Joaquin works on a sheep farm in the hills. He has twelve sheep and one old dog. The dog is called Nube. She is grey and slow, but she knows her job.
华金在山丘上的一座牧羊场干活。他有十二只羊和一条老狗。狗叫努韦，灰色的毛，动作很慢，可她知道自己的本分。
This morning, the sky is dark in the west. Joaquin looks at it and shakes his head. "Rain by noon," he says. "Maybe a big storm."
今天早晨，西边的天空黑沉沉的。华金看着天空，摇了摇头。“中午前会下雨，”他说，“说不定还是场大风暴。”
The sheep are in the high field. Their grass is almost gone. Across the stream, the low field has fresh green grass. Today is the day to move them.
羊群在高处的草场上，那里的草快吃光了。小溪对面的低处草场长着新鲜的绿草。今天正好是搬羊群的日子。
Joaquin walks up the hill with Nube. The sheep look up. They are white and round. They all chew at the same time.
华金带着努韦走上山坡。羊抬起头来，白白圆圆的，嘴里一起嚼着草。
"Come on, ladies," he says. "Breakfast is on the other side."
“来吧，姑娘们，”他说，“早饭在对岸呢。”
The path goes down to the stream. A small wooden bridge crosses the water. It is old, but it is strong. The sheep stop in front of it.
小路向下通到小溪边。一座小木桥横跨在水上，虽然旧了，却很结实。羊群在桥前停了下来。
Joaquin walks onto the bridge. "See? It is fine," he says.
华金走到桥上。“看，没问题的。”他说。
The sheep do not move. A big sheep looks at the stream. She does not like it. Her name is Dama, and she is the leader. If Dama stays, all the sheep stay.
羊群一动不动。一只大个子的羊望着小溪，不喜欢它。她叫达玛，是头羊。达玛要是不走，所有的羊都不会走。
Nube runs behind the group and barks once. She is slow, but the sheep listen to her. The sheep push closer together. But nobody goes onto the bridge.
努韦绕到羊群后面，叫了一声。她虽然慢，羊还是听她的。羊挤得更紧了，可谁也不上桥。
"Okay," says Joaquin. "Plan two."
“好吧，”华金说，“第二个办法。”
He gets a bucket of grain from the truck. He shakes it, and the grain makes a nice sound. The sheep lift their heads. Joaquin stands on the bridge and holds out the bucket. Dama puts one foot on the first board. Then she steps back.
他从卡车上拿来一桶谷粒，摇了摇，谷粒发出好听的声音。羊都抬起了头。华金站在桥上，伸出手里的桶。达玛把一只蹄子放到第一块木板上，却又退了回去。
"Not today?" says Joaquin. He looks at the sky. It is darker now. A cold wind moves the grass.
“今天不行吗？”华金说。他看了看天，天更黑了，一阵冷风吹动着青草。
"Plan three," he says.
“第三个办法。”他说。
He takes an old blanket from the truck. He lays it over the boards of the bridge. Now the bridge looks soft, like a road of wool.
他从卡车上拿出一条旧毯子，铺在桥面的木板上。现在这座桥看上去软软的，像一条羊毛铺成的路。
Dama puts her nose down and smells the blanket. It smells like the farm. She walks onto it slowly. One step, two steps, three steps.
达玛低下头，闻了闻毯子。它有牧场的气味。她慢慢地走上去。一步，两步，三步。
Then the second sheep follows. The third. The fourth. Soon the sheep run across in a line. Their feet go tap, tap, tap on the wood.
接着第二只羊跟上去了，第三只，第四只。很快，羊群排成一行跑过桥去。它们的蹄子在木头上哒、哒、哒地响。
Joaquin counts them. "Seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven." He stops. "Eleven?"
华金数着羊。“七、八、九、十、十一。”他停了下来。“十一只？”
He counts again. Eleven. One sheep is not here.
他又数了一遍，还是十一只。有一只羊不在。
Nube lifts her nose and looks back up the hill. Then she runs away. Joaquin follows her to the high field. Behind a tall rock, a small sheep stands alone. Her foot is in a hole in the ground. She calls out in a thin voice.
努韦抬起鼻子，回头望向山坡，然后跑开了。华金跟着她回到高处的草场。在一块高高的岩石后面，一只小羊孤零零地站着，她的脚卡在地上的一个洞里，用细细的声音叫着。
Joaquin kneels. He holds the small sheep and moves her foot slowly. It comes out of the hole. She stands up, shakes, and looks at him.
华金蹲下来，抱住小羊，慢慢地挪动她的脚。脚从洞里出来了。她站起来，抖了抖身子，看着他。
"You are a lucky girl," he says. He carries her down the hill in his arms.
“你真是个幸运的小姑娘。”他说。他把她抱在怀里，走下山坡。
At the bridge, the first drops of rain fall. Joaquin puts the little sheep down on the blanket. She runs after her friends.
到桥边时，第一批雨点落了下来。华金把小羊放在毯子上，她追着朋友们跑去了。
He counts again. "Twelve."
他又数了一遍。“十二只。”
Rain falls hard on the hills. Joaquin picks up the blanket. He puts it over his head. Then he walks across the bridge with Nube. He laughs in the storm.
雨重重地打在山丘上。华金捡起毯子，顶在头上，然后和努韦一起走过桥。他在风暴里哈哈大笑。
