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He approached the pond cautiously, his field glasses slung over his shoulder.
肩上掛著野外望遠鏡的他，小心地靠近了池塘。
It was still only a little after seven o'clock; the sun was pale, the air was chill. The morning smelled delicious.
那時才剛過七點；太陽還不那么刺眼，空氣中仍有股寒意。清晨的氣息真叫人心醉呀。
When he reached his log, Sam sat down and adjusted his glasses.
他來到他那根木頭旁邊，坐下來，開始調野外望遠鏡的焦距。
Seen through the glasses, the nesting swan appeared to be only a few feet away.
從野外望遠鏡里看去，那個天鵝窩離這里似乎只有幾步遠。
She was sitting very close, not moving.
她正牢牢地坐著，身子一動沒動。
The cob was nearby. Both birds were listening and waiting.
雄天鵝就在附近。這兩只鳥兒都在傾聽和期待著。
Both birds saw Sam, but they didn't mind his being there--in fact, they rather liked it.
兩只鳥兒也看到了薩姆，但他們對他的出現并不介意--實際上，他們還相當高興。
They were surprised at the field glasses, though.
不過，他們對那野外望遠鏡卻感到很驚奇。
"The boy seems to have very big eyes today," whispered the cob. "His eyes are enormous."
“這個男孩兒今天似乎長了一雙很大的眼睛，”雄天鵝低語，“他的眼睛太龐大了。”
"I think those big eyes are actually a pair of field glasses," replied the swan.
“我認為那雙大眼睛其實是一副野外望遠鏡的，”雌天鵝回答，
"I'm not sure, but I think that when a person looks through field glasses, everything appears closer and bigger."
“我說不準，不過我猜當一個人從野外望遠鏡里往外看的時候，看到的一切都會變得更近更大。”
"Will the boy's glasses make me appear even larger than I am?" asked the cob, hopefully.
“這個男孩子的野外望遠鏡能讓我變得甚至比平時更高大嗎？”雄天鵝渴切地問。
"I think so," said the swan.
“我想是這樣的。”雌天鵝說。
"Oh, well, I like that," said the cob. "I like that very much.
“噢，妙呀，我喜歡這樣，”雄天鵝說，“我太喜歡了。
Perhaps the boy's glasses will make me appear not only larger than I am but even more graceful than I am. Do you think so?"
可能這個男孩子的野外望遠鏡不但會令我變得比平時高大，甚至還能讓我變得比平時更優雅呢。你怎么看？”
"It's possible," said his wife, "but it's not likely.
“也許吧，”他的妻子說，“不過那不太可能。
You'd better not get too graceful --it might go to your head. You're quite a vain bird."
你還是不要變得太優雅的好--那可能會讓你頭腦發熱的。你本來就是一只自負的鳥兒。”
"All swans are vain," said the cob.
“所有的天鵝都自負，”雄天鵝說，
"It is right for swans to feel proud, graceful--that's what swans are for."
“天鵝們有資格自傲，至于優雅嘛——那正是天鵝們該追求的。”
Sam could not make out what the swans were saying; he merely knew they were having a conversation, and just hearing them talk stirred his blood.
薩姆聽不出天鵝們說的都是什么；他僅僅知道他們正在交談而已，可光是聽著他們的聲音，他就熱血沸騰了。
It satisfied him to be keeping company with these two great birds in the wilderness. He was perfectly happy.
能在野外和這兩只大鳥在一起，他的心里非常滿足。他簡直幸福到了極點。
In midmorning, when the sun had gained the sky, Sam lifted his glasses again and focused them on the nest.
上午十點左右，太陽升到半空里的時候，薩姆又舉起他的野外望遠鏡，對準天鵝窩看去。
At last he saw what he had come to see: a tiny head, thrusting through the mother's feathers, the head of a baby Trumpeter.
他終于看到了他一直渴望見到的東西：一個小腦袋，一個小號手天鵝的腦袋，從它媽媽的羽毛中鉆了出來。
The youngster scrambled up onto the edge of the nest.
這個小家伙爬到了窩邊上。
Sam could see its gray head and neck, its body covered with soft down, its yellow legs and feet with their webs for swimming.
薩姆能看清它的灰腦袋灰脖子，它的長著絨毛的小身體，它的黃腿和可以用來游泳的蹼足。
Soon another cygnet appeared. Then another. Then the first one worked his way down into his mother's feathers again, for warmth.
不久，另一只小天鵝也出來了。然后是另一只。這時那第一只為了取暖又跑回到媽媽的羽毛里面去了。
Then one tried to climb up his mother's back, but her feathers were slippery, and he slid off and settled himself neatly at her side.
另一只想爬到媽媽的背上，可媽媽的羽毛太光滑了，它沒抓牢滑了下來，只好靠在媽媽的身邊。
The swan just sat and sat, enjoying her babies, watching them gain the use of their legs.
雌天鵝仍是坐在那里，欣賞著她的小寶寶，看著他們學習使用他們的腿。
