SC-L23 The Cattle Drive

The Cattle Drive by Richard Stull 《牛群趕運》作者：Richard Stull

By 1866, most of the beef that was eaten in the East came from Texas.到了1866年，東部人們吃的大多數牛肉都來自 Texas。Ranchers in Texas first had to move their cattle to Chicago.Texas 的牧場主人一開始得先把牛群趕到 Chicago。That's where the meatpacking plants were.那裡有肉品加工（包裝）工廠。The beef was then packed and shipped by train to eastern cities.接著牛肉會被包裝好，再用火車運到東部的城市。

Moving a herd of cattle was called cattle driving.把一大群牛移動、趕路，叫做「趕牛」（cattle driving）。Ranchers hired cowboys to move the cows.牧場主人會僱用牛仔來趕牛。About ten or twelve cowboys could move a herd of 3,000 cows.大約十到十二個牛仔，就能趕動一群 3,000 頭牛。

@@@

The cattle drives started in Texas.趕牛旅程從 Texas 開始。They ended in Sedalia, Missouri, where there was a railroad.最後會到 Missouri 的 Sedalia，因為那裡有鐵路。From there, the cows were shipped by train to Chicago.從那裡開始，牛會搭火車運到 Chicago。

There was one problem.可是有一個問題。The trail to Missouri went through farms in eastern Kansas.通往 Missouri 的路線會穿過 Kansas 東部的農場。The residents along the trail did not want the cows crossing their land.路線沿途的居民不希望牛群穿越他們的土地。They thought the cattle carried disease.他們覺得牛會帶來疾病。The cows also trampled and ate the farmers' crops.牛群也會踩踏、還會吃掉農夫的農作物。

@@@

Fights broke out between farmers and cowboys.農夫和牛仔之間爆發了衝突。The cowboys did not want to fight the farmers, so they started moving the cows along a different trail.牛仔不想跟農夫打架，所以他們開始改走另一條路線來趕牛。

This new trail did not go through the farms of eastern Kansas.這條新路線不會穿過 Kansas 東部的農場。It ended in a town in western Kansas.它最後會到 Kansas 西部的一個城鎮。The town was Abilene.那個城鎮叫 Abilene。Abilene also had a railroad extending all the way to Chicago.而且 Abilene 也有一條鐵路，一路通到 Chicago。

@@@

A cattle drive was hard work.趕牛是一份辛苦的工作。The trail from Texas to Abilene was about a thousand miles long.從 Texas 到 Abilene 的路線大約有一千英里長。The trip could take almost two months.這趟旅程可能要花將近兩個月。During that time, the cowboys herded the cattle across rivers and small mountain ranges.在那段時間裡，牛仔要趕著牛群渡河，還要穿越一些小山脈。

During the day, the cowboys drove the herd along the trail.白天，牛仔會趕著牛群沿著路線前進。At night, they watched the cattle to guard against thieves and watch for stampedes.晚上，他們會看守牛群，防止小偷，也要注意牛群驚跑（狂奔）。The cowboys took turns sleeping and watching.牛仔會輪流睡覺和守夜。

@@@

The cowboys drove the cows over the sprawling Indian Territory.牛仔會趕著牛群穿過廣大的 Indian Territory（印地安人領地）。The land is now part of Oklahoma.這片土地現在是 Oklahoma 的一部分。The American Indians there were not hostile.那裡的美洲原住民並不敵對。In fact, they made money from cattle drives.事實上，他們還能從趕牛這件事賺到錢。The cowboys had to pay the tribes ten cents for each cow that passed through their land.牛仔必須付給各部落費用，每有一頭牛通過他們的土地，就要付十美分。

When they reached the railroad in Abilene, the cowboys sold the herd.當他們到達 Abilene 的鐵路時，牛仔會把整群牛賣掉。They then rode back to Texas.然後他們再騎馬回到 Texas。

@@@

The time of the great cattle drives lasted about twenty years.「大規模趕牛」的時代大約持續了二十年。In that time, many people prospered.在那段時間裡，很多人都過得更富裕。Ranchers became rich.牧場主人變得有錢。Railroads made money.鐵路公司賺錢。The meatpackers made money.肉品加工業者也賺錢。Owners of stores in towns such as Abilene made money.像 Abilene 這樣城鎮裡的商店老闆也賺錢。Even the cowboys made money.連牛仔也能賺到錢。

@@@

By 1890, things had changed.到了1890年，情況改變了。Railroads ran to Texas and other states in the West.鐵路延伸到了 Texas 和西部其他州。Meatpacking plants had been built throughout the West.西部各地也都蓋了肉品加工工廠。The ranchers in Texas did not have to drive their cows to Kansas.Texas 的牧場主人不必再把牛群趕到 Kansas。The cows did not have to be shipped by train to Chicago.牛也不必再用火車運到 Chicago。The age of the great cattle drives had come to an end.大規模趕牛的時代就此結束。

@@@

Texas Ranches **《Texas 的牧場》**

Ranching first started in what is now Texas.牧場畜牧最早從現在的 Texas 開始。Mexican cowboys manned the ranches.墨西哥牛仔在牧場裡工作。Then, in 1836, Texas became part of the United States.後來在1836年，Texas 成為美國的一部分。Some Texans were **hostile** toward Mexicans.有些 Texas 人對墨西哥人很**敵對**。They drove many Mexican **residents** out of Texas and claimed the cattle left behind.他們把許多墨西哥**居民**趕出 Texas，並占為己有那些被留下來的牛。

In 1861, the Civil War started.1861年，南北戰爭開始了。Texans went off to fight.德州人出發去打仗。The cattle roamed free across the **sprawling** plains.牛群在**遼闊延伸**的平原上自由漫遊。There were huge herds.有非常巨大的牛群。On returning home, the Texans started rounding them up.回到家後，德州人開始把牛群趕集起來。

By 1885, just 35 men owned an area **extending** across 30,000 square miles.到了1885年，只有35個人就擁有一片**延伸**達3萬平方英里的土地。They owned more than a million cattle.他們擁有超過一百萬頭牛。These ranch owners **prospered!**這些牧場主人**發大財了！**

@@@