Old Baldy老秃子

"I declare! so the deacon's goin't o try his hand on Old Baldy, eh? " Jim Wheeler chuckled gleefully at the news, and rubbed his hands. Wall, mebbe somethin ''ll happen, he went on, an mebbe it won't, but I sha' n't be a mite s' prised if Old Baldy comes out a—top.

“我敢说，执事打算要冲老秃子下手了，嗯？” 吉姆·惠勒听到这消息开心地咯咯笑了起来，并搓了搓双手。 “嗯，或许会发生点什么，” 他又接着说， “或许也不会，不过，要是老秃子最后得胜，我倒一点儿也不会觉得意外。”

"The deacon's got a right powerful will, " Sim Grimes suggested dubiously. "An 'so has Baldy—powerful' st will in the country, bar none. But critters is critters and—" And Grimes was just preparing to unload his mind of certain ideas concerning man's primacy in the physical world, when the other cut him short.

“执事可是有着极为强大的意志的。” 西姆·格兰姆斯将信将疑地提醒道， “不过，老秃子的意志在村子里也是数一数二的。可牲口毕竟还是牲口，而且……” 格兰姆斯正想抛出他头脑中关于人在物质世界里最为优越的某些看法，可就在这时有人打断了他。

"Now jest look here, Sim Grimes! Have you ever hearn tell of one man what limbered up Old Baldy when Old Baldy wa 'n't so minded? There's Tucker an' Smith an 'Johnson, an' Olsen, an 'Ordway an' Wellman—didn't the whole caboodle try their luck at breakin 'Old Baldy's sperrit, an' didn't the whole caboodle give it up? Jest tell me this, Sim Grimes—did you ever in yer born days hear on one man or passel of men gittin 'Old Baldy on his feet when he took it into his head to lay down? "

“那我倒要问问你，西姆·格兰姆斯！你可曾听说过老秃子不愿意的时候，有谁让它服了软？塔克、史密斯、约翰逊、奥尔森、奥德伟加上韦尔曼——这一大帮人不都想碰碰运气制服它，可到最后还不是这么算了？那你告诉我，西姆·格兰姆斯——你一生中听没听说过有哪个人或是一群人能让老秃子在打定主意卧下时，乖乖地站立起来？”

"Mebbe yer right, " Sim Grimes assented mildly, then his old faith in Deacon Barnes returning, "But the deacon's got a right powerful will. "

“也许你说得对，” 西姆·格兰姆斯略表赞同，可是他对执事巴恩斯的信任依旧，于是说道， “可毕竟执事有着极为坚强的意志啊。”

"But Deacon Barnes jined a Prevention of Cruelty to Animals society, didn't he? " Grimes nodded. "An he don't b 'lieve in whippin' dumb brutes? "

“但执事巴恩斯还参加了一个反对虐待动物的协会，不是吗？” 格兰姆斯点点头。 “而且，他也不会赞同拿鞭子抽哑巴牲口的，不是吗？”

"Nope. "

“没错。”

"Then how in the land of Goshen kin he make Old Baldy git up when he ain't in the mood? "

“那么，要是老秃子不情愿，他怎么能让它在戈申的田地里乖乖顺从？”

"It's more 'n I kin tell, " Grimes answered, at the same time starting up his horses. But before he was out of earshot he turned and called back, But the deacon's got a powerful will!

“这我可说不准。” 格兰姆斯一边说着，一边驾起马车。但在他走出人们的听力范围之前，他转过头朝后面喊道： “执事毕竟有着坚强的意志！”

