Chapter 3
The next morning John took me into the yard and gave my coat a good brushing.
Just as I was going into my box, with my coat soft and bright, the master came in to look at me, and seemed pleased.
“John,” he said, “I meant to try the new horse this morning, but I have other business.
You can take him around after breakfast.
Go by the common and the Highwood, and back by the watermill (水磨) and the river. That will show how fast he can go.”
“I will, sir,” said John.
After breakfast, he came and fitted me with a bridle (馬籠頭) .
He was very particular in adjusting the straps.
He wanted to fit my head comfortably.
Then he brought a saddle, but it was not wide enough for my back.
He saw it in a minute and went for another, which fitted nicely.
He rode me first slowly, then faster and faster.
When we were on the common, he gave me a light touch with his whip, and we had a splendid run.
As we came back through the park, we met Mr. Gordon and his wife, who were having a walk.
They stopped, and John jumped off.
“Well, John, how does he go?”
“First-rate,” answered John, “he is as fast as a deer, and has a fine spirit too.
The lightest touch of the rein (韁繩) will guide him.
We met one of those traveling carts, and as you know, sir, many horses will not pass those carts quietly.
But he just took a good look at it, and then went on as quiet and pleasant as it could be.
Also there were some people shooting rabbits near the Highwood, and a gun went off close by.
He pulled up a little and looked, but did not move a step to right or left.
It’s my opinion that he has not been frightened or ill-used while he was young.”
“That’s good,” said the master, “I will try him myself tomorrow.”
The next day I was brought up for my master.
I remembered my mother’s advice and my good old master’s, and I tried to do exactly what he wanted me to do.
I found he rode on me well and also showed care for his horse.
When he came home, his wife was at the hall door.
“Well, my dear,” she said, “how do you like him?”
“He is exactly what John said,” he replied, “a friendly creature I never wish to mount. What shall we call him?”
“He is really quite a beauty, and he has such a nice and sweet face, and such a fine, intelligent eye. What do you say to calling him Black Beauty?”
“Black Beauty—I think that is a very good name.”
John seemed very proud of me.
He used to make the hair on my head and tail almost as smooth as a lady’s hair.
He would talk to me a great deal. Of course, I did not understand all he said.
However, I learned more and more to know what he meant, and what he wanted me to do.
He was so gentle and kind, and I grew very fond of him.
He seemed to know just how a horse felt.
When he cleaned me, he knew the tender places and the sensitive places.
When he brushed my head, he went carefully over my eyes as if they were his own, and never made me angry.
James, the stable boy, was just as gentle and pleasant as John, so I thought myself well off.
A few days after this, I had to go out with Ginger in the carriage.
I wondered how we would get on together, but she acted very well.
She did her work honestly, and did her full share. I never wish to have a better partner.
After we had been out two or three times together, we grew quite friendly, which made me feel very much at home.
As for Merrylegs, he and I soon became great friends.
Our master had two other horses in another stable. One was Justice, and the other was Sir Oliver.
We were quite happy in our new place.
Sometimes we had some free time for a few hours on fine summer Sundays.
The carriage never went out on Sundays, so we were all taken out into the home field or the old orchard (果園) .
The grass was so cool and soft to our feet. The air was so sweet.
The freedom to do what we liked was so pleasant.
We ran, lay down, rolled over on our backs, and ate a little of the sweet grass.
Then it was a very good time for talking, as we stood together under the shade of the large tree.
