英语故事Cats Ear.docx

英语故事Cats Ear.docx

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英语故事CatsEar

英语故事

Cat’sEar

　　InthosetimetherewerenoVerkhnevoandIlyinskoyeironworks，notasignofthem.OnlyourPolevayaandSysert.AndironwasworkedabitinSevernayatoo.Butnaughttospeakof.Sysertwasmostintouchwiththeworld.ItwasonthehighroadthatwenttoCossackparts.You’dmeetallsortsontheroad，andhearallsortsofnews，too.Andvillagesthickallround.

　　InourPolevayaitwasdifferent.Wewererightoutoftheworld.Wedidn’tmakemuchironthosetimes，itwasmostlycopper.Andthatwasalwaystakentothewharfinconvoys，soitwasn’teasytostopandtalktothisoneandthat.Tryitwhenyou’vegotaguardwatchingyou！

Andonlyonevillageourway，KossoiBrod.Justwoodsandhillsandbogsallround.Inthosedaysfolksherelivedinaholelikeblindmoles.OfcoursethatjustsuitedtheMaster.

　　Aye，hereitwasquite，buthehadtokeepaneyeonSysert.Sohewentovertolivethere.Madeithismainworks.Hesentmoreguardstowatchthefolkshere，andgaveallhismenstrictorders：

“Seenostrangerscome，andkeepthefolksonatightrein.”

　　Now，whatstrangerswouldtherebewhenourvillagewasoutofthewaylikethat？

TherewasaroadtoSysert，ofcourse，buttheysayitwasarealbadoneinthosedays.Throughthebogsitwent，andforverstafterverstitwasjustalogtrack.OnlytheMaster’sservantsandtheguardsuseditthen.Andtheyweremostlyonhorseback，soitmatteredlittleiftheroadwasabadone.TheMasterhimselfcameonlywhenhecoulduserunnersinsteadofwheels.

　　Assoonastherewasasledgetrackhe’dbehere，makingupfortimelostinthesummer.Andhe’dawayofturningupunexpected.He’dleaveintheevening，say，andnextdayatdinner-timehe’dbebackagain.Hopedhe’dcatchsomeone.Soinwinter-timeallknewtheMastercouldbehereanyminute.Butwhenitmeantcomingonwheels，there’dneverbesightorsoundofhim.Rattlingandbumpingoverlogsdidn’tsuithim，andhe’dnolikingforhorseback.Hewasgettingoninyears，theysay.Howcouldhesitahorse？

Sotillwintercameroundagain，folkshaditabiteasier.Becausenomatterhowthebailiffdrovethem，theMasterwouldfindsomethingwrongassoonashecame.

　　ButonedaytheMastersuddenlyturnedupintheautumn，whentheroadwasatitsworst.Hedidn’tgototheworksorthemineashiswaywas，buttothebailiff.Andhehadalltheofficialsandclerkscalledandtheprieststoo.Theyweretheretillevening.OnthemorrowtheMasterwenttoSevernaya，andthenthesamedaytothetown.Rushingaboutinallthedirtandmud.Andhe’dgotanextralotofguardswithhim，too.Folksstartedasking：

“What’shappened？

Howcanwegettoknow？

”

　　Thatwouldbeeasyenoughnowadays-walkorrideintoSysert.Butthentheywereserfs.Amanhadtofindsomeexcuse，aye，andthentheywouldn’talwayslethimgo.Andyoucouldn’tslipoffinsecret，either，becausefolkswerewatched，heldinatightgrip.Butallthesame，therewasoneladsaidhe’dtryit.

　　“Saturdayevening，whenwecomeupfromthemine，I’llgetoffquicktoSysert，andSundayeveningI’llbeback.I’vegotfriendsthere.I’llsoonfindoutwhatit’salabout.”

