This week, the nation's capital is mourning the death of Valor.
這一周，舉國悼念威勒之死。
2018年8月9日
天氣晴
01
Valor was one of two young eaglets in a nest at the National Arboretum in Washington, D.C., that is monitored by a popular 24/7 webcam.
威勒是位于華盛頓的國家植物園的一個鷹巢里的兩只雛鷹之一，這個巢受到有名的網(wǎng)絡攝像頭全天候的監(jiān)控。
He fell from the nest in the middle of the night on July 26.
在7月26日的半夜，他從巢里掉了下來。
02
It wasn't necessarily a cause for alarm.
這本不必要引起恐慌。
Valor's sibling, Victory, had "accidentally fledged" a few weeks earlier — that is, the bird fell from the nesting tree by accident but learned to fly as a result, returning to the nest the next day.
威勒的兄弟，維多利亞，也在幾周前“意外長成”了——也就是說，這只鳥也從巢里意外掉下來，不過卻學會了飛，第二天又回到了巢穴里。
Valor didn't seem to be flying back, however.
然而，威勒卻似乎并沒有飛回來。
The next morning he was located, damp from the rain, on the ground beneath the tree.
第二天早上他被人們找到了，位于樹下的地上，被雨淋濕了。
He was spotted later in a nearby tree.
后來他被看到出現(xiàn)在旁邊的一棵樹上。
03
Then, on July 30, he was found on the ground several blocks away, in a residential neighborhood.
后來，在7月30號，他被發(fā)現(xiàn)于幾個街區(qū)的地上，周圍是居民區(qū)。
There were no obvious injuries, but experts decided to hold on to him for a few days to monitor his health before he was placed back in the nest, as The Washington Post reported at the time.
沒有發(fā)現(xiàn)明顯的損傷，不過專家們決定多留他幾日來監(jiān)測他的健康狀況，然后把它放回巢穴里去 ，華盛頓郵報當時進行了報道。
His new exploits were treated like one big lark.
他的這次新事跡讓人們歡呼雀躍。
Everyone assumed the bird would be fine — and, soon enough, would learn to fly on his own, just like Victory did.
每個人都以為這只鳥會沒事——并且很快，就會像維多利亞那樣，學會自己飛了。
But it was not to be.
不過事與愿違。
Something was wrong with Valor.
威勒還是出了點毛病。
He was transferred to a bird rescue and research facility, which reported that he was severely underweight and anemic.
他被轉移到了一處鳥類救助和研究機構處，他們檢查發(fā)現(xiàn)它嚴重偏瘦，并且貧血。
The bird's fans watched and waited nervously, to see whether he would recover.
這只鳥的粉絲們緊張地觀察并等待著，看它是否能康復。
Mr. President and the First Lady have been raising young eaglets in a picturesque tulip poplar in the National Arboretum — a spot they picked themselves, for the record — since the spring of 2015.
總統(tǒng)和他的太太曾在國家植物園的一棵詩意如畫般的鵝掌楸上飼養(yǎng)雛鷹—補充聲明一下，這個地方是他們自己選的—是從2015年春天開始的。
The DC Eagle Cam, organized by the American Eagle Foundation, has been broadcasting their family life on the Internet since 2016.
而華盛頓老鷹攝像直播，是由美國老鷹基金會組織的，自從2016年開始就在網(wǎng)上直播它們的家庭生活。
Passionate readers might remember that first season in the nest — we covered every pip and every hatching of eaglets Freedom and Liberty.
忠實讀者們可能還記得這個巢穴的第一季——我們曾在《自由與解放》系列文中報道了每一只蛋和產下和每一只雛鷹的孵化。
The next year, Mr. President and the First Lady raised Honor and Glory, again before a long-distance audience.
第二年，總統(tǒng)和夫人養(yǎng)出了榮譽和光榮兩只雛鷹，也是在很多遠距離觀眾的關注下。
So by the time they emerged from their eggs this spring, Valor and Victory had already inherited a crowd of eager eagle-watchers who had followed the avian first family for years.
所以當今年春天它們從蛋里孵出來的時候，威勒和維多利亞就已經(jīng)繼承了一波熱情的老鷹觀察者們，他們追隨第一個鳥類家庭已經(jīng)有幾年了。
This year, they watched Victory and Valor from the time they were eggs, carefully guarded by their parents, through the thrill of the first shakes of the hatching egg.
今年，他們從蛋開始就觀察著維多利亞和威勒，它們由父母仔細守護著，順利通過了孵化初期的一些考驗。
They watched as the birds grew into fluffy chicks, then sleeker, darker young birds, making their first tentative hops toward flight and freedom.
他們眼看著這些鳥長成了毛茸茸的雛鳥，然后成為更苗條，暗色的鳥兒，朝著飛翔和自由進行著它們試探性的跳躍。
And now, the DC Eagle Cam community grappled with its first real tragedy.
