Julie’s Wolf Pack (Excerpt VI)《朱莉的狼群》（节选六）

琼·克雷格黑德·乔治

One morning near the Colvill River， Sweet Fur Amy pricked up her ears and took in short sniffs of air. Then she broke into a sprint.

Kapu followed. She was on the trail of a caribou. Although he could not smell it himself， he trusted Amy. She could pick up scents five and six miles away and track them down. All wolves have incredible noses lined with hundreds of scent receptors， but Amy was extraordinary for even a wolf. He let her take the lead pointing their way into the wind.

They came upon a female caribou on the open flats. Everyone stopped， listened， looked， and sniffed. Eye messages from Kapu sent the wolves fanning out around the prey. Aaka， whose talent was herding， ran wide to bring the caribou toward the others. The hunters lowered their bodies and stalked slowly forward. The caribou sensed their intent and bolted.

She ran far ahead of the wolves. They slowed their pace， looking this way and that as if not at all interested in hunting. The cow stopped fleeing and browsed. When her head was down， the wolves stole closer. With two glances Kapu directed Silver to the right and Raw Bones to the left. Raw Bones saw an opportunity to cut off the leader and take his place， but he was not fast enough. Kapu saw what he was up to and put on a burst of speed， and he， Zing， and Amy charged the caribou. She lifted her head and ran nimbly away.

Ten times they tried to fell her. Ten times they failed. They gave up the chase. The life of a wolf is hard. Panting， their tongues hanging out of their mouths， they scanned the tundra for prey. The only movements were flowers and grasses dancing in the wind. Raw Bones sneaked up on the young leader and tried to ride up on him. A wolf statement of dominance. Kapu threw him off with a twist.

Suddenly a wolverine not far away startled a caribou to her feet. Infested with parasites， the cow had been resting on a last patch of snow. Her flashing departure set the wolves on a chase.

Within the half hour the hungry pack had their quarry. Raw Bones ran in to eat first as alpha males do. Kapu grabbed the scruff of his neck and pulled him away to let Silver eat first. Raw Bones snarled and grabbed Kapu by the throat， but the young alpha twisted him down. Snarling viciously above him， Kapu held him down on his belly with his regal posture until Silver and then Aaka had eaten. Then he let him up. Raw Bones must be kept in line. He was close to usurping the leadership by virtue of his age and his high rank as the father of Silvers pups. Winning a fight would do it. Kapu kept watch.

一天早上，在科尔维尔河附近，香毛艾米竖起了耳朵，短促地嗅了几下空气。然后她突然开始全力奔跑。

卡普紧紧跟着艾米。她在追踪一只北美驯鹿。卡普虽然自己闻不到，但他相信艾米。艾米能在五六英里之外闻到气味并且追踪到猎物。所有狼的鼻子都有数百个气味受体，但艾米是一只非同寻常的狼。卡普让艾米带领着狼群在风中奔跑。

他们在一片开阔的沼泽地追上了一只北美母驯鹿。每一只狼都停下来，倾听、观察和嗅一下周围。卡普用眼神示意，让狼群散开，朝着猎物包抄过去。阿卡的天赋是围猎，所以她跑得很远，要把驯鹿赶到其他狼那里。猎手们伏低身子慢慢地往前潜行。驯鹿察觉了狼群的意图，快速奔跑起来。

驯鹿在狼群的前面奔跑，离得很远。狼群放慢了脚步，东张西望，好像对围猎一点儿都不感兴趣。母驯鹿于是不再逃跑，吃起草来。驯鹿低头吃草的时候，狼群就偷偷地靠近。卡普瞅了两眼，让银白到右边，生骨到左边。生骨看到有机会可以抄到头狼之前去，取代头狼的位置，可惜他不够快。卡普看出来生骨想做什么，就突然加速。卡普、津和艾米朝那头驯鹿冲了过去。但驯鹿抬起头，轻快地跑走了。

就这样，狼群追了十次。十次都失败了。于是狼群放弃了这次围猎。狼的生存并不容易。他们累得气喘吁吁，舌头伸在外面，在苔原上继续搜寻猎物。然而苔原上唯一晃动的只有风中起舞的花花草草。生骨悄悄地靠近年轻的头狼，想骑到他背上。这是狼群之中宣称统治力的方式。但卡普一扭身把他摔了下去。