【背景知識】
自4000年前馬匹被人類馴化起，馬就在農業(yè)生產、交通運輸和軍事等方面起到重要作用。但隨著社會的發(fā)展，機械動力的廣泛運用，馬在人類生產生活中扮演的角色也在變化，雖然在不少地區(qū)馬仍以役用為主，但世界上很多地區(qū)傳統(tǒng)養(yǎng)馬業(yè)已經逐漸轉化為現(xiàn)代馬業(yè)，其內容包括賽馬、馬術運動、育馬及相關服務行業(yè)等，也發(fā)展了獨特的馬文化。
我們故事的發(fā)生地，英國，馬業(yè)是最重要的產業(yè)之一，也是一項世界級產業(yè)。英國擁有優(yōu)秀的馴馬師、騎手、育馬專家和先進的訓練設施場地，培養(yǎng)了英純血馬。英國還是現(xiàn)代馬術運動的發(fā)源地，英國代表團在各項世界馬術比賽中取得的成績不俗。并且，除了熱衷于賽馬和馬術等體育項目，還有不少英國人將馬當作寵物。
【活的藝術品——純血馬】
英國是純血馬的發(fā)源地。英國的育馬者通過引進大量精選的東方種公馬以提高賽馬的速度、耐力、體型等品質，以應對比賽需要，由此培育出純血馬。其中，拜耳利一特克( Byerley Turk)、達利一阿拉伯( Darley Arabian)和高德芬一阿拉伯( Godol!ohin Arabian)這三匹外來種公馬被認為是英純血馬的祖先。純血馬以巾短距離速力快著稱，是世界上公認最優(yōu)秀的賽馬品種，這類純血馬的價格十分高昂，一匹頂級純血賽馬價值上百萬美元。純血馬體高1.50 - 1.70米，作為世界上速度最快、身體結構最好的馬匹，被稱為“活的藝術品”。純血馬不僅是平地賽馬范圍的霸主，而且在場地障礙賽、三日賽和盛裝舞步三個奧運馬術作戰(zhàn)馬使用。不過在后來的兩百多年里，夏爾馬主要在農業(yè)上使用。
夏爾馬鼻子凸圓，前額較寬，頸部修長有冠毛，肩寬，足以容納挽具，背寬，臀部傾斜，皮毛光滑，膝蓋和跗關節(jié)處長有長毛，重量超過一噸。并且，盡管夏爾馬高大強壯，但性格極其溫順，易于管理，適應能力強。多用于馱運貨物、農業(yè)耕作、騎乘，曾是英國人最得力的助手。夏爾馬數(shù)量最多是在18世紀和19世紀，當時英國夏爾馬的數(shù)量超過了100萬匹。但因繁殖比較困難，近些年來夏爾馬的數(shù)量在急劇減少，根據(jù)1878年成立的英國夏爾馬協(xié)會統(tǒng)計，英國擁有的夏爾馬的數(shù)量現(xiàn)已不足4000匹，而且每年新生的夏爾馬大約為500匹，其中母馬只有兩百匹左右，死亡的速度遠遠超過了繁殖的速度。夏爾馬協(xié)會警告，如果這一狀況繼續(xù)下去，可能用不了十年，曾經是英國歷史重要組成部分的夏爾馬就會消亡。
【一詞多義&熟詞生義】
1.「coat」：常見意思有“衣服，外套”，此處指“（動物的）皮毛”。
原句：The next morning John took me into the yard and gave my coat a good brushing.
2.「common」：常見的意思有“普通的，共有的”，在此處做名詞，表示“（村莊、小鎮(zhèn)等附近的）公共草地”。
原句：Go by the common and the Highwood, and back by the watermill and the river.
3.「tender」：常見的意思有“溫柔的，柔軟的”，此處指“（身體部位）易痛的”。
原句：When he cleaned me, he knew the tender places and the sensitive places.
【句子解析】
1. He was very particular in adjusting the straps. He wanted to fit my head comfortably.
「particular」在這里的意思是“講究的，細致的，挑剔的”；文中就是說John非常仔細耐心地為我調整皮帶，只為了讓我的腦袋舒服一點。
我們通常用「be particular about sth/doing sth」這個結構來表示“對……挑剔”，來個栗子：She is very particular about her clothing. 她對衣著特別挑剔。
2. They stopped, and John jumped off.
「jump off」很好理解，就是“跳下來”的意思，后面可以搭配cliff、stage、train等詞。今天老師給大家補充這個短語的另外一個意思：開始，出發(fā)。舉個栗子 ：The attack will jump off at dawn. 進攻將從拂曉開始。
3. Also there were some people shooting rabbits near the Highwood, and a gun went off close by. He pulled up a little and looked, but did not move a step to right or left.
