儿童英语读物《神奇树屋》 第二册 Knight At Dawn 02 Leaving Again

2再度出发

“这儿一个人也没有!”安妮朝着地面大声喊道。

杰克想着回家。接着，他又想着树屋里那所有的书。

他开始爬绳梯。当他快到树屋时，他看到远处天空中的亮光。天开始破晓了。

他从树屋地板上的一个洞口爬进树屋，然后放下了他的背包。

树屋里很暗。

安妮用手电筒在散落一地的书上照来照去。

“书还在这儿。”她说。

她把灯光停在那本恐龙书上。正是这本书，把他们带到了恐龙的时代。

“记得霸王龙吗?”安妮问。

杰克哆嗦了一下。他当然记得霸王龙。有谁能忘记见过活生生的霸王龙?

灯光落在关于宾夕法尼亚的书上。红色的丝绸书签从里面露出头来。

“记得蛙溪镇的那幅画吗?”安妮问。

“当然记得。”杰克说。正是那幅画，把他们带回了家。

“还有我最喜欢的。”安妮说。

灯光照在一本关于骑士和城堡的书上。蓝色的皮书签插在里面。安妮翻到插书签的那一页。那幅画上是一个骑士骑在一匹黑马上。他正向一座城堡奔驰。

“安妮，关上那本书。”杰克说，“我知道你想干什么。”

安妮指着骑士。

“别，安妮!”

“我想我们可以见到这个真骑士。”安妮说。

“不，我们不去!”杰克大叫着。

他们听到一种奇特的声响。

“咴咴咴咴!”

这好像是马的嘶鸣声。

他们都向窗口走去。

安妮把手电筒照向地面。

“啊，不。”杰克小声说着。

“一个骑士!”安妮说。

一个身着闪闪盔甲的骑士!一个骑着黑马的骑士!正在穿过蛙溪树林!

接着风开始呻吟，树叶开始颤抖。

事情又一次发生了。

“我们要出发了!”安妮喊叫着，“快趴下!”

风的呻吟声更大了。树叶颤抖得更厉害了。

树屋开始打转，转得越来越快。

杰克紧紧地闭上双眼。

然后一切都平静了。

绝对的平静。

杰克睁开了眼睛。他颤抖不已。空气湿漉漉、凉飕飕的。

马的嘶鸣声从下面传来。

“咴咴咴咴!”

“我想我们到了。”安妮低声说道，手里仍然攥着那本城堡书。

杰克向窗外望去。

一座巨大的城堡在雾中若隐若现。

他看了看四周。树屋落在另一棵橡树上。树屋下面，骑着黑马的骑士正从旁驰过。

“我们不能呆在这儿。”杰克说，“我们得先回去，制定一个计划。”他捡起那本关于宾夕法尼亚的书。他翻开插着红色丝绸书签的那一页，指着蛙溪树林的那幅照片。“我希——”

“不!”安妮说。她从他手中夺过那本书。“我们留下来!我要拜访那座城堡!”

“你是大傻帽。我们得仔细研究一下形势。”杰克说，“回家研究。”

“我们就在这儿研究!”安妮说。

“快来。”他伸出手，“把书给我。”

安妮把书还给他。“好吧!你可以回家，我要留下来。”她说。她把手电筒别在皮带上。

“等一等!”杰克说。

“我打算去看看，就看一眼。”她说。她飞快地溜下绳梯。

杰克一声叹息。行，她赢了。他不能单独离开，把她留下。另外，其实他自己也想去亲自看上一眼。

他放下宾夕法尼亚的那本书。

他不声不响地把那本城堡书放进背包里，跨上绳梯，下到地面。那冰凉凉、朦胧胧的雾气迎面扑来。

2 Leaving Again

“No one’s here!” Annie shouted down.

Jack thought about going home. Then he thought about all the books in the tree house.

He started up the ladder. When he was nearly to the tree house， he saw light in the distant sky. Dawn was starting to break.

He crawled through a hole in the floor and took off his backpack.

It was dark inside the tree house.

Annie was shining her flashlight on the books scattered about.

“They’re still here，” she said.

She stopped the light on a dinosaur book. It was the book that had taken them to the time of the dinosaurs.

“Remember the Tyrannosaurus?” asked Annie.

Jack shuddered. Of coures he remembered! How could anyone forget seeing a real live Tyrannosaurus rex?

The light fell on a book about Pennsylvania. A red silk bookmark stuck out of it.

“Remember the picture of Frog Creek?” said Annie.

“Of course，” said Jack. That was the picture that had brought them home.

“There’s my favorite，” said Annie.

The light was shining on a book about knights and castles. There was a blue leather bookmark in it.

Annie turned to the page with the bookmark. There was a picture of a knight on a black horse. He was riding toward a castle.“Annie， close that book，” said Jack. “I know what you’re thinking.”

Annie pointed at the knight.

“Don’t， Annie!”

“We wish we could see this guy for real，” Annie said.

“No， we don’t!” shouted Jack.

They heard a strange sound.

“Neeee-hhhh!”

It sounded like a horse neighing.

They both went to the window.

Annie shined the flashlight down on the ground.

“Oh no，” whispered Jack.

“A knight!” said Annie.

Aknight in shining armor! Riding a black horse! Through the Frog Creek woods!

Then the wind began to moan. The leaves began to tremble.

It was happening again.

“We’re leaving!” cried Annie. “Get down!”

The wind moaned louder. The leaves shook harder.

And the tree house started to spin. It spun faster and faster!

Jack squeezed his eyes shut.

Then everything was still.

Absolutely still.

Jack opened his eyes. He shivered. The air was damp and cool.

The sound of a horse’s whinny came again from below.

“Neeee-hhhh!”

“I think we’re here，” whispered Annie. She was still holding the castle book.

Jack peeked out the window.

A huge castle loomed out of the fog.

He looked around. The tree house was in a different oak tree. And down below， the knight on the black horse was riding by.

“We can’t stay here，” said Jack. “We have to go home and make a plan first.” He picked up the book about Pennsylvania. He opened it tothe page with the red silk bookmark. He pointed to the photograph of the Frog Creek woods. “I wish—”

“No!” said Annie. She yanked the book away from him. “Let’s stay!

I want to visit the castle!”

“You’re nuts. We have to examine the situation，” said Jack. “From home.”

“Let’s examine it here!” said Annie.

“Come on.” He held out his hand. “Give it.”

Annie gave Jack the book. “Okay. You can go home. I’m staying，” she said. She clipped the flashlight to her belt.

“Wait!” said Jack.

“I’m going to take a peek. A teeny peek，” she said. And she scooted down the ladder.

Jack groaned. Okay， she had won.　He couldn’　t leave without her. Besides， he sort of wanted to take a peek himself.

He put down the book about Pennsylvania.

He dropped the castle book into his pack. He stepped onto the ladder.

And headed down into the cool， misty air.