小猫头鹰所罗门的故事

Oh,the wise,wise look of him,with his big round eyes and his very Roman nose!He had sat in a golden silence throughout that dazzling day;but when the kindly moon sent forth a gentler gleam,he spoke,and the speech of little Solomon Otus was as silver.A quivering,quavering whistle thrilled through the night,and all who heard the beginning listened to the end of his song.

哇，真是一张聪明绝顶的脸：大大的圆眼睛，还有那高高的直鼻梁！他已经在那里坐了一整天了，耀眼的日光下，他一言不发，难开金口。可是，当善解人意的月亮洒下柔柔的月色时，他开口说话了。小猫头鹰所罗门开口就是银，那是颤了又颤、抖了又抖的口哨声，那声音划破夜空的时候，无论是谁只要听到了，都会从头听到尾。

It was a night and a place for music.The mellow light lay softly over the orchard tree,on an old branch of which little Solomon sat mooning himself before his door.He could see,not far away,the giant chestnut trees that shaded the banks of a little ravine;and hear the murmuring sound of Shanty Creek,where Nata grew up,and where her grandchildren now played hide-and-seek.Near at hand stood a noble oak,with a big dead branch at the top that was famous the country round as a look-out post for hawks and crows;and maybe an eagle now and then had used it,in years gone by.

这是个充满音乐的夜晚，这是个充满音乐的地方。柔和的月光透过果园里的果树，轻轻地洒在一棵老树枝上。就在这棵老树枝上，小所罗门正坐在自家的门前神思遐想呢。瞧，不远处的那棵栗子树遮天蔽月，在一条小沟边投下了层层暗影；听，“木屋溪”在潺潺低语，蜻蜓娜塔就是在那里长大的呀，现在她的孙儿、孙女们正在那里捉迷藏呢。距他咫尺之遥的地方，矗立着一棵高大挺拔的橡树，树顶有一棵远近闻名的大枯枝，那是鹰和乌鸦们的瞭望哨；在那遥远的岁月里，也许有鹰偶尔来这里瞭望过吧？

But hawk and crow were asleep,and toads were trilling a lullaby from the pond,while far,far off in the heart of the woods,a whip-poor-will called once,twice,and again.

可是，现在鹰和乌鸦都睡着了；池塘里蛤蟆咯呱咯呱地唱着催眠曲；远远的森林深处，三声夜鹰叫了第一声，接着又叫了第二声，然后又叫了第三声。

Solomon loved the dusk.His life was fullest then and his sight was keenest.His eyes were wide open,and he could see clearly the shadow of the leaves when the wind moved them lightly from time to time.He was at ease in the great night-world and master of many a secret that sleepy-eyed day-folk never guess.As he shook out his loose,soft coat and breathed the cool air,he felt the pleasant tang of a hunger that has with it no fear of famine.

所罗门太喜欢黄昏的幽暗了！只有那个时候，他的生活最充实，他的视力也最敏锐。他的眼睛总是瞪得大大的，连偶尔风吹树叶，轻轻投在地上的影子都看得一清二楚。在茫茫的夜的世界里，他轻松自在、应付自如，而且他掌握着许多秘密，那些秘密是一到晚上就睡眼蒙眬的“白猫子”们永远也猜不出来的。他抖抖身上宽松、柔软的大衣，吸一口凉凉的风，这时，他感觉到了一丝饥饿，这让他欣喜兴奋，所罗门的饥饿感是不会带给他饥肠辘辘的恐惧的。

Once more he sent his challenge through the moonlight with quivering,quavering voice,and some who heard it loved the darkness better for this spirit of the night,and some shivered as if with dread.For Solomon had sounded his hunting call,and,as with the baying of hounds or the tune of a hunter's horn,one ear might find music in the note and another hear only a wail.

他那颤了又颤、抖了又抖的声音又一次划破了朦胧的月夜，那是他发出的挑战，有些人听到了，愈加喜爱这茫茫的黑夜了，他们喜欢这夜的精灵；有些人却不由自主地打起了寒战，好像很害怕的样子。所罗门已经吹响了狩猎的号角，正如猎犬的狂吠，或者猎人的号角，有的人听到的是乐符，有些人听到的却仅仅是哀号。

Then,silent as a shadow,he left his branch.Solomon,a little lone hunter in the dark,was off on the chase.Whither he went or what he caught,there was no sound to tell,until,suddenly,one quick squeak way over beside the corn-crib might have notified a farmer that another mouse was gone.But the owner of the corn-crib was asleep,and dreaming,more than likely,that the cat,which was at that moment disturbing a pair of meadow bobolinks,was somehow wholly to be thanked for the scarcity of mice about the place.

