At the end of a lane, flanked on one side by a quickset hedge, on the other by a wild common, what was called the copse commenced;
小路的一邊是簡易的柵欄,另外一邊是片空地,小路的盡頭就是小樹林了。
but before I arrived near the spot I heard a loud and tremendous cackling, and met two young, long-legged pullets, running with both wings and feet toward home.
可是還沒到小樹林,就聽到了咯咯的尖叫聲,兩只小母雞,張著翅膀,朝家的方向奔跑。
Jock pricked up his sharp ears, and would have set off at full gallop to the copse;
澤克馬上立起了尖耳朵,朝小樹林就要跑過去,
but I restrained him, hastening onward, however, at the top of my speed, thinking I had as good a right to see what was the matter as Jock.
我拉住了他以最快的速度向那個方向跑去,我想我和澤克一樣有權(quán)看一看究竟發(fā)生了什么。
Poor Yarico! An impertinent fox cub had attempted to carry off one of her children;
可憐的雅麗克!一只莽撞的小狐貍試圖叼走她的一個孩子;
but she had managed to get them behind her in the hedge, and venturing boldly forth had placed herself in front, and positively kept the impudent animal at bay.
她設(shè)法把小雞擋在身后的柵欄里,雅麗克冒著危險沖在前面,無禮的小狐貍明顯被逼到了死胡同。
His desire for plunder had prevented his noticing our approach, and Jock soon made him feel the superiority of an Englishmastiff over a cub fox.
小狐貍一心做強盜,沒注意到靠近的我們,澤克很快就讓他感到了英國馬士提夫獒犬的優(yōu)勢地位。
The most interesting portion of my tale is to come.
我就要講到最有趣的地方了。
Yarico not only never afterward ventured to the copse, but formed a strong friendship for the dog which had preserved her family.
雅麗克此后不僅不再冒險去小樹林了,而且還和保護了她一家的馬士提夫獒犬結(jié)下了深厚的友誼。
Whenever he appeared in the yard, she would run to meet him, prating and clucking all the time, and impeding his progress by walking between his legs, to his no small annoyance.
不論澤克什么時候出現(xiàn)在雞場,她都會跑去迎接他,咯咯地叫個不停,還會走在澤克的兩腿之間,給他造成了不小的煩惱。
If any other dog entered the yard, she would fly at him most furiously, thinking, perhaps, that he would injure her chickens;
如果別的狗進了雞場,她會猛沖過去,擔(dān)心她的孩子受到傷害;
but she evidently considered Jock her especial protector, and treated him accordingly.
可她顯然覺得澤克是她的保護者,因此對澤克非常親熱。