0512翻譯：珍珠鳥（馮驥才）

0512翻譯：珍珠鳥（馮驥才）

Translation: Zebra Finch Bird (Feng Jicai)

(translated by: alexcwlin; edited by: Adam Lam)

真好!

It was fantastic.

朋友送我一對珍珠鳥。

A friend gave me a pair of zebra finches.

放在一個簡易的竹條編成的籠子里，

They were kept in a simple bird cage weaved from bamboo strips.

籠內還有一卷乾草，那是小鳥兒舒適又溫暖的巢。

Inside the cage was a small roll of hay, and that was the little birds』 cozy and warm nest.

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有人說，這是一種怕人的鳥。

Some people said these birds were afraid of people.

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我把它掛在窗前。

I hanged the cage in front of a window.

那兒還有一大盆異常茂盛的法國吊蘭。

Over there was also a big pot of flourishing French hanging orchids.

我便用吊蘭長長的、串生著小綠葉的垂蔓蒙蓋在鳥籠上，它們就像躲進深幽的叢林一樣安全；

I draped the long leafing orchid vines over the top of the cage so that the birds would feel safe as if they were hiding deep inside a quiet forest.

從中傳出的笛兒般又細又亮的叫聲，也就格外輕鬆自在了。

A few flute-like small but clear chirps came out from the cage indicating their exceptionally relaxed and carefree mood.

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陽光從窗外射入，透過這裡，

Sunlight shining from outside the window would pass the vine-covered bird cage.

吊蘭那些無數指甲狀的小葉，一半成了黑影，

Half of the finger-nail shaped little orchid leaves were in the shade.

一半被照透，如同碧玉；

The other half of the leaves were translucent and looking like jades.

斑斑駁駁，生意蔥蘢。

Colors of different tones were blended together and liveliness abounded.

小鳥的影子就在這中間隱約閃動，看不完整，

Shadows of the little birds were vaguely noticeable amongst all these but not in full details.

有時連籠子也看不出，卻見它們可愛的鮮紅小嘴兒從綠葉中伸出來。

Sometimes even the cage was not visible in its entirety, and yet the birds』 lovely little red beaks could be seen coming out from the leaves.

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我很少扒開葉蔓瞧它們，

I seldom moved aside the draping vines to peek at them.

它們便漸漸敢伸出小腦袋瞅瞅我。

But slowly they mustered up enough courage to stick their little heads out to look at me.

我們就這樣一點點熟悉了。

Little by little we became more acquainted through this manner.

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三個月後，那一團越發繁茂的綠蔓裡邊，發出一種尖細又嬌嫩的鳴叫。

After three months, inside the increasingly thriving growth of vines came a sort of small, sharp and infantile cheeps.

我猜到，是它們有了雛兒。

I guessed they had a baby.

我呢?

What should I do?

決不掀開葉片往裡看，連添食加水時也不睜大好奇的眼去驚動它們。

I decided not to look inside, and even when I brought them water and food I would not gaze curiously at them to avoid alarming them.

過不多久，忽然有一個更小的腦袋從葉間探出來。

Soon suddenly a little head poked out between the leaves.

喲，雛兒!

Oh, it would be the baby!

正是這小傢伙!

It was indeed that little fellow!

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它小，就能輕易地由疏格的籠子鑽出身。

It was small and could easily squeeze its body out from grid openings of the cage.

瞧，多麼像它的父母：紅嘴紅腳，灰藍色的毛，只是後背還沒生出珍珠似的圓圓的白點；

If you looked, you would notice how much it resembled its parents with red mouth/legs and greyish-blue feather, except its pearl-shaped, round-white dots had not come out on its back.

它好肥，整個身子好像一個蓬鬆的球兒。

It was very plump and its whole body looked like a fluffy ball.

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起先，這小傢伙只在籠子四周活動.

At first, this little fellow only moved around the area of the cage.

隨後就在屋裡飛來飛去，

Later it flew around the house.

一會兒落在櫃頂上，

One moment it landed on the top of the dresser.

一會兒神氣十足地站在書架上，啄著書背上那些大文豪的名字，

Another moment it stood smugly on the bookshelf and pecked at the names of those master authors at the back of the books.

一會兒把燈繩撞得來回搖動，

And yet another moment it would fly into the rope of a hanging lamp causing it to sway.

跟著逃到畫框上去了。

Then it escaped to the top of a picture frame.

只要大鳥兒在籠里生氣地叫一聲，它立即飛回籠里去。

All it took was an angry chirp from a big bird and it would fly back to the cage.

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我不管它。

I didn』t tell it what to do.

這樣久了，打開窗子，它最多只在窗框上站一會兒，決不飛出去。

After a while in this manner, even when the window was opened it wold only stand on the window sill a bit, and definitely would not fly outside.

漸它膽子大了，就落在我的書桌上。

Gradually it got bolder and landed on my desk.

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它先是離我較遠.

In the beginning it stayed far away from me.

見我不去傷害它，便一點點挨近，然後蹦到我的杯子上，

When it noticed I did not harm it, it came closer and then hopped onto my cup.

俯下頭來喝茶，再偏過臉瞧瞧我的反應。

It bent down to take a sip of the tea from the cup and then turned around to see my reaction.

我只是微微一笑，依舊寫東西，

I smiled and continued to write.

它就放開膽子跑到稿紙上，繞著我的筆尖蹦來蹦去；

It then got brave, came on top of the scratch paper and hopped around the tip of the pen.

跳動的小紅爪子在紙上發出「嚓嚓」響。

Its little claws made scratching sounds as it bounced.

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我不動聲色地寫，默默享受著這小傢伙親近的情意。

I wrote stealthily while enjoying in silence the companionship of this little fellow.

這樣，它完全放心了，索性用那塗了蠟似的、角質的小紅嘴，「嗒嗒」啄著我顫動的筆尖。

Just like that it took off its guard completely and simply used its waxed and horn-substance beak to peck, with a tat-tat sound, at the shaking pen tip.

我用手撫一撫它細膩的絨毛，它也不怕，

I used my hand to stroke its fine feather and it was not frightened.

反而友好地啄兩下我的手指。

Instead it pecked at my finger a couple of times friendlily.

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白天，它這樣淘氣地陪伴我；

During daytime, it playfully kept me company.

天色入暮，它就在父母再三的呼喚聲中，飛向籠子，扭動滾圓的身子，擠開那些綠葉鑽進去。

When night fell and at the repeated urge of its parents, it would fly back to the cage, twist its rotund body and squeeze back to the cage through those green leaves.

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有一天，我伏案寫作時，它居然落到我的肩上。

One day when I was leaning over the desk to write, to my surprise it landed on my shoulder.

我手中的筆不覺停了，生怕驚跑它。

I couldn』t help but stopped writing over concern I might scare it away.

呆一會兒，扭頭看，

After waiting for a few moments, I turned around and looked.

這小傢伙竟趴在我的肩頭睡著了，

This little fellow unexpectedly laid flat on my shoulder and fell asleep.

銀灰色的眼瞼蓋住眸子，小紅腳剛好給胸脯上長長的絨毛蓋住。

Its silvery-grey eyelids covered its eyes and little red legs were hidden by its long feather of the chest.

我輕輕抬一抬肩，它沒醒，

I lifted my shoulder slightly; it did not wake up and remained deep asleep.

睡得好熟!還呷呷嘴，難道在做夢?

It even smacked its beaks and I wondered if it was dreaming?

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我筆尖一動，流瀉下一時的感受：

I moved my pen tip and fluidly wrote down what I felt at that instant:

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信賴，往往創造出美好的境界。

Trust often creates a beautiful realm.

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