吹小號的天鵝 第87期:自由

Chapter 18 Freedom

第十八章 自由

The news of Serena's arrival on Bird Lake had finallyreached the Head Man in Charge of Birds.

塞蕾娜來到鳥湖的消息最后終于被鳥類管理處的負責人知道了。

He went out to look at her and was delighted. Thenhe gave an order to one of his keepers.

他走過來看了看她，顯得很高興。然后他朝他的一個管理員下了命令。

"See to it that she is pinioned this morning--right away, before she flies off and leaves us.

“今天早上就得給她打尖——立刻就去，不然她就會離開我們飛走了。

That swan is a valuable bird. Make sure she doesn't get away!"

那只天鵝可是一只價值連城的鳥兒。一定別讓她跑了!”

Louis was just waking from his nap when he saw two keepers approaching Serena,

路易斯剛剛睡醒，就看見有兩個管理員正在向岸邊的塞蕾娜逼近，

who was standing on the shore near the ornamental fence.

當時她就站在那個經過精心修飾的籬笆附近。

One keeper carried a large net with a long handle. The other carried surgical instruments.

一個管理員拿著一個帶有長柄的大網，另一個拿著手術器械。

They were sneaking up on Serena from behind, very slowly and quietly.

他們正在鬼鬼祟祟地從塞蕾娜的身后溜過來，步子又慢又輕。

Louis knew right away what they were up to. He grew hot with rage.

路易斯馬上就知道他們要干什么了。他的心頭激起了一股怒火。

If those men succeeded in catching Serena and cutting a wing tip, all his plans would go wrong

如果這兩個男人果真抓到了塞蕾娜并剪了她的一只翅膀尖，他所有的計劃都會落空的

she could never fly away to a lonely lake with him;

她再不能和他飛到一個靜謐的湖上去了;

she would have to remain in Philadelphia the rest of her life, a horrible fate.

她將不得不在費城度過她的余生了，這是多么可怕的命運呀。

"This is my moment," thought Louis.

“是我行動的時候了，”路易斯想，

"Nobody is going to clip my Love's wing while I'm around."

“只要我還在這里，就沒人能夠剪壞我愛人的翅膀。”

He hustled over to the island and stripped for action.

他猛地沖上小島，甩下他那些東西準備戰(zhàn)斗。

He chucked his trumpet and all his other stuff under a willow tree.

他把他的小號和其他的所有東西全都拋到了一棵柳樹下。

Then he returned to the water and waited for the right time to attack.

然后他回到水里等待著恰當的出擊時刻。

The keeper holding the net was crawling quietly up on Serena from the rear.

那個拿著網的管理員還在塞蕾娜的身后偷偷地往前輕挪著。

She did not notice him--she was just standing there, dreaming of Louis.

她沒看到他——她正站在那兒夢想著路易斯呢。

Slowly, slowly the keeper raised his net. As he did so, Louis went into action.

慢慢地，那個管理員慢慢地舉起了他的網。就在他這么做的瞬間，路易斯投入了戰(zhàn)斗。

Lowering his long, powerful neck until it pointed straight out in front of him like a lance,

他將他那長長的，有力的脖子放低，直到它像一枝筆直地指在他前方的長矛，

he streaked across the water, straight at the keeper, his wings beating the air, his feet beatingthe water.

然后才用雙翅擊打著空氣，兩腳踢踏著湖水，閃電般掠過水面，直奔那個管理員而去。

In a flash, he reached the scene and drove his strong bill straight into the seat of the man'spants.

眨眼之間，他就沖到了那里，把他有力的尖嘴透過褲子一直扎進這個男人的屁股上。

It was a well-aimed jab. The keeper doubled up in pain and dropped the net.

這是一次瞄得極準的皮下注射。這個管理員痛得彎著身子丟下了網。

The other keeper tried to grab Serena by her throat.

另一個管理員想掐住塞蕾娜的咽喉。

Louis beat him over the head with his wings, striking terrific blows and knocking the poorfellow off his feet.

路易斯用他的翅膀揍他的頭，以可怕的力量將這個可憐的家伙打倒在地。

Surgical instruments bounced into the air. The net fell into the water.

手術器械蹦上了天。那張網也掉進了水里。

One keeper groaned and held his hand on his behind, where he had been stabbed.

一個管理員呻吟著把手捂在剛才被扎壞的地方。

The other keeper lay on the ground, almost knocked out.

另一個管理員則在地上躺著，差不多被揍昏了。