Mantu the Elephant

Main to the elephant.

今天的主角是大象。

Chapter 1. Mantu was born under the wide open sky. His mother stroked him with her trunk. Mantu was her first baby. The other elephants all came to stroke Mantu. Then his mother helped him onto his legs and fed him.

第一章 曼图出生在辽阔的天空下。 妈妈用鼻子轻轻抚摸他。 曼图是她的第一个宝宝。 其他大象都过来摸了摸曼图。 然后妈妈扶着他站起来，喂他喝奶。

Mäntu grew fast. The sun was strong and the land grew dry. Every day the elephants marched across the hot, dusty land. Every day they had to march further and further to find food and water. Mäntu held onto his mother's tail with his trunk. One day the sun was very strong. I'm so thirsty, Mäntu cried. Don't worry, said his mother. We'll find water. Kim, the wise old elephant, knows where to go.

曼图长得很快。阳光很烈，大地变得干旱，大象们每天都要赶路 穿过又热又满是尘土的土地。他们每天都要走越来越远的路找食物 和水。曼图用鼻子勾住妈妈的尾巴。有一天太阳格外 毒辣。 “我好渴啊。”曼图哭着说。“别担心，”妈妈说，“我们会找到水的。聪明的老象金姆 知道该往哪儿走。

At last the elephants came to water. Little Mantoo was thirsty. He was so happy to see the cool, clear water that he ran to the river. He was about to jump in, but his mother chased after him and held him tightly by the tail. Kim, the oldest elephant, always went in first to look for crocodiles. The water is safe, Kim cried.

大象们终于找到水源了。小曼图渴坏了，看见清凉干净的河水，立马就朝河边跑。 他正要跳进去，妈妈就追了过来，紧紧攥住他的尾巴。 最年长的大象金姆，总是第一个下水检查有没有鳄鱼。 “水里安全！”金姆大声喊道。

The elephants began to drink and play in the evening light. Mantu's mother filled up her trunk and drank the clear cool water. I want to do that, thought Mantu. Then the elephants got washed. They filled their trunks with water and sprayed their dusty bags. Wow, thought Mantu. I want to do that!

大象们在傍晚的霞光里开始喝水、玩耍。 曼图的妈妈把鼻子吸满水，喝着清清凉凉的河水。 我也想那样做，曼图心里想。 接着大象们开始洗澡。 他们把鼻子吸满水，喷在自己沾满尘土的背上。 哇，曼图心想。我也想那样做！

But Mento couldn't use his trunk yet. He was still too young. He could fill his trunk with water, but it fell out before he could drink it. He had to put his head under the water to drink. He wished he could use his trunk like a big elephant.

可是曼图还不会用他的鼻子，他还太小了。 他能把水吸进鼻子里，可是还没等喝到，水就漏光了。 他只能把头埋进水里喝水。他好想能像成年大象那样用鼻子呀。