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"Parables don't lie, but liars will parable. " —Lip—King.
“寓言不会骗人，但是骗子会说寓言。” ——利普金”
Old Long—Beard paused in his narrative, licked his greasy fingers, and wiped them on his naked sides where his one piece of ragged bearskin failed to cover him. Crouched around him, on their hams, were three young men, his grandsons, Deer—Runner, Yellow—Head, and Afraid—of—the—Dark. In appearance they were much the same. Skins of wild animals partly covered them. They were lean and meagre of build, narrow—hipped and crooked—legged, and at the same time deep—chested, with heavy arms and enormous hands. There was much hair on their chests and shoulders, and on the outsides of their arms and legs. Their heads were matted with uncut hair, long locks of which often strayed before their eyes, beady and black and glittering like the eyes of birds. They were narrow between the eyes and broad between the cheeks, while their lower jaws were projecting and massive.
长胡子老头说着暂停了一下，舔了舔他油腻的手指头，然后用手指在他那张破熊皮没能遮住的侧身上抹了抹。在他周围蹲着三个年轻人，都是他的孙子，分别叫鹿跑儿、黄头儿和怕黑儿。他们长得几乎一模一样。他们都披着野兽皮，兽皮遮住了身体的一部分。他们都骨瘦如柴，臀部很窄，腿部弯弯曲曲的，但他们胸脯很厚，胳膊很强壮，手也很大。他们的胸脯、肩膀以及胳膊和腿部的外侧上都长着很多毛。他们的长头发未经修剪，经常一绺一绺地在眼前飘荡着。那又亮又黑的小眼睛就像鸟眼睛一样闪闪发光。他们的脸部轮廓是两眼之间窄，两颊之间宽，下巴很厚，还向外突出着。
It was a night of clear starlight, and below them, stretching away remotely, lay range on range of forest—covered hills. In the distance the heavens were red from the glow of a volcano. At their backs yawned the black mouth of a cave, out of which, from time to time, blew draughty gusts of wind. Immediately in front of them blazed a fire. At one side, partly devoured, lay the carcass of a bear, with about it, at a respectable distance, several large dogs, shaggy and wolf—like. Beside each man lay his bow and arrows and a huge club. In the cave—mouth a number of rude spears leaned against the rock.
这是一个星光熠熠的夜晚。在他们的下面是连绵的群山，树林茂密，一直绵延到远处。远方，天空被火山的光亮映得通红。在他们背后，一个山洞张着黑色大口，不时地向外吹出阵阵穿堂风。在他们面前，一堆篝火熊熊燃烧着。篝火的一边，躺着一头吃剩的死熊。在距篝火颇远的地方，还有几条大狗，毛发蓬松杂乱，像狼一样。每个人身边都放着自己的弓箭和一根大棍子。还有许多简陋的长矛靠在洞口的岩石上。
"So that was how we moved from the cave to the tree, " old Long—Beard spoke up.
“我们就是这样从洞里搬到树上的。” 长胡子老头大声地说着。
They laughed boisterously, like big children, at recollection of a previous story his words called up. Long—Beard laughed, too, the five—inch bodkin of bone, thrust midway through the cartilage of his nose, leaping and dancing and adding to his ferocious appearance. He did not exactly say the words recorded, but he made animal—like sounds with his mouth that meant the same thing.
他们都放声大笑起来，像大孩子一样。这句话让他们想起了他以前讲过的一个故事。长胡子老头也笑了，笑得他那从鼻子软骨中间横穿过的5英寸长的骨簪都一跳一跳的，让他的样子变得更加凶狠了。他所说的和记载的并不完全相同，但是他发出的动物般的声音表达了同样的意思。
"And that is the first I remember of the Sea Valley, " Long—Beard went on. "We were a very foolish crowd. We did not know the secret of strength. For, behold, each family lived by itself, and took care of itself. There were thirty families, but we got no strength from one another. We were in fear of each other all the time. No one ever paid visits. In the top of our tree we built a grass house, and on the platform outside was a pile of rocks, which were for the heads of any that might chance to try to visit us. Also, we had our spears and arrows. We never walked under the trees of the other families, either. My brother did, once, under old Boo—oogh's tree, and he got his head broken and that was the end of him.
