Chapter2 Crossing the Creek 过河-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《草原小屋Little House on the Prairie》上

Chapter 2 Crossing the Creek PET and Patty began to trot briskly,as if they were glad,too. Laura held tight to the wagon bow and stood up in the jolting wagon. Beyond Pa's shoulder and far across the waves of green grass she could see the trees,and they were not like any trees she had seen before.They were no taller than bushes. “Whoa!”said Pa,suddenly.“Now which way?”he muttered2to himself. The road divided here,and you could not tell which was the more- traveled way.Both of them were faint 3 wheel tracks in the grass.One went toward the west,the other sloped downward a little,toward the south.Both soon vanished 5 in the tall,blowing grass. “Better go downhill,I guess,”Pa decided.“The creek's down in the bottoms.Must be this is the way to the ford."He turned Pet and Patty toward the south. The road went down and up and down and up again,over gently curving land.The trees were nearer now,but they were no taller. Then Laura gasped and clutched the wagon bow,for almost under Pet's and Patty's noses there was no more blowing grass,there was no ·020· 2 过河 ①briskly /briskly/ad. 皮特和帕蒂开始轻快地小跑着，好像也很高兴。 活泼地 劳拉紧紧地扶着车篷篷架，站在颠簸的马车上。她 越过爸爸的肩膀和远处波浪起伏的绿草看到一片树 林，这些树和她以前看到的任何树都不一样。它们 只有灌木那么高。 ②mutter'mat/以喃 “吁！”爸爸突然发出吆喝声。“现在该走哪条 喃自语 路呢？”他喃喃自语道。 路在这里分成了两条，分不出哪条走的人多。 ③faint /feint/a.模糊 的 两条路都是草地上碾出来的模糊车辙儿。一条通向 ④slope/slbp/k.倾斜 西面，而另一条呢，往下稍稍有点斜度，伸向南 vanish'venf/消 失 方。两条路很快地消失在随风波动的高大草丛中。 ford/f:d/i.浅滩 “我想还是走那条下坡路好，”爸爸用决定的口 吻说，“小河就在下面。这一定是一条去往浅湾的 路。”他吆喝皮特和帕蒂掉头走通向南方的路。 这条路在微微弯曲的大地上忽上忽下向前伸展 着。现在树林离得比较近了，但是看上去并不比刚 curve/ka:v/弯 ⑧gasp/ga:sp/喘气 才看见的高。这时，劳拉突然被吓得喘不过气来， clutch /klAtS/.抓 牢 急忙抓住车篷篷架，因为，差不多就在皮特和帕蒂 ·021· Little House on the Prairie land at all.She looked beyond the edge of the land and across the tops of trees. The road turned there.For a little way it went along the cliff's top, then it went sharply downward.Pa put on the brakes;Pet end Patty braced themselves backward and almost sat down.The wagon wheels slid onward,little by little lowering the wagon farther down the steep slope into the ground.Jagged4 cliffs of bare red earth rose up on both sides of the wagon.Grass waved along their tops,but nothing grew on their seamed5,straight-up-and-down sides.They were hot,and heat came from them against Laura's face.The wind was still blowing overhead, but it did not blow down into this deep crack in the ground.The stillness seemed strange and empty. Then once more the wagon was level.The narrow crack down which it had come opened into the bottom lands.Here grew the tall trees whose tops Laura had seen from the prairie above.Shady