当我遇到受伤的森林狼

蔡剑媚

（广东省中山市第二中学）

本期我们探讨一个很有爱的话题——人与动物之间的友谊。地球本就是人类与动物共同的家，人类和动物是相互依存的。我们应该善待动物，敬畏生命，学会与其和谐相处，构建“山气日夕佳，飞鸟相与还”“舍南舍北皆春水，但见群鸥日日来”的天人之境。和平是人类世界的主题，共生是天地宇宙的规律。

It was the fif h day.At dust,I delivered Mother wolf her daily fare of venison（鹿 肉）.“Here’s dinner,”I said softly as I approached.“C’mon,girl.Nothing to be afraid of.”Suddenly,the pups（狼崽）came bounding to me.At least I had their trust.But I was beginning to lose hope of ever winning over the mother.Then I thought I saw a slight wagging of her tail.I moved within the length of her chain.She remained motionless.My heart in my mouth,I sat down eight feet from her.One snap of her huge jaws and she could break my arm...or my neck.I wrapped my blanket around myself and slowly settled onto the cold ground.It was a long time before I fell asleep.

I awoke at dawn,stirred by the sound of the pups nursing.Gently,I leaned over and petted them.The mother wolf stiffened.“Good morning,friends,”I said tentatively.Then I slowly placed my hand on the wolf ’s injured leg.She flinched but made no threatening move.This can’t be happening,I thought.Yet it was.

I could see that the trap’s steel jaws had imprisoned only two toes.They were swollen and lacerated,but she wouldn’t lose the paw — if I could free her.

“OK,”I said.“Just a little longer and we’ll have you out of there.”I applied pressure,the trap sprang open,and the wolf pulled free.

Whimpering,she loped about,favoring the injured paw.My experience in the wild suggested that the wolf would now gather her pups and vanish into the woods.But cautiously,she crept toward me.The pups nipped（啃咬）playfully at their mother as she stopped at my elbow.Slowly,she sniffed my hands and arms.Then the wolf began licking my fingers.I was astonished.This went against everything I’d ever heard about timber wolves.Yet,strangely,it all seemed so natural.

After a while,with her pups scurrying around her,the mother wolf was ready to leave and began to limp off toward the forest.Then she turned back to me.

“You want me to come with you,girl?”I asked.Curious,I packed my gear and set off.

Following Coho Creek for a few miles,we ascended（攀登）Kuprean of Mountain until we reached an alpine meadow.There,lurking（潜伏）in the forested perimeter（周 围）,was a wolf pack —I counted nine adults and,judging by their playful antics（滑稽动作）,four nearly full-grown pups.After a few minutes of greeting,the pack broke into howling.

At dark,I set up camp.By the light of my fire and a glistening moon,I could see furtive wolf shapes dodging in and out of the shadows,eyes shining.I had no fear.They were merely curious.So was I.

I awoke at first light.It was time to leave the wolf to her pack.She watched as I assembled my gear and started walking across the meadow.

Reaching the far side,I looked back.The mother and her pups were sitting where I had left them,watching me.I don’t know why,but I waved.At the same time,the mother wolf sent a long,mournful howl into the crisp air.

故事背景简介

本文是“人与自然”主题语境下的一个关于人与狼之间的友谊的动人故事。该文章曾刊登于Reader’s Digest（《读者文摘》）。故事讲述的是多年前的一个春天的早晨，作者在阿拉斯加东南部的库普雷诺夫岛的银河溪（Coho Creek）寻找金矿时，偶遇了一只巨大的阿拉斯加森林狼被困在特拉普•乔治布下的陷阱中。不过，老乔治在前一周死于心脏病，所以，她不会被他猎杀，但她会因为一直困在陷阱中而死亡。幸运的是作者刚好经过，看到了被困的狼妈妈。作者在附近找到了小狼崽，并把它们带到了狼妈妈的身边。但是狼妈妈非常警惕，不让他靠近。为了让狼妈妈和小狼崽都生存下去，作者开始投喂狼妈妈。经过连续四天的投喂和接触，狼妈妈渐渐放松了警惕，开始接受作者的善意。本文讲述的是发生在第五天以及之后的故事。

