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In order to enlarge his knowledge of taxidermy gained from books,
為了擴(kuò)大書本上的動物標(biāo)本剝制術(shù)知識，
Akeley took a few painting lessons from a lady in a village near his father's farm;
阿克利在父親農(nóng)場附近的村莊上了幾堂繪畫課，老師是一名女士；
for he wanted to paint lifelike backgrounds for his mounted birds and animals.
他希望為自己的鳥類和動物標(biāo)本畫出栩栩如生的背景圖。
So far as known, Akeley's early attempts of this sort were the first experiments with painted backgrounds for mounted groups.
據(jù)知，阿克利最早畫背景圖是為群動物標(biāo)本畫圖。
Upon the advice of a newly-made English friend who was greatly interested in taxidermy,
他新認(rèn)識的英國朋友也對標(biāo)本剝制術(shù)感興趣，在他的建議下，
Akeley, at the age of nineteen, decided to go to Rochester, New York,
19歲的阿克利決定前往紐約羅切斯特，
and apply for work at Ward's Natural Science Establishment.
并在沃德自然科學(xué)機(jī)構(gòu)申請了工作。
At that time Ward's was famous for preparing museum specimens;
那時的沃德因制作博物館標(biāo)本而著名；
moreover, it was the headquarters of taxidermy in America.
此外，這里還是美國動物標(biāo)本剝制術(shù)總部。
Akeley hardly slept a wink the night after he had decided to take his friend's advice and go to Ward's.
在聽完朋友的意見要去沃德時，那一晚阿克利沒有合眼。
Rising early the next morning he walked three miles to the railway station to catch the train for Rochester.
第二天他早早起來，他走了三英里前往火車站，趕火車前往羅切斯特。
He walked through most of the streets of Rochester, his courage sinking lower and lower,
他穿過了羅切斯特的大部分街道，他的勇氣正在一點點消融，
before he finally found the great arch, made of the jaws of a whale,
就在這時他看到了用鯨魚下顎制作的拱門，
which marked the entrance to the establishment.
并標(biāo)有沃德的入口標(biāo)志。
Here he suddenly became so timid that he had to walk a mile or so back and forth
他突然感到怯懦了，他走了大約一英里，反復(fù)踱步，
to screw up courage to ring the professor's bell.
直到鼓足勇氣拉響教授的門鈴。
As a result of this visit Akeley was offered a position at the small salary of three dollars and fifty cents a week.
因為這第一次光臨，阿克利被安排了一份職位，每周只掙3.50美元。
He found a boarding house where he could get a room and meals for four dollars a week.
他找到了一間寄宿公寓，每周食宿為4美元。
Thus he began to learn taxidermy. At that time little was known about the work which Akeley had chosen for himself.
他開始學(xué)習(xí)動物標(biāo)本剝制術(shù)，他對自己選擇的工作一竅不通。
To mount a deer skin, for example, was simple.
比如制作鹿皮標(biāo)本很簡單。
It was first soaked in a pickle-bath containing salt and alum to preserve it,
首先將鹿皮放在含有鹽和鋁的水中保存起來，
and then washed with a poison soap to keep insects from eating it.
之后用毒藥皂清洗，防止昆蟲食用。
After the skin was dried, the bones were replaced in the legs, and the body stuffed with straw.
鹿皮晾干后，鹿腿上的骨頭需要進(jìn)行替換，鹿身塞滿稻草。
Then, to make the body thinner at any point, it was sewed through with a long needle and drawn in.
之后，為了讓鹿身變得纖細(xì)，要用長針進(jìn)行縫合并使其卷曲。
These results did not satisfy Akeley's dreams, even those of his boyhood.
這樣的結(jié)果不是阿克利的夢想，甚至不是他童年時的想法。
