文 /晓 菲

◆原作节选◆

On a bright clear day in January,Louis and Serena came home to the Red Rock Lakes.From among the thousands of waterfowl,they quickly found the members of their own families.It was a noisy homecoming（回到家里）.Everybody wanted to say hello at once.The wanderers were home at last.

Louis’s father,the old cob,made a graceful speech—rather long,but sincere.

Louis raised his trumpet and played，“There’s no place like home.Home,home,sweet home!”Everybody congratulated the happy couple.They gathered around and looked at Louis’s possessions.They were much impressed by his worldly goods.They liked the lifesaving medal,they loved the sound of the trumpet,and they were eager to see the money in the moneybag.But Louis did not open the bag.Instead,he took his father and motherto one side.They allthree stepped out on shore,where Louis slipped the moneybag off his neck and,with a bow,handed it to the old cob.Four thousand four hundred and twenty dollars and seventy-eight cents.

Then Louis took his slate and wrote a note to the owner of the music store in Billings so his father would have something to show him when he got there.The note said：

To the Storekeeper of Billings：Enclosed please find $4,420.78.Itwillpay you forthe trumpet and the damage to the store.Sorry about the inconvenience this has caused you.

The old cob was not able to count money,and he was not able to read,but he took the moneybag and the slate and hung them around his neck.He felt sure he could now pay his debt for the stolen trumpet. “I shall go,”he said to his wife.“I shall redeem my honor.I shall return to Billings,the scene of my crime（罪行）—a great city,teeming with life—”

“We’ve heard thatbefore,” remarked his wife.“Just take the money and the note and beat it for Billings as fast as you can go.And when you get there,be careful!The owner of that music store has a gun.He will remember that the last time he saw a swan coming at him he got robbed.So watch yourself!You’re on a dangerous mission.”

“Danger!” said the old cob. “Danger!I welcome dangerand adventure.Dangeris my middle name.I would risk my life to redeem my honor and recapture（重新夺回）my sense of decency.I shall pay my debt and blot out the foul mark that sullies my good name.I shall rid myselfforeverofthe shame thatcomes from thievery（偷窃）and wrongdoing.I shall—”

“If you don’t stop talking,” said his wife,“you won’t get to Billings before the stores close.”

“You are right,”replied the cob.He adjusted the moneybag and the slate for flight.Then he took off into the air and headed toward the northeast,flying fast and high.

The old cob flew fast and far.When he spied the churches and factories and shops and homes of Billings,he circled once,then began his downward glide—straight for the music store.

The cob had been seen already by people down below.One of the salesmen in the music store was standing by the front window,looking out.When he saw the big white bird approaching（接近）,he yelled（喊叫）to the storekeeper,“Large bird approaching.Get your gun!”

The storekeeper grabbed（抓住）his shotgun and raced to the sidewalk.The cob was low in the sky,gliding straight for the store.The storekeeper raised hisgun.He fired both barrelsin quick succession.The old cob felt a twinge of pain in his left shoulder.Thoughts of death filled his mind.Looking back,he saw a bright red drop of blood staining his breast.But he kept going,straight for the storekeeper.

“The end is near,”he said to himself.“I shall die in the performance（表演）of duty.I have only a few moments remaining to live.The red blood flows in a steady trickle from my veins.My strength fails.But even in death’s final hour,I shall deliver the money for the trumpet.Good-bye,life!Good-bye,beautiful world!Good-bye,little lakesin the north!Farewell,springtimesIhave known,with theirpassion and ardor（热情）!Farewell,loyal wife and loving sons and daughters!I,who am about to die,salute（致敬）you.I must die gracefully,as only a swan can.”

With that,he sank to the sidewalk,held out the moneybag and the slate to the astonished storekeeper,and fainted away at the sight of his own blood.

在一月的某个清爽的日子里，路易斯和塞蕾娜回到了红石湖的家。从数以千计的水鸟当中，他们很快找到了自己的家庭成员。好一场沸反盈天的归家呀。谁都想马上说“你们好”。游子终于回家了。

路易斯的父亲，那只老雄天鹅，发表了一通言辞优美的演说——相当地长，但句句出自肺腑。

路易斯举起他的小号，吹起了那句：“世上没有一个地方比得上我的家。家，家，可爱的家！”大家都来向这幸福的一对儿道贺。人们都聚到一起，打量着路易斯的那些东西。他们全都被他的财产打动了。他们喜欢那枚救生奖章，他们爱听那小号声，他们还迫切地想见识一下那个钱袋里的钱。可路易斯没有打开钱袋，而是把他的父母带到了别的地方。他们三个上岸后，路易斯从脖子上摘下钱袋，鞠了一躬，然后才把它递给那只老雄天鹅。里面共有四千四百二十美元七十八美分。

然后路易斯拿过他的石板给比林斯的乐器店店主写了个便条。这样一来，当他的父亲飞到那里时，就可以把它拿给那个店主看了。便条上说：

致比林斯的店主：兹附上现金4420.78美元，请查收。这笔钱是用来偿还那把小号和店铺损失的。对因此给你带来的麻烦深感歉意。

老雄天鹅不会数钱，也不会阅读，可他还是接过钱袋和石板，把它们挂到自己的脖子上。他确信他现在能为这把偷来的小号偿债了。“我马上就走，”他对他的妻子说，“我要去赎回我的名誉。我要回到比林斯，回到我的犯罪现场——一个很大的城市，充满了生机。”

“这话我们早就听过了，”他的妻子提醒道，“带着钱和便条尽快往比林斯扑扇你的翅膀就够了。你到那里一定要小心点，那个乐器店的店主有枪。他会想起眼瞅着一只扑向他的天鹅把他抢了的那一次的。所以你千万要当心！你执行的可是一项危险的任务。”

