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Growling, he sniffed around the base of the tree, lifted a leg and marked it with a stream of urine.
他怒吼几声，绕着大树底部边走边嗅，抬起一条腿撒尿作标记。
A low branch brushed his face, and he snapped at it, twisting and pulling until the wood cracked and tore.
低垂的枝干扫过脸庞，他反口咬住，扭啊拉啊，直到木头断裂。
His mouth was full of needles and the bitter taste of the sap.
嘴里满是针叶和树液的苦昧，
He shook his head and snarled.
他甩甩头，放声嗥叫。
His brother sat back on his haunches and lifted his voice in a ululating howl, his song black with mourning.
弟弟靠着他的腰坐下，提起声音，陪他哀鸣，阴沉的声调里充满悲伤。
The way was no way.
此路不通。
They were not squirrels, nor the cubs of men, they could not wriggle up the trunks of trees, clinging with soft pink paws and clumsy feet.
他们不是松鼠，也不像淘气的人类，他们柔软粉红的爪子和笨拙的腿脚没可能攀上枝条，登上大树的主干。
They were runners, hunters, prowlers.
他们是奔跑健将，是巡游者，是猎人。
Off across the night, beyond the stone that hemmed them close, the dogs woke and began to bark.
穿过朦胧的黑夜，在包围他们的巨石之外，狗们苏醒过来，开始吠叫
One and then another and then all of them, a great clamor.
一只接一只地，声音越来越大，最后成为合声，发出巨大的喧嚷。
They smelled it too; the scent of foes and fear.
他们也闻到了：敌人的气息，恐惧的滋味。
A desperate fury filled him, hot as hunger.
绝望挑起暴怒，紧紧攫住了他，同饥饿的感觉一般狂热。
He sprang away from the wall loped off beneath the trees, the shadows of branch and leaf dappling his grey fur...
他离开墙壁，朝树林踱去，枝干和树叶在灰色的毛皮上留下斑斑驳驳的暗影……
and then he turned and raced back in a rush.
这时他猛然回头，急速冲刺，
His feet flew kicking up wet leaves and pine needles,
腿掌踢起湿叶和松针，
and for a little time he was a hunter and an antlered stag was fleeing before him and he could see it, smell it,
刹那间他又成了猎人，而前方是一只亡命逃窜的长角雄鹿，他看得见，闻得到，
and he ran full out in pursuit.
他要尽全力冲刺扑杀。
The smell of fear made his heart thunder and slaver ran from his jaws,
恐惧的气息使他心跳加速，惹起嘴角流淌的唾液。
and he reached the falling tree in stride and threw himself up the trunk,
他大步跨越落木，飞上树干，
claws scrabbling at the bark for purchase.
爪子抠进树皮，
Upward he bounded, up, two bounds, three, hardly slowing, until he was among the lower limbs.
接着向上跳跃，向上，向上，两次，三次，缓慢而艰辛，直到终于登上底部的分支。
Branches tangled his feet and whipped at his eyes, grey-green needles scattered as he shouldered through them, snapping.
枝条纠缠着脚，鞭打他的眼睛，他挤过灰绿的针叶，身边一片劈啪声响。
He had to slow.
越走越慢。
Something snagged at his foot and he wrenched it free, snarling.
什么东西缠住了脚，他奋力扭开，大声咆哮。
The trunk narrowed under him, the slope steeper, almost straight up, and wet.
树干越来越窄，越来越陡，几乎成了直立，而且潮湿滑溜，
The bark tore like skin when he tried to claw at it.
当他用力抠抓，树皮像兽皮一般裂开。
He was a third of the way up, halfway, more, the roof was almost within reach... and then
终于，他走了三分之一，一半，快了，屋檐几乎伸腿可及……
he put down a foot and felt it slip off the curve of wet wood, and suddenly he was sliding, stumbling.
这时他前脚踩空，脚掌在潮湿圆滑的树面滑过，顷刻之间，他身子一斜，绊下树去。
He yowled in fear and fury, falling, falling, and twisted around while the ground rushed up to break him...
在恐惧和愤怒中，他大声号叫，坠落，坠落，他蜷成一团，大地急速上袭，要把他撞个粉碎……