“这就是我所记住的第一件关于海谷的事。” 长胡子继续说道， “那时我们这群人非常愚蠢。我们不懂得力量的奥秘。因为，你瞧，每个家庭都独立生活，自己照顾自己。我们这里有三十户家庭，但是我们从不互相帮衬。我们总是互相防范。我们也从不往来。我们各自在树梢上盖一间草屋，并且在屋外的平台上堆很多石头，这样，若偶尔有人想来造访，我们就用石头砸他们。并且，我们还有长矛和箭。我们也从来不在其他人家的树下走动。有一次，我哥哥从老布乌的树下经过，结果头被砸破，送了命。”
"Old Boo—oogh was very strong. It was said he could pull a grown man's head right off. I never heard of him doing it, because no man would give him a chance. Father wouldn't. One day, when father was down on the beach, Boo—oogh took after mother. She couldn't run fast, for the day before she had got her leg clawed by a bear when she was up on the mountain gathering berries. So Boo—oogh caught her and carried her up into his tree. Father never got her back. He was afraid. Old Boo—oogh made faces at him.
“老布乌非常强壮。据说他可以一下子把一个成年人的脑袋给拧下来。我从来没听说他这样做过，因为没有人愿意给他机会。我父亲也不会。有一天，我父亲去海滩的时候，布乌来追赶我的母亲。她跑不快，因为前一天她上山采浆果的时候被熊抓伤了腿。结果布乌就抓住了她，把她带到自己的树上。父亲再也没把她要回来。因为他害怕。老布乌还朝他扮鬼脸。”
"But father did not mind. Strong—Arm was another strong man. He was one of the best fishermen. But one day, climbing after sea—gull eggs, he had a fall from the cliff. He was never strong after that. He coughed a great deal, and his shoulders drew near to each other. So father took Strong—Arm's wife. When he came around and coughed under our tree, father laughed at him and threw rocks at him. It was our way in those days. We did not know how to add strength together and become strong. "
“不过父亲不在乎。当时还有另外一个强人，名叫壮臂。他是个一流的捕鱼好手。可是有一天，他爬上悬崖去找海鸥蛋，从上面摔了下来。从那以后他就再也没力气了。他咳得厉害，两个肩膀都快靠在了一起。所以父亲就抢了壮臂的老婆。每当他来到我家树下咳嗽时，父亲就嘲笑他，还朝他扔石头。那时我们就是这样。我们不懂得怎样齐心协力而变得强大。”
"Would a brother take a brother's wife? " Deer—Runner demanded.
“会有人抢自己兄弟的老婆吗？” 鹿跑儿问道。
"Yes, if he had gone to live in another tree by himself. "
“如果他搬到另一棵树上自立门户，他就会这样做。”
"But we do not do such things now, " Afraid—of—the—Dark objected.
“可是我们现在就不会做这种事了。” 怕黑儿反驳道。
"It is because I have taught your fathers better. " Long—Beard thrust his hairy paw into the bear meat and drew out a handful of suet, which he sucked with a meditative air. Again he wiped his hands on his naked sides and went on. "What I am telling you happened in the long ago, before we knew any better. "
“那是因为我对你们的父亲教导有方。” 长胡子把自己毛茸茸的手伸到熊肉里，抓出一把板油，若有所思地吮吸着。然后，他又把手在腰间露出肉的地方抹了抹，继续说： “我现在跟你们讲的都是很久以前的事，那时候我们什么都不懂。”
"You must have been fools not to know better, " was Deer—Runner's comment, Yellow—Head grunting approval.
“你们什么都不懂，一定是傻子。” 鹿跑儿这样说，黄头儿也咕哝着表示同意。
"So we were, but we became bigger fools, as you shall see. Still, we did learn better, and this was the way of it. We Fish—Eaters had not learned to add our strength until our strength was the strength of all of us. But the Meat—Eaters, who lived across the divide in the Big Valley, stood together, hunted together, fished together, and fought together. One day they came into our valley. Each family of us got into its own cave and tree. There were only ten Meat—Eaters, but they fought together, and we fought, each family by itself.
