牛津书虫系列-野性的呼唤-英文版.doc

1 To the north Buck did not read the newspapers． He did not know that trouble was coming for every big dog in California． Men had found gold in the Yukon， and these men wanted big， strong dogs to work in the cold and snow of the north．Buck lived in Mr Miller's big house in the sunny Santa Clara valley There were large gardens and fields of fruit trees around the house， and a river nearby． In a big place like this，of course， there were many dogs There were house dogs and farm dogs， but they were not important．Buck was chief dog；he was born here， and this was his place ．He was four years old and weighed sixty kilos ．He went swimming with Mr Miller's sons，and walking with his daughters ．He carried the grandchildren on his back， and he sat at Mr Miller's feet in front of the fire in winter．But this was 1897， and Buck did not know that men and dogs were hurrying to north-west Canada to look for gold．And he did not know that Manuel， one of Mr Miller's garden－ers， needed money for his large family． One day，when Mr Miller was out， Manuel and Buck left the garden together．It was just an evening walk， Buck thought．No one saw them go， and only one man saw them arrive at the railway station．This man talked to Manuel， and gave him some money ．Then he tied a piece of rope around Buck's neck．Buck growled， and was surprised when the rope was pulled hard around his neck．He jumped at the man．The man caught him and suddenly Buck was on his back with his tongue out of his mouth． For a few moments he was unable to move， and it was easy for the two men to put him into the train．When Buck woke up， the train was still moving． The man was sitting and watching him， but Buck was too quick for him and he bit the man's hand hard．Then the rope was pulled again and Buck had to let go．That evening， the man took Buck to the back room of a bar in San Francisco． The barman looked at the man's hand and trousers covered in blood．‘How much are they paying you for this？’he asked．‘I only get fifty dollars．’‘And the man who stole him—how much did he get？’ asked the barman．‘A hundred． He wouldn't take less．’‘That makes a hundred and fifty． It's a good price for a dog like him ．Here， help me to get him into this．’They took off Buck's rope and pushed him into a wooden box． He spent the night in the box in the back room of the bar． His neck still ached with pain from the rope， and he could not understand what it all meant ． What did they want with him， these strange men？ And where was Mr Miller？The next day Buck was carried in the box to the railway station and put on a trainto the north．For two days and nights the train travelled north， and for two days and nights Buck neither ate nor drank． Men on the train laughed at him and pushed sticks at him through the holes in the box． For two days and nights Buck got angrier and hungrier and thirsti-er． His eyes grew red and he bit anything that moved．In Seattle four men took Buck to a small， high－walled back garden， where a fat man in an old red coat was waiting． Buck was now very angry indeed and hejumped and bit at the sides of his box． The fat man smiled and went to get an axe and a club．‘Are you going to take him out now？’ asked one of the men． ‘Of course，’ answered the fat man， and he began to break the box with his axe．Immediately the four other men climbed up onto the wall to watch from a safe place．As the fat man hit the box with his axe， Buck jumped at the sides， growling and biting， pulling with his teeth at the pieces of broken wood． After a few minutes there was a hole big enough for Buck to get out． ‘ Now， come here， red eyes，’ said the fat man， dropping his axe and taking the club in his right hand．Buck jumped at the man， sixty kilos of anger， his mouth wide open ready to bite the man's neck． Just before his teeth touched the skin， the man hit him with the club． Buck fell to the ground． It was the first time anyone had hit him with a club and he did not understand． He stood up， and jumped again． Again the club hit him and he crashed to the ground．Ten times he jumped at the man， and ten times the club hit him． Slowly he got to his feet， now only just able to stand．There was blood on his nose and mouth and ears． Then the fat man walked up and hit him again， very hard， on the nose．The pain was terrible． Again， Buck jumped at the man and again he was hit to the ground．A last time he jumped， and this time， when the man knocked him down， Buck did not move．‘He knows how to teach a dog a lesson，’ said one of the men on the wall． Then the four men jumped down and went back to the station．‘His name is Buck，’said the fat man to himself， reading the letter that had come with the box．‘Well， Buck， my by，’he said in a friendly voice，‘we've argued a little， and I think the best thing to do now is to stop． Be a good dog and we'll be friends． But if you'。