琼·克雷格黑德·乔治

The Avaliks and Nukas met where Avalik borders faded away at a National Petroleum Reserve outpost. The activities of humans had wiped out the wolf borders. Oil and machinery held this territory within the Avalik home range.

They came toward each other with fur rising on their bodies， making them enormous warriors. Kapu eyed Low Wind. Low Wind eyed Kapu. Kapu scratched his signature on the ground with hard strokes of his claws. Low Wind placed his signature on an oily piece of ground， where it could be plainly seen and dreaded. Kapu lifted his leg and scent marked the top of a tundra grass blade. “Come no farther，” he said.

Now that Kapus attention was totally focused on Low Wind， Raw Bones saw his opportunity. With a quick movement he knocked Kapu toward the enemy. Startled， Low Wind attacked Kapu， and so did Raw Bones. Instantly， loyal Zing was upon Raw Bones. Head and chest above him， he bossed him to the ground and pinned him there. Zing had had enough of this wolf too.

The alpha fight began. Kapu and Low Wind mouthed each others shoulders and rose on hind feet， each trying to lift his head higher than the others. The growling and snarling was terrifying. Both wolf packs watched in silence. In the midst of the fight Sweet Fur Amy signaled Aaka， and the two sped into the middle of the Nukas. They encircled two adolescents and herded them behind the Avalik lines.

Low Wind， momentarily distracted by the departure of his young adults， turned his head， and in that second Kapu rolled him to the ground. Stiff-legged， he walked to a battered oil barrel and shot his scent higher than ever before. Low Wind responded to this statement of victory by pressing his ears against his head and lowering his tail. His face was smooth and expressionless. Kapus eyes were wide， his tail high， his fur and ears erect. He was magnificent to see. The two leaders looked at each other; then Low Wind signaled his adolescents to return and walked away.

The young Nukas did not move. Kapu， the victor， had told them to stay. Low Wind stepped forward to get them. Kapu lifted the fur on his back and， scratching the ground， drew a new border. He gave Low Wind the oily territory he was on， then turned and walked off with the two strong Nukas. With them in the pack Raw Bones would not be needed.

The rival packs trotted apart. Not far from the battleground Kapu whimpered his joy， sat down， and threw back his head. He howled. His pack howled. The Nukas howled. The wolf music continued until each individual in each pack felt that the business of the day had been concluded satisfactorily.

阿瓦里克河狼群和努卡河狼群碰面了。地点是一处国家石油储备基地附近，在这里阿瓦里克河狼群的边界逐渐模糊。人类活动抹掉了狼群的边界。石油和机械设备占据了阿瓦里克河狼群家园内的这片区域。

两群狼互相靠近，身上的毛发直竖，让他们看起来都像是魁梧的斗士。卡普盯着低风。低风盯着卡普。卡普用粗硬的爪子在地上刨出痕迹作为标记。低风的标记画在浸有石油的地面上，特别显眼也让人害怕。卡普抬起腿，在冻原草叶顶端做了气味标记。“不许往前走了。”卡普说。

现在卡普的注意力完全集中到了低风身上，生骨看到了机会。生骨猛地一下把卡普撞向低风。低风吃了一惊，开始攻击卡普，生骨也攻击卡普。对卡普忠诚的津立刻扑向生骨。津的头和胸部压着生骨，喝令他待在地上，并把他紧紧按住。津对生骨的忍耐也到了极限。

头狼之间的战斗开始了。卡普和低风互相咬住对方的肩膀，直立起来，都想让自己的头高过对方。他们的嘶吼声让人心惊。两个狼群都静静地观战。战事正酣，香毛艾米朝阿卡使了个眼色，她们冲到努卡河狼群中间，把两只幼狼围了起来，驱赶到阿瓦里克河狼群这边。

看到自己狼群的幼狼被带走，低风一瞬间走神，转头观望，就在这一刻，卡普把低风摔倒在地上。卡普挺起腿，走到一个破烂的油桶旁，高高地撒下一泡尿算作标记。这泡尿撒得比以往都要高。面对这样的胜利宣言，低风把耳朵紧紧贴住脑袋，尾巴也低垂下来。低风面色平静，毫无表情。卡普双目圆睁，尾巴高翘，毛发和耳朵竖直。卡普看上去威风极了。两只头狼相互看了看。低風示意那两只幼狼回来，然后走开了。

两只努卡河幼狼并没有动。卡普，头狼之战的胜利者，让他们留下来。低风走上前来要带他们走。卡普竖起背上的毛发，爪子在地上刨出了新的边界。他把自己站的那一块儿油迹斑斑的地方让给了低风，然后转身带着两只强壮的努卡河幼狼离开。狼群里有了这两只幼狼，都不需要生骨了。

两个争地盘的狼群各自走开。离开战场不远，卡普高兴地哼叫起来，坐在地上，仰头嚎叫。整个阿瓦里克河狼群开始嚎叫。努卡河狼群也在嚎叫。狼群合奏持续不断，直到两个狼群中的每头狼都觉得当天的正事已圆满完成。

【背景知识】两个相邻的狼群发生了地盘之争。卡普虽然取胜，也有侥幸的成分。香毛艾米和阿卡间接帮助了卡普，她们吸引了低风的注意力，让他走神，才有一败。阿瓦里克河狼群还趁机掳走了努卡河狼群的两只强壮幼狼，可谓大获全胜。此处头狼争斗的场面让人身临其境。

【第一段】原文第一句中有一个状语从句，译文分为两句，第二句添加了“地点”一词，而且把原文的第二句合并到译文第二句中。可见译文的句法不一定完全照搬原文，可以根据语义逻辑来分分合合。

【第二段】第一句开头原文的代词在译文中替换为名词。短语hard strokes of his claws有两重意思，一是狼爪粗硬，二是地上的痕迹粗硬。译文表达了第一种意思，第二种意思隐含在句子中。倒数第二句的原文是委婉语：lifted his leg and scent marked其实指抬腿撒尿。译文也保留了原文的委婉方式。

【第三段】原文的二、三、四、五句都使用了状语提前的句式，形成排比，很有特色。可惜中文如果原样保持这种句式会显得翻译腔。译文没有保留第三句的原文句式（立刻……），而是把状语融入译文句中。这一段中也有几处原文的代词被替换为名词。

【第四段】两个名词growling和snarling意思相近，译文就合译为“嘶吼声”。香毛艾米诡计多端，她的行为间接帮助了卡普，也为族群带来了新生力量。

【第五段】第二句有两个难点。其一是stiff-legged，字面义是腿很僵硬，但在上下文中指卡普是获胜一方，腿挺直，有趾高气扬的意味。接下来shot his scent higher than ever before仍然是委婉语，译文将其明晰化为“高高地撒下一泡尿算作标记”，而且把higher than ever before单列出来，用外位法翻译为“这泡尿撒得比以往都要高”，借此再现原文中强调的效果。第四句中的his face was smooth是翻译难点，因为中文里不会说狼有“流畅的/光滑的脸”，译文将其转译为“面色平静”。

【第六段】极地狼群的生存不易，养育一只幼狼更是费尽心力。卡普能从对手那里抢到两只年轻强壮的幼狼，算是收获颇丰。

【第七段】原文中的二、三、四句是排比句，译文也基本保持了原文的修辞法。最后一句中原文的the wolf music（狼群演奏的音乐）如果直译，中文无法接受，译文只能稍作变通。

【小结】该选段以场面和动作描写为主，英文句式多变，有排比，有复杂句。翻译时可以根据具体情况调整中文句式，该分就分，该合则合，在考虑再现原文修辞效果的同时，要兼顾中文表达的合理与通顺。