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LESSON 41 An Indian's traps
第四十一課 印第安人的陷阱
Suppose yourself, gentle reader, standing at the gate of one of the forts in Hudson Bay, watching a savage arranging his snow-shoes, preparatory to entering the gloomy forest. Let us walk with this Indian on a visit to his traps.
親愛的讀者，假設你自己正站在哈德遜灣一處堡壘的大門前，看到一個原住民正在整理他的雪靴子，準備進入陰暗的森林中。讓我們隨著這個印第安人一起去看看他設置的陷阱吧。
The night is very dark, as the moon is hid by thick clouds; yet it occasionally breaks out sufficiently to illumine our path to the Indian's wigwam, and to throw the shadows of the neighbouring trees upon the pale snow, which, owing to the intense cold, crunches under our feet as we advance. The tent, at which we soon arrive, is pitched at the foot of an immense tree, which stands in a little hollow where the willows and pines are luxuriant enough to afford a shelter from the north wind. Suddenly the deer-skin robe that covers the entrance to the wigwam is raised, and a bright stream of warm light gushes out, tipping the dark green points of the opposite trees, and mingling strangely with the paler light of the moon—and the Indian stands erect in front of his solitary home.
夜非常黑，由于月亮都藏在濃密的云層后面，但是，偶爾，它又跳出來，照亮那條通向印第安人的小棚屋的路，并且在灰白的雪地里投下佇立于兩旁的樹影，因為十分寒冷，當我們走在雪地上時，還會發出咯吱咯吱的聲音。我們即將到達的那個帳篷，安扎在山谷中的一顆大樹腳下，四周有茂密的柳樹和松樹，足可抵擋北風的怒吼。突然，蓋在棚屋門口的鹿皮長袍被掀起來，一道刺眼的光線涌出來，傾瀉在對面樹枝的墨綠點上，與蒼白的月光奇怪的混合在一起——印第安人直直地立在他那孤獨的棚屋前。
He is in his usual hunting costume. A large leathern coat, very much overlapped in front, and fastened round his waist with a scarlet belt, protects his body from the cold. A small rat-skin cap covers his head, and his legs are cased in the ordinary blue cloth leggins. Large moccasins, with two or three pairs of blanket socks, clothe his feet; and fingerless mittens, made of deer-skin, complete his costume.
他穿著打獵時的裝束，一件很大的皮外套重疊在胸前，一根紅色的腰帶緊緊的扎在腰部，以抵御寒風。頭上戴著一頂鼠皮帽，腿上則綁著普通的藍布綁腿。腳上穿著一雙大號鹿皮鞋，里面套著兩三雙氈襪；而手上則戴著用鹿皮做的連指手套，這就是他從頭到腳的全副武裝了。
After a few minutes passed in contemplation of the heavens, the Indian prepares himself for the walk. First he sticks a small axe in his belt, serving as a counterpoise to a large hunting-knife and fire-bag which depend from the other side.
冥思苦想了幾分鐘后，印第安人準備好出發了。首先，他在腰上別了一把小斧子，于放在另一端的大獵刀和點火用的材料袋子保持平衡。
