《小马俱乐部历险记》中英双语版代序
【本书纯中文版亚马逊“双11”促销，仅售0.10】
学习作文、学习英语的鲜活教材
——中英双语版代序
亲爱的小朋友们，恭喜你们选择了《小马俱乐部历险记》这部佳作！
这本书既充满了团结、友爱、勇敢、智慧、爱心、坚韧等正能量，又是通过爱马、养马、骑马、人与马的情感互动等一系列日常生活中的细节表现出来，而且是通过一个10岁女孩的眼睛与心灵的感知表现的，因而充满纯真自然又富有童趣。读完此书，你们当然会学到大量的有关骑马与马儿的知识，了解澳大利亚小学生生活的一个侧面，更能在不知不觉中磨炼自己的性格，有利于健康成长。
对于那些热爱文学、热爱写作的同学，从本书里学到的会更多。日常生活常常是琐屑而乏味的，写日记怎么才不沦为记流水账，怎么选取值得记录的生活片段，才能把日常生活琐事写得活灵活现、妙趣横生；日常生活中的“口水话”在本书中怎样变成了文学语言；怎么才能够既要保持日记的真实性，又要具有文学性，具有艺术感染力——这些都很值得注意，值得熟读深思、细心揣摩。( 文章阅读网：www.sanwen.net )
对于中学生来说，更是学习当代英语的鲜活教材，本书作者是世界级的教育工作者，因而该书是面向全世界的少年儿童的，青少年必定要学习书中的语言表达，所以该书的英语既生动活泼，又规范地道，所使用的语言口里说出来没人会笑你文绉绉的，写成作文也没人会说这是口水话。
初中生可以作为阅读材料，巩固所学的词汇句型语法惯用法，最好是读熟，书中的大量句子可以脱口而出；高中及大学低年级学生可以作为口语和写作教材，先看看一段中文，然后试着口头叙述或笔头写一下那个场景，最后看看作者是怎么遣词造句表现该场景的，还要揣摩作者为何要那样写。坚持一年，必然大有长进。
当然啦，本书也是初学翻译者的实战演练场，英译汉、汉译英都很好；战争是最好的军校！坚持译完全书试试？
本书的特色，既是原著英文版的特色，也是这部中文版的特色。
一、整体特色
本书特色若用一个词概括，就是“真实自然”，具体表现为以下几个方面：
1、真实自然的生活画面；
2、点到即止的景物描写；
3、曲折有致的故事叙述；
4、真切细致的心理刻画；
5、任情率真的人物个性；
6、朴实真挚的情感流露；
7、平实淡远的鲜活口语。
8、浑然天成的整体效果。
本书是日记体小说，主人公是一个9——10岁的女孩，相当于我国3——4年级学生，她记下的是自己的心路历程，因而其写法“我手写我口，我手写我心”，心里怎么想、口里怎么说，下笔就怎么写，全书读起来一点儿刻意为文或雕琢痕迹也没有，描写的环境、景物当然也是主人公眼里所见之物，所见、所想、所写都完全符合该年龄段一般儿童的心理认知与表达程度。写景的“佳词美句”也只有这么一句：
太阳升起在水晶般清亮的湖水上面，湖水简直就像是一面玻璃！
请停下来想一想，这里的“玻璃”能改成“镜子”吗？为什么？我们不是常常看见“水平如镜”，“湖水就像一面镜子”这样的句子吗？
这里当然只能用“玻璃”而不用“镜子”！一是因为这女孩“不爱红装爱马装”，她虽然也很爱美，还要给马儿梳妆打扮，给马儿穿新衣戴饰品，自己平时却不爱梳妆打扮，极少用镜子，当然就不容易想起“镜子”；再说当时是一大早到的野外湖边去骑马，心情激动、惊喜痴迷，用“镜子”与她的个性特征与心理状态都不合。二是因为镜子与玻璃虽然都倒映着天光云影，但湖水清澈透明，玻璃也是透明的，镜子却不透明不像湖水。
点到即止，恰到好处！若超过这个程度，那就显得假了，恐怕就不像是小学生写给自己看的日记了。
