The man’s name was Burn Sanderson. He wasa young man who rode a good horse and was verypolite about taking his hat off to Mama when he gotoff in front of our cabin. He told Mama who hewas. He said he was a newcomer. He said that he’dcome down with some cattle. He’d had two dogs tohelp him with the cattle，but one of the dogs，thebest one，had somehow got lost.He’d heard fromBud Searcy that we had the dog.
那 个人的名字叫伯恩· 桑德生。他是一位骑着一匹好马的年轻人，在我们木屋前跨下马的时候，他彬彬有礼地对妈妈脱帽致意。他对妈妈作了自我介绍。他说他是新来的，并带了一群牛来。他说他有两只狗帮他照看牛群，但其中一只，最好的一只，却不知怎么不见了。他从巴德·塞西那儿听说那只狗在我们这儿。
“A big ye llow dog ？”Mama asked，looking troubled.
“是一只大黄狗吗？ ”妈妈问道，神色很不安。
“Ye s s um，”the man said. Then he smiled.“Andthe wors t e gg s te a le r a nd c amp robbe r you e ve r s e te ye s on. Ste a l from right unde r your e ye s he will，butthe re wa s ne ve r a be tte r cow dog .”
“是的，大嫂，”那人答道。接着他笑了笑：“是一只你所见到的最坏的偷蛋吃的和溜进帐篷偷食吃的狗。它会在你的眼皮底下把东西偷走。但是，它却是一只没有比它更好的放牛狗了。”
Mama turned to me.“S on，c a ll Old Ye lle r，”Shesaid.
妈妈转向我。“孩子，把阿黄叫来，”她说。
I just stood there. I was so scared I couldn’tmove or think.
我只是站在那儿。我吓呆了。
“Go on ，S on，”Mama said.“I think he a nd LittleArlis s mus t be pla ying down by the cre e k s ome -whe re .”
“去啊，孩子，”妈妈说，“我想它一定和小阿里斯在小河那边什么地方玩。”
“But Ma ma ！”I cried.“We c a n’t do without OldYe lle r. He”s -”
“可是，妈妈！”我喊道，“我们没有阿黄不行啊它..”
“Tra vis !”“特拉维斯!”
Mama’s voice was sharp. I knew I was beaten.
I turned and went towards the creek，so angry withBud Searcy that I couldn”t see straight. Whycouldn’t he keep his mouth shut？
妈妈的声音很严厉。我知道再没有商量的余地。我转身向小河走去。我对巴德· 塞西恼火极了，以致有些意气用事。他干吗不闭上他那张嘴呢？
“Come u p to the hous e ，”Itold Little Arliss. “回家去，”我对小阿里斯说。
I think that from the way I said it he knewsomething terrible was happening.
我想，他从我说话的神态看出有什么可怕的事发生了。
He didn’t put out his tongue or anything. Hejust got out of the water and followed me back tothe cabin.
他没有朝我吐舌头或者做别的什么动作，而只是从水里走出来，跟着我回到木屋。
I suppose Burn Sanderson had begun to seehow much we thought of Old Yeller，or perhaps Mamahad said something about the dog while I was atthe creek. Anyway，he didn’t seem too happy abouttaking the dog off.“Now，Mrs.Coa te s ，”he said toMama，“you a nd the boys a re a ll a lone he re.Ba dlya s I ne e d the dog ，I ca n do without him until your ma nc ome s ba ck.”
我猜想伯恩·桑德生开始明白我们对阿黄的感情有多深了，也可能当我在河边的时候妈妈讲了一些有关那只狗的事。不管怎么说，看起来他对把狗带走这事也并不太高兴。“啊，科茨太太，”他对妈妈说，“你和孩子们在这儿挺寂寞的。虽然我非常需要这只狗，不过在你丈夫回来之前，我没有它也行。”
But Mama said，“No ，Mr. Sa nd e rs on. He”s you rdog ，a nd the longe r we ke e p him the ha rde r it’ll befor us to g ive him up.Ta ke him. I’ll ta lk to the boys .”
但是妈妈说：“不，桑德生先生，它是您的狗。我们跟它相处的时间越长，就越难把它交还给您。把它带走吧，我会跟孩子们说的。”
The man tied his rope round Old Yeller’s neckand got on his horse. That’s when Little Arlisscaught on to what was happening. He threw a fit.
He screamed and yelled. He grabbed a lot of stonesand began throwing them at Burn Sanderson. One ofthem hit Sanderson”s horse which dropped hishead and went bucketing round the yard. This wokeup Old Yeller. He chased after the horse，barking atthe top of his voice. And what with Mama runningafter Little Arliss，shouting at him to shut up andstop throwing stones，it was the biggest and loudestfuss we’d had at the cabin for a long time.
那 人把绳子套在阿黄的脖子上，跨上了马。这时候小阿里斯才弄明白发生了什么事。他大发脾气，又叫又嚷。他抓起大把的石块朝桑德生扔去。一块石子击中了桑德生的马，那马低下头，在院子里横冲直撞地跑起来。这下子提醒了阿黄，它追赶着马，敞开嗓子狂吠，妈妈在后面赶小阿里斯，喝令他住口，不许他扔石子。在我们这座木屋里已经很久没有为了一件区区小事而如此地乱作一团了。
When Burn Sanderson had quieted his horse，he shouted at Old Yeller. He told him he’d betterstop that noise before he got thrashed. Then he rodeback towards us with a big smile.
当伯恩·桑德生使他的马安静下来以后，就向阿黄叱斥。他要它还是识相些，停止吵闹，以免挨一顿痛打。然后，他笑容满面地骑着马向我们走来。
His smile got bigger as he saw how Mama and Iwere holding Little Arliss. We each had him by onearm and were holding him right off the ground. Likethat he couldn’t get at any more stones to throw，but it didn’t stop him dancing up and down in theair and screaming.
他看见我和妈妈使劲地抓住小阿里斯时，笑得更欢了，我们每人捉住他一只臂膀，使他荡空，这样他再也没法捡石子砸人了。但是，我们却没法使他不在半空中上下乱舞，也没法使他不高声尖叫。
“Le t him go ，”Sanderson said with a laugh.
“He”s not go ing to throw a ny more s tone s a t me .”
“放开他，”桑德生哈哈大笑地说，“他不会再对我扔石子了。”
He jumped down from his saddle. He came andheld Little Arliss gently till he stopped screaming.
Then he said，“Look，boy，do you re a lly wa nt tha tthie ving old do g？”
他从马鞍上跳下来，走上前去温柔地将小阿里斯搂在怀里直到他停止叫喊为止。然后，他说：“啊，孩子，你真的要那只偷嘴的老狗吗？”
He held Little Arliss away and looked himstraight in the eyes. Little Arliss looked straightback at him and didn’t say a word.
他把小阿里斯从怀里推开，面对面地盯着他的眼睛看。小阿里斯也回望着他，一言不发。
“We ll，do you ？”he asked.
“喂，要不要啊？ ”他问道。
At last Little Arliss said“Ye s ”into his chin，and then looked away.
最后，小阿里斯低下头去说了声“要的”，就把目光移开了。
“All right，”Burn Sanderson said.“I’ll le t youke e p the dog，bu t you”ve got to do s ome thing fo rme ，too.”
“好吧，”伯恩· 桑德生说，“我让你养这条狗，但是你也得为我做件事。”
