应用型大学英语第四册unit2 参考译文

Text: A white heron 白鹭1 The forest was full of shadows as a little girl hurried through it one summer evening in June. It was already eight oclock and Sylvia wondered if her grandmother would be angry with her for being so late. 2 Every evening Sylvia left her grandmothers house at five thirty to bring their cow home. It was Sylvias job to bring the animal home to be milked. When the cow heard Sylvias voice calling her, she would hide among the bushes.1 六月的一个黄昏，森林里树影婆娑，一个小女孩正在其中匆匆穿行。已经是晚上八点了，西尔维娅想，这么晚回家，外婆会不会生气呢？2 每天傍晚五点半，西尔维娅就离开外婆家去把母牛牵回家。她的活就是把这头牲口赶回家挤奶。母牛听到西尔维娅叫她的声音时，老是躲到灌木丛中去。3 This evening it had taken Sylvia longer than usual to find her cow. The child hurried the cow through the dark forest, toward her grandmothers home. As the cow stopped at a small stream to drink, Sylvia put her bare feet in the cold, fresh water of the stream. 4 She had never before been alone in the forest as late as this. Sylvia felt as if she were a part of the gray shadows and the silver leaves that moved in the evening breeze.3 这天晚上，西尔维娅花了比平时更长的时间才找到母牛。小女孩赶着牛，匆匆穿过阴暗的树林，向外婆家走去。母牛在一条小溪边停下来饮水时，西尔维娅就把她的光脚浸在冰凉清澈的溪水中。4 她以前从未这么晚还独自一人呆在林子里。西尔维娅觉得自己仿佛与灰暗的树影和在晚风中摇曳的银色树叶融为一体了。5 It was only a year ago that she came to her grandmothers farm. Before that, she had lived with her mother and father in a dirty, crowded factory town. One day, Sylvias grandmother had visited them and had chosen Sylvia from all her brothers and sisters to come help her on her farm in Vermont. 5 她是一年前才来到外婆的农场。之前，她和父母住在一个肮脏拥挤的工业小镇。一天，西尔维娅的外婆来看望他们，在西尔维娅所有的兄弟姐妹中挑中了她，把她带回佛蒙特州的农场做帮手。6 The cow finished drinking, and as the nine-year-old child hurried through the forest, the air was suddenly cut by a sharp whistle not far away. Sylvia knew it wasnt a friendly birds whistle. She forgot the cow and hid in some bushes. But she was too late. 7 “Hello, little girl,” a young man called out cheerfully. “How far is it to the main road?” Sylvia was trembling as she whispered “two miles”. She came out of the bushes and looked up into the face of a tall young man carrying a gun.6 母牛喝完水后，这个九岁的小女孩继续在林中匆匆前行。突然，不远处传来一声尖锐的口哨声，打破了林中的宁静。西尔维娅知道，这不是鸟儿亲切的啼鸣。于是她不顾母牛，躲进了一丛灌木，但是已经太晚了。7 “嗨，小姑娘，这儿离大路有多远啊？”一个年轻人高兴地喊道。西尔维娅浑身颤抖，低声嗫嚅道：“两英里。”她从灌木丛中钻出来，抬头看到一个高高的小伙子，手里拿着一杆枪。8 The stranger began walking with Sylvia as she followed her cow through the forest. “Ive been hunting for birds,” he explained, “but Ive lost my way. Do you think I can spend the night at your house?” Sylvia didnt answer. She was glad she could see her grandmother standing near the door of the farm house.8 西尔维娅继续赶着母牛穿过森林，陌生人跟着她走。“我是来寻找鸟的，”他解释道，“但我迷了路，我能不能在你们家住一宿？”西尔维娅没有回答。她很高兴看到外婆正站在农舍门口等她。9 When they reached her, the stranger explained his problem to Sylvias smiling grandmother. 10 “Of course you can stay with us,” she said. “We dont have much, but youre welcome to share what we have. Now Sylvia, get a plate for the gentleman!” 9 他们走上前去，陌生人向西尔维娅的外婆说明了他的困境，外婆一脸笑意。10“您当然可以住在这里。”她说道，“我们不怎么富裕，但还是欢迎您和我们分享一切。好了，西尔维娅，给这位先生拿只盘子。”11 After eating, they all sat outside. The young man explained he was a bird collector. “Do you put them in a cage?” Sylvia asked. “No,” he answered slowly, “I shoot them and stuff them with special chemicals to preserve them. I have over one hundred different kinds of birds from all over the United States.” 12 “Sylvia knows a lot about birds, too,” her grandmother said proudly. “She knows the forest so well, the wild animals come and eat bread right out of her hands.”11 晚饭后，三人都坐到屋外。年轻人解释说他是个鸟类收藏家。“您把它们关在笼子里吗？”西尔维娅问道。“不，”他慢慢地回答，“我用枪把它们打下来，然后用一些专门的化学药物把它们制成标本保存起来。我已经有来自美国各地一百多种不同鸟类的标本了。”12 “西尔维娅对鸟也很熟悉。”外婆自豪地说，“她对这片林子了如指掌，野生动物甚至都会到她身边，吃她手里的面包。”13 “Maybe she can help me then,” the young man said. “I saw a white heron two days ago. Ive been looking for it ever since. Its a very rare bird. Have you seen it, too?” He asked Sylvia. But Sylvia was silent. “You would know it if you saw it,” he said. “Its a tall, strange bird with soft white feathers and long thin legs. It probably has its nest at the top of a tall tree.” 13 “这样或许她能帮帮我。”