44:金钱的烦恼(2)

Flying was not as easy as it once had been. 

这一次的飞行不像以前那么容易了,

If you've ever tried to fly with a trumpet danglingfrom your neck

如果你试过和一把在你的脖子上晃来晃去的小号,

and a slate flapping in the wind and a chalk pencilbouncing around at the end of its string,

还有一块在风中劈啪作响的石板,再加上一只在它的绳头上乱蹦乱跳的石笔一起飞的话,

you know how hard it can be.

你就知道飞行会有多么困难了。

Louis realized that there were advantages in traveling light

路易斯这才知道轻装旅行,

and not having too many possessions clinging to you.

不带那么多的东西一起飞要容易得多。

Nevertheless, he was a strong flier,

不过,他是一位坚强的飞行家,

and the slate and the chalk pencil and the trumpet were important to him.

而且石板石笔和小号对他来说也都是至关重要的东西。

When he reached the ranch where Sam lived, he circled once,

当他来到萨姆居住的那个牧场时,他兜了个圈儿,

then glided down and walked into the barn.

然后才滑翔下来走进谷仓。

He found Sam grooming his pony.

他看见萨姆正在刷洗他的小马。

"Well, look who's here!" exclaimed Sam.

“哈,看谁来了!”萨姆叫,

"You look like a traveling salesman with all that stuff around your neck.I'm glad to see you."

“你脖子上挂着那么多东西的样子活像个旅行推销员。很高兴见到你。”

Louis propped the slate up against the pony's stall.

路易斯把石板抵到小马的马栏上。

"I'm in trouble," he wrote.

“我有麻烦了。”他写。

"What's the matter?" asked Sam. "And where did you get the trumpet?"

“怎么了?”萨姆问,“你从哪儿弄的这把小号?”

"That's the trouble," wrote Louis.

“那就是麻烦所在,”路易斯写,

"My father stole it.

“我父亲偷了它。

He gave it to me because I have no voice.

因为我没有嗓子,所以他才把它给了我。

The trumpet hasn't been paid for."

这把小号还没付钱呢。”

Sam whistled through his teeth.

萨姆吹了个口哨。

Then he led the pony into his stall, tied him, came out, and sat down on a bale of hay.

然后他把小马领到马厩,栓好,走出来,坐在一捆干草上。”

For a while he just stared at the bird.

有那么一会儿,他只是盯着这只鸟看。

Finally he said, "You've got a money problem.

最后他开腔了:“你有一个和钱有关的问题。

But that's not unusual. Almost everybody has a money problem.

不过这没什么大不了的。差不多所有人都有和钱有关的问题。

What you need is a job.

你需要的只是一件工作。

Then you can save your earnings,

然后你可以把你挣的钱存起来,

and when you get enough money saved up, your father can pay back the man he stole thetrumpet from.

到存够的时候,你爸爸就可以把钱还给被他偷去小号的那个人了。

Can you actually play that thing?"

你真的能吹奏那东西吗?

Louis nodded. He raised the trumpet to his beak.

路易斯点点头。他把小号举到他的嘴上。

"Ko!" said the trumpet.

“吭!”小号说开了。

The pony jumped.

小马跳了起来。

"Hey!" said Sam. "That's pretty good.

“嘿!”萨姆说,“非常不错。

Do you know any other notes?" Louis shook his head.

你还会吹别的音吗?” 路易斯摇摇头。

"I've got an idea," said Sam.

“我有主意了,”萨姆说,

"I have a job this summer as a junior counselor at a boys' camp in Ontario.

“今年夏天我有个在安大略省的一个儿童夏令营当少年辅导员的工作。

That's in Canada.

那是在加拿大。

I'll bet I can get you a job as camp bugler if you can learn a few more notes.

我敢打赌,如果你能再学会几个音的话我准能给你找个在夏令营当号手的工作。

The camp wants somebody that can blow a horn.

夏令营想要一个能吹喇叭的人。

The idea is, you blow a lot of loud fast notes in the early morning to wake the boys up.

这个主意就是,你在每天早晨用一连串很响很快的乐音,把男孩子们吹醒。

That's called reveille.

这叫起床号。

Then you blow some other notes to call the campers to their meals.

然后你再吹一些别的音,招呼营员们吃饭。

That's called the mess call.

那叫就餐号。

Then at night when everybody is in bed

等晚上每个人都上床了

and the light has faded from the sky

辉光从天空里消褪了

and the lake is calm and the mosquitoes are busy in the tents, biting the boys,

湖水平静了蚊子们也都在帐篷里忙活着,叮着那些男孩子的时候,

and the boys are getting sleepy in their beds,

男孩子们已经在床上躺得很困了,

you blow some other notes,

这时你就要再吹些别的音,

very soft and sweet and sad. That's called taps.

很轻柔很甜美很伤感的那种。那叫熄灯号。

Do you want to go to camp with me and try it?"

你想和我一起去夏令营试试吗?”

"I'll try anything," wrote Louis. "I am desperate for money."

“我愿意去做任何事,”路易斯写,“我急着要钱。”

Sam chuckled. "Ok.," he said.

萨姆轻声笑起来。“OK,”他说,

"Camp opens in about three weeks.

“夏令营大约三周后才开放呢。

That'll give you time to learn the bugle calls.

这样你就有时间来学会吹这几种号了。

I'll buy you a music book that tells what the notes are."

我要给你买一本告诉你怎么吹的音乐书。”