吹小號的天鵝 第19期:路易斯(3)

The cob stood quietly, thinking about what his wifehad just told him.

雄天鵝靜靜地站在那里，想著他妻子剛才告訴他的話。

He was a brave, noble bird, and already he wasbeginning to work out a plan for his little son Louis.

他是一只勇敢的，高貴的鳥兒，因此他已經開始為他的小兒子路易斯制定下一步的計劃了。

"If it's really true that Louis has no voice," said thecob to himself,

“如果路易斯真的沒有嗓子的話，”雄天鵝自語，

"then I shall provide him with a device of some sort,to enable him to make a lot of noise.

“我就要給他找出某種方法，使他可以發(fā)出許多聲音。

There must be some way out of this difficulty.

一定有某種解決這些難題的方法的。

After all, my son is a Trumpeter Swan; he should have a voice like a trumpet.

不管怎么說，我兒子都是一個號手天鵝;他應該具有小號般嘹亮的嗓音。

But first I will test him to make certain that what his mother says is true."

不過首先我得檢驗一下他媽媽說的是不是真的。”

The cob was unable to sleep that night.

雄天鵝那天晚上再也睡不著了。

He stood on one leg, quietly, but sleep never came.

他用一條腿靜靜地站著等了又等，可睡意卻怎么都不來。

Next morning, after everyone had enjoyed a good breakfast, he led Louis apart from the others.

第二天早上，在每個人都美美地吃了一頓豐盛的早餐后，他單獨把路易斯領到了一邊。

"Louis," he said, "I wish to speak to you alone.

“路易斯，”他說，“我希望能單獨和你談談。

Let's just you and I take a swim by ourselves to the other end of the pond, where we can talkprivately without being interrupted."

讓我們兩個游到池塘的那一頭去吧，在那里我們才可以進行一場不被打擾的私人談話。”

Louis was surprised by this. But he nodded his head and followed his father, swimming stronglyin his wake.

路易斯對此感到很驚奇。不過他還是點點頭跟著父親使勁地游了過去。

He did not understand why his father wanted to speak to him alone, without his brothers andsisters.

他不明白父親為什么想單獨和他說話，不讓他的哥哥姐姐們在場。

"Now!" said the cob, when they reached the upper end of the pond.

“現在!”當他們來到池塘上游的盡頭時，雄天鵝說，

"Here we are, gracefully floating, supremely buoyant, at some distance from the others, inperfect surroundings

“我們來到了這里，優(yōu)美地浮在水面，感覺極其輕松，和其他人保持著一定的距離，四周的環(huán)境完美無暇

--a fine morning, with the pond quiet except for the song of the blackbirds, making the airsweet."

一個多么美好的早晨，池塘是多么的寧靜，四周只有烏鶇那令空氣變得甜美的歌聲。”

"I wish my father would get to the point," thought Louis.

“我希望我的爸爸能說到正題上。”路易斯想。

"This is an ideal place for our conference," continued the cob.

“這里是我們交談的理想場所，”雄天鵝繼續(xù)道，

"There is something I feel I should discuss with you very candidly and openly--something thatconcerns your future.

“有件事情，我覺得該和你坦率地公開地商討一下--一件和你的將來有關的事情。

We need not range over the whole spectrum of bird life but just confine our talk to the oneessential thing that is before us on this unusual occasion."

我們無須談及鳥類生活的整個范圍，只要把我們的談話限定到一件基本的事情上就可以了，這件事是由于一個不尋常的原因才擺到我們面前的。”

"Oh, I wish my father would get to the point," thought Louis, who by this time was getting verynervous.

“噢，我希望我的父親快一點談到正題。”這時已經變得分外緊張的路易斯想。

"It has come to my attention, Louis," continued the cob, "that you rarely say anything.

“我已經注意到了，路易斯，”雄天鵝繼續(xù)說道，“你幾乎什么話都不說。

In fact, I can't recall ever hearing you utter a sound.

實際上，我根本想不起什么時候聽你發(fā)過聲。

I have never heard you speak, or say ko-hoh, or cry out, either in fear or in joy.

我從沒聽過你講話，或是說‘吭—嗬’，或者大叫，無論你在歡喜還是害怕的時候。

This is most unusual for a young Trumpeter.

對一個年輕的號手天鵝來說，這一點是最反常的。

It is serious. Louis, let me hear you say beep.Go ahead, say it! Say beep!"

這事情很嚴重。路易斯，讓我聽到你說‘嗶’。開始吧，說呀!說‘嗶’!”