Buck had pulled sledges for three thousand kilometers that winter, and he was as tired as the others.

那个冬天, 巴克拉着雪撬赶了3000公里路。他同别的狗一样, 疲惫到了极点。

But Dave was not only tired; he was ill.

戴夫不但疲惫而且生了病。

Every evening he lay down the minute after the sledge stopped, and did not stand up until morning.

每天晚上, 雪撬一停下来, 他就瘫倒在地, 直到第二天早上才站起来。

The men looked at him, but they could find no broken bones.

人们检查了他的脚, 没有发现骨折的迹象。

Something was wrong inside.

因此断定它定是内伤。

One day he started to fall down while in his harness.

一天当他开始在挽具里跌交时,

The sledge stopped, and the driver took him out of his harness. He wanted to give him a rest, and let him run free behind the sledge.

雪撬停了下来, 驾雪撬的人解下他的挽具想让他休息一下, 让他空身跑在雪撬后面。

But Dave did not want to stop working.

但戴夫不愿意停止工作,

He hated to see another dog doing his work, so he ran along beside the sledge, trying to push Solleks out of his place.

看到别的狗做他的工作他恨极了。所以他沿着雪撬边缘奔跑, 试图把索拉克斯从他的位子上推开。

When the sledge made its next stop, Dave bit through Solleks ‘harness and pushed him away.

当雪撬再度停下来时, 戴夫咬住了索拉克斯身上的挽具要把他推开,

Then he stood there, in his old place in front of the sledge, waiting for his harness and the order to start pulling.

然后他就站在那儿, 在雪撬前面他的老位子上, 等着套上挽具和拉车的命令。

The driver decided it was kinder to let him work.

赶车的人觉得最好还是让他工作。

Dave pulled all day, but the next morning he was too weak to move.

戴夫拉了一天的车。但第二天早上他虚弱得无法动弹。

The driver harnessed up without Dave, and drove a few hundred meters.

撇下戴夫, 赶车的人套上雪撬走了几百米。

Then he stopped, took his gun, and walked back.

然后他停了下来, 拿起枪又走了回去。

The dogs heard a shot, and then the man came quickly back.

狗听见一声枪响, 然后那人很快折了回来,

The sledge started to move again; but Buck knew, and every dog knew, what had happened.

雪撬又前进了。但是巴克知道, 每条狗都知道发生了什么事情。