Chili Pepper Powder Surprise

Chili Pepper Powder Surprise, written by Katherine Follett. Illustrated by John Kastner.

《辣椒粉惊喜》，凯瑟琳·福利特 著 约翰·卡斯特纳 绘

The enormous lips tickled Trisha's outstretched palm, and she smelled a quick whiff of apple juice and horse breath before the apple she'd held up vanished with a gulp. He's a real thoroughbred, Adrian Crowed, the first one we've had, so I'm really excited. Trisha was even more excited. Coming to her cousin Adrian's farm in Tennessee from Chicago, she had never seen a regular

大大的嘴唇蹭得崔莎摊开的手掌痒痒的，她刚闻到一股苹果汁混着马息的味道，手里的苹果就被一口吞掉不见了 他可是正儿八经的纯种马，艾德里安得意地说，这是我们家第一匹纯种马，我太兴奋啦 崔莎比他还要兴奋 她从芝加哥来到田纳西表哥艾德里安的农场，此前她还从来没见过正经的

Are, are we supposed to let him out? Trisha stammered. Trisha understood how Adrian's father, her uncle, prized his new thoroughbred after she'd heard him bragging about it over dinner on her first night here. Sure, I walk him around the stables all the time, Adrian answered. He had already unlatched the horse's stall and was leading the horse out by strap around its long muzzle. We call him Pepper for short, because his full name is Chili Pepper Powder Surprise. His saddle's right over here. You want to see how it looks on him? Hold his reins. Before Trisha could protest, Adrian handed her the leather straps and went to retrieve the saddle from where it hung along the dim, stable wall. Trisha froze, feeling like she was tethered to the back end of a race car. Pepper kept dodging his rump away from Adrian as he attempted to lower the saddle onto the horse's back. Finally, the horse submitted and stood under his lumpy saddle, like a beautiful princess forced to wear an ugly parka. Go ahead, get on, Adrian said with a grin. No way, said Trisha. Adrian had been daring her to do such things all week, like jump the fence.

我、我们是要把它放出来吗？ 崔莎结结巴巴地问 崔莎明白艾德里安的爸爸，也就是她的姨夫，有多看重这匹新纯种马，她来这儿第一天吃晚饭时就听他夸了好多遍 当然啦，我天天带它在马厩周围遛弯，艾德里安回答道 他早就打开了马厩的门闩，正牵着套在长马嘴上的带子把马拉出来 我们简称它辣椒，因为它全名就是辣椒粉惊喜呀 马鞍就在那边 你想看看它披好马鞍是什么样子吗 牵好缰绳 崔莎还没来得及反对，艾德里安就把皮缰绳塞给她，转身去拿挂在昏暗马厩墙上的马鞍了 崔莎僵在原地，感觉自己像是拴在了赛车的车尾 艾德里安要把马鞍放上马背的时候，辣椒一直扭屁股躲开 最后，这匹马总算妥协了，驮着凹凸不平的马鞍站着，就像漂亮公主被迫穿了一件丑丑的厚棉服 快来，上马呀，艾德里安笑着说 我才不要，崔莎说 这一周艾德里安一直在激她做这种事，比如跳栅栏

into the hog pen or sit in his dad's tractor. She'd always held back while he teased her, and suddenly she decided she was sick of it. Well, if you're sure your dad won't get mad, she said. Not if he doesn't know about it, Adrian snickered. He explained to Trisha how to put one foot in the dangling stirrup and swing the other over Pepper's back. As she eased her weight in the stirrup, Pepper side stepped away as he had from the saddle, and she had to hop on one leg to keep with him. Finally, she swung her leg over and landed hard in the saddle.

跳进猪圈，或是坐他爸爸的拖拉机 之前他逗她挑衅的时候，她一直都退缩，可她突然觉得自己受够了 好吧，要是你确定你爸爸不会生气，那我就上，她说 不会生气的，反正他不会知道，艾德里安偷笑道 他教崔莎怎么把一只脚放进悬着的马镫，再把另一条腿甩上马背 当崔莎把重量压上马镫时，辣椒像刚才躲马鞍那样侧滑躲开，她只能单脚跳着跟上它 最后，她终于把腿甩了过去，重重地落在马鞍上

Before she could figure out what was going on, Trisha flew out the open door of the stable and into the blinding sunlight. She hadn't gotten hold of the reins and she nearly flipped over backward, only clinging to the saddle at the last second. Her foot was tangled in the stirrup and her hair was flying in her face so she couldn't see where she was going and she was going terribly

崔莎还没搞清楚发生了什么，就已经冲出马厩敞开的大门，闯进了晃眼的阳光里 她还没抓牢缰绳，差点向后翻下去，最后关头才死死扒住了马鞍 她的脚缠在了马镫里，头发乱飞糊住了脸 所以她根本看不见自己在往哪跑 而且情况已经糟得一塌糊涂

Pepper ran straight across his corral toward the fence. Trisha shrieked again. Sure he would jump it, but he started around the corral instead, running and running and running. She managed to sit back up and bury her hands in his mane, but it seemed to bother or hurt him. He tossed his head, hitting her chin with the back of his neck and throwing her arms off him. If she fell or jumped, she'd be dragged by her caught foot, or she'd crack her head on the ground, or worse. Finally, she managed to lie down and cling to Pepper's back while he slowed to an uneven trot, then a walk, then an uneasy standstill. What do you think you're doing? she heard her uncle holler as he ran from the house toward the corral. Pepper jerked and stepped as the shouting man approached. Please, she whimpered, please don't startle him. Trisha's uncle leapt easily over the fence and walked toward the nervous horse grunting and whistling commands she'd never heard before. He gingerly took the reins and held them tightly, offering his other hand to help Trisha down and brushed the dust from her face when she finally touched the ground again. Then he held her chin, lifting her face until he saw into her eyes.

辣椒径直穿过围栏，朝着篱笆跑去 崔莎又尖叫起来 崔莎本来以为它肯定会跳过去，结果它反而绕着围栏跑，跑呀跑呀跑个不停 她好不容易坐直身子，双手紧紧攥住辣椒的鬃毛，可这好像还是弄疼了它，惹它不高兴 它扬起脑袋，后颈撞到了崔莎的下巴，把她的胳膊从脖子上撞开了 要是她掉下去或者跳下来，缠在马镫里的脚会把她拖着走，或是她的头磕在地上撞破，甚至更糟 最后，她好不容易伏低身子贴紧辣椒的背，辣椒也渐渐慢了下来，从不稳的小跑变成慢走，最后不安地停住了 你们俩在干什么？ 她听见姨夫大吼着，从房子往围栏这边跑来 叫喊的男人越走越近，辣椒猛地一惊，挪了挪脚步 求求你，她小声哀求，求求你别吓它 崔莎的姨夫轻松跳过栅栏，朝这匹紧张的马走来，嘴里哼着、喊着她从没听过的指令 他小心翼翼地接过缰绳攥紧，伸出另一只手扶崔莎下来，等崔莎重新站到地上，还帮她拍掉了脸上的尘土 接着他托住崔莎的下巴，抬起她的脸，看清了她的眼睛