Introduction：An ancient Indian tribe was about to start its annual migration while the former headman was too old to follow。Being left with a pile of fagots，he was aware of the fact that death was waiting for him。In the remaining hours of his life，huddled next to the fire，he meditated on the law of life。
1.OLD KOSKOOSH listened greedily。Though his sight had long since faded，his hearing was still acute，and the slightest sound penetrated to the glimmering intelligence which yet abode behind the withered forehead，but which no longer gazed forth upon the things of the world。Ah！that was Sit-cum-to-ha，shrilly anathematizing thedogs as she cuffed and beat them into the harnesses。Sit-cum-to-hawas his daughter’s daughter，but she was too busy to waste a thought upon her broken grandfather，sitting alone there in the snow，forlorn and helpless。Camp must be broken。The long trail waited while the short day refused to linger。Lifecalled her，and the duties of life，not death。And he was very close to death now。
評注：這是一篇有著濃重的自然主義印記的小說，無論從小說情節設置還是主題上都有和現實主義小說不同之處。它以極地為背景，以原始的印第安部落為描寫對象，將人的社會屬性降到最低，強調人的自然屬性和動物本能，即繁衍、生存。
2.The thought made the old man panicky for the moment，and hestretched fortha palsied hand which wandered tremblingly over the small heap of dry wood beside him。Reassured that it was indeed there，his hand returned to the shelter of his mangy furs，and he again fell to listening。The sulky crackling of half-frozen hides told him that the chief’s moose-skin lodge had been struck，and even then was being rammed and jammed into portable compass。The chief was his son，stalwart and strong，headman of the tribesmen，and a mighty hunter。As the women toiled with the camp luggage，his voice rose，chiding them for their slowness。Old Koskoosh strained his ears。It was the last time he would hear that voice。Therewent Geehow’s lodge！And Tusken’s！Seven，eight，nine only the shaman’s could be still standing。There！They were at work upon it now。He could hear the shaman grunt as he piled it on the sled。A child whimpered，and a woman soothed it with soft，crooning gutturals。Little Koo-tee，the old man thought，a fretful child，and not overstrong。It would die soon，perhaps，and they would burn a hole through the frozen tundra and pile rocks above to keep the wolverines away。Well，what did it matter？A few years at best，and as many an empty belly as a full one。And in the end，Death waited，ever-hungry and hungriest of them all。
acute：adj。敏銳的
glimmer：v。發出微光
abode：abide的過去分詞，abide：v。居住
withered：adj。幹枯的
gaze：v。凝視
anathematize：v。詛咒，咒罵
cuff：v。用手拍打
harness：n。挽具
broken：adj。衰弱的。下文中break the camp 則指拔營
forlorn：adj。孤獨的，孑然的
panicky：adj。驚慌的，緊張不安的
palsied：adj。麻痹的，癱瘓的
mangy：adj。髒而破舊的
fall to doing something：開始做某事
sulky：adj。慍怒的，生悶氣的
crackling：n。劈劈啪啪的響聲
hide：n。獸皮
moose：n。馴鹿
ram and jam：指把帳篷塞起來
stalwart：adj。強壯的，雄健的
mighty：adj。強有力的，巨大的
chide：v。[文學用語]責怪，責罵
strain one’s ears：豎起耳朵聽
shaman：n。薩滿，巫師
grunt：v。嘟噥
whimper：v。嗚咽，啜泣
soothe：v。撫慰，安慰
croon：v。柔聲哼唱
guttural：n。從喉嚨發出的聲音
fretful：adj。易煩躁的
tundra：n。凍原，苔原
wolverine：n。狼獾
3.What was that？Oh，the men lashing the sleds and drawing tight the thongs。He listened，who would listen no more。The whiplashes snarled and bit among thedogs。Hear them whine！How they hated the work and the trail！They were off！Sled after sled churned slowly away into the silence。They were gone。They had passed out of his life，and he faced the last bitter hour alone。No。The snow crunched beneath a moccasin a man stood beside him upon hishead a hand rested gently。His son was good to do this thing。He remembered other old men whose sons had not waited after the tribe。But his son had。He wandered away into the past，till the young man’s voice brought him back。
