Chapter 1
Buck did not read the newspapers, or he would have known that trouble was coming.
巴克不读报纸，要不他早就能知道麻烦来了。
In fact, trouble was on its way for every strong dog with warm, long hair, from the coast of Seattle(西雅图，地名) to San Diego(圣地亚哥，地名).
其实，从西雅图到圣地亚哥沿海一线，麻烦正降临到每只长有温暖长毛的大型犬身上。
This was because men, stumbling through the Arctic darkness, had found a yellow metal.
原因么，人类跌跌撞撞地穿越了北极的黑暗，找到了一种黄色的金属。
And because shipping and transportation companies were advertising the discovery, thousands of men were rushing into the Northland(北部地区).
由于各家轮船和运输公司大力宣传这一发现，数以千计的人正涌进北部地区。
These men wanted heavy dogs, with strong muscles for working, and thick coats to protect them from the cold.
这些人想拥有大型犬，犬类健壮的肌肉保证了劳力，厚实的皮毛帮人类抵御严寒。
Buck lived at a big house in the sunkissed(阳光明媚的) Santa Clara Valley.
巴克住在圣克拉拉山谷一所大宅子里，那儿阳光明媚。
Judge Miller’s place, it was called.
这地方叫做:米勒法官的家园。
It stood back fromthe road, half hidden among the trees.
它矗立在街道后面，在树林中半隐半现。
There were big stables, where a dozen stable-boys(马夫) came and went;
家里有几个大马厩，十几个马夫忙来忙去；
there were rows of servants’ cottages and an orderly line of bathrooms(洗手间);
家里有成排的佣人小屋，洗手间排列有序；
there were long grape fields, green meadows, fruit gardens, and strawberry patches.
家里有长长的葡萄园，绿色的草坪，水果园，还有点缀其间的草莓园。
Then there was the pump for the water well, and the big concrete tank where Judge Miller’s boys swam in the morning and kept cool in the hot afternoon.
家里还有水井和水泵，大大的水泥池塘，米勒法官的几个儿子早上在里面游泳，炎热的下午在里面避暑。
And over this great domain Buck ruled.
而巴克，统领着这一伟大区域。
Here he was born, and here he had lived the four years of his life.
他在这儿出生，他在这儿度过了一生中的四个年头。
But Buck was neither house-dog nor cage-dog.
不过巴克不是看家狗，也不是宠物狗。
The whole kingdom was his.
整个王国都归他。
He jumped into the swimming tank or went hunting with the Judge’s sons.
他跳进泳池跟法官的儿子们一起游泳，或是跟他们一起去打猎。
He protected the Judge’s daughters on long midnight or early morning walks.
他追随法官的女儿们，在深夜或清晨散步时，保护她们。
On cold winter nights he lay at the Judge’s feet in front of the warm library fire.
寒冷的冬夜，书房里，温暖的炉火前，他躺在法官的脚上。
He carried the Judge’s grandsons on his back, or rolled them in the grass.
他背上驮着法官的小孙孙们，或者在草地上跟他们打滚。
He was king—king over everything that crawled, walked, or flew at Judge Miller’s place, humans included.
他是国王——米勒法官的家园里的一切生物的国王，不管是爬的，走的，还是飞的，人类也不例外。
His father had been a huge St. Bernard(圣伯纳犬).
他的父亲，一只巨型圣伯纳犬。
His mother had been a Scotch(苏格兰的) sheep-herding dog(牧羊犬).
他的母亲，一只苏格兰牧羊犬。
The dignity that came from good living and universal respect allowed him to act as if he were royalty.
生活优渥，举目尊崇，使他自有尊严，一举一动犹如皇室成员。
During the four years since he was a puppy, he had lived the life of a satisfied gentleman.
从他生而为小狗狗的四年间，他过着心满意足的绅士生活。
He had a fine pride in himself, and was even a little arrogant.
他内心自有适度的骄傲，甚至有一点点小傲慢。
But he had kept his pride by not becoming just a spoiled house-dog.
不过，他通过不成为一只被宠坏的看家狗保有自己的骄傲。
Hunting and outdoor delights had kept down the fat and hardened his muscles.
狩猎和户外娱乐减去了脂肪，坚实了肌肉。
To him, as to all cold-weather dogs, the love of water had been like a medicine and kept him healthy.
跟所有的耐寒型犬类一样，对他来说，水如同良药，爱水的天性让他身体强健。
And this was the kind of dog Buck was in the fall of 1897, when the discovery of gold in the Klondike(克朗代克，地名) pulled men from around the world into the frozen North.
1897年的秋天，克朗代克发现金矿，世界各地的人们蜂拥进寒冷的北方时，巴克就是过着这种生活的一只狗狗。
But Buck did not read the newspapers.
但是巴克没有读过报纸。
He also did not know that Manuel, one of the gardener’s helpers, was not to be trusted.
他也无从知晓，曼纽，花匠的一位助手，不可信任。
Manuel had one major sin—he loved to gamble.
曼纽犯有致命的原罪——他热爱赌博。
Also, in his gambling, he had one major weakness—he believed he could win through using a system, and so he was doomed.
而且，在他赌博时，有个致命的弱点——他相信通过下注赌法能赢，所以，他注定失败。
Because to play a system requires money, but the wages of a gardener’s helper do not cover the needs of a wife and many children.
