Make Way for Ducklings（讓路給小鴨子）一本最仁慈的書

簡體傳統

你好！我是丹媽

童書作者，親子閱讀推廣人，兒童心理研究者

丹媽語：這是英文團購書中文字最多的一本，應很多麻麻的要求，也翻譯了出來。另外，這次的英文繪本團購結束了，錯過的麻麻只能等到下一次了。悄悄說一聲，下個月丹媽準備了一批超級給力、超級性價比高的中文繪本，到時記得關注哦！

先介紹下這本繪本的內容：一對鴨子夫婦，為了要尋找一個合適的居住環境，不畏辛苦四處尋覓。為了到達理想的居住地，他們必須帶著自己的一大堆孩子穿越交通繁忙的城市，因而引發了城中警察、居民對它們的協助，整個過程透露出人類與動物和諧共生的旨意，傳達對生命的尊重。

《紐約時報》的書評說：這是一本最仁慈的書。是的，人與自然和諧共處，是這本六十多年前創作出的、開本巨大的圖畫書的一個不言而喻的主題。作者用深褐色、略帶那么一點暖暖的暗紅色的筆觸，畫了一個警察攔下所有車輛，護送排成一排的鴨子過馬路的溫情脈脈的故事。故事一上來，就是兩幅充滿魄力的大鳥瞰；隔了幾頁，又是一連三幅恢弘壯觀的大鳥瞰。它們與我們慣常見到的那種鳥瞰不同，因為畫面中多了兩只飛翔中的野鴨，于是便產生了一種強烈的動感，盤旋、下墜……我們好像是插上了一雙翅膀，隨同它們一起飛過波士頓的上空。

Make Way for Ducklings

讓路給小鴨子

Mr. and Mrs. Mallard were looking for a place to live.

馬拉先生和馬拉太太一直在找住的地方。

But every time Mr. Mallard saw what looked like a nice place…

可是每次馬拉先生覺得看起來不錯的地方…

Mrs. Mallard said it was no good.

馬拉太太都說不好。

There were sure to be foxes in the woods, or turtles in the water, and she was not going to raise a family where there might be foxes or turtles.

她總担心樹林里有狐貍，水里有烏龜，她不愿意在可能有狐貍或烏龜的地方居住。

So they flew on and on.

他們只好一直飛啊飛。

When then got to Boston. They felt to tired to fly any further.

當他們飛到波士頓的時候，累的飛不動了。

There was a nice pond in the public garden with a little island on it.

那里的公園有個很好的池塘，池塘里有個小島。

“The very place to spend the night!” quacked Mr. Mallard.

馬拉先生嘎嘎叫道“正是過夜的好地方。”

So down they flapped.

他們拍拍翅膀飛下去了。

The next morning, they fished for their breakfast in the mud at the bottom of the pond. But they didn’t find much.

第二天早晨，他們在池塘底下的你里找到一些食物做早餐，但是沒吃飽。

Just as they were getting ready to start on their way, along came a boat pushed by a strange, enormous bird.

正當他們要離開的時候，有一只很大的鳥走過來，他推著一艘載滿人的船。

There was a man sitting on its back.

在他背上坐著一個人。

“Good morning.” Quacked Mr. Mallard, being polite.

“早安！”馬拉先生很禮貌地向他打招呼。The big bird was too proud to answer.

可是大鳥好像不屑與回答。

But the people on the boat threw peanuts into the water.

船上的人扔了一些花生米到水里。

So the Mallards followed them all round the pond, and got another breakfast, better than the first.

馬拉夫婦跟著船在池塘里繞圈兒，又吃了一頓早餐，比第一頓好些。

As they climbed out on the bank and waddled along, Mrs. Mallard said, “I like this place.”

他們爬上岸去，搖擺著走路的時候，馬拉太太說：“我喜歡這個地方”

“Why don’t we build a nest and raise our ducklings right in this pond?”

