来源：《用美国小孩的方法学英语最有效》

　　(3rd Grade)

　　The Pony Express

　　Long ago, there were no telephones or radios. There were no televisions or computers. There were no airplanes or cars. It was hard to get news all the way to California。

　　People who lived in California needed a quick way to get mail and news from the East. People wanted news about their friends and families. They also wanted to know what was happening in other places in the country。

　　Three people started a company called the Pony Express. The Pony Express carried mail and news throughout the West. On April 3, 1860, one Pony Express rider rode west from St. Joseph, Missouri. St. Joseph was the last stop for trains coming from the East. On the same day, another rider rode east from Sacramento, California. Both young men carried four bags of mail. The Pony Express was much faster than the stagecoach. A stagecoach took one month to deliver mail. A Pony Express rider could do it in ten days。

　　The Pony Express hired young men. They were often younger than 18 years old. They were skinny, too. No rider could weigh more than 120 pounds. That helped their ponies run longer and faster。

　　The Pony Express ponies were mustangs. These were small, wild horses. The horses were less than five feet tall. They galloped almost twelve miles an hour. The horses were smart. They learned their routes fast。

　　Besides riders, other people helped run the Pony Express. Some people worked at stations. One of their jobs was to take care of the company's horses. Riders picked up fresh horses when they stopped at stations。

　　The riders and the people who worked at the stations faced many dangers. One was the weather. Snowstorms slowed riders crossing the high mountains. Sandstorms slowed riders crossing the long, dry deserts. Wild animals like wolves were another danger. The riders also had to protect themselves from bandits. Bandits tried to steal horses. They also took whatever money the riders were carrying。

　　Still, there were young men willing to ride for the Pony Express. Together, they covered 2,000 miles of land. A rider would leave one station and gallop to another. At his first stop, he slipped the mail cover off the saddle. He threw it on the saddle of a new horse. Then he was off again. This took about two minutes. Each rider rode 60 to 80 miles. He stopped every 15 to 25 miles to get a fresh horse. At the end of his trip, a fresh rider on a fresh horse took his place. The first rider stayed at his last station until it was time for his next job。

　　The Pony Express was successful. It delivered the mail faster than stagecoaches. But it only lasted about one and one-half years. It stopped running when telegraph wires reached California. By October 1861, the Pony Express closed its doors. Its riders and horses were no longer needed。

　　Words and Phrases 单词和短语

　　Pony Express 驿马快信

　　St. Jopseph 圣约瑟

　　Missouri [mi'zuəri] n. 密苏里州(美国州名)

　　Sacramento [ˌsækrə'mentəu] n. 萨克拉曼多(美国加州首府)

　　California [kæli'fɔ:njə] n. 加利福尼亚，加州

　　stagecoach ['steidʒkəutʃ] n. 驿马车；公共马车

　　deliver [di'livə] v. 递送，交付

　　skinny ['skini] adj. 极瘦的，皮包骨的

　　mustang ['mʌstæŋ] n. 野马

　　gallop ['gæləp] v. (使马)飞奔，奔驰

　　snowstorm ['snəustɔ:m] n. 暴风雪

　　sandstorm ['sændstɔ:m] n. 沙暴，沙漠地带的暴风沙

　　bandit ['bændit] n. 土匪，强盗

　　mail cover 邮袋，邮封

　　saddle ['sædl] n. 马鞍

　　译 文

　　驿 马 快 信

　　很久以前没有电话和收音机，更没有电视机和电脑。当时的人们也没有飞机或者汽车。加利福尼亚想得到外界的信息很困难。

　　住在加利福尼亚的人们需要一种方法，一种能够快速收到邮件和美国东部信息的方法。人们想得到朋友和家人的信息，也想知道美国其他各地发生的事件。

　　当时有三个人组建了一个名叫“驿马快信”的公司，负责在美国西部运送邮件和新闻。1860年4月3日，驿马快信公司的一个骑士从密苏里州的圣约瑟向西驶去。圣约瑟是从美国东部驶来的火车的最后一站。同一天，另一个骑士从加利福尼亚的萨克拉曼向东急速驶来。两个年轻人各自携带四袋信件。驿马快信要比当时的公共马车快多了。公共马车送信历时一月之久，而驿马快信则能在十日之内送到。

　　驿马快信公司雇佣的都是年轻人，他们通常都在18岁以下，且身材极瘦。所有的骑士均不得超过120英磅。这样有助于他们的马匹跑得距离更长，时速更快。

　　驿马快公司的马匹都是体形小的野马，它们身高不过五英尺，奔跑时时速可达12英里。这些马很聪明，它们很快就能识途。

　　除了骑士，经营驿马快信公司还需要其他的人手。一些人在驿站工作。他们的工作之一就是照料公司的马匹，以便骑士们赶到驿站时有精力充沛的马匹可骑。

　　骑士和驿站工作人员都面临许多危险，恶劣天气就是其中之一。暴风雪会减慢骑士越过高山的速度。沙尘暴也会减慢骑士们穿越漫长干旱的沙漠的速度。狼等野生动物也是一大危险。此外，骑士们还得保护自己以防强盗的袭击。强盗们不仅企图偷马，还会抢劫骑士们身上的钱财。

　　尽管如此，仍然有年轻男士愿意在驿马快信公司当差。他们的足迹遍布2000英里的土地。骑士离开一个驿站快马飞奔驶向下一个。在第一站时，他会把把邮袋从马鞍上卸下，继而把它扔到一匹新马的马鞍上继续前行，中间的停顿仅有两分钟。每个骑士要骑60英里到80英里不等。每15到20英里会在驿站上做短暂地停留以换取新马。当一个骑士旅程结束后，会有一个新的骑士和一匹新的马来接替他。第一个骑手则在他最终到达的驿站上等待下一次出征。

　　驿马快信当时很成功。它送信的速度比公共马车快。然而它只维持了大约一年到一年半的光景。当电报线在加利福尼亚设立后，驿马快信就停止了营运。1861年10月，驿马快信公司彻底停业。至此，骑士和马匹就再也不需要了。

　　Practice

　　1.What was the Pony Express?

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　　2.Why did the Pony Express start?

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　　3.What dangers did Pony Express riders face?

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　　练 习

　　1. 什么是驿马快信？

　　2. 为什么驿马快信会建立？

　　3. 驿马快信的骑士们会面临什么危险？

　　答 案

　　1. The Pony Express was a service started in 1860 that carried mail and news throughtout the West。

　　驿马信使是建于1860年的一个服务机构，它向西部地区送去信件和新闻。

　　2. People who lived in California needed a quick way to get mail and news from the East. A stagecoach took one month to deliver mail. A Pony Express rider could do it in ten days。

　　生活在加利福尼亚的人们需要更快地得到来自美国东部的信件和新闻，而公共马车送信要历时一个月之久。驿马信使在十日之内就能把信送到。

　　3. Pony Express riders had to ride through dangerous weather, such as snowstorms and sandstorms. They also faced wild animals and bandits。

　　驿马信使的邮差骑士员面临恶劣的天气，比如暴风雪和沙尘暴，还有野生动物和强盗的袭击。

　　【注】

　　驿马快信又称快马邮递或小马快递，是美国近代一项快马接力，用于加利福尼亚州和密苏里州际间传递邮件。

　　驿马快信创立于1860年4月，东起密苏里州圣约瑟夫，西至加利福尼亚州加缅度，全长2900公里，共设有157个驿站。1861年10月，驿马快信停业。虽然只历时1年半时间，但它却在美国历史上留下了一段传奇。

　　如今，“快马邮递”被用作快递商标，美国和俄罗斯均有以此命名的公司。