這是一件去年冬天發生在聖安東尼奧的真實的故事. Gary 在明尼蘇達州的表妹先在她們當地的網站看到然後轉貼給 Gary . 然後 Gary 又轉寄給我. 我看完了以後真的覺得很感動. 我想把它翻譯成中文卻遲遲沒有開始. 這一次和姐姐及她的小朋友們去聖安東尼奧玩時, 在河邊的步道上散步時我順邊跟小 Maggie 講了這個故事. Maggie 從很小的時候就有一付很沉穩的氣質. 現在她九歲了. 看她專心聽我講故事的神情, 我知道她真的有把整個故事聽進去. 聖安東尼奧的河邊步道因為她們的來訪, 對我來講也有了不同的意義. 因為這裡除了是觀光地點之外也有了我們共同的回憶.
True Duck Story from San Antonio , Texas
Something happened in downtown San Antonio this week. Michael R. is an accounting clerk at Frost Bank and works there in a second story office. Several weeks ago, he watched a mother duck choose the concrete awning outside his window as the unlikely place to build a nest above the sidewalk. The mallard laid ten eggs in a nest in the corner of the planter that is perched over 10 feet in the air. She dutifully kept the eggs warm for weeks, and Monday afternoon all of her ten ducklings hatched.
這週在聖安東尼奧發生了一件事. 麥可是一位就職於 Frost 銀行的會計部職員. 他的辦公室的所在地是位於二樓. 幾週前他看見一隻母鴨選擇了一個很不適當的地點築了一個巢. 這個巢的地點就在他窗外的水泥花架上. 而這個花架就在人行道的正上方. 這隻綠頭母鴨在這十呎高的盆栽角落生了十個蛋, 並且很盡職的保持鳥蛋的溫暖. 幾個星期之後的一個星期一下午. 所有的小鴨都孵出來了.
Michael worried all night how the momma duck was going to get those babies safely off their perch in a busy, downtown, urban environment to take to water, which typically happens in the first 48 hours of a duck hatching. Tuesday morning, Michael watched the mother duck encourage her babies to the edge of the perch with the intent to show them how to jump off. Office work came to a standstill as everyone gathered to watch.
麥可一整個晚上都在擔心這隻母鴨要如何將她的小鴨們安全的帶離這個忙碌的市中心. 特別是小鴨在孵出以後的 48 小時之內一定需要水. 到了星期一的早上, 麥可眼看著母鴨鼓勵並且示範她的小鴨子們如何從所棲息的十呎高空往下跳. 這時候辦公室裡一片寂靜. 大家都屏住呼吸的看著這一幕.
The mother flew down below and started quacking to her babies above. In disbelief Michael watched as the first fuzzy newborn trustingly toddled to the edge and astonishingly leapt into thin air, crashing onto the cement below. Michael couldn't stand to watch this risky effort nine more times! He dashed out of his office and ran down the stairs to the sidewalk where the first obedient duckling, near its mother, was resting in a stupor after the near-fatal fall. Michael stood out of sight under the awning-planter, ready to help.
這時候母鴨先飛下去, 然後往上對著她的小寶貝們開始聒聒的叫. 令人不敢置信的, 麥可看著第一隻毛茸茸的小鴨鴨對他的母親充滿信任的奮力往空中一躍. 然後猛烈的墜落在水泥地上. 麥可沒有辦法忍受目睹另外九次的危險. 於是他衝出了辦公室朝樓下的人行道跑過去. 他看到剛剛那隻順從的小鴨在那幾乎致命的一跌之後, 正靠在他媽媽的身旁精神恍惚的休息著. 麥可站在花架下面避開了她們的視線. 並且準備好要助他們一臂之力.
As the second one took the plunge, Michael jumped forward and caught it with his bare hands before it hit the concrete. Safe and sound, he set it down it by its momma and the other stunned sibling, still recovering from that painful leap. (The momma must have sensed that Michael was trying to help her babies.)