為什么我們不在這個池子里做我來養小鴨子呢？

“There are no foxes and no turtles, and the people feed us peanuts. What could be better?”

“這里沒有狐貍和烏龜，又有人給我們花生來吃，真是再好不過了！”

“Good,” said Mr. Mallard, delighted that at last. Mrs. Mallard had found a place that suited her.

“好吧！”馬拉先生說，他很高興他太太終于找到一個適合他的地方。

But,

可是——

“Look out!” squawked Mrs. Mallard. “You’ll get run over!”

“當心那！”馬拉太太大叫一聲。“你會被撞到！”

And when she got her breath, she added, “This is no place for babies, with all those horrid things rushing about. We’ll have to look somewhere else.”

她喘了一口氣又說：“這不是孩子們住的地方，有些可怕的東西橫沖直撞。我們的另外找地方。”

So they flew over Beacon Hill and round the statehouse.

于是他們又飛過柏肯山和州政府。

But there was no place there.

但是找不到合適的地方。

They looked in Louisburg Square, but there was no water to swim in.

他們到路易斯堡廣場瞧了瞧，但是那兒沒有游泳的地方。

Then they flew over the Charles River.

他們又到查爾斯河的上空。

“This is better,” quacked Mr. Mallard.

馬拉先生說：“這里好一點。”

“That island looks like a nice quiet place, and it’s only a little way from the public garden.”

“那個小島看起來像是個清凈的好地方，離開公園也不遠。”

“Yes,” said Mrs. Mallard, remembering the peanuts. “That looks like just the right place to hatch ducklings.”

“是啊！那正是孵小鴨的好地方。”馬拉太太說，她想起了那些花生米。

So they chose a cozyspot among the bushes near the water, and settle down and build their nest

于是，他們在小道靠近水的草叢中找到了一個舒適的地方來造窩。

And only just in time for now they were beginning to molt.

現在正是時候，因為他們要脫毛了。

All their old wind feathers started to drop out.

他們翅膀上的羽毛將全部掉光。

They would not be able to fly again until the new ones grew in.

要等到新毛長出來才能再飛。

But of course they could swim, and one day they swam over to the park on the riverbank, and there they met a policeman called Michael.

不過他們當然還能游泳，一天他們游到對岸上的公園去，遇到警察米奇爾。

Michael fed them peanuts.

米奇爾給他們花生來吃。

And after that, the Mallards called on Michael every day.

以后他們就天天去找他。

After Mrs. Mallard had laid her eggs in the nest.

后來馬拉太太在窩里下了蛋。

She couldn’t go to visit Michael any more.

她沒辦法再去找米奇爾了。

Because she had to sit on eggs to keep them warm.

因為她必須坐在窩上孵蛋。

She moved off the nest only to get a drink of water, or to have her lunch, or to count the eggs and make sure they were all there.

只有要喝水喝吃東西，或是要數數蛋有沒有少，她才肯離開窩。

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight!

一，二，三，四，五，六，七，八！

One day, the ducklings hatched out.

有一天，小鴨子孵出來了

First came Jack, then Kack, then Lack, then Mack and Nack, and Ouack and Pack and Quack.

最先出來的是賈克，接著就是凱克，拉克，米克，尼克，奧克，白克和桂克。

Mr. and Mrs. Mallard were bursting with pride.

馬拉先生感到非常高興。

It was a great responsibility, taking care of so many ducklings, and it kept them very busy.

可是照顧這么多小鴨子是很重大的責任，真把他們忙壞了。

One day, Mr. Mallard decided to take a trip, to see what the rest of the river was like.

有一天，馬拉先生決定要到這條河的其他部分去旅行，看看是什么樣子。

So off he said. “I’ll meet you in a week in the public garden”, he quacked over his shoulder.

他說“一周后我們在公園見。”

“Take good care of the ducklings.”