“我们就是这样，不过我们之后变得更傻了，一会儿你们就知道了。不过，我们还是学到了一些东西，这是必然的过程。我们这些食鱼人还不明白要齐心协力，不懂得将个人的力量转化为群体的力量。但是住在大谷分水岭那边的食肉人却非常团结，他们一起狩猎，一起捕鱼，一起打仗。有一天，他们跑到我们的山谷来了。我们家家户户都躲回了各自的山洞和树上。他们食肉人仅来了十个，但他们一起战斗，而我们却各自为战。”
Long—Beard counted long and perplexedly on his fingers.
长胡子掰着手指为难地数了很久。
"There were sixty men of us, " was what he managed to say with fingers and lips combined. "And we were very strong, only we did not know it. So we watched the ten men attack Boo—oogh's tree. He made a good fight, but he had no chance. We looked on. When some of the Meat—Eaters tried to climb the tree, Boo—oogh had to show himself in order to drop stones on their heads, whereupon the other Meat—Eaters, who were waiting for that very thing, shot him full of arrows. And that was the end of Boo—oogh.
“那时我们有六十个男人，” 他努力一边用手指比划一边说， “并且我们的力量非常强大，只是我们自己不懂。我们眼睁睁地看着那十个人围攻布乌家的树。他拼命和他们对攻，但是毫无扭转败局的机会。我们都袖手旁观。有几个食肉人想爬上树，布乌只好出来扔石头砸他们的头，谁知被其他几个早已伺机而动的食肉人射得浑身中箭。布乌就这样送了命。”
"Next, the Meat—Eaters got One—Eye and his family in his cave. They built a fire in the mouth and smoked him out, like we smoked out the bear there to—day. Then they went after Six—Fingers, up his tree, and, while they were killing him and his grown son, the rest of us ran away. They caught some of our women, and killed two old men who could not run fast and several children. The women they carried away with them to the Big Valley.
“接下来，食肉人又去攻打住在山洞里的独眼一家。他们在洞口放了把火，将独眼熏了出来，就像咱们现在放火把狗熊熏出来一样。然后他们爬到树上去抓六指一家，杀了他和他的大儿子。我们这些剩下的人趁机逃跑了。他们还抓走了这里的一些女人，杀了两个跑不快的老人和几个孩子。那些女人都被他们带到大谷里去了。”
"After that the rest of us crept back, and, somehow, perhaps because we were in fear and felt the need for one another, we talked the thing over. It was our first council—our first real council. And in that council we formed our first tribe. For we had learned the lesson. Of the ten Meat—Eaters, each man had had the strength of ten, for the ten had fought as one man. They had added their strength together. But of the thirty families and the sixty men of us, we had had the strength of but one man, for each had fought alone.
“之后我们这些剩下的人又悄悄回来了。不知为何，我们一起商量起这件事情来，也许是因为心里害怕，觉得彼此需要的缘故。这是我们的第一次会议——我们第一次真正的会议。而且在那次会议上我们成立了我们的第一个部落。因为我们吸取了教训。那十个食肉人，每个人的力量都足以以一抵十，因为他们十人是团结一致在战斗。他们把力量集中在一起。但是，我们三十户人家，六十个男人，可我们的力量只抵得上一个人，因为我们各自为战。”
"It was a great talk we had, and it was hard talk, for we did not have the words then as now with which to talk. The Bug made some of the words long afterward, and so did others of us make words from time to time. But in the end we agreed to add our strength together and to be as one man when the Meat—Eaters came over the divide to steal our women. And that was the tribe.
“那次我们讨论了很久，但讨论得很艰难，因为那时我们还没有现在说的语言。过了很久以后，一个叫臭虫的人造了一些字，其他的人也陆续造了一些字。但不管怎样，我们最后达成了共识，等到食肉人再翻过分水岭来抢我们的女人时，我们要集中力量，团结一致。就这样，我们有了部落。”
"We set two men on the divide, one for the day and one for the night, to watch if the Meat—Eaters came. These were the eyes of the tribe. Then, also, day and night, there were to be ten men awake with their clubs and spears and arrows in their hands, ready to fight. Before, when a man went after fish, or clams, or gull—eggs, he carried his weapons with him, and half the time he was getting food and half the time watching for fear some other man would get him. Now that was all changed. The men went out without their weapons and spent all their time getting food. Likewise, when the women went into the mountains after roots and berries, five of the ten men went with them to guard them. While all the time, day and night, the eyes of the tribe watched from the top of the divide.
