儿童英语读物《神奇树屋》 第六册 Afternoon on the Amazon 04

4 Millions of Them!

Jack didn’t move. He kept staring down at the forest floor.

“What’s wrong?” Annie called from above.

Jack didn’t answer.

“You don’t see any giant spiders， do you?” Annie said.

“Well...no.” Jack took a deep breath.

We have to keep going， he thought. We have to find the special thing for Morgan.

“No spiders.Nothing scary，” Jack called. And he started down the ladder again.

Jack and Annie climbed down through the understory. Finally they stepped onto the forest floor.

Only a few rays of light slanted through the gloom.

The trees were very， very tall and very wide. Vines and moss were hanging everywhere. The ground was covered with dead leaves.

“Before we do anything， I’d better check the book，” said Jack.

He pulled out the rain forest book. He found a picture of the dark world under the treetops.

He read：

In the rain forest， many living creatures blend in with their surroundings. This is called camouflage.

“Oh， man，” said Jack. He closed the book and looked around. “There’re tons of creatures down here. We just can’t see them.”

“Really?” whispered Annie.

She and Jack peered around at the quiet forest. Jack felt unseen eyes watching them.

“Let’s hurry and find the special thing，” whispered Annie.

“How will we know when we find it?” Jack said.

“I think we’ll just know，” said Annie. She headed off through the gloom.

Jack followed. They crept between the huge trees and past hanging vines.

Annie stopped. “Wait—what’s that?”

“What’s what?”

“Listen—that weird sound.”

Jack listened. He heard a crackling sound. It sounded like a person walking over leaves.

Jack looked around. He didn’t see anyone.

But the sound got louder.

Was it an animal? A giant bug? One that had never been named?

Just then the silent forest came alive.

Birds took off into the air. Frogs hopped over the leaves. Lizards ran up the tree trunks.

The weird noise grew louder and louder.

“Maybe the book explains it，” said Jack. He opened the book. He found a picture of different animals running together. He read：

When animals hear a crackling sound， they flee in panic. The sound means that 30 million flesh-eating army ants are marching through the dead leaves.

“It’s army ants!” cried Jack.“Millions of them!”

“Where?” cried Annie.

Jack and Annie looked around wildly.

“There!” Annie pointed.

Army ants—millions and millions of them—were marching over the leaves!

“Run to the tree house!” cried Annie.

“Where is it?” said Jack， whirling around. All the trees looked the same. Where was the rope ladder?

“Just run!” cried Annie.

Jack and Annie took off.

They ran over the dead leaves.

They ran between wide tree trunks.

They ran past the hanging vines and mosses.

They climbed over thick roots.

Jack saw a clearing ahead. It was filled with sunlight.

“That way!” he cried.

Jack and Annie hurried toward the light. They pushed their way through the bushes.

They burst onto the bank of a river.

They stared at the slow-moving brown water.

“Do you think the ants will come this way?” Annie said， panting.

“I don’t know，” said Jack. “But if we wade a few feet into the river， we’re safe. The ants won’t go into the water. Come on.”

“Look!” said Annie.

She pointed to a big log rocking at the edge of the river. The inside of the log was dug out.

“It looks like a canoe，” said Jack. He listened to the crackling sound in the distance. “Let’s get in it. Quick!”

Jack shoved the book into his backpack. Then he and Annie carefully climbed into the dug-out log.

Annie leaned out of it. She pushed away from the bank with her hands.

“Wait!” said Jack. “We don’t have paddles!”

“Oops，” said Annie.

The canoe started moving slowly down the muddy river.

4成千上万的军蚁!

杰克没有动，他一直俯视着地面。

“出什么事儿了?”安妮从上面叫道。

杰克没有回答。

“你不是看到巨大的蜘蛛了吧?”安妮说。

“这个……没有。”杰克深吸了一口气。我们必须继续前进，他想，我们必须帮摩根找到那样东西。

“没有蜘蛛，没什么可怕的!”杰克喊道，他继续顺着梯子向下爬。

杰克和安妮穿过了灌木层，他们最终到达了地被层。

只有几道细细的光线斜射进这片黑暗中。

树木非常非常高大宽阔，藤蔓和苔藓挂得到处都是，地面被落叶覆盖得满满的。

“在行动之前，我们最好还是先看看书上是怎么说的。”杰克说。

他把那本热带雨林的书拿出来，找到了一幅树冠层下这个黑暗世界的图片。他读道：

在热带雨林里，很多生物靠着周围的环境掩饰自己，这叫做伪装。

“哦，我的天哪。”杰克说。他合上了那本书四下环顾。“这下面有很多的生物，只是我们看不见它们。”

“真的吗?”安妮小声说。

她和杰克仔细打量着这个安静的森林，杰克觉得有很多看不见的眼睛正盯着他们。

“我们快走吧，去找那样特别的东西。”安妮小声说。

“当我们找到它了我们怎么知道是不是呢?”杰克说。

“我想到时候我们自然会知道的。”安妮说。她已经朝着阴暗的前方走去了。

杰克跟着她，蹑手蹑脚地穿梭在大树和悬挂着的藤蔓中。

安妮突然停了下来：“等等!那是什么?”

“什么是什么?”

“听啊，那奇怪的声音!”

杰克听了听，他听见了一些噼里啪啦的声音，那声音好像一个人从落叶上走过。

他四处望了望，一个人也没看见。

可是那声音却越来越大了。

是不是什么动物?一种巨大的虫子?一种不为人知的虫子?

就在这时原本安静的森林突然骚动起来。鸟儿都飞向了天空，青蛙在树叶间跳跃，蜥蜴也飞奔着爬上了树干。

那奇怪的声音越来越大，越来越大了。

“也许书上有解释。”杰克说。他打开书，找到一幅各种动物一齐飞奔的图片。

他读道：

当动物们听到噼里啪啦的声音，它们会惊恐地四处逃跑。这声音意味着3 000万只食肉的军蚁正在落叶上行进。

“是食肉的军蚁!”杰克喊叫道，“成千上万呢!”

“在哪里?”安妮喊道。

杰克和安妮惊恐地到处张望。

“在那儿!”安妮指着一个地方说。

军蚁——成千上万的军蚁——正在落叶上前进呢!

“跑回树屋去!”安妮喊道。

“树屋在哪儿?”杰克一边来回找一边说。所有的树看上去都是一样的，绳梯在哪儿?!

“赶快跑吧!”安妮喊道。

杰克和安妮撒腿就跑。

他们跑过落叶，在大树间穿行;跑过四处悬挂着的树藤和苔藓，爬到厚实的树根上。杰克看到了前面有一个空地，洒满阳光。

“那边儿!”他喊道。

杰克和安妮赶快朝着阳光的方向跑，一路使劲扒开浓密的灌木。

突然一条大河闯入眼帘。

他们看着缓缓流动的棕色的河水。

“你觉得那些蚂蚁会朝这边儿来吗?”安妮喘着气问道。

“我不知道。”杰克说，“但是如果我们涉水离开岸边几步，我们就安全了。那些蚂蚁不会到水里来的。来吧!”

“看啊!”安妮说。她指着一个在岸边随着水摇摆的巨大原木，木头的中间被挖空了。

“看上去是一个独木舟!”杰克说。他边说边仔细听着远处那些噼里啪啦的声音，“快上去，快点!”

杰克把书塞进背包，和安妮一起小心翼翼地爬进了那个被挖空的木头。安妮倾斜着身子，用手把舟推离了岸边。

“等等!”杰克说，“我们没有桨!”

“对啊!”

独木舟开始缓缓地随着泥泞的河流向下游漂去了。