TO THE READER

 Those who wish to know something about how the people lived who told these stories will find their ways of life described in the last chapter of this book.

 

The Blackfeet were hunters, travelling from place to place on foot. They used implements¹ of stone, wood, or bone, wore clothing made of skins, and lived in tents covered by hides. Dogs, their only tame² animals, were used as beasts of burden³ to carry small packs and drag light loads.

 

The stories here told come down to us from very ancient times. Grandfathers have told them to their grandchildren⁴, and these again to their grandchildren, and so from mouth to mouth, through many generations, they have reached our time.

1 implements   

n.工具( implement的名词复数 )；家具；手段；[法律]履行（契约等）v.实现( implement的第三人称单数 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• Primitive man hunted wild animals with crude stone implements. 原始社会的人用粗糙的石器猎取野兽。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• They ordered quantities of farm implements. 他们订购了大量农具。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 tame   

adj.驯服的，柔顺的，乏味的；v.驯养，使...驯服

参考例句：

• His job is to tame lions.他的工作是驯狮。
• He is so tame that he agrees with everybody.他很随和，总是顺从他人的意见。

3 burden   

n.负担，重载，担子，责任；vt.装货于，麻烦，使负担

参考例句：

• The burden fell on the eldest son.担子落在了长子身上。
• Too much praise is a burden.太多的赞扬是一种负担。

4 grandchildren   

n.孙子；孙（女），外孙（女）( grandchild的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He left a bequest to each of his grandchildren. 他给他的孙辈每人留下一笔遗产。
• His grandchildren afforded him his greatest pleasure in his old age. 他的孙子和孙女们在晚年的时候给了他最大的欢乐。 来自《简明英汉词典》