美国小学英语教材5:第26课 邮件必须送达(8)

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　　Already those on the far side of the mountains had received their supplies from a wagon³ train which had gone out several weeks before. 那些住在山那边的人已经收到了几星期前已经用马车送去的补给。

　　Now it was necessary only to supply the posts closer to St. Joseph. 现在只需要提供给靠近圣约瑟夫的哨所就行了。

　　A swiftly moving train of twenty wagons⁴, drawn⁵ by mules⁶ and in charge of experienced fighting men, left the settlement; 一列快速行进的火车运送20匹马，由骡子拉着，有经验的勇士负责指挥，离开了定居点；

　　and with it rode William Saunders. 威廉·桑德斯也在其中。

　　His duty was to check the supplies as they were dealt out, to keep the records for Russell, Majors and Waddell. 他的职责是检查分发的物资，为拉塞尔、梅杰斯和瓦德尔做好记录。

　　Three days out of St. Joseph and a hundred miles to the west, a lone¹ rider overtook the wagons and passed them at a gallop⁷ with a wave of the hand by way of greeting. 在圣约瑟城的第三天，向西一百英里的地方，有一个孤独的骑手追上了货车，用一只手挥手致意，疾驰而过。

　　It was the Pony⁸ Express rider carrying the mail from the East on the second relay west. 是“快马邮递”的骑手在第二次向西接力赛时，扛着邮件从东边过来了。

　　Five miles ahead lay a remount corral; 在前面五英里处，有一所新马畜栏；

　　ten miles beyond it was the relay station where the pouch⁹ would be turned over to the man who would ride the third stretch. 再过十英里就是中继站，在那里邮袋将被交给第三段路程的那个人。

　　“There's snow a-coming,” said Big Jim Bartigan, leader of the wagon train, sniffing¹⁰ the air. “快要下雪了，” 货车首领比格·吉姆·巴提干看着天空说道。

　　“We'll try to make the relay station before night.” “我们将设法在天黑前到达中继站。”

　　When they arrived, the wagons were parked in a circle for the best protection, the mules and saddle animals were put in the corral, sentinels were selected, and the others set about getting supper. 当他们到达的时候，为了得到最好的保护，货车被停成一圈，骡子和马鞍上的动物被放在畜栏里，挑选好哨兵，其他人开始吃晚饭。

　　Half an hour later one of the sentinels cried out that a horse and rider were coming down the trail. 半小时后，一个哨兵喊道，有一匹马和骑马的人正沿着小路走来。

　　The man slumped¹¹ heavily forward upon the neck of the beast, clutching at the pommel of his saddle. 那人重重地靠在马的脖子上，紧抓着马鞍。

　　The animal shuffled¹² slowly along staggering from side to side, and as he came up to the wagons, stumbled, fell, and did not rise again. 那马摇摇晃晃地慢慢地走着，走到马车跟前，踉踉跄跄地跌跌撞撞，跌倒在地，再也站不起来了。

　　Wearily the rider dragged himself from beneath the animal, picked up his saddl ebags, staggered into the ring of wagons, and sank beside a fire. 疲倦的骑手挣扎着从马的下面爬了出来，拿起他的鞍囊，踉踉跄跄地走到马车圈里，在火旁坐下。

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