吹小號的天鵝 第42期:小號(4)

The cob swam over to his son and made apresentation speech.

雄天鵝游向他的兒子，發(fā)表了一通贈送演說。

"Louis," he said, "I have been on a journey to thehaunts of men.

“路易斯，”他說，“我到人們的老窩做了一次旅行。

I visited a great city teeming with life andcommerce.

我訪問了一個生機勃勃的商業(yè)發(fā)達的大城市。

Whilst there, I picked up a gift for you, which I nowbestow upon you with my love and my blessing.

同時，我還給你挑了件禮物，現(xiàn)在我就滿懷著愛意和祝福地把它送給你。

Here, Louis, is a trumpet.

看這兒，路易斯，這是一把小號。

It will be your voice--a substitute for the voice God failed to give you.

它將成為你的嗓子——一個上帝沒能給你的嗓子的替代品。

Learn to blow it, Louis,

學著去吹它，路易斯，

and life will be smoother and richer and gayer for you!

你的生活將會變得更順利更豐富更愉快!

With the help of this horn, you will be able at last to say ko-hoh, like every other swan.

在這個喇叭的幫助下，你終于可以說‘吭—嗬’了，就像別的天鵝那樣。

The sound of music will be in our ears.

音樂之聲將在我們的耳畔縈回。

You will be able to attract the attention of desirable young females.

你可以打動你鐘愛的年輕雌天鵝了。

Master this trumpet, and you will be able to play love songs for them,

掌握吹這把小號的技巧吧，然后你將能為她們吹奏情歌，

filling them with ardor and surprise and longing.

把熱情和驚喜還有渴望都注入她們心中了。

I hope it will bring you happiness, Louis, and a new and better life.

“路易斯，我希望它將帶給你幸福，帶給你一個全新的更好的生活。

I procured it at some personal sacrifice to myself and my pride,

我是在犧牲了一些自我和尊嚴后才得到它的，

but we won't go into that now.

可我們現(xiàn)在就別去管這些了。

The long and short of it is, I had no money;

不管怎么說，我都沒有錢;

I took the trumpet without paying for it.

我沒有付錢就拿走了這把小號。

This was deplorable.

這是可恥的行為。

But the important thing is that you learn to play the instrument."

但更重要的是你得學會吹奏這把樂器。”

So saying, the cob removed the trumpet from around his neck and hung it on Louis,

說著，雄天鵝把小號從脖子上弄下來掛到路易斯的脖子上，

alongside the slate and the white chalk pencil.

和那些石板石筆放在一起。

"Wear it in health!" he said. "Blow it in happiness!

“好好戴著它!”他說，“快活地吹!

Make the woods and the hills and the marshes echo with the sounds of your youthful desire!"

讓森林和群山還有沼澤都回蕩起你青春的渴望之聲吧!”

Louis wanted to thank his father, but he was unable to say a word.

路易斯想對他的爸爸道謝，可他卻什么都說不出來。

And he knew it would do no good to write "Thank you" on the slate,

他知道在石板上寫“謝謝你”并不是個好主意，

because his father wouldn't be able to read it, never having had an education.

因為他的父親不能閱讀，也從沒受過這樣的教育。

So Louis just bobbed his head and waggled his tail and fluttered his wings.

于是路易斯擺了擺他的頭，搖了搖尾巴，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

雄天鵝從這些動作里看出，他終于找到了兒子心目中的合適贈品，

and that the gift of a trumpet was acceptable.

這把小號禮物被接受了。