Training elephants

原文

Two main techniques have been used for training elephants, which we may respectively the tough and the gentle. The former method simply consists of setting an elephant to work and beating him until he does what is expected of him. Apart from moral considerations this is a stupid method of training, for it produces a resentful animal who at a later stage may well turn man-killer. The gentle method requires more patience in the early stages, but produces a cheerful, good-tempered elephant who will give many years of loyal service.

The first essential in elephant training is to assign to the animal a single mahout who will be entirely responsible for the job. Elephants like to have one master just as dogs do, and are capable of a considerable degree of personal affection. There are even stories of half-trained elephant calves who have refused to feed and pined to death when by some unavoidable circumstance they have been deprived of their own trainer. Such extreme cases must probably be taken with a grain of salt, but they do underline the general principle that the relationship between elephant and mahout is the key to successful training.

The most economical age to capture an elephant for training is between fifteen and twenty years, for it is then almost ready to undertake heavy work and can begin to earn its keep straight away. But animals of this age do not easily become subservient to man, and a very time man, and a very firm hand must be employed in the early stages. The captive elephant, still roped to a tree, plunges and screams every time a man approaches, and for several days will probably refuse all food through anger and fear. Sometimes a tame elephant is tethered nearby to give the wild one confidence, and in most cases the captive gradually quietens down and begins to accept its food. The next stage is to get the elephant to the training establishment, a ticklish business which is achieved with the aid of two tame elephants roped to the captive on either side.

When several elephants are being trained at one time, it is customary for the new arrival to be placed between the stalls of two captives whose training is already well advanced. It is then left completely undisturbed with plenty of food and water so that it can absorb the atmosphere of its new home and see that nothing particularly alarming is happening to its companions. When it is eating normally, its own training begins. The trainer stands in front of the elephant holding a long stick with a sharp metal point. Two assistants, mounted on tame elephants, control the captive from either side, while others rub their hands over his skin to the accompaniment of a monotonous and soothing chant. This is supposed to induce pleasurable sensations in the elephant, and its effects are reinforced by the use of endearing epithets. The elephant is not son', or 'ho! my father', or 'my mother', according to the age and sex of the captive. The elephant is not immediately susceptible to such blandishments, however, and usually lashes fiercely with its trunk in all directions. These movements are controlled by the trainer with the metal-pointed stick, and the trunk eventually becomes so sore that the elephant curls it up and seldom afterwards uses it for offensive purposes.

--RICHARD CARRINGTON Elephants--

译文

训练大象主要有两种方法，我们可以分别称为严厉法和温和法。前者只是让大象干活，并一直鞭打它，直到它做预期的动作。除了道德方面的考虑，这是一种愚蠢的训练方法，因为它会养成一种怨恨的动物，在以后阶段可能变成杀人象。温和法在早期阶段需要更多的耐心，却能训练出快乐、性情温和的大象，提供多年的忠诚服务。

大象训练的首要条件是为这动物指定一个单一的象夫（大象训练师），全权负责这项工作。大象像狗一样喜欢有一个主人，并能产生相当程度的人格亲情。甚至有故事说，半训练的象犊在因不可避免的情况失去自己的训练师后，拒绝进食并憔悴而死。这种极端案例或许要打个折扣，但它们确实强调了象与象夫之间的关系是成功训练的关键。

捕捉大象进行训练的最经济年龄是十五至二十岁，因为那时它几乎已能承担重活，并能立即自食其力。但这种年龄的动物不容易顺从人类，因此在早期阶段必须采用非常果断的手法。被俘的大象仍被绳索拴在树上，每当有人接近，它就会猛烈挣扎并尖叫，而且可能在愤怒和恐惧中连续几天拒绝进食。有时会把一头驯服的大象拴在附近，给野象增添信心，在大多数情况下，被俘的大象会渐渐平静下来并开始接受食物。下一步是把大象带到训练场，这是一件棘手的事，通常借助两头驯服的大象，从两侧用绳索拴住被俘的大象来完成。

当有几头大象同时接受训练时，惯例是将新到的那头放在两头训练已相当成熟的被俘大象的围栏之间。然后，让它完全不受打扰，并提供充足的食物和水，以便它适应新环境，并看到同伴没有发生特别可怕的事。一旦它正常进食，它的训练就开始了。训练师站在大象面前，手持一根带尖金属头的长棍。两名助手骑在驯服的大象上，从两侧控制被俘的大象，同时其他人一边用手揉搓它的皮肤，一边吟唱单调而 soothing的chant。这旨在给大象带来愉悦的感觉，其效果通过使用亲昵的称呼来加强。根据被俘大象的年龄和性别，它被称作“儿子”或“父亲”，或“母亲”。然而，大象并不立即对这种奉承屈服，通常会用鼻子猛烈挥舞，向四面八方攻击。这些动作由训练师用带金属头的棍子控制，最终鼻子变得如此疼痛，以致大象会卷起它，以后很少再用它进行攻击。

--RICHARD CARRINGTON Elephants--

词汇表

tough

形容词

英:/tʌf/

美:/tʌf/

定义

1. 坚韧的；艰难的 - Strong and difficult to deal with, often implying hardship or strictness.

