预备党员考察表-个人总结

一只白色的苍鹭

这是六月里的一个黄昏，还不到八点钟，枝干间
虽然 还闪烁着一抹暗淡的夕阳，树林里却已经充
满阴影。一个小姑娘正在把一头母牛往家里赶。
这是 只步子沉重、行动迟缓，好惹人生气的畜牲，
不过尽管如此，它还算是一个有用的伙伴。她们
俩 背对斜阳朝树林深处走去，她们的脚都很熟悉
林中小路，因此，看得见也好看不见也好，她们
都 不用发愁。


整整一个夏天，这头老母牛几乎没有一天晚上，
是自动走到 牛栏跟前等人来开门的；相反，把自
己藏在越桔丛里成了它最大的快乐。虽然它脖子
上挂有一只 声音响亮的铃铛，但是她已经发现：
只要站定了一动不动，这只铃铛就不会出声。这
样一来，西 尔维亚就得费好大的劲儿来找它了。
小姑娘嘴里不断发出“牛啊！牛！”的呼 唤，却从
来听不 见一次“哞”的应和声。找啊找啊，小姑娘
几乎都快失去了儿童有限的耐心。要不是这头牲
口奶 的质量好，产量也高，主人们是绝对不会这
么迁就它的。而且反正西尔维亚有的是时间，她
正犯 愁不知怎样打发呢。有时候，遇到天气好，
把牛的恶作剧看成一次饶有兴味的捉迷藏游戏，
倒也 可以解解闷儿。

小姑娘没有游伴，因此她就兴致勃勃地让自
己参加到这样的娱乐里 来了。这一回，“寻人”的
时间实在拖得太长，连很沉得住气的畜牲也免不
了反常地发出声音， 从而暴露了自己的位置。西
尔维亚是直到在沼泽地边缘找到“毛莱太太”时才
乐得笑出声来的， 接着，她亲昵地用带树叶的小
桦树枝抽打它，催促它快点回家。老母牛也不再
贪玩，甚至还自己 对准正确的方向，跨着大步沿
着小路朝前走去，自从离开牧场以来这还是第一
次呢。
它已经很想让人给自己挤奶了，所以连地上
的青草也不怎么停下 来吃。她们这么晚回家，西尔维亚都不知道姥姥会怎么说呢。她是五点半
离开家的，到现在时间已经很长了，不过谁都清楚，要用很短的时间完成这样的任务也不是 件
容易的事。梯尔利太太自己过去也多次在夏日傍晚放牧过这只磨人的两角畜生，她该不会责怪别
.
The woods were already filled with shadows one June
evening, just before eight o'clock, though a bright sunset
still glimmered faintly among the trunks of the trees. A little
girl was driving home her cow, a plodding, dilatory,
provoking creature in her behavior, but a valued companion
for all that. They were going away from whatever light
there was, and striking deep into the woods, but their feet
were familiar with the path, and it was no matter whether
their eyes could see it or not.
There was hardly a night the summer through when
the old cow could be found waiting at the pasture bars; on
the contrary, it was her greatest pleasure to hide herself
away among the huckleberry bushes, and though she wore a
loud bell she had made the discovery that if one stood
perfectly still it would not ring. So Sylvia had to hunt for
her until she found her, and call Co' ! Co' ! with never an
answering Moo, until her childish patience was quite spent.
If the creature had not given good milk and plenty of it, the
case would have seemed very different to her owners.
Besides, Sylvia had all the time there was, and very little
use to make of it. Sometimes in pleasant weather it was a
consolation to look upon the cow's pranks as an intelligent
attempt to play hide and seek。
and as the child had no playmates she lent herself to
this amusement with a good deal of zest. Though this chase
had been so long that the wary animal herself had given an
unusual signal of her whereabouts, Sylvia had only laughed
when she came upon Mistress Moolly at the swamp-side,
and urged her affectionately homeward with a twig of birch
leaves. The old cow was not inclined to wander farther, she
even turned in the right direction for once as they left the
pasture, and stepped along the road at a good pace.
She was quite ready to be milked now, and seldom
stopped to browse. Sylvia wondered what her grandmother
would say because they were so late. It was a great while
since she had left home at half-past five o'clock, but
everybody knew the difficulty of making this errand a short
one. Mrs. Tilley had chased the hornéd torment too many
summer evenings herself to blame any one else for
lingering, and was only thankful as she waited that she had
Sylvia, nowadays, to give such valuable assistance. The
good woman suspected that Sylvia loitered occasionally on

人磨磨蹭蹭。相反，她一边等待一边还应该感到
欣慰呢，因为如今 她总算添了 西尔维亚这个帮
手，这帮手还是挺有用的呢。慈祥的老婆婆猜想
有时是西尔维亚自己贪玩才弄得 这么晚的；自古
以来还真没见过这样一个到了野外便不知 回家
的孩子！人人都说，对于一个在 拥挤的工业城市
里生活了八年、发育不良的小女孩来说，换个环
境是最好不过的事。可是对西尔 维亚自己来说，
她的生命象是到 了这儿乡下才真正开始的。小
姑娘常常揪心与怜悯地想起城里邻家后院长出
来的一株天竺葵。


“说‘她怕见生人，’”梯尔利老婆婆喃喃自语地说，
脸上漾出了一丝笑 容，那还是她从女儿那一大窝
孩子里挑中了不起眼的西尔维亚，带了她刚回到
农庄上那时候 的 事。“都说‘她怕见生人。’哼！
我琢磨回到这儿老家，她就算想见生人也见不到
啰！”当时， 她们来到这所孤寂的房子的门前，正
站停下来拿钥匙开门，一只大 声喵呜叫着的猫
走了过来， 在她们身边挨蹭。这只猫咪有好一阵
没人管了，不过她靠逮知更鸟的小雏鸟过日子，
吃得圆圆滚 滚的。当时，西尔维亚悄没声地说，
能住 在这个地方真是太美了，她是永远也不会
想念自己城里的家的。

