吹小號的天鵝 第39期:小號

Chapter 9 The Trumpet

第九章 小號

As the cob flew toward Billings on his powerful whitewings,

在雄天鵝拍打著他那雙有力的白翅膀往比林斯飛的路上，

all sorts of troublesome thoughts whirled in his head.

各種各樣的煩惱把他的腦子攪得一團糟。

The cob had never gone looking for a trumpetbefore.

雄天鵝以前從沒去找過小號。

He had no money to pay for a trumpet.

他也根本沒錢去買小號。

He feared he might arrive after the shops had closed for the day.

他還怕當(dāng)他飛到的時候商店都關(guān)門了。

He realized that in the whole continent of North America

他知道自己無疑是整個北美洲里

he was undoubtedly the only Trumpeter Swan who was on his way to a city to get a trumpet.

唯一的一只飛到城里找一把小號的號手天鵝。

"This is a queer adventure," he said to himself.

“這是一次奇特的冒險，”他自語，

"Yet it is a noble quest.

“然而卻是一次偉大的探尋。

I will do anything to help my son Louis --even if I run into real trouble."

我要不惜一切地幫助我的兒子路易斯——哪怕我闖到真正的麻煩中去。”

Toward the end of the afternoon,

將近傍晚的時候，

the cob looked ahead and in the distance saw the churches and factories and shops and homesof Billings.

雄天鵝向前望去，遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)地看見了比林斯的教堂，工廠，商店，還有住宅。

He decided to act quickly and boldly.

他決定要迅速果敢地采取行動。

He circled the city once, looking for a music store.

他繞著城市兜了一圈兒，搜尋著樂器店的位置。

Suddenly he spied one.

突然，他發(fā)現(xiàn)了一個。

It had a very big, wide window, solid glass.

那家商店很大，櫥窗很寬，上面的玻璃也很厚。

The cob flew lower and circled so he could get a better look.

雄天鵝飛低了，在空中盤旋著想看得更清楚一些。

He gazed into the store.

他往商店里看。

He saw a drum painted gold.

他看到了一面金色的鼓。

He saw a fancy guitar with an electric cord.

他看到了一把帶著電線的漂亮的吉它。

He saw a small piano. He saw banjos, horns, violins, mandolins, cymbals, saxophones,marimbaphones, cellos, and many other instruments.

他看到了一架小鋼琴。他看到了班卓琴，喇叭，小提琴，曼陀林，鐃鈸，薩克斯，木琴，大提琴，還有很多的其他樂器。

Then he saw what he wanted: he saw a brass trumpet hanging by a red cord.

最后他看到他想要的了：他看到了一把用紅繩子掛在那里的銅制小號。

"Now is my time to act!" he said to himself.

“現(xiàn)在是我行動的時候了!”他自語，

"Now is my moment for risking everything on one bold move,

“現(xiàn)在是我大膽冒險的時候了，

however shocking it may be to my sensibilities,

不管這會對我的感情造成什么樣的打擊，

however offensive it may be to the laws that govern the lives of men.

不管這會怎樣的冒犯了支配著人類生活的法律。

Here I go! May good luck go with me!"

我來了!但愿好運氣能在我這邊!”

With that, the old cob set his wings for a dive.

這么想著，老雄天鵝張開他的雙翅準(zhǔn)備俯沖。

He aimed straight at the big window.

他瞄準(zhǔn)了那個大櫥窗。

He held his neck straight and stiff, waiting for the crash.

他把脖子伸直，繃得緊緊的，等著聽那些嘩啦聲。

He dove swiftly and hit the window going full speed.

他迅猛地俯沖下來，對那個櫥窗發(fā)起了全速的猛攻。

The glass broke.

玻璃碎了。

The noise was terrific.

響聲極其恐怖。

The whole store shook.

整個店都被震動了。

Musical instruments fell to the floor.

樂器們?nèi)悸涞降匕迳狭恕?/p>

Glass flew everywhere.

玻璃碎片飛得到處都是。

A salesgirl fainted.

一個女店員昏了過去。

The cob felt a twinge of pain as a jagged piece of broken glass cut into his shoulder,

雄天鵝感到一陣刺痛，因為有片碎玻璃割傷了他的肩膀，

but he grabbed the trumpet in his beak,

可他還是用嘴叼起那把小號，

turned sharply in the air,

在空中急急地打了一個旋兒，

flew back through the hole in the window, and began climbing fast over the roofs of Billings.

從那個櫥窗大洞飛了出去，開始疾速地向比林斯的那些屋頂上空爬升。

A few drops of blood fell to the ground below.

幾滴鮮血落到了下面的大地上。

His shoulder hurt.

他的肩膀受傷了。

But he had succeeded in getting what he had come for.

可他成功地拿到了他要來找的東西。

Held firmly in his bill, its red cord dangling, was a beautiful brass trumpet.

他的嘴上牢牢叼著的，那個在紅繩子上晃來蕩去的東西，正是一把美麗的銅制小號。