The Guest Ranch
美音、自然拼读、分级阅读与词汇复习
Zach tried to get a better look at Cottonwood Guest Ranch, squinting as his mom’s car rumbled forward.
Zach试图让Cottood Guest Ranch更仔细地看一看,
“Why are we on vacation in the middle of nowhere?”
“为什么我们在荒郊野外度假? “
he grumbled.
他发牢骚。
He flicked his thumb across his smartphone’s screen.
他在智能手机屏幕上闪出拇指。
“The map doesn’t even get a signal.”
地图连信号都没有。 “
“To take a break from all that!”
“从这些事情中走开! “
Zach’s mom replied.
Zach的母亲回应了。
She reached over, grabbed his phone from his hands, and lowered the window.
她伸出手来,从他手上拿起他的电话,并放下了窗户。
“Smell that?
“闻到了吗?
That’s fresh air out there!
这是新鲜空气,
That’s nature!”
这才是天性!
To Zach, the air smelled like horses and cows.
至札克所出之气有马牛之味.
He could even see the horses, tossing their manes.
他甚至可以看见马, 扔他们的男人。
When they went inside the main building to check in, Zach looked through the guest packet, examining photos of the week’s activities.
Zach查看了客人包,
There would be horseback riding and hiking, river rafting and rodeo skills, all leading up to a real cattle drive.
会有骑马和徒步旅行, 河上木筏和竞技技能, 所有导致真正的牛驱动。
He had to admit that the activities looked pretty cool, especially the riding.
他不得不承认活动看起来相当酷,尤其是骑马.
All day, he had stared out the window, thinking how strange it was to cross the desert by car.
他整天盯着窗外看 想着乘车穿越沙漠有多奇怪
It had to be different on horseback.
骑马必须不同
Instead of just passing by the landscape, you’ d be a part of it.
而不是经过风景区,
Still, Zach felt a little uneasy as he followed his mom to their room.
Zach跟随妈妈去他们的房间时 感觉有点不舒服
“Mom, are you sure this place is for us?”
“妈妈,你确定这是给我们的吗? “
he asked.
他问。
“I mean, the people in the photos don’t exactly look like us.”
照片上的人并不像我们。 “
“Give it a chance,” his mom urged gently, kicking off her shoes.
他的妈妈轻轻地劝说,
“Your uncle Grant said they had a great time when they came here last summer.”
“你的叔叔Grant说,他们去年夏天来到这里时玩得很开心。 “
The next morning, Zach went to his first horseback-riding lesson.
第二天早晨,扎克参加了他的第一个骑马课.
As one of the beginners, he started by learning the parts of the horse and saddle.
作为初学者之一,他从学习马和鞍的部分开始.
He also learned how not to get stomped or chomped on.
他还学会了如何不被绑住或被绑住。
The riding instructors made riding seem easy, but Zach’s horse, Gizmo, had other ideas.
但Zach的马Gizmo也有其他想法。
He had huge teeth and muscles like marble.
他有巨大的牙齿和肌肉 像大理石。
He would not obey Zach’s commands.
他不会服从扎克的命令。
The afternoon hike was a relief—but even so, Zach felt disappointed.
下午出行很轻松,
Walking around while cacti stabbed you was nowhere near as fun as a real ride through the desert.
在仙人掌刺伤你时到处走来走去 远不及真正穿越沙漠的乐趣
Would he ever be able to do that?
他能做到这一点吗?
The next day, Zach was dragging his feet back toward the stables when a tall African American man walked by.
第二天,扎克正拖着脚回马厩 当一个高个子的非裔美国人走过来。
“ All right, where are my beginners?”
“...... 好吧,我的初学者呢? “
he boomed.
他兴奋了。
Zach blinked.
扎克眨眼了,我看见了
A black cowboy?
一个黑人牛仔?
Working as a ranch hand in New Mexico?
在新墨西哥州当牧场手?
“The name’s Mitch,” the man said, giving Zach a wink.
他说, " 他的名字叫Mitch, " 让Zach眨一眼。
“Saddle up!”
"站起来!"
Zach leapt into action, but by the end of class, it was clear he was not keeping up.
扎克跳入了行动,但到了班底,很明显他没有跟上来.
The other beginners were trotting, while Zach could barely direct Gizmo’s wanderings.