接着，悄无声息，就像影子一样，他离开了树枝。所罗门，这个黑暗中的独行小猎手，他出发去捕猎了。他去了哪里？捉住了什么？一切都静悄悄的，没人能听见。可是，突然，远处谷仓旁传来“吱”的一声尖叫，声音短促，稍纵即逝，于是农夫可能就知道了：又有一只老鼠毙命了。可是，谷仓的主人却在熟睡，而且，非常有可能正在做梦，在梦中，他还不知在怎么感谢他家的猫呢，因为他以为谷仓四周老鼠这么少，全托那只猫的福了；可实际上，此时此刻，那只猫正在草地上骚扰一对食米鸟呢。

Solomon was not wasteful about his food.He swallowed his evening breakfast whole.That is,he swallowed all but the tail,which was fairly long and stuck out of his mouth for some time,giving him rather a queer two-tailed look,one at each end!But there was no one about to laugh at him,and it was,in some respects,an excellent way to make a meal.For one thing,it saved him all trouble of cutting up his food;and then,too,there was no danger of his overeating,for he could tell that he had had enough as long as there wasn't room for the tail.And after the good nutritious parts of his breakfast were digested,he had a comfortable way of spitting out the skin and bones all wadded together in a tidy pellet.An owl is not the only kind of bird,by any means,that has a habit of spitting out hard stuff that is swallowed with the food.A crow tucks away many a discarded cud of that sort;and even the thrush,half an hour or so after a dainty fare of wild cherries,taken whole,drops from his bill to the ground the pits that have been squeezed out of the fruit by the digestive mill inside of him.

Oh，the wise，wise look of him.
哇，真是一张聪明绝顶的脸。

所罗门吃东西的时候从不浪费。傍晚的“早餐”他整个儿一口就吞了下去。也就是说，除了尾巴以外，他都一口吞下去了，因为尾巴有点太长了，有一会儿的工夫，一直露在他的嘴巴外面没咽下去，结果他看上去像长了两个尾巴的怪物，屁股那里有一条尾巴，嘴巴那里竟然还有一条尾巴！不过，周围没人，所以不会有人笑话他。从有些方面来看，这种吃法有很多好处。一方面，省去了切食物的所有麻烦，另一方面，没有过度饮食的危险，因为只要肚里装不下那条尾巴，他就知道自己吃饱了。等到“早餐”里那有益健康、营养丰富的部分被消化掉之后，他再轻松自如地把皮和骨头吐出来，这时，这些皮和骨头早就变成了一个圆滚滚的小球丸。无论如何，除了猫头鹰，还有其他很多鸟也有把随食物吞下去的硬东西再吐出来的习惯。乌鸦就能反复咀嚼那种吐出来的反刍食物；甚至连画眉鸟都有这个习惯。画眉吃野樱桃的时候，总是整个儿吞到肚子里，可是他体内起消化作用的研磨机会把樱桃核挤出来，所以，每次大吃一顿野樱桃后大约半个小时左右，樱桃核就会从画眉的嘴里吐出来落到地上。

After his breakfast,which he ate alone in the evening starlight and moonlight,Solomon passed an enjoyable night;for that world,which to most of us is lost in darkness and in sleep,is full of lively interest to an owl.Who,indeed,would not be glad to visit his starlit kingdom,with eyesight keen enough to see the folded leaves of clover like little hands in prayer—a kingdom with byways sweet with the scent and mellow with the beauty of waking primrose?Who would not welcome,for one wonderful night,the gift of ears that could hear the sounds which to little Solomon were known and understood,but many of which are lost in deafness to our dull ears?

借着傍晚的星光和月色，所罗门独自一人吃完了“早餐”，接下来的夜晚愉快而又有趣。那个对我们大多数人来说意味着无边的黑暗和漫长的沉睡的世界，对猫头鹰来说，却是一个充满活力、妙趣横生的世界。的确，倘若我们视力敏锐，看得见那像小手一样合在一起做祈祷状的三叶草，那么，谁不愿意在他那星光闪烁的王国里流连忘返呢？那里，路边小径芳香四溢、美不胜收，处处是彻夜不眠的报春花呀。倘若我们的耳朵能够收到一份礼物，给我们一个美妙的夜晚，让我们听听小所罗门熟悉并且心领神会的那些声音，那么谁不愿意欣然接受呢？因为我们的耳朵已经迟钝，已经听不见其中很多的声音了。

Of course,it may be that Solomon never noticed that clovers fold their leaves by night,or that primroses are open and fragrant after dusk.For he was an owl,and not a person,and his thoughts were not the thoughts of man.But for all that they were wise thoughts—wise as the look of his big round eyes;and many things he knew which are unguessed secrets to dozy day-folk.