評注：前3段描寫的場景都冷酷、暴力，缺乏最基本的溫情。
4.“Is it well with you？”he asked。
5.And the old man answered，“It is well。”
6.“There be wood beside you，”the younger man continued，“andthe fire burns bright。The morning is gray，and the cold has broken。It will snow presently。Even now it is snowing。”
7.“Ay，even now it is snowing。”
8.“The tribesmen hurry。Their bales are heavy，andtheir bellies flat with lack of feasting。The trail is long and they travel fast。Go now。It is well？”
thong：n。皮帶子
snarl：v。咆哮，怒吼
whine：v。哀鳴
churn：v。攪拌
crunch：v。發出咯吱咯吱的響聲
moccasin：n。皮製平底鞋
bale：n。大包，大捆
feast：v。盡情吃喝，飽餐
9“It is well。I am as a last year’s leaf，clinging lightly to the stem。Thefirst breath that blows，and I fall。My voice is become like an old woman’s。Myeyes no longer show me the way of my feet，and my feet are heavy，and I am tired。It is well。”
評注：4～9段描寫了老人的兒子在離開之前和老人簡短的對話。這一場景略有一絲溫情，但同時也說明自然法則不可抵抗，而這一切在他們的生活中已經是常態。自然主義作品常帶有悲觀的決定論（determinism）色彩，認為人隻能順從自然法則，而不能與之對抗。
10.He bowed his head in content till the last noise of the complaining snow had died away，and he knew his son was beyond recall。Then his hand crept out in haste to the wood。It alone stood between him and the eternity that yawned in upon him。At last the measure of his life was a handful offagots。One by one theywould go to feed the fire，and just so，step by step，death would creep upon him。When the last stick had surrendered up its heat，the frost would begin to gather strength。First his feet would yield，then his hands and the numbness wouldtravel，slowly，from the extremities to the body。His head would fall forward upon his knees，and he would rest。It was easy。All men must die。
die away：聲音逐漸變弱，慢慢消失
creep：v。悄悄的進行
yawn：v。張得很大
measure：n。度量單位
fagot：n。柴捆
yield：v。投降，屈服
extremity：n。人體中離心最遠的部位
11.He did not complain。It was the way of life，and it was just。He had been born close to the earth，close to the earth had he lived，and the law thereof was not new to him。It was the law of all flesh。Nature was not kindly to the flesh。She had no concern for that concrete thing called the individual。Her interest lay in the species，the race。This was the deepest abstraction Old Koskoosh’sbarbaric mind was capable of，but he grasped it firmly。He saw it exemplified inall life。The rise of the sap，the bursting greenness of the willow bud，the fall of the yellow leaf—in this alone was told the whole history。But one task did Nature set the individual。Did he not perform it，he died。Did he perform it，it was all the same，he died。Nature did not care there were plenty who were obedient，and it was only the obedience in this matter，not the obedient，which lived and lived always。The tribe of Koskoosh was very old。The old men he had known when a boy，had known old men before them。Therefore it was true that the tribe lived，that it stood for the obedience of all its members，way down into the forgotten past，whose very resting-places were unremembered。They did not count they were episodes。They had passed away like cloudsfrom a summer sky。He also was an episode，and would pass away。Nature did not care。To life she set onetask，gave one law。To perpetuate was the task of life，its lawwas death。
A maiden was a good creature to look upon，full-breasted and strong，with spring toher step and light in her eyes。But her task was yet before her。The light in her eyes brightened，her step quickened，she was now bold with the young men，now timid，and she gave them of her own unrest。And ever she grew fairer and yet fairer to look upon，till some hunter，able no longer to withhold himself，took herto his lodge to cook and toil for him and to become the mother of his children。And with the coming of her offspring her looks left her。Her limbs dragged and shuffled，her eyes dimmed and bleared，and only the little children found joy against the withered cheek of the old squaw by the fire。Her task was done。But a little while，on the first pinch of famine or the first long trail，and she would be left，even as he had been left，in the snow，with a little pile of wood。Such was the law。
