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Black Beauty: The Autobiography of a Horse by Anna Sewell, Chapter 11. Plain Speaking

Chapter 11. Plain Speaking

The longer I lived at Birtwick the more proud and happy I felt at having such a place. Our master and mistress were respected and beloved by all who knew them; they were good and kind to everybody and everything; not only men and women, but horses and donkeys, dogs and cats, cattle and birds; there was no oppressed or ill-used creature that had not a friend in them, and their servants took the same tone. If any of the village children were known to treat any creature cruelly they soon heard about it from the Hall.

The squire and Farmer Grey had worked together, as they said, for more than twenty years to get check-reins on the cart-horses done away with, and in our parts you seldom saw them; and sometimes, if mistress met a heavily laden horse with his head strained up she would stop the carriage and get out, and reason with the driver in her sweet serious voice, and try to show him how foolish and cruel it was.

I don't think any man could withstand our mistress. I wish all ladies were like her. Our master, too, used to come down very heavy sometimes. I remember he was riding me toward home one morning when we saw a powerful man driving toward us in a light pony chaise, with a beautiful little bay pony, with slender legs and a high-bred sensitive head and face. Just as he came to the park gates the little thing turned toward them; the man, without word or warning, wrenched the creature's head round with such a force and suddenness that he nearly threw it on its haunches. Recovering itself it was going on, when he began to lash it furiously. The pony plunged forward, but the strong, heavy hand held the pretty creature back with force almost enough to break its jaw, while the whip still cut into him. It was a dreadful sight to me, for I knew what fearful pain it gave that delicate little mouth; but master gave me the word, and we were up with him in a second.

"Sawyer," he cried in a stern voice, "is that pony made of flesh and blood?" "Flesh and blood and temper," he said; "he's too fond of his own will, and that won't suit me." He spoke as if he was in a strong passion. He was a builder who had often been to the park on business.

"And do you think," said master sternly, "that treatment like this will make him fond of your will?" "He had no business to make that turn; his road was straight on!" said the man roughly.

"You have often driven that pony up to my place," said master; "it only shows the creature's memory and intelligence; how did he know that you were not going there again? But that has little to do with it. I must say, Mr. Sawyer, that a more unmanly, brutal treatment of a little pony it was never my painful lot to witness, and by giving way to such passion you injure your own character as much, nay more, than you injure your horse; and remember, we shall all have to be judged according to our works, whether they be toward man or toward beast." Master rode me home slowly, and I could tell by his voice how the thing had grieved him. He was just as free to speak to gentlemen of his own rank as to those below him; for another day, when we were out, we met a Captain Langley, a friend of our master's; he was driving a splendid pair of grays in a kind of break. After a little conversation the captain said:

"What do you think of my new team, Mr. Douglas? You know, you are the judge of horses in these parts, and I should like your opinion." The master backed me a little, so as to get a good view of them. "They are an uncommonly handsome pair," he said, "and if they are as good as they look I am sure you need not wish for anything better; but I see you still hold that pet scheme of yours for worrying your horses and lessening their power." "What do you mean," said the other, "the check-reins? Oh, ah! I know that's a hobby of yours; well, the fact is, I like to see my horses hold their heads up." "So do I," said master, "as well as any man, but I don't like to see them held up; that takes all the shine out of it. Now, you are a military man, Langley, and no doubt like to see your regiment look well on parade, 'heads up', and all that; but you would not take much credit for your drill if all your men had their heads tied to a backboard! It might not be much harm on parade, except to worry and fatigue them; but how would it be in a bayonet charge against the enemy, when they want the free use of every muscle, and all their strength thrown forward? I would not give much for their chance of victory. And it is just the same with horses: you fret and worry their tempers, and decrease their power; you will not let them throw their weight against their work, and so they have to do too much with their joints and muscles, and of course it wears them up faster. You may depend upon it, horses were intended to have their heads free, as free as men's are; and if we could act a little more according to common sense, and a good deal less according to fashion, we should find many things work easier; besides, you know as well as I that if a horse makes a false step, he has much less chance of recovering himself if his head and neck are fastened back. And now," said the master, laughing, "I have given my hobby a good trot out, can't you make up your mind to mount him, too, captain? Your example would go a long way." "I believe you are right in theory," said the other, "and that's rather a hard hit about the soldiers; but--well--I'll think about it," and so they parted.