当然啦，所罗门有可能从未留意过三叶草的叶子一到晚上竟然会合起来，他也有可能从未留意过报春花黄昏后还会绽开笑脸、吐露芬芳。所罗门只是一只猫头鹰，他可不是人，他的所思所想也不是人类的那种所思所想。可是，尽管如此，他的所思所想都绝顶聪明，和他那大大的圆眼睛里透出的聪明一个样。他知道的很多事情，对那些一到晚上就昏昏欲睡的“白猫子”来说，是猜也猜不出来的谜。

He was a successful hunter,and he had a certain sort of knowledge about the habits of the creatures he sought.He seldom learned where the day birds slept,for he did not find motionless things.But he knew well enough that mice visited the corn-crib,and where their favorite runways came out into the open.He knew where the cutworms crept out of the ground and feasted o'nights in the farmer's garden.He knew where the big brown beetles hummed and buzzed while they munched greedily of shade-tree leaves.And he knew where little fishes swam near the surface of the water.

他是一个成功的猎手，对猎物的习性自有其独到的了解。他很少去了解日间活动的鸟儿睡在哪里，因为他不捉静止不动的东西。不过他很清楚谷仓是老鼠经常光顾的地方，他也很清楚它们通往野外的通道在哪里。他知道切根虫会从哪里爬出地面，到农夫家的花园里整夜大嚼特嚼；他知道哪里有棕色的大甲壳虫一边嗡嗡嘤嘤地叫着，一边贪婪地啃噬绿荫葱茏的树叶；他还知道哪里的水面会有各种各样游来游去的小鱼儿。

So he hunted on silent wings the bright night long;and though he did not starve himself,as we can guess from what we know about his breakfast of rare mouse-steak,still,the tenderest and softest delicacies he took home to five fine youngsters,who welcomed their father with open mouths and eager appetite.Though he made his trips as quickly as he could,he never came too soon to suit them-the hungry little rascals.

所以，他乘着无声的翅膀，整夜欢快地忙着捕食。尽管他不会饿着自己，这点从他“早餐”吃生鼠排的情形就看得出来，不过，最嫩、最软的美食他还是要带回家给自己的五个小宝宝吃，因为他们总是张着嘴巴、急不可待地等着爸爸的归来。虽然每次他都竭尽全力尽快返回，可是再快也赶不上他们饿的快——唉，这些总也吃不够的小调皮呀！

They were cunning and dear and lovable.Even a person could see that,to look at them.It is not surprising that their own father was fond enough of them to give them the greater part of the game he caught.He had,indeed,been interested in them before he ever saw them—while they were still within the roundish white eggshells,and did not need to be fed because there was food enough in the egg to last them all the days until they hatched.

他们好小巧，好可爱，好招人喜欢呀！这点连看到他们的人类都看得出来，所以他们的爸爸如此的喜欢他们，把最好的猎物留给他们吃就不足为怪了。其实，连他们的面都还没见过的时候，爸爸对他们就已经是关注有加了，那个时候，他们还在圆圆的白色蛋壳里没出来呢，不需爸爸给他们喂食，因为蛋壳的食物足够他们享用到出壳的那一天。

Solomon knew the runways of the mice.
所罗门很清楚老鼠的通道在哪里。

Yes,many a time he had kept those eggs warm while Mrs.Otus was away for a change;and many a time,too,he stayed and kept her company when she was there to care for them herself.Now,it doesn't really need two owls at the same time to keep a few eggs warm.Of course not!So why should little Solomon have sat sociably cuddled down beside her?Perhaps because he was fond of her and liked her companionship.It would have been sad,indeed,if he had not been happy in his home,for he was an affectionate little fellow and had had some difficulty in winning his mate.There had been,early in their acquaintance,what seemed to Solomon a long time during which she would not even speak to him.Why,it is said he had to bow to her as many as twenty or thirty times before she seemed even to notice that he was about.But those days were over for good and all,and Mrs.Otus was a true comrade for Solomon as well as a faithful little mother.Together they made a happy home,and were quite charming in it.

是呀，好多次猫头鹰太太不在的时候，他就为这些蛋保暖；还有好多次，太太自己待在窝里照顾蛋宝宝时，他就留下来陪她。嗨，真的没必要两只猫头鹰同时给蛋宝宝保暖。当然没必要啦！可为什么小所罗门要依偎在她身旁陪她呢？也许是因为他爱她，喜欢和她在一起吧。说实在的，要是小所罗门没能得到家庭幸福的话那可够令人伤感的，因为他是个感情丰富的小家伙，而且，为了赢得意中人的芳心他还颇费了一番周折呢。他俩刚刚认识的时候，她甚至连一句话都不跟他说，对所罗门来说那可是段漫长的日子呀。唉，据说他得不断地冲着她鞠躬，要鞠二三十次，她似乎才会注意到他的存在。好在那段日子结束了，永远结束了，现在，猫头鹰太太不仅是所罗门的亲密伴侣，还是一个尽职尽责的小妈妈。他们一起营造了一个幸福的家，相亲相爱，十分美满。

They could be brave,too,when courage was needed,as they gave proof the day that a boy wished he hadn't climbed up and stuck his hand in at their door-hole,to find out what was there.While Mrs.Otus spread her feathers protectingly over her eggs,Solomon lay on his back,and,reaching up with beak and clutching claws,fought for the safety of his family.In the heat of the battle he hissed,whereupon the boy retreated,badly beaten,but proudly boasting of an adventure with some sort of animal that felt like a wildcat and sounded like a snake.