“好好看著小鴨子啊！”

“Don’t you worry,” said Mrs. Mallard. “I know all about bringing up children”, and she did.

“不用担心！我知道怎么樣帶孩子。”馬拉太太說，她也確實做到了。

She taught them how to swim. And she taught them how to dive.

她教他們怎么游泳和潛水。

She taught them to walk in a line, to come when they were called.

她教他們排成一行走路，聽見叫他們的時候就要過來。

And to keep a safe distance from bikes and scooters, and other things with wheels.

還有要遠遠避開腳踏車、摩托車和其他有輪子的東西。

When at last she felt perfectlysatisfied with them.

最后她對他們完全滿意了。

She said one morning, “Come along, children. Follow me.”

一天早上，她對他們說：“來呀，孩子們，跟我走。”

Before you could wink eyelash, they fell into line, just as they’d been taught. First Jack, then Kack, then Lack, then Mack, Nack, Ouack, Pack, and Quack,

一轉眼的功夫，賈克，凱克，拉克，米克，尼克，奧克，白克和桂克，照所學的樣子排成一行。

And they swam to the oppositebank.

馬拉太太領他們下了水，游到對岸去。

There, they wadedashore. And they waddled along till they came to the highway.

他們爬上岸去，有搖擺著前進，一直走上了公路。

Mrs. Mallard stepped out to cross the road.

馬拉太太領著他們穿過馬路。

Honk, honk! Went the horns on the speeding cars.

“叭叭！”汽車的喇叭直響。

“Quack” went Mrs. Mallard. The cars speeding by and honking.

“嘎嘎！”馬拉太太一家一起拼命大叫。汽車繼續飛跑并按著喇叭。

And Mrs. Mallard and the ducklings kept right on quack, quack, quacking.

馬拉太太和八只小鴨子也不住的大叫。

They made such a noise that Michael came running waving his arms and blowing his whistle.

他們這么一吵鬧，米奇爾就跑來了，他一面擺手，一面吹哨子。

He planted himself in the center of the road, raised one hand to stop the traffic.

米奇爾站在馬路中間，舉手命令所有的汽車都停下。

And then beckoned with the other the way policemen do, for Mrs. Mallard to cross over.

然后像一般警察那樣，用另一只手招呼馬拉太太通過。

As soon as Mrs. Mallard and the ducklings were safe, on the other side and on their way down Mount Vernon Street, Michael rushed back to his police booth.

馬拉太太和他的孩子們平平安安的到了街的那邊，走向維爾山街，米奇爾立刻跑回他的崗亭去。

He called Clancy at headquarters and said, “There’s a family of ducks walking down the street!”

他打電話到警察局，對克蘭賽說：“有一群鴨子正在這條街上走。”

Clancy said, “Family of what?”

克蘭賽問“一群什么？”

“Ducks!” yelled Michael, “Send a police car, quick!”

“我說一群鴨子！”米奇爾大聲的嚷，“趕快派一輛警車來。”

Meanwhile, Mrs. Mallard had reached the corner book shop, and turned into Charles Street with Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Ouack, Pack, and Quack all marching in line behind her.

這時，馬拉太太已經走到了街角的商店，轉向查理街，賈克，凱克，拉克，米克，尼克，奧克，白克和桂克在她后面排成一直行跟著她。

Everyone stared.

街上的人們都看著這群鴨子。

And old lady from Beacon Hill said, “Isn’t it amazing?”

有一位從柏肯山來的老太太說“這些小鴨子多有趣啊！”

And the man who swept the street said, “Well, now isn’t that nice?”

清理街道的人也說“是啊！多么可愛！”

And when Mrs. Mallard heard them, she was so proud.

馬拉太太聽見了，覺得很得意。

She tipped her nose in the air and walked along with an extra swing in her waddle.

她翹著扁嘴，拽得更神氣了。

When they came to the corner of Beacon Street, there was the police car with four policemen, that Clancy had sent from headquarters.