groves were scattered on the rolling meadows,and in the groves deer were lying down,hardly to be seen among the shadows.The deer turned their heads toward the wagon,and curious fawns stood up to see it more clearly. Laura was surprised because she did not see the creek.But the bottom lands were wide.Down here,below the prairie,there were gentle hills and open sunny places.The air was still and hot.Under the wagon wheels the ground was soft.In the sunny open spaces the grass grew thin,and deer had cropped it short. For a while the high,bare cliffs of red earth stood up behind the wagon.But they were almost hidden behind hills and trees when Pet and Patty stopped to drink from the creek. The rushing sound of the water filled the still air.All along the creek banks the trees hung over it and made it dark with shadows.In the 022· 草原小屋【 的鼻子尖底下，没有随风波动的草了，根本没有草 所依附的土地。她向土地的边缘和树梢望去。 ①cif/kIf/n.悬崖 路在那儿拐弯了。它沿着断崖顶有一小段，然 ②brake /breik/n.煞 后突然向下伸去。爸爸猛地刹车，皮特和帕蒂往后 车 ③slide /slaid/使滑 死死地撑着，几乎要坐下去了。马车轮向前滑动 着，一点点地把马车从陡峭的斜坡滑向沟底的路 ④jagged /'d3Egda. 面。马车的两边是锯口状裸露的红土悬崖。崖顶上 参差不齐的 的草仍然随风波动，但是，在那直上直下有裂缝的 崖壁上寸草不生，光秃秃的。崖壁很热，它散发出 ⑤seam /si:m/.接缝 的热直扑劳拉的脸。风仍在头顶上面吹着，但是没 有吹入土地上的这深深的裂罅中，这种死气沉沉的 氛围使人感到似乎是不可思议、空荡荡的。 接着，马车又一次处于水平状态。车走出来的 狭窄沟壑通向河边低地。这儿长着一片树木，劳拉 ⑥grove/grauv/n.小 在上面的草原上看到过这些树的树梢。成荫的树丛 树林 稀稀落落地散布在风卷的草地上，几只鹿呆在树丛 中，在树影下似隐似现。它们转过头来注视着马车， 好奇的小鹿索性站起来，要把马车看得更清楚。 劳拉因为事先没有看到小河而感到吃惊。河边 低地很宽。在这里，在大草原下边，竟还有平缓的 山丘和阳光溶溶的开阔地带。这儿空气闷热。车轮 ⑦sti/st山a.静止的 底下土地松软。在这个充满阳光的开阔地上，草长 得很稀，被鹿群啃得只剩下短短的一截。 ⑧erop /krop/修剪 有一会儿功夫，那高高的光秃红土悬崖矗立在 马车后边。但当皮特和帕蒂停下来在小河饮水时， 悬崖几乎完全隐匿在小山丘和树木的后面了。 沉闷的空间充满了奔腾的河水声。小河岸边垂 满了树枝，树的倒影把小河遮得一片黑。河水在河 中间湍流，泛起，点点银色的、蓝色的波光。 ·023· Little House on the Prairie middle it ran swiftly,sparkling silver and blue. “This creek's pretty high,”Pa said.“But I guess we can make it all right.You can see this is a ford,by the old wheel ruts2.What do you say,Caroline?” Whatever you say,Charles,Ma answered. Pet and Patty lifted their wet noses.They pricked3 their ears forward,looking at the creek;then they pricked them backward to hear what Pa would say.They sighed and laid their soft noses together to whisper to each other.A little way upstream,Jack was lapping the water with his red tongue. "I'll tie down the wagon-cover,Pa said.He climbed down from the seat,unrolled the canvas sides and tied them firmly to the wagon box. Then he pulled the rope at the back,so that the canvas puckered5 together in the middle,leaving only a tiny round hole,too small to see through. Mary huddled down on the bed.She did not like fords;she was afraid of the rushing water.But Laura was excited;she liked the splashing.Pa climbed to the seat,saying,"They may have to swim, out there in the