必要时，他们会很勇敢，这一点已经被那个追悔莫及的小男孩证实。那天，小男孩爬上来，把手伸进了他们的家门，想看看里面是什么。猫头鹰太太立刻张开翅膀护住蛋宝宝，所罗门则腿脚冲上躺下，伸出尖嘴和利爪，为家人的安全而战。一边激烈地战斗，一边还不断地发出“嘶嘶嘶”的叫声，小男孩不得不撤退了。虽然小男孩被狠狠地揍了一顿，可是他却美滋滋的，对这次历险津津乐道，吹嘘说自己和一种摸上去像是野猫、听上去像是蛇的动物交过战。

Besides,courage when needed,health,affection,good-nature,and plenty of food were enough to keep a family of owls contented.To be sure,some folk might not have been so well satisfied with the way the household was run.A crow,I feel quite sure,would not have considered the place fit to live in.Mrs.Otus was not,indeed,a tidy housekeeper.The floor was dirty—very dirty—and was never slicked up from one week's end to another.But then,Solomon didn't mind.He was used to it.Mrs.Otus was just like his own mother in that respect;and it might have worried him a great deal to have to keep things spick and span after the way he had been brought up.Why,the beautiful white eggshell he hatched out of was dirty when he pipped it,and never in all his growing-up days did he see his mother or father really clean house.So it is no wonder he was rather shiftless and easy-going.Neither of them had shown what might be called by some much ambition when they went house-hunting early that spring;for although the place they chose had been put into fairly good repair by rather an able carpenter,—a woodpecker,—still,it had been lived in before,and might have been improved by having some of the rubbish picked up and thrown out.But do you think Solomon spent any of his precious evenings that way?No,nor Mrs.Otus either.They moved in just as it was,in the most happy-go-lucky sort of way.

必要时的勇气、健康、友爱、好脾气以及足够的食物，这些东西加起来足以让猫头鹰一家心满意足。当然了，有些人对他们过的日子可能不是很满意。我敢肯定，乌鸦就不喜欢他们住的地方，他肯定会认为那里不宜居住。的确，猫头鹰太太不是一个整洁的女主人。他家的地板很脏，非常脏，从来不收拾，周周如此。可是，所罗门并不介意，他已经习惯了。在这方面，他的太太和自己的妈妈一样，所以，假如真要违背小时候的生活习惯，把一切弄得整整齐齐、一尘不染的话，那会让小所罗门非常不自在的。再说了，他破壳而出的时候，那个漂亮的白蛋壳也是脏乎乎的，而且，从小到大，他从来没有见过妈妈或者爸爸真正地打扫过屋子。所以，怪不得小所罗门会这样得过且过，随遇而安呢。那年初春，去为筑巢选址的时候，他俩谁也没有表现出有人所说的那种宏图大志。因为，尽管他们选的地方已经被能干的木匠啄木鸟先生修缮一新，但毕竟已经住过了，里面还有些垃圾需要捡起来扔掉。可是，你以为所罗门会在那宝贵的夜晚收拾垃圾吗？不会的，猫头鹰太太也不会。他们直接就搬进去了，一副逍遥自在、无忧无虑的样子。

Well,whatever a crow or other particular person might think of that nest,we should agree that a father and mother owl must be left to manage affairs for their young as Nature has taught them;and if those five adorable babies of Solomon didn't prove that the way they were brought up was an entire success from an owlish point of view,I don't know what could.

嗨，无论乌鸦或者其他什么人对那个巢有什么意见，我们都得承认，为孩子操心的事情还是得由猫头鹰爸爸和猫头鹰妈妈自己按照大自然妈妈的教导去做。假如连所罗门那五个可爱的宝宝都无法证明猫头鹰夫妇的养育方式是成功的，那我就不知道还有什么能证明了，当然，那种成功得用猫头鹰的观点来评价。

