鳥兒的朋友

Alice

印度思想家甘地曾這樣評價動物：這些古老的地球居民，生存歷史超過人類。它們是人類的朋友，是地球和諧生態(tài)的一部分。它們和我們一樣，能感受快樂和痛苦，有基本的生存權(quán)利和生命尊嚴。善待它們，也是善待我們自己。

《鳥兒的朋友》講述獨居森林的老人如何與鳥兒們相依相伴、成為摯友的故事。起初，鳥兒們不敢靠近老人；慢慢地，鳥兒們認識到老人的和藹善良；最后，老人為小鳥喂食，小鳥為老人歌唱，這是人與自然和諧鳴奏的溫馨詩篇。

I once knew a man who was rich in his love for birds， and in their love for him. He lived in the midst1 of a grove2 full of all kinds of trees. He had no wife or children in his home.

He was an old man with a gray beard， blue and kind eyes， and a voice that the birds loved， and this was the way he made them his friends.

While he was at work with a rake3 on his nice walks in the grove， the birds came close to him to pick up the worms in the fresh earth he dug up4. At first， they kept a rod or two from him， but they soon found he was a kind man， and would not hurt them， but liked to have them nearby.

They knew this by his kind eyes and voice， which tell what was in his heart. So， day by day their faith in his love grew in them.

They came close to the rake. They would hop on top of it to be first at the worm. They would turn up their eyes into his when he spoke to them， as if they said， “He is a kind man， he loves us， we need not fear him.”

All the birds of the grove were soon his fast friends. They were on watch for him， and would fly down from the green tree tops to greet him with their chirp5.

When he had no work on the walks to do with his rake or his hoe， he took crusts of bread with him， and dropped the crumbs on the ground. Down they would dart on his head and feet to catch them as they fell from his hand.

He showed me how they loved him. He put a crust of bread in his mouth， with one end of it out of his lips. Down they came like bees at a flower， and flew off with the crust of bread.Eating crumb by crumb.

When they thought he slept too long in the morning， they would fly in and sit on the bedpost， and call him up with their chirp.

They went with him to church， and while he said his prayers and sang his hymns6 there， they sat in the trees， and sang their praises to the same good God who cares for them as he does for us.

Thus， the love and trust of birds were a joy to him all his life long， and such love and trust no boy or girl can fail to win with the same kind heart， voice， and eye that he had.

我曾認識這樣一位老人，他熱愛大自然中的一切鳥兒，且被鳥兒們所愛戴。他沒有妻子兒女，獨自一人居住在大森林中，那里生長著各種各樣的樹木。

老人的胡須已經(jīng)花白，湛藍的眼睛中透露出和藹友善的光芒，他的聲音被鳥兒們鐘愛，這也是他與鳥兒交往的紐帶。

他手拿耙子在樹林中耕作時，鳥兒們就會來到他身邊，啄起老人從泥土中翻出的蚯蚓。起初，它們并不敢太靠近老人，后來發(fā)現(xiàn)老人心地善良，從來不會傷害它們，便慢慢與老人接近，老人也同樣喜歡鳥兒們圍繞在他身邊。

從老人友善的目光和慈祥的聲音中，鳥兒們感受到了他內(nèi)心的和善。慢慢地，它們不再對老人有戒備之心，接受了老人的愛。

它們會在耙子的附近等待，或者干脆跳到耙子上看著蟲子出現(xiàn)。每次老人溫柔地對著鳥兒們說話的時候，它們也同樣看著老人，就像在說：“他是個善良的人，不會傷害我們，所以我們不必害怕他。”

很快，老人就和樹林中的鳥兒們成了知心朋友，它們時時盼望著老人的到來。只要老人出現(xiàn)，鳥兒們就會從樹枝上飛下來迎接他，并嘰嘰喳喳地叫個不停。

老人一停下工作，就會將帶來的面包渣撒在地上。這時鳥兒們會飛到老人的頭上或腳上，爭相去啄那些面包渣。

鳥兒對老人也很友好。有時老人會把面包的一半含在嘴里，留一點兒放在嘴角，鳥兒則會飛過來，啄下那點兒面包飛走。

早晨如果老人起床晚了，鳥兒們就會落在他的床頭，嘰嘰喳喳地喚醒他。

每次老人去教堂的時候，鳥兒也會緊緊跟隨。當老人唱起圣歌的時候，鳥兒也會在教堂的樹上為它們的守護者唱起贊美的歌，它們總是形影不離地跟隨著老人。

鳥兒們的愛與信任，伴隨了老人的一生。得到這種愛的孩子們，也定然擁有老人那般博愛的心、慈祥的目光和溫和的聲音。

Tip

※ fast friend 可靠的朋友

Fast有“牢固的；穩(wěn)固的”意思，fast friend指的是“忠實可靠的朋友”。例句：He is a fast friend of mine. 他是我的可靠朋友。