2021年6月3日 星期四

Hoof and Claw 人類之外


I wake up every morning surrounded by animals. Five cats, to be specific, all meowing at me and demanding breakfast.  I'm happy to feed them, but it's hard to walk down stairs when they're running between my feet.  每天早上都有動物迎接我起床.  確切地說, 是五隻喵喵叫的貓叫我準備牠們的早餐 .  餵牠們沒問題 , 可是牠們總跑到我雙腳中間, 讓下樓變得很困難 .

The other day my wife "rescued" two turtles that were crawling across the Mountainside Highway.  I'm not sure if she really rescued them or not.  There's a mango field on one side of the road, and another mango field on the other.  Where were they going?  Where were they coming from?  I have no idea. 一 , 兩天前我太太 "救了" 兩隻要過沿山公路的烏龜 .  我不是很確定她是真 "救了" 那兩隻烏龜 .  因為路的兩邊都是芒果園 .  牠們要去哪裡 ?  牠們從哪裡來的 ?  我完全不知道 .

I see crushed snakes on the road.  They're always smaller snakes, nothing big, and I often wonder where the larger snakes are. 我在馬路上看過被壓扁的蛇 .  牠們都是小蛇 .  不知道大隻的蛇都到哪裡去了 .

Above the village where I live is a herd of cows.  They live on the land owned by the Taisugar Corporation, grazing between trees planted there long ago.  They seem to have a good life.  When I walk around my village some of them watch me, chewing plants behind electrified fences.  我居住的村子上有一群牛 .  牠們住在台糖種植多年的樹林裡活動 .  牠們的生活好像過得很不錯 .  我在村子裡散步的時候, 牠們在通電的鐵絲欄裡邊吃草 , 並看著我 .

There are dogs everywhere.  I have to avoid some places because of them.  On a nearby road they breed profusely, and only the less sociable ones are chained in place.  They have a leader: a brown dog who always barks first.  到處都有狗 .  因為流浪狗的關係 , 有的地方沒辦法去 .  附近路上, 多出了許多剛出生的小狗 . 最兇的狗是被綁起來的,   牠們有一隻每次都先汪汪叫的棕色領導 .

Pigs?  I don't see them often.  I smell them, but I don't see them.  I think they raise most of the pigs further north.  豬呢 ?  我很少看到豬 .  有時候聞到牠們的味道 , 可是看不到他們 .  好像大部分的養豬場在比較北邊 .

Chickens and ducks are plentiful.  I pass chicken and duck farms everywhere I go.  The stench is overpowering.  I'm not sure if it's the birds themselves or the feed they eat.  雞跟鴨超多 .  我無論去哪裡都會經過雞場或鴨場 .  那種地方是最臭的 .  我不知道臭味是來自於鳥, 或是牠們的飼料 .

Fish are never easy to see, but you can find them if you have the right hook.  要看到魚不容易 .  你需要對的魚鉤才可以看到 .

Bugs.  Bugs are always around, especially if you live close to the mountains.  We have to keep the house clean or else the ants come in.  We have to keep the front door closed or else the mosquitoes come in.  We have to put the food away or else the roaches come in.  昆蟲 .  住山上的人都知道 , 昆蟲就在我們身邊 .  我們要把房子整理得很乾淨 , 要不然螞蟻會進來 .  我們要關上門 , 要不然蚊子會進來 .  我們要把食物收好 , 要不然蟑螂會進來 .

And have I mentioned the giant rats, which appear when they're harvesting the mangoes?  Those are some huge, fearsome beasts for sure.  They squeak at me when I ride my bike down the hill.  They are unafraid of people. 我說到大老鼠了沒? 芒果收成的時候有巨大的老鼠出現.   牠們真的很可怕 .  我騎單車下坡的時候牠們對著我叫 , 一點都不怕人 .

Birds are chirping in the tree outside my window.  Those, at least, are animals I can live with.  我旁邊的窗外有鳥唱歌 .  還好 , 那種動物我可以接受 .

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