第二天,營員們離開了。
The canoes had been hoisted onto racks in theboathouse,
獨(dú)木舟被舉到船庫里的架子上去了,
the float had been hauled onto the beach,
浮碼頭被拖上了岸,
the windows of the lodge had been boarded upagainst bears and squirrels,
小屋的窗子被釘上了防止熊和松鼠闖入的木板條,
mattresses had been packed into zipper bags;
床墊子被裝到了拉鏈?zhǔn)侥z布袋里;
everything was snug and ready for the long, silent winter.
一切都被收拾停當(dāng),為長長的,靜靜的寒冬做好了準(zhǔn)備。
Of all the campers, only Louis stayed behind.
所有的營員都離開了,只有路易斯還沒有走。
His flight feathers were growing fast, but he still couldn't fly.
他的飛羽長得很快,可他還是不能飛。
He made up his mind he would remain at camp, all alone, until he was able to take to the airagain,
他決定獨(dú)自呆在營地,直到他可以再飛起來,
and then he would fly straight to Boston.
那時(shí)他將一直飛到波士頓去。
The lake was lonely without the boys, but Louis didn't mind being alone.
沒有了男孩們的湖是寂寞的,但路易斯并不介意一個(gè)人呆著。
For the next three weeks he took life easy.
接下來的三周他過得還算愉快。
He grew his flight feathers, dreamed of Serena by day and by night, and practiced histrumpet.
他長全了他的飛羽,時(shí)刻夢想著塞蕾娜,還練習(xí)著吹小號(hào)。
He had listened to music all summer
他已經(jīng)聽了一夏天的音樂了
several of the boys had radios and record players
從幾個(gè)有收音機(jī)和錄音機(jī)的男孩子那里聽到的
and now he practiced the songs on his trumpet.
現(xiàn)在他則練習(xí)用他的小號(hào)吹奏這些歌曲。
Every day he got better and better.
他吹得一天比一天好。
One day, he composed a love song for Serena
一天,他給塞蕾娜寫了一首情歌,
and wrote the words and music on his slate:
還把歌詞和樂譜寫到了他的石板上:
Oh, ever in the greening spring,
哦,又到了綠色的春天,
By bank and bough retiring,
棲隱在岸邊和枝上,
For love shall I be sorrowing
我要為愛情
And swans of my desiring.
為我思戀的天鵝悲傷。
He was really thinking of Serena, but he left her name out of it and kept it impersonal.
他指的其實(shí)是塞蕾娜,但他卻隱去了她的名字,使這首歌僅僅具有一般人稱而已。
His plumage was beautiful now, and he felt great.
他的羽毛現(xiàn)在變漂亮了,他感到很高興。
On the twenty-first of September, he tried his wings.
九月二十一日那天,他開始試飛了。
To his great relief, they lifted him. Louis rose into the air.
他大大地松了一口氣,因?yàn)轱w羽把他托起來了。
The trumpet banged against the slate, the slate knocked against the moneybag, the lifesavingmedal clinked against the chalk pencil
路易斯升上了天空。小號(hào)碰上了石板,石板撞著了錢袋,救生獎(jiǎng)?wù)略谑P上叮當(dāng)作響
but Louis was airborne again.
但路易斯總算又能飛翔了。
He climbed and climbed and headed for Boston.
他越飛越高,一直朝著波士頓的方向飛。
It was wonderful to be in the sky again.
再次飛在空中的感覺真好。
"Flying is a lot harder than it was before I acquired all these possessions," thought Louis.
“飛翔變得比我?guī)线@些東西以前難多了,”路易斯想,
"The best way to travel, really, is to travel light.
“最好的旅行方式,真的,就是輕裝旅行。
On the other hand, I have to have these things.
但從另一方面來說,我還非得帶上這些東西不可。
I've got to have the trumpet if I am to win Serena for my wife;
如果我想贏得塞蕾娜的芳心,讓她做我的妻子,就必須要有這把小號(hào);
I've got to carry this moneybag to hold the money to pay my father's debts;
為了歸還我父親的欠債,我還得帶上這個(gè)裝錢的袋子;
I've got to have the slate and pencil so I can communicate with people;
我需要這石板石筆,這樣我才能和人類交流;
and I ought to wear the medal because I really did save a life,
我也該戴上我這枚獎(jiǎng)?wù)拢驗(yàn)槲艺娴木冗^一個(gè)人的命,
and if I didn't wear it, people might think I was ungrateful."
如果我不戴它,人們沒準(zhǔn)會(huì)認(rèn)為我不領(lǐng)情呢。”
On and on he flew, toward Boston, which is the capital of Massachusetts, and which is famous
他飛呀飛呀,一路向著麻薩諸塞省的首府,
for its baked beans, its codfish, its tea parties, its Cabots, its Lowells, its Saltonstalls, and itsSwan Boats.
向著以它的烘豆,它的鱈魚,它的茶黨集會(huì),它的卡伯特家族,它的羅尼爾家族,它的索頓斯托爾家族,還有它的天鵝游艇而知名的波士頓城飛去。