突然，不远处有一只狼獾惊起了一只驯鹿。那只母驯鹿感染了寄生虫，一直趴在一片残雪上休息。驯鹿跳起来奔跑，又引发了狼群的追逐。

半小时之内，饥饿的狼群终于抓到了猎物。生骨跑过来，想和头狼一样第一个进食。但卡普拽住他的后颈把他拉到一边，让银白先吃。生骨嘶吼着，咬住卡普的喉咙，但年轻的头狼又把他摔倒在地。卡普怒吼着，把生骨紧紧按住让他趴在地上，而自己保持着帝王般高昂的姿态，直到银白和阿卡都吃完，才让生骨起来。生骨必须遵守狼群的秩序。生骨年龄比较大，还是银白所生狼崽儿的父亲，所以级别高，很容易篡夺狼群的领导权——只要打败了头狼就可以。所以，卡普必须保持警惕。

【背景知识】狼群的生活并不容易，也不是每一次捕猎都成功。群狼各有各的绝招，有的嗅觉灵敏，有的善于捕猎，集体合作才是最好的方式。年輕的卡普要取得成功，必须依靠所有成员的天赋，还要时刻警惕别人抢走自己的头狼位置。

【第一段】took in short sniffs如直译，会是“几次简短的嗅”，中文不能接受，所以译文是“短促地嗅了几下空气”。

【第二段】中英文之间的一大区别是英文多用代词，而中文多用名词。因此，英译汉时很多情况下原文的代词要转换为中文的名词，这样指代更清楚。第一句译文添加了名词“艾米”，第二句的代词he在译文里转化为名词“卡普”，第三句的代词she在译文中转化为名词“艾米”。这些都是中英文之间较为常见的代词和名词互换。倒数第二句中Amy was extraordinary for even a wolf（直译：艾米即使对狼来说也是不寻常的）不宜直译，需要稍作变通。

【第三段】第三句中的主语eye messages不符合中文习惯，因为中文一般用人物作主语（eye messages from Kapu sent wolves fanning out around the prey直译为“卡普发出的眼神信息让狼群绕着猎物包抄过去”），所以译文调整为“卡普用眼神示意，让狼群散开，朝着猎物包抄过去”。

【第四段】第一句也可以直译为“驯鹿远远地在狼群前面奔跑”，但稍感不流畅。第四句中when her head was down也可以译为“当她低下头的时候”，但译文明晰化为“驯鹿低头吃草的时候”。这一次捕猎失败其实有生骨的责任。他贪功有私心，导致围猎被驯鹿发现，驯鹿得以提前跑掉。

【第五段】前两句两次使用ten times，而且放在句子开头，有强调和重复的修辞作用，中文却不宜照搬过来;译文添加了“就这样”，以补偿修辞的效果。第四句中的短语the life of a wolf不宜直译为“一只狼的生活”，显得过于刻板;译文概括化为“狼的生存”。原文倒数第二句是一个名词短语，译文增译为一个完整的句子，让意思更完整。

【第六段】短语a last patch of snow直译为“最后的一块雪”，逻辑上有漏洞，译文调整为“一片残雪”。

【第七段】句子Kapu held him down on his belly（直译：卡普按住他，让他趴在肚子上）如直译会显得奇怪，译文添加了句子成分为“把生骨紧紧按住让他趴在地上”。短语regal posture意思是“帝王般的姿态”，具体指卡普仰起头显得高高在上，所以译文是“自己保持着帝王般高昂的姿态”。银白是卡普的母亲，生骨算是卡普的继父，所以在狼群里级别较高。但卡普为了维持自己的头狼地位，必须让生骨遵守狼群的秩序。

【小结】这一选段原文中有很多简短有力的句子，译为中文时需要适当添加句子成分，才更加符合中文习惯，意思才更明白。同时，选段中有些英文短语非常地道，不宜直译为中文，需要适当调整语序或者转换叙述方式才能更好地被中文读者接受。                                                                                   □