Pecos Bill Rides a Tornado

Pecos Bill Rides a Tornado, retold by Jan Maeder, illustrated by Robert Squire.

《佩科斯·比尔骑龙卷风》，扬·梅德 改写，罗伯特·斯夸尔 绘

Pecos Bill was the greatest cowboy who ever lived. He was as wild as a tumbleweed in a whirlwind. But how did he get that way? Bill was a mighty tyke who was only four years old when his family decided to move out west. Some boys would have dreaded such a long trip, but not Bill. Yee -haw! he shouted when he heard the news. Though he was young, Bill was as tough as any pioneer.

佩科斯·比尔是有史以来最厉害的牛仔 他野得像旋风里的风滚草 可他为什么会这么野呢？ 比尔是个健壮的小家伙，全家决定搬去西部时，他才四岁 换做别的男孩肯定怕这么远的路，可比尔不怕 耶——哈！ 听到消息的比尔大声喊道 别看比尔年纪小，他可比任何拓荒者都结实

Bill helped his family get ready for their journey by tossing heavy furniture into the wagon. He's as strong as a bull, said his mother. No, he's as strong as three bulls, said his father.

比尔帮家里准备行程，一把就把沉家具扔上了马车 “他壮得像一头牛，”妈妈说 “不对，他抵得上三头牛，”爸爸说

Soon, Bill's family was ready to leave. The covered wagon rumbled and tumbled west on dusty roads. After many weeks of hard traveling, they came to the Pecos River in Texas. While the wagon was crossing the river, Bill tossed out his fishing line. A fish just about as big as all of New England pulled Bill right into the water.

很快，比尔一家收拾妥当准备出发 带篷马车在尘土路上颠簸着，轰隆隆向西走 经过好几周的辛苦赶路，他们来到了德克萨斯州的佩科斯河 马车渡河的时候，比尔甩出了他的钓鱼线 一条差不多有整个新英格兰那么大的鱼，把比尔直接拖进了水里

That fish dragged Bill far downriver from his family. Bill thought he would surely drown, but an old coyote saw him struggling and ran to save him. That coyote mother must have felt sorry for Bill because she pulled him from the water. Her pack adopted Bill and taught him the ways of the wild.

那条鱼把比尔拖到下游，离家人很远很远 比尔以为自己肯定要淹死了，一只老郊狼看到他挣扎，连忙跑来救他 这只郊狼妈妈一定心疼比尔，把他从水里拉了上来 它的狼群收留了比尔，教他野外生存的本领

Bill grew up faster than weeds in a cornfield. First, his shirt popped off, and then his trousers. He romped with the coyotes by day and howled with them at night. Bill lived with the coyotes for fifteen years. Then one day, a cowboy riding along the Pecos River caught sight of Bill.

比尔长得比玉米地里的野草还要快 先是衬衫被撑破，接着裤子也被撑裂了 他白天和郊狼一起嬉闹，晚上跟着它们一起嚎叫 比尔和郊狼一起生活了十五年 后来有一天，沿佩科斯河骑马的牛仔看见了比尔