No other young swan had disappeared from the lakes—only Louis.
disappear from - 從...消失（離開）
到底要不要去找Louis呢怨绣？
“The question now arises,” said the cob to his wife, “whether or not I should go and look for our son. I am disinclined to leave these attractive lakes now, in the fall of the year, with winter coming on. I have, in fact, been looking forward to this time of serenity and peace and the society of other waterfowl. I like the life here.
the question now arises - 那么問題來啦！８帽唷Ｆ宓省！
whether or not - 是不是蜕企，要不要...（一個很常見的用法）
be disinclined to- 不情愿做...(有一個詞叫做 reluctant 也有類似的意思和用法：be reluctant to do）
have been looking forward to... - 期盼已久
serenity 和 peace 在這里是近義詞
the society - 這里這個society的意思并不是“社會”懊渡，但是大家可以從這個意思來做延伸...the society of other waterfowl - 其實就是表示：有其他鳥類作伴（這里society理解成一個社群）
There’s another little matter to consider besides your personal comfort,” said his wife. “Has it occurred to you that we have no idea which direction Louis went when he
left? You don’t know where he went any more than I do. If you were to start out looking for him, which way would you fly?
little matter - 小問題
personal comfort - 個人享受；天鵝媽媽說：別只顧著你的個人享受听隐，我們還有個小問題要考慮一下补鼻！
has it occurred to you - 你有沒有想過.../這個問題有沒有在你腦海里出現(xiàn)過？
You don’t know where he went any more than I do. 字面意思是：關于他去哪里這件事你知道的并不比我多雅任！其實就是：你也不知道他去哪里了吧７绶丁！
“Well,” replied the cob, “in the last analysis, I believe I would go south.”
last analysis- 最后的分析結果
關于方向的描述：
And why do you pick south as the way to go looking for Louis? There are other directions. There’s north, and east, and west. There’s northeast, southeast, southwest, northwest.
這些是最常見的表示方向的詞啦：south, north, west, east, northeast, southeast, northwest, southwest...
下文中出現(xiàn)的其他的沪么，請看圖理解：N=North, S=South, E=East, W=West
I feel sure Louis will return in the fullness of time.
in the fullness of time - 時間成熟的時候（他就會回來的）
Still no sign of Louis.
no sign of something or someone - 沒有音訊
Then one morning when Louis’s grown-up brothers were playing a game of water polo, one of them looked up and saw a swan approaching in the sky.
grown-up - 當我們說長大了的乌企，或者成年人的時候，都用grown-up
a swan approaching in the sky - 有只天鵝正在向他們飛來
接著看下一句子中的approaching:
All the waterfowl on the lake turned and gazed up at the approaching swan. The swan circled in the sky.
the appraoching swan - 向他們飛來的那只天鵝
在這第一個句子中成玫，approaching 做動詞加酵，而在第二個句子中approaching放在swan前面拳喻，可以理解為一個形容詞。這種表達很多的猪腕，比如 swimming pool 游泳池（游泳的池子）, 比如 walking stick 拐杖（走路的棍子）
“It’s Louis!” said the cob. “But what is that peculiar little object hanging around his neck by a string? What is that?”
peculiar little object- 奇怪的小東西
注意下面句子里的動詞：
Louis looked down from the sky and spotted what looked like his family. When he was sure, he glided down and skidded to a stop. His mother rushed up and embraced him. His father arched his neck gracefully and raised his wings in greeting. Everyone shouted “Ko-hoh!” and “Welcome back, Louis!”
look down from the sky
spot what looked like his family
glide down
skid to a stop
rush up and embrace
arch neck gracefully
raise wings
以上動作冗澈，請自行腦補！
關于年的時間表達：
He had been gone for a year and a half—almost eighteen months.
a year and a half - 一年半/ one and a half years
two years and a half - 兩年半 / two and a half years
Louis’s attempt to greet his family was a failure.
attempt - 可以作動詞陋葡，也可以做名詞亚亲，都是表示 “嘗試”，在本句中是做名詞
“Louis, my son,” he began in his deep, resonant voice, “this is the day we have long awaited—the day of your return to our sanctuary in the Red Rock Lakes.
