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一场大战已经打响。隆隆的炮声，时远时近。士兵穿过田野向前行进，骑兵也急驰赶往前线。 一发炮弹落在一个连队附近，但是军笛响亮，战鼓擂动，他们还是继续进军。 “飕!”又一发炮弹从空中呼啸而来，击中附近的一棵树。一位勇敢的将军正骑马飞驰在田野中。一发接一发的炮弹从他身边呼啸飞过。 “将军，这里危险!”与他骑马同行的一位军官对他说，"快退到安全的地方" 但是将军还是继续前进。 突然，他在一棵树下停了下来。"停！"他大声对和他一起的人喊道。他翻身下马，弯腰捡起一个掉到地上的鸟窝。鸟窝里是一些羽毛未丰的小鸟，正张着嘴等着妈妈喂食呢。 "我不想让这些小东西被踩。”将军说。 他轻轻举起鸟窝，放在树杈上安全的地方。 "飕!”又一发炮弹。 他飞身上马，急驰而去，军官们紧随其后。 “轰!轰！轰!" 大炮轰轰直响，炮弹满天飞，战斗异常激烈。战场上一片混乱，到处都是危险，但是小鸟却安全地躲在罗伯特•E•李大将军放的地方，吱吱喳喳欢快地叫着。 The General and the Birds A great battle had begun. Cannons were booming, some far away, some near at hand. Soldiers were marching through the fields. Men on horseback were riding in haste toward the front. "Whiz!” A cannon ball struck the ground quite near to a company of soldiers. But they marched straight onward, with the drums beating and the fifes playing. "Whiz!” Another cannon ball flew through the air and struck a tree near by. A brave general was riding across the field. One ball after another came whizzing near him. "General, you are in danger here,” said an officer who was riding with him. " You had better fall back to a place of safety.” But the general rode on. Suddenly he stopped at the foot of a tree. “Halt!" he cried to the men who were with him. He leaped from his horse. He stooped and picked up a bird，s nest that had fallen upon the ground. In the nest were some tiny, half-fledged birds. Their mouths were open for the food they were expecting their mother to give them. "! cannot think of leaving these little things here to be trampled upon,” said the general. He lifted the nest gently and put it in a safe place in the forks of the tree. "Whiz!” Another cannon ball. He leaped into the saddle, and away he dashed with his officers close behind him. “Boom! boom! boom!” The cannons were roaring, the balls were flying, and the battle was raging. But amid all the turmoil and danger, the little birds chirped happily in the safe shelter where the great general, Robert E. Lee, had placed them. |
