Uncle Sam stood at the threshold of his home,with an air of dignity.There was enough to fill his breast with honest pride.His home had been a famous landmark for generations before he himself had fallen heir to it.It was the oldest one in the neighborhood.It had stood there seventy-five years before,when a white man had built a cabin within sight of it,for company.That cabin had been neglected and had fallen to bits years ago;but Uncle Sam's ancestors had taken care of their place,and had mended the weak spots each season,and had kept it in such repair that it was still as good as ever.It would last,indeed,with such treatment,as long as the post and the beams that supported it held.The post was the trunk of a tall old tree,and the beams were the branches,so near the top that it would be a very brave or a very foolish man who would try to climb so far,for there were no stairs.
山姆大叔站在自己的家门口，神情威严庄重。他当然可以满怀自豪之情了。在他还没有继承家业之前，他的家世世代代就已经是著名的地标了，堪称当地最古老的地标。七十五年前他就已经矗立在那里了，当时有一个白人在附近盖了一个小木屋，以便相互有个照应。那个小木屋由于年久失修，许多年前就已经七零八落的了。可是，山姆大叔的家却得到了祖先们精心的维护，他们每个季节都会修补那些脆弱的地方，由于修缮及时到位，他们的家依然完好如故。的确，在如此精心的维护下，只要起支撑作用的那根柱子和那些横梁不倒，他的家就能代代相传。那根柱子其实就是一棵树的树干，那些横梁就是树枝，那是棵老树，很高的老树，所以如果有人试图爬到树顶那儿，那么这个人要么就是胆子特别大，要么就是特别愚蠢，因为那里可没有楼梯。
No stairs,and such a distance up!But Uncle Sam could find the path that led to it;for was he not a lord of the air,and could he not sail the roughest wind with those strong wings of his?
没有楼梯，而且还那么高！可是山姆大叔知道能从哪里上去，要知道他可是空中之王，他的翅膀强劲有力，任狂风肆虐，他都能翱翔自如。
Perhaps it was the sure strength of his wings that gave him a stately poise of pride even as he rested.It could not have been the honor men had bestowed upon him;for,although that was very great,he knew nothing about it.
也许是他那对翅膀毋庸置疑的力量让他即使休息时也能镇定自若、傲然矗立。不可能是因为人类加在他身上的那些光环。尽管这些光环无比辉煌，但是，他对此却一无所知。
Above all other creatures of this great land he had been honored.
在这片伟大的国土上，他获得的荣耀至高无上，任何其他生物都望尘莫及。
Soldiers had gone into battle for freedom and right,bearing the picture of Uncle Sam on their banners.Veterans had walked in Memorial Day parades,while over their gray heads floated the symbol of Uncle Sam and the Stars and Stripes.Yes,the people of a great and noble land,reaching from a sea on the east to a sea on the west,had honored Uncle Sam by choosing him for the emblem of their country.His picture was stamped on their paper money,and ornamented one side of the coins that came from the mint,with the words,"In God We Trust,"on the other side.Above all other creatures of this great land he had been honored;and could he have understood,he might well have been justly proud of this tribute.
士兵们为了自由和正义奔赴战场，他们的旗帜上印着山姆大叔的画像；阵亡将士纪念日的巡游队伍里，山姆大叔的形象和星条旗在老兵们灰白的头上迎风飘扬。是的，这片雄伟壮丽的国土从东面的大海一直延伸到西面的大海，这片国土上的人民选择山姆大叔作为国家的象征，这是赋予他的荣耀。纸币上印着他的形象，铸币厂里出来的硬币上，一面装饰着山姆大叔的头像，另一面写着“我们信仰上帝”。在这片伟大的国土上，他获得的荣耀至高无上，任何其他生物都望尘莫及。假如他能够理解，那么，他一定会为这实至名归的荣耀而感到无比自豪。
But as it was,perhaps his emotions were centred only on his family;for his home was shared by his mate and two young sons.He bent his white head to look down at his twins.They were such hungry rascals and needed such a deal of care!They had needed care,indeed,ever since the day their little bodies had begun to form in the two bluish white eggs their mother had laid in the nest.They had stayed inside those shells for a month;and they never could have lived and grown there if they had not been brooded and kept warm.Their mother had snuggled her feathers over them and kept them cosy;and,when she had needed a change and a rest,Uncle Sam had cuddled them close under his body;for a month is a long time to keep eggs from getting cold,and it was only fair that he should take his turn.