小姑娘和母牛沿着 幽黑的林中小路往前走，母牛
慢腾腾地跨着大步，小姑娘急急地移动着她的那
双小脚。在溪流旁 边，母牛为了饮水，停留了很
久，仿佛方才离开的 那片牧场并不是布满沼泽
似的。小姑娘也只 好站住了等候。她贪图凉快，
把光赤的脚浸泡在浅滩里，黄昏出来活动的大飞
蛾纷纷轻轻地撞在 她的身上。牛往前移动 了，
小姑娘也涉过浅滩朝前走去。她谛听着画眉的啼
鸣，她的心因为喜 悦跳动得更快了。她头顶上的
巨大枝干间响着一片嗡嗡营营声，显得生机勃
勃。那些小鸟、小 动物好象都还不睡，准备去
干各自的营生；要不就是在用睡意朦胧的啼鸣向
自己的朋友道晚安。 走着走着，西尔维亚也有点
瞌睡了。

好在现在离家已经不远，空气也 温和、甜美
得很。这么晚了还呆在树林里，这种情况对她来
说也是很少有的，她仿佛感到自己都溶进了灰暗
her own account; there never was such a child for straying
about out-of-doors since the world was made! Everybody
said that it was a good change for a little maid who had
tried to grow for eight years in a crowded manufacturing
town, but, as for Sylvia herself, it seemed as if she never
had been alive at all before she came to live at the farm.
She thought often with wistful compassion of a wretched
geranium that belonged to a town neighbor


a smile, after she had made the unlikely choice of Sylvia
from her daughter's houseful of children, and was returning
to the farm.
be troubled no great with 'em up to the old place!When
they reached the door of the lonely house and stopped to
unlock it, and the cat came to purr loudly, and rub against
them, a deserted pussy, indeed, but fat with young robins,
Sylvia whispered that this was a beautiful place to live in,
and she never should wish to go home.


The companions followed the shady wood-road, the cow
taking slow steps and the child very fast ones. The cow
stopped long at the brook to drink, as if the pasture were not
half a swamp, and Sylvia stood still and waited, letting her
bare feet cool themselves in the shoal water, while the great
twilight moths struck softly against her. She waded on
through the brook as the cow moved away, and listened to
the thrushes with a heart that beat fast with pleasure. There
was a stirring in the great boughs overhead. They were full
of little birds and beasts that seemed to be wide awake, and
going about their world, or else saying good-night to each
other in sleepy twitters. Sylvia herself felt sleepy as she
walked along.
However, it was not much farther to the house, and the
air was soft and sweet. She was not often in the woods so
late as this, and it made her feel as if she were a part of the
gray shadows and the moving leaves. She was just thinking
how long it seemed since she first came to the farm a year
ago, and wondering if everything went on in the noisy town
just the same as when she was there, the thought of the
great red-faced boy who used to chase and frighten her
made her hurry along the path to escape from the shadow of

的阴影与摇曳的树叶之中，成为它们的一分子。
她又想 起：她是一年前来到乡 下的，但是时间
好象过了很长很长似的，她不知道嘈杂的城里是
否一切还跟她在的时候一样。她 还想起那个红脸
膛的大个儿男孩怎样经常追逐她，吓唬她，想到
这里她不由加快了步子向前趱行 ，以逃离树木的
阴影。

突然之间，这个稚弱的林中姑娘吓得毛骨悚然，
因 为她听见从不远的地方传来了一阵清脆的口
哨声。这可不是鸟儿的啼啭，那种声音令人感到
友好 、亲切，而是男孩 的口哨，肆无忌惮甚至
有点咄咄逼人的口哨，西尔维亚听凭母牛去经受
命运 的摆布，自己蹑手蹑脚走了几步，钻进了一
丛灌木。可是她行动得太晚了，“敌人”已经 发现
了她。他用一种很讨人喜欢、很有感染力的声调
喊道：“嗨，小姑娘，这儿离开大路有多远啊？”
全身颤抖的西尔维亚的回答几乎没法听清。“还远
着呢，”她 说。

她不敢放胆 抬起头来看这个高高的小伙子，这人
肩膀上扛着一支枪。不过她还是从树丛里钻了出
来，重新跟 在母牛屁股后面。那年轻人走在她的
身边。

“我是来打几种鸟的，”陌生人和蔼地 说，“我迷了
路，非常需要朋友的指点，你可别害怕，”他殷勤
地加上这么一句。“你大胆说好 了，告诉我你叫什
么名字，依你看我能不能在你们家里住一夜，好
让我明天一大早再到林子里去 打猎。”

西尔维亚更加害怕了。她的姥姥会不会加倍地责
怪她呢？可是谁又能料到 会出这样的事呢？这
事好象也不能怪她呀。她耷拉着脑袋，仿佛脖梗
都已经折断了。不过她还是 费了好大的劲儿哼哼
唧唧地发出了几个音：“西尔维。”因为她的同伴
又再次问她叫什么名字了 。

三个伙伴出现在家宅附近时，梯尔利太太正立在
门口等候呢。母牛哞的大吼了一 声，算是她作出
的解释。

“对了，你最好还是自己来把事情交代清楚，你这
个老坏蛋！西尔维，这一回她又藏到哪去啦？”
the trees.
Suddenly this little woods-girl is horror-stricken to
hear a clear whistle not very far away. Not a bird's-whistle,
which would have a sort of friendliness, but a boy's whistle,
determined, and somewhat aggressive. Sylvia left the cow
to whatever sad fate might await her, and stepped discreetly
aside into the bushes, but she was just too late. The enemy
had discovered her, and called out in a very cheerful and
persuasive tone, little girl, how far is it to the
road?
good ways.

