All Things Bright and Beautiful——讓內心與世界相遇

夏輝

吉米·阿爾弗雷德·懷特（James Alfred Wight），1916年出生于英格蘭東北部的森德蘭鎮。23歲從格拉斯哥獸醫學院畢業后，懷特開始在英格蘭約克郡的瑟斯克鎮行醫。之后他忙于成家立業，生兒育女，在二戰期間還在英國皇家空軍服過兵役，直到50歲時才在妻子的鼓勵下開始自己的創作生涯。為了避開為自己的獸醫診所打廣告的嫌疑，他采用了吉米·哈利（James Herriot）這一筆名。1970年，懷特出版了《若它們開口能言》（If Only They Could Talk），1972年出版了《不該發生在獸醫身上的故事》（It Shouldnt Happen to a Vet），但是反響平平，直到這兩本書的合集《萬物既偉大又渺小》（All Creatures Great and Small）在美國出版發行，他才收獲了巨大的成功。幾十年來，他的系列書籍行銷英美，被改編成電影和電視劇，并影響了后世的獸醫文學。1995年，懷特在瑟斯克鎮附近的家中去世，結束了長達50余年鄉村獸醫的一生。《萬物有靈且美》（All Things Bright and Beautiful）是繼《萬物既偉大又渺小》之后懷特的第二本合集。

Excerpts1）

Probably the most dramatic occurrence in the history of veterinary2） practice was the disappearance of the draught horse3）. It is an almost incredible fact that this glory and mainstay of the profession just melted quietly away within a few years. And I was one of those who were there to see it happen.

When I first came to Darrowby the tractor had already begun to take over， but tradition dies hard in the agricultural world and there were still a lot of horses around. And now， in less than three years the stream had dwindled， not exactly to a trickle but certainly to the stage where the final dry-up was in sight. This meant， in a way， a lessening of the pressures on the veterinary surgeon because there is no doubt that horse work was the roughest and most arduous4） part of our life.

So that today， as I looked at the three-year-old gelding5） it occurred to me that this sort of thing wasnt happening as often as it did. He had a long tear in his flank6） where he had caught himself on barbed wire7） and it gaped8） open whenever he moved. There was no getting away from the fact that it had to be stitched.

The horse was tied by the head in his stall， his right side against the tall wooden partition9）. One of the farm men， a hefty10） six footer， took a tight hold of the head collar and leaned back against the manger11） as I puffed some iodoform12） into the wound. The horse didnt seem to mind， which was a comfort because he was a massive animal emanating an almost tangible vitality and power. I threaded my needle with a length of silk， lifted one of the lips of the wound and passed it through. This was going to be no trouble， I thought as I lifted the flap at the other side and pierced it， but as I was drawing the needle through， the gelding made a convulsive13） leap and I felt as though a great wind had whistled across the front of my body. Then， strangely， he was standing there against the wooden boards as if nothing had happened.

On the occasions when I have been kicked I have never seen it coming. It is surprising how quickly those great muscular legs can whip out. But there was no doubt he had had a good go at me because my needle and silk were nowhere to be seen， the big man at the head was staring at me with wide eyes in a chalk white face and the front of my clothing was in an extraordinary state. I was wearing a “gaberdine14） mac15）” and it looked as if somebody had taken a razor blade and painstakingly cut the material into narrow strips which hung down in ragged strips to ground level. The great iron-shod16） hoof had missed my legs by an inch or two but my mac was a write-off17）.

I was standing there looking around me in a kind of stupor18） when I heard a cheerful hail from the doorway.

“Now then， Mr. Herriot， whats he done at you？” Cliff Tyreman， the old horseman， looked me up and down with a mixture of amusement and asperity.

“Hes nearly put me in hospital， Cliff，” I replied shakily. “About the closest near miss Ive ever had. I just felt the wind of it.”

“What were you tryin to do？”

“Stitch that wound， but Im not going to try any more. Im off to the surgery to get a chloroform19） muzzle20）.”