可尽管如此，他可能还是把所有的情感都倾注到自己的家庭上了，因为他的家里还有妻子和两个儿子。他低下白蒙蒙的脑袋，看着他的双胞胎儿子。简直就是两个贪吃鬼！总是吃不够，照顾他们可真不容易！的确，自从母亲在巢里产下了两枚青幽幽的蛋，他们就在那里蠢蠢欲动了，从他们的小身体开始成形的那一天起，他们就需要照顾了。他俩在蛋壳里一待就是一个月，如果没有孵化和保温，他俩在里面是绝对活不了的，也不可能长大。他们的母亲舒展开全身的羽毛，把他们拢在身下，让他们好舒服呀！需要变变姿势休息一下的时候，山姆大叔就过来把他们紧紧地拥在自己身下。要让两个蛋宝宝在一个月的时间里免受风寒，可不是一件容易的事情。所以，山姆大叔理应轮班孵蛋，这才算公平。
He was no shirk in his family life.He had chosen his mate until death should part them;and whenever there were eggs in the nest,he was as patient about brooding them as she was;for did they not belong to both of them,and did they not contain two fine young eagles in the making?
在家庭生活中，山姆大叔从不逃避责任。他与自己的伴侣终身相依、至死不渝；无论何时，只要巢里有蛋，他都会和妻子一样耐心地孵化他们。蛋是属于他俩的，里面还装着两只可爱的鹰宝宝呢。
And never had they had finer children than the two who that moment were opening hungry mouths and begging for food.In answer to their teasing,Uncle Sam spread his great wings and took stately flight to the lake.For he was a fisherman.When a fish came to the surface,he would try to catch it in his strong claws,so that he might have food to take back to his waiting family.This was easy for him when the fish was wounded or weak and had come to the surface to die;but the quick fishes often escaped,because he was not so skillful at this sort of fishing as the osprey.
此时此刻，这两只鹰宝宝正嗷嗷待哺，这个时候的鹰宝宝是最可爱的。在他们没完没了的纠缠下，山姆大叔张开他那对巨大的翅膀，身姿矫健地向湖那边飞去，因为他是一个渔夫。有鱼浮到水面时，他就想方设法把他们抓到强劲有力的爪子里，这样回家的时候，他就能给期盼的亲人们带去食物啦。如果鱼儿受了伤或者生了病，漂到水面，奄奄一息时，抓住他轻而易举。可是那些行动敏捷的鱼儿常常逃脱，山姆大叔毕竟不善此道，他的捕鱼技巧远不如鱼鹰娴熟。
Yes,the osprey was a wonderful fisherman,who could snatch a fish from the water in his sure claws.But for all that,he was not so wonderful as Uncle Sam,who could catch a fish in the air.
不错，鱼鹰才真是技术精湛的捕鱼高手呢，他的双爪稳健有力，一下子就能抓住水里的鱼。可尽管如此，鱼鹰还是不如山姆大叔棒，因为山姆大叔能在空中捕鱼。
Now,fishing in the air was a thrilling game that Uncle Sam loved.All the wild delight of a chase was in the sport.He used,sometimes,to sit high up on a cliff and watch the osprey swoop down to the water.Then,when the hawk mounted with the prize,Uncle Sam flew far above him and swept downward,commanding him to drop the fish.The smaller bird obeyed,and let the fish fall from his claws.But it never fell far.Uncle Sam closed his mighty wings and dropped with such speed that he caught the fish in mid-air;and the treetops swayed with the sudden wind his passing caused.Surely there was never a more exciting way of going fishing than this!
