英美文学赏析教程 小说卷(第二版)

　　《英美文学赏析教程：小说卷（第二版）》：　　In my wickerware also I improved much and made abundance of necessary baskets， as well as my invention showed me； though not very handsome， yet they were such as were very handy and convenient for my laying things up， or fetching things home in. For example， if I killed a goat abroad， I could hang it up in a tree， flay it and dress it and cut it in pieces and bring it home in a basket； and the like by a turtle， I could cut it up， take out the eggs， and a piece or two of the flesh， which was enough for me， also large deep baskets were my receivers for my corn， which I always rubbed out as soon as it was dry and cured and kept it in great baskets.　　I began now to perceive my powder abated considerably， and this was a want which it was impossible for me to supply； and I began seriously to consider what I must do when I should have no more powder； that is to say， how I should do to kill any goat. I had， as is observed in the third year of my being here， kept a young kid， and bred her up tame， and I was in hope of getting a he-goat； but I could not by any means bring it to pass， till my kid grew an old goat； and I could never find in my heart to kill her， till she died at last of mere age.　　But being now in the eleventh year of my residence， and， as I have said， my ammunition growing low， I set myself to study some art to trap and snare the goats， to see whether I could catch some of them alive， and particularly， I wanted a she-goat great with young.　　To this purpose I made snares to hamper them， and I do believe they were more than once taken in them， but my tackle was not good， for I had no wire， and I always found them broken and my bait devoured.　　At length I resolved to try a pitfall， so I dug several large pits in the earth， in places where I had observed the goats used to feed， and over these pits I placed hurdles， of my own making too， with a great weight upon them； and several times I put ears of barley and dry rice， without setting the trap， and I could easily perceive that the goats had gone in and eaten up the corn， for I could see the mark of their feet. At length I set three traps in one night， and going the next morning， I found them all standing， and yet the bait eaten and gone. This was very discouraging. However， I altered my trap， and， not to trouble you with particulars， going one morning to see my trap， I found in one of them a large old he-goat， and in one of the others， three kids， a male and two females.　　As to the old one， I knew not what to do with him， he was so fierce I durst notz go into the pit to him； that is to say， to go about to bring him away alive， which was what I wanted. I could have killed him， but that was not my business， nor would it answer my end. So I e'en3 let him out， and he ran away， as if he had been frighted4 out of his wits. But I had forgot then what I learned afterwards， that hunger will tame a lion. If I had let him stay there three or four days without food and then had carried him some water to drink， and then a little corn， he would have been as tame as one of the kids， for they are mighty sagacious， tractable creatures where they are well used.　　However， for the present I let him go， knowing no better at that time； then I went to the three kids， and taking them one by one， I tied them with strings together and with some difficulty brought them all home.　　It was a good while before they would feed， but throwing them some sweet corn， it tempted them and they began to be tame； and now I found that if I expected to supply myself with goat-flesh when I had no powder or shot left， breeding some up tame was my only way， when perhaps I might have them about my house like a flock of sheep.　　……