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我们的向导本来就是一个胆小如鼠的人。他看到这情景，就嘱咐我们早作准备，因为，他相信，一定会来更多的狼。 We kept our Arms ready, and our Eyes about us, but we saw no more Wolves, 'till we came thro' that Wood, which was near half a League, and entred the Plain; as soon as we came into the Plain, we had Occasion enough to look about us: The first Object we met with, was a dead Horse; that is to say, a poor Horse which the Wolves had kill'd, and at least a Dozen of them at Work; we could not say eating of him, but picking of his Bones rather; for they had eaten up all the Flesh before. 我们手里紧握着枪，眼睛紧盯着四面八方。可是在我们穿过那座一英里多长的树林，进入平川地以前，再也没有看见过别的狼。等我们一进入平川，向四下一望，头一眼就见到一匹死马。这是一匹被狼群咬死的马，同时见到至少有十二条狼在那里大吃特吃；其实，马肉早就给它们吃光了，现在正在啃马骨头呢！ We did not think fit to disturb them at their Feast, neither did they take much Notice of us: Friday would have let fly at them, but I would not suffer him by any Means; for I found we were like to have more Business upon our Hands than we were aware of. We were not gone half over the Plain, but we began to hear the Wolves howl in the Wood on our Left, in a frightful Manner, and presently alter we saw about a hundred coming on directly towards us, all in a Body, and most of them in a Line, as regularly as an Army drawn up by experienc'd Officers. I scarce knew in what Manner to receive them; but found to draw our selves in a close Line was the only Way: so we form'd in a Moment: But that we might not have too much Interval, I order'd, that only every other Man should fire, and that the others who had not fir'd should stand ready to give them a second Volley immediately, if they continued to advance upon us, and that then those who had fir'd at first, should not pretend to load their Fusees again, but stand ready with every one a Pistol; for we were all arm'd with a Fusee, and a Pair of Pistols each Man; so we were by this Method able to fire six Volleys, half of us at a Time; however, at present we had no Necessity; for upon firing the first Volley, the Enemy made a full Stop, being terrify'd as well with the Noise, as with the Fire; four of them being shot into the Head, dropp'd, several others were wounded, and went bleeding off, as we could see by the Snow: I found they stopp'd, but did not immediately retreat; whereupon remembring that I had been told, that the fiercest Creatures were terrify'd at the Voice of a Man, I caus'd all our Company to hollow as loud as we could; and I found the Notion not altogether mistaken; for upon our Shout, they began to retire, and turn about; then I order'd a second Volley to be fir'd, in their Rear, which put them to the Gallop, and away they went to the Woods. 我们感到不应该去打扰它们的盛宴，何况它们也没有注意我们。星期五本来想向它们开枪，可是我怎么也不同意。因为我感到，我们的麻烦还在后面呢，尽管我们现在还不知道。我们在那片平川地上还没走上一半的路，就听到左边森林里此起彼落的狼叫声，令人胆颤心惊。不一会儿，就看见上百只狼一窝蜂似地向我们扑来。那些狼都排成单行，就像一位有经验的军官所带的部队一样整齐。我简直不知道如何对付它们。结果，我认为最好的办法是我们互相靠拢，排成一行。于是，我们马上照此行事。为了不致使我们的火力中断太久，我下令只许一半人开枪，另一半人作好准备；如果第一排枪响过后，狼群继续向我们冲来，就开第二排枪；同时，在开第二排枪时，那开第一排枪的一半人，不要忙于装他们的长枪，而是应该抽出手枪，作好准备。因为我们每人身上都有一支长枪和两支手枪。用这种办法，我们可以连续开六排枪，每次有一半人开枪。然而，当时还没有必要这样做。放出第一排枪之后，我们的敌人就给枪声和火光吓坏了，马上停止了前进。有四条狼被我们打中头部，倒了下来；另外有几条受了伤，鲜血淋淋地跑掉了。这在雪地上可以看得一清二楚。 我发现，狼群停止了攻击，但没有后退。这时，我忽然记起有人说过，就是最凶猛的野兽，听见人的声音也会害怕。