英语美文：与海牛的一次邂逅

Walking alone on a remote beach in southwest Florida, I was startled to hear splashes and a deep sigh coming from the water just offshore¹.

As I squinted（斜视） in the direction of the sounds, the rounded gray back of a sea creature rose amid a red froth（泡沫） , rolled turbulently（汹涌澎湃地） at the surface, then sank back into the Gulf². Moments later a broad nose emerged and exhaled（呼气，发出） in a great snuffling breath. It was a manatee³（海牛） , and by the looks of the reddish-colored water and the way it was thrashing, it was in trouble.

I had often watched manatees⁴ in these warm coastal⁵ waters, but I'd never seen one act like this before. Usually just their big nostrils（鼻孔） appeared for a gulp⁶ of air as they foraged⁷ on sea grasses or swam slowly to greener underwater pastures. But I also knew how common it was for these lumbering⁸ giants to be gashed⁹ by boat propellers¹⁰ or entangled¹¹ in crab¹² traps.

I wanted to help, but what could I do? There was no one else on the beach, and the nearest phone to call the Marine¹³ Patrol was miles away.

Tossing my beach bag onto the sand, I began wading¹⁴ toward the animal, who continued to writhe（翻滚，蠕动） as if in distress¹⁵. I was still only waist deep when I came close enough to make out the bristly whiskers on the manatee's muzzle¹⁶ as it thrust up out of the sea. Then, to my surprise, a second muzzle, much smaller, poked¹⁷ up beside it.

I pushed on through the shoal water, but now the manatees were also moving toward me. Before I knew what was happening, I was in chest-deep water encircled by not one or two, but at least three blimplike bodies. I felt elated（兴高采烈的） and slightly dizzy like the kid who is 'it' in a schoolyard game.

A bulbous（球根的） snout emerged next to me. In the translucent¹⁸ water, I could clearly see the rest of the huge mammal, and there, nestled close behind her, a smaller version of her massive body.

Then, with incredible gentleness for such an enormous creature, the larger manatee nudged the little one with her paddle-shaped flipper¹⁹ and pushed it to the surface beside me. I wanted to reach out and touch the pudgy（矮胖的） sea baby, but I hesitated, not knowing the rules of this inter-species encounter.

As the two slipped back underwater, two other manatees moved in from behind and slid by, one on either side, rubbing gently against my body as they swam past. They circled and repeated the action, this time followed by the mother and her calf²⁰. Emboldened²¹ by their overtures²², I let my hand graze the side of the small manatee, now clinging to the mother's back, as they made their pass. Its skin felt rubbery and firm like an old fashioned hot water bottle.

The group completed several more circuits. Since they obviously enjoyed touching²³ me, I began stroking each of them as they sidled by. When one of them rolled over for a scratch, I knew I had made the right move.

Eventually my new friends made their way off towards deeper water. I stood anchored to the spot, not wishing to break the spell, until finally the rising tide forced me back to shore.

I suppose I will never know exactly what took place that morning. I like to think that the manatees included me in their celebration of a birth; that I was welcomed to meet the newest member of their tribe. But over time I have come to cherish the experience without questions.

During that unexpected rendezvous（地点） , I felt more in tune²⁴ with the rhythms of life on this vast planet than I ever have. The memory has become a song I sing to myself when I have the blues²⁵, a dance I do to celebrate joy.

And each year, during the last week of May, I pack a lunch and head for that isolated²⁶ stretch of beach for a quiet little birthday picnic on the shore. After all, you never know who might show up for the party.