All Things Bright and Beautiful——让内心与世界相遇

2014-05-09夏辉

新东方英语 2014年5期

夏辉

吉米·阿尔弗雷德·怀特（James Alfred Wight），1916年出生于英格兰东北部的森德兰镇。23岁从格拉斯哥兽医学院毕业后，怀特开始在英格兰约克郡的瑟斯克镇行医。之后他忙于成家立业，生儿育女，在二战期间还在英国皇家空军服过兵役，直到50岁时才在妻子的鼓励下开始自己的创作生涯。为了避开为自己的兽医诊所打广告的嫌疑，他采用了吉米·哈利（James Herriot）这一笔名。1970年，怀特出版了《若它们开口能言》（If Only They Could Talk），1972年出版了《不该发生在兽医身上的故事》（It Shouldnt Happen to a Vet），但是反响平平，直到这两本书的合集《万物既伟大又渺小》（All Creatures Great and Small）在美国出版发行，他才收获了巨大的成功。几十年来，他的系列书籍行销英美，被改编成电影和电视剧，并影响了后世的兽医文学。1995年，怀特在瑟斯克镇附近的家中去世，结束了长达50余年乡村兽医的一生。《万物有灵且美》（All Things Bright and Beautiful）是继《万物既伟大又渺小》之后怀特的第二本合集。

Excerpts1）

Probably the most dramatic occurrence in the history of veterinary2） practice was the disappearance of the draught horse3）. It is an almost incredible fact that this glory and mainstay of the profession just melted quietly away within a few years. And I was one of those who were there to see it happen.

When I first came to Darrowby the tractor had already begun to take over， but tradition dies hard in the agricultural world and there were still a lot of horses around. And now， in less than three years the stream had dwindled， not exactly to a trickle but certainly to the stage where the final dry-up was in sight. This meant， in a way， a lessening of the pressures on the veterinary surgeon because there is no doubt that horse work was the roughest and most arduous4） part of our life.

So that today， as I looked at the three-year-old gelding5） it occurred to me that this sort of thing wasnt happening as often as it did. He had a long tear in his flank6） where he had caught himself on barbed wire7） and it gaped8） open whenever he moved. There was no getting away from the fact that it had to be stitched.

The horse was tied by the head in his stall， his right side against the tall wooden partition9）. One of the farm men， a hefty10） six footer， took a tight hold of the head collar and leaned back against the manger11） as I puffed some iodoform12） into the wound. The horse didnt seem to mind， which was a comfort because he was a massive animal emanating an almost tangible vitality and power. I threaded my needle with a length of silk， lifted one of the lips of the wound and passed it through. This was going to be no trouble， I thought as I lifted the flap at the other side and pierced it， but as I was drawing the needle through， the gelding made a convulsive13） leap and I felt as though a great wind had whistled across the front of my body. Then， strangely， he was standing there against the wooden boards as if nothing had happened.

On the occasions when I have been kicked I have never seen it coming. It is surprising how quickly those great muscular legs can whip out. But there was no doubt he had had a good go at me because my needle and silk were nowhere to be seen， the big man at the head was staring at me with wide eyes in a chalk white face and the front of my clothing was in an extraordinary state. I was wearing a “gaberdine14） mac15）” and it looked as if somebody had taken a razor blade and painstakingly cut the material into narrow strips which hung down in ragged strips to ground level. The great iron-shod16） hoof had missed my legs by an inch or two but my mac was a write-off17）.

I was standing there looking around me in a kind of stupor18） when I heard a cheerful hail from the doorway.

“Now then， Mr. Herriot， whats he done at you？” Cliff Tyreman， the old horseman， looked me up and down with a mixture of amusement and asperity.

“Hes nearly put me in hospital， Cliff，” I replied shakily. “About the closest near miss Ive ever had. I just felt the wind of it.”

“What were you tryin to do？”

“Stitch that wound， but Im not going to try any more. Im off to the surgery to get a chloroform19） muzzle20）.”

The little man looked shocked. “You dont need no chloroform. Ill haul him and youll have no trouble.”

“Im sorry， Cliff.” I began to put away my suture materials， scissors and powder. “Youre a good bloke21）， I know， but hes had one go at me and hes not getting another chance. I dont want to be lame for the rest of my life.”

The horsemans small， wiry frame seemed to bunch into a ball of aggression. He thrust forward his head in a characteristic posture and glared at me. “Ive never heard owt22） as daft23） in me life.” Then he swung round on the big man who was still hanging on to the horses head， the ghastly pallor24） of his face now tinged with a delicate green. “Come on out o there， Bob！ Youre that bloody scared youre upsetting toss. Come on out of it and let me have im！”

Bob gratefully left the head and， grinning sheepishly moved with care along the side of the horse. He passed Cliff on the way and the little mans head didnt reach his shoulder.

Cliff seemed thoroughly insulted by the whole business. He took hold of the head collar and regarded the big animal with the disapproving stare of a schoolmaster at a naughty child. The horse， still in the mood for trouble， laid back his ears and began to plunge about the stall， his huge feet clattering ominously on the stone floor， but he came to rest quickly as the little man uppercutted25） him furiously in the ribs.

“Get stood up straight there， ye big bugger. Whats the matter with ye？” Cliff barked and again he planted his tiny fist against the swelling barrel of the chest， a puny blow which the animal could scarcely have felt but which reduced him to quivering submission. “Try to kick， would you， eh？ Ill bloody fettle26） you！” He shook the head collar and fixed the horse with a hypnotic27） stare as he spoke. Then he turned to me. “You can come and do your job， Mr. Herriot， he wont hurt tha.”

1. 节选部分选自本书第19章，讲述了兽医吉米·哈利为马缝合伤口的一次惊险经历。

2. veterinary [?vet（?）r?n?ri] adj. 兽医的

3. draught horse：挽马，指专门拖拽重物的马，身材高大，力量很大。

4. arduous [?ɑ?（r）dju?s] adj. 困难的，艰难的

5. gelding [?ɡeld??] n. 阉割过的雄马

6. flank [fl??k] n. （动物肋骨和臀部间的）胁腹

7. barbed wire：带刺的铁丝网

8. gape [ɡe?p] vi. （断层、裂口、伤口等）裂开，张开

9. partition [pɑ?（r）?t??（?）n] n. 隔开物；隔板

10. hefty [?hefti] adj. 高大健壮的

11. manger [?me?nd??（r）] n. （牛、马等动物的）食槽

12. iodoform [a???d??f??m] n. [化]碘仿，三碘甲烷