安格斯和鸭子 Angus and the Ducks
Once there was a very young little dog whose name was Angus, because his mother and his father came from Scotland.
Although the rest of Angus was quite small, his head was very large and so were his feet.
从前有一只小狗，名字叫作安格斯，他的爸爸和妈妈都来自苏格兰。
安格斯的个头儿很小，但头和脚却很大。
Angus was curious about many places and many things：
安格斯对很多地方和很多事物都充满了好奇：
He was curious about what lived under the sofa and in dark corners and who was the little dog in the mirror.
他好奇住在沙发底下和黑暗角落里的东西是什么，镜子里的小狗又是谁？
He was curious about things—which come apart and those things—which don't come apart；such as slippers and gentlemen's suspenders and things like that.
他还很好奇为什么有些东西能分开，而有些东西就分不开，比如拖鞋和男士背带裤等，诸如此类的东西。
Angus was also curious about things-outdoors but he could not find out much about them because of a leash.
安格斯还想知道门外的东西是什么，但他却无法去探索，因为他被一根皮绳拴住了。
The leash was fastened at one end to the collar around his neck and at the other end to somebody else.
那根皮绳的一端系着他脖子上戴的项圈，另一端被别人拽着。
But Angus was most curious of all about a noise which came from the other side of the large green hedge at the end of the garden.
但是最让安格斯感到好奇的，却是花园尽头那片高大的绿色篱笆墙外传来的吵闹声。
The noise usually sounded like this：Quack！Quack！Quackety！Quack！
But sometimes it sounded like this：Quackety！Quackety！Quackety！Quack！
那声音通常听起来是这样的：嘎！嘎！嘎嘎！嘎！
但有时候听起来又是这样的：嘎嘎！嘎嘎！嘎嘎！嘎！
One day the door between outdoors and indoors was left open by mistake；and out went Angus without the leash or somebody else.
终于有一天，屋外通向屋内的门被人不小心开着了，安格斯趁机溜了出去，既没有系皮绳，也没有人牵着他。
Down the little path he ran until he came to the large green hedge at the end of the garden.
He tried to go around it, but it was much too long. He tried to go over it, but it was much too high.
他沿着小径，一路小跑，一直来到了花园尽头那片高大的绿色篱笆墙边。
他试图绕过篱笆墙，但那篱笆墙实在太长了；他又试图跳过去，但那篱笆墙又太高了。
So Angus went under the large green hedge and came out on the other side. There, directly in front of him were two white ducks.
所以安格斯只好从高大的绿色篱笆墙的下面钻了过去。那里，映入他眼帘的是两只白色的鸭子。
They were marching forward, one-foot-up and one-foot-down. Quack！Quack！Quackety！Quack！
他们正朝着安格斯，高一脚低一脚地走过来。嘎！嘎！嘎嘎！嘎！
Angus said：Woo-oo-oof！
安格斯大叫道：“呜——呜——汪！”
Away went the ducks all of a flutter.
Quackety！Quackety！
Quackety！Quackety！
Quackety！
鸭子们赶紧拍着翅膀跑开了。
嘎嘎！嘎嘎！
嘎嘎！嘎嘎！
嘎嘎！
Angus followed after.
Soon the ducks stopped by a stone watering trough under a mulberry tree.
Angus stopped, too.
安格斯紧追着他们不放。
很快，鸭子们在桑树下的一块石质水槽旁停了下来。
安格斯也停了下来。
Each duck dipped a yellow bill in the cool clear water. Angus watched.
Each duck took a long drink of the cool clear water. Still Angus watched.Each duck took another long drink of the cool clear water.
鸭子们将他们黄色的嘴伸进了清凉的水中。安格斯好奇地观察着。
鸭子们深深地吸了口那清凉的水。安格斯还在那里观察着他们。鸭子们又深深地吸了口清凉的水。
Then Angus said：Woo-oo-oof！
这下，安格斯抗议了：“呜——呜——汪！”
Away the ducks scuttled and Angus lapped the cool clear water.
鸭子们赶紧逃走了。安格斯过去舔了舔那清凉的水。
Birds sang in the mulberry tree. The sun made patterns through the leaves over the grass.
鸟儿们在桑树上唱着歌儿；太阳透过树叶将影子洒在草地上。
The ducks talked together：Quack！Quack！Quack！
Then：
鸭子们凑在一块儿合计了一下：“嘎！嘎！嘎！”
于是：
Hiss-s-s-s-s-s-s！
嘶——嘶——嘶！
Hiss-s-s-s-s-s-s！
嘶——嘶——嘶！
The first duck nipped Angus's tail！
Hiss-s-s-s-s-s-s！
第一只鸭子咬住了安格斯的尾巴！
嘶——嘶——嘶！
Hiss-s-s-s-s-s-s！
The second duck flapped his wings！
嘶——嘶——嘶！
第二只鸭子展开了他的翅膀！
Angus scrambled under the large green hedge，
安格斯急忙从那高大的绿色篱笆墙下面钻了回去，
scurried up the little path，
匆匆地沿着小径，
scampered into the house，
迅速跑进屋里，
and crawled under the sofa.
躲到沙发底下。
For exactly three minutes by the clock, Angus was not curious about anything at all.
在接下来整整三分钟的时间里，安格斯对任何事都提不起兴趣来。