The Lion King（004）

此前作者花了很多笔墨描写了非洲稀树大草原的和谐宁静，现在，是时候让国王木法沙的新生儿子和子民们见面了。

Simba watched curiously as the monkey stepped in front of him. Seeing his wooden stick, the cub playfully tried to bat at it, missing and causing the adults around him to laugh. Rafiki nodded, pleased. It was a good sign for all of Pride Rock if Simba was curious and alert. Raising the stick above Simba, Rafiki shook it, causing red dirt to fall over the cub's head—and making the young cub sneeze.

辛巴好奇地看着走在他面前的猴子。 看到他的木制手杖，小家伙嬉戏地试着朝它击打，不见了，这个可爱的举动惹得大家哈哈大笑。拉菲奇点了点头，很是满意。若是辛巴是好奇且谨慎的，那么这对所有的荣耀国子民来说都是一个很好的迹象。拉菲基把棍子举到辛巴的上方，摇了摇，红色的粉尘落在幼崽的头上，使得这小家伙连打喷嚏。

Satisfied, Rafiki leaned down and carefully picked up Simba. Cradling him in one arm, he turned and slowly began to make his way out of the cave. Behind him, Mufasa and Sarabi followed, their bodies pressed close together. As they came out onto the rock, the sun went behind a cloud, as if not wanting to take away from the moment. Below, the animals leaned forward in anticipation. Step by step, Rafiki made his way toward the edge of Pride Rock until at last he stopped, mere inches from the steep drop. As the gathered animals watched from below, Rafiki lifted Simba up, up, up—until finally, he had raised baby Simba for all to see.

拉菲奇满意地点了点头，它俯下身子，小心翼翼地抱起辛巴。 拉菲奇用一只手轻轻地抱起它，转身慢慢地走出洞穴。木法沙和沙拉碧紧随其后，它们的身体紧紧地贴在一起。 当它们走到岩石上时，太阳躲在一片白云后面，似乎对于带出洞穴的辛巴很是不舍。 下面，动物们期待地向前倾。 拉菲奇一步一步慢慢地朝荣耀石的边缘走去，最后在离悬崖边只有一英寸的地方停了下来。在下面的动物们向上仰望，拉菲奇慢慢举起辛巴，直到最后大家都能看到辛巴。

Instantly, the gathered animals erupted in noise: Elephants trumpeted. Zebras stomped their feet. Storks flapped their wings, and the cheetahs let out their own cries. Then the sun burst through the clouds, a beam of light falling right down onto the head of Simba—the future king.

此刻动物们立即欢呼雀跃：大象发出鸣叫，斑马兴奋跺脚，鹳拍打翅膀，猎豹发出咆哮。随后太阳突然穿过云层，一束光正好落在未来的国王辛巴的头上。

The animals dropped their heads, bowing in respect.

动物们垂头鞠躬以示尊重。

Simba, still hanging from Rafiki's arms, looked down upon it all, unaware of the greatness of this moment. This was the way of life on Pride Rock. It was how it had always been and how it should always be. It was the Circle of Life, the way of the savannah. Through times of hardship and times of ease, the animals relied on one another and on the order of life to keep them going. Now it was Simba's turn to join that circle.

辛巴仍然悬在拉菲奇的手里，俯视着这一切，没有意识到这一刻是多么的伟大。这就是荣耀国的生活方式。它一直以来的样子，也应该一直是什么样子。这是生命的循环，是大草原的自然法则。在艰难和安逸的时期，动物们依靠彼此和秩序来维持它们的生存。 现在轮到辛巴加入那个圈子了。

And while he didn't know it yet, someday it would be up to him to take his father's place and complete the circle—when he was king.

虽然他还不知道，但总有一天他会取代他父亲的位置，经历并完成这个圈子——当它成为国王的时候。

While nearly every animal in the savannah had come to greet their future king, there was someone missing. Someone whose presence, while not missed by others, was keenly felt by Mufasa. His brother, Scar, had missed the event.

几乎所有草原上的动物都来迎接他们未来的国王，但有人缺席了。 木法沙敏锐地感觉到了—— 他的弟弟刀疤错过了这次活动。

生词:

1. curiously 英 [ˈkjʊərɪəsli] adv. 好奇地; 奇异地; 奇怪地;
2. playfully 英 ['pleɪfəlɪ] (ADJ-GRADED) 嬉戏的，闹着玩的，不当真的
3. nodded 英 ['nɒdɪd] v. 点头( nod的过去式和过去分词 ); 打盹; 打瞌睡; 点头致意;
4. shook 英 [ʃʊk] v. 摇撼( shake的过去式 ); （使）颤抖; 握手; 动摇;
5. dirt 英 [dɜːt] n. 污物; 灰尘，泥土;
6. sneeze 英 [sniːz] n. 喷嚏; 喷嚏声; vi. 打喷嚏;
7. Satisfied 英 [ˈsætɪsfaɪd] adj. 满意的; 欣慰的; v. （使）满意，满足；
8. leaned down 英 [liːnd daʊn] 俯身；
9. Cradling 英 |ˈkreɪdl| verb.[动词 + 名词短语] 轻轻抱着;
10. anticipation 英 [ænˌtɪsɪˈpeɪʃn] n. 预期，预计; 期盼;
11. Step by step 英 [step bai step] 一步步地，逐步地，逐渐地; 缓缓;
12. mere inches 英 [mɪə(r) intʃiz] 仅为数1英寸 ；
13. steep drop 英 [stiːp] adj. 陡峭的; 突然的，急剧的;
14. erupted 英 [iˈrʌptid] verb. 突然发出（尤指叫喊）；
15. stomped 英 [stɔmpt] v. 跺脚，践踏，重踏( stomp的过去式和过去分词 );
16. Storks 英 [stɔ:ks] n. <动>鹳( stork的名词复数 );
17. burst through 英 [bə:st θru:] 推开，拨开;
18. beam 英 [biːm] n. 光线; 波束; 梁; 平衡木;
19. hardship 英 |ˈhɑ:dʃɪp; 美 ˈhɑ:rd-| n. 艰难；困苦；拮据；
20. relied 英 [riˈlaid] v. 信任( rely的过去式和过去分词 ); 信赖; 依赖; 依靠;
21. someday 英 ['sʌmdeɪ] adv. 将来有一天; 总有一天；
22. presence 英 [ˈprezns] n. 出席;
23. keenly 英 [ki:nlɪ] adv. 敏锐地; 敏感地; 锐利地;