The little man looked shocked. “You dont need no chloroform. Ill haul him and youll have no trouble.”

“Im sorry， Cliff.” I began to put away my suture materials， scissors and powder. “Youre a good bloke21）， I know， but hes had one go at me and hes not getting another chance. I dont want to be lame for the rest of my life.”

The horsemans small， wiry frame seemed to bunch into a ball of aggression. He thrust forward his head in a characteristic posture and glared at me. “Ive never heard owt22） as daft23） in me life.” Then he swung round on the big man who was still hanging on to the horses head， the ghastly pallor24） of his face now tinged with a delicate green. “Come on out o there， Bob！ Youre that bloody scared youre upsetting toss. Come on out of it and let me have im！”

Bob gratefully left the head and， grinning sheepishly moved with care along the side of the horse. He passed Cliff on the way and the little mans head didnt reach his shoulder.

Cliff seemed thoroughly insulted by the whole business. He took hold of the head collar and regarded the big animal with the disapproving stare of a schoolmaster at a naughty child. The horse， still in the mood for trouble， laid back his ears and began to plunge about the stall， his huge feet clattering ominously on the stone floor， but he came to rest quickly as the little man uppercutted25） him furiously in the ribs.

“Get stood up straight there， ye big bugger. Whats the matter with ye？” Cliff barked and again he planted his tiny fist against the swelling barrel of the chest， a puny blow which the animal could scarcely have felt but which reduced him to quivering submission. “Try to kick， would you， eh？ Ill bloody fettle26） you！” He shook the head collar and fixed the horse with a hypnotic27） stare as he spoke. Then he turned to me. “You can come and do your job， Mr. Herriot， he wont hurt tha.”

1. 節選部分選自本書第19章，講述了獸醫吉米·哈利為馬縫合傷口的一次驚險經歷。

2. veterinary [?vet（?）r?n?ri] adj. 獸醫的

3. draught horse：挽馬，指專門拖拽重物的馬，身材高大，力量很大。

4. arduous [?ɑ?（r）dju?s] adj. 困難的，艱難的

5. gelding [?ɡeld??] n. 閹割過的雄馬

6. flank [fl??k] n. （動物肋骨和臀部間的）脅腹

7. barbed wire：帶刺的鐵絲網

8. gape [ɡe?p] vi. （斷層、裂口、傷口等）裂開，張開

9. partition [pɑ?（r）?t??（?）n] n. 隔開物；隔板

10. hefty [?hefti] adj. 高大健壯的

11. manger [?me?nd??（r）] n. （牛、馬等動物的）食槽

12. iodoform [a???d??f??m] n. [化]碘仿，三碘甲烷

13. convulsive [k?n?v?ls?v] adj. 突然而猛烈的；抽搐的

14. gaberdine [?ɡ?b?（r）?di?n] n. 〈英〉工作服，衣服

15. mac [m?k] n.〈英口〉膠布雨衣，mackintosh的縮寫

16. shod [??d] adj. （馬）裝有蹄鐵的

17. write-off：毀得無法修復的東西；報廢物

18. stupor [?stju?p?（r）] n. 〈英口〉恍惚，神志不清

19. chloroform [?kl?r??f??（r）m] n. [化]氯仿（可用作麻醉劑）

20. muzzle [?m?z（?）l] n. （動物的）口套

21. bloke [bl??k] n. 〈英俚〉人；家伙

22. owt [a?t] n.〈英方〉任何事（等于anything）

23. daft [dɑ?ft] adj. 〈口〉愚蠢的；瘋狂的

24. pallor [?p?l?（r）] n. （尤指因恐懼或疾病所引起的臉色等的）蒼白；灰白；青白

25. uppercut [??p?（r）?k?t] vt. 用上鉤拳擊

26. fettle [?fet（?）l] vt. 〈英〉修理；整頓

27. hypnotic [h?p?n?t?k] adj. 催眠的