The Notebook 精彩片段：
Swans and Storms
They sat in the middle of a small lake fed by the waters of Brices Creek. It wasnt large, maybe a hundred yards across, and she was surprised at how invisible it had been just moments before.
It was spectacular. Tundra swan and Canada geese literally surrounded them. Thousands of them. Birds floating so close together in some places that she couldnt see the water. From a distance, the groups of swans looked almost like icebergs.
"Oh, Noah," she finally said softly, "its beautiful.
They sat in silence for a long while, watching the birds. Noah pointed out a group of chicks, recently hatched, following a pack of geese near the shore, struggling to keep up.
The air was filled with honking and chirping as Noah moved the canoe through the water. The birds ignored them for the most part. The only ones who seemed bothered were those forced to move when the canoe approached them. Allie reached out to touch the closest ones and felt their feathers ruffling under her fingers.
Noah brought out the bag of bread hed brought earlier and handed it to Allie. She scattered the bread, favoring the little ones, laughing and smiling as they swam in circles, looking for food.
They stayed until thunder boomed in the distance - faint but powerful - and both of them knew it was time to leave.
Noah led them back to the current of the creek, paddling stronger than he had earlier.
She was still amazed by what she had seen. "Noah, what are they doing here?"
"I dont know. I know the swans from up north migrate to Lake Matamuskeet every winter, but I guess they came here this time. I dont know why. Maybe the early blizzard had something to do with it. Maybe they got off track or something. Theyll find their way back, though."
"They wont stay?"
"I doubt it. Theyre driven by instinct, and this isnt their place. Some of the geese may winter here, but the swans will go back to Matamuskeet."
Noah paddled hard as dark clouds rolled directly overhead. Soon rain began to fall, a light sprinkle at first, then gradually harder. Lightning, a pause, then thunder again. A little louder now. Maybe six or seven miles away. More rain as Noah began to paddle even harder, his muscles tightening with every stroke. Thicker drops now. Falling... Falling with the wind... Falling hard and thick... Noah rowing ... racing the sky.., still getting wet.., cursing to himself.., losing to Mother Nature...
The downpour was steady now, and Allie watched the rain fall diagonally from the sky, trying to defy gravity as it rode on westerly winds that whistled over the trees. The sky darkened a little more, and big heavy drops fell from the clouds. Hurricane drops.