middle.But we'll make it all right,Caroline." Laura thought of Jack and said,"I wish Jack could ride in the wagon,Pa.” Pa did not answer.He gathered the reins tightly in his hands.Ma said,"Jack can swim,Laura.He will be all right." The wagon went forward softly in mud.Water began to splash against the wheels.The splashing grew louder.The wagon shook as the noisy water struck at it.Then all at once the wagon lifted and balanced and swayed.It was a lovely feeling. The noise stopped,and Ma said,sharply,"Lie down,girls!" Quick as a flash,Mary and Laura dropped flat on the bed.When Ma ·024· 草原小屋【 D sparkling /'spa:klin/ “这河相当深，”爸爸说，“但我想我们会平安 a.闪闪发光的 无事的。你可以从旧车印看出，这是一个浅湾。你 ②rut/rAt/n.车辙 说呢，卡罗琳？” “你说的不会有错，查尔斯。”妈妈回答道。 皮特和帕蒂拾起它们那湿湿的鼻子。它们向前 竖起耳朵，看看小河，然后又向后竖起耳朵听听爸 ③priek/prik/,上升 爸在说些什么。它们叹着气，把软软的鼻子凑在一 起互相低语着。在上游一段不远的路上，杰克用它 那红红的舌头舔着河水。 “我要拴紧车篷。”爸爸说。他从座位上下来；放 下车篷帆布的两边，把它们牢牢地系在车厢上。然 ④unroll /An'raul/v.铺 后，他把车后边的绳子拉紧，这样帆布在中间缩拢， 开 ⑤pucker'pAka/g.折 只留出一个小小的洞眼，小得从中都无法看过去。 叠 玛丽蜷缩着躺在床上。她不喜欢浅滩，她害怕喧 腾的水。但劳拉却很激动，她喜欢溅起的水。爸爸爬 huddle /hAd.蜷 上座位，然后对妈妈说：“到了河中央那儿，它们可 缩 能得游水，但是，我们会顺利过去的，卡罗琳。” splash/splaf/n.飞 劳拉想到杰克，她说：“我希望杰克能在马车 浅的水 上过河，爸爸。” 爸爸没吱声。他的双手紧抓着缰绳。妈妈说话 了：“劳拉，杰克会游泳，它会平安无事的。” 马车在泥泞中缓缓地斜向前进。河水开始溅着 ⑧tightly /tantl/ad.紧 紧地 车轮，水溅得越来越厉害。马车在河水的拍击下晃 荡着。接着，突然间，马车被托了起来，先是平稳 的，之后左右摇摆着。这是一种很可爱的感受。 嘈杂的水声停止了，这时妈妈突然尖声叫起来： “躺下，姑娘们” 玛丽和劳拉飞快地平躺在床上。每当妈妈用那种 口气说话时，她们总是乖乖地听妈妈的话。妈妈用一 ·025· Little House on the Prairie spoke like that,they did as they were told.Ma's arm pulled a smothering blanket over them?heads and all. "Be still,just as you are.Don't move!"she said. Mary did not move;she was trembling?and still.But Laura could not help wriggling a little bit.She did so want to see what was happening.She could feel the wagon swaying and turning;the splashing was noisy again,and again it died away.Then Pa's voice frightened Laura.It said,“Take them,Caroline!” The wagon lurched;there was a sudden heavy splash beside it. Laura sat straight up and clawed5 the blanket from her head. Pa was gone.Ma sat alone,holding tight to the reins with both hands.Mary hid her face in the blanket again,but Laura rose up farther. She couldn't see the creek bank.She couldn't see anything in front of the wagon but water rushing at it.And in the water,three heads;Pet's head and Patty's head and Pa's small,wet head.Pa's fist in the water was holding tight to Pet's bridle Laura could faintly hear Pa's voice through the rushing of the water. It sounded calm and cheerful but she couldn't hear what he said.He was talking to the horses.Ma's face was white and scared. “Lie down,Laura,.”Ma said. Laura lay down.She felt cold and sick.Her eyes were shut tight,but she could still see the terrible water and