空中捕鱼惊心动魄，是山姆大叔热爱的一项运动，所有疯狂追逐的乐趣尽在其中。有时候，他伫立在高高的悬崖上，看着鱼鹰向水面俯冲下去，当鱼鹰抓着战利品飞离水面，升到空中的时候，山姆大叔就远远地飞到他的上面，然后猛冲下去，逼迫鱼鹰丢掉刚刚捕获的鱼。比他弱小的鱼鹰只好俯首听命，松开爪子，让鱼儿落下。不过他落不了多远，山姆大叔就会收起强劲有力的翅膀，迅速向下坠落，在半空中将鱼儿收到自己的利爪之下。他飞过之处，掀起一阵疾风，吹得树梢左摇右摆。确确实实，世上再也没有比这更激动人心的捕鱼方式了。
The Yankee-Doodle Twins
“扬基杜德尔”双胞胎
And did the fish belong to the osprey or to Uncle Sam?
那么，这条鱼属于鱼鹰呢？还是属于山姆大叔？
What would you call a man who,by power of greater strength,took away the food another man had earned?
如果一个人，仗着自己的力气比别人大，就强行夺走人家辛辛苦苦挣来的食物，那么你说他是什么人？
Are we,then,to call Uncle Sam a thief and a bully?
我们是否得说山姆大叔是“窃贼”，是“恶棍”呢？
Ah,no;because it is not with an eagle as it is with a man.
哎呀，这可不行！因为它是鹰，和我们人类可不一样。
For the wild things of the world there is only one law,and that is the Law of Nature.They must live as they are made to live,and that is all that concerns them.There is nothing for bird or beast or blossom to learn about"right"or"wrong,"as we learn about those things.All they need to do—any of them—is to live naturally.
对于世界上的野生动物来说，只有一条法则，这条法则就是“自然法则”。他们必须生存，这是他们的使命，也是他们唯一关心的事情。无论是鸟儿、兽儿，还是花儿，他们不必像我们一样知道什是“对”，什么是“错”。他们唯一要做的事情就是按照自然法则生存下去。
When we think about it that way,it is very easy to tell whether the fish belonged to the osprey or to Uncle Sam.Of course,to begin with,the fish belonged to itself as long as it could dive quickly enough or swim fast enough to keep itself free and safe.But the minute the osprey caught it,it belonged to the osprey,just as much as it would belong to you if you caught it with a net or a hook.Yes,the fish belonged to the osprey more than it would belong to you;for ospreys hunted food for themselves and for their young in that lake centuries and centuries before a white man even saw it,and before nets and hooks were invented;and besides,in most places,the children of men can live and grow if they never eat a fish,while the children of the osprey would die without such food.So we admire Fisherman Osprey for his strength and swiftness and skill,and are glad for him when he flies off with the prize,which is his very own as long as he can keep it.
这样一想，就不难明白这条鱼到底是属于鱼鹰，还是属于山姆大叔了。当然，首先这条鱼在游得够快、潜得够深，能保持自身自由和安全的情况下，它属于它自己；但是从鱼鹰抓到它的那一刻起，它就属于鱼鹰了，这就和你用渔网网住的鱼或者用鱼钩钓上来的鱼属于你一样，是一回事。其实，虽然这条鱼可以属于你，但它更应该属于鱼鹰，因为早在白人连湖都没见过的无数个世纪之前，鱼鹰们就已经在这个湖里靠捕鱼养活自己和家小了，那个时候还没有发明渔网和渔钩呢。再说了，在大多数地方，人类的孩子即使从不吃鱼也照样能活，照样能长大，可是鱼鹰的孩子们如果没有鱼就会饿死。因此，我们赞叹“捕鱼高手鱼鹰”过人的力量、敏捷的动作和娴熟的技巧，同时，当他带着战利品飞走时，我们也由衷地为他感到高兴，因为只要他能够守得住，这个战利品就属于他。
But when he drops it,it is his no longer,but the eagle's,who fishes wonderfully in the air—a game depending on the keenness of his sight,his strength,his quickness,and his skill;and the fish that belonged first to itself,and then to the osprey,belonged in the end to the eagle;and all this is according to the Law of Nature.