The farmers of Selbyville had little use for Old Baldy, and less regard; yet he was one of the finest oxen in the county, and perhaps the largest in the state. A good worker and a splendid yoke—animal, a stranger might have wondered at the celerity with which his various owners rid themselves of him, after having been inveigled into buying him. The same stranger might have worked him a week before he discovered why, and again an hour would have sufficed to unearth the secret. Old Baldy had but one fault—he was stubborn. And he manifested this stubbornness in but one way. Whenever things did not exactly go to suit him, he simply lay down in his tracks, there and then, consulting neither his own nor his master's convenience. And there he would stay. Nothing could move him. Force was useless; persuasion as bad. The heavens might roll up as a scroll, or the stars fall from their seats in the sky, but there Old Baldy would stay until of his own free will he decided to get up and move along. Never from the time yoke was first put upon him had a man succeeded in budging him against his will. It was asserted that he had caused more gray hairs to grow in the heads of the Selbyville farmers than all the mortgages of the past three generations. He always went absurdly cheap, and man after man had bought him in the fond hope of conquering him, and winning not only the approbation of his fellows, but a very good bargain. And man after man sold him for little or nothing, insanely happy at being rid of so much vexation of spirit.

赛尔比维尔镇的农夫几乎没怎么用过老秃子，更是很少考虑去用它；不过它倒是村子里最健壮的牛，很可能还是州里最大的一头牛。它算得上一个干农活的好牲口，同时还是一个拉车的好手，不知情的人可能会奇怪，为什么它的那些各色买主在被引诱买下它之后又要那么快地把它卖掉。同一位不知情的人或许用上它一个星期才能知道这其中的原因，又或许只用一个钟头就足以发现这其中的秘密了。老秃子就只有一点不好——太倔。它只用一种方式表示自己的倔强。每当它觉得有什么事情不合它意，它就会当场就地卧倒，根本不管自己或主人方便不方便。然后它就一直在那儿呆着。什么都休想让它动弹一下。动粗无济于事；哄也是白费。哪怕众天神像一幅画卷般出现在它面前，或者星星从它们在天空中的席位上坠落，老秃子还是在那里卧着不动，除非它自己想通了，决定站起来接着走。自打给它装上牛轭的那天起，还从没有谁能让它违背自己的意思移动过一步。都说它让赛尔比维尔镇的农夫们生了不少白发，比前三辈子合起来的所有抵押贷款还要令人发愁。它的卖价总是低得出奇，接连不断有人怀揣着那个难以实现的愿望将其买下，想着要将其驯服，不但能够赢得同乡的称赞，而且还可以得个便宜。可是买主们又一个接一个地把它卖掉，卖价很低或者干脆白送，然后为能把这么一个令人烦心的牲口处理掉而欣喜若狂。

"As stubborn as Old Baldy" became a figure of speech, the common property of the community. Fathers conjured obedience from their sons by its use; the schoolmaster employed it on his stiff—necked pupils; and even the minister, calling sinners to repentance, blanched the cheek of the most unregenerate with its brand. But in the language Deacon Barnes alone, it had no place. It was his wont to smile and chuckle when others made use of the phrase, till people remarked it would be a blessing if he only got the tough old ox once in his hands. And now, after Old Baldy had become thoroughly set in the iniquity of his ways, the deacon had bought him off Joe Westfield for a song. Selbyville looked forward to the struggle with great interest, and sly grins and open skepticism were the order of the day whenever the topic was mentioned. They knew the deacon had a will of iron, but they also knew Old Baldy; and their collective opinion was that the deacon, like everybody else who had tried their hand at it, was bound to get the worst of the bargain.

“和老秃子一样倔” 成了一个形象的说法，而且镇子上每个人都这么说。父亲们用这个说法唤起儿子的顺从；老师凭它对付顽劣的学生；甚至连牧师，在感召那些有罪之人忏悔时，都会借此说法将那些最为执迷不悟的人说得脸色发白。可唯独执事巴恩斯不这么说。别人说起这个词的时候，他也总是轻声微笑，直到人们开始议论要是哪天他能把这头老倔牛驯服那可真是上帝保佑了。而现在，既然老秃子的罪恶行径已经完全被大家所公认，执事就以非常便宜的价格把它从乔·韦斯特菲尔德手里买了下来。赛尔比维尔镇的人们饶有兴致地期待着这场争斗，无论何时提及这个话题，总会有人暗地里偷笑，也有人公开表示怀疑。他们知道执事有着钢铁般的意志，但他们也了解老秃子。他们的总体看法是，执事也会和其他尝试过驯服它的人一样，注定血本无归。

Deacon Barnes and Old Baldy were coming down the last furrow of the ten—acre patch back of the pasture. Five rods more of the plow and it would be ready for the harrow. Old Baldy had been behaving splendidly and the deacon was jubilant. Besides, Bob, his promising eldest—born, had just run half way across the pasture and shouted that dinner was ready and waiting.

