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Spring followed winter; summer followed spring.
冬去春來；春殘夏至。
A year went by, and it was springtime again. Still no sign of Louis.
一年過去了，又是一個春天了。還是沒有路易斯的消息。
Then one morning when Louis's grown-up brothers were playing a game of water polo,
有一天早晨，當路易斯的那些長大了的哥哥們在玩水球游戲的時候，
one of them looked up and saw a swan approaching in the sky.
它們中的一個偶然抬起頭，看到了一只從空中向這里飛來的天鵝。
"Ko-hoh!" cried the cygnet. He rushed to his father and mother. "Look! Look! Look!"
“吭—嗬！”這只小天鵝叫起來。他跑到了他的父母旁邊。“看！看！看！”
All the waterfowl on the lake turned and gazed up at the approaching swan. The swan circled in the sky.
湖上的所有水禽都轉過身來注視著這只正在飛近的天鵝。這只天鵝在空中盤旋著。
"It's Louis!" said the cob.
“那是路易斯！”雄天鵝說，
"But what is that peculiar little object hanging around his neck by a string? What is that?"
“不過那個用繩子栓在他脖子上的奇怪的小東西是什么？那到底是什么呀？”
"Wait and see," said his wife. "Maybe it's a gift."
“等會兒就能明白了，”他的妻子說，“可能那是一件禮物。”
Louis looked down from the sky and spotted what looked like his family.
路易斯在空中往下觀望著，辨認著他的家庭成員。
When he was sure, he glided down and skidded to a stop.
當他看準了以后，便滑翔下來，剎住了腳。
His mother rushed up and embraced him.
他的媽媽沖上來擁抱他。
His father arched his neck gracefully and raised his wings in greeting.
他的父親優雅地彎著他的脖子張開兩只翅膀歡迎他。
Everyone shouted "Ko-hoh!" and "Welcome back, Louis!"
每個人都喊著“吭—嗬”和“歡迎回來，路易斯”！
His family was overjoyed. He had been gone for a year and a half--almost eighteen months.
他的全家都陷入了狂喜之中。他已經離家一年半了——差不多有十八月之久。
He looked older and handsomer. His feathers were pure white now, instead of a dirty gray.
他看起來更大更漂亮了。他的羽毛現在是純白的，不再是暗灰色的了。
Hanging by a cord around his neck was a small slate.
用一根細繩繞到他脖子上的是一塊小石板。
Attached to the slate by a piece of string was a white chalk pencil.
用一根繩子栓在石板上的是一枝白石筆。
When the family greetings were over, Louis seized the chalk in his bill and wrote "Hi, there!" on the slate.
當這一家人慶祝完畢后，路易斯用嘴叼起那枝石筆在石板上寫出了“嗨，你們好！”
He held the slate out eagerly for all to see.
這幾個字。他急切地把這小石板舉給大家看。
The cob stared at it. The mother swan stared at it. The cygnets stared at it. They just stared and stared.
雄天鵝看見了。雌天鵝看見了。小天鵝們也看見了。他們光是看了又看而已。
Words on a slate meant nothing to them. They couldn't read.
石板上的字對它們來說毫無意義。他們根本不會讀。
None of the members of his family had ever seen a slate before, or a piece of chalk.
他的家人中沒有誰曾經見到過一塊石板，或是一枝粉筆。
Louis's attempt to greet his family was a failure.
路易斯對全家問候的愿望落空了。
He felt as though he had wasted a year and a half by going to school and learning to write.
他感到自己在學校里的這一年半書寫學習純屬浪費時間。他非常失望。
He felt keenly disappointed. And, of course, he was unable to speak.
當然了，這一切他都沒法說出來。
The words on the slate were all he could offer by way of greeting.
寫在那石板上的話是他所能表達問候的唯一方法了。
Finally his father, the cob, spoke up.
最后，他的父親雄天鵝打破了沉默。
"Louis, my son," he began in his deep, resonant voice, "this is the day we have long awaited
“路易斯，我的兒子，”他用深沉渾厚的嗓音說，“這一天我們已經期盼很久了
the day of your return to our sanctuary in the Red Rock Lakes.
你回到我們的紅石湖保護區的這一天。
No one can imagine the extent of our joy or the depth of our emotion at seeing you again,
沒有誰能想象得到再見你時我們的歡喜程度或者說歡喜之情有多深，
you who have been absent from our midst for so long, in lands we know not of, in pursuits we can only guess at.
因為在我們所不知道的地方追求著我們只能想象的東西的你實在離開我們太久了。
How good it is to see your countenance again!
能再次目睹你的面容有多么好呀！
We hope you have enjoyed good health during your long absence, in lands we know not of, in pursuits we can only guess at..."
我們希望你離家在外時身體安康，因為在我們所不知道的地方追求著我們只能想象的……”