“我们派了两个人在分水岭上放哨，一个白天站，一个晚上站，以防食肉人过来。这两人是整个部落的耳目。同时，还有十个男人每日每夜手持棍棒、长矛和箭，准备打仗。以前，每当一个人捕鱼、捉蛤蚌或者掏海鸥蛋的时候，他都随身带着武器，一边捕获食物，一边防备别人来侵袭。现在情况完全变了。男人们出门不带武器了，他们所有的时间都用来猎捕食物。同样地，每逢女人们进山去挖根茎和浆果的时候，十个男人中会有五个人跟着去保护她们。而且部落的耳目也时时刻刻不分昼夜地在分水岭上监视着。”
"But troubles came. As usual, it was about the women. Men without wives wanted other men's wives, and there was much fighting between men, and now and again one got his head smashed or a spear through his body. While one of the watchers was on top of the divide, another man stole his wife, and he came down to fight. Then the other watcher was in fear that some one would take his wife, and he came down likewise. Also, there was trouble among the ten men who carried always their weapons, and they fought five against five, till some ran away down the coast and the others ran after them.
“但是麻烦还是来了。照例还是为了女人。没有老婆的男人想要别人的老婆。男人之间战争不断，时不时就有人脑袋被砸碎了，或有人被长矛刺穿了身体。有一次，一个看守人正在分水岭顶上放哨，另外一个人抢走了他的老婆，于是他赶紧下山去与那人搏斗。另外一个看守人因为害怕别人抢走他的老婆，于是也下了山。同时，那十个带武器的男人之间也出了乱子。他们五对五打起架来，结果一些人沿着海边逃跑，另外一些人在后面穷追不舍。”
"So it was that the tribe was left without eyes or guards. We had not the strength of sixty. We had no strength at all. So we held a council and made our first laws. I was but a cub at the time, but I remember. We said that, in order to be strong, we must not fight one another, and we made a law that when a man killed another him would the tribe kill. We made another law that whoso stole another man's wife him would the tribe kill. We said that whatever man had too great strength, and by that strength hurt his brothers in the tribe, him would we kill that his strength might hurt no more. For, if we let his strength hurt, the brothers would become afraid and the tribe would fall apart, and we would be as weak as when the Meat—Eaters first came upon us and killed Boo—oogh.
“这样，我们的部落就没了耳目和守卫了。我们没有了六十个人的力量了。我们根本没有力量可言。所以我们开了一次会议，制定了我们的第一批法律。那时候我还是个毛头小伙子，但是我记得这件事。我们商量着，为了使部落更强大，我们不能互相争斗。我们定了一则法律，谁杀了别人，部落就要处死他。我们还定了另一则法律，规定凡是抢别人老婆的人也要被部落处死。我们还说，无论谁的力量有多大，若他用自己的力气去伤害部落里的其他兄弟，我们也会杀了他，让他不再伤害别人。因为，如果我们由着他伤人，其他兄弟就会害怕，整个部落就会解散。我们又会变得毫无力量，就像食肉人第一次攻打我们并杀死布乌的时候一样。”
"Knuckle—Bone was a strong man, a very strong man, and he knew not law. He knew only his own strength, and in the fullness thereof he went forth and took the wife of Three—Clams. Three—Clams tried to fight, but Knuckle—Bone clubbed out his brains. Yet had Knuckle—Bone forgotten that all the men of us had added our strength to keep the law among us, and him we killed, at the foot of his tree, and hung his body on a branch as a warning that the law was stronger than any man. For we were the law, all of us, and no man was greater than the law.
“有一个力气极大的人名叫关节骨，他不知道什么法律。他只知道自己有力气，因此他趁势去抢了三蛤的老婆。三蛤试图反抗，但是关节骨一棍子打得他脑浆直流。可是关节骨忘了我们大家已经齐心协力来维护法律。我们在他家的树下处死了他，把他的尸首吊在树枝上以儆效尤，让大家知道法律比任何人都强大。因为我们就是法律，我们所有人，没有任何人比法律更强大。”
"Then there were other troubles, for know, O Deer—Runner, and Yellow—Head, and Afraid—of—the—Dark, that it is not easy to make a tribe. There were many things, little things, that it was a great trouble to call all the men together to have a council about. We were having councils morning, noon, and night, and in the middle of the night. We could find little time to go out and get food, because of the councils, for there was always some little thing to be settled, such as naming two new watchers to take the place of the old ones on the hill, or naming how much food should fall to the share of the men who kept their weapons always in their hands and got no food for themselves.
