我是叮當

從前，有一個充滿奇趣的地方，它離春天的新綠很遠，又離夏天的炎熱很近。這裏有金燦燦的葉子在微風中沙沙作響。這裏祥和寧靜，卻永遠期待著變化的降臨。小鵝在這裏梳理他們新生的羽毛，準備動身飛往南方。這裏還有麻雀、獵鷹和知更鳥，他們停留在這裏，卻不會永遠停留在這裏：飛向南方的旅程漫長而艱辛，鳥兒們都會在這裏歇歇腳。這個美麗的地方就是秋落山穀。在迎來白雪的季節前，這裏是一個盡享金秋明媚美景的好地方。

Far beyond the newness of spring, and just a bit past the warmth of summer lies a land of wondrous delight. A place of golden leaves rustling in gentle breezes. A quiet place that seems to anticipate the changes to come. A place of preening goslings ready to fly south. A place of sparrows, hawks and robins, stopping here but not a part of here, resting on their difficult journey south. For this was Autumn-Fall, a place of yellow-golden delight in which to pause before the Season of Snow.

秋落山穀裏生活著許多奇妙的動物，而他們之中最特別的就是熊。他們在滿地金燦燦的白樺葉中跑來跑去，這裏翻一翻，那裏找一找，到處尋找著各種吃的東西。在白雪的季節到來之前，熊必須吃得飽飽的，才能安心去冬眠，做著春日和夏天的美夢，熬過整個冬天。他們到處找甜絲絲的小漿果，以及脹鼓鼓的各種莓子，能找到多少就吃多少，因為即將到來的冬天既寒冷又漫長。

貪吃的熊最喜歡的就是蜂蜜了。黃金似的蜂房深藏在老橡樹的窟窿裏，熊會坐在樹洞邊上，一邊聽任蜜蜂繞著自己的腦袋嗡嗡叫，一邊狼吞虎咽地吃個不停。他們現在吃得越多，過冬的時候就越踏實。

Of all the wondrous creatures that lived in the Autumn-Fall the bears were the most special. Just before the Season of Snow these animals hibernated and slept away the cold with dreams of spring and summer.But before they slept the bears had to eat, and eat they did! They raced about, scattering the golden aspen leaves, looking for a bit of this and a bit of that.

They ate tiny sweet nuts and plump ripe berries. The bears’ favorite meal, though, was the golden honeycomb which was kept in the hollow oak tree. As bees buzzed about them, the bears sat covered in the sticky sweetness, eating more and more to protect them from the coming chill. They ate all this and much more, for the Season of Snow can be a long, cold winter.

雖然所有熊都應該很喜歡吃東西，可是，有一隻圓乎乎的小熊不太一樣，他的名字叫叮當。叮當是在這一年春天出生的，他不停地到處玩耍，連吃東西都顧不上了。當然，小熊叮當知道，熊不吃東西是不行的，但是吃東西有什麽意思呢？他剛往嘴裏扔了幾顆堅果，突然有一隻蜜蜂嗡嗡地唱著飛過，或者一隻花栗鼠吱吱地嘟囔了幾句，叮當就扔下吃的跑去玩了。

All of the bears ate, that is, except for one little cub called Jingle Bear.Born earlier that spring of Big Poppa and Little Momma Bear, Jingle played and played instead of eating. The fuzzy bear knew he should eat but playing was just much more fun. Oh, sometimes he nibbled on a nut or two, but then he got distracted by a buzzing bee or a chattering chipmunk and off he went, looking for some new game to play.

大大的爸爸熊和小小的媽媽熊，也就是叮當的爸爸媽媽，為了讓叮當乖乖吃飯可沒少發愁，但叮當就是不肯聽話。他們好不容易圍坐在一起，拿出塗滿蜂蜜的莓子準備好好吃一頓，叮當卻追著一隻黃蜂爬到小樹梢上去了。

每當小熊叮當這樣跑開的時候，小小的媽媽熊就會搖搖自己的腦袋，抬頭看看大大的爸爸熊，他們都不知道該怎麽辦。他們擔心極了，因為他們知道，為了能在白雪的季節裏睡一個長長的好覺，叮當必須吃很多東西才行。

Jingle’s parents, Big Poppa and Little Momma Bear, tried to get him to eat the nuts and berries and honey of the forest but to no avail.Each time they sat down to a scrumptious meal of berries smothered in golden honey, Jingle Bear just wandered off—sometimes to catch a butterfly, sometimes to chase a bumbling bee up a tiny tree.