Zach几乎无法引导Gizmo的流浪者。
“Why don’t we spend a little time with Gizmo one-on-one?”
我们为什么不和吉兹莫单独相处一段时间呢? “
Mitch suggested.
米奇建议。
Zach blushed.
扎克脸红了
“That’s okay,” he mumbled.
“没关系,”他喃喃自语。
“Horseback riding isn’t really my thing.”
骑马不是我的本事。 “
“That’s a load of manure,” Mitch replied and slipped a sugar cube into Zach’s hand.
Mitch回答说, “这是一大堆粪便。”
“Sugar’s the first secret to cowboying,” he joked.
他开玩笑说,
“Keep your palm flat, now.”
“现在把你的手放平。 “
Gizmo gobbled up the sugar cube as fast as a jackrabbit.
吉兹莫像兔子一样快地把糖方块挖出
Zach grinned.
扎克笑了起来。
Mitch smiled back, then fixed Zach’s posture, moved his knees, and told him to loosen his grip on the reins.
Mitch笑了回来,然后固定了Zach的姿势,动了膝盖,叫他放松对绳子的握手。
“You’re in charge of the horse,” he said.
他说, " 你负责马事 " 。
“ Always remember that.”
“永远记住这一点。 “
Slowly, Zach took Gizmo for a walk around the pen.
慢慢地,扎克带着吉兹莫去走走钢笔.
This time, the horse followed his lead.
这次,马跟随他领跑.
“Now that’s what I’m talking about!
“现在,
You’re a natural,” Mitch said, smiling.
Mitch说, 你是天生的,
Zach took three more loops around the pen, a little faster each time.
Zach又绕了三个圈来绕着笔走,每次稍微快一点.
Then, suddenly, Gizmo got spooked by a rabbit, and Mitch had to grab the reins.
然后,吉兹莫突然被一只兔子吓到了,米奇只好抓住了绳子.
By the time Zach dismounted, his legs were shaking.
到了扎克下马的时候,他的腿正在发抖.
“I might not be cut out for this ranch stuff,” he sighed.
他叹息道:“我可能不会因为这个牧场的事情而被割去。
“Now what’s that supposed to mean?”
“现在这是什么意思? “
asked Mitch.
问米奇。
“I mean—well, come on,” Zach exclaimed.
"我的意思是,好,来吧," 扎克说。
“Being a cowboy isn’t for black folks, is it?”
“当牛仔不适合黑人, “
“You don’t think I’m a real cowboy?”
“你不认为我是真正的牛仔吗? “
Mitch asked pointedly.
米奇直截了当地问。
“I guess,” Zach said, rolling his eyes.
“我想,”扎克说,“滚动他的眼睛。
“Don’t you roll your eyes at me, son,” Mitch replied.
Mitch回答道,
“What do they teach kids at school these days?
“最近他们在学校教孩子们什么?
There’s a long history of black cowboys!
黑人牛仔历史悠久!
In fact, in the old days, one out of every four cowboys was black.”
事实上,过去,每四个牛仔中就有一人是黑人. “
“No way!”
绝对不行!
Zach exclaimed.
札克赞叹.
Maybe cowboying could be for him, after all.
也许牛仔是他的,毕竟。
“Yes way,” Mitch said, “including some of the most famous ones!
“是的,”米奇说:“包括一些最出名的人!
Bose Ikard was a tracker in the early Texas cattle drives.
博斯·伊克德(Bose Ikard)是德克萨斯州早期牛群驱动器的追踪者.
Charley Willis was born a slave and died a bronco buster.
查理·威利斯生来就是个奴隶 死后就是个混混
Bill Pickett, rodeo star, started cowboying after fifth grade!”
比尔·皮克特(Bill Pickett),牛仔明星,五年级后开始牛仔生涯".
“Wow,” Zach breathed.
"哇,"扎克喘了口气。
Mitch chuckled.
米奇放弃了。
“It’s true.
" 这是真的。
For more than a hundred years, black cowboys found a special kind of freedom out here in the West.
一百多年来,黑人牛仔在西方发现了一种特殊的自由.
Sometimes they had to do the dirtiest work, but still they kept on.
有时他们不得不做最肮脏的工作,但仍然坚持下去.
They proved themselves and rode with the other cowboys—white, Mexican, Native American, you name it.
