吹小号的天鹅 第61期:夏天的尾声(4)
第十四章 波士顿
Louis liked Boston the minute he saw it from the sky.
路易斯刚从空中看到波士顿，就喜欢上了它。
Far beneath him was a river. Near the river was apark.
他身下的远处是一条河。河边有一个公园。
In the park was a lake. In the lake was an island.
公园里有一个湖。湖中有个小岛。
On the shore was a dock. Tied to the dock was a boatshaped like a swan. The place looked ideal.
岸边有个码头。码头边系着一艘外形酷似天鹅的船。这个地方看起来很理想。
There was even a very fine hotel nearby.
附近还有一家很不错的旅馆呢。
Louis circled twice, then glided down and splashed to a stop in the lake.
路易斯转了两个圈子，然后才滑翔下来，溅起一阵水花，停到湖面上。
Several ducks swam up to look him over. The park was called the Public Garden.
几只鸭子游过来看着他。这个公园被称作大众公园。
Everybody in Boston knows about it and goes there to sit on benches in the sun,
波士顿的每个人都熟悉它，喜欢坐到里面的长椅子上晒太阳，
to stroll about, to feed the pigeons and the squirrels, and to ride the Swan Boat.
在园中漫步，喂鸽子和松鼠们，乘坐天鹅游艇。
A ride costs twenty-five cents for grown-ups, fifteen cents for children.
成人坐一次这种船要花二十五美分，孩子们则只需十五美分。
After a short rest and a bite to eat, Louis swam over to the dock and climbed out on the shore.
小憩片刻后，又吃了点东西，路易斯才游过码头爬到岸上。
The man who was taking tickets for the Swan Boat ride seemed surprised to see an enormouswhite swan wearing so many things around his neck.
那个正在收天鹅游艇票的男人看到一只脖子上挂着许多东西的大白天鹅后似乎很吃惊。
"Hello!" said the Boatman.
“你好!”这个游艇老板说。
Louis lifted his trumpet. "Ko-hoh!" he replied.
路易斯举起他的小号。“吭—嗬!”他回答。
At the sound, every bird in the park looked up.
一听到这声音，公园里的每只鸟儿都抬起了头。
The Boatman jumped. Boston residents as far as a mile away looked up and said, "What's that?"
游艇老板跳了起来。连那些远在一英里外的波士顿居民也都抬头说道：“那是什么声音?”
Nobody in Boston had ever heard a Trumpeter Swan.
波士顿人还从来没听过号手天鹅的叫声呢。
The sound made a big impression.
这声音引起了极大的反响。
People eating a late breakfast in the Ritz Hotel on Arlington Street looked up from their food.
在阿林顿街的里兹饭店吃着被推迟的早餐的人们都从他们的食物上抬起头。
Waiters and bellboys said, "What's that?"
服务员和侍应生都说：“那是什么声音?”
The man in charge of the Swan Boat was probably the most surprised man in Boston.
负责管理这艘天鹅游艇的男人大概是波士顿最吃惊的男人了。
He examined Louis's trumpet, his moneybag, his lifesaving medal, his slate, and his chalkpencil.
他仔细地看了看路易斯的小号，钱袋，救生奖章，石板，石笔。
Then he asked Louis what he wanted. Louis wrote on his slate: "Have trumpet. Need work."
然后他问路易斯他想要什么。路易斯在他的石板上写道：“我有小号。我要工作。”
"O.k.," said the Boatman. "You've got yourself a job.
“OK，”游艇老板说，“你有工作了。
A boat leaves here in five minutes for a trip around the lake.
一艘游艇每五分钟就会从这里开始绕全湖航行一圈。
Your job will be to swim in front of the boat, leading the way and blowing your horn."
你的工作是到时候游在船的前面，吹着你的喇叭做导航。”
"What salary do I get?" asked Louis on his slate.
“我能得到多少薪水?”路易斯在他的石板上问。
"We'll settle that later, when we see how you make out," said the Boatman. "This is just atryout."
“以后再定吧，等我们觉得你胜任时再说，”游艇老板说，“这只是一次试用。”