Pa's brown beard drowning in it. For a long,long time the wagon swayed and swung,and Mary cried without making a sound,and Laura's stomach felt sicker and sicker. Then the front wheels struck and grated and Pa shouted.The whole wagon jerked and jolted 3 and tipped backward,but the wheels were turning on the ground.Laura was up again,holding to the seat;she saw Pet's and Patty's scrambling5 wet backs climbing a steep bank,and Pa ·026· 草原小屋【 块很厚实的毯子，给她们从头到脚严严实实地盖起来。 ①smother/'smAda/u “就这么老老实实地呆着别动！”她说。 使…喘不过气 玛丽一动也不动，她在颤抖，但很安静。可劳拉 ②tremble'trembl/v. 却总忍不住要动一动。她之所以这样是想看看要发生 战悚 ③wriggle/'rIgl/蠕 什么事情，她能感到马车在水面上摇晃和转动，溅水 动 声又一次响起，然后再一次消失。这时，爸爸的声音 吓住了劳拉。他说：“拽住它们，卡罗琳” 马车摇摇晃晃地前进，突然一个大浪从旁边打 ④lurch3:t/突然 了过来。劳拉一把从脑袋上抓下毯子，一骨碌直挺 向一边倾斜 ⑤claw /klo:/抓 挺地坐了起来。 hold tight紧紧抓着 爸爸不见了。妈妈独自坐在马车座位上，双手 紧紧拽住缰绳。玛丽再度把脸埋在毯子里，但劳拉 更进一步坐了起来。她看不见河岸。除了河水拍击 着马车，前面什么也看不到。水里有3个头：皮特 的头、帕蒂的头，还有爸爸的头，爸爸的头小而 ⑦bridle /'brardl/n.马 勒 湿。爸爸的拳头在水里紧紧地拽着皮特的笼头。 劳拉从奔腾的水声中模模糊糊地听到爸爸的说 8 cheerful /'tfiaful/a. 话声。他的话音听起来沉着而开心，但她听不清他 高兴的 ⑨scared/skead/a.害 说些什么。他在对马说话。妈妈面色苍白，惊恐万 怕的 状。“躺下，劳拉。”妈妈说。 劳拉躺下了。她觉得浑身发冷，极不自在。她 0 drown /draon/v.淹 的眼紧闭着，但她仍能看到可怕的河水，看到爸爸 那浸在水中的棕色胡子。 很长一段时间，马车摇荡着扭动着，玛丽一直 在无声地啜泣，劳拉越来越觉得肚子不舒服。这时 I grate /grert/x.磨擦 候，马车前轮撞到了什么，发出吱吱嘎嘎的摩擦 2 jerk/d33:k/急动 8jolt/d3alt/n.摇动 声，爸爸大叫起来。整个马车突然一震，晃了一 tip /tipl.倾斜 1 scramble /'skraembl/ 晃，向后一倒，但是车轮却在地面上转动着。劳拉 攀缘 又一次起来，扶着座位，她看到皮特和帕蒂湿漉漉 ·027· Little House on the Prairie running beside them,shouting,"Hi,Patty!Hi,Pet!Get Up!Get up! Whoopsy-daisy!Good girls!" At the top of the bank they stood still,panting and dripping.And the wagon stood still,safely out of that creek. Pa stood panting and dripping,too,and Ma said,"Oh, Charles!” “There,there,Caroline,”said Pa.“We're all safe,thanks to a good tight wagon-box well fastened to the running-gear 3.I never saw a creek rise so fast in my life.Pet and Patty are good swimmers,but I guess they wouldn't have made it if I hadn't helped them." If Pa had not known what to do,or if Ma had been too frightened to drive,or if Laura and Mary had been naughty and bothered her,then they would all have been lost.The river would have rolled them over and over and carried them away and drowned them,and nobody would ever have known what became of them.For weeks,perhaps,no other person ·028· 草原小屋【 的后背，争先恐后地向陡峭的河岸上爬，爸爸在它 们旁边一边跑着一边吆喝：“嘿，帕蒂！嘿，皮特制 ①whoopsy-daisy表现 不错的（表赞扬） 加油！加油！好样的！好孩子们！” 两匹马静静地站在河岸的最高处，气喘吁吁， ②pant /paent//以喘息 身上的水滴滴嗒嗒地往下滴，马车安全地渡过了那 条小河，静静地停在那儿。 爸爸也是气喘吁吁地站在那里，身上的水向下 滴嗒。妈妈长出一口气说：“哎哟，查尔斯！” ③gear/gi3/n.传动装 “瞧，怎么样，卡罗琳，”爸爸说，“我们都平 置 安无事，多亏了这坚固结实的车厢牢牢地加固在驱 动装置上。我一生从未见过这样的河，水涨得这么 快。皮特和帕蒂水性好，但是我想如果我不帮它们 一把，它们也不会游得这么出色。”。如果爸爸不当 机立断，或者如果妈妈太害怕不敢驾车，或者如果 劳拉和玛丽不听话，干扰妈妈，他们一家子可能全 要失散了。河水会把他们吞没，把他们卷走淹死， ·029·