吹小號的天鵝 第73期:費城(2)

A boy in the front seat of the boat pulled an air riflefrom under his jacket and began shooting BB shotsat Louis's trumpet.

一個坐在前座的男孩從他的夾克里掏出一把汽槍，朝路易斯的小號開起槍來。

Whenever a shot hit the horn, it made a pingingsound.

每射中一次小號，就會發(fā)出砰的一聲。

So the "Cradle Song" sounded something like this:

于是這首“搖籃曲”聽起來就像這樣：

The children on the boat roared with laughter whenthey heard this, but the grown-up passengers were angry.

游艇上的孩子們都聽得大笑起來，可大乘客們卻很生氣。

One of them seized the boy's rifle.

他們中的一個抓住了那個男孩的汽槍。

Another went home that night and wrote a letter to the Boston Globe urging a stronger gun-control law.

另一個在當(dāng)晚回家以后給《波士頓環(huán)球報》寫了一封信，極力要求制定一個更為強硬的槍支管理法。

On some afternoons, at the end of the day, people gathered on the shores of the lake to listenwhile Louis played taps.

有些下午，在黃昏時分，人們會聚到湖岸邊聽路易斯吹熄燈號。

It was a peaceful scene, a memorable hour.

這是一個平靜的場面，一個值得回憶的時刻。

The Swan Boat had never enjoyed such popularity or made such a lot of money for the owner.

天鵝游艇從來沒有享有過這么大的聲譽，也沒有為游艇老板掙過這么多的錢。

But Louis knew that the boats would not run all winter.

不過路易斯知道，游艇不會整個冬天都開下去的。

In a few days, the boats would be hauled out for the season, to wait quietly for the arrival ofspring.

幾天之后，這些船將會被拉上岸過冬，靜靜地等著春天的到來。

One day, when Louis was waiting for the boat to take its passengers aboard,

一天，路易斯正在等游客上船的時候，

a Western Union messenger boy appeared on a bicycle.

一名西部聯(lián)合公司的電報投遞員騎著一輛自行車過來了。

"I have a telegram for the swan," he said.

“有一份給這只天鵝的電報，”他說。

The Boatman seemed surprised, but he took the telegram and handed it to Louis, who openedit promptly.

游艇老板顯得很吃驚，可他還是接過電報并把它遞給了路易斯，路易斯立刻打開了電報。

It was from a man in Philadelphia. The message said:

那是費城的一個男人拍來的。上面寫道：

CAN OFFER YOU FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS A WEEK FOR NIGHTCLUB SPOT. TEN WEEKENGAGEMENT. PLEASE REPLY. (signed) ABE ("LUCKY") LUCAS HOTEL NEMO

夜總會每周可付你五百美元。簽約十周。請回復(fù)。(簽名)阿貝 (“幸運”)盧卡斯，內(nèi)莫飯店

Louis did some quick figuring.

路易斯算得很快。

Five hundred dollars a week for ten weeks--that was five thousand dollars.

五百美元一周，共十周——那就是五千美元。

Five thousand dollars would easily pay his father's debt to the music store.

如果有了五千美元，就能很輕松地付清他父親對樂器店的欠債了。

He took his slate and wrote: OFFER ACCEPTED. ARRIVE TOMORROW.

他拿起他的石板寫道：接受出價。明日抵達。

MEET ME AT BIRD LAKE IN THE ZOO.

在動物園的鳥湖接我。

SPLASHDOWN WILL BE AT FOUR FIFTY-TWO P.m. HOPE THIS WILL BE A CONVENIENT TIMEFOR YOU.

下午四點五十二分降落。希望你那時正好有空。

Louis showed the message to the Western Union boy, who copied it on a telegraph blank.

路易斯把這回信拿給西部聯(lián)合公司的投遞員看，他把它抄到了一份空電報上。

"Send it collect!" wrote Louis. The messenger nodded and rode away.

“由收報人付費!”路易斯寫。投遞員點點頭，騎車走了。