當第二隻小鴨同樣的奮力往空中一躍時, 麥可立刻跳出去, 並且在他墜落在水泥地之前在空中用手接住了他. 然後毫髮無傷的將他放在母鴨及那第一隻跳下並且還在恢復中的小鴨旁邊. (這隻母鴨在此時一定了解麥可正在幫她的小寶寶們.)
One by one the babies continued to jump. Each time Michael hid under the awning just to reach out in the nick of time as the duckling made its free fall. At the scene the busy downtown sidewalk traffic came to a standstill. Time after time, Michael was able to catch the remaining eight and set them by their approving mother.
一個接著一個, 小鴨寶寶們繼續往下跳. 每一次麥可都躲在花架之下. 然後在最重要的時刻在空中接住了他們. 在聖安東尼奧忙碌的人行道旁連人車都靜止不動了. 一次又一次的, 麥可接住了剩下的八隻小鴨. 並且放在嘉許的鴨媽媽旁邊.
At this point Michael realized the duck family had only made part of its dangerous journey. They had two full blocks to walk across traffic, crosswalks, curbs and past pedestrians to get to the closest open water, the San Antonio River, site of the famed "River Walk." The on looking office secretaries and several San Antonio police officers joined in. An empty copy-paper box was brought to collect the babies. They carefully corralled them, with the mother's approval, and loaded them in the container. Michael held the box low enough for the mom to see her brood. He then slowly navigated through the downtown streets toward the San Antonio River . The mother waddled behind and kept her babies in sight, all the way.
不過在此時麥可知道這一家人的危機其實還沒有過去. 為了要到達最近的水邊 ”聖安東尼奧的河邊步道”. 他們必須要穿過兩大條馬路. 除了忙碌的交通及人行穿越道之外, 還有人行道旁的邊欄及人行道. 這時在旁邊觀看的辦公室秘書及警察都加入了救援的陣容. 他們找到一個影印纸的箱子來裝鴨寶寶. 經過鴨媽媽的認可, 他小心翼翼的將小鴨裝進了箱子裡. 麥可盡量的將箱子拿的低一點讓鴨媽媽可以看的到她的雛鳥. 然後慢慢的引導著鴨媽媽穿過市中心的街道. 朝著聖安東尼奧的河邊步道前進. 整個路程, 鴨媽媽搖搖擺擺的跟隨著, 一刻也沒有讓她的小寶寶們離開過她的視線.
As they reached the river, the mother took over and passed him, jumping in the river and quacking loudly. At the water’s edge, Michael tipped the box and helped shepherd the babies toward the water and to the waiting mother after their adventurous ride.
當她們到達河邊時. 鴨媽媽快步的超過了麥可然後跳進河裡. 然後大聲的對著麥可聒聒叫著. 麥可將箱子倒過來然後引導小鴨鴨們到水裡去找媽媽.
All ten darling ducklings safely made it into the water and paddled up snugly to momma. Michael said the mom swam in circles, looking back toward the beaming bank bookkeeper, and proudly quacking.
十隻寶貝鴨全部都安全的下了水. 然後游向媽媽身旁緊緊的貼著她. 麥可說鴨媽媽之後在水中一直繞圈圈. 然後看著這位笑容滿面的銀行職員驕傲的聒聒叫著.
At last, all present and accounted for: "We're all together again. We're here! We’re here!"
最後大家終於都到齊了. 一隻不少的. 她們似乎高興的叫著 “我們又在一起了! 好棒哦! 好棒哦!”
And here’s a family portrait before they head outward to further adventures...
這是在她們邁向她們未知的冒險之旅前的最後一張全家福.
Like all of us in the big times of our life, they never could have made it alone without lots of helping hands. I think it gives the name of San Antonio ’s famous "River Walk" a whole new meaning!
就像在我們生命中的輝煌時刻. 都是靠大家彼此互助合作. 這個真實的故事給了聖安東尼奧的河邊步道一個全新的意義.
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