吹小号的天鹅 第100期:比林斯(3)

 The cob had been seen already by people down below.

雄天鹅早已被下面的人们发现了。

One of the salesmen in the music store was standing¹ by the front window, looking out.

乐器店的一个店员正站在前面的橱窗旁，往外观察着。

When he saw the big white bird approaching, he yelled to the storekeeper: "Large bird approaching. Get your gun!"

他一看到这只正在靠近的白色大鸟，就对店主大叫道：“大鸟来了，准备好你的枪！”

The storekeeper grabbed his shotgun and raced to the sidewalk.

店主抓起他的鸟枪跑上了人行道。

The cob was low in the sky, gliding² straight for the store. The storekeeper raised his gun.

雄天鹅正低飞着，朝乐器店滑翔。店主举起了他的枪。

He fired both barrels in quick succession. The old cob felt a twinge of pain in his left shoulder.

他迅速地连发了两枪。老雄天鹅感到他的左肩那里有一阵剧痛。

Thoughts of death filled his mind. Looking back, he saw a bright red drop of blood staining his breast.

他心里顿时充满了许多和死亡有关的思考。他回过头，发现一滴鲜血正在把胸口染红。

But he kept going, straight for the storekeeper.

可他还是继续朝着店主飞去。

"The end is near," he said to himself.

“末日临近了，”他自语，

"I shall die in the performance of duty.

“我将在履行职责的时候死去。

I have only a few moments remaining to live. Man, in his folly³, has given me a mortal wound.

我只能再活一会儿了。这个男人，由于他的愚蠢，使我受到了致命伤。

The red blood flows in a steady trickle⁴ from my veins⁵. My strength fails.

鲜血不断地从我的静脉里流出来了。我没有力气了。

But even in death's final hour, I shall deliver the money for the trumpet⁶.

不过，即使在这最后的死亡时刻，我也要先还清那笔小号钱。

Good-bye, life! Good-bye, beautiful world! Good-bye, little lakes in the north!

再见了，生命！再见了，美好的世界！再见了，北方的小湖！

Farewell, springtimes I have known, with their passion and ardor⁷!

永别了，我所熟悉的充满激情的春天！

Farewell, loyal wife and loving sons and daughters!

永别了，我忠诚的妻子和心爱的儿女们！

I, who am about to die, salute⁸ you. I must die gracefully⁹, as only a swan can."

将要步入死亡的我，在此向你们致意了。我一定要优雅的死去，就像只有天鹅才能做到的那样。”

With that, he sank to the sidewalk, held out the moneybag and the slate¹⁰ to the astonished storekeeper,

这么想着，他扑到人行道上，把钱袋和石板交给那个惊讶万分的店主，

and fainted away at the sight of his own blood.

又看了看自己身上的血，然后才昏死过去。

He lay limp on the sidewalk, to all appearances a dying swan.

他软绵绵地躺在人行道上，和一只濒死的天鹅已经没有丝毫的分别了。

A crowd quickly gathered.

人们很快地聚拢过来。

"What's this?" exclaimed the storekeeper, bending over the bird. "What's going on here?"

“这是什么？”那个店主在这只鸟的身边弯下腰，惊叫道。“这里都发生了什么事呀？”

He quickly read the note on the slate.

他很快地读完了那个写在石板上的便条。

Then he tore open the moneybag and began pulling out hundred-dollar bills and fifty-dollar bills.

然后他拉开钱袋掏出了那些一百美元和五十美元的票子。

1 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

2 gliding   

v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的

参考例句：

• Swans went gliding past. 天鹅滑行而过。
• The weather forecast has put a question mark against the chance of doing any gliding tomorrow. 天气预报对明天是否能举行滑翔表示怀疑。

3 folly   

n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话

参考例句：

• Learn wisdom by the folly of others.从别人的愚蠢行动中学到智慧。
• Events proved the folly of such calculations.事情的进展证明了这种估计是愚蠢的。

4 trickle   

vi.淌，滴，流出，慢慢移动，逐渐消散

参考例句：

• The stream has thinned down to a mere trickle.这条小河变成细流了。
• The flood of cars has now slowed to a trickle.汹涌的车流现在已经变得稀稀拉拉。

5 veins   

n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理

参考例句：

• The blood flows from the capillaries back into the veins. 血从毛细血管流回静脉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I felt a pleasant glow in all my veins from the wine. 喝过酒后我浑身的血都热烘烘的，感到很舒服。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 trumpet   

n.喇叭，喇叭声；v.吹喇叭，吹嘘

参考例句：

• He plays the violin, but I play the trumpet.他拉提琴，我吹喇叭。
• The trumpet sounded for battle.战斗的号角吹响了。

7 ardor   

n.热情，狂热

参考例句：

• His political ardor led him into many arguments.他的政治狂热使他多次卷入争论中。
• He took up his pursuit with ardor.他满腔热忱地从事工作。

8 salute   

vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮

参考例句：

• Merchant ships salute each other by dipping the flag.商船互相点旗致敬。
• The Japanese women salute the people with formal bows in welcome.这些日本妇女以正式的鞠躬向人们施礼以示欢迎。

9 gracefully   

ad.大大方方地；优美地

参考例句：

• She sank gracefully down onto a cushion at his feet. 她优雅地坐到他脚旁的垫子上。
• The new coats blouse gracefully above the hip line. 新外套在臀围线上优美地打着褶皱。

10 slate   

n.板岩，石板，石片，石板色，候选人名单；adj.暗蓝灰色的，含板岩的；vt.用石板覆盖，痛打，提名，预订

参考例句：

• The nominating committee laid its slate before the board.提名委员会把候选人名单提交全体委员会讨论。
• What kind of job uses stained wood and slate? 什么工作会接触木头污浊和石板呢？