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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
“Are you ready for a new adventure?” Grandfather Alden asked with a twinkle in his eyes. It was nearly dusk, and the four Alden children were sitting in the living room playing Go Fish with Mrs. McGregor, the family housekeeper1.
“What kind of adventure?” six-year-old Benny asked excitedly. He jumped to his feet, scattering2 cards everywhere. “Is it a scary adventure or a fun adventure, or is it — ?” He stopped abruptly3 when his older sister, Violet, tugged4 on his arm.
“Why don’t you let Grandfather tell us?” She gently pulled her younger brother back into his seat.
“Well, I’ll give you a hint,” Grandfather said, settling down on the sofa. “It’s not scary, but it’s definitely going to be fun. It’s something you’ve never done before. Oh, yes, there’s one more thing. You’re going to a very exciting place.”
“Ever since we moved in with you, Grandfather, we’ve had one adventure after another!” Henry said. At fourteen, he was the oldest of the four Alden children. He remembered how their lives had changed since the days when they were living in a boxcar. Grandfather Alden had found them and given them a real home with lots of love.
“This may be the most unusual adventure of all,” Grandfather said. “You’re going to spend two weeks on a Navajo Indian reservation.”
“A Navajo reservation!” Ten-year-old Violet cried. “Thank you, Grandfather.” A shy, sweet girl, she leaned over and gave her grandfather a big hug.
“How did you arrange it, Grandfather?” Jessie asked. She was two years older than her sister, and very practical. “I thought that only members of a tribe could live on a Native American reservation.”
“Don’t worry, Jessie,” Grandfather reassured5 her. “You’re going to be special guests. My friend, Ed Talbot, invited me to do some trout6 fishing in the mountains. He told me there’s going to be a Pow-Wow at a nearby reservation, and he thought you might like to be part of it.”
“You bet we would! A Pow-Wow!” Benny jumped up again, nearly tripping over Watch, the family dog. “I know what a Pow-Wow is. It’s like a big fair, only better!”
“I think it means a celebration, sort of a family reunion,” Henry said slowly.
“That’s right,” Grandfather agreed. “Ed told me it’s like a gathering7 of friends and relatives. There will be lots of singing, and dancing, and friends from other tribes are invited. Usually the townspeople come, too. It’s a way to learn about the customs and traditions of the Navajo people.”
“Where will we stay?” Violet asked.
“Ed has some friends on the reservation, the Lightfeathers. They’ve invited you to stay in their home with their two children, Joe and Amy. Joe’s twelve and Amy’s ten.”
“It sounds like fun,” Violet said. “When do we leave, Grandfather?”
“To get there in time for the Pow-Wow preparations, we have to catch an early morning flight tomorrow,” Grandfather said. “Do you think you’ll have time to pack tonight?”
“We will if we get started right away,” Jessie said. She stood up and began thinking about what they would need. Probably plenty of shorts and tops, she decided8, and some jeans and sweaters in case the nights were chilly9.
“Okay,” Benny said eagerly. He raced upstairs to his room and tossed his duffel bag on the bed. He was busily sorting through his T-shirts when Mrs. McGregor stuck her head around the doorway10.
“Be sure to take your hiking boots, Benny. Your grandfather said you’ll be doing some hiking on mountain trails.”
“I’ll pack them right now!” He threw open his closet door and rummaged11 through a pile of sneakers until he found his hiking boots. Watch strolled in, tail wagging, and plunked himself down on Benny’s bed.
“I can’t play with you now, Watch,” Benny said. “There’s just too much to do.” Mountain trails, horses, and a Navajo reservation! Benny took a deep breath and stuffed his bathing suit into the bottom of the duffel bag. Half an hour later, he was all packed and happily stretched out next to Watch, patting the dog’s stomach. He wished they could leave for the reservation that very minute. Morning seemed such a long way off!
The air was nippy the next day when they set off for the airport. Mrs. McGregor was driving Grandfather’s station wagon12, and Violet was wedged in the back seat between Henry, Benny, and Watch.
“Are you sure we can’t bring Watch on the plane?” Benny asked when they pulled up in front of the terminal.
“No, I think Watch will be happy with Mrs. McGregor,” Grandfather said. “She’ll make sure he gets plenty of exercise.”
“And plenty of play time,” Benny said. “He likes to run around outside.”
“Don’t worry, Benny. I’ll take good care of him. Have fun, everyone!” Mrs. McGregor called as they unloaded the luggage from the car.
A few minutes later, the Aldens checked their baggage at the airline counter and waited for their flight to be announced. Benny spent the next half hour watching sleek13, silver planes take off, until Grandfather finally stood up. “That’s our flight,” he said. The children trooped after him as he handed the tickets to a flight attendant and boarded the plane.
“This is fun!” Benny said, settling into his seat. He kept his nose pressed against the window as the plane taxied down the runway and then took off. It was a clear day and, after lunch, Jessie leaned over and pointed14 out the Mississippi River to him. Later, he nudged her excitedly. “I think that’s the Grand Canyon15!” he said.
“Pretty soon we’ll be in New Mexico, and you’ll see real cactus16 plants,” Henry said.
