迪文小说

第3部分（第1页）

the　dirt；　allowing　mother　and　son　to　jerk　it　free　of　the　sheep。　The　big　animal；　its　body　convulsing　with　pain；　turned　to　look　at　its　wounded　tail；　which　gave　Bar　an　opening　to　go　for　its　throat。　Letting　the　wolf　claw　at　will；　Bar　pressed　down　with　his　front　legs　on　the　animal’s　head　and　chest；　and　as　he　bit　down；　two　streams　of　blood　spurted　from　the　wolf　’s　carotid　arteries。　It　struggled　madly　for　a　minute　or　two　before　going　limp；　its　long；　bloody　tongue　slipping　out　through　its　teeth。　Gasmai　wiped　the　wolf　’s　blood　from　her　face　and　panted。　To　Chen　Zhen；　her　face；　red　from　the　bitter　cold；　looked　as　if　rouge　made　of　wolf　’s　blood　had　been　smeared　over　it。　She　struck　him　as　the　picture　of　prehistoric　woman—brave；　strong；　and　beautiful。

狼图腾（英文版）　1（8）

The　rank　smell　of　blood　rose　into　the　air　from　the　dead　wolf；　and　the　growls　from　dogs　off　to　the　east　ceased　abruptly　as　the　other　wolves　fled；　vanishing　in　the　dark　of　night。　Moments　later；　from　the　marsh—land　in　the　northwest　came　the　mournful　bays　of　wolves　venting　their　grief　over　the　loss　of　one　of　their　own。

“I’m　worse　than　useless；”　Chen　said　with　a　sigh；　deeply　ashamed。　“Gutless　as　the　sheep。　A　dog　is　worth　more　than　me；　not　to　mention　a　woman。　Even　a　nine…year…old　boy　showed　me　up。”

With　a　smile；　Gasmai　shook　her　head。　“No；”　she　said。　“If　you　hadn’t　e　out　to　help；　the　wolves　would　have　gotten　our　sheep。”

Bilgee　smiled　too。　“This　is　the　first　time　I’ve　seen　a　Chinese　student　help　get　sheep　moving　and　light　the　area　up　with　his　flashlight。”

Chen　Zhen　bent　over　and　felt　the　still…warm　body　of　the　dead　wolf。　He　hated　himself　for　not　having　the　courage　to　help　Gasmai　pull　on　the　animal’s　tail　while　it　was　alive；　and　for　passing　up　a　　once…in…　a…lifetime　opportunity　for　a　Chinese　student　to　know　what　it’s　like　to　fight　a　wolf　with　his　bare　hands。　The　wolf　was　as　intimidating　dead　as　it　had　been　alive。　Chen　rubbed　Bar’s　big　head；　then　found　the　courage　to　squat　down　and；　with　his　thumb　and　fi　rst　finger；　measure　the　dead　wolf；　from　its　nose　to　the　tip　of　its　tail。　It　was　longer　than　he　was　tall。　He　sucked　in　a　breath　of　frigid　air。

Old　Man　Bilgee　checked　out　the　flock　of　sheep　with　the　flashlight。

The　thick　tails　of　three　or　four　of　them　had　been　bitten　off　and　eaten　by　the　wolf；　leaving　a　bloody　mess　that　had　already　frozen。　“Trading　a　few　sheep　tails　for　a　wolf　this　big　counts　as　a　good　deal；”　Bilgee　said　as　he　and　Chen　dragged　the　carcass　into　the　yurt　to　keep　greedy　neighboring　dogs　from　venting　their　anger　and　ruining　the　hide。

The　wolf　’s　paws　were　much　bigger　than　a　dog’s；　measuring　one　against　his　palm；　Chen　saw　that　they　were　about　the　same　size。　No　wonder　wolves　run　so　effortlessly　through　snow　and　across　rocky　hills。

“Tomorrow；”　Bilgee　said；　“I’ll　teach　you　how　to　skin　a　wolf。”

Gasmai　carried　a　big　pot　of　meat　outside　to　reward　Bar　and　the　other　dogs。　As　Chen　Zhen　followed　her　out；　he　rubbed　Bar’s　big　head　and　stroked　his　back；　which　was　the　size　of　a　small　table。　The　dog　wagged　his　tail　gratefully。　“Were　you　scared　back　there？”　Chen　asked。

“Sure；”　Gasmai　said　with　a　little　laugh。　“Of　course　I　was。　I　was　scared　the　wolf　would　drive　the　sheep　out　of　the　pen。　I’d　lose　all　my　work　points。　I’m　the　head　of　a　production　team；　and　you　can　imagine　what　a　humiliation　it　would　be　if　I　lost　my　sheep。”　She　bent　down　to　pat　the　big　dog’s　head　and　said；　“Sain　Bar”　（Good　Bar）；　over　and　over。　Bar　dropped　the　bone　he　was　chewing　and　raised　his　head　to　nudge　his　mistress’s　hand；　then　stuck　his　nose　up　her　sleeve；　happily　wagging　his　tail　and　sending　out　little　eddies　of　air。　“Chenchen；　I’ll　give　you　a　puppy　after　New　Year’s；”　Gasmai　said。　“There　are　all　sorts　of　ways　to　raise　a　dog。　Do　a　good　job；　and　it’ll　grow　up　to　be　like　Bar。”