执事巴恩斯和老秃子正沿着牧场后那块十英亩农田的最后一个犁沟前进。再多犁五下就能耙地了。老秃子一直表现得很好，执事甚是高兴。与此同时，鲍勃，他很有出息的大儿子，跑了大半个牧场过来，冲他喊话说晚饭做好了，正等着他开饭。

"Comin '! " he shouted back, no more dreaming that he would fail to reach the end of the furrow than that the dinner call was the trumps of judgment. Just then Old Baldy stopped. The deacon looked surprised. Baldy sighed contently. Get up! he shouted, and Baldy, with a hurt expression on his bovine countenance, proceeded to lie down.

“我这就来！” 他喊着回道，可他万万没有想到自己会无法到达这道犁沟的终点，更没料想到晚饭呼叫竟然成了判决的号角。就在这时老秃子停了下来。执事看起来一脸惊讶。老秃子满意地叹了口气。 “起来！” 他喊道，却只见老秃子继续卧在地上，它那张迟钝的脸上带着一种受伤的表情。

Deacon Barnes stepped around where he could look into his face, and talked nicely to him, with persuasion and pathos mixed; for he feared greatly for Old Baldy's well being. Not that he intended whipping him brutally or anything like that, but—well, he was Deacon Barnes, with the ripened will of all the male Barnes that had gone before, and he hadn't the slightest intention of being beaten by a stubborn old ox. So they just looked each other in the eyes, he talking midly and Baldy listening with complacent interest till Bob shouted a second time across the pasture that dinner was waiting.

执事巴恩斯绕到可以看到它的脸的方位，开始说好话哄它，听起来既像在劝说又充满了同情，因为他是真的很担心老秃子的健康。他可不想残忍地鞭打它或是干些类似的事情，可是——他是执事巴恩斯啊，他有着成熟坚定的意志，就像所有巴恩斯家族里故去的男人一样，而且，他可一点也不想被一个倔强的老牛打败。于是，他们就这么盯着彼此，他说得柔声细语，老秃子听得饶有兴致，直到鲍勃又一次在牧场那边喊他吃饭。

"Look here, Baldy, " the deacon said, rising to his feet; "if you want to lay there so mighty bad, 't ain't in me to stop you. Only give you fair warnin '—the sweets of life do cloy, and you kin git too much of a good thing. Layin' down in the furrer ain't what it's cracked up to be, an 'you'll git a—mighty sick on it before yer done with me. " Baldy gazed at him with stolid impudence, saying as plainly as though he spoke, Well, what are you going to do about it?

“听着，老秃子，” 执事说着，站了起来， “你要是这么想卧在那里，我也不拦着你。我只是好意相劝——生活过得太安逸了就会让人觉得腻，一件好事做过头的话你也会无法承受。一直躺在犁沟里并不像你想得那么好，在咱俩的买卖结束之前你就会对这种状态厌恶至极。” 老秃子却只是面无表情地、放肆地盯着他，分明就是在说： “好吧，你能拿我怎么办？”

But the deacon never lost his temper. "I 'm goin't o git a bite to eat, " he went on, turning away; an' when I come back I'll give you one more chance. But mark my words, Baldy, it'll be yer last. "

但执事从来不发脾气。 “我回去吃点东西，” 他接着说道，同时转身离开， “等回来时我再给你一次机会。可记住我的话，老秃子，那会是你的最后一次机会。”

