He looked around inquiringly. Nothing doing. Let's get on back. Dad's counting on me to help with the work on the ranch for a while! 他好奇地环顾四周。什么都没干。我们回去吧。爸爸还指望我帮他干一会儿牧场的活呢!

Clint's jaw squared, and soon his determined arm was jerking a fallen fence post into place. 克林特的下巴绷得紧紧的，不一会儿，他就坚定的用手臂把一根倒下的篱笆柱子拉回原位。

The sun was ready to slide over behind the highest peak when Clint's alert ear caught a far droning sound. 当克林特警觉的耳朵听到远处嗡嗡的声音时，太阳正准备从最高峰的后面滑过去。

Louder it swelled, and louder. His gaze leaped toward the oncoming roar and met the glint of wings that far outshone the eagle's in bigness and might. 声音越来越大。他的目光投向了即将飞来的飞机，并与它翅膀的闪光相碰触，机翼的光芒远远盖过了老鹰的巨大的身体和力量。

Proudly the great man-bird curved through the ridge of the West Range, 一架伟大的飞机骄傲地在西方山脉的山脊上盘旋，

swooped then to a steady whir as though to graze the boy's upturned head, and drove into the lower horizon, straight and swift and beautiful. 然后俯冲下来，发出一声稳定的呼呼声，仿佛是要抚摩男孩仰起的头，然后又飞到了较低的地平线处，真是笔直、敏捷又美丽。

It was the nearest Clint had ever been to an airplane. 这是克林特离飞机最近的一次。

He thrilled at the sight, the sound, and the power of it. His fingers tingled to get hold of the throbbing motor. 他看到这情景，听到这声音，感受到这声音的力量，整个人激动得发抖。他的手指感到刺痛，想抓住跳动的马达。

Wings, that's what he wanted. Yes, wings! He, too, would fly with the sureness of an eagle, with the daring of a mail pilot! 翅膀，这就是他想要的。是的，翅膀!他也会像鹰一样自信地飞翔，像邮政飞行员一样勇敢!

"Dad," he said that evening as he waited to get his father's attention, “爸爸，”那天晚上，他在等待一个时间来引起父亲的注意，

"I've decided, now I have finished high school, that I'm going to be a mail pilot. An air school's what I want, not a regular college." “现在我已经高中毕业了，我已经决定，我要成为一名邮政飞行员。我想上航空学校，而不是普通的大学。”

"Are you sure?" The boy nodded. “你确定吗？”男孩点了点头。

"Very well, Son. You may never be a Lindbergh. But character is what counts in flying, in ranching, or what not." “很好，儿子。你可能永远不会成为林德伯格。但是在飞行中，在牧场中，或者别的什么地方，品格才是最重要的。”

Joyfully Clint jumped to his feet. "Oh, Dad! When can I start？ 克林特高兴地跳了起来。“噢，爸爸！我什么时候可以开始？

"That's the question," replied his father. "I haven't the money to help you, but I'll pay you wages just as I do the other hands on the ranch. “这就是问题所在，”父亲回答说。“我没有钱帮你，但我会付给你工钱，就像我给农场里的其他人付钱一样。”

Then it will be your job to save money for your training in aviation." 那么你就可以通过工作为你的航空训练攒钱。”