評論
打印
American, I explained in a rush, and I lived over the hill, and I was just seeing if there was a pond, and farmer Crawford had said it was okay, and anyhow, I was on my way home, so good-bye.
美國人——我趕快解釋——我住在山的那一邊，我只是想看看這里是不是有個池塘，老農場主克勞福德同意我可以看，不管怎樣，我該回家了，所以再見吧。
As I started to turn, the woman smiled and asked, "Did you see the little owl from the wood over there today?" She pointed toward the edge of the wood.
我正準備轉身時，那位老夫人微笑著問我：“今天你看到林子那邊的一只小貓頭鷹了嗎？” 她指向樹林的邊緣。
She knew about the owls? I was amazed.
她知道那些貓頭鷹？我很驚奇。
"No," I replied, "but I've seen them before. Never close though. They always see me first."
“沒有，”我回答，“我以前見過，但從沒近距離看過，它們總是先看到我?！?/div>
The woman laughed. "Yes, they're wary," she said. "But then, gamekeepers have been shooting them ever since they got here. They're introduced, you know, not native."
老夫人笑了。“是的，它們很警覺，”她說，“不過，自從它們來到這兒，獵場看守員就一直在射殺它們。你知道嗎？它們是引進的，不是本地的物種。”
"They're not?" I asked, fascinated. Anybody who knew this sort of stuff was definitely cool—even if she was trespassing in my special place.
“它們不是本地的？”我問，對此很感興趣。任何知道這種事情的人都是很“酷”的——盡管她闖入了我的特有領地。
"Oh, no!" she answered, laughing again. "At home I have books on birds that explain all about them. In fact," she said suddenly, "I was about to go back for tea and jam tart. Would you care to join me?"
“噢，不是！”她又笑著回答?！拔壹依镉嘘P于鳥類的書，介紹了所有關于它們的信息。事實上，”她突然說，“我正打算回家喝茶、吃果醬餡餅，你愿意和我一起來嗎？”
I had been warned against going off with strangers, but somehow I sensed the old woman was harmless. "Sure," I said.
父母告誡過我不要跟陌生人走，但不知怎么，我覺得這位老夫人沒有惡意。“當然，”我說。
