新概念英語第四冊
Lesson 41 Training elephants
1 . or'ho! my father', or'my mother', according to the age and sex of the captive.呵！我的爸爸、"呵！我的媽媽通過按象的年齡性別，
2 . but they do underline the general principle that the relationship between elephant and mahout is the key to successful training.但強調了一項基本原則，像和馴象員之間的關係是馴象成功與否的關鍵。
3 . Sometimes a tame elephant is tethered nearby to give the wild one confidence,有時，把一頭已馴服的象拴在旁邊能給野象以信心。
4 . good-tempered elephant who will give many years of loyal service.脾氣溫順、能忠實為人服務多年的大象。
5 . and see that nothing particularly alarming is happening to its companions.並且看到自己的同伴身上沒有發生讓自己擔驚受怕的事。
6 . The elephant is not immediately susceptible to such blandishments, however,然而大象不會立刻被這些討好的話感動，而
7 . The next stage is to get the elephant to the training establishment,下一步就是把像帶到訓練場所，
8 . Two main techniques have been used for training elephants,馴像有兩種主要的方法，
9 . and are capable of a considerable degree of personal affection.而且會對主人產生相當深厚的私人感情。
10 . When it is eating normally, its own training begins.當它進食正常了，訓練就開始。
11 . which we may call respectively the tough and the gentle.我們分別稱之為強硬法和溫柔法。
12 . These movements are controlled by the trainer with the metal-pointed stick,訓練員要用有鋒利金屬尖的長棒控制它的這種舉動，
13 . Two assistants, mounted on tame elephants, control the captive from either side,兩位助手騎在馴服的象的背上，從兩側控制新捕的象，
14 . and a very firm hand must be employed in the early stages.因此開始階段需要有一位強有力的老手。
15 . Elephants like to have one master just as dogs do,大象和狗一樣，喜歡有一個專一的主人，
16 . Apart from any moral considerations this is a stupid method of training,且不說道義問題，這本身就是一種愚蠢的訓練方法，
17 . The most economical age to capture an elephant for training is between fifteen and twenty years,捕捉15至20歲之間年齡的大象進行馴練最為經濟。
18 . The gentle method requires more patience in the early stages, but produces a cheerful,溫柔法要求在最初階段保持較大的耐心，但這種方法可以訓練出性情愉快、
19 . But animals of this age do not easily become subservient to man,但這個年齡的象不易馴服，
20 . for it produces a resentful animal who at a later stage may well turn man-killer.因為這種方法訓練會使動物反感，在以後某個時期可能會變成傷人的動物。
21 . The captive elephant, still roped to a tree,捕來拴在樹上的大象，
22 . and in most cases the captive gradually quietens down and begins to accept its food.在大多數情況下，剛捕來的象會慢慢靜下來，接著開始吃食。
23 . The former method simply consists of setting an elephant to work and beating him until he does what is expected of him.強硬法就是驅使象去幹活，把它打到順從為止。
24 . When several elephants are being trained at one time,幾隻象同時訓練時，
25 . There are even stories of half-trained elephant calves who have refused to feed and pined to death when by some unavoidable circumstance they have been deprived of their own trainer.訓練了一半的小象，由於不可避免的情況與他們的主人分離後，竟拒絕吃食，消瘦至死。
26 . plunges and screams every time a man approaches,每當有人走近它時，就會向前猛衝並發出尖叫，
27 . The first essential in elephant training is to assign to the animal a single mahout who will be entirely responsible for the job.馴象中至關重要的是指派一名專門的馴象員，全面負責這項工作。
28 . and usually lashes fiercely with its trunk in all directions.往往是用鼻子朝各個方向猛烈地甩動。
29 . It is then left completely undisturbed with plenty of food and water so that it can absorb the atmosphere of its new home然後給它以充足的食物和水，一定不要驚擾它，以便讓它能適應新居的氣氛，
30 . Such extreme cases must probably be taken with a grain of salt,這種極端的事例雖不可全信，
31 . a ticklish business which is achieved with the aid of two tame elephants roped to the captive on either side.這是一件棘手的事，需要在它兩側拴上兩頭馴服的大象才能完成。
32 . The trainer stands in front of the elephant holding a long stick with a sharp metal point.馴練員手持一根有鋒利金屬尖頭的長棒，站在象前。
33 . and for several days will probably refuse all food through anger and fear.甚至一連幾天由於憤怒和恐懼而拒絕進食。
34 . while others rub their hands over his skin to the accompaniment of a monotonous and soothing chant.其他人唱著單調的歌聲用手撫摸象的皮膚。
35 . and the trunk eventually becomes so sore that the elephant curls it up and seldom afterwards uses it for offensive purposes.象鼻子最後疼得捲了起來，以後它就很少用鼻子去進攻了。
36 . for it is then almost ready to undertake heavy work and can begin to earn its keep straight away.這個年齡的象差不多已能幹重活，可以很快掙回飼養它的開支。
37 . This is supposed to induce pleasurable sensations in the elephant,據說這是為了使象產生愉快的感覺，
38 . and its effects are reinforced by the use of endearing epithets, such as'ho! my son',為了加強這種效果，人們給以親切的外號，如呵！我的孩子、
39 . it is customary for the new arrival to be placed between the stalls of two captives whose training is already well advanced.通常是把新到的安置在兩頭訓練得很好的大象的象廄中間，