As he dashed off hither, thither and yon, Little Momma Bear shook her head and looked at Big Poppa, neither of them knowing what to do.They were very concerned, for they knew that Jingle had to eat all he could before the Season of Snow, the time of dreams and deep sleep.

叮當多貪玩呀！除了到處玩耍之外，他最喜歡的就是聽花栗鼠們七嘴八舌地講白雪老爹的故事了。叮當總是一邊聽著，一邊放飛自己的奇思妙想。

“等樹上的葉子都落了，一年中最長的一個黑夜到來兩天前，白雪老爹就會從北方慢慢地溜達過來，身上背著裝滿了好東西的大口袋。他會把禮物送給每個在長長的冬夜裏醒著的小動物。老爹的口袋裏裝著的禮物又多又好，但裏麵最奇妙的是白雪，白閃閃、亮晶晶的白雪。老爹會把白雪像毯子一樣鋪滿整片森林，和白雪一同降臨的還有一種特別的寂靜，給整片森林帶來一種神奇的魔力。”

這個故事叮當已經聽過至少一百遍了，但是，每次聽到這個故事，他都會忍不住浮想聯翩，做著白雪老爹和神奇禮物的白日夢。

Oh, how Jingle loved to play! But he also loved to listen to the chipmunks chatter and chatter, telling their wondrous tales of Father Snow. He sat and listened with rapt wonder as once again a chipmunk told the tale.

“Just after all the leaves have fallen from the trees, two days beyond the longest night, Father Snow comes crunching out of the north. His bag is full of gifts and goodies for all the creatures that stay awake during the long, cold winter. Gifts and presents galore, but the most special gift of all is the gift of Snow. Snow. White, crystalline snow which Father Snow spreads like a blanket over the forest. And with the snow comes a special silence, and the whole forest becomes a mighty,magic place.”

Jingle Bear had heard this story a hundred times before, but each time he listened, spellbound, as he dreamed about Father Snow and the magic of his gift.

有一天，小小的媽媽熊好不容易才哄著叮當好好地吃了一些甜榛子。叮當忍不住問媽媽：“白雪老爹是真的嗎？”

“當然是真的啦。”媽媽熊一邊用厚厚的綠色苔蘚把枕頭填得滿滿的，一邊漫不經心地回答著。

“那我能見見他嗎？”叮當問，嘴裏嚼著脆脆的堅果。

“當然不能啦！”媽媽熊說，“白雪老爹來的時候，你就應該和大家一起去睡覺了。”

叮當沒有說話，他一邊默默地吃著東西，一邊在腦子裏盤算著一個好主意。

One day when Little Momma cornered Jingle Bear long enough to get him to eat some sweet hazel nuts, the little bear asked, “Momma, is there really a Father Snow?”

“Of course,” Little Momma murmured as she fluffed up some pillows of thick green moss.

“Can I see him?” Jingle asked, crunching on a large, tasty nut.

“Of course not!” Little Momma said. “For when Father Snow arrives,you, like the rest of us, will be fast asleep.”

But Jingle Bear did not reply. He quietly munched and munched,thinking of a marvelous plan.

幾個星期過去了，白天變得越來越短，黑夜也變得越來越冷。大大的爸爸熊、小小的媽媽熊和小熊叮當都做好了冬眠的準備。他們的山洞裏早就墊好了厚厚的柏樹枝和香噴噴的鼠尾草，一家三口在洞裏擠成一團，很快就睡熟了。

可是，當媽媽熊和爸爸熊挨在一起做著美夢的時候，小熊叮當隻是假裝睡著了。他先是偷偷地睜開一隻眼睛，接著又睜開一隻，最後伸出了毛茸茸的小腦袋——叮當行動起來啦。他生怕吵醒了爸爸媽媽，於是輕手輕腳地溜出山洞，鑽進外麵涼颼颼的深秋清晨。

Several weeks later when the days seemed shorter and the nights much colder, Big Poppa, Little Momma, and Jingle Bear prepared to go into their long winter’s nap. They curled up together in a cave filled with juniper boughs and sweet-smelling sage and fell fast asleep.

