美國語文第五冊 第150期：鵪鶉（03）
I never yet heard of the parental tenderness of a trout, eating up his little baby,
我未曾聽說有似水柔情的鱒魚父母，它們能吃光自己的寶貝；
nor of the filial gratitude of a spider, nipping the life out of his gray-headed father, and usurping his web.
亦未曾聽說有孝順感恩的蜘蛛，那些能咬死垂老的父母，從而占據它們的窩。那么，天性，這個詞究竟顯示什么？
But if you would see the purest, the sincerest, the most affecting piety of a parent's love,
但是，如果你覺察到父母對子女純粹真摯及感人至深的眷愛，
startle a young family of quails, and watch the conduct of the mother.
勢必驚訝于鵪鶉的幼小家庭，不妨看看鵪鶉母親的所作所為吧。
She will not leave you. No, not she.
她不會丟下子女逃之夭夭，決不！
But she will fall at your feet, uttering a noise which none but a distressed mother can make,
她會假裝落到人們腳邊，發(fā)出母親的唯一痛苦聲音。
and she will run, and flutter, and seem to try to be caught, and cheat your outstretched hand,
她同時奔跑，一邊拍動雙翼，似乎即將被人捉住。她會欺騙你張開手掌，
and affect to be wing-broken and wounded, and yet have just strength to tumble along,
假裝它的翅膀斷了或受傷，甚至費勁地一路翻滾，
until she has drawn you, fatigued, a safe distance from her threatened children and the young hopes of her heart;
直到把你折磨得筋疲力盡，將你從她受到生命威脅的孩子處成功引開，這才是她的希望所在。
and then will she mount, whirring with glad strength, and away through the maze of trees you have not seen before,
然后，她最終就呼啦啦快樂地飛走，飛進那些你不曾知曉的樹林深處，飛去她潛藏孩子的地方，
like a close-shot bullet, fly to her skulking infants,
像近距離射出的子彈，倏爾不知所終。
Listen now. Do you hear those three half-plaintive notes, quickly and clearly poured out?
聽！你聽見那三聲近乎悲痛哀傷、急速清晰的傾訴心聲嗎？
She is calling the boys and girls together.
她在呼喚她的兒女聚攏一起。
