吹小号的天鹅 第42期:小号(4)
雄天鹅游向他的儿子，发表了一通赠送演说。
"Louis," he said, "I have been on a journey to thehaunts of men.
“路易斯，”他说，“我到人们的老窝做了一次旅行。
I visited a great city teeming with life andcommerce.
我访问了一个生机勃勃的商业发达的大城市。
Whilst there, I picked up a gift for you, which I nowbestow upon you with my love and my blessing.
同时，我还给你挑了件礼物，现在我就满怀着爱意和祝福地把它送给你。
Here, Louis, is a trumpet.
看这儿，路易斯，这是一把小号。
It will be your voice--a substitute for the voice God failed to give you.
它将成为你的嗓子——一个上帝没能给你的嗓子的替代品。
Learn to blow it, Louis,
学着去吹它，路易斯，
and life will be smoother and richer and gayer for you!
你的生活将会变得更顺利更丰富更愉快!
With the help of this horn, you will be able at last to say ko-hoh, like every other swan.
在这个喇叭的帮助下，你终于可以说‘吭—嗬’了，就像别的天鹅那样。
The sound of music will be in our ears.
音乐之声将在我们的耳畔萦回。
You will be able to attract the attention of desirable young females.
你可以打动你钟爱的年轻雌天鹅了。
Master this trumpet, and you will be able to play love songs for them,
掌握吹这把小号的技巧吧，然后你将能为她们吹奏情歌，
filling them with ardor and surprise and longing.
把热情和惊喜还有渴望都注入她们心中了。
I hope it will bring you happiness, Louis, and a new and better life.
“路易斯，我希望它将带给你幸福，带给你一个全新的更好的生活。
I procured it at some personal sacrifice to myself and my pride,
我是在牺牲了一些自我和尊严后才得到它的，
but we won't go into that now.
可我们现在就别去管这些了。
The long and short of it is, I had no money;
不管怎么说，我都没有钱;
I took the trumpet without paying for it.
我没有付钱就拿走了这把小号。
This was deplorable.
这是可耻的行为。
But the important thing is that you learn to play the instrument."
但更重要的是你得学会吹奏这把乐器。”
So saying, the cob removed the trumpet from around his neck and hung it on Louis,
说着，雄天鹅把小号从脖子上弄下来挂到路易斯的脖子上，
alongside the slate and the white chalk pencil.
和那些石板石笔放在一起。
"Wear it in health!" he said. "Blow it in happiness!
“好好戴着它!”他说，“快活地吹!
Make the woods and the hills and the marshes echo with the sounds of your youthful desire!"
让森林和群山还有沼泽都回荡起你青春的渴望之声吧!”
Louis wanted to thank his father, but he was unable to say a word.
路易斯想对他的爸爸道谢，可他却什么都说不出来。
And he knew it would do no good to write "Thank you" on the slate,
他知道在石板上写“谢谢你”并不是个好主意，
because his father wouldn't be able to read it, never having had an education.
因为他的父亲不能阅读，也从没受过这样的教育。
So Louis just bobbed his head and waggled his tail and fluttered his wings.
于是路易斯摆了摆他的头，摇了摇尾巴，又拍了拍他的翅膀。
The cob knew by these signs that he had found favor in the sight of his son
雄天鹅从这些动作里看出，他终于找到了儿子心目中的合适赠品，
and that the gift of a trumpet was acceptable.
这把小号礼物被接受了。