　　Offhewent，buthedidn’tcomebackatall.Afterabittheytoldthebailiffhewasn’tthere，butthebailiffdidn’tseemtocare，hedidn’tevenhaveasearchmade.Thenfolksgotburningeagertoknowwhatitallmeant.Twomorewentoff，andtheydidn’tcomebackeither.

　　Therewerenewwaysinthevillage，too-theguardsstartedgoingroundthehousesthreetimesaday，countingthementoseetheywereallathome.Ifamanwantedtogototheforestforwoodortocuthay，hehadtoaskleave.Theyweren’tallowedoutofthevillage，exceptinparties，andaguardwentwiththem.

　　“I’mlettingnonegoalone，”saidthebailiff.“There’sthreerunoffalready.”

　　Thewivesandchildrenweren’tallowedintotheforesteither.Thebailiffsetawatchonalltheroads.Andhe’dfoundmenthatwereclose-tongued，youcouldn’tgetawordoutofthem.Well，itwasclearasdaylightsomethingwasgoingonSysertway，andsomethingthathadtheMaster’soverseersonthejump.Folkswhisperedattheironworksandinthemine.

　　“We’vegottofindoutsomehow.”

　　Thenamaidspokeup，oneofthemthatworkedinthemine.

　　“Letmetry.Theydon’tcountthewomenwhentheymaketheirrounds.Andtheydon’tcometousatall，theyknowI’mallalonewithGranny，andnomenfolks.Mebbeit’sthesameinSysert.It’llbeeasierformetogettoknow.”

　　Shewasaclever，fearlessmaid.Well，amininglass，withaheadonher.Butallthesameittookthemenaback.

　　“Buthow’llyougofortyverststhroughthewoodsallalone，Dunyakha，yefledgling？

It’sautumn，thewolvesareout.Therewon’tbeevenbonesleftofye.”

　　“I’llgetoffonSunday，”shesaid.“Thewolveswon’tventureoutontheroadinthedaytime.AndI’lltakeanaxe，tobesure.”

　　“D’yeknowanyoneinSysert？

”theyasked.

　　“Aren’ttherewomenenoughthere？

”shesaid.“I’lllearnitallfromthem.”

　　Someofthemendoubted.

　　“Whatdowomenknow？

”

　　“Alltheirmenknow，andsometimesmore.”

　　Themenarguedthiswayandthat，thentheysaid：

“It’strue，DunyakhaFledgling，it’seasierforyoutogetaway，butstillitwouldbeshamefultoletamaidgoonsuchajourneyalone.Thewolves’lleatye.”

　　Justthenayoungfellowcameup.Heheardwhatthetalkwasabout，andhesaid：

“I’llgowithher.”

　　Dunyakhawentred，butshedidn’tsayhimnay.

　　“It’udbepleasanter，twoofus，that’sright，butwhatiftheycatchyeinSysert？

”

　　“Theywon’t，”hesaid.

　　SoDunyakhasetoffwiththatyoungfellow.Theydidn’tleavebytheroad，ofcourse，theyslippedawaybehindthehouses，andthenkeptonthroughthewoods，sotheycouldn’tbeseenfromtheroad.They’dnotroubletilltheycametoKossoiBrod，andtheretheysawthreemenonthebridge.Guardingit.TheChusovayawasn’tfrozenyet，butitwastoocoldtoswimithigherorlower.

　　Dunyakhalookedatitallfromthewoods，andthenshesaid：

“Matyukha，lad，seemslikeyewon’tbeabletogowithmeafterall.Ye’llonlybringmisfortuneonyourselffornogood，andspoilitformetoo.Bettergetbackquickbeforetheymissye，andI’llseewhatwoman’switscando.”