Take them altogether,perhaps you could not find a much more interesting family than the little Otuses.As to size and shape,they were as much alike as five peas in a pod;but for all that,they looked so different that it hardly seemed possible that they could be own brothers and sisters.For one of the sons of Solomon and two of his daughters had gray complexions,while the other son and daughter were reddish brown.Now Solomon and Mrs.Otus were both gray,except,of course,what white feathers and black streaks were mixed up in their mottlings and dapples;so it seems strange enough to see two of their children distinctly reddish.But,then,one never can tell just what color an owl of this sort will be,anyway.Solomon himself,though gray,was the son of a reddish father and a gray mother,and he had one gray brother and two reddish sisters:while Mrs.Otus,who had but one brother and one sister,was the only gray member of her family.Young or old,summer or winter,Solomon and Mrs.Otus were gray,though,young or old,summer or winter,their fathers had both been of a reddish complexion.(www.xing528.com)

Those five adorable babies of Solomon.
所罗门那五个可爱的宝宝。

五个小宝宝在一起的时候，简直是太有趣了，也许你再也找不到比小猫头鹰更有趣的家庭组合了。从大小和形状上来看，他们非常相似，就如同豆荚里的五粒豌豆，大小形状都一样。可是，尽管如此，看上去他们却一点儿也不像，根本就不像是亲兄弟姐妹。因为，其中一个宝宝儿子和两个宝宝女儿灰不拉叽的，而另外一个宝宝儿子和宝宝女儿却是红彤彤的。所罗门和他的太太全身灰色，当然，还有白羽毛和黑条纹混杂而成的斑斑点点。所以，看到他们的孩子中竟然有两个穿着与众不同的红衣服，似乎就太奇怪了。可是，话说回来，这种猫头鹰身上的颜色谁都无法预测。别看所罗门自己灰不拉叽的，可他父母却不都这样。他妈妈身上的羽毛是灰的，可是，他爸爸却满身红彤彤的；而且，虽然所罗门的哥哥满身灰色，两个姐姐却满身彤红；而他的太太家兄妹三个，只有他太太身上的羽毛是灰的。总之，无论年轻还是年老，也无论是酷暑还是严冬，所罗门和猫头鹰太太都是一身灰；而无论年轻还是年老，也无论是酷暑还是严冬，他们俩的爸爸却都是一身红。

Now this sort of variation in color you can readily see is altogether a different matter from the way Father Goldfinch changes his feathers every October for a winter coat that looks much the same as that of Mother Goldfinch and his young daughters;and then changes every spring to a beautiful yellow suit,with black-andwhite trimmings and a black cap,for the summer.It is different,too,from the color-styles of Bob the Vagabond,who merely wears off the dull tips of his winter feathers,and appears richly garbed in black and white,set off with a lovely bit of yellow,for his gay summer in the north.Again,it is something quite different from the color-fashions of Larie,who was not clothed in a beautiful white garment and soft gray mantle,like his father's and mother's,until he was quite grown up.

显然，这种色差方式与金丝雀完全不同。每年十月，金丝雀爸爸都会换上冬装，可是，他的冬装看上去与他的太太和女儿们身上的冬装差不多一样；每年春天，为了度过盛夏，他又会换上一身漂亮的黄色套服，上面还装饰着黑色和白色的边，另外，还要戴上一顶黑色的帽子。“流浪汉”食米鸟鲍勃的换色风格也不同：为了北方那绚丽多彩的夏季，鲍勃只是把冬衣羽毛尖上的暗灰色慢慢地抖掉，露出身上白色和黑色的羽毛，上面还带着一丝淡淡的黄，就好像是穿着光鲜亮丽的盛装一样；还有，这与潜鸟拉瑞的换色时尚也大相径庭，拉瑞长大后，才能像爸爸妈妈那样，穿上了漂亮的白色外套，披上了柔柔的灰色斗篷。

No,the complexion of Solomon and his sons and daughters was a different matter altogether,because it had nothing whatever to do with season of the year,or age,or sex.But for all that it was not different from the sort of color-variations that Mother Nature gives to many of her children;and you may meet now and again examples of the same sort among flowers,and insects,and other creatures,too.

的确，所罗门和他的儿女们身上的颜色问题很特殊，因为他和季节、年龄，或者性别毫无关系。可是，尽管如此，他们的这种色差方式与大自然母亲赋予其众多子女的色差方式毫无二致，你会时不时地发现这样的鲜花、这样的昆虫，还有这样的其他生物。

But,reddish or gray,it made no difference to Solomon and Mrs.Otus.They had no favorites among their children,but treated them all alike,bringing them food in abundance:not only enough to keep them happy the night long,but laying up a supply in the pantry,so that the youngsters might have luncheons during the day.

