The Buffalo Hunt

The Buffalo Hunt, written by Bertha E. Bush, illustrated by Maria Voris.

《猎野牛》，作者：伯莎·E·布什，绘者：玛丽亚·沃里斯

Preparing for the Hunt. Wind in the treetops was going out on the yearly buffalo hunt. Last year, he had followed the hunters with the women and other children. As a baby, he had been tucked on top of the packs that his mother's pony carried. As an older boy, he had had to share space on the pack ponies with several other children.

猎前准备 树梢风要去参加一年一度的猎野牛活动啦。 去年，他还跟着女眷和其他小孩走在猎人们后面呢。 他还是小婴儿的时候，被裹得严严实实的，放在妈妈小马驮的行李堆顶上。 等他长大一点，就得和好几个其他小孩一起挤在驮行李的小马上。

But now he had a pony of his own. Wind in the treetops was going to ride with the men this year. He was so proud. His younger brothers, who still had to stay behind, envied him.

可现在他有属于自己的小马啦。 今年的猎野牛活动，树梢风要和男人们一起骑马去。 他别提多骄傲了。 他的几个弟弟还得留在家里，都特别羡慕他。

I won't tire out my pony by riding him before the hunt, he said. I will walk and lead him. Then he will be fresh for the chase. Wind in the treetops wanted his pony to run fast after the buffaloes. He did not ride his pony for four days. During those four days, the medicine men and the hunters prayed for the success of the hunt. In the medicine lodge, they held the sacred buffalo dance.

他说："打猎前我不骑我的小马，不然他会累的。" 我要走路牵着他走。 这样追野牛的时候他才有劲儿呀。 树梢风希望自己的小马追野牛的时候能跑得飞快。 他整整四天都没骑自己的小马。 这四天里，巫医和猎人们都在祈祷打猎顺利，猎有所获。 他们还在巫帐里举行了神圣的野牛舞仪式。

The young men dressed in buffalo skins. They put on buffalo masks with horns. Then they danced until they were so tired that they fell down. When one man fell, the others would pretend he was a buffalo they had killed. They would pretend to skin and cut up the buffalo. Meanwhile, another man picked up the mask and started dancing. The tribe believed that this dance brought the buffaloes near. They danced night and day until news of the herds came.

年轻人们都穿上野牛皮做的衣服。 戴上带牛角的野牛面具。 然后他们一直跳，跳得累到站不住摔倒在地才停下。 有人摔倒的时候，其他人就假装他是被他们猎杀的野牛。 他们会假装给这头“野牛”剥皮、切块。 这时候，另一个人就会捡起面具接着跳。 部落里的人相信，跳这支舞能把野牛引到附近来。 他们没日没夜地跳，直到有人传来发现野牛群的消息。

The hunt begins. The men started out on the hunt before dawn. The women and children followed a short distance behind. The hunters rode in a line across the prairie. A few men led the hunt. No one was allowed to go ahead of these leaders. Men who had two ponies rode the slower one and led the faster one. Men who had only one pony, like wind in the treetops, walked to keep their ponies fresh.

打猎开始啦。 天还没亮，男人们就出发去打猎了。 女眷和孩子们跟在后面不远处。 猎人们排成一列穿过草原。 几个领头的人走在最前面。 任何人都不能超过这些领头人。 有两匹小马的人会骑跑得慢的那匹，牵着跑得快的那匹。 只有一匹小马的人，比如树梢风，就都走路，好让小马保留体力。