于是我就叫大家拼命呐喊。这个办法果然很有效。我们一喊，狼群就开始后退，掉头跑掉了。我又下令朝它们背后开了一排枪。这样一来，它们才撒腿跑回树林里去了。 This gave us leisure to charge our Pieces again, and that we might loose no Time, we kept going; but we had but little more than loaded our Fusees, and put our selves into a Readiness, when we heard a terrible Noise in the same Wood, on our Left, only that it was farther onward the same Way we were to go. 这时，我们才有时间重新给枪装上弹药。同时，我们抓紧时间继续前进。可是，我们刚装好枪准备上路时，又从左边原来的那座树林里传出了可怕的嚎叫声。这一次狼群离我们较远，但却在我们去路的正前方。 The Night was coming on, and the Light began to be dusky, which made it worse on our Side; but the Noise encreasing, we could easily perceive that it was the Howling and Yelling of those hellish Creatures; and on a sudden, we perceiv'd 2 or 3 Troops of Wolves, one on our Left, one behind us, and one on our Front; so that we seem'd to be surrounded with 'em; however, as they did not fall upon us, we kept our Way forward, as fast as we could make Our Horses go, which the Way being very rough, was only a good large Trot; and in this Manner we came in View of the Entrance of a Wood, through which we were to pass, at the farther Side of the Plain; but we were greatly surpriz'd, when coming nearer the Lane, or Pass, we saw a confus'd Number of Wolves standing just at the Entrance. 黑夜来临了，光线变得暗淡起来。这对我们更加不利。叫声越来越响，我们不难辩别出，那是恶狼的嚎叫。突然，出现了两三群狼。一群在我们左边，一群在我们后边，还有一群在我们前面，看样子已经把我们包围起来了。我们见狼群并没有向我们进攻，就催马继续前进。可是路很难走，只能让马小跑着。跑着跑着，便看见远处有一个森林的进口，我们非得穿过那片树林，才能走到这片平川的尽头。当我们走进那林间小道时，只见那路口站着数不胜数的狼。这不禁使我们大吃一惊。 
突然，在树林的另一个入口处，我们听见一声枪响。向左边一看，只见一匹马从树林里冲出来，一阵风似地向前飞奔。马上的马勒马鞍均完好无损。同时有十六、七只狼，飞快地在后面追着。当然，马要比狼跑得快得多，它把狼群远远地丢在后面。可是，问题是那匹马不可能支持太久，最后必然会给狼群追上。 But here we had a most horrible Sight; for riding up to the Entrance where the Horse came out, we found the Carcass of another Horse, and of two Men, devour'd by the ravenous Creatures, and one of the Men was no doubt the same who we heard fir'd the Gun; for there lay a Gun just by him, fir'd off; but as to the Man, his Head, and the upper Part of his Body was eaten up. 正当此时，我们又看到了一幅可怕的景象。当我们催马走近那匹马奔出来的路口时，见到了一匹马和两个人的尸骸，毫无疑问是给狼咬死吃掉的。其中一个人身边还丢看一支枪，枪是放过的，所以一定就是刚才开枪的人。现在，他的头和上半身都已给狼吃掉了。 This fill'd us with Horror, and we knew not what Course to take, but the Creatures resolv'd us' soon; for they gather'd about us presently, in hopes of Prey; and I verily believe there were three hundred of them: It happen'd very much to our Advantage, that at the Entrance into the Wood, but a little Way from it, there lay some large Timber Trees, which had been cut down the Summer before, and I Suppose lay there for Carriage; I drew my little Troop in among those Trees, and placing our selves in a Line, behind one long Tree, I advis'd them all to light, and keeping that Tree before us, for a Breast Work, to stand in a Triangle, or three Fronts, enclosing Our Horses in the Center. 看到这副惨状，我们都不禁心惊肉跳，不知如何办才好。但那群野兽不久就逼得我们不得不采取行动。这时，狼群已把我们包围，想以我们一行人马果腹。我相信，一共有三百来只。值得庆幸的是，在离树林入口处不远，正好堆着一大批木料，大概是夏天采伐下来堆在那里预备运走的。这对我们的行动非常有利。我把我这一小队人马开到那堆木料后面。那儿有一根木头特别长，我就把队伍在那根长木头后面一字排开。我让大家都下马，把那根长木头当作胸墙，站成一个三角形或三边形的阵线，把我们的马围在中央。 