“后来又出了其他的乱子。哎呀，鹿跑儿、黄头儿和怕黑儿，你们要知道，建立一个部落不容易啊。事情很多，也很琐碎，而且召集所有人开会是件非常麻烦的事情。无论在早上、中午、晚上，甚至在半夜，我们都要开会。我们发现几乎没有时间出去打猎觅食了，因为总是有琐碎的事情需要通过开会来处理，比如指派两个新看守人去代替山上以前的看守人，还有决定分多少食物给那些总是随身带着武器而没有时间去打猎觅食的人。”
"We stood in need of a chief man to do these things, who would be the voice of the council, and who would account to the council for the things he did. So we named Fith—Fith the chief man. He was a strong man, too, and very cunning, and when he was angry he made noises just like that, fith—fith, like a wild—cat.
“我们需要一个首领来做这些事，他将是会议的发言人，并且要向会议报告他所做的事情。于是我们任命费兹费兹当首领。他也是个力气很大的人，而且极其狡猾。每当他生气的时候，他就像野猫似的发出费兹费兹的声音。”
"The ten men who guarded the tribe were set to work making a wall of stones across the narrow part of the valley. The women and large children helped, as did other men, until the wall was strong. After that, all the families came down out of their caves and trees and built grass houses behind the shelter of the wall. These houses were large and much better than the caves and trees, and everybody had a better time of it because the men had added their strength together and become a tribe. Because of the wall and the guards and the watchers, there was more time to hunt and fish and pick roots and berries; there was more food, and better food, and no one went hungry. And Three—Legs, so named because his legs had been smashed when a boy and who walked with a stick—Three—Legs got the seed of the wild corn and planted it in the ground in the valley near his house. Also, he tried planting fat roots and other things he found in the mountain valleys.
“那十个负责保卫部落的人被派去在山谷最窄处筑一道石墙。女人们、大一点的孩子们和其他男人也去帮忙，最终筑起了一道很牢固的墙。之后，所有家庭走出山洞，走下自己家的树，去石墙后面的掩蔽处搭起了茅草房。这些房子很大，比山洞和树好得多。由于大家齐心协力，组成了一个部落，所以人人都过得比以前好多了。有了墙、守卫和看守人，大家有更多时间去狩猎捕鱼、拔根须、采浆果；食物越来越多，也越来越好，这样就没有人挨饿了。有一个人，因为小时候被砸伤了腿，得拄拐棍走路，大家都叫他三条腿。他弄来了一些野谷种子，种在山谷里他家附近的地里。他还试着种肥大的根茎和他在山谷里找到的其他东西。”
"Because of the safety in the Sea Valley, which was because of the wall and the watchers and the guards, and because there was food in plenty for all without having to fight for it, many families came in from the coast valleys on both sides and from the high back mountains where they had lived more like wild animals than men. And it was not long before the Sea Valley filled up, and in it were countless families. But, before this happened, the land, which had been free to all and belonged to all, was divided up. Three—Legs began it when he planted corn. But most of us did not care about the land. We thought the marking of the boundaries with fences of stone was a foolishness. We had plenty to eat, and what more did we want? I remember that my father and I built stone fences for Three—Legs and were given corn in return.
“那堵墙、守卫和看守人保障了海谷的安全，而且因为食物充足，大家不用为了争食物而打仗，所以许多住在两边沿岸山谷的家庭和后面高山的家庭都搬来了。他们原来过着像野兽一样的生活。没过多久海谷就住满了人，数不清住了多少人家。可是，在这之前，本来可以自由使用的、归大家所有的土地已经被瓜分完毕了。三条腿种谷子的时候就先占了一块地。但是大多数人都不在乎土地。我们觉得砌石墙来表明地界是一件蠢事。我们有足够的食物，还需要什么呢？我还记得我和父亲为三条腿砌石墙，然后从他那儿得到了一些谷子作为酬劳。”
"So only a few got all the land, and Three—Legs got most of it. Also, others that had taken land gave it to the few that held on, being paid in return with corn and fat roots, and bear—skins, and fishes which the farmers got from the fishermen in exchange for corn. And, the first thing we knew, all the land was gone.