At the table, Deacon Barnes, instead of being at all irritated, radiated even more geniality than was his wont, and this in the face of the fact that Mrs. Barnes had a mild attack of tantrums because he had kept dinner waiting. Afterwards, when he went out on the porch, he saw Jim Wheeler had pulled up his horses where he could look over the fence at the victorious Baldy. When he passed the house he waved his hand and smiled knowingly at the deacon, and went on to spread the news that the deacon and Old Baldy were "at it. "

饭桌上，执事巴恩斯非但完全没有生气，脸上反倒绽放出了比平日里更多的欢快，尽管巴恩斯夫人还因为他让一家人等着开饭朝他发了点小火。吃完饭，他走到了外面的门廊，这时看见吉姆·惠勒勒马停车，从栅栏上方看过去，瞅了一眼旗开得胜的老秃子。他经过执事家的时候朝执事挥了挥手，并冲他会意地笑了笑，接着就四处传播消息：执事和老秃子 “对上了” 。

But there was a certain unusual exhilaration in the deacon's face and step as he led off to the barn with Bob following in his footsteps. There he proceeded to load up his eldest—born with numerous iron and wooden pegs and old pieces of chain and rope. Then, with his ax in hand, he headed across the pasture to the scene of mutiny. "Come! Git up, Baldy! " he commanded. "It's high time we got this furrer finished. "

但当执事带着紧随其后的鲍勃走向畜棚的时候，他的表情和步子里都有着一种不同寻常的快活。他让自己的大儿子从那儿拿了好多铁钉和木桩，以及一些老旧的铁链和绳索。然后，他手里拿着斧子，穿过牧场朝叛变现场走去。 “来！站起来，老秃子！” 他命令道， “咱们是时候该把这条犁沟给犁完了。”

Baldy regarded him passively, with half—veiled, lazy eyes. "Reckon it be more comfortable where you are, eh? B 'lieve in takin' it easy, eh? All right. You can't say Deacon Barnes is a hard master. " As he talked, he worked, driving pegs all about the stubborn animal. Then from the pegs he stretched ropes and chains, passing them across Baldy till that worthy was hard and fast to mother earth—so hard and fast that it would have required a steam derrick to get him to his feet. "Jest enjoy yourself, Baldy, " the deacon called, as he started away. "I'll come up to—morrer after breakfast an 'see how you be. "

老秃子却只是用它那双半眯着的老花眼顺从地看着他。 “认为在这儿呆着你会更舒服，是吗？相信放松比工作好，是吗？好吧。你可不能说执事巴恩斯是个铁石心肠的主人。” 他一边说，一边在这个倔强的动物周围敲着木桩。接着，他就围着这些木桩来回拉扯绳索和铁链，在老秃子身上绕来绕去，直到把这位大人物和大地结结实实地固定在了一起——结实得似乎需要一台蒸汽起重机才能把它拉起来。 “好好享受吧，老秃子，” 执事大声说道，同时动身离开， “等明天吃了早饭，我再来看看你怎么样。”

True to his word, in the morning the deacon paid his promised visit. But Baldy was yet strong in his will, and he behaved sullenly as animals well know how. He even tried to let on that it was real nice lying out there with nothing to do, and that the deacon worried him with his chatter, and had better go away. But Deacon Barnes stayed a full quarter of an hour, talking pleasantly, with a cheery, whole—souled ring to his voice which vexed Baldy greatly.

他说话算话，早上就过来看它了。可是老秃子还是那么犟，它表现得一脸阴沉，就好像动物都知道该怎么做似的。它甚至极力假装自己真的很喜欢卧在那里什么都不做的状态，执事唠叨个不停只会让它心烦，最好走远点。可执事巴恩斯整整待了一刻钟，好言好语，声音里透着一种活泼又真挚的口气，这倒叫老秃子大为犯难。

In the evening, after supper, he made another visit, Old Baldy was feeling stiff and sore from lying in one position all day with the hot sun beating down upon him. He even betrayed anxiety and interest when he heard his master's steps approaching, and there was a certain softening and appeal in his eyes. But the deacon made out he didn't see it, and after talking nicely for a few minutes went home again. In the morning Baldy received another visit. By this time he was not only sore, but hungry and thirsty as well. He was no longer indifferent to his owner's presence, and he begged so eloquently with his eyes that the deacon was touched, but he hardened his heart and went back to the house again. He had made up his mind to do what all Selbyville during a number of years had failed to accomplish, and now that he had started he was going to do it thoroughly.

