The afternoon was warm; the sun was bright.
这个下午很温暖，太陽也很明亮。
The swan decided she could safely leave her eggs for a few minutes.
雌天鹅觉得暂时离开她的蛋，出去几分钟也不会有事。
She stood up. First she pushed some loose feathers around the eggs, hiding them from view and giving them a warm covering in her absence.
于是她站了起来。她先把一些松散的羽毛推到蛋的周围，把它们隐蔽起来，并使它们在她不在的时候也能得到温暖。
Then she stepped off the nest and entered the water.
然后她走出窝来到水里。
She took several quick drinks.
她很快地喝了几口水。
Then she glided over to a shallow place, thrust her head underwater, and pulled up tender greens from the bottom.
接着，她游到了一个水浅的地方，把头伸到水下，从水底叼出一些柔嫩的水生植物。
She next took a bath by tossing water over herself.
接下去，她又往身上泼了点水，洗了个澡。
Then she waddled out onto a grassy bank and stood there, preening her feathers.
最后，她摇摇摆摆地上到一处长满青草的岸边，站在那里，用嘴梳理自己的羽毛
The swan felt good.
雌天鹅感到很惬意。
She had no idea that an enemy was near.
她不知道有一个敌人就在她的附近。
She failed to notice the Red Fox as he watched her from his hiding place behind a clump of bushes.
她没发现那只正躲在一从灌木后面打量着她的赤狐。
The fox had been attracted to the pond by the sound of splashing water.
这只狐狸是被池塘里的泼水声引过来的，
He hoped he would find a goose.
他本盼望着能发现一只鹅。
Now he sniffed the air and smelled the swan.
此刻，他嗅了嗅，闻出了天鹅的气味。
Her back was turned, so he began creeping slowly toward her.
她恰好转过了身子，于是他便蹑手蹑脚地朝她慢慢靠近。
She would be too big for him to carry, but he decided he would kill her anyway and get a taste of blood.
对他来说，她的个头儿太大了，很难被叼走，可他还是决定要不惜一切代价把她杀死，尝尝血的美味。
The cob, her husband, was still floating on the pond. He spied the fox first.
她的丈夫雄天鹅还浮在池塘里。他最先发现了那只狐狸。
"Look out!" he trumpeted.
“当心!”他吹起了号，
"Look out for the fox, who is creeping toward you even as I speak, his eyes bright, his bushy tail out straight, his mind lusting for blood, his belly almost touching the ground!
“当心那只狐狸，他正在偷偷地靠近你，甚至在我对你说话的这工夫也是!他的眼睛泛着凶光，他的多毛的尾巴直竖起来了，他的心正在渴望血，他的肚子差不多都贴到地上了!
You are in grave danger, and we must act immediately."
你正在极度的危险之中，我们必须马上采取行动。”
While the cob was making this elegant speech of warning, something happened that surprised everybody.
当雄天鹅还在发表他那文辞优美的示警演说时，一件令大家大吃一惊的事情发生了。
Just as the fox was about to spring and sink his teeth in the swan's neck, a stick came hurtling through the air.
就在那只狐狸跳起来咬向雌天鹅脖子的刹那，一根树枝带着呼啸声飞了过去。
It struck the fox full on the nose, and he turned and ran away.
它重重地打到了狐狸的鼻子上，痛得他急忙转身逃开了。
The two swans couldn't imagine what had happened.
两只天鹅还没来得及弄清刚才发生了什么事呢。
Then they noticed a movement in the bushes.
接着他们才注意到灌木丛里有动静。
Out stepped Sam Beaver, the boy who had visited them a month ago.
从那里面走出来的正是萨姆·比弗，一个月前访问过他们的那个男孩子。
Sam was grinning.
萨姆正在咧嘴笑着。
In his hand he held another stick, in case the fox should return.
他的手里还握着一根树枝，以防狐狸再次回来。
But the fox was in no mood to return.
可那只狐狸再没有回来的兴致了。
He had a very sore nose, and he had lost his appetite for fresh swan.
他的鼻子太疼了，而且也失去了对新鲜天鹅肉的胃口。