吹小号的天鹅 第93期:一次关于钱的谈话(2)

Then Sam explained his proposal for allowingSerena to go free instead of making a captive birdout of her.

接着萨姆解释了他那个允许塞蕾娜自由飞走，不要让她成为一只囚鸟的建议。

He said he thought it would be a good arrangementfor the Zoo,

他说他认为对动物园来说这是个非常合算的安排，

because any time they wanted a young TrumpeterSwan, Louis would give them one of his cygnets.

因为他们无论何时想要一只小号手天鹅，路易斯都会把他的小天鹅送给他们一只的。

The Head Man was fascinated.

这个负责人听得入了迷。

"You mean to say you came all the way to Philadelphia to help a bird?"

“你的意思是说，你一路赶到费城就为帮助一只鸟儿?”

"Yes, sir," replied Sam. "I would go anywhere to help a bird.

“是的，先生。”萨姆回答，“为了帮助一只鸟儿，我可以到任何地方去。

Besides, Louis is special. He's an old friend.

再说，路易斯和一般的鸟不同。他是我的一个老朋友。

We went to the same school. You've got to admit he's quite a bird."

我们上的是同一所学校。你得承认他是一只很不一般的鸟。”

"He sure is," said the Head Man.

“他当然是，”这个负责人说，

"His Sunday afternoon concerts have been the biggest attraction the Zoo has ever had.

“他的星期日下午音乐会是这个动物园里有过的最引人入胜的节目。

We had a gorilla once named Bamboo--he's dead now.

我们曾经有过一头叫班布的大猩猩--他现在死了。

Bamboo was great, but Louis draws even more of a crowd than Bamboo did.

班布是了不起的，可路易斯却比班布更能吸引游客。

We have sea lions that draw big crowds,

我们还有能吸引大量游人的海狮，

but nothing to compare with Louis when he plays that horn on Sunday afternoons. People gocrazy.

可什么都比不上在星期日下午吹喇叭的路易斯。人们都为他发狂了。

And music is good for the animals, too--it soothes them, and they forget the cares of the day.

而且音乐对动物们也有好处--它能使他们平静下来，忘掉白天里的忧虑。

I'm going to miss Louis when he's gone. The whole Zoo will miss him terribly.

路易斯走后我会想念他的。整个动物园都会想死他的。

I wish he'd stay and keep his bride right here--it would be just great."

我希望他能留下，和他的新娘呆在这里——那样最好。”

"Louis would pine away in captivity. He would die," replied Sam.

“路易斯会在囚禁生活中憔悴下去的。他会死的，”萨姆回答，

"He needs wild places--little ponds, swamps, cattails,

“他需要大自然--小池塘，沼泽地，香蒲，

Red-winged Blackbirds in the spring, the chorus of the frogs, the cry of the loon at night.

春天的红翼歌鸫，青蛙的大合唱，鸊鹈在夜里的啼叫声。

Louis is following a dream. We must all follow a dream.

路易斯正在追求一个梦。我们都应该追随某一个梦。

Please let Serena go, sir! Please don't clip her wing!"

请放路易斯走吧，先生!请不要剪她的翅膀!”

The Head Man closed his eyes.

这个负责人闭上了他的眼睛。

He was thinking of little lakes deep in the woods,

他正在想着密林深处的小湖，

of the color of bulrushes, of the sounds of night and the chorus of frogs.

香蒲的色彩，夜的声响和青蛙的齐唱。

He was thinking of swans' nests, and eggs, and the hatching of eggs,

他正在想着天鹅的窝，鸟蛋，孵蛋的情景，

and the cygnets following their father in single file.

还有那些跟着他们的父亲飞成一行的小天鹅们。

He was thinking of dreams he had had as a young man.

他正在想着他小时候做过的那些梦。