Little Momma and Big Poppa snuggled up nose-to-nose, dreaming beautiful dreams of spring, but Jingle Bear just pretended to be asleep.First one eye opened and then another, and then the little furry bear set his plan in motion. Careful not to disturb his parents, he slipped out of the cave and out into the brisk fall day.

叮當興奮極了，蹦蹦跳跳地越過山溝，越過亂石，又嘩啦啦地越過冰涼的小溪。小熊跑進光禿禿的柳樹和樺樹林，到處尋找白雪老爹。

但是，他很快就發現，除了自己，四下連個影子也沒有。小熊一邊用鼻子嗅著，一邊用最大的聲音喊道：“白雪老爹！白雪老爹！我是小熊叮當呀！我在這兒找你呢！”回答他的卻隻有空****的樹林裏的回聲。

With an excited tingle, Jingle Bear dashed over a ridge and splashed through an icy stream. Over the rocks and through the naked willows and aspens of the valley he ran, looking for Father Snow.

But slowly he began to realize that there was no one else around and he snuffled and roared as loud as he could, “Father Snow! Father Snow!It’s Jingle Bear! I’m here!” But the only sound was a stark echo ringing through the sleeping trees.

叮當跑啊跑啊，跑過結著冰的草原，一直跑到一棵空心的老橡樹前麵。“喂，鬆鼠們！”他大喊起來，“起來吧！快起來吧！白雪老爹就要來啦！”

橡樹裏一直沒有回音，小熊叮當開始推著樹幹搖晃起來。他搖了很久很久，才有一隻皮毛發灰的老鬆鼠慢慢地走出來，爬到叮當頭頂的一根樹杈上。“白雪老爹當然要來了，”老鬆鼠嘟囔著，“他會等你上床睡覺後到來！快回去睡覺吧，小熊！白雪老爹隻會到你的夢裏去的。”老鬆鼠一說完，就馬上鑽回暖和的樹洞裏睡覺去了。

“看來隻有我能看見白雪老爹和他的禮物了。”小熊叮當沒有放棄尋找。

He ran and ran and finally came to a special hollow oak tree at the edge of a frozen meadow. “Hey, squirrels!” he yelled, “Father Snow is coming. Wake up! Wake up!”

Jingle shook and shook the tree until finally an old grizzled squirrel came out on the branch right above Jingle’s head. “Of course Father Snow is coming,” he grumbled, “and he’ll come right after you go to bed! So, be off little bear and fall asleep, for Father Snow will only come in your dreams so deep.” With that the old squirrel slipped back inside his warm old tree and fell back to blissful sleep.

“I guess I’m the only one who’s going to see Father Snow and the magic gift,” said Jingle Bear as he continued on his search for a waking dream.

他走啊走啊，在每個地方尋找著白雪老爹的身影，可是他什麽也沒找到。原本明亮的天空中漸漸地鋪滿了烏雲，雖然還是大白天，叮當卻覺得身邊越來越暗，越來越暗。突然，天上緩緩落下一片水晶似的雪花，接著是第二片，剛好落在小熊亮晶晶的黑鼻頭上。

叮當激動地到處張望起來，因為他知道有雪花的地方一定也有白雪老爹和他的禮物。然而，他左看右看，除了秋落山穀裏光禿禿的樹木，還是什麽也沒有。

He walked and walked, searching everywhere for Father Snow, but he found nothing. Slowly, the bright sky began to darken with heavy black clouds, and though it was still daytime, Jingle found himself walking in the dark all alone. Suddenly, one, then two crystal snowflakes gently floated down and landed at the very tip of his shiny black nose.

Jingle Bear looked around excitedly, for he knew that where there are snowflakes there must also be Father Snow and his gifts of the Season of Snow. But there was nothing around him save for the barren trees of the land of Autumn-Fall.