他们证明了自己,并骑 与其他牛仔——白人,墨西哥人,美洲原住民,你说它。
All of them were equals out under the desert sky.”
在沙漠的天空下,他们都是平等的 “
Only that morning, Zach had believed there was no place for him in the cowboy story of the West.
直到那天早晨,扎克才相信在"西部"的牛仔故事中他没有位置.
Suddenly, everything was different.
突然间 一切都不一样了
“Thank you,” he whispered.
“谢谢”,他低声说。
“No problem, bud,” Mitch said.
Mitch说:“没问题,伙计,”
The rest of the week, the only thing Zach could think and talk about was riding.
周余所出,而札克所想而论之事也,所出所出之事也.
He had a goal, now: to ride in the cattle drive.
他有一个目标,现在:骑上牛车。
He knew he was not ready yet to learn to lasso or barrel ride.
他知道自己还没有准备好 学会拉索或桶骑。
But he also knew if he kept on, like Mitch had said, he would be able to prove himself.
但他也知道,如果他坚持下去, 就像米奇说过的, 他将能够证明自己。
He started skipping the afternoon activities to practice.
他开始跳过下午的活动去练习.
At night, he rode Gizmo in his dreams.
晚上,他在梦中骑着吉兹莫.
That didn’t stop his nerves, of course.
当然,
The morning of the cattle drive, he noticed all the sharp cacti, the rocks that could trip Gizmo.
牛车的早晨,他注意到了所有的尖锐的仙人掌,可以绊倒吉兹莫的岩石.
“Ready, bud?”
“准备好了吗,伙计? “
asked Mitch.
问米奇。
“You bet,” Zach replied, squaring his shoulders—and then they were off.
扎克说:你打赌吧!他说:你打住他的肩膀,然后,他们就走了。
At first, all Zach could think was back straight, knees up, eyes ahead.
一开始,Zach可以想的都是 直回,膝盖上,眼睛前面。
All around him rode the ranch hands and other guests.
他周围到处骑着牧场的手和其他客人.
Plenty of them were also beginners.
很多人也是初学者
Zach and Gizmo trotted confidently through the scrub.
Zach和Gizmo满怀信心地穿过了洗手间
They weren’t galloping, but they were keeping pace!
他们并没有奔跑,
When they reached the herd, the cattle seemed unsure where to go, just like the guests.
当他们到达了牧群, 牛似乎不确定去哪里, 就像客人。
Zach glanced at his mom.
Zach看着他妈妈
How did a cattle drive work, exactly?
牛车怎么开的?
The cowboys knew.
牛仔们知道
Mitch and the other ranch hands surrounded the herd and began pushing them toward fresh grazing land.
Mitch和其他牧场的手包围了牧群,开始将他们推向新的牧场。
The guests caught on quickly, though cowboying turned out to be hot, sweaty, dirty work.
客人们很快就被抓住了,虽然牛仔被证明是热的,出汗的,肮脏的工作.
It was challenging, keeping track of the cattle and Gizmo at the same time.
追踪牛和吉兹莫,这是很艰难的。
Still, Zach had never had so much fun.
Zach从来没有这么开心过
That night, at the campfire, he collapsed beside his mom and crowed, “Best day ever!”
当晚,在营火中,他倒在他妈妈旁边并叫喊道:"最好的一天!"
“You were great out there,” she said, smiling proudly.
她说,“你在那里表现得很好,”她骄傲地微笑着。
“Do you want to see?”
“你想看看吗? “
She dug into her pocket, and out came the last item Zach expected—his phone.
她从口袋里挖出 Zach 期待的最后一件东西... 他的手机
Photo after photo showed Zach and his horse, the land, and the cattle.
照片后显示Zach和他的马、地和牛。
But the photos were stealing Zach away from the here and now.
但照片现在把Zach从这里偷走了
Beneath the starlit sky, the ranch hands sang cowboy songs.
在星光的天空下 牧场的手唱牛仔歌
Zach turned and popped a marshmallow into his mouth.
扎克转身把棉花糖倒入口中.
“Thanks, Mom,” he said.
“谢谢,妈妈,”他说。
“But you know what?
“但你知道吗?
Right now, I don’t want to be anywhere but here.”
现在,我不想去任何地方, “