吹小號的天鵝 第91期:自由(5)

Louis took his slate and told Sam about the fightwith the keepers

路易斯拿起他的石板，告訴了薩姆他和管理員們的那場戰(zhàn)斗，

and about how the Head Man wanted to keep Serenacaptive by clipping the tip of one wing.

還有那個負責人想剪去塞蕾娜的一只翅膀尖，以便把她囚禁到這里的事情。

He told Sam it would ruin his life if Serena were tolose the power to fly.

他告訴薩姆，如果塞蕾娜失去了飛行能力，他的生活就全毀了。

He explained that as soon as his father's debts were paid and the trumpet honestly belonged tohim,

他解釋說，等到還清他父親的欠債，這把小號也真正的屬于他時，

he and Serena intended to leave civilization and return to a wild life.

他和塞蕾娜打算馬上離開文明社會回到野生環(huán)境去。

"The sky," he wrote on his slate, "is my living room.

“天空，”他在他的石板上寫道，“是我的起居室。

The woods are my parlor. The lonely lake is my bath.

森林是我的客廳。靜寂的湖是我的浴缸。

I can't remain behind a fence all my life. Neither can Serena--she's not built that way.

我不能讓自己一輩子都縮在一道籬笆的后面。塞蕾娜也不能--她可不是那樣長大的。

Somehow or other we must persuade the Head Man to let Serena go."

不管怎樣我們都必須勸這個負責人把塞蕾娜放走。”

Sam stretched out on the shore of Bird Lake and clasped his hands behind his head.

薩姆躺在鳥湖的岸上，兩腿伸開，雙手枕在腦后。

He looked up at the great wide sky. It was a clear blue, with small white clouds floating slowlyacross.

他仰望著遼闊無垠的晴空。天空是純藍的，小朵的白云正緩緩地自那上面飄遠。

Sam knew how Louis felt about freedom. For a long time he lay there, thinking.

薩姆知道路易斯對自由是怎么看的。他在那里躺了很久，不停地思索著。

Ducks and geese swam slowly by, back and forth, an endless procession of captive birds. Theyseemed happy and well.

鴨子和鵝們慢慢地來回列隊游過，像一群難以盡數(shù)的囚鳥大軍。他們似乎非常的幸福和滿足。

Curiosity, Felicity, and Apathy--the three Trumpeters --swam by and peered at the strange boylying on the ground.

好奇，快活，冷淡——那三只號手天鵝——游了過來，注視著這個躺在地上的陌生男孩。

Finally Sam sat up.

薩姆終于坐了起來。

"Listen, Louis," he said.

“聽著，路易斯，”他說，

"How's this for an idea? You and Serena intend to raise a family every year, don't you?"

“這個主意如何?你和塞蕾娜每年都打算生兒育女，對不對?”

"Certainly," replied Louis on his slate.

“當然。”路易斯在他的石板上回答。

"O.k.," said Sam. "In every family of cygnets, there is always one that needs special care andprotection.

“OK，”薩姆說。“在每一窩小天鵝中，都會有一只需要特別照顧和看護的。

Bird Lake would be a perfect place for this one little swan that needs extra security.

對一只需要格外照看的小天鵝來說，鳥湖會是個極其理想的地方。

This is a beautiful lake, Louis. This is a great zoo.

這是一個美麗的湖，路易斯。這是一個很大的動物園。

If I can persuade the Head Man to let Serena remain free,

如果我能勸那個負責人把塞蕾娜放走，

would you be willing to donate one of your cygnets, now and then, if the Zoo needs anotherswan for the lake?

你愿意在這個動物園需要這湖上再添一只天鵝的時候，把你的一只小天鵝捐贈出來嗎?

If you agree, I'll go right in and see the Head Man about the matter."

如果你能同意，我馬上就去和那個負責人談這事兒。”

It was now Louis's turn to think and think. After five minutes, he picked up his slate.

現(xiàn)在輪到路易斯想了又想了。五分鐘后，他拿起了他的石板。

"Very well," he wrote. "It's a deal."

“很好，”他寫，“就照這協(xié)議辦吧。”

Then he picked up his trumpet. "Oh, ever in the greening spring," he played.

然后他舉起了他的小號。“哦，又到了綠色的春天，”

"By bank and bough retiring ..."

他吹道，“棲隱在岸邊和枝上……”

The waterfowl stopped swimming and listened. The keepers stopped what they were doing andlistened. Sam listened.

水鳥們不再游了，都傾聽起來。管理員們放下手頭的工作，開始聆聽。薩姆也在聽著。

The Head Man in his office in the Bird House laid down his pencil, leaned back in his chair, andlistened.

坐在他鳥屋辦公室里的負責人放下他的鉛筆，回靠到他的椅子上，諦聽著。

The sound of Louis's horn was in the air,

路易斯的小號聲在空氣中回蕩起來，

and the whole world seemed better and brighter and wilder and freer and happier anddreamier.

整個世界似乎變得更美更亮更新鮮更自由更幸福更如夢如幻了。

"That's a good tune," said Sam. "What is it?"

“曲調(diào)很優(yōu)美，”薩姆說，“是什么曲子?”

"Oh, just something I made up myself," wrote Louis on his slate.

“哦，那只是我隨便寫出來的東西，”路易斯在他的石板上寫道。