“危险！”老雄天鹅说，“危险！我愿意接受危险和冒险的挑战。危险是我的第二个名字。为了赎回我的名誉，为了寻回我那品行端正的感觉，我情愿拿我的生命冒险。我要付清我的债务，洗去辱没了我美名的污点。我要让自己永远不再蒙受偷盗和犯罪的耻辱。我要——”

“如果你再不住口的话，”他的妻子说，“你在商店关门之前绝飞不到比林斯。”

“你说得对，”雄天鹅回答。他摆正钱袋和石板的位置，准备起飞。接着他飞到空中，又快又高地朝东北方向飞去。

雄天鹅飞得又快又远。当他瞥见比林斯的教堂、工厂、商店和住宅时，便兜了一圈儿，然后才开始向下滑翔——直奔那家乐器店。

雄天鹅早已被下面的人们发现了。乐器店的一个店员正站在前面的橱窗旁，往外观察着。他一看到这只正在靠近的白色大鸟，就对店主大叫道：“大鸟来了，准备好你的枪！”

店主抓起他的鸟枪跑上了人行道。雄天鹅正低飞着，朝乐器店滑翔。店主举起了他的枪。他迅速地连发了两枪。老雄天鹅感到他的左肩那里有一阵剧痛。他心里顿时充满了许多和死亡有关的思考。他回过头，发现一滴鲜血正在把胸口染红。可他还是继续朝着店主飞去。

“末日临近了，”他自语，“我将在履行职责的时候死去。我只能再活一会儿了。鲜血不断地从我的静脉里流出来了。我没有力气了。不过，即使在这最后的死亡时刻，我也要先还清那笔小号钱。再见了，生命！再见了，美好的世界！再见了，北方的小湖！永别了，我所熟悉的充满激情的春天！永别了，我忠诚的妻子和心爱的儿女们！将要步入死亡的我，在此向你们致意了。我一定要优雅地死去，就像只有天鹅才能做到的那样。”

这么想着，他扑到人行道上，把钱袋和石板交给那个惊讶万分的店主。又看了看自己身上的血，然后才昏死过去。

◆赏析◆

美国作家埃尔文·布鲁克斯·怀特（1899—1985）从常春藤名校毕业之后，便加入知名杂志社《纽约客》，亲手奠定了对后人影响深远的《纽约客》的文风。他具有“怀特式”风格的散文结集出版后，又被评论家认为是“最优秀的一本散文集”。他一生唯一写过的三本儿童小说（《精灵鼠小弟》《夏洛的网》《吹小号的天鹅》），被誉为“20世纪读者最多、最受爱戴的童话”，入选“美国十佳儿童文学名著”。

本期推荐的《吹小号的天鹅》（The Trumpet of the Swan）就是怀特先生撰写的三本儿童小说之一。简单来说，该书讲述的是一只生下来就不能发声的天鹅路易斯与命运抗争的故事。怀特先生娓娓道来，真实刻画各种艰难险境，给孩子们讲述了一个身临其境般的关于成长的寓言故事。

对于普通人来说，不能说话已是明显的缺陷，而对于需要通过发声来实现人生每一个完整阶段的天鹅路易斯来说，这无疑是最致命的打击。因为在遇到了心爱的天鹅女神塞蕾娜之后，他也无法像其他天鹅那样，用洪亮的声音向她求爱。为了能清楚地表达自己内心的想法，路易斯学会了在石板上写字。遗憾的是，同伴们不认识字。他还是没办法向心爱的塞蕾娜倾诉衷肠。为了帮助路易斯，天鹅爸爸不惜丢弃自己最珍视的名誉，从乐器店偷来了一把小号。路易斯日夜苦练，终于用小号吹出了心灵深处的歌。动听的乐音不仅打动了女神塞蕾娜，还赢得了人们给予他的尊敬与赞赏。不过，即使人生之路在路易斯眼前已经越来越顺畅了，他实现了自己甚至是所有健康的天鹅同伴们都无法奢望的心愿，他内心惦记的却依旧是将赚来的钱第一时间交还给乐器店老板，以此换回天鹅爸爸的尊严。

本期节选的第20章，描述的就是路易斯带着心爱的塞蕾娜，带着财富，带着荣耀回到家乡，并让天鹅爸爸将偷来的小号钱偿还给店主的故事。路易斯知道财富和名利不是爸爸最看重的，只有不得已被丢失的名誉才是最值得去争取的，哪怕用生命作为代价也在所不惜。所以即使倒在血泊中，天鹅爸爸还是紧握着那个要交还给店主的钱袋子，里面装着偿还小号的钱，也装着换回自己名誉和尊严的宝石。

这是一个天鹅界里实现“美国梦”的励志故事。孩子们读完后，会忍不住憧憬，在成长的道路上，一串串或喜乐或悲伤的插曲；成年人在曲折又惊险的故事情节里，也会懂得在历经磨难之时，不向命运轻易妥协的道理。我们庆幸能拥有并不完美的人生，因为就是这一切让我们知遇贵人，学会感恩，并更珍惜拥有。而这深深浅浅都可领会的道理，居然就在怀特先生幽默诙谐的文字里，清晰地被一一呈现出来，多么神奇。

1.waterfowl n.水禽 2.wanderer n.流浪者 3.cob n.雄天鹅

4.sincere adj.真诚的 5.trumpet n.喇叭 6.congratulate v.祝贺

7.possession n.财富 8.worldly adj.世俗的 9.shore n.海岸

10.slate n.石板 11.redeem v.赎罪 12.decency n.正派

13.sully v.污染 14.rid v.摆脱 15.twinge n.阵痛

16.stain v.污染 17.trickle n.细流 18.vein n.静脉