小熊叮當傷心地想，爸爸熊和媽媽熊的話果然沒錯，隻有等到他睡著了，白雪老爹才會來。冰涼的眼淚順著他毛茸茸的小臉兒流了下來，好像掛在屋簷下的冰棱。小熊拖著沉重的步子，開始慢吞吞地往家走。

“可能本來就沒有什麽白雪老爹吧！”小熊叮當邊走邊小聲嘟囔著。

Sadly, Jingle Bear realized that Big Poppa and Little Momma Bear were right when they said that Father Snow wouldn’t come until after he fell asleep. With heavy steps and frozen tears gliding down his furry face, the sad small bear turned to go back home.

“There probably isn’t any old Father Snow anyway!” he muttered as he stumbled on his way.

叮當走著走著，突然發現自己找不到回家的路了。更糟糕的是，隨著雪越下越大，小熊根本搞不清楚自己走到了哪裏。

他感覺身上越來越冷，困勁兒也越來越大，最後連一步都走不動了。於是，叮當隻好鑽進一棵老鬆樹底下的樹坑裏。他凍得牙齒直打戰，一邊嘀咕著“根本就沒有白雪老爹，根本就沒有白雪老爹”，一邊迷迷糊糊地睡著了。

如果可憐的小熊叮當在這裏睡下去，那他一定會被凍成冰的。幸好，來了一個留著長胡子的神秘人，他輕輕地抱起小熊，溫柔地把他摟在自己的懷裏。

He walked and walked, but with each step he took, he became more and more lost. To make matters worse, much worse, the snow was beginning to fall heavily now and he couldn’t see where he was going at all. And Jingle Bear was getting colder and colder and feeling oh, so sleepy.

He was so sleepy, in fact, that he couldn’t move another step. So,with his teeth chattering, Jingle Bear burrowed in at the base of a pine tree and fell into a dreamless sleep, muttering, “There is no Father Snow...There is no Father Snow!”

Poor Jingle Bear could have frozen right there and never thawed until spring—but wait! A shadowy shape with a long, flowing beard carefully picked him up and held him gently in his arms.

伴隨著一陣精神頭十足的笑聲，白雪老爹變出了一道神奇的魔法閃光，一下子就到了叮當的家裏。他輕輕地把熟睡的小熊放在爸爸熊和媽媽熊中間。

“白雪老爹當然是真的呀，”他笑嗬嗬地說，“可是我不會在你們醒著的時候來的，因為你們非冬眠不可。”在群星與月亮的光芒下，白雪老爹施展魔法，為秋落山穀帶來了白雪的季節。他又揮了揮手臂，在消失前送了大大的爸爸熊、小小的媽媽熊和小熊叮當一份最貴重的禮物，這份禮物就是愛。

迷迷糊糊的小熊叮當睜開一隻小眼睛，不知道剛才發生的一切是不是做夢。然後，他深深地歎了一口氣，又打了一個大大的哈欠，進入了溫暖而漫長的冬日夢鄉。

With a cheerful chuckle and a flash of magic, Father Snow whisked them both back to Jingle Bear’s cave. Once there, he lay the peaceful sleeping bear right between Big Poppa and Little Momma.

“Yes,” laughed the shadowy form, “there is a Father Snow. But I’ll never come to you while you’re awake because it is to sleep that you must go.” In a burst of starshine and moonglow he cast the land of Autumn-Fall into the magical Season of Snow. Then, with a sweep of his arm and a wave of his hand he gave Big Poppa, Little Momma and Jingle Bear the most precious gift of all, the gift of love—and then he disappeared.

A sleepy little bear opened one eye and wondered if all this magic was nothing more than a dream. Then, with a deep, deep sigh and one single yawn he fell into a warm winter’s sleep.

佳節就在明日，心兒雀躍不已。若不安心入夢，明日如何降臨？

THE HOLIDAYS ARE TOMORROW YOUR HEART SEEMS TO LEAP

BUT TOMORROW WILL ONLY COME RIGHT AFTER YOU FALL ASLEE