One day, about a week before Christmas, a greatstorm came up. The sky grew dark.
一天，大约在圣诞节的前一周，来了一场强烈的大风暴。天空变暗了。
The wind blew a howling gale. It made a whiningnoise.
风怒号着刮来刮去。这引起了一片抱怨声。
Windows rattled. Shutters came off their hinges.
窗子嘎嘎乱叫。百叶窗挣脱了他们的铰链。
Old newspapers and candy wrappers were picked upby the wind and scattered like confetti.
旧报纸和糖纸被风扯得像婚礼上撒的五彩碎纸一样，在空中乱扬。
Many of the creatures in the Zoo became restless and uneasy.
动物园里的很多动物都变得焦躁不安了。
Over in the Elephant House, the elephants trumpeted in alarm.
大象馆那边，大象们在惊号。
Lions roared and paced back and forth.
狮子们咆哮着走来走去。
The Great Black Cockatoo screamed.
大黑凤头鹦鹉吓得尖叫起来。
Keepers rushed here and there, shutting doors and windows and making everything secureagainst the awful force of the gale.
管理员们到处奔忙着，关上门和窗户，力图让一切都能在这场可怕的风暴中安然无恙。
The waters of Bird Lake were ruffled by the strong, mighty wind, and for a while the lakelooked like a small ocean.
鸟湖里的水被强猛的风搅动着，不久便变得像一个小海洋了。
Many of the water birds sought protection on the island.
很多水鸟都在岛上寻觅着安全的庇护所。
Louis rode out the gale on the lake, in the lee of the island.
路易斯搏击着湖上的狂风，向岛上的避风处奔去。
He faced the wind and kept paddling with his feet, his eyes bright with wonder at the strengthof the blast.
他迎着风不停地用他的脚划着水，风暴的威力令他的眼里闪出惊奇的光。
Suddenly he saw an object in the sky. It was coming down out of the clouds.
突然，他看到天空中出现了一个物体。它正在冲过云层向这里来。
At first, he couldn't make out what it was.
开始，他还辨不清那到底是什么东西。
"Maybe it's a flying saucer," he thought.
“那大概是飞碟，”他想。
Then he realized that it was a large white bird, struggling desperately to come in against thewind.
接着他才明白那是一只白色大鸟，正在不顾一切地想要逆风而降。
Its wings were beating rapidly.
它的翅膀拍打得很快。
In a moment it splashed down and flopped ashore, where it lay sprawled out, almost as if itwere dead.
眨眼间，它就溅落下来，艰难地爬上岸，伸开四肢躺在那里，几乎像是死了一样。
Louis stared and stared and stared. Then he looked again.
路易斯盯住它看了又看。然后他又端详了半天。
"It looks like a swan," he thought.
“它好像一只天鹅，”他想。
It was a swan.
它就是一只天鹅。
"It looks like a Trumpeter Swan," he thought.
“它好像一只号手天鹅，”他想。
It was a Trumpeter Swan.
它就是一只号手天鹅。
"My goodness," said Louis to himself, "it looks like Serena.
“天哪，”路易斯自语，“它好像塞蕾娜。
It is Serena. She's here at last. My prayers have been answered!"
就是塞蕾娜。她终于来这儿了。我的祈祷应验了!”