吹小號的天鵝 第105期:比林斯(8)

"The Trumpeter Swan was almost extinct," said thegame warden.

“號手天鵝也快滅絕了，”這個執(zhí)法官說，

"People kept shooting them, like this crazystorekeeper. But now they are making a comeback."

“因為人們不斷地朝他們開槍，就像這位瘋狂的店主一樣。不過現(xiàn)在他們正在開始重返家園。”

The storekeeper glared at the warden.

這個店主瞪了執(zhí)法官一眼。

"I'll say they're making a comeback," he said.

“我剛準備說起他們正在重返家園這件事呢，”他說，

"The swan that was just here came back to Billings with four thousand four hundred and twentydollars and seventy-eight cents and gave it all to me.

“剛才這只帶著四千四百二十美元七十八美分并將其全數(shù)交給我的天鵝就是剛剛回到比林斯的。

I call that making a very good comeback.

我把這稱為一次非常令人滿意的重返。

I can't imagine where he got all that money. It's a mighty funny thing."

我簡直想不出他是從哪兒把這些錢都弄到手的。這是一件非常有意思的事情。”

The storekeeper went back into his music store, the policeman went back to the station house,

那個店主走回他的樂器店，那個警察回到了警察局，

the judge went back to the courthouse, the game warden walked off down the street toward thehospital,

那個法官回到了法院，那個狩獵法執(zhí)行官沿街往醫(yī)院走去，

and Alfred Gore, who was still thirsty, continued his journey to the candy store.

那個還是感到渴的艾爾弗雷德·戈爾，繼續(xù)走在去那家糖果店的路上。

All the rest of the people wandered away.

剩下的人也全都走開了。

At the hospital, the old cob lay peacefully in bed thinking beautiful thoughts.

在醫(yī)院里，老雄天鵝正靜靜地躺在病床上想著美事兒。

He felt thankful to be alive and relieved to be out of debt.

他覺得能活下來真該謝天謝地，也為自己能從債務中解脫出來而感到欣慰。

It was getting dark. Many of the patients in the hospital were asleep already.

天在漸漸黑下來。醫(yī)院里的很多病人都已經(jīng)睡了。

A nurse came into the cob's room to open his window.

一個護士來到雄天鵝的病房，打開了他的窗子。

When she came back a few minutes later to take the cob's temperature and give him a backrub, the bed was empty--the room was deserted.

幾分鐘后，當她回來準備給雄天鵝量體溫和擦背時，病床空了--病房里已經(jīng)空空如也了。

The cob had jumped out of the window, spread his broad wings, and headed for home throughthe cold night sky.

雄天鵝早已跳出窗戶，拍動著他那雙寬大的翅膀，穿過涼爽的夜空往家飛去了。

He flew all night, crossed the mountains, and arrived home soon after daylight, where his wifewas waiting for him.

他飛了一整夜，越過了無數(shù)的高山，在天亮后不久才飛到了家，他的妻子正在那里等著他呢。