吹小號的天鵝 第57期:救援(8)

Mr. Brickle did as he promised.

布里克先生信守了他的諾言。

He wrote a letter. A few days later, a man arrivedfrom Washington with the Lifesaving Medal,

他寫了那封信。幾天后，一個男人帶著那枚救生獎章從華盛頓來了，

and while all the campers watched, he hung themedal around Louis's neck,

他當著全體營員的面，把獎章掛到了路易斯的脖子上，

alongside the trumpet, the slate, and the chalkpencil.

和小號，石板，石筆掛在一起。

It was a beautiful medal.

這是一枚精美的獎章。

Engraved on it were the words:

它的上面刻著這樣的字句：

TO LOUIS THE SWAN,

授予天鵝路易斯，

WHO, WITH OUTSTANDING COURAGE AND COMPLETE DISREGARD FOR HIS OWN SAFETY,

因為他以非凡的勇氣和奮不顧身的精神，

SAVED THE LIFE OF APPLEGATE SKINNER.

救了阿普爾蓋特·斯金納的生命。

Louis took off his slate and wrote,

路易斯摘下他的石板寫道：

"Thank you for this medal. It is a great honor."

“謝謝你授予我的獎章。這是一個極大的榮譽。”

But he thought to himself, "I'm beginning to get overloaded with stuff around my neck.

可他心里想的卻是：“我的脖子要超載了。

I've got a trumpet, I've got a slate, I've got a chalk pencil; now I've got a medal.

我有了一把小號，一塊石板，還有一支石筆;現在我又有了一枚獎章。

I'm beginning to look like a hippie.

我開始變得像一個嬉皮士了。

I hope I'll still be able to fly when my flight feathers grow in again."

我希望我的飛羽再長出來后還能飛得起來。”

That night when darkness came, Louis blew the most beautiful taps he had ever blown.

那天晚上，天黑以后，路易斯吹出了以前從未吹出過的最完美的熄燈號。

The man who had brought the medal was listening and watching.

那個帶來了獎章的男人在一旁聽著，觀望著。

He could hardly believe his ears and his eyes.

他幾乎不能相信他的耳朵和眼睛了。

When he returned to the city, he told people what he had seen and heard.

回到華盛頓后，他把他所看到的和聽到的都告訴了別人。

Louis's fame was growing. His name was known.

路易斯的名聲越來越大。他的名字已經人盡皆知了。

People all over were beginning to talk about the swan that could play a trumpet.

人們開始到處議論這只會吹小號的天鵝。