Chapter 11. Plain Speaking 11장. 평범한 말하기 Глава 11. Простая речь 第 11 章直言不讳

The longer I lived at Birtwick the more proud and happy I felt at having such a place. Cuanto más vivía en Birtwick, más orgulloso y feliz me sentía de tener un lugar así. Our master and mistress were respected and beloved by all who knew them; they were good and kind to everybody and everything; not only men and women, but horses and donkeys, dogs and cats, cattle and birds; there was no oppressed or ill-used creature that had not a friend in them, and their servants took the same tone. Nuestro amo y nuestra señora eran respetados y queridos por todos los que los conocían; eran buenos y amables con todos y con todo; no solo hombres y mujeres, sino también caballos y burros, perros y gatos, ganado y aves; no había criatura oprimida o maltratada que no tuviera en sí un amigo, y sus sirvientes tomaban el mismo tono. 我们的主人和女主人受到所有认识他们的人的尊重和爱戴。他们对每个人和每件事都很好，很友善；不仅是男人和女人，还有马和驴、狗和猫、牛和鸟；没有一个受压迫或受虐待的生物没有朋友，他们的仆人也持同样的态度。 If any of the village children were known to treat any creature cruelly they soon heard about it from the Hall. Si se sabía que alguno de los niños del pueblo trataba a alguna criatura con crueldad, pronto se enteraron en el Salón.

The squire and Farmer Grey had worked together, as they said, for more than twenty years to get check-reins on the cart-horses done away with, and in our parts you seldom saw them; and sometimes, if mistress met a heavily laden horse with his head strained up she would stop the carriage and get out, and reason with the driver in her sweet serious voice, and try to show him how foolish and cruel it was. El hacendado y el granjero Gray habían trabajado juntos, como decían, durante más de veinte años para conseguir que se acabaran las riendas de los caballos de tiro, y en nuestras tierras rara vez se veían; ya veces, si la señora se encontraba con un caballo muy cargado con la cabeza erguida, detenía el carruaje y salía, y razonaba con el cochero con su voz dulce y seria, y trataba de mostrarle lo tonto y cruel que era. Сквайр и фермер Грей, по их словам, более двадцати лет вместе добивались отмены контрольных поводьев на тележных лошадях, и в наших краях их редко можно было увидеть; иногда, если хозяйка встречала тяжело нагруженную лошадь с поднятой головой, она останавливала повозку, выходила и своим милым серьезным голосом объясняла водителю, как это глупо и жестоко. 据他们所说，乡绅和农夫格雷一起工作了 20 多年，以废除马车上的缰绳，但在我们这里很少见到它们；有时，如果女主人遇到一匹满载重担的马，它的头扭得紧紧的，她就会停下马车下车，用她那甜美严肃的声音跟车夫理论，试图让他知道这是多么愚蠢和残忍。

