第 11 节
作者:连过十一人      更新:2021-02-27 01:34      字数:9309
  huntsman should wait until the hare has got a good start and is out of sight;
  then let the young hounds go。'14' The result of letting slip young hounds;
  possessed of all the requisite points and full of pluck;'15' is that the sight
  of the hare will make them strain too violently and pull them to bits;'16'
  while   their   frames   are   as   yet   unknit;   a   catastrophe   against   which   every
  sportsman   should   strenuously   guard。   If;   on   the   other   hand;   the   young
  hounds   do   not   promise   well   for   running;'17'  there   is   no   harm  in   letting
  them go。 From the start they will give up all hope of striking the hare; and
  consequently escape the injury in question。'18'
  '13'    For    points    see   the   same     authority:    the   harrier;   p。   59;   the
  foxhound; p。 54。
  '14' See Arrian's comment and dissent; xxv。 4。
  '15'   Lit。   〃which   are   at   once   well   shaped   and   have   the   spirit   for   the
  chase in them。〃
  '16' Al。   〃they   will   overstrain   themselves   with   the   hare   in   sight;   and
  break   a   blood…vessel。〃   See Arrian;   xxxi。   4;   {regnuntai   gar   autais            ai
  lagones}。
  '17' Or; 〃are defectively built for the chase。〃
  '18' Or; 〃will not suffer such mishap。〃
  As to the trail of a hare on the run; there is no harm in letting them
  follow it up till they overtake her。'19' When the hare is caught the carcass
  should be given to the young hounds to tear in pieces。'20'
  '19' Perhaps read {eos an thelosi}; 〃as long as they choose。〃 The MSS。
  have {elthosi}。
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  '20' See Stonehenge; p。 287; 〃blooded; so as to make him understand
  the nature of the scent〃; ib。 284。
  As   soon   as   these   young   hounds   refuse   to   stay   close   to   the   nets   and
  begin to scatter; they must be called back; till they have been accustomed
  to find the hare by following her up; or else; if not taught to quest for her
  (time after time) in proper style; they may end by becoming skirters'21'a
  bad education。'22'
  '21' {ekkunoi}; cf。 Arrian; xxv。 5。
  '22' {poneron mathema}; ib。 9。
  As long as they are pups; they should have their food given them near
  the nets; when these are being taken up;'23' so that if from inexperience
  they should lose their way on the hunting…field; they may come back for it
  and    not   be   altogether    lost。  In  time   they   will   be  quit   of  this  instinct
  themselves;'24' when their hostile feeling towards the animal is developed;
  and they will be more concerned about the quarry than disposed to give
  their food a thought。'25'
  '23' {anairontai} sc。 {ai arkues}; see above; vi。 26。
  '24' Or; 〃abandon the practice。〃
  '25'   See   Stonehenge;   p。   289   (another   context):   〃。   。   。   the   desire   for
  game in a well…bred dog is much greater than the appetite for                          food;
  unless the stomach has long been deprived of it。〃
  As   a   rule;   the   master   should   give   the   dogs   their   food   with   his   own
  hand; since; however much the animal may be in want of food without his
  knowing   who   is   to   blame   for   that;   it   is   impossible   to   have   his   hunger
  satisfied without his forming an affection for his benefactor。'26'                  '26' Or;
  〃If want in itself does not reveal to him the cause of his                    suffering; to
  be given food when hungry for it will arouse in him                      affection for the
  donor。〃
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  The Sportsman
  VIII
  The time to track hares is after a fall of snow deep enough to conceal
  the ground completely。 As long as there are black patches intermixed; the
  hare will be hard to find。 It is true that outside these the tracks will remain
  visible   for   a   long   time;   when   the   snow   comes   down   with   a   north   wind
  blowing; because the snow does not melt immediately; but if the wind be
  mild with gleams of sunshine; they will not last long; because the snow is
  quickly thawed。 When it snows steadily and without intermission there is
  nothing to be done; the tracks will be covered up。 Nor; again; if there be a