写景虽简，故事的叙述则是波澜起伏，曲折有致，主人公的心情也是忧（连续大雨），悲（马儿查理之死）——喜(救回了马儿，天晴骑马)——大喜（参加俱乐部训练，得奖）——忧（自己的马儿有病）——喜（找到了理想的新马儿）——大喜或狂喜（大型马术比赛得奖）——忧（新马儿表现反常）——恐惧（新马儿可能有严重问题，背后可能藏着重大的秘密，其结局只有死路一条，主人公或许再也骑不成马儿了）！往往是一波刚平，另一波又起，吸引着读者一口气读下去，而且因其叙述语言真切自然，读者就像处于主人公的生活之中，随着主人公的喜怒哀乐一步步走下去，根本不觉得是在读小说。
主人公艾比纯朴善良、任情率真，但并非任性妄为、我行我素，其实她很懂事，肯想办法，与人为善，待人真诚、爱恨忧喜，毫不掩饰。
二、语言特色
本书的语言，清新鲜活、简单平实（因为必须符合人物身份），属于经过提炼的口语体，准确、鲜明、生动、简洁，没有生僻的词语，也没有长、难句，给人以真实自然的感觉，好像澳大利亚的儿童平时就是这么说话的，其实当然不是。除了“pig root（尥蹶子）”这个词语是澳大利亚英语中的方言，其他的词句都是英语世界中通用的，而且用法都符合英语的语法规范（狄更斯、海明威等大师的作品中也有病句），相当于英语中的“普通话”，因而是学生的作文和口语中都可以用的。作者很注意行文的节奏，绝没有单调、冗长乏味的叙述或议论，都是点到即止，一笔带过，又接着讲故事，或是吐露心曲。用语虽然简单，但那些骑马时、尤其是比赛中的场面描写依然扣人心弦，并且与主人公的心理刻画交织于一体，让读者也身临其境、感同身受，与主人公忧乐与共，悲喜同心，紧紧牵着读者的心弦。
中文版完全体现上述特征，用的是规范的现代汉语普通话，也只用了“尥蹶子”这么一个方言词，并且加了注释，以防有些同学不懂该词。
简言之，其语言风格应为平实淡远，浑然天成。
平实，平易实在，犹如我们日常中经常说的那些词句。不仅没有马克·吐温那样的夸张写法，就连狄更斯那样的夸张都没有；淡远，淡淡的清香悠远绵长，令人回味，犹如一杯绿茶。没有战争、惊险、犯罪小说里那样麻辣的重口味，主人公极度兴奋时才用了下面这个最具“文学性”的句子：
湖水中骑马飞奔是我这一生中最精彩的一幕！无论如何也想象不出的精彩！！！
浑然天成，是指本书的词句都很浅易平常，单个的词句极难找到出彩的“佳词美句”或“格言警句”，你也看不到作者用了什么文学技巧，但是这些词句都用得恰到好处，构成的整体效果便具有强烈的艺术感染力，使读者不知不觉地走进主人公的内心世界，与她同呼吸，共命运，赞赏她，牵挂她。所谓“清水出芙蓉，天然去雕饰”，“华丽从朴素中来”，“最高的技巧即无技巧”——说的就是这种情况吧？
梨子的滋味，吃了才知。读书也一样。
亲爱的小朋友们，再次恭喜你们能读到这样的佳作。
汪德均
【附原文第一章】
Wednesday 2 January
Last night was the scariest night of my life!!! I overheard Mom and Dad talking. They were saying that if the rain keeps up, the creek is definitely going to flood. I knew that if it did, Sparkle wouldn’t be able to cross over to the big paddock to be near the other horses. If she wasn’t near them during the storm, she’d be really scared. And if she got spooked in the storm, then she could be seriously hurt.
