第39章 鹳鸟 The Storks（1/2）
《鹳鸟》，1838 年
the Storks, 1838.
在一个小村庄的最后一所房子上，鹳鸟筑了一个巢，鹳鸟妈妈和她的四个孩子坐在巢里，孩子们伸长脖子，露出黑色的喙，它们的喙还没有像父母的那样变成红色。
o hoea little vilge the storks had built a , and the other stork satit with her four young ones, who stretched out their necks and poiheir bck beaks, which had not yet turned red like those of the parent birds.
不远处，在屋顶边缘，鹳鸟爸爸笔直而僵硬地站着；他不喜欢闲着，就把一条腿收起来，用另一条腿站着，一动不动，几乎就像木雕一样。
A little way off, on the edge of the roof, stood the father stork, quite upright and stiff; not likg to be quite idle, he drew up one leg, and stood oher, so still that it seed alost as if he were carvedwood.
“我妻子有个哨兵守卫着她的巢，这一定很壮观。他们不知道我是她的丈夫；他们会以为我是奉命站在这里的，这可真是贵族派头。” 于是他继续用一条腿站着。
“It t look very grand,” thought he, “for y wife to have a sentry guardg her . they do not know that I a her hband; they will thk I have been ao stand here, which is quite aristocratic;” and so he tiandg on one leg.
胆的一个男孩开始唱起关于鹳鸟的歌，很快其他孩子也跟着唱了起来。
Ireet below were a nuber of children at py, and when they caught sight of the storks, one of the boldest aongst the boys began to sg a song about the, and very soon he was joed by the rest.
这是歌里的歌词，但每个孩子都只是按照自己的记忆用自己的方式唱着。
these are the words of the song, but ealy sang what he uld reber of thehis o> “鹳鸟，鹳鸟，飞走啦，别单腿站着啦，求你啦，
“Stork, stork, fly away, Stand not on one leg, I pray,
看你的妻子在巢里呀，和她的宝宝在休息呀。
See your wife isher , with her little o rest.
他们会吊死一只，再油炸另一只；他们会射死第三只，再烤了他兄弟。”
they will hang one, And fry ahey will shoot a third, And roast his brother.”
“听听那些男孩在唱什么。” 小鹳鸟们说，“他们说我们会被吊死和烤了。”
“Jt hear what those boys are sgg,” said the young storks; “they say we shall be hanged and roasted.”
“别管他们说什么；你们不用听。” 妈妈说，“他们伤不了你们。”
“Never d what they say; you need not listen,” said the other. “theydo no har.”
但是孩子们继续唱着歌，指着鹳鸟，嘲笑它们，只有一个叫彼得的男孩除外；他说拿动物取乐是可耻的，根本不愿和他们一起闹。
but the boys went on sgg and potg at the storks, and og at the, exceptg one of the boys whose er; he said it was a sha to ake fun of anials, and would not jo with the at all.
鹳鸟妈妈安慰着她的孩子们，告诉他们不要在意。“看，” 她说，“你们的爸爸单腿站着多安静啊。”
the other stork forted her young ones, and told the not to d. “See,” she said, “how quiet your father stands, although he is only on one leg.”
“但是我们非常害怕。” 小鹳鸟们说，然后把头缩回巢里。
“but we are very uch frightened,” said the young storks, and they drew back their heads to the s.
第二天，当孩子们一起玩耍，看到鹳鸟时，他们又唱起了那首歌 ——“他们会吊死一只，再烤了另一只。”
theday when the children were pyg together, and saw the storks, they sang the song aga — “they will hang one, And roast another.”
“我们会被吊死然后烤了吗？” 小鹳鸟们问。
“Shall we be hanged and roasted?” asked the young storks.
“不，当然不会。” 妈妈说。“我会教你们飞，等你们学会了，我们就飞到草地上去，去拜访青蛙，它们会在水里向我们鞠躬，呱呱叫着，然后我们就把它们吃掉；那会很有趣。”
“No, certaly not,” said the other. “I will teach you to fly, and when you have learnt, we will fly to the adoay a visit to the frogs, who will bow theselves toier, and cry ‘croak, croak,’ and then we shall eat the up; that will be fun.”
“然后呢？” 小鹳鸟们问。
“And what ?” asked the young storks.
“然后，” 妈妈回答，“这个国家的所有鹳鸟都会聚集在一起，进行秋季演习，所以对每一只鹳鸟来说，知道如何正确飞行是非常重要的。如果它们不会飞，将军会用它的喙刺穿它们，然后杀死它们。所以你们必须努力学习，以便在训练开始的时候做好准备。”
“then,” replied the other, “all the storksthe try will asseble together, and gh their autun anoeuvres, so that it is very iportant for every oo know how to fly properly. If they do not, the general will thrt the through with his beak, and kill the. therefore you t take pas and learn, so as to be ready when the drillg begs.”
“那么我们最终可能还是会像那些男孩说的那样被杀死；听！他们又在唱歌了。”
“then we ay be killed after all, as the boys say; and hark! they are sgg aga.”
“听我的，别听他们的。” 鹳鸟妈妈说。“大检阅结束后，我们就飞往离这儿很远的温暖国家，那里有高山和森林。去埃及，在那里我们会看到用石头建造的三角形房子，房顶尖尖的，几乎触到云端。它们被叫做金字塔，比一只鹳能想象到的还要古老。在那个国家，有一条河会泛滥，然后退去，只留下一片泥泞。在那里我们可以四处走走，尽情吃青蛙。”
“Listen to , and not to the,” said the other stork. “After the great review is over, we shall fly away to war tries far fro hence, where there are ountas and forests. to Egypt, where we shall see three-ered hoes built of stone, with poiops that reaearly to the clouds. they are called pyraids, and are older than a stork uld iage; andthat try, there is a river that overflows its banks, and then goes back, leavg nothg but ire; there wewalk about, a frogsabundance.”
“哦，哦 ——！” 小鹳鸟们叫道。
“oh, o — h!” cried the young storks.
“是的，那是个令人愉快的地方。在那儿整天除了吃什么都不用做。而当我们在外面过得这么舒服的时候，这个国家的树上将一片绿叶都没有，天气会非常寒冷，云彩都会冻住，像小白布条一样飘落到地上。” 鹳鸟妈妈说的是雪，但她没法用别的方式解释。
“Yes, it is a delightful pce; there is nothg to do all day long but eat, and while we are so well off out there,this try there will not be a sgle green leaf orees, and the weather will be so ld that the clouds will freeze, and fall on the earthlittle white rags.” the stork ant snow, but she uld not exp itany other > “那些调皮的男孩会冻僵然后碎成一块一块的吗？” 小鹳鸟们问。
“will the naughty boys freeze and fallpieces?” asked the young storks.
“不，他们不会冻僵然后碎成一块一块的。” 鹳鸟妈妈说，“但是他们会非常冷，不得不整天坐在黑暗、阴沉的房间里。而我们将在有盛开的花朵和温暖阳光的外国飞翔。”
“No, they will not freeze and fall to pieces,” said the other, “but they will be very ld, and be obliged to sit all daya dark, glooy roo, while we shall be flyg aboutfn nds, where there are bloog flowers and war sunshe.”
时间流逝，小鹳鸟们长得非常大了，他们可以在巢里站直身子，环顾四周。
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