She did not dare to look boldly at the tall young man,
who carried a gun over his shoulder, but she came out of
her bush and again followed the cow, while he walked
alongside.

kindly, I have lost my way, and need a friend very
much. Don't be afraid,
tell me what your name is, and whether you think I can
spend the night at your house, and go out gunning early in
the morning.
Sylvia was more alarmed than before. Would not her
grandmother consider her much to blame? But who could
have foreseen such an accident as this? It did not seem to be
her fault, and she hung her head as if the stem of it were
broken, but managed to answer with much effort
when her companion again asked her name.
Mrs. Tilley was standing in the doorway when the trio
came into view. The cow gave a loud moo by way of
explanation.

Where'd she tucked herself away this time, Sylvy?But
Sylvia kept an awed silence; she knew by instinct that her
grandmother did not comprehend the gravity of the
situation. She must be mistaking the stranger for one of the
farmer-lads of the region.
The young man stood his gun beside the door, and
dropped a lumpy game-bag beside it; then he bade Mrs.
Tilley good-evening, and repeated his wayfarer's story, and
asked if he could have a night's lodging.

西尔维亚却吓得一言不发。她出于本能，知道她< br>的姥姥还不理解局势的严重性。她准是错把陌生
人当成了本地的哪一个农家子。
那个年轻人把枪靠在门边，又把一只鼓鼓囊囊的
狩猎袋扔在枪的旁边；接着他向梯尔利太太道了声晚上好，又重述了一遍他那徒步旅行者的故
事。他还问能不能让他在这儿过一夜。
< br>“随便找个地方就行，”他说。“我反正明天天不亮
就要走的，不过我可真的是饿坏了。至少你可 以
让我喝点牛奶吧，这是很容易办到的。”

“好老天，当然啰，”女主人回答道， 她那长期眠
休的好客精神象是霎时间就被唤醒了。“要是你顺
着大路往前走一两英里，说不定你 过夜可以过得
舒服些。不过我 们当然也很欢迎你，虽然我们
这里非常简陋。我马上就去挤奶， 你随便休息好
了。你可以睡在玉米衣堆上或是羽毛堆上，”她宽
宏大度地说。“都是我自己种的 和养 的。离这儿
不远的沼泽地那边有一块牧场，放鹅再好不过
了。西尔维，你动弹一下，给这 位先生去拿只盘
子来！”西尔维亚立即走开去了。她很乐意有点什
么事儿 干，再说，她也饿了。

能在新英格兰的穷乡僻壤找到这么一所干净、舒
适的小房子 ，真叫人感到意外呢。年轻人在这一
带见到过最原始的持家方式，也接触过让人糟心
的家庭，那 里十分邋 遢，人们对和母鸡生活在
一起已经习以为常。可是这个老式的农庄料理得
非常经心， 虽然规模很小，象一处隐士住的茅舍。
年轻人热切地倾听着老婆婆古雅的谈吐， 兴趣
越来越浓 地观察着西尔维亚苍白的脸和炯炯发
光的灰眼睛。他坚持说这顿饭是他一个月以来所
吃到的最美 味的一顿。晚饭吃罢，这几个新结识
的朋友围坐在门 口，望着明月冉冉升起。

摘 草莓的季节眼看就要到了，西尔维亚是个摘草
莓的好帮手。那头母牛出的奶不错，可是要看住
它 可真够费事的。女主人絮絮叨叨地说个没完，
倒是很直爽。接着她 又告诉客人，她埋葬过四
个 子女，因此西尔维亚她妈以及搬到加利福尼亚
去的一个儿子（还不知是死是活）就成了她仅存
的 两个孩子了。“我那个儿子阿丹，他的枪 法可
me anywhere you like,he said. must be off
early in the morning, before day; but I am very hungry,
indeed. You can give me some milk at any rate, that's
plain.
yes,whose long
slumbering hospitality seemed to be easily awakened.
might fare better if you went out to the main road a mile or
so, but you're welcome to what we've got. I'll milk right off,
and you make yourself at home. You can sleep on husks or
feathers,she proffered graciously. raised them all
myself. There's good pasturing for geese just below here
towards the ma'sh. Now step round and set a plate for the
gentleman, Sylvy!
glad to have something to do, and she was hungry herself.
It was a surprise to find so clean and comfortable a
little dwelling in this New England wilderness. The young
man had known the horrors of its most primitive
housekeeping, and the dreary squalor of that level of
society which does not rebel at the companionship of hens.
This was the best thrift of an old-fashioned farmstead,
though on such a small scale that it seemed like a
hermitage. He listened eagerly to the old woman's quaint
talk, he watched Sylvia's pale face and shining gray eyes
with ever growing enthusiasm, and insisted that this was the
best supper he had eaten for a month, and afterward the
new-made friends sat down in the door-way together while
the moon came up.
Soon it would be berry-time, and Sylvia was a great
help at picking. The cow was a good milker, though a
plaguy thing to keep track of, the hostess gossiped frankly,
adding presently that she had buried four children, so
Sylvia's mother, and a son (who might be dead) in
California were all the children she had left.
was a great hand to go gunning,she explained sadly.
never wanted for pa'tridges or gray squer'ls while he was to
home. He's been a great wand'rer, I expect, and he's no hand
to write letters. There, I don't blame him, I'd ha' seen the
world myself if it had been so I could.
takes after him,the grandmother continued
affectionately, after a minute's pause.
ground she don't know her way over, and the wild creaturs
counts her one o' themselves. Squer'ls she'll tame to come
an' feed right out o' her hands, and all sorts o' birds. Last

准了，”她伤心地解释道，“只要他在家，我从不
短 缺山鸡和松鼠。我琢磨他这人坐不住，又不爱
写信。唉，我倒也不想责怪他。要是我年轻那会
儿 走得动，我 也是要到处走走去见世面的。”

