吹小號的天鵝 第51期:救援(2)

One morning when Sam was playing tennis withApplegate Skinner, Sam heard a clanking noise.

一天早上，在和阿普爾蓋特·斯金納打網(wǎng)球時，薩姆聽到了一種叮當聲。

He looked behind him, and there, coming out of thewoods, was a skunk.

他朝身后看去，發(fā)現(xiàn)了一只正從森林中走出的臭鼬。

The skunk's head was stuck in a tin can;

這只臭鼬的頭卡到一個罐頭盒子里去了;

he couldn't see where he was going.

所以他看不到自己身在何處了。

He kept bumping into trees and rocks, and the can went clank, clank, clank.

他老是撞上樹木和巖石，那罐頭盒子也就跟著叮當，叮當，叮當?shù)仨憘€不停。

"That skunk is in trouble," said Sam, laying down his racquet.

“這只臭鼬有麻煩了，”薩姆說著，放下他的球拍。

"He's been to the dump, looking for food.

“他本來一直在垃圾堆里找東西吃的。

He poked his head into that empty can, and now he can't get it out."

可是卻不小心把頭鉆到了空罐頭盒里，現(xiàn)在他拔不出來了。”

The word spread quickly through camp that a skunk had arrived.

營地里來了一只臭鼬的消息很快就被傳開了。

The boys came running to see the fun.

男孩子們都跑過來看熱鬧。

Mr. Brickle warned them not to get too close--the skunk might squirt them with perfume.

布里克先生警告他們別靠得太近--臭鼬也許會放臭氣薰他們的。

So the boys danced around, keeping their distance and holding their noses.

于是男孩們只好在周圍蹦著高兒，讓自己和臭鼬保持著一定的距離，還捏住了他們的鼻子。

The big question was how to get the can off the skunk's head without getting squirted.

最難的是怎樣才能既把那個罐頭盒子從臭鼬頭上拉下來又不會被臭氣襲擊。

"He's going to need help," said Sam. "That skunk will starve to death if we don't get that canoff."

“他現(xiàn)在需要幫助，”薩姆說，“如果我們不能把罐頭盒子拽下來，那只臭鼬就會活活餓死的。”

All the boys had suggestions.

所有的男孩子們都發(fā)表了各自的意見。

One boy said they should make a bow and arrow, tie a string to the arrow, and shoot thearrow at the can.

一個男孩說他們應該打造一副弓箭，然后在箭上系一根繩子，朝那罐頭盒子射上一箭。

Then, when they hit the can, they could pull the string and the can would come off the skunk'shead.

等他們射中后，他們就去拉那根繩子，罐頭盒子就能離開臭鼬的頭了。

Nobody thought much of that suggestion--it sounded like too much work.

大家都沒把這個意見放在心上——它聽起來太麻煩了。

Another boy suggested that two boys climb a tree,

另一個男孩建議讓兩個男孩爬到樹上去，

and one boy could hang by his feet from the other boy's hands,

再讓一個男孩用雙手抓住另一個男孩的雙腳把他倒掛下去，

and when the skunk walked under the tree, the boy who was hanging by his feet could reachdown and pull the can off,

等到這只臭鼬走到那棵樹下，掛在那里的男孩就可以伸手把罐頭盒子拉下來，

and if the skunk squirted, the perfume wouldn't hit the boy because he would be hanging inthe air.

這樣一來，即使臭鼬放臭氣，也薰不到那個男孩，因為他正在空中懸著呢。

Nobody thought much of that suggestion.

這個建議也沒人太在意。

Mr. Brickle didn't like it at all.

布里克先生根本不贊同這個主意。

He said it was extremely impractical and furthermore he wouldn't permit it.

他說這個想法太不合實際，再說他也不允許這么干。

Another boy suggested that they get a block of wood, smear it with glue,

又一個男孩子建議說他們該找塊木頭來，把它抹上膠水，

and when the skunk knocked against it, the can would stick to the block of wood.

當這只臭鼬撞到那塊木頭上時，那個罐頭盒子就會被木頭粘下來。

Nobody thought much of that suggestion.

更沒人贊許這個建議。

Mr. Brickle said he didn't have any glue anyway.

布里克先生根本不贊同這主意。他說他根本就沒有什么膠水。