08 Sacred Circle

Chapter 8. Sacred Circle. The sun was going down as the three ponies galloped for home. The deep blue sky was streaked with golden red light. Back at the Lakota camp, the circle of teepees glowed in the setting sun. People were gathered around a large fire. Black Hawk led Jack and Annie to the camp. They got off their ponies and went over to the fire. Grandmother rose to greet them.

第八章 神圣圆环 三匹小马飞奔回家的时候，太阳正缓缓落下。 湛蓝的天空里划过一道道金红色的霞光。 回到拉科塔营地，一圈圆锥形帐篷在夕阳下闪着暖光。 大家都围聚在一堆大大的篝火旁。 黑鹰领着杰克和安妮来到营地。 他们跳下小马，走到篝火边。 奶奶站起身来迎接他们。

You have been gone a long time, she said. Blackhawk looked her bravely in the eye. Grandmother, I tried to hunt the buffalo alone, he said. One charged at me, but Jack saved my life. Then Annie and White Buffalo Woman stopped all the other buffalo from a stampede. Let this be a lesson to you, Grandmother said sternly. Your pride led you to show off. Showing off made you behave foolishly. Your foolishness frightened a buffalo, he frightened others. One thing always leads to another. Everything is related. I am sorry, said Blackhawk. He hung his head. I have learned. Jack felt sorry for Blackhawk.

你们去了好久呀，她说。黑鹰勇敢地迎上她的目光。 奶奶，我本来想独自捕猎野牛的，他说。有一头野牛朝我冲过来，是杰克救了我的命。 后来安妮和白水牛女士阻止了其他野牛乱跑踩踏。 你可得好好吸取这次的教训，奶奶严肃地说。你太骄傲，就爱逞能。 逞能让你做事蠢乎乎的。你蠢乎乎的举动吓到了一头野牛，那头野牛又吓到了其他同伴。 事情从来都是一环扣一环的。 万事万物都是彼此相连的。 我错了，黑鹰说。他耷拉着脑袋。我记住教训了。 杰克有点替黑鹰难过。

I make mistakes sometimes, too," he said softly. Me, too," said Annie. Grandmother looked at Jack and Annie. Buffalo Girl and Rides Like Wind showed great courage today, she said. Jack smiled. He loved his new Lakota name, Rides Like Wind. We welcome you to our family," said Grandmother. The evening shadows spread over the camp. Someone began beating a drum. It sounded like a heartbeat. Come, sit with us in our circle," said Grandmother. They sat with her near the warm fire. A cool breeze blew sparks into the gray twilight.

我有时候也会犯错的，"他轻声说。 我也是，"安妮说。 奶奶看向杰克和安妮。 野牛女孩和风驰今天表现得特别勇敢，她说。 杰克笑了。 他可喜欢自己的新拉科塔名字啦——风驰。 我们欢迎你们加入我们的大家庭，"奶奶说。 暮色渐渐笼罩了整个营地。 有人开始敲起鼓来。 鼓声听起来就像心跳一样。 来吧，和我们一起坐成一圈，"奶奶说。 他们挨着她坐在暖融融的篝火边。 一阵凉风吹过，把火星吹进了灰蒙蒙的暮色里。

An old man held a long pipe up to the sky. He pointed it to the east, the south, the west, and the north. Then he passed the pipe to the next man.

一位老人把一根长长的烟管举向天空。 他把烟管依次指向东、南、西、北四个方向。 接着他把烟管递给了下一个人。

and in the circle. The man put the pipe to his lips and blew smoke into the golden firelight. Then he passed it on. The smoke from the sacred pipe joins all things.

也指向圆环中的一切。 接过烟管的人把烟管凑到唇边，朝着金色的火光吐出烟雾。 接着他再把烟管往下传。 这根神圣烟管冒出的烟雾把万物都连在了一起。

to the Great Spirit, Grandmother said to Jack and Annie. The Great Spirit? asked Annie. The Great Spirit is the source of all things in the Sacred Circle of Life, said Grandmother. It is the source of all spirits. What spirits? asked Jack. There are many, said Grandmother. Wind spirits, tree spirits, bird spirits, sometimes they can be seen, sometimes not. What about the white buffalo woman? said Jack. Who is she? She is a messenger of the Great Spirit, said Grandmother. He sent her when the people were starving. She brought the secret pipe so that our prayers could rise to the Great Spirit. He answers by sending us the buffalo.

一同连通到大神那里，奶奶对杰克和安妮说。 大神是什么呀？安妮问。 大神是万物的源头 存在于生命的神圣圆环之中，奶奶说。 它是所有神灵的源头。都有什么神灵呀？ 杰克问。有好多好多， 奶奶说。有风灵， 树灵，鸟灵， 有时候能看见它们，有时候看不见。 那白水牛女士呢？杰克问。 她是谁呀？她是大神的信使， 奶奶说。当初人们挨饿的时候，大神就派她来了。 她带来了这根神圣的烟管，这样我们的祈祷就能飘到大神那里。 他就会把野牛送给我们作为回应。