“西尔维这方面象他，”在稍停片刻之后姥姥 深情
地继续说道。“这儿没有一寸土地是她不认得的。
林中的鸟兽都把她看作自己的同类。松鼠 跟她熟
得能到她手里来 吃东西，各种禽鸟也都这样。
去年冬天她把樫鸟招来，那些鸟儿聒噪个 没完，
要不是我看得紧，我相信她连自己盘子里的肉也
会省下来给它们吃的。我告诉她，除了 乌鸦，
别的鸟兽我都可以养活——虽然阿丹过去也养
驯过一只乌鸦，这鸟儿可通灵性了，简直跟 人一
样聪明。阿丹离开这里之后，它还常来，过了好
久才不来。阿丹 跟他爹，这爷儿俩合不来 ，——
可是打从阿丹顶撞了他离开之后，老头儿就一直
垂头丧气，再没打起精神来过。”

客人没有注意这些话里暗含的一本家庭伤心史，
他的兴趣已经集中到另一件事上去了。

“这么说，西尔维对鸟儿的事很熟悉，对吗？”他
大声地喊道，一边扭过头来看看小 姑娘。小姑娘
坐在月光底下，十分拘谨，但是越来越困了。“我
目前正在收集各 种禽鸟。我还 是个小孩的时候
就开始干这件事。”（听到这里梯尔利太太莞尔一
笑。）“近五年来，我一直想 要猎捕到两三种珍贵
的禽鸟。只要办得到，我一定要依 靠自己的力
量把它们弄到手。”

“你是把它们关在笼子里养活着玩吗？”听了这番
热情洋溢的表白之后，梯尔利太太狐疑地问。

“噢，不是的，我把它们剥制后保存起来，我已经
有好几十个标本了，”年轻的禽鸟 学家回答道，“每
一个都是我自己用枪打、用网逮的。星期六那天，
就在离这儿 三里路的地方 ，我瞥见一只白色的
苍鹭，我追踪它，来到这儿。还从来没有人在这
一带发现这种禽鸟呢。这是 一种小的白苍鹭。”
他又朝西尔维亚看了一眼，希望能 证实这只珍
贵的禽鸟也是小姑娘的老相识。

可是西尔维亚的眼睛却盯看着小径上的一只癞
winter she got the jay-birds tobangeinghere, and I believe
she'd 'a' scanted herself of her own meals to have plenty to
throw out amongst 'em, if I hadn't kep' watch. Anything but
crows, I tell her, I'm willin' to help support — though Dan
he had a tamed one o' them that did seem to have reason
same as folks. It was round here a good spell after he went
away. Dan an' his father they didn't hitch, — but he never
held up his head ag'in after Dan had dared him an' gone
off.
The guest did not notice this hint of family sorrows in
his eager interest in something else.
Sylvy knows all about birds, does she?he
exclaimed, as he looked round at the little girl who sat, very
demure but increasingly sleepy, in the moonlight. am
making a collection of birds myself. I have been at it ever
since I was a boy.
three very rare ones I have been hunting for these five
years. I mean to get them on my own ground if they can be
found.

response to this enthusiastic announcement.
no, they're stuffed and preserved, dozens and
dozens of them,
snared every one myself. I caught a glimpse of a white
heron a few miles from here on Saturday, and I have
followed it in this direction. They have never been found in
this district at all. Thelittle white heron, it is,
again to look at Sylvia with the hope of discovering that the
rare bird was one of her acquaintances.
But Sylvia was watching a hop- toad in the narrow
footpath.

continued eagerly. queer tall white bird with soft
feathers and long thin legs. And it would have a nest
perhaps in the top of a high tree, made of sticks, something
like a hawk's nest.
Sylvia's heart gave a wild beat; she knew that strange
white bird, and had once stolen softly near where it stood in
some bright green swamp grass, away over at the other side
of the woods. There was an open place where the sunshine
always seemed strangely yellow and hot, where tall,
nodding rushes grew, and her grandmother had warned her

蛤蟆。

“你只要见过这苍鹭一眼，便不会不记得它的。”
陌生人继续热情地说。“这是一只身量高高的 白
鸟，羽毛很柔软，腿很细很长。它的窠巢准是筑
在一棵高大的树的顶部，用小树枝搭成，跟鹰 巢
差不多。”

西尔维亚的心脏猛烈地跳动起来；她知道有这么
一只奇异的 白鸟。有一回，在树林的那头，她见
到过它站在沼泽地翠绿的草丛里，她还蹑手蹑脚
偷偷地接近 过它呢。 那儿有一块开阔地，这里
的阳光总是显得特别明亮，特别温暖，这儿的地
上长着高高 的、不住点头的蒲草。姥姥警告过她，
千万别陷到草底下乌黑柔软的泥淖里去， 否则
世界上就 算没她这个人了。从这儿过去不远，便
是盐滩地，再过去，就是真正的大海了。西尔维
亚经常琢 磨大海究竟是什么样的，她经常梦见大
海，却从来没有 见过大海。在暴风雨肆虐的夜
晚，大海的怒吼有时能盖过林涛声传到她耳朵
里。
< br>“世界上我最最想做到的一件事就是找到那只苍
鹭的窝了，”这时候，那个英俊的青年陌生人开口
说了。“谁能帮我找到那地方，我就给他十块钱。”
他又迫不及待 地加了一句，“如果必要， 我可以
把整个假期全都用在捕捉它上面。没准它是一只
过路的候鸟，也可能是被猛禽从原来生活 的地区
赶出来的鸟儿。”