in his deep, resonant voice 用他深沉洪亮嗓音...
sanctuary - 圣經里也有這個詞腐缤，是指：圣所捌归，耶路撒冷的圣殿，但是和另一個是近義詞-refugue 還記得嗎岭粤？指的就是 Red Rock Lakes Wildlife Refugue
No one can imagine the extent of our joy or the depth of our emotion at seeing you again, you who have been absent from our midst for so long, in lands we know not of, in
pursuits we can only guess at.
the extent of our joy or the depth of our emotion -我們喜樂的心情和深深的情感（沒人能懂）
在這個句子中 extent 和depth的意思類似
How good it is to see your countenance again!
看到你真的是太好啦Ｏ鳌！剃浇！countenance - 表情巾兆，面容
“You’ve said that once already,” said his wife. “You’re repeating yourself. Louis must be tired after his trip, no matter where he’s been or what he’s been up to.”
no matter where he’s been or what he’s been up to- 不管他去了哪，做了什么
be up to - 去做某事虎囚，比如：What are you up? 你要（去）干嘛角塑？
Louis學會了讀書認字，想著用這種方式跟家人交流淘讥，可是呢圃伶？
“But I must prolong my welcoming remarks a bit longer, for my curiosity is aroused by that odd little object Louis is wearing around his neck and by the strange symbols he has placed upon it by rubbing that white thing up and down and leaving those strange white tracings.”
在家人的眼中：
that odd little object- Louis脖子上那個奇怪的小玩意兒
the strange symbols he has placed upon it - 他在那玩意兒上畫的奇怪的符號
those strange white tracings - 那上面奇怪的痕跡（連字跡都不算，因為天鵝不懂呀）
小天鵝嘗試跟家人用文字溝通失敗蒲列，怎么辦呢留攒？別急，書上慢慢會講到的嫉嘀，哈哈。
So we’ll just have to forget our curiosity for the moment and let Louis take a bath and have dinner.
for the moment - 暫時
When he was through, he dipped the end of one wing in the water and sorrowfully rubbed out the words “Hi, there!”
when he was through - 還記得嗎魄揉？之前提過的哈＜粑辍！洛退！不記得去翻一下瓣俯！
“Say!” said the man. “You’re quite a bird! Where did you learn to write?”
在這個句子中，say 也是表示驚訝的感嘆詞兵怯！
This made him feel a whole lot better.
feel a whole lot better - 感覺好多啦２守啊！媒区！
Louis decided he would always carry them with him, no matter where he went in the world.
no matter where he went in the world - 無論到世界的哪個角落
I will be with you no matter where you go in the world. 無論你到世界的哪個角落驼仪，我都陪著你掸犬！
春天看樣子绪爸，不管是對于人還是對于天鵝湾碎，都是個充滿戀愛氣息的季節(jié)呀：
For birds, spring is the time to find a mate.
spring is the time to find a mate - 春天來了，是時候找個伴侶啦
The warm sweet airs of spring stir strange feelings in young swans.
空氣中彌漫著的甜蜜氣息奠货，攪動著天鵝的內心介褥。
The males begin to notice the females. They show off in front of them.
小天鵝開始各種表現(xiàn)，追求雌天鵝递惋。show off - 展示柔滔，炫耀
The females begin to notice the males, too, but they pretend they are not noticing anything at all. They act very coy.
可是雌天鵝呢？雖然看到了雄天鵝萍虽，但是假裝沒看見：pretend they are not noticing anything at all ... 而且還表現(xiàn)的非尘龋”矜持“，”靦腆“ coy
來贩挣，我們來看看戀愛綜合癥的表現(xiàn)：
Louis felt so queer one day, he knew he must be in love.
心里總是有種"怪怪的"感覺喉前，感覺是愛上了...
And he knew which bird he was in love with. Whenever he swam past her, he could feel his heart beat faster, and his mind was full of thoughts of love and desire.
