吹小號的天鵝 第44期:金錢的煩惱(2)

Flying was not as easy as it once had been.

這一次的飛行不像以前那么容易了，

If you've ever tried to fly with a trumpet danglingfrom your neck

如果你試過和一把在你的脖子上晃來晃去的小號，

and a slate flapping in the wind and a chalk pencilbouncing around at the end of its string,

還有一塊在風(fēng)中劈啪作響的石板，再加上一只在它的繩頭上亂蹦亂跳的石筆一起飛的話，

you know how hard it can be.

你就知道飛行會有多么困難了。

Louis realized that there were advantages in traveling light

路易斯這才知道輕裝旅行，

and not having too many possessions clinging to you.

不帶那么多的東西一起飛要容易得多。

Nevertheless, he was a strong flier,

不過，他是一位堅(jiān)強(qiáng)的飛行家，

and the slate and the chalk pencil and the trumpet were important to him.

而且石板石筆和小號對他來說也都是至關(guān)重要的東西。

When he reached the ranch where Sam lived, he circled once,

當(dāng)他來到薩姆居住的那個(gè)牧場時(shí)，他兜了個(gè)圈兒，

then glided down and walked into the barn.

然后才滑翔下來走進(jìn)谷倉。

He found Sam grooming his pony.

他看見薩姆正在刷洗他的小馬。

"Well, look who's here!" exclaimed Sam.

“哈，看誰來了!”薩姆叫，

"You look like a traveling salesman with all that stuff around your neck.I'm glad to see you."

“你脖子上掛著那么多東西的樣子活像個(gè)旅行推銷員。很高興見到你。”

Louis propped the slate up against the pony's stall.

路易斯把石板抵到小馬的馬欄上。

"I'm in trouble," he wrote.

“我有麻煩了。”他寫。

"What's the matter?" asked Sam. "And where did you get the trumpet?"

“怎么了?”薩姆問，“你從哪兒弄的這把小號?”

"That's the trouble," wrote Louis.

“那就是麻煩所在，”路易斯寫，

"My father stole it.

“我父親偷了它。

He gave it to me because I have no voice.

因?yàn)槲覜]有嗓子，所以他才把它給了我。

The trumpet hasn't been paid for."

這把小號還沒付錢呢。”

Sam whistled through his teeth.

薩姆吹了個(gè)口哨。

Then he led the pony into his stall, tied him, came out, and sat down on a bale of hay.

然后他把小馬領(lǐng)到馬廄，栓好，走出來，坐在一捆干草上。”

For a while he just stared at the bird.

有那么一會兒，他只是盯著這只鳥看。

Finally he said, "You've got a money problem.

最后他開腔了：“你有一個(gè)和錢有關(guān)的問題。

But that's not unusual. Almost everybody has a money problem.

不過這沒什么大不了的。差不多所有人都有和錢有關(guān)的問題。

What you need is a job.

你需要的只是一件工作。

Then you can save your earnings,

然后你可以把你掙的錢存起來，

and when you get enough money saved up, your father can pay back the man he stole thetrumpet from.

到存夠的時(shí)候，你爸爸就可以把錢還給被他偷去小號的那個(gè)人了。

Can you actually play that thing?"

你真的能吹奏那東西嗎?

Louis nodded. He raised the trumpet to his beak.

路易斯點(diǎn)點(diǎn)頭。他把小號舉到他的嘴上。

"Ko!" said the trumpet.

“吭!”小號說開了。

The pony jumped.

小馬跳了起來。

"Hey!" said Sam. "That's pretty good.

“嘿!”薩姆說，“非常不錯(cuò)。

Do you know any other notes?" Louis shook his head.

你還會吹別的音嗎?” 路易斯搖搖頭。

"I've got an idea," said Sam.

“我有主意了，”薩姆說，

"I have a job this summer as a junior counselor at a boys' camp in Ontario.

“今年夏天我有個(gè)在安大略省的一個(gè)兒童夏令營當(dāng)少年輔導(dǎo)員的工作。

That's in Canada.

那是在加拿大。

I'll bet I can get you a job as camp bugler if you can learn a few more notes.

我敢打賭，如果你能再學(xué)會幾個(gè)音的話我準(zhǔn)能給你找個(gè)在夏令營當(dāng)號手的工作。

The camp wants somebody that can blow a horn.

夏令營想要一個(gè)能吹喇叭的人。

The idea is, you blow a lot of loud fast notes in the early morning to wake the boys up.

這個(gè)主意就是，你在每天早晨用一連串很響很快的樂音，把男孩子們吹醒。

That's called reveille.

這叫起床號。

Then you blow some other notes to call the campers to their meals.

然后你再吹一些別的音，招呼營員們吃飯。

That's called the mess call.

那叫就餐號。

Then at night when everybody is in bed

等晚上每個(gè)人都上床了

and the light has faded from the sky

輝光從天空里消褪了

and the lake is calm and the mosquitoes are busy in the tents, biting the boys,

湖水平靜了蚊子們也都在帳篷里忙活著，叮著那些男孩子的時(shí)候，

and the boys are getting sleepy in their beds,

男孩子們已經(jīng)在床上躺得很困了，

you blow some other notes,

這時(shí)你就要再吹些別的音，

very soft and sweet and sad. That's called taps.

很輕柔很甜美很傷感的那種。那叫熄燈號。

Do you want to go to camp with me and try it?"

你想和我一起去夏令營試試嗎?”

"I'll try anything," wrote Louis. "I am desperate for money."

“我愿意去做任何事，”路易斯寫，“我急著要錢。”

Sam chuckled. "Ok.," he said.

薩姆輕聲笑起來。“OK，”他說，

"Camp opens in about three weeks.

“夏令營大約三周后才開放呢。

That'll give you time to learn the bugle calls.

這樣你就有時(shí)間來學(xué)會吹這幾種號了。

I'll buy you a music book that tells what the notes are."

我要給你買一本告訴你怎么吹的音樂書。”