12.He placed a stick carefully upon the fire and resumed his meditations。It was the same everywhere，with all things。The mosquitoes vanished withthe first frost。The little tree-squirrel crawled away to die。When age settledupon the rabbit it became slow and heavy，and could no longer outfoot its enemies。Even the big bald-face grew clumsy and blind and quarrelsome，in the end tobe dragged down by a handful of yelping huskies。He remembered how he had abandoned his own father on an upper reach of the Klondike one winter，the winter before the missionary came with his talk-books and his box of medicines。Many a timehad Koskoosh smacked his lips over the recollection of that box，though now hismouth refused to moisten。The“painkiller”had been especially good。But the missionary was a bother after all，for he brought no meat into the camp，and he ate heartily，and the hunters grumbled。But he chilled his lungs on the divide by the Mayo，and the dogs afterwards nosed the stones away and fought over his bones。
評注：第11段中老人的思緒帶有強烈的自然主義痕跡。一方麵他相信命運的決定論，認為個人無論如何努力都無法同自然的規律抗爭；另一方麵他相信人類的動物本能，認為人和其他動物沒什麼區別，生存和繁衍是根本動力。這裏作者還引出一個人類社會的牧師，用嘲諷的口吻說明宗教等一係列人類社會文明的產物在人的本能麵前既無能又可笑，不堪一擊。
barbaric：adj。野蠻的
grasp：v。理解，抓住
sap：n。植物的汁液
count：v。重要
episode：n。一段時間，時期
perpetuate：v。使長存
spring：n。彈性，彈力
shuffle：v。拖著腳步走
bleared：adj。視野模糊的
squaw：n。美洲印第安婦女
resume：v。繼續
meditation：n。沉思，冥想
squirrel：n。鬆鼠
outfoot：v。比……跑得快
quarrelsome：adj。好爭論的，喜歡爭吵的
yelp：v。吠
husky：n。哈士奇，愛斯基摩犬
missionary：n。傳教士
smack：v。咂嘴
moisten：v。使潮濕
heartily：adv。本意為熱心地，開心地，eat heartily指大吃大喝
grumble：v。抱怨，發牢騷
13.Koskoosh placed another stick on the fire and harked back deeper into the past。There was the time of the Great Famine，when the old men crouched empty-bellied to the fire，and let fall from their lips dim traditions of the ancient day when the Yukon ran wide open for three winters，and then lay frozen for three summers。He had lost his mother in that famine。In the summer the salmonrun hadfailed，and the tribe looked forward to the winter and the coming of the caribou。Then the winter came，but with it there were no caribou。Never had the like been known，not even in the lives of the old men。But the caribou did not come，and it was the seventh year，and the rabbits had not replenished，and the dogs were naught but bundles of bones。And through the long darkness the children wailed and died，and the women，and the old men and not one in ten of the tribe lived to meet the sun when it came back in the spring。That was a famine！
14.But he had seen times of plenty，too，when the meat spoiled on their hands，and the dogs were fat and worthless with overeating—times when they let thegame go unkilled，and the women were fertile，and the lodges were cluttered with sprawling men-children and women-children。Then it was the men became high-stomached，and revived ancient quarrels，and crossed the divides tothe south to kill the Pellys，and to the west that they might sit by the dead fires of the Tananas。He remembered，when a boy，during a time of plenty，when he saw a moose pulled down by the wolves。Zing-ha lay with him in the snow and watched—Zing-ha，who later became the craftiest of hunters，and who，in the end，fell through an air hole on the Yukon。They found him，a month afterward，just as he had crawled halfway out and frozen stiff to the ice。