第十九章 一次关于钱的谈话

In almost everyone's life there is one event that changes the whole course of his existence.

每个人的一生中差不多都会发生一件改变其整个人生进程的事情。

The day Sam Beaver visited the Philadelphia Zoo was the turning point in his life.

萨姆参观费城动物园的那一天就是他生活中的转折点。

Up until that day, he had not been able to decide what he wanted to be when he grew up.

在那天以前，他从来没有作出长大以后该做什么的决定。

The minute he saw the Zoo, all his doubts vanished. He knew he wanted to work in a zoo.

可从他看到这个动物园的那一刻起，他的所有迟疑便全部消除了。他知道他要到动物园工作。

Sam loved every living thing, and a zoo is a great storehouse of living things

萨姆喜爱每一种动物，而一个动物园就是一个巨大的动物宝库

it has just about every creature that creeps or crawls or jumps or runs or flies or hides.

它的里面正好有爬的，跳的，跑的，飞的，还有藏着的几乎各种各样的动物。

Sam was eager to see them all. But he had Louis's problem to solve first.

萨姆渴望能见到他们中的每一个。可他得先解决路易斯的难题才行。

He must save Serena from captivity.

他必须把塞蕾娜从囚禁中释放出来。

吹小号的天鹅

So he picked up his rucksack and his sleeping bag and walked into the Bird House and entered the office.

因此他拾起他的旅行包和睡袋走进鸟屋，来到了那间办公室。

He walked tall and straight, as though he were on a forest trail.

他挺着腰板走着，好像他正走在森林小径中一样。

The Head Man liked Sam's appearance and noticed that he looked a little like an Indian.

这个负责人喜欢萨姆的样子，还注意到萨姆看起来有点像印第安人。

"So you're Sam Beaver," said the Head Man, as Sam advanced on him.

“那么你就是萨姆·比弗了，”当萨姆朝他走来时，这个负责人说道。

"Why did you come here?" asked the Head Man.

“你为什么来这里呢？”这个负责人问。

"To defend freedom," replied Sam.

“为了维护自由，”萨姆回答，

"I heard you intended to clip the wing of a swan. I'm here to ask you not to do it."

“我听说你要剪一只天鹅的翅膀。我到这里来是请你不要这么做的。”

Sam sat down, and they talked for a whole hour.

萨姆坐了下来，他们整整谈了一个小时。

Sam assured the Head Man that Louis was an old friend.

萨姆告诉那个负责人，路易斯是他的一个老朋友。

He told about discovering the swan's nest almost three years ago in Canada,

他讲了自己差不多三年前在加拿大发现那个天鹅窝的事，

about how Louis came into the world lacking a voice,

讲了路易斯是怎么带着不能发声的缺陷来到这个世界上的，

about Louis's attending school in Montana and learning to read and write,

还讲了路易斯在蒙大拿的学校里学习读写的事，

about the theft of the trumpet by Louis's father, the old cob,

另外又讲了那只老雄天鹅，也就是路易斯的父亲，偷窃小号的事，

and about Camp Kookooskoos and the Swan Boat in Boston.

还讲了关于库库斯库斯夏令营和波士顿的天鹅游艇的事。

The Head Man listened with great attention, but he wasn't sure he believed a word of this strange tale.

这个负责人全神贯注地听着，但他不知道该不该相信这个奇特的故事。