如今，華盛頓老鷹直播社區(qū)正面臨他們的第一次真正的悲劇。
Valor wasn't gaining weight.
威勒的體重沒有增加。
His condition was "very poor," Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research said.
它的情形不容樂觀，三州鳥類救助和研究機構稱。
Some eagle-eyed cam-watchers wondered whether the health problems dated to days in the nest when Valor didn't seem to get his full share of food; the equity of food division in the nest is a common anxiety among eagle cam observers.
有一些眼尖的網(wǎng)絡直播觀眾們猜想，健康問題可能要追溯到威勒在巢里沒能吃到足夠食物的日子；鷹巢內食物分配不均是老鷹直播觀眾們的普遍擔憂。
Or was the fall a symptom of something more ominous?
又或者體重的下降是別的隱疾的預兆？
"We know that many are concerned about the prognosis for this eaglet," the group said on Monday.
“我們知道很多人都擔心雛鷹的預后診斷，”這只研究團隊在周一稱。
"We are doing all we can, but despite intensive medical treatment and nutritional support over the past three days, Valor has shown no improvement and his prognosis remains guarded."
“我們正在竭盡所能，不過即便在過去三天里提供了精心的醫(yī)療和營養(yǎng)輔助，威勒還是沒什么起色，它的預后仍然需要謹慎。”
The bird experts understood that the public was blindsided by this news.
鳥類專家們知道公眾受到了新聞的蒙蔽。
" We know his decline may seem sudden to many people," they explained.
“我們知道它的消瘦對很多人來說可能有點突然，”他們解釋道。
"Wild animals are adept at hiding injury" to avoid being targeted by predators and can "appear bright and alert" despite being in ill health, they said.
“野生動物往往善于隱藏傷情”這樣來避免被捕食者盯上，就算生了病也會“看起來似乎硬朗又警醒”，他們說道。
On Tuesday, they released their final update.
周二時，他們發(fā)布了最后的更新。
Valor had been lethargic.
威勒昏昏欲睡。
He had no appetite and had to be force-fed.
他沒有胃口，只好被強行喂食。
His head and body were trembling.
他的頭和身體都在顫抖。
He tested positive for West Nile Virus, which can be fatal in birds, the facility said.
他的西尼羅病毒檢測是陽性，這對鳥類來說是致命性的，該機構說道。
The wildlife experts said it was "extremely unlikely" that he would recover and that "prolonging his suffering would have been inhumane."
野生動物專家說它很可能沒法恢復了，還說“再讓它痛苦地活下去是不人道的。”
He was euthanized on Tuesday.
周二時他被施行了安樂死。
"Words are not enough to convey the sadness we are feeling for the loss of our precious eaglet, Valor," the American Eagle Foundation said on the DC Eagle Cam website.
“語言已經(jīng)無法表達我們對于珍貴的雛鷹，威勒的逝去所感受到的悲痛，”美國老鷹基金會在華盛頓老鷹直播網(wǎng)站上說道。
The group said euthanizing him was "the most difficult but compassionate decision."
該機構稱把他施行安樂死是“最困難而出于同情心的決定。”
"We are thankful for the opportunity to finish the 2018 season watching Mr. President, the First Lady, and Victory," AEF wrote.
“我們對于有機會能完成2018季的觀鳥非常感激，總統(tǒng)，第一夫人，還有維多利亞，”美國老鷹基金會寫道。
"Rest gently, Valor. You were loved."
“安息吧，威勒。我們都愛你?！?/p>
And he was. He really, really was.
而他確實是深受喜愛的。真的是這樣！
On Facebook, mourners called him "beloved Valor," "precious Valor," "sweet baby Valor."
在臉書上，悼念者們管他叫“心愛的威勒”，“珍貴的威勒”，“可愛寶貝威勒”。
One dedicated a statue to him.
有人給它獻上了一尊雕塑。
They reminisced about watching him grow from the day the eggs were laid, recalling how bravely he had endured heat and cold, wind and rain.
他們追憶了看著它從蛋里孵出來的過程，回憶了它是如何勇敢地經(jīng)歷了嚴寒酷暑，風霜雨雪。
"I wish I understood how one little bird's passing could rip a hole in one's heart," one woman wrote on Facebook.
“我希望我能夠理解一直小鳥的去世怎么就能戳中某人的心臟，”有一名女士在臉書上寫道。
"I will picture him flying above the clouds, knowing he fledged directly to heaven," another wrote.
“我會想象著他翱翔云端的樣子，知道他會直接飛向天天，”另一名網(wǎng)友寫道。
"However short his life was, he brought joy to many around the world," wrote another fan.
“無論他的生命有多么短暫，他給全世界的人多人帶來了歡樂，”另一名粉絲寫道。
"That will be his legacy."
“而這就是他留給我們的遺產?！?/p>
對于威勒的故事，朋友有什么看法嗎？歡迎給amber留言哦！
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