I don't think any man could withstand our mistress. No creo que ningún hombre pueda resistir a nuestra señora. Я думаю, что ни один мужчина не сможет противостоять нашей хозяйке. 我认为任何男人都无法抗拒我们的情妇。 I wish all ladies were like her. Our master, too, used to come down very heavy sometimes. Nuestro maestro también solía caer muy pesado a veces. Наш хозяин тоже иногда спускался очень тяжело. 我们的主人有时也会下得很重。 I remember he was riding me toward home one morning when we saw a powerful man driving toward us in a light pony chaise, with a beautiful little bay pony, with slender legs and a high-bred sensitive head and face. Recuerdo que me llevaba a casa una mañana cuando vimos a un hombre poderoso que se dirigía hacia nosotros en una calesa tipo pony liviana, con un hermoso y pequeño pony bayo, con piernas delgadas y una cabeza y rostro sensibles de alta raza. 我记得有一天早上他骑着我回家，当时我们看到一个强壮的男人驾着一辆轻便的小马车向我们驶来，他有一匹美丽的小海湾小马，修长的腿和高血统敏感的头和脸。 Just as he came to the park gates the little thing turned toward them; the man, without word or warning, wrenched the creature's head round with such a force and suddenness that he nearly threw it on its haunches. Justo cuando llegaba a las puertas del parque, la pequeña criatura se volvió hacia ellos; el hombre, sin palabra ni advertencia, hizo girar la cabeza de la criatura con tal fuerza y rapidez que casi la tiró sobre sus patas traseras. Recovering itself it was going on, when he began to lash it furiously. Recuperándose estaba pasando, cuando comenzó a azotarlo furiosamente. The pony plunged forward, but the strong, heavy hand held the pretty creature back with force almost enough to break its jaw, while the whip still cut into him. El pony se lanzó hacia adelante, pero la mano fuerte y pesada retuvo a la hermosa criatura con fuerza casi suficiente para romperle la mandíbula, mientras que el látigo aún lo cortaba. It was a dreadful sight to me, for I knew what fearful pain it gave that delicate little mouth; but master gave me the word, and we were up with him in a second. 这对我来说是一个可怕的景象，因为我知道它给那张精致的小嘴带来了多么可怕的痛苦；但是师父给了我命令，我们很快就跟上了他。

"Sawyer," he cried in a stern voice, "is that pony made of flesh and blood?" "Sawyer", gritó con voz severa, "¿ese pony está hecho de carne y hueso?" "Flesh and blood and temper," he said; "he's too fond of his own will, and that won't suit me." "Carne, sangre y temperamento", dijo; Es demasiado aficionado a su propia voluntad, y eso no me conviene. He spoke as if he was in a strong passion. He was a builder who had often been to the park on business. Era un constructor que había ido a menudo al parque por negocios.

"And do you think," said master sternly, "that treatment like this will make him fond of your will?" "He had no business to make that turn; his road was straight on!" "No tenía por qué hacer ese giro; ¡su camino era recto!" said the man roughly.

"You have often driven that pony up to my place," said master; "it only shows the creature's memory and intelligence; how did he know that you were not going there again? "A menudo has llevado ese pony hasta mi casa", dijo el maestro; "solo muestra la memoria y la inteligencia de la criatura; ¿cómo supo que no ibas a ir allí de nuevo? But that has little to do with it. Pero eso tiene poco que ver. I must say, Mr. Sawyer, that a more unmanly, brutal treatment of a little pony it was never my painful lot to witness, and by giving way to such passion you injure your own character as much, nay more, than you injure your horse; and remember, we shall all have to be judged according to our works, whether they be toward man or toward beast." Debo decir, Sr. Sawyer, que un trato más cruel y brutal de un pequeño poni nunca fue mi doloroso destino para presenciar, y al ceder a tal pasión, daña su propio carácter tanto o más de lo que daña su propia personalidad. caballo; y recuerda, todos tendremos que ser juzgados de acuerdo con nuestras obras, ya sea para con el hombre o para con la bestia". Должен сказать, мистер Сойер, что более негуманного и жестокого обращения с маленьким пони мне никогда не доводилось наблюдать, и, поддавшись такой страсти, вы наносите вред своему характеру не меньше, а то и больше, чем лошади; и помните, что всех нас будут судить по делам нашим, будь то по отношению к человеку или к зверю". Master rode me home slowly, and I could tell by his voice how the thing had grieved him. El Maestro me llevó a casa lentamente, y pude decir por su voz cuánto lo había afligido. He was just as free to speak to gentlemen of his own rank as to those below him; for another day, when we were out, we met a Captain Langley, a friend of our master's; he was driving a splendid pair of grays in a kind of break. Era tan libre de hablar con los caballeros de su propio rango como con los de abajo; otro día, cuando estábamos fuera, nos encontramos con un capitán Langley, amigo de nuestro amo; conducía un espléndido par de grises en una especie de fuga. After a little conversation the captain said:

