Charlie’s Raven (Excerpt V)《查理的渡鴉》（節(jié)選五）

瓊·克雷格黑德·喬治

Blue Sky rode on Charlies shoulder as far as the border of Singing Birds property， where he fluttered to the ground. After flipping a beetle on its back， the young bird strutted proudly between the two friends right up to the door of the teepee.

查理和歌唱鳥行走時(shí)，藍(lán)天一直待在查理的肩頭。等他們來(lái)到歌唱鳥的地盤，他才飛到地上。藍(lán)天把背上的一只甲殼蟲甩掉，然后昂首闊步地走在兩個(gè)好朋友中間，直奔圓錐形帳篷的大門而去。

Singing Brids father， Flying Cloud， had erected the teepee not far from his ranch house. The native home was both a museum and an office. Singing Birds parents were authorities on American Indian dances， teepees， artifacts， and customs. They made their living performing Teton Sioux dances for tourists at the Yellowstone Lodge twenty-five miles north. They were also writing a book on the three Sioux Nations， the Tetons， Lakotas， and Dakotas.

歌唱鳥的父親叫飛云，把圓錐形帳篷支在牧場(chǎng)大屋的不遠(yuǎn)處。這一處印第安人之家既是博物館也是辦公室。歌唱鳥的父母是美洲印第安人舞蹈、圓錐形帳篷、手工藝品和習(xí)俗方面的權(quán)威專家。他們謀生的手段是在北邊相距25英里遠(yuǎn)的黃石酒店為游客表演提頓蘇族舞蹈。他們也正在撰寫一部著作，有關(guān)蘇族的三大族群——提頓人、拉科塔人和達(dá)科塔人的著作。

Every detail of the teepee was traditional. Soaring Swallow， Singing Birds mother， had painted the brown and black bison on the outside. Flying Cloud had made the inside furnishings， beds， willow rod backrests， bows and arrows. The home was a national treasure and a sacred place to the people of the first nations. Flying Cloud and Soaring Swallows American names were Jim and Elaine Kenton， but they rarely used them， preferring their Teton Sioux names.

圓錐形帳篷的每一個(gè)細(xì)節(jié)都符合原汁原味的印第安人傳統(tǒng)。歌唱鳥的母親叫翔燕，在帳篷外側(cè)畫上了棕色和黑色的野牛。而帳篷內(nèi)的各種布置都由飛云制作完成：床鋪、柳條靠背椅，還有弓和箭。這一處印第安人之家，對(duì)那些美洲原初部族而言，是民族寶藏和神圣的地方。飛云和翔燕也都有自己的英語(yǔ)名字，即吉姆和伊萊恩·肯頓。但他們很少使用英語(yǔ)名字，更愿意使用他們的提頓蘇族名字。

Singing Bird paused at the round door in the canvas teepee.

歌唱鳥在帆布帳篷的圓門的門口停下了腳步。

“You cant bring Blue Sky in，” she said. “He might mess， and Dad would have a fit. Leave him at the door. Hell stay where you leave him. Little birds obey their moms.” Charlie hesitated.

“你不能把藍(lán)天帶到帳篷里。”她說(shuō)。“他會(huì)隨地大便，爸爸可能生氣。把他留在門口吧。他會(huì)待在原地不動(dòng)。小鳥兒會(huì)聽媽媽的話。”查理有點(diǎn)猶豫。

“Its okay，” Singsing Bird said. “Hell wait.”

“沒問(wèn)題。”歌唱鳥說(shuō)。“他會(huì)等你的。”

“Well， if you say so.” Charlie put Blue Sky by the teepee door where the bird could see him and not wander away looking for his “Mom.”

“好吧，既然你這樣說(shuō)。”查理把藍(lán)天放在帳篷門口，在那里鳥兒能看到查理，就不會(huì)亂走去找“媽媽”。……