吹小號(hào)的天鵝 第73期:費(fèi)城(2)

A boy in the front seat of the boat pulled an air riflefrom under his jacket and began shooting BB shotsat Louis's trumpet.

一個(gè)坐在前座的男孩從他的夾克里掏出一把汽槍，朝路易斯的小號(hào)開(kāi)起槍來(lái)。

Whenever a shot hit the horn, it made a pingingsound.

每射中一次小號(hào)，就會(huì)發(fā)出砰的一聲。

So the "Cradle Song" sounded something like this:

于是這首“搖籃曲”聽(tīng)起來(lái)就像這樣：

The children on the boat roared with laughter whenthey heard this, but the grown-up passengers were angry.

游艇上的孩子們都聽(tīng)得大笑起來(lái)，可大乘客們卻很生氣。

One of them seized the boy's rifle.

他們中的一個(gè)抓住了那個(gè)男孩的汽槍。

Another went home that night and wrote a letter to the Boston Globe urging a stronger gun-control law.

另一個(gè)在當(dāng)晚回家以后給《波士頓環(huán)球報(bào)》寫了一封信，極力要求制定一個(gè)更為強(qiáng)硬的槍支管理法。

On some afternoons, at the end of the day, people gathered on the shores of the lake to listenwhile Louis played taps.

有些下午，在黃昏時(shí)分，人們會(huì)聚到湖岸邊聽(tīng)路易斯吹熄燈號(hào)。

It was a peaceful scene, a memorable hour.

這是一個(gè)平靜的場(chǎng)面，一個(gè)值得回憶的時(shí)刻。

The Swan Boat had never enjoyed such popularity or made such a lot of money for the owner.

天鵝游艇從來(lái)沒(méi)有享有過(guò)這么大的聲譽(yù)，也沒(méi)有為游艇老板掙過(guò)這么多的錢。

But Louis knew that the boats would not run all winter.

不過(guò)路易斯知道，游艇不會(huì)整個(gè)冬天都開(kāi)下去的。

In a few days, the boats would be hauled out for the season, to wait quietly for the arrival ofspring.

幾天之后，這些船將會(huì)被拉上岸過(guò)冬，靜靜地等著春天的到來(lái)。

One day, when Louis was waiting for the boat to take its passengers aboard,

一天，路易斯正在等游客上船的時(shí)候，

a Western Union messenger boy appeared on a bicycle.

一名西部聯(lián)合公司的電報(bào)投遞員騎著一輛自行車過(guò)來(lái)了。

"I have a telegram for the swan," he said.

“有一份給這只天鵝的電報(bào)，”他說(shuō)。

The Boatman seemed surprised, but he took the telegram and handed it to Louis, who openedit promptly.

游艇老板顯得很吃驚，可他還是接過(guò)電報(bào)并把它遞給了路易斯，路易斯立刻打開(kāi)了電報(bào)。

It was from a man in Philadelphia. The message said:

那是費(fèi)城的一個(gè)男人拍來(lái)的。上面寫道：

CAN OFFER YOU FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS A WEEK FOR NIGHTCLUB SPOT. TEN WEEKENGAGEMENT. PLEASE REPLY. (signed) ABE ("LUCKY") LUCAS HOTEL NEMO

夜總會(huì)每周可付你五百美元。簽約十周。請(qǐng)回復(fù)。(簽名)阿貝 (“幸運(yùn)”)盧卡斯，內(nèi)莫飯店

Louis did some quick figuring.

路易斯算得很快。

Five hundred dollars a week for ten weeks--that was five thousand dollars.

五百美元一周，共十周——那就是五千美元。

Five thousand dollars would easily pay his father's debt to the music store.

如果有了五千美元，就能很輕松地付清他父親對(duì)樂(lè)器店的欠債了。

He took his slate and wrote: OFFER ACCEPTED. ARRIVE TOMORROW.

他拿起他的石板寫道：接受出價(jià)。明日抵達(dá)。

MEET ME AT BIRD LAKE IN THE ZOO.

在動(dòng)物園的鳥(niǎo)湖接我。

SPLASHDOWN WILL BE AT FOUR FIFTY-TWO P.m. HOPE THIS WILL BE A CONVENIENT TIMEFOR YOU.

下午四點(diǎn)五十二分降落。希望你那時(shí)正好有空。

Louis showed the message to the Western Union boy, who copied it on a telegraph blank.

路易斯把這回信拿給西部聯(lián)合公司的投遞員看，他把它抄到了一份空電報(bào)上。

"Send it collect!" wrote Louis. The messenger nodded and rode away.

“由收?qǐng)?bào)人付費(fèi)!”路易斯寫。投遞員點(diǎn)點(diǎn)頭，騎車走了。