"What do you think of my new team, Mr. Douglas? You know, you are the judge of horses in these parts, and I should like your opinion." The master backed me a little, so as to get a good view of them. "They are an uncommonly handsome pair," he said, "and if they are as good as they look I am sure you need not wish for anything better; but I see you still hold that pet scheme of yours for worrying your horses and lessening their power." -Son una pareja extraordinariamente hermosa -dijo-, y si son tan buenos como se ven, estoy seguro de que no necesitas desear nada mejor; pero veo que todavía tienes ese plan favorito tuyo para preocupar a tus caballos y disminuir su poder". "What do you mean," said the other, "the check-reins? "¿Qué quieres decir", dijo el otro, "las riendas? Oh, ah! I know that's a hobby of yours; well, the fact is, I like to see my horses hold their heads up." "So do I," said master, "as well as any man, but I don't like to see them held up; that takes all the shine out of it. —A mí también —dijo el maestro—, como a cualquier hombre, pero no me gusta verlos levantados; eso le quita todo el brillo. Now, you are a military man, Langley, and no doubt like to see your regiment look well on parade, 'heads up', and all that; but you would not take much credit for your drill if all your men had their heads tied to a backboard! Ahora, usted es un militar, Langley, y sin duda le gusta ver a su regimiento lucir bien en los desfiles, 'a la cabeza', y todo eso; ¡pero no tomaría mucho crédito por su ejercicio si todos sus hombres tuvieran las cabezas atadas a un tablero! It might not be much harm on parade, except to worry and fatigue them; but how would it be in a bayonet charge against the enemy, when they want the free use of every muscle, and all their strength thrown forward? Puede que no haga mucho daño en el desfile, excepto para preocuparlos y fatigarlos; pero ¿cómo sería en una carga de bayoneta contra el enemigo, cuando quieren el libre uso de cada músculo, y todas sus fuerzas echadas hacia adelante? I would not give much for their chance of victory. No daría mucho por sus posibilidades de victoria. 我不会为他们获胜的机会付出太多。 And it is just the same with horses: you fret and worry their tempers, and decrease their power; you will not let them throw their weight against their work, and so they have to do too much with their joints and muscles, and of course it wears them up faster. Y es exactamente lo mismo con los caballos: inquietas y preocupas sus temperamentos, y disminuyes su poder; no dejarás que se echen a perder su trabajo, por lo que tienen que trabajar demasiado con sus articulaciones y músculos y, por supuesto, se desgastan más rápido. You may depend upon it, horses were intended to have their heads free, as free as men's are; and if we could act a little more according to common sense, and a good deal less according to fashion, we should find many things work easier; besides, you know as well as I that if a horse makes a false step, he has much less chance of recovering himself if his head and neck are fastened back. คุณอาจขึ้นอยู่กับมัน ม้ามีจุดมุ่งหมายเพื่อให้เป็นอิสระเช่นเดียวกับผู้ชาย; และถ้าเราสามารถกระทำตามสามัญสำนึกได้อีกหน่อย และน้อยลงตามแฟชั่น เราควรพบว่าหลายๆ อย่างทำงานได้ง่ายขึ้น นอกจากนี้ คุณก็รู้เช่นกันว่าถ้าม้าเหยียบผิด โอกาสที่เขาจะฟื้นคืนชีพได้น้อยกว่ามากหากยึดศีรษะและคอไว้ด้านหลัง And now," said the master, laughing, "I have given my hobby a good trot out, can't you make up your mind to mount him, too, captain? Y ahora —dijo el maestro riendo—, le he dado un buen trote a mi afición, ¿no se decide a montarlo también, capitán? Your example would go a long way." Su ejemplo recorrería un largo camino". 你的榜样会有很长的路要走。” "I believe you are right in theory," said the other, "and that's rather a hard hit about the soldiers; but--well--I'll think about it," and so they parted. -Creo que en teoría tienes razón -dijo el otro-, y eso de los soldados es bastante duro; pero... bueno... lo pensaré -y así se separaron.