梯尔利太太兴致勃勃地专心倾听着这一番话，西
尔维亚却仍然在观察那只蛤蟆。要是心境平静
些，她就能猜得出，这只蛤蟆是想钻回到台阶底
下 它的洞里去的，只是 被这么晚还呆在外面的
这些生客吓住了，不敢回家。那天晚上，就是想
象 力再丰富的人也想象不出，用这随便提到的十
块钱，可以买来多少样自己渴望已久的好东 西。

第二天，年轻的猎人在树林里漫游，西尔维亚陪
伴着他。小姑娘已经消除了对这个友 好的小伙子
最初产生的畏惧。他显示出是个和蔼可亲、很有
同情心的人。他告诉 小姑娘许多关 于鸟的知识：
它们是如何的懂事，它们住在哪里，它们又是怎
样安排自己的生活。他还送给西尔 维亚一把折
that she might sink in the soft black mud underneath and
never be heard of more. Not far beyond were thesalt
marshesjust this side the sea itself, which Sylvia wondered
and dreamed much about, but never had seen, whose great
voice could sometimes be heard above the noise of the
woods on stormy nights.

find that heron's nest,saying.

me,
vacation hunting for it if need be. Perhaps it was only
migrating, or had been chased out of its own region by
some bird of prey.
Mrs. Tilley gave amazed attention to all this, but
Sylvia still watched the toad, not divining, as she might
have done at some calmer time, that the creature wished to
get to its hole under the door-step, and was much hindered
by the unusual spectators at that hour of the evening. No
amount of thought, that night, could decide how many
wished-for treasures the ten dollars, so lightly spoken of,
would buy.

The next day the young sportsman hovered about the
woods, and Sylvia kept him company, having lost her first
fear of the friendly lad, who proved to be most kind and
sympathetic. He told her many things about the birds and
what they knew and where they lived and what they did
with themselves. And he gave her a jack-knife, which she
thought as great a treasure as if she were a desert-islander.
All day long he did not once make her troubled or afraid
except when he brought down some unsuspecting singing
creature from its bough. Sylvia would have liked him vastly
better without his gun; she could not understand why he
killed the very birds he seemed to like so much. But as the
day waned, Sylvia still watched the young man with loving
admiration. She had never seen anybody so charming and
delightful; the woman's heart, asleep in the child, was
vaguely thrilled by a dream of love. Some premonition of
that great power stirred and swayed these young creatures
who traversed the solemn woodlands with soft-footed silent
care. They stopped to listen to a bird's song; they pressed
forward again eagerly, parting the branches — speaking to
each other rarely and in whispers; the young man going

刀。她象个荒岛上的遗世之民似的，觉得这 把
刀简直是稀世之珍。整整一天， 他没有使小姑娘
感到难堪和畏惧，只除了把毫不猜疑在引吭高歌
的小鸟从枝头打下的时候。要是 他手里没有那支
枪，西尔维亚会加 倍喜欢他的。她不能理解，
既然他这么喜爱这些禽鸟，何以 又要把它们杀
死。白日将尽，西尔维亚仍然用充满钦慕的眼光
望着这个年轻人。她从来没有见过 这么有魅 力、
这么招人喜欢的小伙子；潜伏在孩童心底那颗女
性的心开始被爱恋的梦催醒了。 这种威力无比的
激情的先兆激荡着、摇撼着这两个年轻人，使他
们在穿越这片肃 穆的树林时轻 手轻脚，默不作
声。他们停住脚步谛听一只鸟儿的歌唱，接着又
拨开树枝急急地往前趱行。他们 只是偶而才用耳
语相互交换几句话，年轻人走在前面， 西尔维
亚心醉神迷地在几步路后面跟着，她那双灰眼睛
因为激动，变得乌黑发亮。

她感到茫然若有所失，因为要寻找的那只白苍鹭
不知上哪儿去了。不过她可没有给客人带路，她
仅仅是跟在后面，更谈不上主动开口和客人说话
了。她要是没人问就 说话，那声音自己听了也
会吓一跳的——迫不得已时只说一个“是”字或
“不”字就已经够费劲的了。夜幕终于开始降临 ，
他们一起把母牛朝家里赶去。他们来到仅 在头
天晚上她听见口哨还吓了一大跳的那个地方，这
时候，西尔维亚的脸上欣然泛出了笑容。

二

离她家半英里以外，在树林最外缘地势最高的地
方，矗立着 一棵高大的松树。这是一起长大的那
批松树中的最后孑遗。究竟它是作为界标留下的
还是为了别 的原因， 没有人说得清楚。砍倒它
同伴的那些伐木者不是死了，便是已经远走他
乡。在树桩地 上，又长出了一片新的树林，其中
有松树，也有橡树和枫树。但是这棵仪态万千 的
大松树的树 冠高高的凌驾在所有的树峰之上，成
了方圆许多里之内海上和岸边的一处路标。西尔
维亚非常熟 悉这棵大树。她一直相信只要爬到它
的顶部，就能看见 大海。她经常把手按在巨大、
粗糙的树 干上，若有所思地仰望高处那些黑黝黝
的枝叶。不管树底下有多热，空气纹丝不动，高
处的枝叶 总是被风吹得颤悠颤悠的。现 在，想
first and Sylvia following, fascinated, a few steps behind,
with her gray eyes dark with excitement.
She grieved because the longed-for white heron was
elusive, but she did not lead the guest, she only followed,
and there was no such thing as speaking first. The sound of
her own unquestioned voice would have terrified her — it
was hard enough to answer yes or no when there was need
of that. At last evening began to fall, and they drove the
cow home together, and Sylvia smiled with pleasure when
they came to the place where she heard the whistle and was
afraid only the night before.