可是一旦鱼鹰丢掉它，它就不再属于鱼鹰，而是属于山姆大叔这只雄鹰了。山姆大叔在空中的捕鱼过程精彩绝伦，这是一场眼光、力量、动作和技巧的较量。那条本来属于他自己的鱼，后来为鱼鹰所拥有，最后又到了山姆大叔这只雄鹰的利爪之下。所有这一切遵循的都是“自然法则”。
Uncle Sam was not selfish about that fish.He gave it to his twins,and they did enjoy their dinner very,very much,indeed.A fresh brook trout,browned just right,never tasted better to you.For they had been hungry,and the food was good for them.
山姆大叔没有私自占有这条鱼。他把它带给了他的双胞胎儿子，两个小宝宝真的非常、非常喜欢这顿盛宴。这是一条北美溪鳟，身体的褐色不浅不深恰到好处，所以吃起来也不老不嫩正合适，太好吃啦！哥儿俩已经饿了很长时间了，所以这简直就是美味佳肴呀！
Uncle Sam and his mate,whom the children who lived within sight of their nest named Aunt Samantha,had many a hunting and fishing trip to take while the twins were growing;for the bigger the young eagles became,the bigger their appetites were,too.But at last the youngsters were old enough and strong enough and brave enough to take their first flight.Think of them,then,standing there on the outer porch of their great home in the air,and daring to leave it,when it was so very high and they would have so very far to fall if their wings did not work right!
住在鹰巢附近的孩子们把山姆大叔的夫人叫作萨曼塔大婶，在双胞胎儿子长身体的阶段，她和山姆大叔得不停地出去猎食、捕鱼。两个孩子越长越大，吃得也就越来越多。不过，终于有一天他们长大了，身强体壮了，有勇气开始他们的第一次试飞了。想想当时的情景吧：他们的家结结实实、高高地悬在半空中，他们就站在家门口的最外边，义无反顾地跳了下去！那可是在高高的半空中呀，一旦翅膀无法正常工作，那他们可就跌惨了！
Nonsense,an eagle fall!Had they not been stretching and exercising their muscles for days?And surely the twins would succeed,with Uncle Sam and Aunt Samantha to encourage and urge them forth.
胡说八道！鹰怎么会跌下去呢？你不知道他们一直都在做肌肉拉伸运动吗？他们已经练了好多天了。再说，有山姆大叔和萨曼塔大婶的鼓励和敦促，这对双胞胎哥儿俩的试飞一定会成功的。
The day Uncle Sam cheered his young sons in their baby flight was a great day for all the country round.For not only were the sons of eagles flying,but the sons of men were flying,too.Yes,it was practice day near the lake,and across the water airships rose from the camp and sailed through the air,like mighty birds meant for mighty deeds.For Uncle Sam's country was at war,and many brave and noble lads thrilled with pride because they were going to help win a battle for Right.
山姆大叔为儿子的初次飞行鼓劲加油的那一天，对整个国家来说意义也非同寻常。这天，不仅鹰的儿子在飞，人类的儿子也在飞。是的，这一天是“湖畔试飞日”。飞艇从营地里腾空而起，越过水面，穿空而过，是呀，大鸟就要有大鸟的身手。山姆大叔的国家正在遭遇战事，许多英勇无畏、品德高尚的小伙子都激动不已，他们将奔赴战场为正义而战，为此他们感到无比的自豪和骄傲！
The bravest and noblest and most fearless of all the camp caught sight of Uncle Sam and smiled."Emblem of my country!"the young man said."King of the air in your strong flight!Great deeds are to be done,O Eagle with the snow-white head,and your banner will be foremost in the fight."
