17 路易斯
Chapter 5 Louis
第五 路易斯
One evening a few weeks later, when the cygnetswere asleep, the swan said to the cob,
几周后的一个晚上，当小天鹅们还在睡着的时候，雌天鹅对雄天鹅说：
"Ha一ve you noticed anything different about one ofour children, the one we call Louis?"
“你注意到他和别的孩子有什么不同了吗，就是我们叫路易斯的那个?”
"Different?" replied the cob.
“不同?”雄天鹅说，
"In what way is Louis different from his brothers and sisters? Louis looks all right to me.
“路易斯和他的哥哥姐姐们有什么不同?我觉得路易斯看上去哪儿都很好嘛。
He is growing well; he swims and dives beautifully.
他长得很快;游泳和潜水的姿势都很漂亮。
He eats well. He will soon ha一ve his flight feathers."
他的胃口也不错。他很快就要长出他的飞羽了。”
"Oh, he looks all right," said the swan. "And hea一ven knows he eats enough.
“噢，他看上去是很好，”雌天鹅说，“老天知道，他吃得已经够多的了。
He's healthy and bright and a great swimmer.
他健康活泼，还是个了不起的游泳家。
But ha一ve you ever heard Louis make any sound, as the others do?
但你曾听过他发什么声吗，就像别的孩子一样?
Ha一ve you ever heard him use his voice or say anything? Ha一ve you ever heard him utter a singlebeep or a single burble?"
你曾听他亲口说过什么吗?你曾听他发过‘哔’声或者嘀咕过吗?”
"Come to think of it, I never ha一ve," replied the cob, who was beginning to look worried.
“这么想来，我还真的从没听过呢。”雄天鹅回答。他开始担心了。
"Ha一ve you ever heard Louis say good night to us, as the others do?
“你听过路易斯对我们道晚安吗，就像别的孩子们一样?
Ha一ve you ever heard him say good morning, as the others do in their charming little way,burbling and beeping?"
你听过他说早安吗，就像别的孩子们一样，用他们那可一爱一的方式哔哔叽叽地说?”
"Now that you mention it, I never ha一ve," said the cob.
“正像你此刻提到的，我从没听过，”雄天鹅说，
"Goodness! What are you getting at? Do you wish me to believe that I ha一ve a son who isdefective in any way?
“老天!你到底是什么意思?难道你希望我相信我有一个有缺陷的儿子?
Such a revelation would distress me greatly.
这种意外会让我痛苦万分的。
I want everything to go smoothly in my family life so that I can glide gracefully andserenely, now in the prime of my life, without being haunted by worry or disappointment.
我要我的家庭生活事事顺利，这样我才能滑翔得优美而又安闲，现在我正处在生命的全盛时期，绝不该被忧愁和失望所困扰。
Fatherhood is quite a burden, at best. I do not want the added strain of ha一ving a defectivechild, a child that has something the matter with him."
最后还有一点，做父亲本来就是个很大的负担。我不想再为有了一个有缺陷的孩子，一个有某种麻烦的孩子这件事而劳神了。”
"Well," said the wife, "I've been watching Louis lately.
“哦，”妻子说，“最近我一直在观察路易斯。
It is my opinion the little fellow can't talk. I've never heard him make one sound.
我认为这个小家伙不会说话。我从没听他发过声。
I think he came into the world lacking a voice.
我想他到这个世界里来的时候就没有嗓子。
If he had a voice, he'd use it, same as the others do."
如果他有嗓子，他早就出声了，就像其他的孩子一样。”
"Why, this is terrible!" said the cob. "This is distressing beyond words. This is a very seriousmatter."
“为什么，这真太可怕了!”雄天鹅说，“这是任何语言都难以形容的痛苦。这是一件非常严重的事情。”