英国语文第五册(双语):起火的大草原(7)
"But is this not fatal?" cried the amazed Middleton; "are you not bringing the enemy nigher to us, instead of avoiding it?"
米德尔顿惊讶地大喊道：“这难道还不致命？你确定没有把敌人引得更近?你确定避开了敌人了吗？”
"Do you scorch so easily? Your grandfather had a tougher skin. But we shall live to see,—we shall all live to see.
“你就这点挖苦人的本身？你祖父向来坚强。我们打赌看看。我们打赌看看。”
The experience of the trapper was in the right. As the fire gained strength, it began to spread on three sides, dying of itself on the fourth for want of aliment.
猎人的经验无疑是对的。当火苗力量增强时，就开始向三个方向扩散，而第四个方向由于缺少供给，火苗越来越弱。
As it increased, and the sullen roaring announced its power, it cleared everything before it, leaving the black and smoking soil far more naked than if the scythe had swept the place.
一旦火苗烧起来之后，火苗发出的沉闷的燃烧声，似乎宣告着它的力量，它清除了前方所有的障碍，只留下烧过的乌黑的土地，就像一把大镰刀扫过一样。
The area in which the fugitives had taken refuge increased as the fire advanced;
当火势变大的时候，就可以在这片地方躲避，
and by going to the spot where it had been first kindled by the trapper, they avoided the excessive heat.
因为这块空地在大火烧过来之前早已被猎人烧了一遍，所以他们避开了大火的炙烤。
In a very few moments the flames began to recede in every direction, leaving the party enveloped in a cloud of smoke, but perfectly safe from the torrent of fire that was still furiously rolling onward.
片刻之后，火苗开始从各处消退，他们被包裹在浓重的烟雾之中，倒是完全摆脱了危险，而火焰依然猛烈地向前翻滚。
The others regarded the simple expedient of the trapper with that species of wonder with which the courtiers of Ferdinand are said to have viewed the manner in which Columbus made his egg to stand on its end,
其他人把猎人的权宜之计看成是奇迹，就像传说中，国王费迪南德的侍臣看到哥伦布把鸡蛋立起来的表情一样，
though with feeling that were filled with gratitude instead of envy.
但是这种情绪满含着感激而非妒忌。
