双语有声阅读：浣熊的夏天

【英文原文1】

 

If I'd had my way，the story would have ended that day where it began－－on the sixth hole at Stony¹ Brook²．

“What was that bawling³？”my wife，Shirley，asked，in－terrupting me in mid－swing．Without another word she marched into a mucky undergrowth and re－emerged carrying something alive．

“Rrrit，rrit，rrit，”it screamed．

“It's an orphaned⁴ raccoon，”she said，gently stroking a mud－matted ball of gray fur．

“Its mother is probably ten yards away，has rabies and is about to attack，”I scolded．

“No，it's alone and starving－－that's why the little thing is out of its nest．Here，take it，”she ordered．“I think there' s another baby over there．”

In a minute she returned with a squalling bookend－－just as mud－encrusted and emaciated⁵ as the first．She wrapped the two complaining ingrates in her sweater．I knew that look．We were going to have two more mouths to feed．

“Just remember，”I declared，“they're your bundles to look after．”But of all the family proclamations I have made over the years，none was wider of the mark．

When，like Shirley and me，you have four children，you don' t think much about empty nests．You don't think the noisy，exuberant procession of kids and their friends will ever end．But the bedrooms will someday empty，the hot bath water will miraculously⁶ return，and the sounds that make a family will echo only in the scrapbook of your mind．

Shirley and I had gone through the parting ritual with Laraine and Steve and Christopher．Now there was only Daniel，who was chafing⁷ to trade his room at home for a pad at Penn State．So I was looking forward to my share of a little peace and quiet－－not raccoons．

“What do you feed baby raccoons？”I asked the game protector over the phone the next morning．We had cleaned them up，made them a bed in a box of rags，added a ticking clock in the hope it would calm them，found old baby bottles in the basement，fed them warm milk and got them to sleep，all without floorwalking the first night．

However，they revived and began their machine－gun chant shortly after Shirley had run out the door，heading for classes．In anticipation⁸ of a soon－to－be empty nest，she had gone back to college to get a master's degree so she could teach．

Meanwhile，I had my own work to do－－various publishing projects that I handle from home．As the only child remaining with us，Daniel was m y potential raccoon－relief man．Or so I hoped．

“Whose bright idea was this？”he asked with the tart⁹ tongue of a teenager．

“Your mother thought you needed something more to earn your allowance，”I cracked．“Will you heat some milk for them？”

“Sorry，I'm late for school，”he called over his shoulder．He and I were at that awkward testing stage，somewhere between my flagging authority and his rush for independence．

狗 与 猫

 

如果当初照我说的办，那天这个故事就会在原来开始的地方---石溪高尔夫球场第６洞宣告结束了。

我正要挥杆击球时，我妻子雪莉问我：“那是什么叫声？”接着二话没说，她跑进一处湿污的矮树丛，再出来时手里抱着个活东西。

“吱，吱，吱，”那小东西尖叫着。

“是个浣熊孤儿，”雪莉边说边轻柔地抚摸着一团粘着泥的灰毛球。

我厉声说道，“它妈妈可能就在１０码远，也许有狂犬病，随时会咬你。”

“不对，它孤零零的，而且在挨饿，所以它才离了窝。”她吩咐说，“嘿，拿着。我想那边还有一只。”

不一会儿，雪莉抱着大声尖叫像个书挡似的小浣熊回来，跟头一只一样一身泥浆硬壳而且瘦弱不堪。她把两只不领情、发出怨声的浣熊裹在绒衣里。我了解她脸上的表情。我们家又添了两张嗷嗷待哺的嘴。

我严肃地说：“照看它们可是你的职责。”不过这些年来我类似的郑重声明从没兑现过。

如果你像我跟雪莉一样，有４个孩子，你就不大会想到孩子们长大离家后的空巢，也不会想到家里有一天不再有熙熙攘攘、活蹦乱跳的几个孩子和他们的朋友。可是卧室终究会空闲，热洗澡水将奇迹般地又来到你身旁，温馨的天伦之乐只有在记忆中回荡。