营地里最勇敢、最高尚、最无畏的那个青年人看到了山姆大叔，脸上露出了微笑。他由衷地赞叹道：“你是祖国的象征！矫健翱翔的天空之王啊！你的丰功伟绩即将实现，噢！头顶白雪的鹰，你的旗帜是战斗的先锋！”
Uncle Sam made no reply.He was too far away to hear,and he could not have understood if he had been near.He saw the distant airships,so big and strong,and led his family away to quieter places,without knowing at all what the big birds were,or what they meant to do.There was so much happening in the country that honored him that Uncle Sam could not understand!
山姆大叔没有回答。他离得太远，听不到年轻人的赞叹。其实，即使他在附近，他也不会明白年轻人说的话。他看见远处的飞艇又大又壮，就带着全家离开了，去找安静一些的地方了，他根本不知道这些大鸟是干什么的，也不知道他们打算去干什么。这个国家正经历着太多的事情，这些事情带给山姆大叔太多的荣誉，可是山姆大叔却无法理解！
He did not even know that,far to the northwest,there was a part of the country called Alaska,where eagles had lived in safety and had brought up their young in peace long after their haunts in most parts of the land had been disturbed.He did not know that the government of Alaska was at that moment paying people fifty cents for every eagle they would kill,and that in two years about five thousand of these noble birds were to die in that manner.He did not know that,if such deeds kept on,before many years there would be no eagles flying proudly through the air:there would be only pictures of eagles on our money and banners.If he could have been told what was happening,and that there was danger that the country would be without a living emblem,and that there might be only stuffed emblems in museums,would he not have thought,"Surely the strong,wise men who go forth to fight for right and liberty will see that the bird of freedom has a home in their land!"
他甚至不知道，离西北很远有一个地方叫阿拉斯加，也是这个国家的一部分。很多年之前，这片国土上鹰赖以生存的栖息地多数遭到破坏，可是，那里的鹰却一直生活得很安全，他们的孩子也一直享受着和平的生长环境；他不知道，此时此刻，那里的人们每杀死一只鹰阿拉斯加政府就会付给他们五十美分，结果，两年之内，大约五千只这种尊贵的鸟儿就这样死于非命；他不知道，如果这种行为继续下去，用不了多少年空中就再也不会有矫健翱翔的鹰了，到那时也许只能在钱币或旗帜上看到他们的画像。假如能把正在发生的一切告诉他，让他知道这个国家的象征即将死去，以后也许只能在博物馆里看到他鼓鼓囊囊的标本，那么他会不会产生这样的想法：“那些意志坚强、充满智慧的人们，当他们挺身而出为正义和自由而战的时候，他们肯定会看到在他们的国土上有自由之鸟的一席之地！”(www.xing528.com)
No;Uncle Sam knew nothing about such matters,and so he busied his mind with the things he did know,and was not sad.
不会的，山姆大叔对这些事情一无所知；他把心思都用在了那些他熟悉的事情上，他并不伤心。
He knew where the swamp was,and in the swamp the ducks were thick.They were good-tasting ducks,and there were so many of them that hunters with guns and dogs gathered there from all the country round.And the hunters wounded some birds that the dogs did not get,and these could not fly off at migrating time.
他知道沼泽在哪里，而且沼泽里的鸭子多。那都是些美味的鸭子，而且数量如此众多，以至于猎人拿着枪、带着猎狗从全国各地蜂拥而至。有些鸟逃过了猎狗的追捕，却被猎人的猎枪打伤，迁徙季节到来的时候，受伤的鸟们无法离开了。
Now,Uncle Sam and his family found the wounded ducks easy to catch,and they were nearly as well pleased with them for food as with fish.Of course their feathers had to be picked off first.No eagle would eat a duck with his feathers on,any more than you would.And Uncle Sam knew how to strip off the feathers as well as anyone.
