关于本书
这部经典冒险小说讲述了巴克的故事。它原本是一只在加利福尼亚过着舒适生活、备受宠爱的家犬，却突然被拐走，卖进了克朗代克淘金热的残酷现实之中。被抛入北方严酷无情的荒野后，它必须学会作为一条雪橇犬生存下去，并发现潜藏在自己体内的原始本能。
开篇
Chapter I. Into the Primitive
第一章 进入原始
“Old longings nomadic leap, Chafing at custom’s chain; Again from its brumal sleep Wakens the ferine strain.”
“古老的漂泊渴望跃起， 对习俗的锁链焦躁不安； 从它冬眠般的沉睡中 野性的血脉再一次苏醒。”
Buck did not read the newspapers, or he would have known that trouble was brewing, not alone for himself,
巴克不看报纸，否则他就会知道麻烦正在酝酿，不仅是对他自己，
but for every tide-water dog, strong of muscle and with warm, long hair, from Puget Sound to San Diego.
而且是对从普吉特海湾到圣迭戈的每一条沿海地区的、肌肉强壮、长着温暖长毛的狗。
Because men, groping in the Arctic darkness, had found a yellow metal,
因为人们在北极的黑暗中摸索时，发现了一种黄色的金属，
and because steamship and transportation companies were booming the find, thousands of men were rushing into the Northland.
又因为轮船公司和运输公司在大肆宣扬这一发现，成千上万的人正涌入北方。
These men wanted dogs, and the dogs they wanted were heavy dogs, with strong muscles by which to toil,
这些人需要狗，而他们需要的狗是体格沉重的狗，有强壮的肌肉用来干苦活，
and furry coats to protect them from the frost.
还有毛茸茸的皮毛保护它们不受严寒侵袭。
Buck lived at a big house in the sun-kissed Santa Clara Valley.
巴克住在阳光普照的圣克拉拉山谷里的一座大房子里。
Judge Miller’s place, it was called.
那地方被称为米勒法官的宅子。
It stood back from the road, half hidden among the trees,
它离大路有一段距离，半掩在树丛之中，
through which glimpses could be caught of the wide cool veranda that ran around its four sides.
透过树丛可以瞥见环绕房子四面的宽敞凉爽的门廊。
The house was approached by gravelled driveways which wound about through wide-spreading lawns and under the interlacing boughs of tall poplars.
通向房子的是铺着砾石的车道，车道蜿蜒穿过大片舒展的草坪，从高大白杨交错的枝条下经过。
At the rear things were on even a more spacious scale than at the front.
屋后的一切比屋前还要宽敞。
There were great stables, where a dozen grooms and boys held forth, rows of vine-clad servants’ cottages,
那里有大马厩，十几个马夫和男孩在里面高谈阔论，有一排排爬满藤蔓的仆人小屋，
an endless and orderly array of outhouses, long grape arbors, green pastures, orchards, and berry patches.
一大片井然有序、望不到头的附属建筑，长长的葡萄架，绿色的牧场，果园和浆果地。
Then there was the pumping plant for the artesian well, and the big cement tank
然后还有自流井的抽水装置，和一个大水泥池，
where Judge Miller’s boys took their morning plunge and kept cool in the hot afternoon.
米勒法官的儿子们早上在那里跳水，炎热的下午在那里纳凉。
And over this great demesne Buck ruled.
巴克就统治着这一大片领地。
Here he was born, and here he had lived the four years of his life.
他在这里出生，在这里度过了他一生的四年。