我和雪莉已经有过跟女儿莱赖恩、儿子史蒂夫和克里斯托弗告别的经历。现在只剩下丹尼尔，不过他也迫不及待地要住进宾夕法尼亚州立大学的宿舍。所以我在期待着我应享有的一点宁静，而不是浣熊。

第二天早上我打电话给从事动物保护工作的人，问该给幼小浣熊喂什么。我和雪莉把它们洗干净，在一盒布头里做了个床，还放了个嘀嗒作响的钟，希望它能使它们平静，从地下室找出旧奶瓶，喂它们温牛奶。它们总算睡着了。头一个晚上没有像哄婴儿似地抱着它们走来走去。

可是雪莉走出门去上课不久，两个小家伙就活了起来，开始像机关枪似地吟叫。雪莉考虑到家里不久就将变成空巢，又回大学攻读硕士学位，为的是以后可以教书。

可是我也有自己的工作要干，在家里处理各种出版事务。作为惟一剩下的孩子，丹尼尔是帮助我解脱抚养浣熊任务的人。至少我是这么盘算的。

“这是谁的好主意？”丹尼尔用未成年人尖酸刻薄的口吻问道。

“你妈妈认为你需要干更多的事才能得到你的零花钱，”我俏皮地回答他。“你给它们热点儿奶好吗？”

“抱歉，我上学都晚了。”他头也没回就出了门。我和丹尼尔正经受着窘迫的父子关系考验阶段---我的权威日益削弱，而他却急于独立生活。

1 stony   

adj.石头的，多石头的，冷酷的，无情的

参考例句：

• The ground is too dry and stony.这块地太干，而且布满了石头。
• He listened to her story with a stony expression.他带着冷漠的表情听她讲经历。

2 brook   

n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让

参考例句：

• In our room we could hear the murmur of a distant brook.在我们房间能听到远处小溪汩汩的流水声。
• The brook trickled through the valley.小溪涓涓流过峡谷。

3 bawling   

v.大叫，大喊( bawl的现在分词 )；放声大哭；大声叫出；叫卖（货物）

参考例句：

• We heard the dulcet tones of the sergeant, bawling at us to get on parade. 我们听到中士用“悦耳”的声音向我们大喊，让我们跟上队伍。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• "Why are you bawling at me? “你向我们吼啥子？ 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说

4 orphaned   

[计][修]孤立

参考例句：

• Orphaned children were consigned to institutions. 孤儿都打发到了福利院。
• He was orphaned at an early age. 他幼年时便成了孤儿。

5 emaciated   

adj.衰弱的，消瘦的

参考例句：

• A long time illness made him sallow and emaciated.长期患病使他面黄肌瘦。
• In the light of a single candle,she can see his emaciated face.借着烛光，她能看到他的被憔悴的面孔。

6 miraculously   

ad.奇迹般地

参考例句：

• He had been miraculously saved from almost certain death. 他奇迹般地从死亡线上获救。
• A schoolboy miraculously survived a 25 000-volt electric shock. 一名男学生在遭受2.5 万伏的电击后奇迹般地活了下来。

7 chafing   

n.皮肤发炎v.擦热（尤指皮肤）( chafe的现在分词 )；擦痛；发怒；惹怒

参考例句：

• My shorts were chafing my thighs. 我的短裤把大腿磨得生疼。 来自辞典例句
• We made coffee in a chafing dish. 我们用暖锅烧咖啡。 来自辞典例句

8 anticipation   

n.预期，预料，期望

参考例句：

• We waited at the station in anticipation of her arrival.我们在车站等着，期待她的到来。
• The animals grew restless as if in anticipation of an earthquake.各种动物都变得焦躁不安，像是感到了地震即将发生。

9 tart   

adj.酸的；尖酸的，刻薄的；n.果馅饼；淫妇

参考例句：

• She was learning how to make a fruit tart in class.她正在课上学习如何制作水果馅饼。
• She replied in her usual tart and offhand way.她开口回答了，用她平常那种尖酸刻薄的声调随口说道。