Half a mile from home, at the farther edge of the
woods, where the land was highest, a great pine-tree stood,
the last of its generation. Whether it was left for a boundary
mark, or for what reason, no one could say; the
woodchoppers who had felled its mates were dead and gone
long ago, and a whole forest of sturdy trees, pines and oaks
and maples, had grown again. But the stately head of this
old pine towered above them all and made a landmark for
sea and shore miles and miles away. Sylvia knew it well.
She had always believed that whoever climbed to the top of
it could see the ocean; and the little girl had often laid her
hand on the great rough trunk and looked up wistfully at
those dark boughs that the wind always stirred, no matter
how hot and still the air might be below. Now she thought
of the tree with a new excitement, for why, if one climbed it
at break of day, could not one see all the world, and easily
discover from whence the white heron flew, and mark the
place, and find the hidden nest?
What a spirit of adventure, what wild ambition! What
fancied triumph and delight and glory for the later morning
when she could make known the secret! It was almost too
real and too great for the childish heart to bear.
All night the door of the little house stood open and
thewhippoorwillscame and sang upon the very step. The
young sportsman and his old hostess were sound asleep, but
Sylvia's great design kept her broad awake and watching.
She forgot to think of sleep. The short summer night
seemed as long as the winter darkness, and at last when the
whippoorwills ceased, and she was afraid the morning
would after all come too soon, she stole out of the house

到这 棵大树，她心中又增添了一层新的激动：要
是有人在拂晓时分爬到树巅把整个世界收入眼
底，岂 不是很容易看清白苍鹭是从哪儿飞出来
的？认清了地点， 不就能找到它那隐藏的窠巢
了吗？

这是多么伟大的冒险精神，多么了不起的壮志雄
心！然后，在早晨稍晚些时候，当她 能够披露这
个秘密时，她又将得到多么巨大的胜利、喜悦与
光荣！这件事太不可思议，太伟大了 ，简直不是
一个童稚的心灵所能包容的了。

整个夜晚，小农舍的门敞开着，夜莺飞 来，停在
大门口的台阶上婉转啼鸣。年轻的猎人和年老的
女主人都睡得很香，西尔维亚却因为心 里有一个
伟大的计划，极其清 醒，她瞪大了两眼望着黑
暗，她把睡觉完全忘记了。短促的夏夜 仿佛与冬
天的黑夜一样漫长。最后，那几只夜莺不歌唱了，
她又担心拂晓是不是已经来临。她蹑 手蹑 脚地
走出屋子，沿着通向牧场的小路穿过树林，急急
地朝林子那边的空地走去。当她听到 一只半睡半
醒的鸟儿在说梦话似的咯咯啾鸣时，她感到宽
慰，感到有了伴 儿。可是她的脚步声 却惊醒了
鸟儿，使它离开了栖息的枝头。啊，如果初次充
塞在这个孤寂的小生命的那股人类私利 的巨大
浪潮，竟会把一种满足于同大自然朝夕相 处，
满足于过大森林中怡然寂寞的生活的心情冲走，
那该多糟啊！

那棵大 树还在灰蒙蒙的月光底下酣睡。傻乎乎的
小西尔维亚开始以非凡的勇气向树顶攀登了，热
辣辣的 充满生命的鲜血循着她周身的脉管急急
涌流，她的光赤的手和 脚象鸟爪似的扒紧那上
升、上升 ，几乎高达云霄的可怖蹬梯。不过她还
得先爬上长在大树旁边的那棵白色的橡树，她几
乎被它的 黑枝桠和挂满露珠的绿叶埋没了。一
只鸟儿从它的窠巢里朴愣愣地惊飞出来，一只红
棕色的松 鼠四处乱窜，愠怒地责怪这个没有恶意
的不速之客。西尔维亚十分顺利地摸索着往上
爬。这个地 方她经常攀 登，她知道再高一点的
地方，橡树的一根高枝挨擦着松树的主干，也就
是在这里， 松树最低的枝桠密集地向外展伸。到
了那儿，当她将提心吊胆地从一棵树跨到另一
棵树去之后，伟大的事业才真正开始呢。
and followed the pasture path through the woods, hastening
toward the open ground beyond, listening with a sense of
comfort and companionship to the drowsy twitter of a
half-awakened bird, whose perch she had jarred in passing.
Alas, if the great wave of human interest which flooded for
the first time this dull little life should sweep away the
satisfactions of an existence heart to heart with nature and
the dumb life of the forest!
There was the huge tree asleep yet in the paling
moonlight, and small and silly Sylvia began with utmost
bravery to mount to the top of it, with tingling, eager blood
coursing the channels of her whole frame, with her bare feet
and fingers, that pinched and held like bird's claws to the
monstrous ladder reaching up, up, almost to the sky itself.
First she must mount the white oak tree that grew
alongside, where she was almost lost among the dark
branches and the green leaves heavy and wet with dew; a
bird fluttered off its nest, and a red squirrel ran to and fro
and scolded pettishly at the harmlesshousebreaker. Sylvia
felt her way easily. She had often climbed there, and knew
that higher still one of the oak's upper branches chafed
against the pine trunk, just where its lower boughs were set
close together. There, when she made the dangerous pass
from one tree to the other, the great enterprise would really
begin.
She crept out along the swaying oak limb at last, and
took the daring step across into the old pine- tree. The way
was harder than she thought; she must reach far and hold
fast, the sharp dry twigs caught and held her and scratched
her like angry talons, the pitch made her thin little fingers
clumsy and stiff as she went round and round the tree's
great stem, higher and higher upward. The sparrows and
robins in the woods below were beginning to wake and
twitter to the dawn, yet it seemed much lighter there aloft in
the pine-tree, and the child knew she must hurry if her
project were to be of any use.
The tree seemed to lengthen itself out as she went up,
and to reach farther and farther upward. It was like a great
main-mast to the voyaging earth; it must truly have been
amazed that morning through all its ponderous frame as it
felt this determined spark of human spirit wending its way
from higher branch to branch. Who knows how steadily the
least twigs held themselves to advantage this light, weak

