吹小号的天鹅 第10期:一个拜访者(4)

 　　The afternoon was warm; the sun was bright.

　　这个下午很温暖，太阳也很明亮。

　　The swan decided¹ she could safely leave her eggs for a few minutes.

　　雌天鹅觉得暂时离开她的蛋，出去几分钟也不会有事。

　　She stood up. First she pushed some loose feathers around the eggs, hiding them from view and giving them a warm covering in her absence.

　　于是她站了起来。她先把一些松散的羽毛推到蛋的周围，把它们隐蔽起来，并使它们在她不在的时候也能得到温暖。

　　Then she stepped off the nest and entered the water.

　　然后她走出窝来到水里。

　　She took several quick drinks.

　　她很快地喝了几口水。

　　吹小号的天鹅

　　Then she glided² over to a shallow place, thrust her head underwater, and pulled up tender greens from the bottom.

　　接着，她游到了一个水浅的地方，把头伸到水下，从水底叼出一些柔嫩的水生植物。

　　She next took a bath by tossing water over herself.

　　接下去，她又往身上泼了点水，洗了个澡。

　　Then she waddled³ out onto a grassy⁴ bank and stood there, preening⁵ her feathers.

　　最后，她摇摇摆摆地上到一处长满青草的岸边，站在那里，用嘴梳理自己的羽毛

　　The swan felt good.

　　雌天鹅感到很惬意。

　　She had no idea that an enemy was near.

　　她不知道有一个敌人就在她的附近。

　　She failed to notice the Red Fox as he watched her from his hiding place behind a clump⁶ of bushes.

　　她没发现那只正躲在一从灌木后面打量着她的赤狐。

　　The fox had been attracted to the pond by the sound of splashing water.

　　这只狐狸是被池塘里的泼水声引过来的，

　　He hoped he would find a goose.

　　他本盼望着能发现一只鹅。

　　Now he sniffed⁷ the air and smelled the swan.

　　此刻，他嗅了嗅，闻出了天鹅的气味。

　　Her back was turned, so he began creeping slowly toward her.

　　她恰好转过了身子，于是他便蹑手蹑脚地朝她慢慢靠近。

　　She would be too big for him to carry, but he decided he would kill her anyway and get a taste of blood.

　　对他来说，她的个头儿太大了，很难被叼走，可他还是决定要不惜一切代价把她杀死，尝尝血的美味。

　　The cob, her husband, was still floating on the pond. He spied the fox first.

　　她的丈夫雄天鹅还浮在池塘里。他最先发现了那只狐狸。

　　"Look out!" he trumpeted⁸.

　　“当心！”他吹起了号，

　　"Look out for the fox, who is creeping toward you even as I speak, his eyes bright, his bushy tail out straight, his mind lusting⁹ for blood, his belly¹⁰ almost touching¹¹ the ground!

　　“当心那只狐狸，他正在偷偷地靠近你，甚至在我对你说话的这工夫也是！他的眼睛泛着凶光，他的多毛的尾巴直竖起来了，他的心正在渴望血，他的肚子差不多都贴到地上了！

　　You are in grave danger, and we must act immediately."

　　你正在极度的危险之中，我们必须马上采取行动。”

　　While the cob was making this elegant speech of warning, something happened that surprised everybody.

　　当雄天鹅还在发表他那文辞优美的示警演说时，一件令大家大吃一惊的事情发生了。

　　Just as the fox was about to spring and sink his teeth in the swan's neck, a stick came hurtling through the air.

　　就在那只狐狸跳起来咬向雌天鹅脖子的刹那，一根树枝带着呼啸声飞了过去。

　　It struck the fox full on the nose, and he turned and ran away.

　　它重重地打到了狐狸的鼻子上，痛得他急忙转身逃开了。

　　The two swans couldn't imagine what had happened.

　　两只天鹅还没来得及弄清刚才发生了什么事呢。

　　Then they noticed a movement in the bushes.

　　接着他们才注意到灌木丛里有动静。

　　Out stepped Sam Beaver¹², the boy who had visited them a month ago.

　　从那里面走出来的正是萨姆·比弗，一个月前访问过他们的那个男孩子。

　　Sam was grinning.

　　萨姆正在咧嘴笑着。

　　In his hand he held another stick, in case the fox should return.

　　他的手里还握着一根树枝，以防狐狸再次回来。

　　But the fox was in no mood to return.

　　可那只狐狸再没有回来的兴致了。

　　He had a very sore nose, and he had lost his appetite for fresh swan.

　　他的鼻子太疼了，而且也失去了对新鲜天鹅肉的胃口。

1 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

2 glided   

v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔

参考例句：

• The President's motorcade glided by. 总统的车队一溜烟开了过去。
• They glided along the wall until they were out of sight. 他们沿着墙壁溜得无影无踪。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 waddled   

v.（像鸭子一样）摇摇摆摆地走( waddle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• A family of ducks waddled along the river bank. 一群鸭子沿河岸摇摇摆摆地走。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The stout old man waddled across the road. 那肥胖的老人一跩一跩地穿过马路。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 grassy   

adj.盖满草的；长满草的

参考例句：

• They sat and had their lunch on a grassy hillside.他们坐在长满草的山坡上吃午饭。
• Cattle move freely across the grassy plain.牛群自由自在地走过草原。

5 preening   

v.（鸟）用嘴整理（羽毛）( preen的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Will you stop preening yourself in front of the mirror? 你别对着镜子打扮个没完行不行？
• She was fading, while he was still preening himself in his elegance and youth. 她已显老，而他却仍然打扮成翩翩佳公子。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

6 clump   

n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走

参考例句：

• A stream meandered gently through a clump of trees.一条小溪从树丛中蜿蜒穿过。
• It was as if he had hacked with his thick boots at a clump of bluebells.仿佛他用自己的厚靴子无情地践踏了一丛野风信子。

7 sniffed   

v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说

参考例句：

• When Jenney had stopped crying she sniffed and dried her eyes. 珍妮停止了哭泣，吸了吸鼻子，擦干了眼泪。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The dog sniffed suspiciously at the stranger. 狗疑惑地嗅着那个陌生人。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 trumpeted   

大声说出或宣告（trumpet的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Soldiers trumpeted and bugled. 士兵们吹喇叭鸣号角。
• The radio trumpeted the presidential campaign across the country. 电台在全国范围大力宣传总统竞选运动。

9 lusting   

贪求（lust的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• Is your husband lusting after the au pair? 你的丈夫是否正对来家打工的留学女生暗送秋波？
• He is lusting after you. 他在追求你。

10 belly   

n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛

参考例句：

• The boss has a large belly.老板大腹便便。
• His eyes are bigger than his belly.他眼馋肚饱。

11 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

12 beaver   

n.海狸，河狸

参考例句：

• The hat is made of beaver.这顶帽子是海狸毛皮制的。
• A beaver is an animals with big front teeth.海狸是一种长着大门牙的动物。