當(dāng)公共汽車停在第72大街,斯圖亞特跳下車,急忙走到中央公園里正在進(jìn)行帆船比賽的池塘那里。
Over the pond the west wind blew, and into the teeth of the west wind sailed the sloopsand schooners,
風(fēng)從池塘上空的西邊吹了過來,逆著風(fēng)在那里航行的,有單桅帆船,還有縱帆式多桅帆船。
their rails well down, their wet decks gleaming.
它們的帆微微傾斜著,被打濕的艙面上閃著銀光。
The owners, boys and grown men, raced around the cementshores hoping to arrive at the other side in time to keep the boats from bumping.
船主們,就是那些參賽的大人和孩子們,正焦急地圍在水泥岸邊,希望他們的帆船可以不被撞壞,及時(shí)安全的到達(dá)岸的另一邊。
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Some of the toy boats were not as small as you might think, for when you got close to them you found that their main mast was taller than a man's head, and they were beautifully made, with everything shipshape and ready for sea.
水里還有一些玩具小船,不過它們并不像你想象的那么小,因?yàn)槿绻阕呓鼈?,就?huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)那些船的中桅比一個(gè)大人的頭還高。它們也被造得很漂亮,都整齊地停放在那里準(zhǔn)備起航出海。
To Stuart they seemed enormous, and he hoped he would be able to get aboard one of them and sail away to the far corners of the pond.
對(duì)斯圖亞特來說,它們似乎特別巨大,他很想坐上一艘船,向池塘的遠(yuǎn)處遠(yuǎn)航。
He was an adventurous little fellow and loved the feel of the breeze in his face and the cry of the gulls overhead and the heave of the great swell under him.
他是一個(gè)愛冒險(xiǎn)的小家伙,喜歡微風(fēng)拂面的感覺和頭頂海鷗的叫聲,還有涌到身邊來的巨浪。
As he sat cross-legged on the wall that surrounds the pond, gazing out at the ships through his spyglass, Stuart noticed one boat that seemed to him finer and prouder than any other.
當(dāng)他盤腿坐在池塘的圍墻上,望著小帆船們從他的望遠(yuǎn)鏡里開過時(shí),斯圖亞特注意到有一艘帆船似乎格外的好,比別的船都漂亮。
Her name was Wasp.
她的名字叫黃蜂。
She was a big, black schooner flying the American flag.
她是一艘很大的,掛著美國國旗的黑色縱帆式多桅帆船。
She had a clipper bow, and on her foredeck was mounted a three-inch cannon.
她有一個(gè)流線型的船頭,前艙上還裝備了一門三英寸高的大炮。
She's the ship for me, thought Stuart.
她是給我準(zhǔn)備的船,斯圖亞特想。
And the next time she sailed in, he ran over to where she was being turned around.
等她下次開過來時(shí),他就跑到了那艘船邊。