每次他喜歡的那只天鵝經過他身邊的時候，他就心跳加速王财，小鹿亂撞呀卵迂！滿腦子都是她！
his mind was full of thoughts of love and desire - 字面意思翻譯出來就俗啦绒净，大家這么高雅见咒，自己理解理解！挂疆！
He thought he had never seen such a beautiful young female swan. She was a trifle smaller than the others, and she seemed to have a more graceful neck and more attractive ways than any of his other friends on the lake.
這一點也是戀愛里面非常典型的現(xiàn)象：情人眼里出西施呀改览！雖然Serena跟其他天鵝比起來，身形可能有點小缤言，但是沒關系呀宝当！在Louis眼中，她就是美呀胆萧！
你們誰有在種感覺的話庆揩，估計也是戀愛了！
雖然Louis使出渾身解數(shù)跌穗，但是Serena呢订晌？
But the little female paid no attention to Louis’s antics. She pretended he didn’t exist.
paid no attention to - 根本沒注意，不在意
pretended he didn't exist - 假裝他不存在
天下父母都一樣蚌吸，哈哈锈拨，都希望自己的子女趕緊的：
When Louis’s mother found out that Louis was courting a young female, she hid behind some bulrushes and watched what was going on.
court 這個詞，我們說過的哈羹唠，還有另一個詞- woo奕枢，記得嗎娄昆？不記得，戳大腿验辞！
Once, in desperation, Louis swam up to Serena, his beloved, and made a bow.
in desperation - 絕望中稿黄；我們看過很多類似的用法哈：in amazement, in disappointment, in happiness, with great attention等 這一類的介詞+表示情感的名詞相當于一個副詞的用法。比如：in desperation = desperately, in happiness = happily
That snippety little female he’s chasing after gives me a pain in the neck, the way she acts.
snippety 在這里其實是snippy的非正式用法跌造，表示傲慢
a pain in the neck - 一種很不爽感覺杆怕！
老媽看到Serena對待Louis的態(tài)度，很不爽呀？翘啊陵珍！
Why, this is terrible news,” said the cob, “news of the most serious import.
import - 這里其實是指：importantance - 就是說這個事兒非常重要，非常緊急违施！
給大家推薦一個在線字典：http://www.thefreedictionary.com
很多不知道的單詞和短語互纯，文老師也只在這里查的！大家一定要學會利用互聯(lián)網(wǎng)主動獲取自己想要的信息磕蒲！主動留潦！主動！主動辣往！
看看老爸用來形容愛情的形容詞：
I know what it is like to be in love. Well do I remember how painful love can be, how
exciting, and, in the event of unsuccess, how disappointing and doleful the days and nights.
painful, exciting, disappointing, doleful...
But I am Louis’s father, and I’m not going to take this situation lying down.
I’m not going to take this situation lying down- 我絕對不會做事不管的兔院！
take something lying down - 是一個固定的表達，表示：甘心容忍站削，坐視不管坊萝，逆來順受等
看看老爸用來描述Louis的形容詞：
He is gay, cheerful, strong, powerful, lusty, good, brave, handsome, reliable, trustworthy, a great flier, a tremendous swimmer, fearless, patient, loyal, true, ambitious, desirous—
這些形容詞都是可以用來形容人的，大家可以學學
“I’m leading up to that in my own graceful way,” replied the cob.
我正在用我自己的高雅方式许起，一步步的闡述呀...
這里其實讓我想到一件事：在與人相處的過程中十偶，我們經常會迫不及待地打斷對方，或者用自己的邏輯去猜測別人的邏輯园细，可是結果...往往是我們錯了惦积，要不然就是我們傷害了對方的自尊心和積極性...在夫妻相處的時候也是一樣。
I shall begin a search for such a device, and if I have to go to the ends of the earth to find a trumpet for our young son, I shall find it at last and bring it home to Louis.
begin a search for ?- 開始尋找
the ends of the earth - 世界的盡頭（地極）
看下表示“沒時間耽擱了”的表達：
And now, without further ado, I go.
without further ado - 是一個固定的俚語猛频，表示：閑話少說狮崩，言歸正傳
There is no time to lose.
沒時間浪費啦
Springtime doesn’t last forever.
春光易逝
Love is fleeting.
愛情太善變 （fleet表示飛馳，略過等）
Every minute counts.
每一分鐘都很緊急伦乔！