无论是红还是灰，对所罗门和他的太太来说没什么两样。他们不偏爱，对孩子们都是一视同仁，他们为孩子们带回大量食物，不仅够他们晚上吃，让他们整个晚上都快快乐乐的，还堆起一堆，储存起来，好在白天给孩子们加餐。

Although Solomon had night eyes,he was not blind by day.He passed the brightest hours quietly for the most part,dozing with both his outer eyelids closed,or sometimes sitting with those open and only the thin inner lid drawn sidewise across his eye.It seems strange to think of his having three eyelids;but,then,perhaps we came pretty near having a third one ourselves;for there is a little fold tucked down at the inner corner,which might have been a third lid that could move across the eye sidewise,if it had grown bigger.And sometimes,of a dazzling day in winter,when the sun is shining on the glittering snow,such a thin lid as Solomon had might be very comfortable,even for our day eyes,and save us the trouble of wearing colored glasses.

虽然所罗门的眼睛是夜眼，不过白天他照样也能看清。阳光最强烈的时候，大部分时间他是安安静静地度过的，有时合着两个外眼皮打盹儿，有时睁着外眼皮坐在那里，只有薄薄的内眼皮横拉过来遮着眼睛。想想他有三个眼皮，似乎有点奇怪耶！可是，我们人类自己其实差点也会有三个眼皮呢。我们的内眼角那里有一个小褶层，如果当初这个小褶层长大了，那可能就是我们的第三个眼睑了，也能在眼睛上横着来回移动。冬天，太阳照在晶莹的雪地上明晃晃的，所以，有时候，如果有所罗门这样的一个薄眼皮，那一定会非常舒服，甚至对我们只能白天看东西的眼睛也是如此，那样就省得我们再戴墨镜了。

He passed the brightest hours dozing.
阳光最强烈的时候，他在打盹。

Lively as Solomon was by night,all he asked during the day was peace and quiet.He had it,usually.It was seldom that even any of the wild folk knew where his nest was;and when he spent the day outside,in some shady place,he didn't show much.His big feather-horns at such times helped make him look like a ragged stub of a branch,or something else he wasn't.It is possible for a person to go very close to an owl without seeing him;and fortunately for Solomon,birds did not find him every day.For when they did,they mobbed him.

晚上，所罗门充满活力，可是一到白天，他只求安安静静地待着。通常，他都能如愿，因为就连那些整天待在野外的家伙也很少知道他的巢在哪里，而且，白天待在外面的浓荫里时，他也不怎么显眼。那时，他那像犄角一样的羽毛就会竖起来，把他伪装成一根粗巴巴的断树枝或者别的什么东西，就算你走到跟前也有可能看不见他。幸运的是，鸟儿们可不是每天都能发现所罗门的，因为，一旦发现了，他们就会群起而攻之。

One day,rather late in the summer,Cock Robin found him and sent forth the alarm.To be sure,Solomon was doing no harm—just dozing,he was,on a branch.But Cock Robin scolded and sputtered and called him mean names;and the louder he talked,the more excited all the other birds in the neighborhood became.Before long there were twenty angry kingbirds and sparrows and other feather-folk,all threatening to do something terrible to Solomon.

一天，那时已经夏末，知更鸟考克·罗宾发现了他，立刻发出了警报。说实话，当时所罗门并未伤害谁，他只是在一根树枝上打盹。可是考克·罗宾却冲着他又骂又嚷，唾沫星子乱溅，骂得别提有多难听了。他越骂声音越大，周围其他的鸟儿越听越群情激愤，不一会儿就聚集了二十多只愤怒的鸟儿，有必胜鸟，有麻雀，还有其他羽友，他们都威胁着要给所罗门点儿颜色看看。

Now,Solomon had been having a good comfortable nap,with his feathers all hanging loose,when Cock Robin chanced to alight on the branch near him.He pulled himself up very thin and as tall as possible,with his feathers drawn tight against his body.When the bird-mob got too near him,he looked at them with his big round eyes,and said,"Oh!"in a sweet high voice.But his soft tone did not turn away their wrath.They came at him harder than ever.Then Solomon showed his temper,for he was no coward.He puffed his feathers out till he looked big and round,and he snapped his beak till the click of it could be heard by his tormentors.And he hissed.

所罗门刚才还耷拉着全身的羽毛，舒舒服服地睡得香呢，可是，考克·罗宾却突然飞了过来，不小心落在了他旁边的树枝上。此刻，他羽毛紧贴身体，全身紧绷，使劲地竖起了身子。当这些聚集的鸟儿离得太近时，他就瞪起又大又圆的眼睛看着他们，“噢”地叫一声，声音很大，却还温和。可是，这温和的叫声并未驱散鸟儿们的愤怒，他们扑得更猛了。这下，所罗门火了，他可不是个懦夫。只见他乍起全身的羽毛，身体鼓得又圆又大，嘴巴不停地咬着，噼啪作响，让所有这些使他不得安宁的鸟儿们都听了个真真切切。同时，他还发出嘶嘶的叫声。

But twenty enemies were too many,and there was only one thing to be done.Solomon did it.First thing those birds knew,they were scolding at nothing at all;and way off in the darkest spot he could find in the woods,a little owl settled himself quite alone and listened while the din of a distant mob grew fainter and fainter and fainter,as one by one those twenty birds discovered that there was no one left on the branch to scold at.

