"O boys, boys, don't throw stones at that poor bird, " said an old gray-headed man. “噢，孩子们，孩子们，不要拿石头扔向那只可怜的小鸟，”一位头发花白的老者说道。

"Why, sir, " said a little fellow, "she makes such a squalling, that we can't bear her." “为什么呢？”一个小伙伴说，“它叫得很难听，我们受不了了。”

Yes; but she uses the voice which God gave her, and it is probably as pleasant to her friends as yours is to those who love you.  是叫得难听，但是它的嗓子是上帝赋予的，你们能成为朋友更好。

And, besides, I am afraid the stone will rebound, and hurt you as long as you live! 此外，我怕石头会反弹，只要你活着你就会被伤到！

Rebound! We don't understand you, sir! 反弹！我们不明白您在说什么！

Well, come and I will tell you a story. 好吧，过来，我给你们讲个故事。

Is it a true story? 是个真实的故事吗？

Yes; every word is true. 是的，字字真言。

Fifty years ago, I was a boy like you. I used to throw stones, and as I had no other boy very near me to play with,  四十年前，我是一个像你们这样的男孩。我过去也经常乱扔石头，因为我当时附近没有玩伴，

I threw them till I became very accurate in my aim. 所以我一直都玩扔石头，直到我找到了我想要的东西。

One day I went to work for an aged couple of the name of Hamilton. They seemed very old people then.  一天，我去给年迈的汉密尔顿夫妇做事，他们当时看起来已经很老了。

They were very kind to everybody and everything. Few had so many swallows making their nests under the roofs of their barns;  他们对每件事每个人都非常好。他们家的谷仓屋檐下有很多燕子窝；

few had so many pets that seemed to love them, as they. 他们家也有很多宠物，这些当时没人比得上他们。

For seven years a bird had come, after the long winter was over, and built her nest in the same place,  有一只鸟已经在那住了七年，漫长的冬天过后，它们依旧在原处筑巢，

and there reared her young ones. She had just returned on the day that I went there to work, and they welcomed her heartily.  并且还带回来了一只小燕子。我去那工作那天鸟儿正回来，汉密尔顿夫妇热情地欢迎它的回归。

She hopped about, as if glad to get back. 它在空中盘旋了一下，好像在表达回家的喜悦之情。