Once the plane landed, Grandfather ushered17 everyone into a taxi. The sun was setting in a blaze of color when they drove down a twisting road and saw a group of beige stucco ranch18 houses nestled at the foot of a mountain range. A split-rail fence ran around a part of the reservation, and two children rushed to open the gate when they approached. The girl gave a shy smile when Grandfather asked them if they knew the way to the Lightfeathers’.
“We sure do,” the boy piped up. “I’m Joe Lightfeather and this is my sister, Amy. We’ve been waiting for you.”
“Do you want to get in and show us the way?” Violet asked. “We can all fit in, if we put down the extra seat.”
“Okay,” Joe replied as he and Amy scrambled19 into the taxi.
“Oh, it’s beautiful,” Jessie said when they pulled up in front of a cozy20 adobe21 house with a red tile roof. There were clay pots full of cactus plants on the front steps, and a giant ficus tree shaded the front lawn. A man and woman hurried out to greet them.
“You must be the Aldens,” the woman said. She shook hands with Grandfather and the children as they stepped out of the taxi. “I’m Toni Lightfeather, and this is my husband, Bob. Welcome to our home.”
“We have a cat named Snowball. I hope you like animals,” Amy said softly to Violet.
Grandfather asked the taxi driver to wait while he chatted with the Lightfeathers for a few minutes. Then he looked at the darkening sky. “I think I’d better be on my way now. Ed’s cabin is about an hour’s drive from here.”
“Aren’t you staying for dinner?” Joe asked, surprised. “You should see what Mom’s fixing. She made all my favorite foods — fried chicken and stuffing, mashed22 potatoes, and chocolate layer cake.”
“Those are my favorites, too!” Benny exclaimed, and everyone laughed.
“I appreciate the invitation,” Grandfather said, “but Ed’s expecting me for dinner.” He hugged each of the Aldens. “Have a wonderful time, children.”
“You, too, Grandfather,” Violet said. She felt a little sad that Grandfather was leaving, but she knew she’d enjoy herself at the Lightfeathers’. Amy and Joe looked very friendly, and she could hardly wait to ask if they had any horses. They waved until Grandfather’s taxi was out of sight, and then turned toward the house.
“Oh, here he is,” Amy said, scooping23 up a large white cat who had scampered24 out from under a bush. “Violet, meet Snowball. You can hold him, if you’d like. He likes to be scratched under his chin.”
Violet cradled the cat in her arms and he began to purr loudly. “That means he’s happy,” Amy said.
“Maybe it means he’s hungry,” Benny said hopefully.
Mrs. Lightfeather laughed. “I have the feeling that you’re the one who’s hungry, young man. Would you like to help me in the kitchen while everyone else puts the suitcases away?”
“Sure,” Benny said eagerly.
“You and Henry will be sleeping in Joe’s room, and the girls can stay with Amy,” Mr. Lightfeather said.
While the rest of the Aldens trooped into the house and made their way upstairs, Benny followed Mrs. Lightfeather into the kitchen. It was light and airy and filled with hanging baskets of green herbs.
“I’m going to let you make a big decision, Benny,” Mrs. Lightfeather said. “Joe told you I made a chocolate layer cake today, but my husband made peach ice cream for dessert. He wanted to surprise me. What shall we do?”
“That’s easy,” Benny said quickly. “We can have both!”
“Two desserts?” Mrs. Lightfeather said doubtfully.
Benny rubbed his stomach. “If there are any leftovers25, I promise to eat them.”
Mrs. Lightfeather grinned. “You’ve got a deal.”
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1
housekeeper
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| n.管理家务的主妇，女管家 | |
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2
scattering
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| n.[物]散射；散乱，分散；在媒介质中的散播adj.散乱的；分散在不同范围的；广泛扩散的；（选票）数量分散的v.散射(scatter的ing形式)；散布；驱散 | |
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3
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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4
tugged
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| v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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5
reassured
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| adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词) | |
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trout
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| n.鳟鱼；鲑鱼(属) | |
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7
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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8
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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9
chilly
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| adj.凉快的，寒冷的 | |
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10
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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11
rummaged
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| 翻找，搜寻( rummage的过去式和过去分词 )； 已经海关检查 | |
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12
wagon
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| n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车 | |
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13
sleek
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| adj.光滑的，井然有序的；v.使光滑，梳拢 | |
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14
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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15
canyon
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| n.峡谷，溪谷 | |
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16
cactus
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| n.仙人掌 | |
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17
ushered
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| v.引，领，陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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ranch
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| n.大牧场，大农场 | |
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scrambled
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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cozy
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| adj.亲如手足的，密切的，暖和舒服的 | |
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adobe
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| n.泥砖，土坯，美国Adobe公司 | |
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22
mashed
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| a.捣烂的 | |
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23
scooping
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| n.捞球v.抢先报道( scoop的现在分词 )；（敏捷地）抱起；抢先获得；用铲[勺]等挖（洞等） | |
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24
scampered
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| v.蹦蹦跳跳地跑，惊惶奔跑( scamper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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25
leftovers
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| n.剩余物，残留物，剩菜 | |
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