吹小号的天鹅 第91期:自由(5)

 Louis took his slate¹ and told Sam about the fight with the keepers

路易斯拿起他的石板，告诉了萨姆他和管理员们的那场战斗，

and about how the Head Man wanted to keep Serena captive² by clipping³ the tip of one wing.

还有那个负责人想剪去塞蕾娜的一只翅膀尖，以便把她囚禁到这里的事情。

He told Sam it would ruin his life if Serena were to lose the power to fly.

他告诉萨姆，如果塞蕾娜失去了飞行能力，他的生活就全毁了。

He explained that as soon as his father's debts were paid and the trumpet⁴ honestly belonged to him,

他解释说，等到还清他父亲的欠债，这把小号也真正的属于他时，

he and Serena intended to leave civilization and return to a wild life.

他和塞蕾娜打算马上离开文明社会回到野生环境去。

"The sky," he wrote on his slate, "is my living room.

“天空，”他在他的石板上写道，“是我的起居室。

The woods are my parlor⁵. The lonely lake is my bath.

森林是我的客厅。静寂的湖是我的浴缸。

吹小号的天鹅

I can't remain behind a fence all my life. Neither can Serena--she's not built that way.

我不能让自己一辈子都缩在一道篱笆的后面。塞蕾娜也不能--她可不是那样长大的。

Somehow or other we must persuade the Head Man to let Serena go."

不管怎样我们都必须劝这个负责人把塞蕾娜放走。”

Sam stretched out on the shore of Bird Lake and clasped⁶ his hands behind his head.

萨姆躺在鸟湖的岸上，两腿伸开，双手枕在脑后。

He looked up at the great wide sky. It was a clear blue, with small white clouds floating slowly across.

他仰望着辽阔无垠的晴空。天空是纯蓝的，小朵的白云正缓缓地自那上面飘远。

Sam knew how Louis felt about freedom. For a long time he lay there, thinking.

萨姆知道路易斯对自由是怎么看的。他在那里躺了很久，不停地思索着。

Ducks and geese swam slowly by, back and forth⁷, an endless procession of captive birds. They seemed happy and well.

鸭子和鹅们慢慢地来回列队游过，像一群难以尽数的囚鸟大军。他们似乎非常的幸福和满足。

Curiosity, Felicity, and Apathy--the three Trumpeters --swam by and peered⁸ at the strange boy lying on the ground.

好奇，快活，冷淡——那三只号手天鹅——游了过来，注视着这个躺在地上的陌生男孩。

Finally Sam sat up.

萨姆终于坐了起来。

"Listen, Louis," he said.

“听着，路易斯，”他说，

"How's this for an idea? You and Serena intend to raise a family every year, don't you?"

“这个主意如何？你和塞蕾娜每年都打算生儿育女，对不对？”

"Certainly," replied Louis on his slate.

“当然。”路易斯在他的石板上回答。

"O.k.," said Sam. "In every family of cygnets, there is always one that needs special care and protection.

“OK，”萨姆说。“在每一窝小天鹅中，都会有一只需要特别照顾和看护的。

Bird Lake would be a perfect place for this one little swan that needs extra security.

对一只需要格外照看的小天鹅来说，鸟湖会是个极其理想的地方。

This is a beautiful lake, Louis. This is a great zoo.

这是一个美丽的湖，路易斯。这是一个很大的动物园。

If I can persuade the Head Man to let Serena remain free,

如果我能劝那个负责人把塞蕾娜放走，

would you be willing to donate one of your cygnets, now and then, if the Zoo needs another swan for the lake?

你愿意在这个动物园需要这湖上再添一只天鹅的时候，把你的一只小天鹅捐赠出来吗？

If you agree, I'll go right in and see the Head Man about the matter."

如果你能同意，我马上就去和那个负责人谈这事儿。”

It was now Louis's turn to think and think. After five minutes, he picked up his slate.

现在轮到路易斯想了又想了。五分钟后，他拿起了他的石板。

"Very well," he wrote. "It's a deal."

“很好，”他写，“就照这协议办吧。”

Then he picked up his trumpet. "Oh, ever in the greening spring," he played.

然后他举起了他的小号。“哦，又到了绿色的春天，”

"By bank and bough⁹ retiring ..."

他吹道，“栖隐在岸边和枝上……”

The waterfowl stopped swimming and listened. The keepers stopped what they were doing and listened. Sam listened.

水鸟们不再游了，都倾听起来。管理员们放下手头的工作，开始聆听。萨姆也在听着。

The Head Man in his office in the Bird House laid down his pencil, leaned back in his chair, and listened.

坐在他鸟屋办公室里的负责人放下他的铅笔，回靠到他的椅子上，谛听着。

The sound of Louis's horn was in the air,

路易斯的小号声在空气中回荡起来，

and the whole world seemed better and brighter and wilder and freer and happier and dreamier.

整个世界似乎变得更美更亮更新鲜更自由更幸福更如梦如幻了。

"That's a good tune," said Sam. "What is it?"

“曲调很优美，”萨姆说，“是什么曲子？”

"Oh, just something I made up myself," wrote Louis on his slate.

“哦，那只是我随便写出来的东西，”路易斯在他的石板上写道。

1 slate   

n.板岩，石板，石片，石板色，候选人名单；adj.暗蓝灰色的，含板岩的；vt.用石板覆盖，痛打，提名，预订

参考例句：

• The nominating committee laid its slate before the board.提名委员会把候选人名单提交全体委员会讨论。
• What kind of job uses stained wood and slate? 什么工作会接触木头污浊和石板呢？

2 captive   

adj.被俘虏的，不得自由行动的，被监禁的

参考例句：

• They led him captive.他们将他活捉。
• The rock star had a captive audience.那位摇滚歌星倾倒了许多观众。

3 clipping   

n.剪下物；剪报；剪辑；零头衣料adj.剪的；快速的；头等的；恰好的v.用别针别在某物上，用夹子夹在某物上( clip的现在分词)；剪掉；缩短；给…剪毛（或发）

参考例句：

• Come in clipping time. 来得恰好。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• He spent the whole morning clipping the trees. 他用整个上午修剪这些树。 来自辞典例句

4 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。

5 parlor   

n.店铺，营业室；会客室，客厅

参考例句：

• She was lying on a small settee in the parlor.她躺在客厅的一张小长椅上。
• Is there a pizza parlor in the neighborhood?附近有没有比萨店？

6 clasped   

抱紧( clasp的过去式和过去分词 )； 紧紧拥抱； 握紧； 攥紧

参考例句：

• He leaned forward, his hands clasped tightly together. 他俯身向前，双手十字交错地紧握着。
• The child clasped the doll tightly. 小孩紧抱着洋娃娃。

7 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

8 peered   

去皮的

参考例句：

• He peeled away the plastic wrapping. 他去掉塑料包装。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The paint on the wall has peeled off. 墙上涂料已剥落了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 bough   

n.大树枝，主枝

参考例句：

• I rested my fishing rod against a pine bough.我把钓鱼竿靠在一棵松树的大树枝上。
• Every bough was swinging in the wind.每条树枝都在风里摇摆。