她终于顺着那根颤颤悠悠的横枝往外爬了，她壮
着胆子把脚往老松树 上踩去。事情比她设想的要
困难得多，她得狠命把身子探出去，死命用手攥
住枝子才行，尖利的 干枝象愤怒的鹰爪似的钩
住她，攀住她，拽住她，她绕着大树的主干逐步
攀登，松脂又使她纤细 的手指变得笨拙与僵硬。
在底下的树林里，麻雀和知更已经苏醒，开 始
迎着晨曦啭鸣，在松树 的高枝上可比下面豁亮多
了。小姑娘明白，如果要实现自己的计划，她的
动作还得加快才行呢。

松树象是随着她的攀登而在不断延伸，在变得越
来越高。它象是航行中的地球的一根 巨大的主
桅。这天早晨，这棵躯体庞大笨重的松树一定感
到无比惊讶，因为它觉 出有一颗人类 坚定意志
的火花在沿着它的高枝攀向顶巅。又有谁知道，
那些最细小的纤枝怎样憋住劲儿不让自 己断裂，
好撑住这个轻巧瘦弱的小人儿帮她往上爬呢！
老松树准也很宠爱他的新扈从。比起鹰 隼、蝙蝠、
飞蛾甚至歌喉甜美的画眉来，他更喜欢这个孤单
单的灰眼睛小姑娘那颗勇敢的、怦怦 跳动的心。
于是，这棵古树站 定了一动不动，皱起了眉头
对着六月的晨风，而这时，东方的天空已经开始
发白了。

攀上最后一根扎人的枝桠，西尔维亚终于哆哆嗦
嗦地、精疲力尽地然而也是洋洋得意地站在高高
的树巅上，这时，如果有人从地面仰望，她的脸
就象一颗苍白的星 星。真的，大海就在那边，
刚露面的太阳给它蒙上了一层炫目的金光。在霞
光灿烂的东边，有两只苍鹰在飞翔，翅膀几乎一
动不动。过去总是远远地仰望它们背衬蓝 天飞
翔，象是黑色的阴影。现在，从这个高度看去，
它们飞得多么低啊。它们的灰羽象飞蛾的绒毛一
样柔软，离开松树仿佛也不太远，这就使西尔维
亚觉得，只要她 张开胳膊，也就可以在云端自
由翱翔了。朝西边看去，一片片的林木与田畴一
直伸向远方，星星点点的是教堂的尖顶和白色的
农舍，这真是个广阔浩茫、令人肃然起 敬的世
界啊！

鸟儿的鸣声越来越喧腾了，最后，太阳终于升了
起来，明亮 得令人不安。西尔维亚可以看到海上
creature on her way! The old pine must have loved his new
dependent. More than all the hawks, and bats, and moths,
and even the sweet voiced thrushes, was the brave, beating
heart of the solitary gray-eyed child. And the tree stood still
and frowned away the winds that June morning while the
dawn grew bright in the east.
Sylvia's face was like a pale star, if one had seen it
from the ground, when the last thorny bough was past, and
she stood trembling and tired but wholly triumphant, high
in the tree-top. Yes, there was the sea with the dawning sun
making a golden dazzle over it, and toward that glorious
east flew two hawks with slow-moving pinions. How low
they looked in the air from that height when one had only
seen them before far up, and dark against the blue sky.
Their gray feathers were as soft as moths; they seemed only
a little way from the tree, and Sylvia felt as if she too could
go flying away among the clouds. Westward, the woodlands
and farms reached miles and miles into the distance; here
and there were church steeples, and white villages, truly it
was a vast and awesome world
The birds sang louder and louder. At last the sun came
up bewilderingly bright. Sylvia could see the white sails of
ships out at sea, and the clouds that were purple and
rose-colored and yellow at first began to fade away. Where
was the white heron's nest in the sea of green branches, and
was this wonderful sight and pageant of the world the only
reward for having climbed to such a giddy height? Now
look down again, Sylvia, where the green marsh is set
among the shining birches and dark hemlocks; there where
you saw the white heron once you will see him again; look,
look! a white spot of him like a single floating feather
comes up from the dead hemlock and grows larger, and
rises, and comes close at last, and goes by the landmark
pine with steady sweep of wing and outstretched slender
neck and crested head. And wait! wait! do not move a foot
or a finger, little girl, do not send an arrow of light and
consciousness from your two eager eyes, for the heron has
perched on a pine bough not far beyond yours, and cries
back to his mate on the nest and plumes his feathers for the
new day!
The child gives a long sigh a minute later when a
company of shoutingcat-birdscomes also to the tree, and
vexed by their fluttering and lawlessness the solemn heron

的点点白帆，原先嫣红、金紫的云霞也开始消隐
不见。在这片绿色枝 叶组成的 海洋里，白苍鹭
的窠巢又在哪儿呢？莫非攀登到这令人晕眩的
高处，唯一的报酬就是一览大自然 壮丽的奇景
吗？现在朝低处看吧，西尔维亚，就在闪光的白
桦和黝黑的铁杉林间，有一片青翠 的沼泽地，有
一回你不是在那儿见到过白苍鹭的吗？现在你
会在那边见到它的。瞧，瞧！它那小 白点似的身
影飘浮起来了，象风中 的一片羽毛，从枯死的
铁杉林中升起，它变大了，飞高了， 来近了，它
匀称地拍击翅膀，伸直了纤细的脖子和有羽冠的
头，在这棵路标似的大松树旁掠了过 去。喂， 等
一等，等一等！小姑娘，千万别挪动你的脚，别
移动你的手指，也别从你急切的眼 睛里射去两道
利箭似的目光与思念，那只苍鹭正停栖在离你不
远的一根松枝上， 正在鸣叫着应答它巢里伴侣
的呼唤，正在为迎接新的一天而啄理它的羽毛
呢！
一分钟之后，小姑娘长叹了一声，因为一群叽叽
喳喳的猫声鸟也来到这儿。它们乱扑腾、乱吵吵，< br>搅得那只安静、庄重的鸟呆不下去，它飞走了。
现在她知道苍鹭的 秘密了，这只轻盈、纤细的< br>野鸟总是在翱翔、遨游了一阵之后，立即象支飞
箭似的回到下面绿色世界它的家去。如今轮到达< br>到目标的西尔维亚寻路往下爬了。下去的 路也
很危险，她都不敢让目光离开脚底站着的枝桠，< br>朝尽底下望去。有几回她真想哭出声来，因为她
的手指实在太疼了，她的疲软的脚也打滑了。她< br>一边爬，一边一 遍又一遍地想象；等她告诉那
陌生人该上哪儿去找苍鹭的窝时，他会对自己说< br>什么样的话，会对自己有什么样的想法。

