吹小号的天鹅 第74期:费城(3)

Louis stepped back into the water, the boat's lineswere cast off, and Louis led the way.

路易斯回到水中时，船的缆绳已经解开了。路易斯忙游到前面导航。

He knew it was his last appearance with the SwanBoat, and he felt a little sad.

他知道这是他最后一次和天鹅游艇在一起了，因此他觉得有点儿伤感。

It was a warm, quiet Sunday afternoon, the lastSunday in September.

这是一个温暖的，宁静的星期日下午，也是九月里的最后一个星期日。

Louis played all his favorite tunes: "Lazy River," "Beautiful Dreamer," "Oh, Ever in the GreeningSpring,"

路易斯吹起了他喜爱的所有曲子：“缓缓的河”，“梦中的美人”，“哦，又到了绿色的春天”，

"Now the Day Is Over," and then, as the boat neared the dock, he raised his trumpet and blewtaps.

“现在白天已经过去”，最后，等船靠近码头的时候，他举起他的小号吹起了熄灯号。

The last note echoed from the walls of the Ritz and lingered over the Public Garden.

最后的旋律回荡在里兹的墙壁之间，盘旋在大众公园的上空。

It was a sad farewell. For the people of Boston, it meant the end of summer.

这是忧伤的别离之音。对波士顿人来说，这声音意味着夏天的结束。

For the Boatman, it meant the end of the best week of business he had ever had.

对游艇老板来说，这声音意味着他生意最好的这星期的结束。

For Louis, it meant the end of another chapter in his adventurous life,

对路易斯来说，这声音意味着他在外面的大世界里

out in the big world, trying to earn enough money to get his father and himself out of trouble.

为挣够钱解决他父亲和他自己的麻烦而开始的尝试告一段落，他的又一章冒险生涯也随之而宣告结束。

Louis slept peacefully that night, being very careful that his moneybag was safe.

那一晚，路易斯小心地守着他的钱袋，安静地睡了。

Next day he flew to Philadelphia to keep his appointment with Mr. Lucas, the man who had sentthe telegram.

第二天，他如约飞向费城，准备与卢卡斯先生，那个拍电报的人约会。

Louis had no trouble finding Philadelphia.

路易斯没费多大力气就找到了费城。

Almost anybody can find Philadelphia who tries.

如果尽力的话，差不多谁都能找得到费城。

Louis simply rose into the air with all his things around his neck,

路易斯就这么带着他脖子上的那些东西在天空中飞起来，

and when he was about a thousand feet high, he followed the railroad tracks to Providence,New London, New Haven,

等他差不多飞到一千英尺高时，便沿着火车道线一直往前飞，飞过了普罗维登斯，新伦敦，纽黑文，

Bridgeport, Stamford, Cos Cob, Greenwich, Port Chester, Rye, Mamaroneck, New Rochelle,Pelham, Mount Vernon, and the Bronx.

布里奇波特，斯坦福德，科斯科布，格林威治，切斯特港，拉伊，玛玛欧耐克，新罗歇尔，佩勒姆，弗农山，还有布朗克斯区这些地方。

When he saw the Empire State Building, he veered off to the right,

当他看到帝国大厦时，就转身向右，

crossed the Hudson River, and followed the railroad tracks to Newark and Trenton and pointssouth.

越过哈得逊河，又沿着铁路经过纽华克和塔伦顿，才一直往南飞去。

At half past four, he reached the Schuylkill River.

四点半时，他飞到了斯古吉尔河。

Just beyond, he spied the Philadelphia Zoo. Bird Lake looked very attractive from the air.

从那里又飞了一小会儿，他就看到了费城动物园。从空中鸟瞰下去，鸟湖显得格外有吸引力。

It was crowded with waterfowl of all kinds --ducks and geese mostly.

那里有成群的各种水鸟--最多的是鸭子和鹅。

Louis thought he also saw two or three swans.

路易斯觉得他也看到了两三只天鹅。

He circled, picked an open spot, and exactly at four fifty-two he splashed down.

他盘旋着，直到选好一块开阔地，才打着水花降落下来，那时刚好是四点五十二分。

His trumpet banged against his slate, his slate knocked against his medal,

他的小号撞着他的石板，他的石板敲着他的奖章，

his medal rapped against his chalk pencil, and his chalk pencil on its string wound itselfaround his moneybag.

他的奖章碰着他的石笔，他那用绳子栓住的石笔绕在他的钱袋上。

All in all, the splashdown caused quite a commotion.

总之，他的空降完全引起了一通大乱。

The ducks and geese were not expecting anything like this to happen

鸭子和鹅们从没料到会发生这种事儿

a big white Trumpeter Swan dropping down out of the sky, loaded with personal possessions.

居然会有一只白白的大号手天鹅带着他的许多私人物品从天上掉下来。

Louis paid no attention to the other birds. He had a date to keep.

路易斯没去在意其他的鸟儿。他还有个约会要赴呢。