“于是只有少数人瓜分了所有的土地，而且三条腿占了大部分。而且，其他占了土地的人又把土地给了少数几个占住土地不放的人，换来了谷子、肥大的根茎、熊皮和鱼。鱼是农夫用谷子从渔夫那儿换来的。等到我们都明白过来时，所有的土地都已经被瓜分光了。”
"It was about this time that Fith—Fith died and Dog—Tooth, his son, was made chief. He demanded to be made chief anyway, because his father had been chief before him. Also, he looked upon himself as a greater chief than his father. He was a good chief at first, and worked hard, so that the council had less and less to do. Then arose a new voice in the Sea Valley. It was Twisted—Lip. We had never thought much of him, until he began to talk with the spirits of the dead. Later we called him Big—Fat, because he ate over—much, and did no work, and grew round and large. One day Big—Fat told us that the secrets of the dead were his, and that he was the voice of God. He became great friends with Dog—Tooth, who commanded that we should build Big—Fat a grass house. And Big—Fat put taboos all around this house and kept God inside.
“大概就在这个时候，费兹费兹死了，他的儿子狗牙当了首领。总之，他要求当首领，理由是他的父亲是前任首领。而且，他认为自己是一个比他父亲更了不起的首领。他一开始的确是一个好首领，工作也努力，这样，会议要做的事情就越来越少了。这时，海谷里出现了新的声音。那是歪嘴。我们本来没有把他放在心上，直到他开始跟死人的灵魂对话。后来，我们都叫他大肥，因为他吃得太多又不干活，长得又圆又壮。一天，大肥告诉我们他知道死人的秘密，而且他能说出上帝的旨意。他和狗牙成了很好的朋友，狗牙还命令大家给大肥建一间草房。大肥在他的房子周围立了很多塔布，并把上帝供在屋子里。”
"More and more Dog—Tooth became greater than the council, and when the council grumbled and said it would name a new chief, Big—Fat spoke with the voice of God and said no. Also, Three—Legs and the others who held the land stood behind Dog—Tooth. Moreover, the strongest man in the council was Sea—Lion, and him the land—owners gave land to secretly, along with many bearskins and baskets of corn. So Sea—Lion said that Big—Fat's voice was truly the voice of God and must be obeyed. And soon afterward Sea—Lion was named the voice of Dog—Tooth and did most of his talking for him.
“渐渐地，狗牙越来越凌驾于会议之上了。会议的成员抱怨起来，并提出要任命一个新的首领，但是大肥代表上帝发言，说不行。并且三条腿和其他占有土地的人也支持狗牙。而且当时在会议里最有势力的人是海狮，地主们偷偷地送给他土地，还有许多熊皮和一筐筐谷子。所以海狮就说大肥的话确实代表上帝的旨意，而且大家必须遵守。不久以后，海狮就被任命为狗牙的发言人，大部分话都由海狮代说。”
"Then there was Little—Belly, a little man, so thin in the middle that he looked as if he had never had enough to eat. Inside the mouth of the river, after the sand—bar had combed the strength of the breakers, he built a big fish—trap. No man had ever seen or dreamed a fish—trap before. He worked weeks on it, with his son and his wife, while the rest of us laughed at their labours. But, when it was done, the first day he caught more fish in it than could the whole tribe in a week, whereat there was great rejoicing. There was only one other place in the river for a fish—trap, but, when my father and I and a dozen other men started to make a very large trap, the guards came from the big grass—house we had built for Dog—Tooth. And the guards poked us with their spears and told us begone, because Little—Belly was going to build a trap there himself on the word of Sea—Lion, who was the voice of Dog—Tooth. ，" There was much grumbling, and my father called a council. But, when he rose to speak, him the Sea—Lion thrust through the throat with a spear and he died. And Dog—Tooth and Little—Belly, and Three—Legs and all that held land said it was good. And Big—Fat said it was the will of God. And after that all men were afraid to stand up in the council, and there was no more council.
