Alice

印度思想家甘地曾這样评价动物：这些古老的地球居民，生存历史超过人类。它们是人类的朋友，是地球和谐生态的一部分。它们和我们一样，能感受快乐和痛苦，有基本的生存权利和生命尊严。善待它们，也是善待我们自己。

《鸟儿的朋友》讲述独居森林的老人如何与鸟儿们相依相伴、成为挚友的故事。起初，鸟儿们不敢靠近老人；慢慢地，鸟儿们认识到老人的和蔼善良；最后，老人为小鸟喂食，小鸟为老人歌唱，这是人与自然和谐鸣奏的温馨诗篇。

I once knew a man who was rich in his love for birds， and in their love for him. He lived in the midst1 of a grove2 full of all kinds of trees. He had no wife or children in his home.

He was an old man with a gray beard， blue and kind eyes， and a voice that the birds loved， and this was the way he made them his friends.

While he was at work with a rake3 on his nice walks in the grove， the birds came close to him to pick up the worms in the fresh earth he dug up4. At first， they kept a rod or two from him， but they soon found he was a kind man， and would not hurt them， but liked to have them nearby.

They knew this by his kind eyes and voice， which tell what was in his heart. So， day by day their faith in his love grew in them.

They came close to the rake. They would hop on top of it to be first at the worm. They would turn up their eyes into his when he spoke to them， as if they said， “He is a kind man， he loves us， we need not fear him.”

All the birds of the grove were soon his fast friends. They were on watch for him， and would fly down from the green tree tops to greet him with their chirp5.

When he had no work on the walks to do with his rake or his hoe， he took crusts of bread with him， and dropped the crumbs on the ground. Down they would dart on his head and feet to catch them as they fell from his hand.

He showed me how they loved him. He put a crust of bread in his mouth， with one end of it out of his lips. Down they came like bees at a flower， and flew off with the crust of bread.Eating crumb by crumb.

When they thought he slept too long in the morning， they would fly in and sit on the bedpost， and call him up with their chirp.

They went with him to church， and while he said his prayers and sang his hymns6 there， they sat in the trees， and sang their praises to the same good God who cares for them as he does for us.

Thus， the love and trust of birds were a joy to him all his life long， and such love and trust no boy or girl can fail to win with the same kind heart， voice， and eye that he had.

我曾认识这样一位老人，他热爱大自然中的一切鸟儿，且被鸟儿们所爱戴。他没有妻子儿女，独自一人居住在大森林中，那里生长着各种各样的树木。

老人的胡须已经花白，湛蓝的眼睛中透露出和蔼友善的光芒，他的声音被鸟儿们钟爱，这也是他与鸟儿交往的纽带。

他手拿耙子在树林中耕作时，鸟儿们就会来到他身边，啄起老人从泥土中翻出的蚯蚓。起初，它们并不敢太靠近老人，后来发现老人心地善良，从来不會伤害它们，便慢慢与老人接近，老人也同样喜欢鸟儿们围绕在他身边。

从老人友善的目光和慈祥的声音中，鸟儿们感受到了他内心的和善。慢慢地，它们不再对老人有戒备之心，接受了老人的爱。

它们会在耙子的附近等待，或者干脆跳到耙子上看着虫子出现。每次老人温柔地对着鸟儿们说话的时候，它们也同样看着老人，就像在说：“他是个善良的人，不会伤害我们，所以我们不必害怕他。”

很快，老人就和树林中的鸟儿们成了知心朋友，它们时时盼望着老人的到来。只要老人出现，鸟儿们就会从树枝上飞下来迎接他，并叽叽喳喳地叫个不停。

老人一停下工作，就会将带来的面包渣撒在地上。这时鸟儿们会飞到老人的头上或脚上，争相去啄那些面包渣。

鸟儿对老人也很友好。有时老人会把面包的一半含在嘴里，留一点儿放在嘴角，鸟儿则会飞过来，啄下那点儿面包飞走。

早晨如果老人起床晚了，鸟儿们就会落在他的床头，叽叽喳喳地唤醒他。

每次老人去教堂的时候，鸟儿也会紧紧跟随。当老人唱起圣歌的时候，鸟儿也会在教堂的树上为它们的守护者唱起赞美的歌，它们总是形影不离地跟随着老人。

鸟儿们的爱与信任，伴随了老人的一生。得到这种爱的孩子们，也定然拥有老人那般博爱的心、慈祥的目光和温和的声音。

Tip

※ fast friend 可靠的朋友

Fast有“牢固的；稳固的”意思，fast friend指的是“忠实可靠的朋友”。例句：He is a fast friend of mine. 他是我的可靠朋友。