晚上吃过晚饭后，他又去看了老秃子一回。一整天都以那么一个姿势躺着，还有骄阳强烈地照射在它身上，老秃子感觉到浑身僵硬酸疼。当它听见主人靠近的脚步声时，它甚至流露出了一丝期盼和关切，眼神变得柔和起来，里面也有了些恳求。但执事装作没有看见，和气地说了几分钟话之后就再次回家去了。早上时，老秃子又迎来了一次探望。到此刻，它不只身子酸疼，而且又渴又饿。它无法再对主人的出现熟视无睹了，于是两眼含情地乞求着，执事都被感动了，可他最终还是铁了铁心，又回家去了。他下定决心要把整个赛尔比维尔镇几年来没做成的事做成，而现在既然已经开始做了，他就要把这事做到底。

When he came out again after dinner, Baldy was abject in his humility. His pleading eyes followed his master about unceasingly, and once, when the deacon turned as though to go away, he actually groaned. "Sweets do cloy, eh? " Deacon Barnes said, coming back. "Even lyin 'in the furrer is vanity and vexation, eh? Well, I guess we'll finish this furrer now. What d' you say Baldy? And after that you kin have somethin't o eat an 'a couple o' buckets of water. Eh? What d 'you say? "

当他吃过晚饭再次出来的时候，老秃子已经老实得可怜。它满是哀求的双眼不停地跟着主人转来转去。这一次，当执事转身仿佛要走时，它竟然呻吟了起来。 “好东西太多了也会腻，是吗？” 执事说着，转了回来。 “即使卧在犁沟里也会让人空虚和心烦，是吗？好吧，我想现在咱得把这一垄犁完。你说呢，老秃子？犁完后，你就能吃点东西，喝几桶水了。好吗？你觉得怎么样？”

It can never be known for a fact as to whether Baldy understood his master's words or not, but he showed by his actions that he thoroughly understood when the ropes and chains were loosened and removed. "Kind o 'cramped, eh? " the deacon remarked as he helped him to his feet. Well, g' long now, le's finish this furrer. "

老秃子听没听懂主人的话，人们永远无法确切得知。但当绳索和铁链被松开并卸掉时，它用自己的行动表明它完全听懂了。 “抽筋了，是吗？” 执事一边说着一边帮着它站起来， “好了，现在走吧，咱们去把这一垄犁完。”

Baldy finished that furrow, and after that there was never a furrow he commenced that he did not finish. And as for lying down—well, he manifested a new kind of stubborness. He couldn't be persuaded or bullied into lying down. No sir, he wouldn't have it. he'd finish the furrow first, and all the furrows all day long. He grew real stubborn when it came to lying down. But the deacon didn't mind. And all Selbyville marveled, and a year afterward more than one farmer, including Jim Wheeler, was offering the deacon far more for Old Baldy than he had paid. But Deacon Barnes knew a bargain when he had got it, and he was just as stubborn in refusing to sell as Old Baldy was in refusing to lie down.

老秃子最终犁完了那个犁沟，自那以后，只要开干了，它就再没有半途而废过。至于说卧下——嗨，它又展现出了一种新的倔强。即使对它软硬兼施，它都不肯卧下。不，先生，它可不能容忍这样。它会先把地犁完，用上一整天把所有的犁沟都犁完。一说到卧下，它就变得非常倔。但执事并不介意。整个赛尔比维尔镇都为之惊奇。一年以后，不只一个农夫，包括吉姆·惠勒，都要买老秃子，出的价可比执事当时买它的时候要高得多了。可是执事巴恩斯做买卖可是看准了才下手的，老秃子倔得不肯卧下，他也犟着不肯把它卖掉。