为了下注，要有大笔金钱，可是花匠助手的薪金还满足不了妻子和一群孩子的需要。
On the night of Manuel’s betrayal, no one saw him and Buck go off through the fields.
曼纽背叛的那个晚上，他和巴克顺着田野走下去。
Buck imagined it to be merely a walk.
巴克想象这纯粹就是散个步。
They arrived at the little train halt.
他们到了小火车站。
A man talked with Manuel, and money passed between them.
一个男人跟曼纽交谈起来，他们交手了钱。
“You might want to tie up(拴紧) the goods before you deliver them,” the stranger said, and Manuel tied a piece of thick rope around Buck’s collar.
“交货之前，应该想到把货绑好吧，”陌生人说，曼纽把一根粗绳子梱到了巴克脖子上。
“Pull it, and you’ll choke him plenty,” said Manuel, and the stranger replied in agreement.
“拉住绳子，你就能紧紧勒住他，”曼纽说，陌生人回答说行。
Buck had accepted the rope with quiet dignity.
巴克带着平静的尊严接受了绑绳子。
To be sure, it was unwanted, but Buck had learned to trust men he knew, and to trust their greater wisdom.
老实说，巴克不想被绑，可是他学会了信任认识的人类，信任他们有更高的智慧。
However, when the ends of the rope were placed in the stranger’s hands, he growled a threat.
但是，绳子的俩端交到陌生人手里去了，他捕捉到一丝威胁。
To his surprise the rope grew tighter around his neck, shutting off(使停止) his breath.
更让他惊讶，缠在脖子上的绳子拉紧了，让他窒息。
In quick rage he sprang at the man, who met him halfway, grabbed him close by the throat, and threw him over on his back.
他勃然大怒，跃起扑向那个人，刚到半路，那人迎面而来，紧紧掐住他的咽喉，把他扔了个四脚朝天。
Then the rope tightened painfully, while Buck struggled in a fury, his tongue hanging out of his mouth and his great chest gasping helplessly(无助地) for air.
紧接着巴克被绳子拽得生疼，他愤怒地挣扎着，舌头伸出了嘴巴，巨大的胸腔无助的抽搐想要吸进空气。
Never in all his life had he been so poorly treated, and never in all his life had he been so angry.
他这一生中，从没被这么蹂躏过，他这一生中，从没这么愤怒过。
But his strength disappeared, his eyes grew dim, and he knew nothing when the train pulled up and the two men threw him into the baggage car.
可是，他的力量消失了，他的眼睛模糊了，火车开动时，他已经人事不知，俩个男人把他扔到了行李车厢里。
The next he knew, he was dimly aware that his tongue was hurting and that he was being moved along in some kind of a vehicle.
再次醒来，他模模糊糊感觉舌头受伤了，他在某种交通工具里面往前移动。
The harsh scream of a train whistle told him where he was.
火车尖锐的汽笛鸣响让他得知了身在何处。
He opened his eyes, and into them came the fierce anger of a captured king.
他睁开眼，怒火充斥着双眼，犹如被囚的国王。
The man sprang for his throat, but Buck was too quick.
那人跳过来掐他的喉咙，可是他太快了。
His jaws closed on the man’s hand, and they didn’t relax until he was choked unconscious once more.
他的双鄂紧紧咬住那人的手，直到又一次被勒得失去意识才松口。
“Yeah, he gets sick,” the man said, hiding his injured hand from the train attendant, who had been attracted by the sounds of struggle.
“对，他得病了，”那人对乘务员说，把受伤的手藏了起来。乘务员是被打斗声引过来的。
“I’m taking him up to the boss in San Francisco(旧金山). A skilled dog-doctor there thinks he can cure him.”
“我带他去旧金山找我们老板。那儿有位技术老道的兽医说能治好他。”
In a little shed behind a bar on the San Francisco waterfront(滨水区), the man gave Buck to the bartender(酒吧招待).
在旧金山滨水区，一家酒吧后边的小屋里，那人把巴克交给了酒吧招待。
Confused, and suffering terrible pai
n in his throat and tongue, Buck attempted to face his capturers(捕获者).
巴克困惑不解，嗓子和舌头疼得厉害，他忍着疼痛，试图直面捕获他的人。
But he was thrown down and choked repeatedly, until they succeeded in removing the heavy brass collar from off his neck.
可是，他被不停地扔出去，勒住，直到那些人成功地从他脖子上摘下了重重的铜项圈。
Then the rope was removed, and he was thrown into a cage.
接着摘掉了绳子，他被扔进了笼子里。
There he lay for the rest of the long night, in his anger and pride.
他躺在笼子里，怒火中烧，骄傲依旧，熬过了漫长的下半夜，
He could not understand what it all meant.
他理解不了，这都意味着什么。
What did they want with him, these strange men?
他们想要他做什么，这些陌生人？
Why were they keeping him locked up(锁起来的) in this narrow cage?
为什么他们把他锁在这个狭小的笼子里？
He did not know why, but he felt trapped by the vague sense of immediate danger.
他不知道为什么，不过他隐约感到陷进了即将来临的危险。
In the morning four men entered and picked up the cage.
清晨，四个男人进来抬走了笼子。
The cage was lifted into a cart.
笼子抬上了卡车。
Then he was passed through many hands, and finally he was placed in an express car(快递车).
然后，他被许多人转来转去，最后被安置进了快递车。
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