(单词翻译:单击)
Winter and summer, the mails must go through, and in their lonely posts at remount and relay stations the men who looked after the ponies must be fed.
无论冬季还是夏季,邮件必须送达,在换马站和中继站,在孤独的岗位上照顾小马的人,必须得到供应 。
Already those on the far side of the mountains had received their supplies from a wagon train which had gone out several weeks before.
那些住在山那边的人已经收到了几星期前已经用马车送去的补给 。
Now it was necessary only to supply the posts closer to St. Joseph.
现在只需要提供给靠近圣约瑟夫的哨所就行了 。
A swiftly moving train of twenty wagons, drawn by mules and in charge of experienced fighting men, left the settlement;
一列快速行进的火车运送20匹马,由骡子拉着,有经验的勇士负责指挥,离开了定居点;
and with it rode William Saunders.
威廉·桑德斯也在其中 。
His duty was to check the supplies as they were dealt out, to keep the records for Russell, Majors and Waddell.
他的职责是检查分发的物资,为拉塞尔、梅杰斯和瓦德尔做好记录 。
Three days out of St. Joseph and a hundred miles to the west, a lone rider overtook the wagons and passed them at a gallop with a wave of the hand by way of greeting.
在圣约瑟城的第三天,向西一百英里的地方,有一个孤独的骑手追上了货车,用一只手挥手致意,疾驰而过 。
It was the Pony Express rider carrying the mail from the East on the second relay west.
是“快马邮递”的骑手在第二次向西接力赛时,扛着邮件从东边过来了 。
Five miles ahead lay a remount corral;
在前面五英里处,有一所新马畜栏;
ten miles beyond it was the relay station where the pouch would be turned over to the man who would ride the third stretch.
再过十英里就是中继站,在那里邮袋将被交给第三段路程的那个人 。
“There's snow a-coming,” said Big Jim Bartigan, leader of the wagon train, sniffing the air.
“快要下雪了,”货车首领比格·吉姆·巴提干看着天空说道 。
“We'll try to make the relay station before night.”
“我们将设法在天黑前到达中继站 。”
When they arrived, the wagons were parked in a circle for the best protection, the mules and saddle animals were put in the corral, sentinels were selected, and the others set about getting supper.
当他们到达的时候,为了得到最好的保护,货车被停成一圈,骡子和马鞍上的动物被放在畜栏里,挑选好哨兵,其他人开始吃晚饭 。
Half an hour later one of the sentinels cried out that a horse and rider were coming down the trail.
半小时后,一个哨兵喊道,有一匹马和骑马的人正沿着小路走来 。
The man slumped heavily forward upon the neck of the beast, clutching at the pommel of his saddle.
那人重重地靠在马的脖子上,紧抓着马鞍 。
The animal shuffled slowly along staggering from side to side, and as he came up to the wagons, stumbled, fell, and did not rise again.
那马摇摇晃晃地慢慢地走着,走到马车跟前,踉踉跄跄地跌跌撞撞,跌倒在地,再也站不起来了 。
Wearily the rider dragged himself from beneath the animal, picked up his saddl ebags, staggered into the ring of wagons, and sank beside a fire.
疲倦的骑手挣扎着从马的下面爬了出来,拿起他的鞍囊,踉踉跄跄地走到马车圈里,在火旁坐下 。