全篇译文

第五天黄昏，我给狼妈妈送来了每日的鹿肉。我走近时轻声说道：“这是晚餐，来吧，大妞。没什么好害怕的。”突然，小狼们向我扑来。至少我得到了他们的信任。但我开始对赢得狼妈妈的信任不抱什么希望了。然后我想我看到了她的尾巴轻微地摆动了一下。我在她链条长度内移动。她一动不动。我坐在离她八英尺的地方，紧张得心都提到了嗓子眼儿。她巨大的下巴一咬，就可能咬断我的胳膊……或脖子。我把毯子裹在身上，慢慢地躺在冰冷的地面上。过了很长时间我才睡着。

黎明时分，我被幼崽的吃奶声惊醒。我轻轻地俯身抚摸它们。狼妈妈僵直着身体。我试探性地说：“早上好，伙计们。”然后我慢慢地把手放在狼妈妈受伤的腿上。她缩了回去，但没有做出威胁性的举动。这不可能啊，我想。但事实的确如此。

我可以看到，夹子的钢齿只夹住了（狼妈妈的）两个脚趾。它们肿起来，撕裂了，但如果我能帮她解开，她就不会失去这只爪子。

我说：“好，再等一小会儿，我就把你救出来。”我用了点儿劲，夹子弹开了，狼解脱了。

她呜咽着，四处跑动，护着受伤的爪子。我在野外的经验表明，这只狼现在会聚集她的幼崽，然后消失在森林中。但她小心翼翼地向我走来。当狼妈妈停在我的胳膊肘旁时，小狼们顽皮地啃咬着她。她慢慢地嗅了嗅我的手和胳膊，然后开始舔我的手指。我很震惊。这违背了我曾听说过的关于森林狼的一切。然而，奇怪的是，这一切又似乎如此自然。

过了一会儿，她的幼崽们开始在狼妈妈身边乱窜，狼妈妈准备离开，开始一瘸一拐地走向森林。然后她朝我转过身来。

我问：“你想让我和你一起去吗，大妞？”出于好奇，我收拾好装备出发了。

沿着银河溪走了几英里，我们爬上了库普雷诺夫山，直到我们到达一片高寒草甸草地。在森林的外围潜伏着一个狼群——我数了数，有九只成年狼，从它们顽皮又滑稽的动作来看，还有四只接近成年的幼狼。打了几分钟招呼后，那群狼突然嚎叫起来。

天黑时，我搭起了帐篷。借着我的火光和明亮的月亮，我可以看到鬼鬼祟祟的狼的身影在阴影中晃动，眼睛熠熠发光。我没有恐惧。他们只是好奇。我也是。

天一亮我就醒了。是时候把狼留给她的狼群了。她看着我整理好装备，开始穿过草地。

到达远处，我回头看了看。狼妈妈和她的幼崽们坐在我离开他们的地方，望着我。我也不知道为什么，但我还是挥了挥手。与此同时，狼妈妈在清冽的空气中发出了一声长长的悲伤的嚎叫。

词汇积累

faren.饭菜；车费，船费，飞机票价；出租车乘客

boundv.跳跃着跑

motionlessadj.一动不动的；静止的

stiffenv.绷紧；变坚定；（使）变强硬

tentativelyadv.试验性地

flinchv.畏缩；（突然）退缩

imprisonv.监禁；关押

laceratedadj.撕裂的；受伤的

whimperv.呜咽；啜泣

lopev.轻松地大步跑

vanishv.消失

creepv.悄悄地缓慢行进（crept,crept）

scurryv.碎步疾跑

limpv.跛行；蹒跚

gearn.设备；所有物

meadown.草地；牧场

glisteningadj.闪耀的

furtiveadj.偷偷摸摸的，鬼鬼祟祟的

assemblev.集合；收集；装配

阅读小练

1.Why did the author fall asleep after a long time on the fifth night

A.Because he slept on the ground.

B.Because it was cold in the forest.

C.Because he was still afraid of the wolf.

