Dr. Skinner and Hungry Pigeon 斯金纳博士与 饥饿的鸽子

张紫轩

Dr. Skinner is a very nice and polite2 man， and he has a very good friend， Bob. Bob is a gray3 pigeon4 with green eyes and red feet.

斯金納博士是一个非常善良、有礼貌的人，他有一个非常好的朋友——鲍勃。鲍勃是一只灰色的鸽子，眼睛是绿色的，爪子是红色的。

One day， Bob and Dr. Skinner had a bad fight. Bob said angrily5 to Dr. Skinner， “I dont like you. I dont want to play with you anymore.” And then Bob went back to his room. Dr. Skinner was worried， but Bob would not speak to him.

有一天，鲍勃和斯金纳博士吵得很厉害。鲍勃生气地对斯金纳博士说：“我不喜欢你，我不想再和你玩了。”然后鲍勃就回到了自己的房间。斯金纳博士很担心，但鲍勃不愿意和他说话。

Bob was too young， and he did not know where to get food. Bob played and ate with Dr. Skinner every day， and Dr. Skinner would make food for Bob.

鲍勃太小了，它不知道去哪里找食物。鲍勃每天都会和斯金纳博士一起玩耍和吃饭，斯金纳博士会给鲍勃做食物。

The first day， Dr. Skinner cooked food and asked Bob， “Bob， it is time for lunch. Would you like to eat with me？” Bob was still angry at Dr. Skinner， so he said， “No， Skinner. I will feed myself.” So Dr. Skinner ate by himself.

第一天，斯金纳博士做好食物，问鲍勃：“鲍勃，该吃午饭了，你要不要和我一起吃？”鲍勃还在生斯金纳博士的气，所以它说：“不，斯金纳，我自己找吃的。”于是，斯金纳博士就自己吃了起来。

However， Bob did not know how to feed himself. He knew there were food in the fridge6， but he did not want to go out and see Dr. Skinner. Bob did not eat anything in the first day， and he was hungry.

可是，鲍勃不知道怎么自己找吃的，它知道冰箱里有食物，可是它不想出去碰见斯金纳博士。第一天，鲍勃什么也没吃，它很饿。

The second day， Bob was staying in his room. He felt hungry and bored. Bob thought， “I can play with myself.” Then Bob started dancing around the room， pecking7 around and making face.

第二天，鲍勃呆在自己的房间里，它觉得又饿又无聊。鲍勃想：“我可以和自己玩。”然后，鲍勃开始在房间里跳舞，到处啄，还做做鬼脸。

Bob played for a while， then he found it was not funny playing with himself and he felt very hungry. “I will go out， apologise8 to Skinner， have some food， and play with him，” Bob thought. Bob opened the door， and was surprised to find that there was some food behind the door.

鲍勃玩了一会儿，发现和自己玩并不好玩，而且它觉得很饿。“我要出去，向斯金纳道歉，吃点东西，和他一起玩。”鲍勃想。它打开门，惊讶地发现门后有一些食物。

“Oh， look what I have found here？ A whole9 plate10 of food！I dont have to apologise to Skinner anymore.” Bob was really happy when he and Dr. Skinner played together11， but Bob did not want to apologise. “Why there is food behind my door？” Bob thought at night. “It must be the god12 of pigeons helping me.”

“哦，看，我在这里找到了什么？一整盘的食物！我不用再向斯金纳道歉了。”鲍勃和斯金纳博士在一起玩的时候真的很开心，但是鲍勃不想道歉。“为什么我的门后会有食物呢？”鲍勃晚上想，“一定是鸽神在帮我。”

The third day， Bob felt hungry again. He opened the door， but there was nothing behind the door. “Why no food today？ Am I doing anything wrong？” Bob thought. “Maybe I should dance.” Bob danced for a while， but there was still nothing behind the door. Bob felt abandoned13 and hungry. “I will go out， apologise to Skinner， have some food， and play with him，” Bob thought. Bob opened the door and there was some food again.“Maybe its not the dance，” Bob thought.“I should try pecking around and making face next time.”

第三天，鲍勃又觉得饿了。它打开门，可是门后什么也没有。“为什么今天没有食物？我是不是做错了什么？”鲍勃想，“也许我应该跳舞。”鲍勃跳了一会儿舞，但门后还是什么都没有。鲍勃觉得自己被抛弃了，而且它很饿。“我要出去，向斯金纳道歉，吃点东西，和他一起玩。”鲍勃想，它打开门一看又有一些食物。“也许不是跳舞的问题。”鲍勃想，“我下次应该试试啄来啄去，做做鬼脸。”

The next day， Bob felt hungry again. He pecked around the room and made face the whole morning， but there was not any food behind the door. Bob felt unhappy and hungry. “I will go out， apologise to Skinner， have some food， and play with him，” Bob thought. Bob opened the door， and found Dr. Skinner was cooking in the kitchen. “I am sorry， Skinner， my friend，” Bob apologised sincerely14. “Can I have some food？”

接下來一天，鲍勃又觉得饿了。它在房间里啄来啄去，做了一上午的鬼脸，可是门后没有任何食物。鲍勃觉得又伤心又饿，它想：“我要出去，向斯金纳道歉，吃点东西，陪他玩。”鲍勃打开了门，发现斯金纳博士在厨房里做饭。“对不起，斯金纳，我的朋友。”鲍勃真诚地道歉，“我能吃点东西吗？”

“Sure， this is for you，” Dr. Skinner smiled and gave Bob the plate. Dr. Skinner and Bob were friends again.

“当然可以，这是给你的。”斯金纳博士微笑着把盘子拿给了鲍勃。斯金纳博士和鲍勃又成了朋友。

Bob never told Dr. Skinner about the god of pigeons， and Dr. Skinner never told Bob， that he put food behind Bobs door every day.

鲍勃从来没有告诉过斯金纳博士鸽神的事，斯金纳博士也从来没有告诉过鲍勃，他每天都在鲍勃的门后放食物。

（英语原文选自：bedtime.com）

【Notes】

1. hungry   adj. 饥饿的

2. polite adj. 礼貌的

2. gray  adj. 灰色的

3. pigeon  n. 鸽子

5. angrily  n. 冰箱

7. peck  v. 啄，啄食

8. apologise  v. 道歉

9. whole adj. 整个的，完全的

10. plate  n. 盘子

11. together  adv. 在一起

12. god  n. 神

13. abandoned  adj. 被遗弃的，被抛弃的

14. sincerely adv. 真诚地，诚恳地