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.

    technique n.  技術

    tough adj. 強硬的

    resentful adj. 忿恨不滿的

    assign v.  分配，指派

    mahout n.  馴象人

    calf n.  幼仔

    pine v.  消瘦

    underline v.  著重說明，強調

    keep n.  生計

    subservient adj. 屈從的

    plunge v.   向前沖

    tame adj. 養馴服了的

    tether v.  （用繩）拴

    ticklish adj. 難對付的，棘手的

    alarming adj. 引起驚恐的

    accompaniment n.  伴奏

    soothe v.  鎮定

    chant n.  單調的歌

    reinforce v.  加強

    endearing adj.惹人喜愛的

    epithet n.  稱呼

    susceptible adj. 易受感動的

    blandishment n.  奉承

    lash v.  猛烈地甩

    curl v.  使卷曲

    馴象有兩種主要的方法，我們分別稱之為強硬法和溫柔法。強硬法就是驅象去干活，把它打順從為止。且不說道義問題，這本身就是一種愚蠢的訓練方法，因為這種方法訓練會使動物反感，在以后某個時期可能會變成傷人的動物。溫柔法要求在最初階段保持較大的耐心，但這種方法可以訓練出性情愉快、脾氣溫順，能忠實為人服務多年的大象。

    馴象中至關生要的是指派一名專門的馴象員，全面負責這項工作。大象和狗一樣，喜歡有一個專一的主人，而且會對主人產生相當深厚的私人感情。甚至有這樣的故事：訓練了一半的小象，由于不可避免的情況與他們的主人分離后，竟拒絕吃食，消瘦至死。這種極端的事例雖不可全信，但強調了一項基本原則，象和馴象員之間的關系是馴象成功與否的關健。

    捕捉15至20歲之間年齡的大象進行馴象最為經濟。 這個年齡的象差不多已能干重活，可以很快掙回飼養它的開支。但這個年齡的象不易馴服，因此開始階段需要有一位強有力的老手。捕來拴在樹上的大象，每當有人走近它時，就會向前猛沖并發出尖叫，甚至一連幾于都由于憤怒和恐懼而拒絕進食。有時，把一頭已馴服的象拴在旁邊能給野象以信心。在大多數情況下，剛博來的象會慢慢靜下來，接著開始吃食。下一步就是把象帶到訓練場所，這是一件棘手的事，需要在它兩側拴上兩頭馴服的大象才能完成。

    幾只象同時訓練時，通常是把新到的安置在兩頭訓練得很好的大象的象廄中間，然后給它以充足的食物和水，一定不要驚擾它，以便讓他能適應新居的氣氛，并且看到自己的同伴身上沒有發生讓自己擔驚受怕的事。當它進食正常了，訓練就開始。馴練員手持一根有鋒利金屬尖頭的長棒，站在象前。兩位助手騎在馴服的象的背上，從兩側控制新捕的象，其他人唱著單調的歌聲用手撫摸象的皮膚。據說這是為了使象產生愉快的感覺，為了加強這種效果，人閃還按象的年齡性別，給以親切的外號，如"嗬！我的孩子"、"嗬！我的爸爸"、"嗬！我的媽媽".然而大象不會立刻被這些討好的括感動，而往往是用鼻子朝各個方向猛烈地甩動。訓練員要用有鋒利金屬尖的長棒控制它的這種舉動，象鼻子最后疼得卷了起來，以后它就很少用鼻子去進攻了。