例子: The tough training method involves harsh treatment.

例子: Life in the wild can be tough for animals.

2. 结实的；耐用的 - Not easily broken or damaged.

例子: He wore tough boots for the long journey.

例子: The material is tough enough to withstand extreme conditions.

近义词

rugged: 强调粗糙或坚固，通常用于物理特性，而 'tough' 更侧重于精神或方法的坚韧。

harsh: 更强调严厉或不友好的性质，常用于描述环境或方法，与 'tough' 的挑战性相似，但 'harsh' 可能更负面。

resilient: 侧重于恢复能力或适应性，'tough' 则更泛指整体的坚韧，而 'resilient' 强调反弹。

反义词:

gentle, soft, easy

用法

常用于描述困难的情况、方法或物体的坚固性，在非正式语境中常见，如 'tough love' 表示严格但关爱的教育方式。文化背景中，常与挑战相关。

形式:

副词: toughly, 名词: toughness, 其他: toughest (形容词最高级)

关键句型 "just as [subject] do"

定义

此句型用于表达比较或类比，结构为：just as（正如）+ [subject]（主语）+ do（动词的助动词形式）。它常用于连接两个相似的行为或情况，表示一种平行关系。根据《剑桥英语语法》教材，这种句型是英语中常见的比较结构，帮助强调相似性，使句子更生动和逻辑性强。例如，在文章中，“Elephants like to have one master just as dogs do” 就使用了这个句型，意思是“大象喜欢有一个主人，正如狗一样”。

这个句型简洁明了，适合描述日常生活中事物间的相似点，让学习者轻松构建连贯的叙述。

用法

此句型主要用于比较两个主语的行为或特征，常出现在描述动物、习惯或社会现象的语境中。规则是：just as 后跟一个从句，描述第一个主语的对比对象，然后连接到主句。语法体系中，它属于连接词和比较结构的范畴，与其他比较句型如 "as...as" 或 "similar to" 相关联。

横向比较：与 "like [subject]" 相比，just as [subject] do 更正式且强调平行性，例如 "He works hard like his brother" 与 "He works hard just as his brother does" 的区别在于后者更精确地突出相似方式。与 "as if" 句型相比，just as 基于真实比较，而 "as if" 用于假设情景。此外，它可以链接到更复杂的句子中，建立跨语法点的联系，比如与条件句结合（如 "Just as you prepare for exams, I prepare for my work"），帮助学生扩展到并列结构或从句学习。

在实际应用中，这个句型增强了文章的说服力和可读性，尤其在说明文或叙述中。

注意事项

学生常犯的错误包括：遗漏 do 的助动词形式，导致句子不完整，例如说 "just as dogs" 而非 "just as dogs do"，这会使句子 grammatically incorrect。另一个常见偏误是主语不一致或时态错误，如在比较不同时态时混淆过去式和现在式。纠正建议：总是确保 do 与主句的动词时态匹配，并通过练习口语来习惯其自然流畅性。

具体例句：

错误示例：Elephants like to have one master just as dogs.
正确示例：Elephants like to have one master just as dogs do.

另外，学生可能过度使用这个句型，导致重复；建议结合其他比较方式以丰富表达。

练习

一个原创例子：假设你在讨论学习习惯，可以说：“Children learn languages quickly just as birds learn songs.” 这贴近实际场景，学生可以替换 [subject]，如将 "birds" 换成 "computers process data just as humans do"，并应用于日常生活，例如在作文中写：“I save money just as my parents do.”

通过这种替换练习，学生能加深对句型的掌握，并将其应用到个人经历中，比如分享宠物行为。

额外内容

背景知识：这个句型源于英语的比较传统，常见于文学和科学描述中，体现了英语注重逻辑和平衡的文化特征。对比分析：与中文的 "就像…一样" 类似，但英语版本更结构化，需要助动词 do 以保持语法完整。相比法语的 "tout comme"，英语句型更灵活，便于初学者过渡到高级表达。通过学习此句型，学生能更好地理解跨文化比较，提升写作和口语的连贯性。