D.Because the wolf needed nursing anytime.

2.What would happen if the author hadn’t saved the Mother wolf?

A.She would have lost a part of her body.

B.Her friends would have come and saved her.

C.Her pups would have turned to some passers-by.

D.She would have gotten rid of the steel jaws easily.

3.What did a timber wolf usually do after being freed from a trap?

A.It would begin to lick its fur.

B.It would escape into the forest.

C.It would smell a man’s hands and arms.

D.It would nip playfully at his mother.

4.Why did the wolf take the writer to her wolf pack?

A.Because she wanted to protect the writer.

B.Because she wanted the writer to help her family.

C.Because she wanted her family members to know the writer.

D.Because she had accepted the writer as a member of her group.

5.How did the wolf probably feel when the author left?

A.Mournful.

B.Reluctant.

C.Worried.

D.Excited.

美句积累

1.突然，小狼们向我扑来。

Suddenly,the pups _________________________.

2.我坐在离她八英尺的地方，紧张得心都提到了嗓子眼儿。

________________,I sat down eight feet from her.

3.我轻轻地俯身抚摸它们。

Gently,I _____________________________.

4.我用了点儿劲，夹子弹开了，狼解脱了。

I ____________,the trap _____________,and the wolf _____________.

5.这违背了我曾听说过的关于森林狼的一切。

This ________________________ everything I’d ever heard about timber wolves.

6.过了一会儿，幼崽们在狼妈妈身边乱窜，狼妈妈准备离开，开始一瘸一拐地走向森林。

After a while,with __________________,the mother wolf _____________ and ______________toward the forest.

7.狼妈妈和她的幼崽们坐在我离开他们的地方，看着我。

The mother and her pups were sitting _______________________,________________.

答案和解析

阅读小练

1.C。推理判断题。本题问的是“为什么作者第五个晚上很久才入睡？”根据关键词“the fifth night”和“fall asleep”可知，线索在第一段。根据第一段最后四句“My heart in my mouth,I sat down eight feet from her.One snap of her huge jaws and she could break my arm ...or my neck.I wrapped my blanket around myself and slowly settled onto the cold ground.It was a long time before I fell a sleep.”可知，“我”坐在离她八英尺的地方，紧张得心都提到了嗓子眼儿。她巨大的下巴一咬，就可能咬断“我”的胳膊……或脖子。“我”把毯子裹在身上，慢慢地躺在冰冷的地面上。过了很长时间“我”才睡着。由此可推知，作者对这只狼还是感到害怕，所以迟迟不能入睡。故选C。

2.A。细节理解题。根据第三段内容可知，“我”可以看到，夹子的钢齿只夹住了狼妈妈的两个脚趾。它们肿起来，撕裂了，但如果“我”能帮她解开，她就不会失去这只爪子。由此可知，如果作者不救狼妈妈，她将会失去一只爪子。故选A。

3.B。细节理解题。根据第五段“My experience in the wild suggested that the wolf would now gather her pups and vanish into the woods...”可知，“我”在野外的经验表明，这只狼现在会聚集她的幼崽，然后消失在森林中。故可知，通常森林狼被解救后，都会逃往森林。故选B。

4.D。推理判断题。根据第七至九段的内容可知，狼妈妈引着“我”来到了她的大本营，而其他狼并没有攻击“我”。由此可推知，狼妈妈把作者带回到狼群之中是因为她已经接受了作者是狼群的一员。故选D。

5.B。推理判断题。根据最后一段“The mother and her pups were sitting where I had left them,watching me.” 和“ At the same time,the mother wolf sent a long,mournful howl into the crisp air.”可知，狼妈妈和她的幼崽们坐在“我”离开他们的地方，望着“我”。与此同时，狼妈妈在清冽的空气中发出了一声长长的悲伤的嚎叫。由此可推知，这些狼不愿意让作者离去。故选B。

美句积累

1.came bounding to me

2.My heart in my mouth

3.leaned over and petted them

4.applied pressure;sprang open;pulled free

5.went against

6.her pups scurrying around her;was ready to leave;began to limp off

7.where I had left them;watching me