“Well, Bob, I guess you see now why this snake couldn't fight, ” I said. “It is life. Stronger devour（吞食） the weaker even among human beings. Dog kills snake. Snake kills birds. Birds kill the butterflies. Man conquers all. Man, too, kills for sport.”
“嘿,鲍勃，我想你现在明白为什么这条蛇不能争斗了吧，”我说，“这就是生活。强者吞食弱者，即使人类之间也是如此。狗咬死蛇。蛇弄死鸟。鸟使蝴蝶丧生。人类征服所有的动物。人类也会为了取乐而杀戮。
Bob was panting（气喘）. He walked ahead of us back to the house. His tongue was out of his mouth. He was tired. He was hot under his shaggy coat of hair. His tongue nearly touched the dry dirt and white flecks （微粒） of foam（涎沫） dripped from it.
鲍勃喘着气，在我们前面往家走。他舌头向外伸着，很疲惫。由于一身粗浓的皮毛，他很热。舌头几乎触到了地上的干土，滴滴白色涎沫顺流而下。
We walked toward the house. Neither my father nor I spoke. I still thought about the dead snake. The sun was going down over the chestnut ridge. A lark was singing. It was late for a lark to sing. The red evening clouds floated above the pine trees on our pasture hill. My father stood beside the path. His black hair was moved by the wind. His face was red in the blue wind of day. His eyes looked toward the sinking sun.
我和父亲往家走，谁都没说话。我还想着那条死去的蛇。太阳正从橡树顶处落下去。一只云雀在歌唱，但在此时歌唱迟了些。傍晚的红云在山上牧场的松树上空漂浮。我父亲站在路边，黑发在飘动，脸庞在凄凉的风中泛着红润，双眼望着落日。
“And my father hates a snake,” I thought.
I thought about the agony（极度痛苦） women know of giving birth. I thought about how they will fight to save their children. Then, I thought of the snake. I thought it was silly for me to think such thoughts.
“我父亲讨厌蛇,”我想。
我想起了妇女所知晓的分娩的痛苦。我想起了她们为了保全自己的孩子是如何斗争的。后来，我又想到了那条蛇。我认为有这样的想法很傻。
This morning my father and I got up with the chickens. He says one has to get up with the chickens to do a day's work. We got the posthole（埋桩子的洞） digger（挖掘器）, ax, spud（草锄）, measuring pole and the mattock（鹤嘴锄）. We started for the clearing's edge. Bob didn't go along.
今天清晨，我和父亲鸡一叫就早早起床。他总是说一个人应闻鸡即起才能干好一天的活。我们带上给桩子挖坑的挖掘器、斧头、草锄、测量杆和鹤嘴锄，向空地边走去。鲍勃没有跟来。
