吹小号的天鹅 第98期:比林斯

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第二十章 比林斯

On a bright clear day in January, Louis and Serena came home to the Red Rock Lakes.

在一月的某个清爽的日子里，路易斯和塞蕾娜回到了红石湖的家。

From among the thousands of waterfowl,

从数以千计的水鸟当中，

they quickly found the members of their own families--their fathers and mothers and sisters and brothers.

他们很快地找到了他们自己的家庭成员--他们的父母和哥哥姐姐们。

It was a noisy homecoming. Everybody wanted to say hello at once. Ko-hoh, ko-hoh, ko-hoh!

好一场沸反盈天的归家呀。谁都想马上说你们好。吭—嗬，吭—嗬，吭—嗬！

The wanderers were home at last.

游子终于回家了。

Louis's father, the old cob, made a graceful¹ speech--rather long, but sincere².

路易斯的父亲，那只老雄天鹅，发表了一通言辞优美的演说--相当的长，但句句出自肺腑。

Louis raised his trumpet³ and played "There's no place like home. Home, home sweet home!"

路易斯举起他的小号，吹起了那句“世上没有一个地方比得上我的家。家，家，可爱的家！”

There was a great deal of gossip⁴ among the waterfowl about Louis's having persuaded Serena to be his wife.

路易斯使塞蕾娜成为他妻子的事在水鸟中间早已有了无数的传闻。

Everybody congratulated the happy couple.

大家都来向这幸福的一对儿道贺。

And all the brothers and sisters of Louis and Serena gathered around and looked at Louis's possessions.

路易斯的所有哥哥姐姐还有塞蕾娜都聚到一起，打量着路易斯的那些东西。

They were much impressed by his worldly goods.

他们全都被他的财产打动了。

They liked the lifesaving medal, they loved the sound of the trumpet,

他们喜欢那枚救生奖章，他们爱听那小号声，

and they were eager to see the money in the moneybag.

他们还迫切地想见识一下那个钱袋里的钱。

But Louis did not open the bag. Instead, he took his father and mother to one side.

可路易斯却没有打开钱袋，而是把他的父母带到了别的地方。

They all three stepped out on shore, where Louis slipped the moneybag off his neck and, with a bow, handed it to the old cob.

他们三个上岸后，路易斯从脖子上摘下钱袋，鞠了一躬，然后才把它递给那只老雄天鹅。

Four thousand four hundred and twenty dollars and seventy-eight cents.

里面共有四千四百二十美元七十八美分。

Then Louis took his slate⁵ and wrote a note to the owner of the music store in Billings

然后路易斯拿过他的石板给比林斯的乐器店店主写了个便条。

so his father would have something to show him when he got there.

这样一来，当他的父亲飞到那里时就可以把它拿给那个店主看了。

The note said: To the Storekeeper of Billings: Enclosed⁶ please find $4,420.78.

便条上说：致比林斯的店主：兹附上现金4420.78 美元，请查收。

It will pay you for the trumpet and the damage to the store.

这笔钱是用来偿付那把小号和店铺的损失的。

Sorry about the inconvenience this has caused you.

对因此给你带来的麻烦深感歉意。

The old cob was not able to count money, and he was not able to read,

老雄天鹅不会数钱，也不会阅读，

but he took the moneybag and the slate and hung them around his neck.

可他还是接过钱袋和石板，把它们挂到自己的脖子上。

He felt sure he could now pay his debt for the stolen trumpet.

他确信他现在能为这把偷来的小号偿债了。

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