We did so, and it was well we did; for never was a more furious Charge than the Creatures made upon us in the Place; they came on us with a growling kind of a Noise (and mounted the Piece of Timber, which as I said, was our Breast Work) as if they were only rushing upon their Prey; and this Fury of theirs, it seems, was principally occasion'd by their seeing our Horses behind us, which was the Prey they aim'd at: I order'd our Men to fire as before, every other Man; and they took their Aim so sure, that indeed they kill'd several of the Wolves at the first Volley; but there was a Necessity to keep a continual Firing; for they came on like Devils, those behind pushing on those before. 我们这样做了，而且也幸亏这样做了。因为这群饿狼向我们发动了攻击，其凶猛程度在狼害为患的当地也是罕见的。它们嚎叫着向我们扑来，窜上了那根长木头。前面我已提到，我们以此长木头作为胸墙。它们的目的只有一个，就是扑向猎物。从它们的行动判断，其目标主要是我们身后的那些马匹。我命令我的队伍像上次那样分两批开火，一人隔一人放枪。他们都瞄得很准。第一排子弹开出去，就打死了好几只狼。可是，我们不得不连续开火。这批恶狼忧如恶魔一样，前仆后继，不知死活地向前猛冲。 When we had fir'd our second Volley of our Fusees, we thought they stopp'd a little, and hop'd they would have gone off; but it was but a Moment; for others came forward again; so we fir'd two Volleys of our Pistols, and I believe in these four Firings, we had kill'd seventeen or eighteen of them, and lam'd twice as many; yet they came on again. 第二排枪放完后，我们以为狼群暂时停止了进攻，我也希望它们已经逃走。但一会儿，后面的狼又冲上来了。我们又放了两排手枪子弹。这样，我们一共放了四排枪。我相信，至少打死了十七、八只狼，打伤的大约多一倍。可是，它们还是蜂拥而来。 
我不愿匆匆放完最后一排枪，就叫来了自己的仆人。我没有叫星期五，而是叫了我新雇的那个水手。星期五有更重要的任务要完成。在我们开火的时候，他以惊人的速度给我和他自己的枪装弹药。所以我说，我叫的是新雇的仆人。我给了他一角火药，命令他沿着那根长木头把火药撒下去，撒成一条宽宽长长的火药线。他照着办了。他刚转身回来，狼群就冲了过来，有几只甚至已冲上了那根长木。我立即抓起一支没有放过的手枪，贴近火药线开了一枪，使火药燃烧起来。冲上木料的几只狼给烧伤了；其中有六、七只由于火光的威力和惊恐，竟连跌带跳地落入我们中间。我们立即把它们解决了。其他的狼被火光吓得半死，加上这时天已黑下来，火光看起来就更可怕了，这才使那些狼后退了几步。 Upon which I order'd our last Pistol to be fir'd off in one Volley, and after that we gave a Shout; upon this, the Wolves turn'd Tail, and we sally'd immediately upon near twenty lame Ones, who we found struggling on the Ground, and fell a cutting them with our Swords, which answer'd our Expectation; for the Crying and Howling they made, was better understood by their Fellows, so that they all fled and left us. 这时，我就下令全体人员用手枪一起开火，那是我们剩下的最后一批没有放过的手枪。然后大家齐声呐喊。这才使那些狼掉转尾巴逃跑了。于是我们马上冲到那二十多只受伤狼跟前；它们已跑不动了，只是在地上挣扎。我们拿起刀乱砍乱杀。正如我们所预期的那样，这办法果然很奏效，因为那些逃跑的狼听到它们同伴的惨叫声，知道事情不妙，就吓得跑远了，而且再也没有回来。 We had, first and last, kill'd about three Score of them; and had it been Day-Light, we had kill'd many more: The Field of Battle being thus clear'd, we made forward again; for we had still near a League to go. We heard the ravenous Creatures houl and yell in the Woods as we went, several Times; and sometimes we fancy'd we saw some of them, but the Snow dazling our Eyes, we were not certain; so in about an Hour more, we came to the Town, where we were to lodge, which we found in a terrible Fright, and all in Arms; for it seems, that the Night before, the Wolves and some Bears had broke into the Village in the Night, and put them in a terrible Fright, and they were oblig'd to keep Guard Night and Day, but especially in the Night, to preserve their Cattle, and indeed their People. 我们一共打死了六十多只狼。要是在白天，我们也许能杀死更多。扫清了敌人，就继续前进。我们还要赶三英里的路。在路上，有好几次，听到饿狼在森林里嚎叫咆哮。有时，好像还看到几只狼的身影，但因雪光耀眼，不敢十分肯定。大约又过了半小时，我们才到了预定要过夜的那个小镇。到了那里，发现全镇人个个惊恐万状，并全副武装。原来昨天晚上，有不少狼和几只熊侵入了村子，把人们吓坏了，只好昼夜巡逻守卫；尤其是夜里，更要严加把守，保护牲畜，更要保卫全体居民。
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