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狼图腾（英文版）　1（9）

He　thanked　her　repeatedly。

Back　in　the　yurt；　Chen　admitted　that　he’d　been　scared　to　death。　Old　Man　Bilgee　laughed。　“I　could　tell　when　I　grabbed　your　hand。　You　were　shaking　like　a　leaf。　Do　you　think　you　could　hold　a　knife　in　a　fight　like　that？　If　you　plan　to　stay　on　the　grassland；　you’ll　have　to　learn　to　be　tougher　than　the　wolves。　One　day　I’ll　take　you　out　to　hunt　them。　Back　when　Genghis　Khan　formed　his　army；　he　always　picked　the　best　wolf　hunters。”

Chen　nodded。　“I　believe　that；”　he　said。　“I　really　do。　If　Gasmai　rode　into　battle；　she’d　be　more　fearful　than　the　female　general　Hua　Mulan。”

“You　Chinese　don’t　have　many　Hua　Mulans；　but　there　are　lots　of　Mongol　women　like　Gasmai。　At　least　one　in　every　family。”　The　old　man　laughed　again　like　an　alpha　wolf。

After　that　incident；　Chen　Zhen　wanted　to　get　as　near　to　the　wolves　as　possible　so　that　he　could　study　them。　He　sensed　that　only　by　gaining　an　understanding　of　the　wolves　would　he　be　able　to　prehend　the　Mongolian　grassland　and　the　people　who　lived　there。　He　even　enter—tained　the　idea　of　stealing　a　cub　from　its　den　and　raising　it　one　day。

Although　Bilgee　was　the　most　renowned　hunter　on　the　Olonbu—lag；　he　seldom　went　out　hunting；　and　when　he　did；　it　was　for　foxes；　not　wolves。　People　had　gotten　so　caught　up　in　the　Cultural　Revolution　over　the　past　couple　of　years　that　the　traditional　life　of　the　grassland—　a　mixture　of　tending　sheep　and　hunting　wild　animals—had　been　turned　upside　down；　like　a　flock　of　sheep　scattered　in　a　blizzard。　Then；　in　the　winter　of　that　year；　herds　of　Mongolian　gazelle　migrated　across　the　bor—der　into　the　Olonbulag；　and　the　old　man　decided　it　was　time　to　fulfill　his　promise　to　Chen　to　take　him　to　see　the　wolves　at　close　range　so　as　to　boost　the　young　man’s　courage　and　increase　his　knowledge。

Chen　Zhen　felt　the　old　man　nudge　him　with　his　elbow　and　saw　him　point　to　the　　snow…covered　slope。　Chen　trained　his　telescope　on　the　spot。　The　gazelles　were　still　grazing　nervously。　He　watched　as　one　of　the　wolves　left　the　pack　and　ran　off　to　the　mountain　west　of　them。　Chen’s　heart　sank。　“I　guess　they　aren’t　going　to　attack；”　he　whispered。　“Appar—ently；　we’ve　let　ourselves　freeze　for　nothing。”

“The　pack　won’t　pass　up　an　opportunity　like　this；”　Bilgee　said。　“The　leader　must　have　felt　there　are　too　many　gazelles；　so　he　sent　a　runner　to　bring　more　troops。　An　opportunity　like　this　es　maybe　once　every　five　or　six　years；　and　it　seems　they’ve　got　quite　an　appetite。　They’re　get—ting　ready　for　a　major　battle。　You’ll　see　that　this　was　worth　the　wait。　As　I　said；　patience　is　the　key　to　a　good　hunt。”

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狼图腾（英文版）　2（1）

Six　or　seven　new　wolves　quietly　joined　the　encirclement；　its　three　sides　formed　and　ready。　Chen　Zhen　covered　his　mouth　with　the　　horseshoe…shaped　sleeve　of　his　heavy　fur　deel　and　said　softly；　“Are　they　going　to　close　the　circle　now？”

“Not　quite　yet；”　Bilgee　replied　softly。　“The　alpha　male　is　waiting　for　the　right　moment。　Wolves　are　more　meticulous　about　their　encirclement　formations　than　we　are。　See　if　you　can　figure　out　what　he’s　waiting　for。”　Each　time　the　old　man’s　bushy　white　eyebrows　twitched；　shards　of　frost　fell　to　the　ground。　A　frost…covered　fox…fur　cap　with　flaps　that　fell　to　his　shoulders　covered　his　forehead　and　much　of　his　face；　but　not　his　light　brown　eyes；　which　gave　off　a　heavy　sheen；　like　pieces　of　amber。

