吹小號的天鵝 第27期:求學生涯

Chapter 7 School Days

第七章 求學生涯

A few days after the swans arrived at their winterhome on the Red Rock Lakes, Louis had an idea.

天鵝們到達他們在紅石湖的冬居的幾天后，路易斯有了一個主意。

He decided that since he was unable to use his voice,he should learn to read and write.

他覺得他既然不能使用他的嗓子，就該學會讀和寫。

"If I'm defective in one respect," he said to himself, "I should try and develop myself along other lines.

“如果我在某一個方面有缺陷，”他心想， “我就應當試著讓自己在別的方面有所造就。

I will learn to read and write. Then I will hang a small slate around my neck and carry a chalkpencil.

我要學會讀和寫。然后我要在我的脖子上掛一塊小石板，再帶枝石筆。

In that way I will be able to communicate with anybody who can read."

那樣我就能和那些識字者交流了。”

Louis liked company, and he already had many friends on the lakes.

路易斯喜歡交朋友，他在湖上已經(jīng)有很多朋友了。

The place was a refuge for water birds--swans, geese, ducks, and other waterfowl.

這里是水鳥的天堂——有天鵝，野鵝，野鴨，還有一些其他的水禽。

They lived there because it was a safe place and because the water stayed warm even in thecoldest winter weather.

他們都住在這里，因為這是個安全的地方，更因為這里的水即使在最冷的冬天里也是溫暖的。

Louis was greatly admired for his ability as a swimmer.

由于游泳本領高強，路易斯受到了大家的高度敬仰。

He liked to compete with other cygnets to see who could swim underwater the greatestdistance and stay down the longest.

他喜歡和其他的小天鵝們比賽，看誰能在水下游得最遠，潛得最久。

When Louis had fully made up his mind about learning to read and write, he decided to visitSam Beaver and get help from him.

當路易斯下定決心去學讀和寫以后，他決定去拜訪薩姆·比弗并從他那里得到幫助。

"Perhaps," thought Louis, "Sam will let me go to school with him, and the teacher will show mehow to write."

“大概，”路易斯想，“薩姆會讓我和他一起上學，然后老師將教我怎么寫字。”

The idea excited him.

這個念頭令他非常激動。

He wondered whether a young swan would be accepted in a classroom of children.

他不知道一只小天鵝能不能被孩子們的課堂所接收。

He wondered whether it was hard to learn to read. Most of all, he wondered whether he couldfind Sam.

他不知道學習閱讀是不是件很難的事。更重要的是，他不知道他能否找到薩姆。

Montana is a big state, and he wasn't even sure Sam lived in Montana, but he hoped he did.

蒙大拿本來就是個很大的州，可他甚至說不準薩姆是否住在蒙大拿，但他希望他住在那里。

Next morning, when his parents were not looking, Louis took off into the air. He flew northeast.

第二天一早，父母一沒留神，路易斯就飛上了天。他朝東北方向飛去。

When he came to the Yellowstone River, he followed it to the Sweet Grass country.

當他來到黃石河時，便沿河一路飛到了香草鄉(xiāng)。

When he saw a town beneath him, he landed next to the schoolhouse and waited for the boysand girls to be let out.

他看到下面有個城鎮(zhèn)，就降落到鎮(zhèn)里的學校旁，等著男女學生放學。

Louis looked at every boy, hoping to see Sam. But Sam wasn't there.

路易斯打量著每一個男孩，希望能從中看到薩姆。可薩姆卻不在里面。

"Wrong town, wrong school," thought Louis. "I'll try again."

“錯誤的城鎮(zhèn)，錯誤的學校，”路易斯想，“我要再試一次。”

He flew off, found another town, and located the school, but all the boys and girls had gonehome for the day.

他起身飛到另一座城鎮(zhèn)，停到鎮(zhèn)里的學校旁，可那里的所有男孩女孩們早都放學回家了。

"I'll just have a look around anyway," thought Louis.

“我就在四周轉(zhuǎn)轉(zhuǎn)吧，”路易斯想。

He didn't dare walk down the main street, for fear somebody would shoot him.

他不敢沿著主要街道走，因為他怕有人開槍打他。

Instead, he took to the air and circled around, flying low and looking carefully at every boy insight.

所以，他在空中盤旋著，低低地飛起來，仔細打量著他見到的每一個男孩。

After about ten minutes, he saw a ranch house where a boy was splitting wood near thekitchen door.

大約十分鐘后，他看到了一個低矮的小平房，一個男孩子正在它的廚房門口劈柴火。

The boy had black hair. Louis glided down.

這個男孩有一頭黑發(fā)。路易斯滑翔下來。