.B。細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)第五段“My experience in the wild suggested that the wolf would now gather her pups and vanish into the woods...”可知，“我”在野外的經(jīng)驗(yàn)表明，這只狼現(xiàn)在會聚集她的幼崽，然后消失在森林中。故可知，通常森林狼被解救后，都會逃往森林。故選B。

4.D。推理判斷題。根據(jù)第七至九段的內(nèi)容可知，狼媽媽引著“我”來到了她的大本營，而其他狼并沒有攻擊“我”。由此可推知，狼媽媽把作者帶回到狼群之中是因?yàn)樗呀?jīng)接受了作者是狼群的一員。故選D。

5.B。推理判斷題。根據(jù)最后一段“The mother and her pups were sitting where I had left them,watching me.” 和“ At the same time,the mother wolf sent a long,mournful howl into the crisp air.”可知，狼媽媽和她的幼崽們坐在“我”離開他們的地方，望著“我”。與此同時(shí)，狼媽媽在清冽的空氣中發(fā)出了一聲長長的悲傷的嚎叫。由此可推知，這些狼不愿意讓作者離去。故選B。

美句積累

1.came bounding to me

2.My heart in my mouth

3.leaned over and petted them

4.applied pressure;sprang open;pulled free

5.went against

6.her pups scurrying around her;was ready to leave;began to limp off

7.where I had left them;watching me