“西尔维，西尔维！”忙忙叨叨的老婆婆一 遍又一
遍地喊道，可是没有人答应。那张垫玉米衣的小
床空着，西尔维亚不知上哪儿去了。

客人从甜梦中醒了过来，他想起今天将会是很愉
快的一天，便赶紧穿衣服，好让它早 些开始。从
怕生的小姑娘昨天的一两次眼光中，他敢肯定她
至少是见到过那只白 苍鹭的，现在 是想法让她
开口的时候了。就在这个时刻，小姑娘走了过来，
脸色比平时更苍白了，她那件旧外 衣撕开了口
子，一丝丝布条挂了下来，外衣上沾满了松 脂。
goes away. She knows his secret now, the wild, light,
slender bird that floats and wavers, and goes back like an
arrow presently to his home in the green world beneath.
Then Sylvia, well satisfied, makes her perilous way down
again, not daring to look far below the branch she stands
on, ready to cry sometimes because her fingers ache and her
lamed feet slip. Wondering over and over again what the
stranger would say to her, and what he would think when
she told him how to find his way straight to the heron's nest.


and again, but nobody answered, and the small husk bed
was empty and Sylvia had disappeared.
The guest waked from a dream, and remembering his
day's pleasure hurried to dress himself that it might sooner
begin. He was sure from the way the shy little girl looked
once or twice yesterday that she had at least seen the white
heron, and now she must really be made to tell. Here she
comes now, paler than ever, and her worn old frock is torn
and tattered, and smeared with pine pitch. The grandmother
and the sportsman stand in the door together and question
her, and the splendid moment has come to speak of the dead
hemlock-tree by the green marsh.
But Sylvia does not speak after all, though the old
grandmother fretfully rebukes her, and the young man's
kind, appealing eyes are looking straight in her own. He can
make them rich with money; he has promised it, and they
are poor now. He is so well worth making happy, and he
waits to hear the story she can tell.
No, she must keep silence! What is it that suddenly
forbids her and makes her dumb? Has she been nine years
growing and now, when the great world for the first time
puts out a hand to her, must she thrust it aside for a bird's
sake? The murmur of the pine's green branches is in her
ears, she remembers how the white heron came flying
through the golden air and how they watched the sea and
the morning together, and Sylvia cannot speak; she cannot
tell the heron's secret and give its life away.

Dear loyalty, that suffered a sharp pang as the guest
went away disappointed later in the day, that could have
served and followed him and loved him as a dog loves!
Many a night Sylvia heard the echo of his whistle haunting

姥姥和猎人一起站在门口质问她，说出青翠的沼< br>泽地旁边那棵枯死的铁杉树的光辉的时刻来到
了。

可是西尔维亚一个字也没 有说，虽然老婆婆生气
地呵斥她，年轻人和蔼、求援的眼光又笔直地盯
着她的眼睛。他能够使她 们有钱。他答应过的，
她们现在又正好缺钱。他是一个好人，使他高兴
也是应该的，他又那么急 煎煎地等着要听她讲她
知道的事儿。

不行，她一定不能开口！那么，是什么突然阻 拦
住她，使她一言不发呢？她度过了九个孤寂的年
头，今天，当外面的世界向她伸过来一只手时 ，
难道她为了一只鸟一 定得把这只手推开去吗？
青松的涛声充塞着她的耳朵，她记起那只白苍 鹭
如何穿越金色的天空，她和白苍鹭又如何一起眺
望大海，欣赏晨曦。西尔维亚自然不能开 口；
她不能泄露苍鹭的秘密，葬送掉它的生命。

当客人在那天稍晚时失望地离去时 ，忠诚的小姑
娘的心灵蒙受着巨大的痛苦。啊，她本来是可以
帮他出力，跟他去打猎，象一只忠 犬那样爱戴他
的！此后，在许多个 夜晚，当西尔维亚把乱跑
的母牛往家里赶时，她在林中小路 上又仿佛听到
了他口哨的回声。她甚至还忘掉了听到他那骇人
的枪声、见到画眉与麻雀无声坠地 时所感到 的
痛苦，那时，鸟儿的歌声突然中断，美丽的羽毛
上沾满了湿漉漉的血污。鸟儿与它 们的猎手相
比，难道肯定是她更好的朋友？——这又有谁知
道呢？不管她失去的 是什么珍贵的 东西，树林
和夏天，你们可要记住！把礼物与祝祷带给她吧，
向这位孤寂的乡下小姑娘倾诉你们 的秘密吧！

the pasture path as she came home with the loitering cow.
She forgot even her sorrow at the sharp report of his gun
and the sight of thrushes and sparrows dropping silent to
the ground, their songs hushed and their pretty feathers
stained and wet with blood. Were the birds better friends
than their hunter might have been, — who can tell?
Whatever treasures were lost to her, woodlands and
summer-time, remember! Bring yourgifts and graces and
tell your secrets to this lonelycountry child!
j