吹小號的天鵝 第95期:一次關(guān)于錢的談話(4)

"It's still a lot of money for a bird," he said.

“對一只鳥來說這還是一大筆錢呀，”他說，

"What's he going to do with it all?"

“他打算用它們干什么?”

"He will give it to his father, the old cob."

“他將把它們交給他的父親，那只老雄天鵝。”

"And what's he going to do with it?"

“他又打算用它們干什么?”

"He will fly back to the music store in Billings andgive it to the owner, to pay for the stolen trumpet."

“他將飛回比林斯的那家樂器店，把錢交給那個店主，付清那把被偷的小號錢。”

"Give all of it?"

“全都給他?”

"Yes."

“是的。”

"But a trumpet isn't worth four thousand four hundred and twenty dollars and seventy-eightcents."

“可一把小號根本不值四千四百二十美元七十八美分呀。”

"I know," said Sam. "But there was some damage to the store itself.

“我知道，”薩姆說，“不過那個店本身還遭到了破壞。

The old cob was going like the dickens when he crashed through the plate-glass window.

老雄天鵝在沖進(jìn)厚玻璃窗時簡直就像個惡魔一樣。

He shook things up pretty badly."

他震下來的那些東西都摔得相當(dāng)厲害。”

"Yes," said the Head Man. "But it still wouldn't take all that money to make things right."

“是的，”這個負(fù)責(zé)人說，“可就是加上這些賠償也不用花那么多的錢呀。”

"I guess not," said Sam. "But Louis has no use for money anymore,

“我想也不用，”薩姆說，“不過錢對路易斯來說不再有用處了，

so he's going to turn it all over to the owner of the music store."

所以他打算把它們都交給那個樂器店的店主。”

The subject of money seemed to interest the Head Man greatly.

錢這個話題似乎大大地勾起了這個負(fù)責(zé)人的興趣。

He thought how pleasant it would be not to have any more use for money.

他想，錢都不再有任何用處時會有多么快活呀。

He leaned back in his chair.

他靠回到他的椅子上。

He found it hard to believe that one of his swans had been able to save more than fourthousand dollars

他覺得這事很難相信，他的一只天鵝居然能攢了四千多美元，

and that the money was right out there, hanging around his neck in a moneybag.

而這些錢又正好在他脖子上掛著的錢袋里。

"When it comes to money," he said, "birds have it easier than men do.

“在錢這個問題上，”他說，“鳥要比人省心得多。

When a bird earns some money, it's almost all clear profit.

一只鳥兒在賺到點錢的同時，幾乎就等于得到了和他所賺的錢同樣多的純利潤。

A bird doesn't have to go to a supermarket and buy a dozen eggs and a pound of butter

一只鳥兒不必去超市買一打雞蛋和一磅黃油，

and two rolls of paper towels and a TV dinner and a can of Ajax

兩卷紙巾，一份電視便餐，一桶埃阿斯，

and a can of tomato juice and a pound and a half of ground round steak

一罐番茄汁，一磅半絞好的細(xì)牛臀肉，

and a can of sliced peaches and two quarts of fat-free milk and a bottle of stuffed olives.

一罐桃子片，兩夸脫脫脂奶，一瓶填餡橄欖。

A bird doesn't have to pay rent on a house, or interest on a mortgage.

一只鳥不必付房租，或者抵押借款利息。

A bird doesn't insure its life with an insurance company and then have to pay premiums onthe policy.

一只鳥不用去保險公司買人壽險然后再按規(guī)定支付保險費(fèi)。

A bird doesn't own a car and buy gas and oil and pay for repairs on the car

一只鳥不必有車，不必買汽油石油，付修車費(fèi)，

and take the car to a car wash and pay to get it washed.

也不必去洗車和付洗車費(fèi)。

Animals and birds are lucky. They don't keep acquiring things, the way men do.

野獸和鳥類都是幸運(yùn)的。它們不必不停地收集東西，就像人們那樣。

You can teach a monkey to drive a motorcycle,

你可以教一只猴子開摩托車，

but I have never known a monkey to go out and buy a motorcycle."

可我從沒聽說過有哪只猴子會去買一輛摩托車回來。”