The afternoon was warm; the sun was bright.
這個(gè)下午很溫暖,太陽(yáng)也很明亮。
The swan decided she could safely leave her eggs for a few minutes.
雌天鵝覺(jué)得暫時(shí)離開(kāi)她的蛋,出去幾分鐘也不會(huì)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.
于是她站了起來(lái)。她先把一些松散的羽毛推到蛋的周?chē)阉鼈冸[蔽起來(lái),并使它們?cè)谒辉诘臅r(shí)候也能得到溫暖。
Then she stepped off the nest and entered the water.
然后她走出窩來(lái)到水里。
She took several quick drinks.
她很快地喝了幾口水。
Then she glided over to a shallow place, thrust her head underwater, and pulled up tender greens from the bottom.
接著,她游到了一個(gè)水淺的地方,把頭伸到水下,從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,她又往身上潑了點(diǎn)水,洗了個(gè)澡。
Then she waddled out onto a grassy bank and stood there, preening her feathers.
最后,她搖搖擺擺地上到一處長(zhǎng)滿青草的岸邊,站在那里,用嘴梳理自己的羽毛
The swan felt good.
雌天鵝感到很愜意。
She had no idea that an enemy was near.
她不知道有一個(gè)敵人就在她的附近。
She failed to notice the Red Fox as he watched her from his hiding place behind a clump of bushes.
她沒(méi)發(fā)現(xiàn)那只正躲在一從灌木后面打量著她的赤狐。
The fox had been attracted to the pond by the sound of splashing water.
這只狐貍是被池塘里的潑水聲引過(guò)來(lái)的,
He hoped he would find a goose.
他本盼望著能發(fā)現(xiàn)一只鵝。
Now he sniffed the air and smelled the swan.
此刻,他嗅了嗅,聞出了天鵝的氣味。
Her back was turned, so he began creeping slowly toward her.
她恰好轉(zhuǎn)過(guò)了身子,于是他便躡手躡腳地朝她慢慢靠近。
She would be too big for him to carry, but he decided he would kill her anyway and get a taste of blood.
對(duì)他來(lái)說(shuō),她的個(gè)頭兒太大了,很難被叼走,可他還是決定要不惜一切代價(jià)把她殺死,嘗嘗血的美味。
The cob, her husband, was still floating on the pond. He spied the fox first.
她的丈夫雄天鵝還浮在池塘里。他最先發(fā)現(xiàn)了那只狐貍。
"Look out!" he trumpeted.
“當(dāng)心!”他吹起了號(hào),
"Look out for the fox, who is creeping toward you even as I speak, his eyes bright, his bushy tail out straight, his mind lusting for blood, his belly almost touching the ground!
“當(dāng)心那只狐貍,他正在偷偷地靠近你,甚至在我對(duì)你說(shuō)話的這工夫也是!他的眼睛泛著兇光,他的多毛的尾巴直豎起來(lái)了,他的心正在渴望血,他的肚子差不多都貼到地上了!
You are in grave danger, and we must act immediately."
你正在極度的危險(xiǎn)之中,我們必須馬上采取行動(dòng)。”
While the cob was making this elegant speech of warning, something happened that surprised everybody.
當(dāng)雄天鵝還在發(fā)表他那文辭優(yōu)美的示警演說(shuō)時(shí),一件令大家大吃一驚的事情發(fā)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.
就在那只狐貍跳起來(lái)咬向雌天鵝脖子的剎那,一根樹(shù)枝帶著呼嘯聲飛了過(guò)去。
It struck the fox full on the nose, and he turned and ran away.
它重重地打到了狐貍的鼻子上,痛得他急忙轉(zhuǎn)身逃開(kāi)了。
The two swans couldn't imagine what had happened.
兩只天鵝還沒(méi)來(lái)得及弄清剛才發(fā)生了什么事呢。
Then they noticed a movement in the bushes.
接著他們才注意到灌木叢里有動(dòng)靜。
Out stepped Sam Beaver, the boy who had visited them a month ago.
從那里面走出來(lái)的正是薩姆·比弗,一個(gè)月前訪問(wèn)過(guò)他們的那個(gè)男孩子。
Sam was grinning.
薩姆正在咧嘴笑著。
In his hand he held another stick, in case the fox should return.
他的手里還握著一根樹(shù)枝,以防狐貍再次回來(lái)。
But the fox was in no mood to return.
可那只狐貍再?zèng)]有回來(lái)的興致了。
He had a very sore nose, and he had lost his appetite for fresh swan.
他的鼻子太疼了,而且也失去了對(duì)新鮮天鵝肉的胃口。