第二天一早，萨姆就坐飞机离开了费城，那时离工作人员来动物园上班的时间还早着呢。

Louis and Serena went along with him to the airport. They wanted to wave good-bye.

路易斯和塞蕾娜跟他一起去了机场。他们想在此向他挥翅告别。

They also planned to leave Philadelphia, right then and there, and fly back to Montana.

他们打算一同离开费城，立刻就走，从那里直接飞回蒙大拿去。

When the airport officials saw two big white birds out on the airstrip, they raised a terrible fuss.

当机场工作人员看到两只白色大鸟来到机场跑道外时，产生了一阵可怕的骚乱。

The men in the control tower sent warning messages to the pilots of incoming planes.

控制塔上的那个男人向正在驾机驶入机场的飞行员发出了警告信息。

Members of the ground crew came piling out of buildings and rushed toward Louis and Serena to chase them away.

成群的地勤人员从大楼里走出，冲向路易斯和塞蕾娜，想要把他们赶走。

Sam was sitting by a window inside his plane, ready for takeoff, and he saw the whole thing.

萨姆正在机窗旁坐着，等飞机起飞，这一切他全看见了。

Louis grabbed his trumpet. "Off we go," he played, "into the wild blue yonder!"

路易斯抓起他的小号。“我们起飞了，”他吹道，“一直飞进辽远的蓝天！”

The notes carried across the airport and startled everyone.

音乐声越过了机场，使所有人都大吃一惊。

"Ko-hoh! Ko-hoh!" called Louis.

“吭—嗬！吭—嗬！”路易斯叫。

He put his trumpet away and started racing down the airstrip, with Serena racing after him.

他放下他的小号，开始沿着跑道奔跑，塞蕾娜也跟在后面跑。

Just then, Sam's plane started into the wind for the takeoff. The two swans flew alongside.

此时，萨姆的飞机滑入风中开始起飞了。两只天鹅比翼齐飞着。

They were in the air before the plane was, and flying fast.

他们比飞机抢先一步升上了天，飞行的速度也要快得多。

Sam waved from the window. Louis's lifesaving medal gleamed in the morning sun.

萨姆从机窗旁挥着手。路易斯的救生奖章在朝阳下闪着耀眼的光。

The plane rose and started to climb. Louis and Serena climbed fast, too.

飞机升高了，开始向上攀升。路易斯和塞蕾娜也在迅速地攀升。

"Good-bye, Philadelphia!" thought Louis. "Good-bye, Bird Lake! Good-bye, nightclub!"

“再见，费城！”路易斯想。“再见，鸟湖！再见，夜总会！”

The plane, with its greater speed, gained on the swans. They began to drop behind.

飞机以极快的速度，超过了这两只天鹅。他们开始落后了。

For a little while they headed west, following the plane.

他们跟在飞机后往西飞了一小会儿。

Then Louis motioned to Serena that he was going to change course.

然后路易斯提醒塞蕾娜，他要改变方向了。

He banked to the left and swung toward the south.

他斜身向左，然后又转身朝南飞去。

"We'll go home by the southern route and take our time about it," he said to himself.

“我们要往南边飞，不紧不慢地飞回家，”他自语。

And that's what they did. They flew south across Maryland and Virginia.

他们就是这么飞的。他们往南飞过马里兰州和弗吉尼亚州。

They flew south across the Carolinas.

他们往南飞过南北卡罗来纳州。

They spent a night in Yemassee and saw huge oak trees with moss hanging from their branches.

他们在雅马西城过了一夜，看到了树枝上挂着苔藓的巨大的橡树。

They visited the great swamps of Georgia and saw the alligator and listened to the mockingbird.

他们访问了乔治亚州的大沼泽，看到了美洲鳄，听到了反舌鸟的叫声。

They flew across Florida and spent a few days in a bayou where doves moaned in the cedars and little lizards crawled in the sun.

他们飞过了佛罗里达州，在长沼里住了几天，那里有在雪松间低吟的鸽子，还有在阳光下爬动的小蜥蜴。

They turned west into Louisiana. Then they turned north toward their home in Upper Red Rock Lake.

他们又转身向西，飞进路易斯安那州。然后他们再转身向北，朝他们上红石湖的老家飞去。

What a triumphant return it would be! When he left Montana, Louis had been penniless. Now he was rich.

这是怎样的凯旋啊！离开加拿大时，路易斯身无分文。现在他富有了。

When he left, he had been unknown. Now he was famous.

离开时，他默默无闻。现在他有名了。

When he left, he had been alone in the world. Now he had his bride by his side--the swan that he loved.

离开时，他形单影只地活在这个世上。现在他的身边有了他的新娘——他最爱的天鹅。

His medal was around his neck, his precious trumpet dangled in the breeze, his hard-earned money was in the bag.

他的奖章挂在他的脖子上，他那珍贵的小号在微风中摇晃着，他辛辛苦苦挣来的钱都在那个钱袋里。

He had accomplished what he had set out to do. All in a few short months!

他已经做完了他离开时要去做的事。这一切都发生在短短的几个月里！

Freedom felt so wonderful! Love felt so good!

自由的感觉真奇妙！爱情的感觉真美好！