第一章 薩姆
After supper that evening, Sam and his father sat for a while on the porch. Sam was reading a bird book.
那天晚飯后,薩姆和父親在門(mén)口坐了一會(huì)兒。薩姆在看一本介紹鳥(niǎo)類(lèi)的書(shū)。
"Pop," said Sam, "do you think we'll be coming back to camp again about a month from now
“爸,”薩姆說(shuō),“你說(shuō)從現(xiàn)在起再過(guò)一個(gè)月我們還會(huì)回到這個(gè)營(yíng)地來(lái)嗎
I mean, in about thirty-five days or something like that?"
我是說(shuō),在大約三十五天或差不多那么久以后?”
"I guess so," replied Mr. Beaver. "I certainly hope so. But why thirty-five days? what's so special about thirty-five days?"
“我想會(huì)吧,”比弗先生回答,“我當(dāng)然也這么希望??蔀槭裁匆^(guò)三十五天呢?為什么非得在三十五天之后?”
"Oh, nothing," said Sam. "I just thought it might be very nice around here in thirty-five days."
“噢,沒(méi)什么,”薩姆說(shuō),“我只是想在三十五天后這附近會(huì)變得很美。”
"That's the craziest thing I ever heard of," said Mr. Beaver. "It's nice here all the time."
“這是我所聽(tīng)過(guò)的最瘋的話,”比弗先生說(shuō)。“這里什么時(shí)候都很美。”
Sam went indoors.
薩姆進(jìn)了屋。
He knew a lot about birds, and he knew it would take a swan about thirty-five days to hatch her eggs.
他懂得很多關(guān)于鳥(niǎo)類(lèi)的知識(shí),因此他知道一只天鵝要用三十五天左右才能把她的蛋孵成。
He hoped he could be at the pond to see the young ones when they came out of the eggs.
他希望能在池塘親眼看到這些小家伙出殼的情景。
Sam kept a diary--a daybook about his life. It was just a cheap notebook that was always by his bed.
薩姆有本日記--一本記錄著他的生活內(nèi)容的日記。那不過(guò)是一本便宜的筆記本,平時(shí)總放在他的床邊。
Every night, before he turned in, he would write in the book.
每晚熄燈前,他都會(huì)在這個(gè)本子里寫(xiě)點(diǎn)什么。
He wrote about things he had done, things he had seen, and thoughts he had had.
他把今天做過(guò)的事,看到的事,想到的事都記在里面。
Sometimes he drew a picture.
有時(shí)他還會(huì)畫(huà)上一幅畫(huà)。
He always ended by asking himself a question so he would have something to think about while falling asleep.
他總是在最后問(wèn)自己一個(gè)問(wèn)題,這樣在入睡前就可以有些什么可以想的了。
On the day he found the swan's nest, this is what Sam wrote in his diary:
在他發(fā)現(xiàn)天鵝窩的這天,薩姆在日記里是這么寫(xiě)的:
I saw a pair of trumpeter swans today on a small pond east of camp.
我今天在營(yíng)地東邊的一個(gè)小池塘里看到了一對(duì)號(hào)手天鵝。
The female has a nest with eggs in it.
雌天鵝有一個(gè)窩,里面有很多蛋。
I saw three, but I'm going to put four in the picture--I think she was laying another one.
我看到了三個(gè),不過(guò)我要在這幅畫(huà)里畫(huà)上四個(gè)--我認(rèn)為她正在準(zhǔn)備下第四個(gè)蛋呢。
This is the greatest discovery I ever made in my entire life. I did not tell Pop.
這是我有生以來(lái)有過(guò)的最偉大的發(fā)現(xiàn)。我沒(méi)告訴爸。
My bird book says baby swans are called cygnets.
我的那本介紹鳥(niǎo)類(lèi)的書(shū)里說(shuō)剛出生的天鵝叫Cygnets。
I am going back tomorrow to visit the great swans again.
明天我要再去拜訪那對(duì)大天鵝。
I heard a fox bark today. Why does a fox bark?
今天我聽(tīng)到狐貍叫了。狐貍為什么要叫呢?
Is it because he is mad, or worried, or hungry, or because he is sending a message to another fox?
是因?yàn)閼嵟?,憂愁,饑餓,還是因?yàn)樗虢o另一只狐貍傳口信?
Why does a fox bark?
狐貍為什么要叫?
Sam closed his notebook, undressed, crawled into his bunk,
薩姆合上筆記本,脫下衣服爬上他的床鋪,
and lay there with his eyes closed, wondering why a fox barks.
閉著眼睛躺在那里,想著狐貍為什么要叫這個(gè)問(wèn)題。
In a few minutes he was asleep.
幾分鐘內(nèi),他就睡著了。