年轻人说，“两天前我看见一只白鹭，然后一直在寻找它，这种鸟非常少见。你见过它吗？”他问西尔维娅，但西尔维娅沉默不语。“只要见到它，你就会知道是它。”年轻人说，“这种鸟体型高大，非常奇特，羽毛又白又软，双腿细长。它很可能把巢筑在大树的顶端。”14 Sylvias heart began to beat fast. She had seen that strange white bird on the other side of the forest. The young man was staring at Sylvia. “I would give ten dollars to the person who showed me where it is.”15 That night Sylvias dreams were full of all the wonderful things she and her grandmother could buy for ten dollars. 14 西尔维娅的心开始狂跳，她在森林的另一头见过这只奇特的白鸟。年轻人盯着西尔维娅说：“谁能帮我找到那只鸟，我就付给她十美元。”15 那天晚上，西尔维娅的梦里尽是她和外婆用这十美元能买到的好东西。16 Sylvia spent the next day in the forest with the young man. He told her a lot about the birds they saw. Sylvia could not understand why he killed the birds he seemed to like so much. She felt her heart tremble every time he shot an unsuspecting bird as it was singing in the trees. 16 第二天，西尔维娅和年轻人在林子里呆了一整天。他告诉了她许多关于他们看到的鸟的事情。西尔维娅不明白，为什么他看起来这么喜爱这些鸟，但却要把它们杀死。每当他把一只毫无戒心正在唱歌的小鸟从枝头打落时，她的心都颤抖不已。17 Sylvia would have liked him vastly better without his gun; but as the day waned, Sylvia still watched the young man with loving admiration; the womans heart, asleep in the child, was vaguely thrilled by a dream of love. They stopped to listen to a birds song; they pressed forward again eagerly speaking to each other rarely and in whispers; Sylvia followed the young man, fascinated, a few steps behind, with her gray eyes dark with excitement.17 要是他手里没有枪，西尔维娅准会更加喜欢他。白日将尽，西尔维娅仍然满怀钦慕之情地注视着这个年轻人，沉睡在这个孩子心底的那颗女性之心被一种爱恋的梦幻轻轻地搅动了。他们时而停住脚步，聆听鸟儿的歌唱；时而拨开树枝向前急行，偶尔耳语几句。西尔维娅落后几步跟在年轻人的后面，心醉神迷，那双灰色的眼睛因兴奋而变得黑亮。18 Long after the moon came out and the young man had fallen asleep, Sylvia was still awake. She had a plan that would get the ten dollars for her grandmother and make the young man happy. When it was near sunrise, she quietly left her house and hurried through the forest. She finally reached a huge pine tree. Her plan was to climb to the top of the pine tree. She could see the whole forest from there. She was sure she would be able to see where the white heron had hidden its nest.18 月亮早己爬上树梢，年轻人也进入了梦乡，西尔维娅却无法入睡。她想出了一个主意，既能为外婆拿到十美元，又能让年轻人高兴。拂晓时分，她悄悄离开家，匆匆穿过森林，最后来到一棵大松树前。她打算爬到树顶，在那儿能看到整个森林。她确信在那里能看到白鹭隐蔽着的巢。19 Sylvias bare feet and tiny fingers grabbed the trees rough trunk. Sharp dry branches scratched at her like cats claws as she climbed higher and higher. 20 When Sylvia had at last reached the trees highest branch, the golden suns rays hit the green forest. Two hawks flew together in slow-moving circles far below Sylvia. Sylvia felt as if she could go flying among the clouds, too. 19 西尔维娅用赤脚和小手紧紧扒住粗糙的树干，越爬越高，松树尖硬的枝条像猫爪一样抓挠着她。20 西尔维娅终于攀上了松树最上面的一根枝桠，这时，金色的阳光倾泻而下，映照着整个青翠的森林。两只鹰在西尔维娅脚下很远的地方缓缓盘旋，西尔维娅觉得自己仿佛也能在白云间自由地飞翔。21 Suddenly Sylvia caught a flash of white that grew larger and larger. A bird with broad white wings and a long slender neck flew past Sylvia and landed on a pine branch below her. The white heron smoothed its feathers and called to its mate, sitting on their nest in a nearby tree. Then it flew away.21 突然，一道白光映入西尔维娅的眼帘，越来越大。那是一只有着白色大翅膀和细长脖子的鸟，它掠过西尔维娅，停在了她下面的一枝松桠上。这只白鹭理了理羽毛，对停在附近一棵树上的鸟巢里的同伴叫了一声，然后飞走了。22 Sylvia gave a long sigh. She knew the wild birds secret now. Slowly she began her dangerous trip down the ancient pine tree. She did not dare to look down and tried to forget that her fingers hurt and her feet were bleeding. All she wanted to think about was what the stranger would say to her when she told him where to find the herons nest. 22 西尔维娅长长地呼了一口气。现在她知道这只野鸟的秘密了。她开始慢慢地从这颗老松树上往下爬，可下去很危险，她都不敢往下看，只能尽量不去想受伤的手指和流血的双脚。她现在只想知道，当她把白鹭的巢在哪儿告诉年轻人的时候，他会对她说些什么。23 About an hour later Sylvia came back home. Both her grandmother and the young man stood up as she came into the kitchen. The splendid moment to speak about her secret had come, but Sylvia was silent. She remembered how the white heron came fly