  strong     wind   blowing;     which    will   whirl   and   drift  the   snow    about   and
  obliterate the tracks。 It will not do to take the hounds into the field in that
  case;'1' since owing to excessive frost the snow will blister'2' the feet and
  noses   of   the   dogs   and   destroy   the   hare's   scent。  Then   is   the   time   for   the
  sportsman to take the haye nets and set off with a comrade up to the hills;
  and leave the cultivated lands behind; and when he has got upon the tracks
  to follow up the clue。 If the tracks are much involved; and he follows them
  only to   find himself   back   again   ere   along   at   the   same   place;'3'  he   must
  make   a   series   of   circuits   and   sweep   round   the   medley   of   tracks;   till   he
  finds out where they really lead。'4'
  '1' Lit。 〃I say it is no use setting out with dogs to this chase。〃
  '2' {kaei}。 Cf。 Arrian; xiv。 5。
  '3' Reading {ekonta} sc。 {ton kunegeten 。 。 。} or if {ekonta; kuklous}
  'sc。    {ta   ikhne}';     transl。   〃if  the   tracks    are   involved;     doubling      on
  themselves and coming back eventually to the same place。〃
  '4' Or; 〃where the end of the string is。〃
  The hare makes many windings; being at a loss to find a resting…place;
  and at the same time she is accustomed to deal subtly'5' in her method of
  progression; because her footsteps lead perpetually to her pursuit。
  '5'   {tekhnazein}。   Cf。   Ael。   〃N。   A。〃   vi。   47;   ap。   Schneid。   A   fact   for
  Uncle Remus。
  As   soon   as   the   track   is   clear;'6'   the   huntsman   will   push   on   a   little
  farther; and it will bring him either to some embowered spot'7' or craggy
  bank; since gusts of wind will drift the snow beyond such spots; whereby a
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  The Sportsman
  store of couching…places'8' is reserved'9'; and that is what puss seeks。
  '6' 〃Discovered。〃
  '7' 〃Thicket or overhanging crag。〃
  '8' {eunasima}; 〃places well adapted for a form。〃
  '9' Al。   〃many   places   suited   for   her   form   are   left   aside   by   puss;   but
  this she seeks。〃
  If the tracks conduct the huntsman to this kind of covert he had better
  not approach too near; for fear the creature should move off。 Let him make
  a   circuit   round;   the   chances   are   that   she   is   there;   and   that   will   soon   be
  clear; for   if so; the tracks will   not trend outwards   from  the place   at   any
  point。'10'
  '10'   L。   Dind。   emend。   {oudamoi};   〃the   tracks   will   not   pass   in   any
  direction outwards from such ground。〃
  And now when it is clear that puss is there; there let her bide; she will
  not sir; let him set off and seek another; before the tracks are indistinct;
  being   careful   only  to   note  the time  of   day;   so that;  in   case he   discovers
  others; there will be daylight enough for him to set up the nets。'11' When
  the final moment has come; he will stretch the big haye nets round the first
  one   and   then   the   other   victim   (precisely   as   in   the   case   of   one   of   those
  black   thawed   patches   above   named);   so   as   to   enclose   within   the   toils
  whatever the creature is resting on。'12' As soon as the nets are posted; up
  he   must   go   and   start   her。   If   she   contrive   to   extricate   herself   from   the
  nets;'13' he must after her; following her tracks; and presently he will find
  himself at a second similar piece of ground (unless; as is not improbable;
  she   smothers   herself   in   the   snow   beforehand)。'14' Accordingly   he   must
  discover   where   she   is   and   spread   his   toils   once   more;   and;   if   she   has
  energy still left; pursue the chase。 Even without the nets; caught she will
  be;   from  sheer   fatigue;'15'   owing   to   the  depth   of   the   snow;   which   balls
  itself under her shaggy feet and clings to her; a sheer dead weight。
  '11' Al。 〃to envelop the victims in the nets。〃
  '12' Lit。 〃whatever the creature is in contact with inside。〃
  '13' Cf。 Aesch。 〃Prom。〃 87; Poto tropo tesd' ekkulisthesei tukhes}。
  '14' Or; 〃if the creature is not first suffocated in the snow itself。〃
  '15' See Pollux; v。 50。 〃She must presently be tired out in the heavy