A French girl Tippi was born in 1990 in Namibia, Africa. When she was young she followed her parents, who took photos of wild animals, and grew up in the jungle. She and wild elephants loved each other and she danced with ostrich. Chameleon, bullfrog, lion, baboon all brought her fun, happiness, adventure, fantasy, and even pain, but in the end they became her best friends.
法國小女孩Tippi,1990年生于非洲的納米比亞,從小跟隨拍攝野生動物的父母在叢林中長大。她與野象相親、同鴕鳥共舞,變色龍、牛蛙、獅子、狒狒……一個個給她帶來奇趣、快樂、驚險、幻想、甚至皮肉之苦,但最終它們都成為她最好的朋友。
下面就是Tippi要想告訴我們的故事:
There lived many herdsmen raising swarms of cattle in the mountain near the village of Wedok. It was in David and Peda’s house that I met leopard Jaby. The local herdsmen had a headache that their cattle were often attacked by the leopard. In order to be on guard against the leopard they laid traps everywhere. Once a female leopard fell into the trap, hurting very badly, and later died. Before she died, she had given birth to two baby leopards, one male and the other female. David sent the female leopard to a neighbor, kept the male one, and named it Jaby. So Jaby has lived in David and Peda’s house ever since.
Then one day, it was so terrible.
My mother, Dad and I went out for a walk with a chameleon Leon. Jaby perhaps heard our talking and wanted to went with us. Without even acknowledging us, he jumped on the roof, bounced forcefully, crossed the yard fence, and caught up with us. On the way, the leopard ran into two African boys who escaped away as soon as they saw it. The two boys didn’t know that it was totally unwise to run away when coming across into the beast. Jaby took the two boys as his prey and caught the younger one.
My parents and I watched but incapable of doing something to help, because the leopard acted so fast. Mum said, “I went for David.”
Then she hurried to the house. Dad told me in a sharp voice, “Tippy, you stay here. Don’t move!”
He left me and Leon to save the boy who had been hurt. I watched my father ran away, but later I cannot help following him. I couldn’t listen to him.
Jaby, with mouthfull of blood, was a few metres away from his prey, preparing to attack.
I heard Dad’s voice and saw he picked up the bloody boy talking softly to the leopard. I could see that Jaby didn’t want to let go of the boy, and even wanted to jumped on Dad to take back his prey then attack Dad perhaps. I was terribly angry. There must be someone to give orders to make Jaby stop. Thus I went straight towards him, said, “Jaby, stop it!”
Jaby could only understand English which was spoken by the Namibia. To make sure I make myself clear, I beat slightly on its nose. The slight but firm beat aimed at telling him he was doing stupid things. If he didn’t listen to me, I would lost my temper. Then, he sat down, fell on the ground like every time when he was being scolded.
Jaby was severely punished. He was locked in a wired-fence with top sealed, from which he could never escape. I frequently went to see him, talked to him, reached my hands into the fence to fondle him, which made him so happy. He peed on me, showing he loved me. I wanted to keep the friendly smell, and did not want to wash it away, but mother said no. I had to take a shower, and she rub me hard.
This story tells us—you take a great responsibility to raise a leopard. It is a powerful animal. It can kill human beings. However, my Jaby is very lovely. We are deeply attached to each other, and live in harmony.
在汶多克村旁邊,住著很多牧民,他們在山上養(yǎng)著一大群一大群的牛。我就是在戴維和佩達家見到豹子杰比的。當?shù)氐哪撩穸加幸粋€頭痛的問題,他們的牛群常常遭到豹子的襲擊。為了防范豹子,他們四處布下陷阱。有一次,一只母豹子掉進了陷阱,傷得很重很重,后來死去了。在死之前,它生下了兩只小豹,一雄一雌。戴維把小雌豹給了鄰居,留下雄的那只,并給它起了個名字——杰比。杰比就這樣在戴維和佩達家安了家。
有一天,那場面真恐怖。
那天,媽媽、爸爸、我還有變色龍萊昂一起去散步。杰比也許是聽到了我們的談話聲,想跟我們走,便連招呼也不打就跳到了屋頂上,然后用力一蹦,越過院子的柵欄,追上我們。路上,豹子杰比遇見兩個非洲小男孩。兩個小男孩一見豹子便奪路而逃。他們不知道遇到野獸時這樣做是萬萬不行的。杰比把兩個小男孩當成獵物追趕,并逮住了較小的那個男孩。
父母和我眼睜睜地看著所發(fā)生的一切,卻無能為力,因為豹子動作快得很??!媽媽說:“我去找戴維?!?/p>
然后她就急匆匆地向屋子跑去。爸爸則用嚴厲的聲音對我說:“蒂皮,你在這兒待著,不許動!”
爸爸撇下我和萊昂去救被杰比傷害的小男孩。我看著父親跑去,也禁不住跟著他過去了,我沒法聽他的話了。
杰比離“獵物”只有幾米遠,嘴里都是血,正準備發(fā)起攻擊。
我聽到爸爸的聲音,看見他一把將渾身是血的小男孩抱起,輕聲對杰比說著話。我看得出杰比并不想放走小男孩,我想它甚至想撲向爸爸,把“獵物”搶回來,也許它還想進攻爸爸呢??吹竭@些,我很生氣很生氣。得有人下命令,讓杰比收手。于是,我徑直向它走去:“杰比,住手!”
杰比只能聽懂納米比亞人所講的英語。為了確定它聽清楚了,我在它的鼻子上打了一下。這樣輕輕的但又堅定的一擊是要讓它明白:它正在做件大蠢事,如果它不聽我的話,我就會大發(fā)脾氣了。于是,它坐了下來,趴在地上,像每次挨罵一樣。
杰比受到了很嚴厲很嚴厲的處罰。它被鐵絲網(wǎng)關了起來,連網(wǎng)的頂部也被封住了,再也出不來了。我常去看它,跟它說話,把手伸進鐵絲網(wǎng)撫摸它。它高興得不得了,往我身上撒了一泡尿以表示它愛我。我想把這代表友誼的氣味留下來,不愿意洗掉,但媽媽說那不行,我只好乖乖地洗澡,她拼命地搓我。
這個故事告訴我們:養(yǎng)一只豹子是要負很大責任的。它畢竟是一種很強壯的動物,可以把人殺死。不過,我的杰比還是很可愛的。我們相親相愛,十分融洽。