吹小号的天鹅 第90期:自由(4)

 The Head Man smiled. He knew just what Louis meant.

负责人的脸上露出了微笑。他明白路易斯的意思了。

For a while the two remained silent. Louis put his trumpet¹ aside.

他们沉默了片刻。然后路易斯放下他的小号。

Then he wrote: "I ask two favors.

他接着写道：“我请你帮我两个忙。

First, put off the operation on Serena until after Christmas --I'll guarantee she won't try to escape.

第一，把塞蕾娜的手术推迟到圣诞节后——我保证她不会企图逃走的。

Second, let me send a telegram."

第二，给我拍一封电报。”

"O.k., Louis," replied the Head Man. And he handed Louis a sheet of paper and a pencil.

“OK，路易斯，”这个负责人回答。她递给路易斯一张纸和一枝铅笔。

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Louis wrote out a telegram to Sam Beaver². It said:

路易斯给萨姆写了一份电报。上面是这么写的：

Am In The Philadelphia Zoo. This Is An Emergency. Come At Once.

我在费城动物园。情况紧急。速来。

I Will Pay Your Plane Fare. Am Now Wealthy. (Signed) Louis

我给你付机票钱。我现在阔了。路易斯（签名）

He handed the telegram to the Head Man along with four dollars from his money bag. The Head Man was astounded³.

他把电报递给这个负责人，又从他的钱袋里拿出四美元给了他。负责人很惊讶。

In all his days at the Zoo, this was the first time one of his birds had asked him to send a telegram.

他在这个动物园呆了这么久，还是第一次遇上他管辖的一只鸟儿请求他发电报这码事儿呢。

And of course he didn't know who Sam Beaver was.

他当然不知道萨姆·比弗到底是谁。

But he sent the wire and ordered his keepers to let Serena alone for a few days--which they were glad to do. Louis thanked him and left.

可他还是拍了电报，又命令他的管理员们这几天内都不得去打扰塞蕾娜--他们也乐意这么做。

He returned to Serena, and they spent the day happily together,

路易斯谢过他后就离开了。他回到塞蕾娜身边，他们一起幸福地度过了这一天，

bathing, swimming, eating, drinking, and showing each other in a thousand small ways how much they loved each other.

他们洗浴，游泳，吃喝，彼此通过上千种小动作来表示他们之间的爱有多深。

Sam arrived at the Zoo on the day after Christmas. He was equipped as though he were going into the woods.

萨姆是在圣诞节后的第二天来到动物园的。看过他那副装备你会以为他正在森林中探险呢。

Under one arm was a sleeping bag, neatly⁴ rolled.

一只胳膊下面夹着一只卷得很齐整的睡袋。

On his back was a rucksack containing his toothbrush, his comb,

背上抗着一个旅行袋，里面装着他的牙刷，梳子，

a clean shirt, a hand ax⁵, a pocket compass, his notebook, a pencil, and some food.

一件干净的衬衫，一把手斧，一个袖珍罗盘，还有他的日记本，一枝钢笔和一些食物。

In his belt was a hunting knife. Sam was fourteen now and big for his age.

他的腰带上还插着一把猎刀。萨姆现在有十四岁了，样子要比他的同龄人成熟得多。

He had never seen a large zoo. He and Louis were overjoyed to see each other again. Louis introduced Sam to Serena.

他以前从没见过这么大的动物园。他与路易斯在重逢时都感到欣喜若狂。

Then he opened his moneybag and showed Sam his earnings⁶:

路易斯向塞蕾娜介绍了萨姆。然后他打开他的钱袋，给萨姆看他挣来的钱：

hundred-dollar bills, fifty-dollar bills, twenty-dollar bills, tens, fives, ones, and some silver coins--a great pile.

很多张面额为一百美元的，五十美元的，二十美元的，十美元的，五美元的，一美元的钞票，还有一些银币--真是老大一堆呢。

"Goodness⁷!" thought Sam. "I hope she's not marrying him for his money."

“上帝呀！”萨姆想，“我希望她不是为了他的钱才嫁给他的。”

1 trumpet   

n.喇叭，喇叭声；v.吹喇叭，吹嘘

参考例句：

• He plays the violin, but I play the trumpet.他拉提琴，我吹喇叭。
• The trumpet sounded for battle.战斗的号角吹响了。

2 beaver   

n.海狸，河狸

参考例句：

• The hat is made of beaver.这顶帽子是海狸毛皮制的。
• A beaver is an animals with big front teeth.海狸是一种长着大门牙的动物。

3 astounded   

v.使震惊(astound的过去式和过去分词)；愕然；愕；惊讶

参考例句：

• His arrogance astounded her. 他的傲慢使她震惊。
• How can you say that? I'm absolutely astounded. 你怎么能说出那种话？我感到大为震惊。

4 neatly   

adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地

参考例句：

• Sailors know how to wind up a long rope neatly.水手们知道怎样把一条大绳利落地缠好。
• The child's dress is neatly gathered at the neck.那孩子的衣服在领口处打着整齐的皱褶。

5 ax   

n.斧子

参考例句：

• He cut a hole through the wall with an ax.他用斧子在墙上砍出一个洞。
• He carried a large ax.他带了一把大斧。

6 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

7 goodness   

n.善良，善行，美德

参考例句：

• Would you have the goodness to turn off the radio?劳驾，请你把收音机关上好不好？
• Thank goodness,we've found a cure for the disease.好了，这病有救了！