60:夏天的尾声(3)
Next day, the campers left.
第二天,营员们离开了。
The canoes had been hoisted onto racks in theboathouse,
独木舟被举到船库里的架子上去了,
the float had been hauled onto the beach,
浮码头被拖上了岸,
the windows of the lodge had been boarded upagainst bears and squirrels,
小屋的窗子被钉上了防止熊和松鼠闯入的木板条,
mattresses had been packed into zipper bags;
床垫子被装到了拉链式胶布袋里;
everything was snug and ready for the long, silent winter.
一切都被收拾停当,为长长的,静静的寒冬做好了准备。
Of all the campers, only Louis stayed behind.
所有的营员都离开了,只有路易斯还没有走。
His flight feathers were growing fast, but he still couldn't fly.
他的飞羽长得很快,可他还是不能飞。
He made up his mind he would remain at camp, all alone, until he was able to take to the airagain,
他决定独自呆在营地,直到他可以再飞起来,
and then he would fly straight to Boston.
那时他将一直飞到波士顿去。
The lake was lonely without the boys, but Louis didn't mind being alone.
没有了男孩们的湖是寂寞的,但路易斯并不介意一个人呆着。
For the next three weeks he took life easy.
接下来的三周他过得还算愉快。
He grew his flight feathers, dreamed of Serena by day and by night, and practiced histrumpet.
他长全了他的飞羽,时刻梦想着塞蕾娜,还练一习一着吹小号。
He had listened to music all summer
他已经听了一夏天的音乐了
several of the boys had radios and record players
从几个有收音机和录音机的男孩子那里听到的
and now he practiced the songs on his trumpet.
现在他则练一习一用他的小号吹奏这些歌曲。
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,他给塞蕾娜写了一首情歌,
and wrote the words and music on his slate:
还把歌词和乐谱写到了他的石板上:
Oh, ever in the greening spring,
哦,又到了绿一色一的春天,
By bank and bough retiring,
栖隐在岸边和枝上,
For love shall I be sorrowing
我要为一爱一情
And swans of my desiring.
为我思恋的天鹅悲伤。
He was really thinking of Serena, but he left her name out of it and kept it impersonal.
他指的其实是塞蕾娜,但他却隐去了她的名字,使这首歌仅仅具有一般人称而已。
His plumage was beautiful now, and he felt great.
他的羽一毛一现在变漂亮了,他感到很高兴。
On the twenty-first of September, he tried his wings.
九月二十一日那天,他开始试飞了。
To his great relief, they lifted him. Louis rose into the air.
他大大地松了一口气,因为飞羽把他托起来了。
The trumpet banged against the slate, the slate knocked against the moneybag, the lifesa一vingmedal clinked against the chalk pencil
路易斯升上了天空。小号碰上了石板,石板撞着了钱袋,救生奖章在石笔上叮当作响
but Louis was airborne again.
但路易斯总算又能飞翔了。
He climbed and climbed and headed for Boston.
他越飞越高,一直朝着波士顿的方向飞。
It was wonderful to be in the sky again.
再次飞在空中的感觉真好。
"Flying is a lot harder than it was before I acquired all these possessions," thought Louis.
“飞翔变得比我带上这些东西以前难多了,”路易斯想,
"The best way to tra一vel, really, is to tra一vel light.
“最好的旅行方式,真的,就是轻装旅行。
On the other hand, I ha一ve to ha一ve these things.
但从另一方面来说,我还非得带上这些东西不可。
I've got to ha一ve the trumpet if I am to win Serena for my wife;
如果我想赢得塞蕾娜的芳心,让她做我的妻子,就必须要有这把小号;
I've got to carry this moneybag to hold the money to pay my father's debts;
为了归还我父亲的欠债,我还得带上这个装钱的袋子;
I've got to ha一ve the slate and pencil so I can communicate with people;
我需要这石板石笔,这样我才能和人类交流;
and I ought to wear the medal because I really did sa一ve a life,
我也该戴上我这枚奖章,因为我真的救过一个人的命,
and if I didn't wear it, people might think I was ungrateful."
如果我不戴它,人们没准会认为我不领情呢。”
On and on he flew, toward Boston, which is the capital of Massachusetts, and which is famous
他飞呀飞呀,一路向着麻萨诸塞省的首府,
for its baked beans, its codfish, its tea parties, its Cabots, its Lowells, its Saltonstalls, and itsSwan Boats.
向着以它的烘豆,它的鳕鱼,它的茶一党一集会,它的卡伯特家族,它的罗尼尔家族,它的索顿斯托尔家族,还有它的天鹅游艇而知名的波士顿城飞去。