「go off」這個短語有很多意思，在這里的意思是“（槍炮等）被發(fā)射；突然發(fā)出響聲”，「close by」是一個副詞短語，表示“在附近”，修飾這個槍聲。
「pull up」在這里是“（使）停止；停?。ㄜ嚒ⅠR等）”的意思。這個短語也有很多意思，咱們先記住這一種，進一寸有一寸的驚喜嘛~
整句話就是說，林子那邊有人在打兔子，旁邊就有槍聲響起，他只是停下來看了看，并沒有往左或往右亂邁一步。John對Darkie的評價很高哦~ 不過很快他就不叫Darkie啦！
4. It’s my opinion that he has not been frightened or ill-used while he was young.
「ill-use」意思是“虐待，凌辱，折磨”，這里就是John說，我看哪，他小的時候沒受過驚嚇，也沒被虐待。端端是匹好馬呀！
我們可以把「ill-」看成一個詞根，表示否定意義的“沒有……無……”，它可以和其他單詞合成一個新的單詞，類似這樣的單詞還有：
ill-bred （舉止）粗野的，無教養(yǎng)的
ill-defined 不清楚的，不明確的
ill-founded 缺乏根據(jù)的，站不住腳的
ill-informed 所知不多的，消息不靈通的
ill-equipped 裝備不良的，能力不足的
ill-tempered 脾氣暴躁的，易怒的
5. “He is exactly what John said,” he replied, “a friendly creature I never wish to mount….”
「mount」在這里的意思不是“爬上、登上”，而是“騎上（馬、自行車等）”，我們來舉兩個栗子：
He mounted his horse and rode away. 他騎上馬走了。
We helped him mount the bike and gave him a little push. 我們幫他騎上了自行車，并輕輕推了他一把。
「never wish to do」這個短語，已經出現(xiàn)了三次了，不知道大家有沒有發(fā)現(xiàn)呢~？它的意思不是“從來不想”，而是“從來沒想過”，語氣中有一種驚喜，大家可以仔細體會下~ 主人說：他的確和John說的一樣，我從沒想到還能騎上那么馴良的馬……
6. She did her work honestly, and did her full share.
「share」在此處意為“應做的、應承擔的、應得的一份”，「do one's full share」就是說某人做了自己該做的那部分，這里就是說，Ginger盡職盡責地工作，她是我最好的搭檔~
7. After we had been out two or three times together, we grew quite friendly, which made me feel very much at home.
「be/feel at home」是一個固定短語，表示“（像在家一樣）舒適自在，無拘無束”，除了上面的句子，我們再來舉個栗子：After a while we began to feel at home with each other. 過了一會兒我們就無拘無束起來。
這個短語還有另外一個意思：“駕輕就熟，運用自如”，后面通常接「with」。來個栗子：Practice using the video until you feel quite at home with it. 練習怎么使用這臺錄像機，直到熟練為止。
8. We ran, lay down, rolled over on our backs, and ate a little of the sweet grass.
我們來講講「on」在這里的用法~ 「on」在這里作介詞，表示“（身體重量）由（某部位）支撐”?！竢olled over on our backs」就是打滾兒的意思，因為要用背部去接觸、支撐自己的身體。我們在平時的生活中都可以用到，舉幾個栗子：
He raised himself on his elbows, looking out of the window. 他用胳膊肘支起身子，往窗外望去。
The baby girl was on her hands and knees in the bathroom. 小女孩兒趴在浴室的地上。
說到「lie」和「lay」這兩個百變小天后，那是一不小心就會混淆二者的各種形式，為此專門給大家列了個表格以便查閱：
【今日短語】
be particular in/about sth/doing sth 對……講究、挑剔
jump off 從……跳下來；開始
go off （槍炮等）被發(fā)射；突然發(fā)出響聲
close by 在附近
pull up 停?。ㄜ嚒ⅠR等）
do one’s full share 完成某人應做的部分
feel at home 舒適自在，無拘無束