“当时还有个小男人叫小肚子，他的腰很细，看起来好像从来没吃饱过的样子。在河口沙洲减弱了碎浪的威力之后，他在河口里面造了一个很大的捕鱼器。我们从来没有见过或者想过这种东西。他和他的老婆儿子为此干了好几个星期，而我们其他人都对他们的劳动嘲笑不已。然而，当他们造好了之后，第一天捕的鱼比整个部落一个星期捕的鱼还要多，大家都很高兴。河里适合造捕鱼器的地方只剩下一处了。当我和我的父亲以及其他十几个人开始造一个很大的捕鱼器时，守卫就从我们给狗牙造的大草房里出来了。守卫们用长矛刺我们，并让我们走开，因为小肚子已经得到狗牙发言人——海狮的允许，要在那儿造捕鱼器。” “当时有很多人抱怨，于是我父亲就召开了一个会议。谁知道他一站起来说话，海狮就用长矛刺穿了他的喉咙，他就这样死了。狗牙、小肚子、三条腿以及所有占有土地的人都说很好。大肥还说这是上帝的旨意。自那以后，再没有人敢在会议上站起来说话了，这样会议就不存在了。”
"Another man, Pig—Jaw, began to keep goats. He had heard about it as among the Meat—Eaters, and it was not long before he had many flocks. Other men, who had no land and no fish—traps, and who else would have gone hungry, were glad to work for Pig—Jaw, caring for his goats, guarding them from wild dogs and tigers, and driving them to the feeding pastures in the mountains. In return, Pig—Jaw gave them goat—meat to eat and goat—skins to wear, and sometimes they traded the goat—meat for fish and corn and fat roots.
“还有一个叫猪下巴的人开始养山羊。他是从那些食肉人那儿听说养山羊一事的，不久他就有了好多群山羊。其他没有土地、没有捕鱼器的人们为了免于挨饿，乐意为猪下巴干活，替他照看山羊，使它们不受野狗和老虎的侵袭，并且把它们带到山中的牧场吃草。猪下巴给他们山羊肉吃，给他们羊皮穿，以此作为他们的报酬。有时候，他们也拿山羊肉来换鱼、谷子和肥大的根茎。”
"It was this time that money came to be. Sea—Lion was the man who first thought of it, and he talked it over with Dog—Tooth and Big—Fat. You see, these three were the ones that got a share of everything in the Sea Valley. One basket out of every three of corn was theirs, one fish out of every three, one goat out of every three. In return, they fed the guards and the watchers, and kept the rest for themselves. Sometimes, when a big haul of fish was made they did not know what to do with all their share. So Sea—Lion set the women to making money out of shell—little round pieces, with a hole in each one, and all made smooth and fine. These were strung on strings, and the strings were called money.
“就在这时候，钱出现了。海狮是第一个想到这个主意的人，他把这个想法跟狗牙和大肥商量了一下。你们瞧，他们三个在海谷里什么东西都要分走一份。每三筐谷子中有一筐是他们的，每三条鱼中有一条归他们，每三只羊中得有一只归他们。他们拿出其中一部分来养活守卫和看守人，剩下的全归他们自己。有时候捕到一大网鱼，他们分到的鱼太多，都不知道该怎么办才好。所以海狮就让女人们用贝壳做成钱——先做成小圆片，然后在每个贝壳上穿一个洞，个个都光滑漂亮。将它们用绳子串起来，这一串一串的东西就称作钱。”
"Each string was of the value of thirty fish, or forty fish, but the women, who made a string a day, were given two fish each. The fish came out of the shares of Dog—Tooth, Big—Fat, and Sea—Lion, which they three did not eat. So all the money belonged to them. Then they told Three—Legs and the other land—owners that they would take their share of corn and roots in money, Little—Belly that they would take their share of fish in money, Pig—Jaw that they would take their share of goats and cheese in money. Thus, a man who had nothing, worked for one who had, and was paid in money. With this money he bought corn, and fish, and meat, and cheese. And Three—Legs and all owners of things paid Dog—Tooth and Sea—Lion and Big—Fat their share in money. And they paid the guards and watchers in money, and the guards and watchers bought their food with the money. And, because money was cheap, Dog—Tooth made many more men into guards. And, because money was cheap to make, a number of men began to make money out of shell themselves. But the guards stuck spears in them and shot them full of arrows, because they were trying to break up the tribe. It was bad to break up the tribe, for then the Meat—Eaters would come over the divide and kill them all.