现在，山姆大叔和他的家人发现受伤的鸭子容易捕捉，而且他们喜欢以这些鸭子为食，喜欢的程度几乎不亚于对鱼的喜爱。当然，吃之前，首先要把鸭毛拔掉。鹰不吃带毛的鸭子，正如你不吃带毛的鸭子一样。和所有的人一样，山姆大叔知道如何去掉鸭毛。
So it was interesting in the swamp,and Uncle Sam and Aunt Samantha and the twins were satisfied with hunting there when they were not fishing in the lake.
沼泽地里真是妙趣横生，虽然不在湖中捕鱼了，但是沼泽地里的捕鸭运动也同样让山姆大叔、萨曼塔大婶和他们的双胞胎儿子心满意足。
One day,when Uncle Sam went hunting,he flew near a field where there was a little lamb;and being a strong and powerful eagle,he was able to carry it away.Perhaps he felt very proud as he flew off with so much food at one time.Such strength is something to be pleased with when it is put to the right use,and getting food is as important for an eagle's life as it is for a man's.
一天，山姆大叔外出猎食，飞近一块田地时，发现田里有一只小羊。山姆大叔可是一只强壮威猛、力大无穷的鹰，所以抓走小羊对他来说不在话下。一次就能捕获这么一大堆食物，也许让他很自豪吧？用于正道的实力才是值得夸耀的实力。对鹰来说，获取食物至关重要，这关系到他的生死，正如人类需要获取食物才能生存一样。
He lifted his burden high in the air,holding it in his strong talons;and he did not falter once in his steady flight,although the load weighed nearly as much as he did,and he carried it two miles without resting once.
山姆大叔飞到空中，一双强劲有力的爪子紧紧地抓着猎物。虽然小羊的体重几乎和他一样，但是，他飞得很稳当，摇摇欲坠的事情一次也没发生。他带着猎物一口气飞了两英里，中间一次都没休息。
Yes,I think Uncle Sam was proud of that day's hunting and happy with what he had caught;and the tender meat tasted good to him and his family.
这天的捕猎一定让山姆大叔感到自豪了吧？收获的猎物让他很开心吧？鲜嫩的羔羊肉也一定让他们一家子美餐了一顿吧？我想是的。
But the man who had owned the lamb before Uncle Sam caught it was not pleased.He happened to be coming out of the woods just in time to see the capture;and an hour later the boy and the girl who lived within sight of Uncle Sam's nest met the man and saw that he carried a gun.
可是，小羊以前的主人不高兴了，没被山姆大叔逮住之前，小羊可是属于他的呀。山姆大叔抓小羊时，他正好从树林里出来，看见了那一幕。一个小时后，住在山姆大叔家附近的那个男孩和女孩遇到了他，看见他手里拿着一杆枪。
"I'm after a white-headed sheep thief,"he said,"do you know which way he flew,after he reached the cliff?"
“我在追一个白脑袋的偷羊贼，”他说，“你们知道他到悬崖后，又朝哪边飞去了吗？”
The boy's face turned white in a second,and he held his fists together very still and very tight.The girl looked at her younger brother and then at the man.
霎时，小男孩脸色苍白，他攥起双拳，紧紧地、一动不动。小女孩看看她的弟弟，又看看那个男人。
"Yes,we know,"she said,"and we will not tell."
“是的，我们知道，”她说，“可是我们不会说的。”
"Why?"asked the man."He took the lamb I was going to roast when it was big enough."
