Make Way for Ducklings（让路给小鸭子）一本最仁慈的书

簡體傳統

你好！我是丹妈

童书作者，亲子阅读推广人，儿童心理研究者

丹妈语：这是英文团购书中文字最多的一本，应很多麻麻的要求，也翻译了出来。另外，这次的英文绘本团购结束了，错过的麻麻只能等到下一次了。悄悄说一声，下个月丹妈准备了一批超级给力、超级性价比高的中文绘本，到时记得关注哦！

先介绍下这本绘本的内容：一对鸭子夫妇，为了要寻找一个合适的居住环境，不畏辛苦四处寻觅。为了到达理想的居住地，他们必须带着自己的一大堆孩子穿越交通繁忙的城市，因而引发了城中警察、居民对它们的协助，整个过程透露出人类与动物和谐共生的旨意，传达对生命的尊重。

《纽约时报》的书评说：这是一本最仁慈的书。是的，人与自然和谐共处，是这本六十多年前创作出的、开本巨大的图画书的一个不言而喻的主题。作者用深褐色、略带那么一点暖暖的暗红色的笔触，画了一个警察拦下所有车辆，护送排成一排的鸭子过马路的温情脉脉的故事。故事一上来，就是两幅充满魄力的大鸟瞰；隔了几页，又是一连三幅恢弘壮观的大鸟瞰。它们与我们惯常见到的那种鸟瞰不同，因为画面中多了两只飞翔中的野鸭，于是便产生了一种强烈的动感，盘旋、下坠……我们好像是插上了一双翅膀，随同它们一起飞过波士顿的上空。

Make Way for Ducklings

让路给小鸭子

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

马拉先生和马拉太太一直在找住的地方。

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

可是每次马拉先生觉得看起来不错的地方…

Mrs. Mallard said it was no good.

马拉太太都说不好。

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.

她总担心树林里有狐狸，水里有乌龟，她不愿意在可能有狐狸或乌龟的地方居住。

So they flew on and on.

他们只好一直飞啊飞。

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

当他们飞到波士顿的时候，累的飞不动了。

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

那里的公园有个很好的池塘，池塘里有个小岛。

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

马拉先生嘎嘎叫道“正是过夜的好地方。”

So down they flapped.

他们拍拍翅膀飞下去了。

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，他们在池塘底下的你里找到一些食物做早餐，但是没吃饱。

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

正当他们要离开的时候，有一只很大的鸟走过来，他推着一艘载满人的船。

There was a man sitting on its back.

在他背上坐着一个人。

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

“早安！”马拉先生很礼貌地向他打招呼。The big bird was too proud to answer.

可是大鸟好像不屑与回答。

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.

马拉夫妇跟着船在池塘里绕圈儿，又吃了一顿早餐，比第一顿好些。

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

他们爬上岸去，摇摆着走路的时候，马拉太太说：“我喜欢这个地方”

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

为什么我们不在这个池子里做我来养小鸭子呢？

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

“这里没有狐狸和乌龟，又有人给我们花生来吃，真是再好不过了！”

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

“好吧！”马拉先生说，他很高兴他太太终于找到一个适合他的地方。

But,

可是——

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

“当心那！”马拉太太大叫一声。“你会被撞到！”

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.”

她喘了一口气又说：“这不是孩子们住的地方，有些可怕的东西横冲直撞。我们的另外找地方。”

So they flew over Beacon Hill and round the statehouse.

于是他们又飞过柏肯山和州政府。

But there was no place there.

但是找不到合适的地方。

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

他们到路易斯堡广场瞧了瞧，但是那儿没有游泳的地方。

Then they flew over the Charles River.

他们又到查尔斯河的上空。

“This is better,” quacked Mr. Mallard.

马拉先生说：“这里好一点。”

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

“那个小岛看起来像是个清净的好地方，离开公园也不远。”

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

“是啊！那正是孵小鸭的好地方。”马拉太太说，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，他们在小道靠近水的草丛中找到了一个舒适的地方来造窝。

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

现在正是时候，因为他们要脱毛了。

All their old wind feathers started to drop out.

他们翅膀上的羽毛将全部掉光。

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

要等到新毛长出来才能再飞。

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.

不过他们当然还能游泳，一天他们游到对岸上的公园去，遇到警察米奇尔。

Michael fed them peanuts.

米奇尔给他们花生来吃。

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

以后他们就天天去找他。

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

后来马拉太太在窝里下了蛋。

She couldn’t go to visit Michael any more.

她没办法再去找米奇尔了。

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

因为她必须坐在窝上孵蛋。

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.

只有要喝水喝吃东西，或是要数数蛋有没有少，她才肯离开窝。

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，小鸭子孵出来了

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

最先出来的是贾克，接着就是凯克，拉克，米克，尼克，奥克，白克和桂克。

Mr. and Mrs. Mallard were bursting with pride.

马拉先生感到非常高兴。

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

可是照顾这么多小鸭子是很重大的责任，真把他们忙坏了。

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

有一天，马拉先生决定要到这条河的其他部分去旅行，看看是什么样子。

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

他说“一周后我们在公园见。”

“Take good care of the ducklings.”

“好好看着小鸭子啊！”

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

“不用担心！我知道怎么样带孩子。”马拉太太说，她也确实做到了。

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

她教他们怎么游泳和潜水。

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

她教他们排成一行走路，听见叫他们的时候就要过来。

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

还有要远远避开脚踏车、摩托车和其他有轮子的东西。

When at last she felt perfectlysatisfied with them.

最后她对他们完全满意了。

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

一天早上，她对他们说：“来呀，孩子们，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,

一转眼的功夫，贾克，凯克，拉克，米克，尼克，奥克，白克和桂克，照所学的样子排成一行。

And they swam to the oppositebank.

马拉太太领他们下了水，游到对岸去。

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

他们爬上岸去，有摇摆着前进，一直走上了公路。

Mrs. Mallard stepped out to cross the road.

马拉太太领着他们穿过马路。

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

“叭叭！”汽车的喇叭直响。

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

“嘎嘎！”马拉太太一家一起拼命大叫。汽车继续飞跑并按着喇叭。

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

马拉太太和八只小鸭子也不住的大叫。

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

他们这么一吵闹，米奇尔就跑来了，他一面摆手，一面吹哨子。

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

米奇尔站在马路中间，举手命令所有的汽车都停下。

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

然后像一般警察那样，用另一只手招呼马拉太太通过。

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.

马拉太太和他的孩子们平平安安的到了街的那边，走向维尔山街，米奇尔立刻跑回他的岗亭去。

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

他打电话到警察局，对克兰赛说：“有一群鸭子正在这条街上走。”

Clancy said, “Family of what?”

克兰赛问“一群什么？”

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

“我说一群鸭子！”米奇尔大声的嚷，“赶快派一辆警车来。”

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.

这时，马拉太太已经走到了街角的商店，转向查理街，贾克，凯克，拉克，米克，尼克，奥克，白克和桂克在她后面排成一直行跟着她。

Everyone stared.

街上的人们都看着这群鸭子。

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

有一位从柏肯山来的老太太说“这些小鸭子多有趣啊！”

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

清理街道的人也说“是啊！多么可爱！”

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

马拉太太听见了，觉得很得意。

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

她翘着扁嘴，拽得更神气了。

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