The Parrot That Learned the Wrong Word

Stellan's family has a gray parrot named Peanut. Peanut lives in a big cage in the living room. He repeats anything he hears.

斯特兰家养了一只灰鹦鹉，名叫花生。花生住在客厅里的一个大笼子里。它听到什么就学什么。

One evening, Stellan's older sister Lila drops a plate in the kitchen. "Oh, great," she says loudly, in a flat, annoyed voice.

一天晚上，斯特兰的姐姐莉拉在厨房里摔碎了一个盘子。“哦，真棒，”她大声说，语气平平的，带着烦躁。

Peanut listens closely from his cage. He tilts his head to one side.

花生在笼子里仔细听着。它把头歪向一边。

The next morning, Peanut says it too. "Oh, great," he says, in the exact same flat voice. He says it again and again, all day long.

第二天早上，花生也说了。“哦，真棒，”它说，用的是一模一样的平淡语气。它一遍又一遍地说，说了一整天。

"Peanut, please stop," Stellan says, laughing a little.

“花生，别说了，”斯特兰说，忍不住笑了一下。

By the weekend, Peanut says the phrase often. When his food bowl is empty, he says it. When the door closes too loudly, he says it too.

到了周末，花生常常说这句话。食盆空了，它就说。门关得太响，它也说。

"This is a problem," Lila says. "Grandma visits tomorrow, and she hates that phrase."

“这下麻烦了，”莉拉说，“奶奶明天要来，她最讨厌这句话。”

Stellan looks at Peanut and thinks for a minute. "We need to teach him something new," he says. "Something he'll want to say more."

斯特兰看着花生想了一会儿。“我们得教它点新的，”他说，“要教它更想说的话。”

They spend the evening near the cage. When Peanut stays quiet, they give him a piece of apple. When he says a new word, they say kind words to him.

他们整个晚上都守在笼子旁边。花生不出声的时候，他们就给它一块苹果。它说出一个新词的时候，他们就对它说好听的话。

"Good bird!" Stellan says again and again, in a happy, bright voice.

“好鸟儿！”斯特兰一遍又一遍地说，声音快乐又明亮。

By bedtime, Peanut starts to copy the new phrase instead. "Good bird! Good bird!" he squawks proudly from his perch.

到睡觉的时候，花生开始学新的这句话了。“好鸟儿！好鸟儿！”它在栖木上得意地叫着。

The next day, Grandma arrives and walks straight to the cage.

第二天，奶奶来了，径直走到笼子旁。

"Good bird!" Peanut announces. Grandma laughs and claps her hands.

“好鸟儿！”花生宣布道。奶奶笑了，拍起手来。