An Encounter with the Manatees　與海牛的一次邂逅

An Encounter with the Manatees　與海牛的一次邂逅

◎ Linda Ballou

Walking alone on a remote beach in southwest Florida, I was startled to hear splashes and a deep sigh coming from the water just offshore.

獨(dú)自漫步在佛羅里達(dá)西南荒無人煙的海灘上，我驚奇地聽到海岸上傳來海水噴濺的聲音，以及一聲深深的嘆息。

As I squinted in the direction of the sounds, the rounded gray back of a sea creature rose amid a red froth, rolled turbulently at the surface, and then sank back into the Gulf. Moments later a broad nose emerged and exhaled in a great snuffling breath. It was a manatee, and by the looks of the reddish-colored water and the way it was thrashing, it was in trouble.

我瞇著眼睛，順著聲音的方向望去，一個(gè)海洋生物的圓形灰色脊背從一片玫瑰色泡沫之間搖蕩著浮出海面，接著又潛回海灣。不一會(huì)兒，一個(gè)寬大的鼻子冒出來，困難地呼出一口氣，好似鼻塞一般。那是一頭海牛，從被染紅的海水和它呼吸的方式來看，它好像有什么麻煩。

I had often watched manatees in these warm coastal waters, but I’d never seen one act like this before. Usually just their big nostrils appeared for a gulp of air as they foraged on sea grasses or swam slowly to greener underwater pastures. But I also knew how common it was for these lumbering giants to be gashed by boat propellers or entangled in crab traps.

我以前經(jīng)常在溫暖的沿海水域看到海牛，但我從沒見過海牛有這樣的舉動(dòng)。通常，它們只是覓食海草，或者在海底緩慢行進(jìn)以綠化海底，露出大鼻子吸進(jìn)一口氣。但是我也知道，它們巨大的身軀被螺旋槳?jiǎng)潅蛘咴庥鲶π返南葳?，也是很普遍的現(xiàn)象。

I wanted to help, but what could I do? There was no one else on the beach, and the nearest phone to call the Marine Patrol was miles away.

我想去幫助它，可是我能做什么？海灘上一個(gè)人也沒有，距離最近的可以向海洋巡邏處求救的電話亭也有數(shù)英里遠(yuǎn)。

Tossing my beach bag onto the sand, I began wading toward the animal, who continued to writhe as if in distress. I was still only waist deep when I came close enough to make out the bristly whiskers on the manatee’s muzzle as it thrust up out of the sea. Then, to my surprise, a second muzzle, much smaller, poked up beside it.

我把包扔在沙灘上，朝著海牛的方向涉水而去，此時(shí)它還在翻騰著，似乎情況非常緊迫。走到及腰深的地方時(shí)，我看到海牛嘴巴前林立的胡須。然后，令我驚奇的是，旁邊還有另一個(gè)小一點(diǎn)兒的嘴巴。

I pushed on through the shoal water, but now the manatees were also moving toward me. Before I knew what was happening, I was in chest-deep water encircled by not one or two, but at least three blimp like bodies. I felt elated and slightly dizzy like the kid who is ‘it’ in a schoolyard game.

我繼續(xù)在淺水中前進(jìn)，此時(shí)，海牛也在向我這邊移動(dòng)。我還沒意識(shí)到發(fā)生了什么事情，就已經(jīng)走到了至胸深的位置，四周被不是一個(gè)兩個(gè)，至少有三個(gè)身體大的生物包圍著。我感覺有些興奮和頭暈，就像在校園里操場(chǎng)上游戲的孩子一樣。

A bulbous snout emerged next to me. In the translucent water, I could clearly see the rest of the huge mammal, and there, nestled close behind her, a smaller version of her massive body.

這時(shí)，一個(gè)燈泡狀的鼻子出現(xiàn)在我旁邊，在半透明的水里，我可以清晰地看到這個(gè)巨大哺乳動(dòng)物的其他身體部分，靠在它旁邊的，還有一只小海牛。

Then, with incredible gentleness for such an enormous creature, the larger manatee nudged the little one with her paddle-shaped flipper and pushed it to the surface beside me. I wanted to reach out and touch the pudgy sea baby, but I hesitated, not knowing the rules of this inter-species encounter.

接著，這只巨大的生物用一種難以置信的溫柔，通過它槳狀的鰭把小海牛推到我的身邊。我想伸手去接住這只矮墩墩的小海牛，可是我猶豫了一下，因?yàn)椴恢肋@種物種間的相遇應(yīng)該通過怎樣一種方式。

As the two slipped back underwater, two other manatees moved in from behind and slid by, one on either side, rubbing gently against my body as they swam past. They circled and repeated the action, this time followed by the mother and her calf. Emboldened by their overtures, I let my hand graze the side of the small manatee, now clinging to the mother’s back, as they made their pass. Its skin felt rubbery and firm like an old fashioned hot water bottle.

隨著這兩只海牛在水下劃走，另外兩只從我的身后游來，一左一右，經(jīng)過我身邊的時(shí)候，它們輕輕地摩擦著我的身體。繞了個(gè)圈，然后繼續(xù)這樣，這次母海牛和小海牛也加入到它們的隊(duì)伍中。有了它們這樣的舉動(dòng)，當(dāng)它們從我身邊經(jīng)過時(shí)，我用手輕擦緊抱母親后背的小海牛。它的皮膚像橡膠一樣，硬硬的，有如老式的熱水袋。

The group completed several more circuits. Since they obviously enjoyed touching me, I began stroking each of them as they sidled by. When one of them rolled over for a scratch, I knew I had made the right move.

海牛們就這樣繞了幾圈。顯然，他們很喜歡碰觸我的感覺，于是，當(dāng)他們游過我身邊的時(shí)候，我開始撫摩它們。當(dāng)其中一只繞回來讓我撫摩時(shí)，我意識(shí)到我這么做是對(duì)的。

Eventually my new friends made their way off towards deeper water. I stood anchored to the spot, not wishing to break the spell, until finally the rising tide forced me back to shore.

最后，我的新朋友們朝著深處的水域游走了。我站在那里，不希望打破這樣的氣氛，直到最后潮水把我涌回岸邊。

I suppose I will never know exactly what took place that morning. I like to think that the manatees included me in their celebration of a birth; that I was welcomed to meet the newest member of their tribe. But over time I have come to cherish the experience without questions.

我想我永遠(yuǎn)也弄不清那天早晨到底發(fā)生了什么事情。我愿意想成是海牛們邀請(qǐng)我參加它們生日的慶典，歡迎我共同見證新生命的降臨。但是隨著時(shí)間的推移，我珍視著這次經(jīng)歷，毫無緣由。

During that unexpected rendezvous, I felt more in tune with the rhythms of life on this vast planet than I ever have. The memory has become a song I sing to myself when I have the blues, a dance I do to celebrate joy.

經(jīng)過那次意想不到的邂逅，我前所未有地感覺到我與偌大星球上的生命是如此合拍。這個(gè)記憶變成我失意時(shí)唱給自己聽的歌，愉悅時(shí)為自己慶祝的舞蹈。

And each year, during the last week of May, I pack a lunch and head for that isolated stretch of beach for a quiet little birthday picnic on the shore. After all, you never know who might show up for the party.

每年5月的最后一周，我都會(huì)帶著食物來到那片荒蕪的海灘，在海岸上靜靜地享受生日的餐點(diǎn)。總之，你從不知道誰(shuí)將會(huì)在生日聚會(huì)上出現(xiàn)。

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