The mare struggled fiercely, kicking and biting, and striking with her fore feet,
那母馬狂暴地掙脫,前后尥蹄,連踢帶咬,
but a noose was slipped over her head, and her struggles were in vain.
可一條套索套上它的頭頸,頃刻之間,它的拼命掙扎完全失去意義。
It was some time, however, before she gave over rearing and plunging, and lashing out with her feet on every side.
然而,好大一會(huì)兒工夫,那母馬狂亂地尥蹄亂跳,前蹄后蹄死命猛踢,
The two rangers then led her along the valley, by two strong lariats,
兩位騎手用兩條結(jié)實(shí)的繩索死死拽住馬,
which enabled them to keep at a sufficient distance on each side to be out of the reach of her hoofs,
沿著河谷兜轉(zhuǎn),繩索很長(zhǎng),騎手與馬匹才能保持相當(dāng)距離,確保不會(huì)被馬踢到。
and whenever she struck out in one direction she was jerked in the other.
無論馬朝哪邊拼命掙脫,另一邊繩索亦會(huì)緊緊拴著它動(dòng)彈不得。
In this way her spirit was gradually subdued.
最后,那馬終于被馴服地安靜下來。
As to Tonish, who had marred the whole scene by his precipitancy,
那位由于魯莽草率而打亂整個(gè)圍獵計(jì)劃的托尼斯,
he had been more successful than he deserved, having managed to catch a beautiful cream-colored colt about seven months old,
此行收獲不小,他捕獲了一匹大約七個(gè)月大小的奶油色馬駒,
that had not strength to keep up with its companions.
那弱小馬駒實(shí)在無力跟上馬群。
The mercurial little Frenchman was beside himself with exultation.
那位活潑機(jī)智、矮小的法國(guó)佬大喜過望地站在托尼斯身邊,
It was amusing to see him with his prize.
看著托尼斯收獲,開懷放肆地大笑起來。
The colt would rear and kick, and struggle to get free, when Tonish would take him about the neck,
小馬駒后尥前踢,掙扎著想逃走,突然,托尼斯一把抓住它的脖子,
wrestle with him, jump on his back, and cut as many antics as a monkey with a kitten.
朝它打個(gè)響亮呼哨,一個(gè)鷂子翻身躍到它的背上,像猴子耍逗小貓般盡情作樂,扮出一連串滑稽不堪的怪臉。
Nothing surprised me more, however, than to witness how soon these poor animals,
沒有任何事情能比這更讓人激動(dòng)不已,看著這些可憐的野馬,
thus taken from the unbounded freedom of the prairie, yielded to the dominion of man.
如此迅捷地被人們從它們無拘無束、自由生活的大草原上擄走,從此,它們不得不屈從人的意志。
In the course of two or three days the mare and colt went with the led horses and became quite docile.
兩三天內(nèi),那匹母馬和小馬駒將被牽到備用馬群中,很快將接受人為殘酷的馴服。