“为什么？”那个男人问。“他抓走了我的小羊，等它长大了，我还要烤了吃呢。”
The girl chuckled a little merrily."And Uncle Sam got ahead of you,"she said."Never mind,I'll get the money to pay for his dinner.The eagles here usually eat fish from the lake,and sometimes game from the swamp;but once in a very,very long while they take a lamb.When that happens,the Junior Audubon Society at our school pays for their treat.I have the money,because I am treasurer."
小女孩咯咯笑了几声。“可惜山姆大叔抢先了，”她说。“不要紧，我会把钱给你，替他买单的。这里的鹰一般只吃湖里的鱼，有时还会去沼泽那里捕食。偶尔他们也会捉小羊，不过这样的事情很少发生。一旦发生，我们学校的‘少年奥杜邦协会’就会掏钱，算是请他们吃了。我有钱，因为我就是协会的财务主管。”
After the girl turned back to the house for the money,the boy looked hard at the gun.Then he swallowed to get rid of the lump that hurt his throat and said,"If you had shot Uncle Sam or Aunt Samantha or their young,the children for miles and miles NEVER would have liked you.Eagles have nested in that tree for more than seventy years,and nobody except a newcomer would think of shooting one."
小女孩转身回家去取钱了，小男孩则使劲地盯着那杆枪。他咽了一口唾沫，把咔在喉咙里的那团东西吞了下去，然后说道：“假如你杀死了山姆大叔、萨曼塔大婶，或者他们的孩子，方圆几英里、几十英里，甚至几百英里的小孩子就再也不会喜欢你了。鹰在那个树上筑巢七十多年了，除非是陌生人，否则谁也不会想到要射杀他们。”
So they talked together for some time about eagles;and when the girl came back,the man did not charge so much for Uncle Sam's treat as we sometimes have to pay for our own lamb chops.
于是他们说起了鹰，过了一会儿，那个女孩回来了。结果，山姆大叔的这顿饭钱，那个男人没要多少，就当请客了，有时候，我们自己吃羊排不也要花钱嘛。
And way off among the cliffs Uncle Sam ate in content,not knowing that his life had been in danger,and that he had been saved by a boy and a girl who were growing up"under the shadow of an eagle's wings,"as they said to each other as they watched him sail the air in his journeys to and fro.
远远的悬崖峭壁上，山姆大叔尽情地吃着，根本不知道刚才他的命危在旦夕，也不知道是一个小男孩和一个小女孩救了他的命。正如他俩在一起时曾经说过的那样，他们是在“雄鹰翅膀的庇护下”长大的，说这番话的时候，山姆大叔正在他们眼前的天空中展翅翱翔，一趟趟飞在他的旅途。
That afternoon,when they heard him call,"Cac,cac,cac,"they said,"Uncle Sam is laughing."And when his mate answered in her harsh voice,they said,"Aunt Samantha would be happy if she knew we saved their lives."
那天下午，听到山姆大叔“嘎咯，嘎咯，嘎咯”的大叫时，他们说：“山姆大叔在哈哈大笑呢。”听到萨曼塔沙哑的回答时，他们说：“假如萨曼塔大婶知道我们救了他们的命，一定会高兴的。”
Busy with the life Nature taught them to live,the twins grew up as Uncle Sam had grown before them.
大自然妈妈教会了两只小鹰如何去生活，和山姆大叔一样，他们整天忙忙碌碌的，不知不觉间就长大了。
As they were hunters,there was nothing more interesting to them than seeking their food in wild,free places.They had no guns and dogs,but they caught game in the swamp.They had no cooks to prepare their ducks,so they picked off the feathers themselves.They had no fish-line and tackle,but they caught fish in the lake.And in time they caught fish in the air,too;which was even more thrilling,and a game they came to enjoy when they overtook the ospreys.Many times,too,they sought the fish that had been washed up on the lake shore,and so helped keep things sweet and clean.In this way they were scavengers;and it is always well to remember that a scavenger,whether he be a bird or beast or beetle,does great service in the world for all who need pure air to breathe.
