海边红树
重新开动博客，摄影欣赏。
读《The Trumpet Of The Swan》(4)
刚开始读《吹小号的天鹅》故事的时候，还以为小学生萨姆是故事里的主角，随着故事的发展，才发现小天鹅露易斯才是真正的主角。作者在书里不止一次的描写了小天鹅的心理活动，从中衬托出了露易斯的性格是豁达和坚强的。当露易斯知道自己的声带有缺陷的时候，它是懊恼的。但是，露易斯没有放弃希望和努力，而是去思索解决的途径，怎样才能弥补不能发音的缺陷？它决定去寻找小男孩萨姆帮忙；经过了一番的寻找之后，它终于找到了萨姆。
萨姆读过不少有关鸟类的书籍，且喜欢和鸟类做朋友。当萨姆明白了露易斯想要学习读写的念头后，就把露易斯带到了学校。学校的老师开始是拒绝的，是啊！天鹅怎么可以进课堂呢？于是，老师几次去测试露易斯的智力，让大家出乎意料的是，小天鹅露易斯非常的聪明，可以照葫芦画瓢写出黑板上的字，后来老师就破格的收下了这个鸟学生。经过了数月的学习后，小天鹅离开了学校后，就回到了父母的身边。露易斯在寻觅配偶的时候，受到了心仪天鹅姑娘的冷落，虽然它在小石板上写下“我爱你”的字，可是天鹅姑娘根本是什么意思，天鹅姑娘游向池塘别处。
那一情景恰好被躲在草丛中的天鹅母亲看到了，伤心的母天鹅把这件事情告诉了雄天鹅。于是，雄天鹅决定去乐器商店偷一个喇叭给儿子，让露易斯学会吹喇叭，然后用喇叭声传达自己的心声。
“A few days after the swans arrived at their winter home on the Red Rock Lakes. Louis had an idea. He decided that since he was unable to use his voice, he should learn to read and write. Then I will hang a small slate around my neck and carry a chalk pencil. In that way ，I will be able to communicate with anybody who can read. ”
几天之后，天鹅们到达了红岩石湖越冬之地。露易斯想到了一个主意。它决定，既然自己无法发声，就应该去学习读写。这样一来，它就可以在脖子上挂个小石板，随身带着一支粉笔。这样，它就能和别的天鹅进行交流了。
Next morning, when his parents were not looking, Louis took off into the air.
第二天，趁它父母不注意的时候，露易斯腾空飞走了。
He took to the air and circled around, flying low and looking carefully at every boy in sight. He saw a ranch house where a boy was splitting wood near the kitchen door. The boy had black hair, Louis glided down.
露易斯在低空飞行，盘旋着，仔细打量着视线范围内的每一个男孩。它看见一处牧场住宅，厨房门外有个男孩正在劈柴。那个男孩留着黑发，露易斯便滑翔着降落了下去。
“I know you, ”said Sam.“You're the one that never said anything and used to pull my shoelaces.”
我知道你，你就是那个从来不说话，以前总爱拉我鞋带的小天鹅。
“Next morning, Sam took Louis to school with him. Sam introduced him to the teacher of the first grade, Mrs. Hammerbotham, who was short and fat, Sam explained that Louis wanted to read and write， because he was unable to make any sound with his throat.”
第二天早上，萨姆带着露易斯去了学校，把它介绍给了一年级老师汉博瑟姆，一位又矮又胖的老师。萨姆向老师解释说，露易斯想要学习读写，因为它的喉咙无法发出任何声音。
The teacher stared at Louis. Then she shook her head and said, “no birds.”
老师盯着露易斯，然后摇摇头说道：课堂里不接受天鹅。
The teacher picked up a piece of chalk and made a big A onthe blackboard.
老师拿起一支粉笔在黑板上写下一个字母A。
“Now you try it, Louis.”said teacher.
老师对露易斯说：你试一下。
Louis grabbed a piece of chalk in his bill and drew a perfec A right under the one teacher had drawn.
露易斯用嘴叼着粉笔在老师写的A字下面写下了A。
"You see ?" said Sam。 “He's an unusual bird.”
“你看， 它是一个不寻常的天鹅。”
When Louis 's father and mother discovered that Louis was missing, they felt awful.
当露易斯的父母发现露易斯不见了，它们感觉很焦虑。
"Spring followed winter; Summer followed spring. A year went by, and it was springtime again. Still no sign of Louis. Then one morning when Louis's grown-up brothers were playing a game of water polo, one of them looked up and saw a swan approaching in the sky."
冬去春来，春去夏至。一年过去了，春天又到了。却始终不见露易斯的踪影。这一天早晨，当露易斯一块长大的弟兄姊妹们正在玩水球时，其中的一个抬头望去，看见一只天鹅正从天空中飞来。
"It's Louis!" said the cob. "But what is that peculiar little object hanging around his neck by a string ? What is that?"
“是露易斯，”雄天鹅说道。接着又说：“不过，那个用绳子挂在他脖子上的奇特小物件究竟是什么呢？”
"Welcome back, Louis!" His family was overjoyed. He had been gone for a year and a half-almost eighteen months. He looked older and handsome. Hanging by a cord around his neck was a small slate. Attached to the slate by a piece of string was a white chalk pencil.
欢迎回来，露易斯。他的家任欣喜万分。露易斯离开已有一年半-算来整整18个月。它看上去既成熟又潇洒。在脖子上挂着一个小石板，石板上用的一根细绳系着一个白色粉笔。
For birds, spring is the time to find a mate. The males begin to notice the females. Whenever he swam past one female swan, he thought he had never seen such a beautiful young female swan. Her name was Serena. Louis swam up to Serena，taking the chalk pencil in his mouth, he wrote"I love you" on the slate and showed it to her. She stared at it for a moment, then swam away. She didn't know how to read, she couldn't really get interested in a bird that was unable to say anything.
对于天鹅来说，春天是寻找配偶的季节。雄天鹅开始留意雌天鹅。每当露易斯游过一只雌天鹅身边时，他都觉得从未见过如此美丽的雌天鹅。她的名字叫塞雷娜。露易斯游向塞雷娜，嘴里衔着一支粉笔，在石板上写下“我爱你”几个字，并展示给她看。她盯着石板看了一会儿，随即游开了。她不认识字，对于一只无法发声的天鹅，她实在提不起兴趣。
When Louis's mother saw this, she went to her husband, the cob. “Your son Louis is in love, the female of his desiring, pays no attention to him. Louis won't be able to get mate because he has no voice, he can't say 'Ko-hoh.'”
当露易斯的妈妈看到这种情景后，便去找她的丈夫：“你儿子露易斯恋爱了， 但是他心仪的姑娘却对露易斯反应冷漠， 露易斯恐怕找不到配偶了，因为他没有嗓音，发不出‘科-霍’Ko-hoh的叫声。”
"There are devices made by men-horns, trumpets, musical instruments of all sorts. These devices are capable of producing sounds similar to the wild sound of our trumpeting. I shall find it at last and bring it home to Louis."
有些是人造的器具--号角，小号以及各式各样的乐器。这些器具能发出与我们鸣叫声相似的声响。我终会找到它，并把它带回家给露易斯。
待续