They　had　been　hiding　in　their　snow　cave　for　some　time　already；　and　now　they　turned　their　attention　to　the　gazelles　grazing　on　the　slope。　The　herd　numbered　as　many　as　a　thousand；　of　which　several　large　males；　with　long　black　horns；　kept　watch　as　they　sniffed　the　air。　The　others　were　grazing　the　land　under　the　snow。

The　area　was　a　winter　reserve　pastureland　for　the　Second　Production　Brigade；　a　defense　line　against　natural　disasters。　Measuring　roughly　twenty　square　miles；　it　was　a　large　mountain　pastureland　where；　pro—tected　from　the　wind　and　relatively　free　of　snow；　fine　grass　grew　tall　and　thick。

“Watch　carefully；　and　you’ll　understand；”　the　old　man　whispered。

“This　is　an　ideal　spot；　open　to　the　northwestern　winds　that　keep　the　snow　from　piling　up。　When　I　was　eight　years　old；　the　Olonbulag　was　hit　by　the　largest　snowstorm　in　centuries；　a　true　white　scourge。　The　snow　covered　our　yurts。　Fortunately；　under　the　leadership　of　some　old—timers；　most　of　the　people　and　animals　managed　to　get　out。　When　the　snow　was　still　only　up　to　our　knees；　our　several　thousand　horses　were　brought　out　to　trample　a　path　in　the　snow。　Then　several　dozen　oxen　tamped　it　down　more；　opening　up　a　trough　through　which　our　sheep　and　carts　could　travel。　It　took　three　days　and　nights　to　reach　this　pas—tureland　in　safety。　Here　the　snow　was　only　a　foot　or　two　deep；　allowing　the　tips　of　the　long　grass　to　push　through。　Cows　and　sheep　and　horses；　all　half　dead　from　the　cold　and　hunger；　made　a　dash　for　it　as　soon　as　it　came　into　view。　As　for　the　people；　they　threw　themselves　down　onto　the　snow　and　wept；　then　banged　their　heads　on　the　ground　in　thanks　to　Tengger；　until　their　faces　were　covered　with　snow。　The　sheep　and　the　horses　knew　how　to　move　the　snow　out　of　the　way　to　get　to　the　grass；　while　the　more　passive　cows　simply　followed　along　behind　them　to　for—age。　It　was　enough　to　sustain　the　greater　half　of　the　animals　until　the　snow　melted　in　the　spring。　People　who　hadn’t　moved　their　animals　in　time　lost　them。　They　themselves　made　it　to　safety；　but　their　animals　were　buried　in　the　blizzard。　If　not　for　this　stretch　of　pastureland；　every　inhabitant　of　the　Olonbulag；　human　and　animal；　would　have　died。　We　stopped　being　afraid　of　white　scourges　after　that；　we　knew　that　if　one　came　along；　we　could　move　to　this　pastureland　and　take　refuge　here。”

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狼图腾（英文版）　2（2）

The　old　man　sighed。　“This　spot　is　a　gift　to　the　Olonbulag　people　and　animals　from　Tengger；　our　sustenance。　In　the　past；　herdsmen　made　an　annual　trek　to　the　top　of　that　mountain　to　worship　Tengger　and　the　Mountain　God。　But　with　the　current　political　situation；　no　one　has　dared　go　up　for　a　couple　of　years。　But　we　still　worship　in　our　hearts。　This　is　our　sacred　mountain。　Even　if　there’s　a　drought　and　no　grass　to　forage；　the　mountain　is　off…limits　to　herdsmen　from　spring　to　autumn。　Preserving　it　is　particularly　hard　on　people　who　tend　horses。　The　wolves　also　preserve　the　mountain；　and　once　every　five　or　six　years　they　go　on　a　killing　spree　of　gazelles；　their　sacrifice　to　the　Mountain　God　and　Tengger。　The　mountain　doesn’t　only　save　people　and　their　animals；　it　also　saves　the　wolves；　who　are　cleverer　than　both。　In　the　past　the　wolves　arrived　ahead　of　the　people　and　their　animals；　and　during　the　day　they　hid　among　the　rocks　on　the　mountaintop　or　behind　the　mountain；　where　the　snow　had　turned　to　ice。　They　came　down　at　night　to　dig　up　cows　and　sheep　that　had　frozen　to　death。　Wolves　won’t　bother　people　and　their　animals　as　long　as　they　have　food　to　eat。”

Patchy　clouds　floated　above。　The　old　man　gazed　up　into　the　icy　blue　of　Tengger；　a　look　of　devotion　on　his　face。

The　snows　had　e　early　this　year　and　had　stuck；　covering　the　bot—tom　half　of　the　grass　before　it　turned　yellow；　now　the　grasses　were　like　greens　trapped　by　ice。　The　subtle　fragrance　of　tasty　grass　emerged　from　the　hollow　stalks　and　the　cracks　in　the　snow。　The　smell　of　grass　drew　starving　gazelles　across　th