　　Matyukhatriedtotalkheroutofit，ofcourse，butshewouldn’tgiveway.Theyarguedabit，andthentheysettledthathe’dkeepwatchfromthewoods.Ifshewasn’tstoppedonthebridge，thenhe’dgohome，butifshehadanytrouble，he’dcomeoutandfightthemoffher.ThenDunyakhacreptupcloser，hidtheaxewell，andsuddenlydashedoutofthewoods.Ranstraighttothemencryingandscreaming：

“Help！

Help！

Awolf！

Oh，awolf！

”

　　Themensawamaidallfrightened，andtheyjustlaughed，oneevenputoutafoottotripher，butDunyakhahadquickeyes，sheflewpaststillscreaming：

“Oh-awolf！

Awolf！

”

　　Themenshoutedafterher：

“Look，it’sgotyebytheskirt！

It’sgotyourskirt！

Runquick！

”

　　Matyukhagothomebeforethewatchmadetheirrounds.Theyhadn’tmissedhim.Thenextdayhetoldtheminersaboutit.Sonowtheyknewwhathadhappenedtothefirstones，they’dbeencaughtatKossoiBrod.

　　“They’relockedupsomewhere，andinchainstoo，verylike.That’swhythebailiffdidn’tseekthem-heknowswellenoughwheretheyare.IfonlyourFledglingdoesn’tgetcaughtcomingback.”

　　Theytalkedabitmoreandthentheywenthome.AndDunyakha？

ShewentquietlythroughthewoodstillshegottogottoSysert.OnceshesawsomeofthePolevayaguardsridinghome.Shehidherselftillthey’dgone，andthenwenton.Shegottired，ofcourse，buttoslippastwasaseasyaseatingpie.Sheturnedintothewoodsandwentthroughthevegetablepatches，andthereshesawawellquitenear，withwomenroundaboutit.Dunyakhaslippedinamongthem.

　　“Whosemaidareyou？

”askedoneoldwoman.“Idon’tmindseeingyeaboutherebefore.”

　　Dunyakhafeltshecouldtrusttheoldwoman.

　　“I’mfromPolevaya，’shesaid，andthewomanstared，amazed.

　　“Howdidyecome？

There’sguardseverywhere.Ourmencan’tgetthroughtoyou.Allthattriednevercameback.”

　　Dunyakhatoldherallaboutit.Thentheoldwomansaid：

“Cometomyhut，youngmaid.Ilivealone.Theynevercomesearching.Andiftheydocome，I’lltellthemyou’remygranddaughterfromovertheriver.She’sabitlikeyoutolookat.Onlyyou’reabitbroader.Whatdotheycallye？

”

　　“Dunyakha.”

　　“Thereyeare.Mymaid’scalledDunyatoo.”

　　FromthatoldwomanDunyakhalearneditall.TheMaster，itseemed，hadrunawaysomewherefaroff，andeveryweekmessengerscamefromhimandrodebackagain.TheMasterwouldsendorders，andthebailiffVankaShvarevreadthemouttoallthefolks.Theironworkswereshutup，andallthemenhadbeensentoutontheShchelkunskoyeroadtodigdeeptrenchesandpileupbarriers.Somethingwascomingfromthatway.FolkshadbeentoldtheBashkirshadrisen，butitwasn’tthatatall.Allthepeoplehadrisen-thefar-awayironworkersandthevillagersandtheCossackstoo，andtheBashkirshadrisenwiththem.They’dgotthemastersandgentrybythethroat，andthepeople’sleaderwasOmelyanIvanych.“Somesayhe’stherealTsar，otherssayhe’sacommonman，buthoweverthatmaybe，it’sfreedomforthepeopleanddeathtothegentrywithhim.That’swhythatfoxofoursslunkoffasfarashecouldget！

Scared！

”

　　DunyakhalearnedtheguardsmadetheroundsinSysertthreetimesadayandcountedallthemen，justlikeinPolevaya.ButinSysertitwasevenstricter.Ifamancouldn’tbefound，hiswifeandchildren，hiswholefamily，weretakenandpushedintoprison.He’dcomerunningup：

“I’mhere，I’mabitlate，that’sall.”Bu