Mom and Dad were in the kitchen cooking dinner and Nate was watching TV. So I decided to sneak out the front door. I went downstairs, got my gumboots and a raincoat and grabbed Sparkle’s halter and lead rope. I just had to go and find her!
It was absolutely pouring with rain and by that time, it was really dark. I wasn’t scared at all though because all I could think of was my baby.
Mom and Dad have commented before on how brave I am. Our car was stuck up near the front gate once, because a huge tree had fallen across the drive in some gale force winds. And the next night, I walked all the way up there on my own in the pitch black darkness so I could get something out of the car. I can’t even remember what it was now. But it didn’t bother me at all. My brother Nate would never do that! He’s even too scared to go downstairs at night on his own. He’s such a chicken!
Luckily I had a torch with me when I went to look for Sparkle tonight though. Otherwise, I don’t think I would’ve been able to find her. She was standing under a tree and I heard her whinny when she saw me. I know she was glad that I was there.
I got the halter and lead rope on her and led her down to the creek to the spot where we usually cross. There was so much rain, I couldn’t see that well, even with Dad’s big torch. But then all of a sudden my gumboots filled up with water. The creek was definitely getting higher and I had to go really slowly across the rocks. Sparkle was walking along with me – lucky she’s such a bomb proof horse otherwise I don’t think I would’ve been able to get her to cross.
Just as we were about half way, I felt the lead rope pull really hard! I looked back to see what had happened and realized Sparkle had slipped into the deeper part of the creek! My heart was thumping so hard, I could feel it pounding against my chest. But all I could think about was saving her. I was standing on the trail of rocks where we always cross and I could feel the water really pulling me – it was so strong! I had to grip so hard to keep myself from being washed in.
I called out – Sparkle! Sparkle! – She was neighing and neighing but all I could do was pull on the lead rope. I was so scared! Then all of a sudden she managed to scramble back up onto the rocks. I have no idea how she did that – but I’m so glad she did! I was so desperate to get her across the creek that I just kept on going. I knew that she trusted me and would follow me anywhere!
We kept going and finally made it to the other side. Then we had to climb the hill. It was really muddy and slippery and we kept sliding down - it was so hard to make our way up. I fell over but she kept going and that helped to pull me to my feet. I’m glad I was able to get up otherwise she would’ve dragged me through the mud. We got to the top and I took off her halter and lead rope then let her go. Straight away, she raced into the paddock looking for the other horses. I knew once she found them, she’d be ok.
Then I had to get back down the hill. I had to hang onto tree branches so I didn’t go sliding down into the creek. I knew that I was totally covered in mud, but I didn’t care. The creek was rising and I just wanted to get back home. It was such a struggle to keep my boots on and push against the force of all the rushing water.
I felt so glad when I finally made it to the other side! I rushed back across the grass and one of my boots came off as I was running. So I had to go back and find it. When I made it back to the house, I left my muddy boots and raincoat downstairs. Then I sneaked back in the front door and into my room to get changed. Just then, I could hear Mom calling me for dinner.
When she saw me, she said she’d been wandering around the house looking for me. She asked why my hair was all wet. Then I started to cry. I just couldn’t help it! When she asked me what was wrong, I had to tell her. And she just stood there staring at me. She thought I’d been in my room the whole time.
Mom and Dad both said they were in shock thinking about what could have happened. They said that Sparkle could have dragged me into the creek or fallen on top of me or anything. They said that I could have been washed away and drowned! They said that they wouldn’t have known where to look for me because they had no idea I’d even left the house.
Now I’m worried that Sparkle might have hurt her back when she slipped over.
I can’t stop writing tonight. So much has happened and I just have to write about it all. Mom says that writing things down really helps when you’re upset.
It all feels like a really bad dream – I can’t believe it happened. Just last night, I was having so much fun with my friends and tonight Sparkle and I could have drowned. I think that Mom and Dad are still in shock as well! At least they didn’t get angry at me. I think they understand how I was feeling. And I think they’re just glad that I’m safe!
