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And now that soft hand was laid gently on the pony's neck, and a single low word spoken.
眼前，那只溫柔的手輕輕放在小馬駒的脖頸上，姑娘輕聲慢語地對它說話。
How instantly were the tense muscles relaxed—how quickly the stubborn air vanished!
不過轉眼間，狄克緊張的肌肉已經松弛，僵持的堅冰終于打破。
"Poor Dick!" said the maiden, as she stroked his neck lightly, or softly patted it with a childlike hand.
“可憐的狄克，”那姑娘一邊說，一邊輕輕拍著小馬駒的脖頸，或者不如說，用那滿懷柔情的孩子般手拍打狄克，
"Now, go along, you provoking fellow!" she added, in a half-chiding, yet affectionate voice, as she drew up the bridle.
“該走了，你這讓人生氣的孩子！”她的話語中夾雜責備，亦不乏溫情脈脈，說話間，她還提了提籠頭。
The pony turned toward her, and rubbed his head against her arm for an instant or two;
狄克朝她轉過身來，用頭朝她胳膊蹭動片刻，
then, pricking up his ears, he started off at a light, cheerful trot, and went on his way as freely as if no silly crotchet had ever entered his stubborn brain.
然后豎立耳朵，輕快地跑起碎步，接著，尥開蹄子跑開了，好像剛才不曾有任何怪異的念頭盤踞在它那固執的小腦瓜里。
"What a wonderful power that hand possesses!" said I, speaking to my companion, as we rode away.
馬車跑起來了，“手，該有多么神奇！”我對身邊的人說道。
He looked at me for a moment, as if my remark had occasioned surprise.
農夫注視了我片刻，好像我的話使他偶發驚奇，
Then a light came into his countenance, and he said briefly, "She's good! Everybody and everything loves her."
他的臉上閃過一絲喜悅，卻只說了句，“她心地仁慈，這里的人和那些牲口都喜歡她。”
Was that, indeed, the secret of her power?
的確，難道她有神奇力量的秘密？
Was the quality of her soul perceived in the impression of her hand, even by brute beasts!
抑或她的靈魂高貴？
The father's explanation was doubtless the true one.
這位父親的話無疑道出了真相，
Yet have I ever since wondered, and still do wonder, at the potency which lay in that maiden's magic touch.
從那以后，我確實想知道，甚至今天，似乎更想弄明白，那姑娘輕撫的手里究竟存在什么樣的神奇魔力。
I have seen something of the same power, showing itself in the loving and the good,
我見過同樣的力量訴求，從容地表達愛戀與善行，
but never to the extent as instanced in her, whom, for want of a better name, I must still call "Gentle Hand."
但從未見過類似這位姑娘手里升起的奇跡，她給我內心帶來了驚悚震撼。如果讓我用貼切的詞語形容，我寧愿稱呼她為“溫柔的手”。