可是，有二十个敌人呢，终究是寡不敌众呀。三十六计，走为上计。所罗门就如此照办了。接下来这些鸟儿发现，他们骂了半天白骂了。远处的树林里，光线最暗的一个地方，有一只小猫头鹰正休息呢，就他自己。远处那讨厌的二十只鸟儿叽叽喳喳的叫骂声越来越小，越来越小了，因为他们一个接一个地发现，树枝上根本就没有可骂的对象了。

If Solomon knew why the day birds bothered him so,he never told.He could usually keep out of their way in the shady woods in the summer;but in the winter,when the leaves were off all but the evergreen trees,he had fewer places to hide in.Of course,there were not then so many birds to worry him,for most of them went south for the snowy season.

为什么这些习惯于白天出来活动的鸟儿要如此这般地搅扰所罗门呢？就算他知道，他从来也没说过。夏天，他通常待在树林里的浓荫里，离他们远远的；可是到了冬季，除了常青树以外，所有其他树的树叶都掉光了，他也就没多少地方可躲啦。当然了，那时也不会有太多的鸟儿来烦他，因为他们大都飞到南方过冬去了。

But Jay stayed through the coldest days and enjoyed every chance he had of pestering Solomon.I don't know that this was because he really disliked the little owl.Jay was as full of mischief as a crow,and if the world got to seeming a bit dull,instead of moping and feeling sorry and waiting for something to happen,Jay looked about for some way of amusing himself.He was something of a bully,—a great deal of a bully,in fact,—this dashing rascal in a gay blue coat;and the more he could swagger,the better he liked it.

可是讨厌鬼松鸦一直没走，即使在最冷的那些日子里，他都待在这里，逮住机会就骚扰小所罗门。我可不知道他之所以这样做是因为他真的不喜欢小猫头鹰呀。在乌鸦家族中，讨厌鬼松鸦满肚子都是坏水。假如日子平平淡淡，有点无聊，讨厌鬼松鸦不会做做鬼脸、伤心一阵，然后期待发生点什么就完事，他会这儿瞧瞧，那儿望望，想办法找点事让自己高兴。他有点像个小霸王，实际上，他霸道极了，别看他穿着华丽的蓝外套，可是骨子里却是个喜欢寻衅滋事的小恶棍，越是耀武扬威，自我感觉就越好。

He seemed,too,to have very much the same feeling that we mean by joy,in fun and frolic.There was,perhaps,in the sight of a bird asleep and listless in broad daylight,something amusing.He was in the habit of seeing the feather-folk scatter at his approach.If he understood why,that didn't bother him any.He was used to it,and there is no doubt he liked the power he had of making his fellow creatures fly around.When he found,sitting on a branch,with two toes front and two toes back,a downy puff with big round eyes and a Roman nose and feather-horns sticking up like the ears of a cat,maybe he was a bit puzzled because it didn't fly,too.Perhaps he didn't quite know what to make of poor little Solomon,who,disturbed from his nap,just drew himself up slim and tall,and remarked,"Oh!"in a sweet high voice.

我们嬉笑玩耍时产生的那种叫快乐的感觉，好像他也有。对于一只一到白天就百无聊赖、昏昏欲睡的鸟儿来说，这也许真的很好玩。总之，他一过去，别的鸟儿就会四散逃窜。即使他知道这是为什么也无所谓，他已经习惯了，而且，毫无疑问，他很高兴自己能有本事让同类们惊慌失措、四散逃窜。可是，他发现有一只鸟竟然没逃走。那个家伙像个小绒球似的蹲在那里，四只爪尖两前两后紧紧地抓着树枝，睁着大大的圆眼睛，挺着高高的直鼻梁，脑袋上的羽毛像猫耳朵似的向上竖着。这下，他可有点儿疑惑了。也许他真的有点儿不知所措了！可怜的小所罗门，刚才还睡得好好的呢。不过，他只绷紧了身子、向上竖着，说了声“噢！”声音很大，但是还算温和。

But,puzzled or not,Jay knew very well what he could do about it.He had done it so many times before!It was a game he liked.He stood on a branch,and called Solomon names in loud,harsh tones.He flew around as if in a terrible temper,screaming at the top of his voice.When he began,there was not another day bird in sight.Before many minutes,all the chickadees,nuthatches,and woodpeckers within hearing had arrived,and had taken sides with Jay.Yes,even sunny-hearted Chick D.D.himself said things to Solomon that were almost saucy.I never heard that any of these mobs actually hurt our little friend;but they certainly disturbed his nap,and there was no peace for him until he slipped away.Where he went,there was no sound to tell,for his feathers were fringed with silent down.Perhaps some snow-bowed branch of evergreen gave him shelter,in a nook where he could see better than the day-eyed birds who tried to follow and then lost track of him.

