Chapter 7 School Days
第七 求学生涯
A few days after the swans arrived at their winterhome on the Red Rock Lakes, Louis had an idea.
天鹅们到达他们在红石湖的冬居的几天后，路易斯有了一个主意。
He decided that since he was unable to use his voice,he should learn to read and write.
他觉得他既然不能使用他的嗓子，就该学会读和写。
"If I'm defective in one respect," he said to himself, "I should try and develop myself along other lines.
“如果我在某一个方面有缺陷，”他心想， “我就应当试着让自己在别的方面有所造就。
I will learn to read and write. Then I will hang a small slate around my neck and carry a chalkpencil.
我要学会读和写。然后我要在我的脖子上挂一块小石板，再带枝石笔。
In that way I will be able to communicate with anybody who can read."
那样我就能和那些识字者交流了。”
Louis liked company, and he already had many friends on the lakes.
路易斯喜欢交朋友，他在湖上已经有很多朋友了。
The place was a refuge for water birds--swans, geese, ducks, and other waterfowl.
这里是水鸟的天堂——有天鹅，野鹅，野鸭，还有一些其他的水禽。
They lived there because it was a safe place and because the water stayed warm even in thecoldest winter weather.
他们都住在这里，因为这是个安全的地方，更因为这里的水即使在最冷的冬天里也是温暖的。
Louis was greatly admired for his ability as a swimmer.
由于游泳本领高强，路易斯受到了大家的高度敬仰。
He liked to compete with other cygnets to see who could swim underwater the greatestdistance and stay down the longest.
他喜欢和其他的小天鹅们比赛，看谁能在水下游得最远，潜得最久。
When Louis had fully made up his mind about learning to read and write, he decided to visitSam Bea一ver and get help from him.
当路易斯下定决心去学读和写以后，他决定去拜访萨姆·比弗并从他那里得到帮助。
"Perhaps," thought Louis, "Sam will let me go to school with him, and the teacher will show mehow to write."
“大概，”路易斯想，“萨姆会让我和他一起上学，然后老师将教我怎么写字。”
The idea excited him.
这个念头令他非常激动。
He wondered whether a young swan would be accepted in a classroom of children.
他不知道一只小天鹅能不能被孩子们的课堂所接收。
He wondered whether it was hard to learn to read. Most of all, he wondered whether he couldfind Sam.
他不知道学一习一阅读是不是件很难的事。更重要的是，他不知道他能否找到萨姆。
Montana is a big state, and he wasn't even sure Sam lived in Montana, but he hoped he did.
蒙大拿本来就是个很大的州，可他甚至说不准萨姆是否住在蒙大拿，但他希望他住在那里。
Next morning, when his parents were not looking, Louis took off into the air. He flew northeast.
第二天一早，父母一没留神，路易斯就飞上了天。他朝东北方向飞去。
When he came to the Yellowstone River, he followed it to the Sweet Grass country.
当他来到黄石河时，便沿河一路飞到了香草乡。
When he saw a town beneath him, he landed next to the schoolhouse and waited for the boysand girls to be let out.
他看到下一面有个城镇，就降落到镇里的学校旁，等着男一女学生放学。
Louis looked at every boy, hoping to see Sam. But Sam wasn't there.
路易斯打量着每一个男孩，希望能从中看到萨姆。可萨姆却不在里面。
"Wrong town, wrong school," thought Louis. "I'll try again."
“错误的城镇，错误的学校，”路易斯想，“我要再试一次。”
He flew off, found another town, and located the school, but all the boys and girls had gonehome for the day.
他起身飞到另一座城镇，停到镇里的学校旁，可那里的所有男孩女孩们早都放学回家了。
"I'll just ha一ve a look around anyway," thought Louis.
“我就在四周转转吧，”路易斯想。
He didn't dare walk down the main street, for fear somebody would shoot him.
他不敢沿着主要街道走，因为他怕有人开一槍一打他。
Instead, he took to the air and circled around, flying low and looking carefully at every boy insight.
所以，他在空中盘旋着，低低地飞起来，仔细打量着他见到的每一个男孩。
After about ten minutes, he saw a ranch house where a boy was splitting wood near thekitchen door.
大约十分钟后，他看到了一个低矮的小一平房，一个男孩子正在它的厨房门口劈柴火。
The boy had black hair. Louis glided down.
这个男孩有一头黑发。路易斯滑翔下来。