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A collection of beehive-shaped huts of roughly woven straw showed dark against the sunset.
日落时，一堆粗糙编织成的蜂窝形状的稻草映衬出了暗色。
Cooking fires lighted up, briefly, a face or a moving figure,
厨房用火会突然照亮人的脸或正在移动的人，
as the village women bent over the evening meal or passed to and fro carrying wood for the fires.
村里面的女人为晚饭弯腰做饭，或是为烧火拿着木材而走来走去。
A larger group showed where the men squatted together, smoking and talking in quiet tones.
一大群蹲在一起的一定是男人，安静地在那里抽烟聊天。
Rimfa was hailed by various members of the tribe as she rode in. Driving the cattle within the small corral of thorn bushes,
当琳珐骑着牛进来时，她受到了各路部落民众的赞扬，驱使着牛进入一小片荆棘丛，
she tied Moy's rope to a stake and found her way to her own fire, as she was hungry after her long day in the open.
她将“老头”拴在了桩子上，并向自己的火苗走去，在户外待了一天，她很饿了。
The African native eats only two meals a day as a rule. That night, after the dinner was finished, Rimfa's father said,
一般非洲土著人每天只吃两顿饭，那一晚就在晚饭结束后，琳珐的爸爸说，
Your brother will be well enough in a few days now to take over the care of the herd.
你的哥哥再过几天就可以痊愈，就可以接管牧牛的工作了。
But father, she commenced in protest, but her father broke in: It is more fitting that you stay at home and learn the duties of a woman.
但她抗议着对父亲说，但她的父亲打断了她，你待在家里学着女人该做的事情更合适。
You are almost of the marriage age. No man will care for a wife that has worked as a boy works, and knows nothing of household duties.
你差不多到了结婚的年龄了，没有男人会找一个干男人工作的妻子，而且不知道任何家务活。
But I can spin, and pound the corn as well as any girl in the village, Rimfa replied.
琳珐回应道，我的纺织和捣碎玉米的能力不比任何村里的女孩查，
It is near the time for the tornado, her father went on to explain. It is the task of a man, not a girl,
她的父亲继续解释，龙卷风就要来了，这是男人的工作，不是女孩的，
to drive the cattle in the storm season. It is enough. I have spoken.
在飓风季节里牧牛，够了，我已经说了。
It isn't as though the herd were not safe with me, thought the little girl as she walked away.
小女孩一边离开一边想，并不是牛群跟了我就不安全。
He knows I can take as good care of it, better, in fact, than any boy in the village.
他知道我可以和村里其他男孩照顾得一样好，事实上比他们好。
Only a few more days of her life under the hot blue sky; of watching the crown birds flap heavily, with shrill voices,
她在烈日蓝天下的日子就多了几天，看冠鸟猛烈地拍打着翅膀，发出刺耳的声音，
across the sun-baked country; of drowsily lying, almost asleep,
声音响彻烈日灼烧的乡村，她睡意浓浓地躺在那里，几乎要睡着了。
yet awake for every movement of the herd, beneath the shade of the huge tree; of watching the tornadoes sweep up across the plains.
但每次牛群有动作她都会醒来，她躺在树荫下，看着龙卷风在平原上肆虐。
It was early in the season yet, and the rains had not, so far, touched the plain.
这只是暴风季的初期，到目前为止大雨还没有光临平原。