他们是猎手，对他们来说，干什么都不如在荒郊野外自由自在地猎食有趣。没有猎枪，也没有猎狗，他们照样能在沼泽里捕获猎物；没有厨师为他们收拾捕获的鸭子，他们就自己动手拔去鸭毛；没有渔线和渔具，他们照样能捉到湖里的鱼。时机赶得好，他们还能在空中捕鱼呢！空中捕鱼更惊心动魄，和鱼鹰较量的成功让他们喜欢上了这种运动。很多时候，他们也会在湖边寻觅被湖水冲上岸的鱼，所以，湖边的清新和洁净也有他们的功劳。这么说来，他们也算是食腐动物了。我们应该时刻牢记：无论是鸟，也无论是野兽或者是甲壳虫，只要他是食腐生物，在这个世上，他就为需要纯净空气的万物做出了巨大的贡献。
The first year they became bigger than their father,and bigger than they themselves would be when they were old.At first,too,their eyes were brown,and not yellow like their father's and mother's.And for two years their heads and tails were dark,so that they looked much more like"golden eagles"than they did like the old ones of their own kind.
仅一年的工夫，他们的个头就超过了父亲，而且一直到老都不再长了，那时恐怕只有缩的份了。父亲、母亲的眼睛是黄色的，可是他们的眼睛刚开始却是棕色的。脑袋和尾巴的颜色头两年都很深，结果，看上去他们更像“金雕”，而不像自己的长辈。
The soldiers at the training-camp caught sight of them now and then,and named them the"Yankee-Doodle Twins",when the twins were three years old,their molting season brought a remarkable change to them.The dark feathers of their heads and necks and tails dropped out,and in their places white feathers grew,so that by this time they looked like their own father and mother,who are what is called"bald eagles",though their heads are not bald at all,but well covered with feathers.
训练营里的士兵们时不时地看见他们，于是就给他们起了个名字：“扬基督德双胞胎”（“扬基督德”是一首歌的歌名，美国独立战争期间，这首歌在美国士兵中非常流行，现在号称是美国的第二国歌）。三岁那年的换毛季节，这对双胞胎身上发生了巨大的变化。他们脑袋、脖子和尾巴上的深色羽毛全掉了，取而代之的是白色的羽毛，直到此时，他们看上去才像自己的父母亲了，他们变成了人们说的那种“秃鹰”，可是他们的脑袋不仅一点儿都不秃，还长着厚厚的羽毛呢。
These two birds that were hatched in the home that was more than seventy years old lived to see the end of the war the young soldiers were training for when they took their first flights together near the shore of the same lake.And perhaps they will live to a time when the people of their country learn to deal more and more justly with each other and with the great bird of freedom chosen by their forefathers to be the emblem of their proud land.
在有七十多年历史的老屋里出生的这对鹰亲眼见证了那场战争的结束——那场他俩初次在湖边试飞的时候，那些年轻的士兵为之训练的战争；也许当这片国土上的人们学会了如何与同类和平相处，学会了如何与祖先为他们为之骄傲的国土选择的自由之鸟和平相处的时候，他们依然能活着见证这一切。
Why,indeed,if the boys and girls of the neighborhood keep up a guard for the protection of Uncle Sam and Aunt Samantha,should they not nest again,and yet again,in that tree-top home that has been so well taken care of for more than threescore years and ten;and bring up Yankee-Doodle Twins for their country in days of peace as they did in days of war?
的确，为什么不呢？假如周围的那些小男孩和小女孩能时时刻刻提高警惕，保护山姆大叔和萨曼塔大婶，他们肯定会在那个精心维护了七十多年的树顶小屋里世世代代繁衍下去，为祖国精心哺育“扬基督德双胞胎”，战争年代如此，和平时期也如此。
免责声明：以上内容源自网络，版权归原作者所有，如有侵犯您的原创版权请告知，我们将尽快删除相关内容。