不过，不管疑惑还是不疑惑，讨厌鬼松鸦都知道怎么施展他的恶作剧。这对他已经是轻车熟路了。这个把戏他喜欢。他落到一根树枝上，扯着嗓子骂起了所罗门，一边骂，一边还绕着所罗门飞来飞去，一副声嘶力竭、气急败坏的样子。他刚开骂的时候，周围一只鸟儿也没有。可没过几分钟，所有的山雀、五子雀和啄木鸟听到他的叫骂声都赶过来为他助威了。是的，连阳光小鸟奇客嘀嘀都冲着所罗门嚷了一通，就差说脏话了。虽然，我从没听说过这些聚众闹事的鸟儿中有谁真的伤害过我们的小朋友所罗门，可是，他们的的确确吵得他无法安睡，所以，他只有溜之大吉，否则无法得到安宁。那么他溜到哪儿去了呢？听是听不出来的，因为他的羽毛上有一圈能静音的绒毛。也许他躲到常青树上被积雪压弯了的树枝上去了。在那里，他比那些鸟儿看得清楚，因为他们的眼睛白天才能看得见。他们想追他，可很快就被甩掉了。

So Solomon went on with his nap,and Jay started off in quest of other adventures.The winter air put a keen edge on his appetite,which was probably the reason why he began to hunt for some of the cupboards where food was stored.Of course,he had tucked a goodly supply of acorns and such things away for himself;but he slipped into one hollow in a tree that was well stocked with frozen fish,which he had certainly had no hand in catching.But what did it matter to the blue-jacketed robber if that fish had meant a threenight fishing at an air-hole in the ice?He didn't care(and probably didn't know)who caught it.It tasted good on a frosty day,so he feasted on fish in Solomon's pantry,while the little owl slept.

于是，所罗门接着睡他的觉，而讨厌鬼松鸦则又去寻别的开心了。冬天的凛冽让他食欲大增，也许就是这个原因，他开始搜寻藏有食物的壁橱。当然了，他已经为自己储备了大量的橡子之类的食物。不过，他还是偷偷溜进了一个空树洞里，那里存着很多冻鱼，不过这些鱼一条也不是他捕的。就算一条鱼就意味着要在冰面的通气孔边连续守候三个晚上，可对这个穿着蓝色外套的强盗来说那又有什么关系呢？他才不在乎（也许是不知道）鱼是谁捉的呢！天寒地冻，鱼的味道不错。所以，他趁着小猫头鹰所罗门呼呼大睡的时候，在他的食物储藏室里美美地吃了一顿。

Well,if Jay,the bold dashing fellow,held noisy revel during the dazzling winter days,night came every once in so often;and then a quavering call,tremulous yet unafraid,told the listening world that an elf of the moonlight was claiming his own.And if some shivered at the sound,others there were who welcomed it as a challenge to enter the realm of a winter's night.

唉，即使讨厌鬼松鸦这个肆意妄为、惹是生非的坏家伙，整天在明晃晃的冬日里聚众喧闹，可是，夜晚还是会如期降临。到那时，一声尖叫划破夜空，这声音在震颤，却听不出丝毫的畏惧，他在向侧耳聆听的世界宣告：夜的精灵又在索取属于自己的那一份东西。假如有些人听到这个声音浑身战栗的话，那么还有另外一些人听到这个声音则欢欣鼓舞，在他们看来这是进入冬夜王国必须接受的挑战。

For,summer or winter,the night holds much of mystery,close to the heart of which lives a little downy owl,who wings his way silent as a shadow,whither he will.And when he calls,people who love the stars and the wonders they shine down upon sometimes go out to the woods and talk with him,for the words he speaks are not hard even for a human voice to say.There was once a boy,so a great poet tells us,who stood many a time at evening beneath the trees or by the glimmering lake,and called the owls that they might answer him.While he listened,who knows what the bird of wisdom told him about the night?

因为，无论是酷暑还是寒冬，夜都是那么的神秘莫测。在那片神秘莫测的世界里，生活着一只小小的、毛茸茸的猫头鹰，他像影子一样悄无声息地挥动翅膀，恣意飞行。当他鸣叫的时候，那些热爱天上的群星、热爱群星照耀下的奇迹的人们，有时候会走出家门来到树林，和他畅谈。他说的话并不难，人类的声音就能模仿。一位了不起的诗人说，曾经有一个男孩，许许多多个傍晚，他都站在树下，或者伫立在波光粼粼的湖边，呼唤着猫头鹰，而猫头鹰们也会回应他的呼唤。在他侧耳聆听他们的回答时，谁知道那智慧之鸟为他讲述了些什么夜的故事呢？