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儿童英语读物 The Panther Mystery CHAPTER 9 Big Lostmans Bay

时间:2017-09-12 08:13来源:互联网 提供网友:qing   字体: [ ]
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    (单词翻译:双击或拖选)

The airboat roared like a low-flying plane, whizzing across the sawgrass.

It was such a strange boat, Violet thought, as the wind whipped her ponytails straight out behind her.

Mr. Osceola sat perched on a high seat, operating the controls just in front of the motor cage.

Before they had left that morning, Mr. Osceola helped the Aldens load their gear and explained what they should expect.

“The airboat is part plane, part boat,” he had told them. “It is designed to skim over the mud and sawgrass. I’ll follow airboat routes cut through the sawgrass and down waterways.”

On the dock, Henry had studied the map. From the Miccosukee Village, Irene’s father planned to go through the Big Cypress1 National Preserve, heading southwest to a waterway called Big Lostmans Bay. The chickee where they’d set up camp was not too far from there.

Mr. Osceola had passed cuplike ear protectors out to everyone, then slipped a set over his own ears.

“What funny earmuffs,” Benny had remarked.

“Sometimes I give three or four tours a day,” Mr. Osceola had said. “These protect my hearing, so tap my shoulder if you want to ask me a question. Otherwise, I can’t hear you. It will be loud, so you won’t be able to hear each other very well once the motor starts.”

Violet had sat beside Benny on the hard seat. The boat shot off all at once, frightening a flock of snowy egrets.

Benny laughed now with delight. He loved how fast they were going! Faster than any ride at the carnival2!

“I wish I had worn my hair in braids,” Jessie shouted to Irene, who sat next to her.

Irene shook her head. She couldn’t hear. But the Miccosukee girl had wisely braided her thick black hair. Jessie’s single ponytail was being blown all over.

Suddenly Mr. Osceola pointed3 to the right. Henry, sitting beside Grandfather in the back, saw a huge bull alligator4 slide into the water out of their way. He and Grandfather exchanged a look. This wasn’t going to be an ordinary adventure.

Henry knew airboats disturbed wildlife. Mr. Osceola assured them he would drive carefully. Anyway, they weren’t tourists on a joyride. They were on a mission to find Cat Number Twenty-seven, and, they hoped, Andrew Beldon.

After a while the roar suddenly quit. Mr. Osceola had switched off the engine. The blades of the propeller5 slowly whirled to a stop.

“Are we here?” asked Benny.

“No, I just thought you needed a break,” said Mr. Osceola. “The noise and gas fames can get to you. We’re about halfway6 to Big Lostmans Bay.”

“Big Lostmans Bay,” repeated Violet. “Is that where you saw the man who looked like Andrew?”

Mr. Osceola nodded. “There are a lot of hammocks, creeks7, and coves9 around there. It would be a good place to hide.”

Or get lost in, Violet thought. She looked around. The Everglades surrounded them completely — miles of sharp-bladed sawgrass, dozens of humpy mangrove11 islands, an enchanted12 forest of orchids13 and other blooming flowers.

Someone tapped Violet’s shoulder. It was Jessie.

“You ought to take pictures. We’ll never see this again!”

“You’re right.” Violet held up her camera and began snapping photos.

The heat began to build. Jessie hadn’t noticed how hot — or buggy — it was until they were sitting still. She swatted pesky insects in front of her face.

“Don’t the bugs14 bother you?” she asked Irene.

“Yes, but I’m used to them,” said Irene. “They are as much a part of the Glades10 as the herons and alligators15.”

“Everybody ready to take off?” Mr. Osceola called, slipping on his ear protectors.

“Yes!” said Jessie. The roar of the engine deafened16 her, but at least they were leaving the bugs behind.

Henry took out his compass. According to the magnetic needle, they were right on course. He admired Irene’s father, who instinctively17 knew the maze18 of canals hacked19 into the sawgrass.

After a long while, sawgrass gave way to open water. Inlets and tiny hammocks dotted the river. After reaching a large hammock, Mr. Osceola once again turned off the engine.

“This is it,” he announced, stepping down from his high seat. “I’ll help you set up base camp here.”

“Where are we?” Benny asked. He felt a little dazed from the long, windy ride.

“On the map it’s called Rogers River Bay Chickee,” Mr. Osceola replied. “It’s owned and maintained by the Park Service.”

“I thought we were going to Big Lostmans Bay,” said Henry.

“We are. We’re here,” said Irene. “This area of the Wilderness20 Waterway is part of Big Lostmans Bay.” She helped her father anchor the boat.

“I have some canoes tied nearby,” said Mr. Osceola. “So when I leave you, you’ll still have transportation. You all know how to pole a canoe?”

“Irene gave us an excellent lesson the other day,” Grandfather said. He and Henry began handing the supplies and packs to Irene and Mr. Osceola, who were on land.

Henry grunted21 from the weight of a red backpack. Benny’s name tag dangled22 from the zipper23. “Benny, what on earth is in your pack? It weighs a ton!”

“Things we might need,” Benny replied secretively.

“Well, it feels like bricks!” Henry said.

When the airboat was unloaded, Mr. Osceola led the way through muck and weeds to the park chickee. Benny saw the wooden structure first.

“That’s where we’re going to sleep tonight!” he exclaimed. “Neat!” He loved the high wooden sides with built-in sleeping platforms.

“It is neat,” Jessie agreed. “It’s like that book we read. The one about the family stranded24 on the island and how they lived in a big tree house.”

“This is like a boxcar tree house,” Benny said, scrambling25 up the side.

Mr. Osceola handed up some of their gear. “Remember,” he cautioned, “you are in the backcountry. Always wear mosquito repellent. Keep your arms and legs covered. Don’t forget a hat or your snakebite kits26. At night, we’ll drape our sleeping bags or hammocks in mosquito netting.”

“I brought plenty,” Grandfather told Mr. Osceola. “And Jessie packed enough insect spray for ten families.”

“And lunch,” she said, unloading a large pack. “Mrs. Johnson fixed27 us sandwiches this morning. Nothing that would spoil in the heat.”

Sitting cross-legged on the chickee, everyone ate peanut butter sandwiches, potato chips, and ripe mangoes. Irene contributed pumpkin28 bread to the meal. A thermos29 of still-cold iced tea tasted wonderful.

For dinner that night, Jessie and Grandfather had brought prepackaged meals that didn’t require heating. They would drink bottled water.

When they had safely put the food in animal-proof containers, Benny asked, “Are we going to explore now?”

“Yes,” said Irene. “This isn’t where Daddy saw the man who looked like Ranger30 Beldon. We’ll only sleep here tonight.”

They all clambered back into the airboat and were soon flying over open water. As they approached a small hammock, Mr. Osceola turned off the engine.

“I keep a couple of canoes hidden here,” he said, wading31 through the water. He pulled back some branches to reveal a pair of canoes. “You can’t go everywhere in an airboat.”

He pulled the canoes forward, so the Aldens could reach them.

Irene, Grandfather, and Benny took one canoe. Henry, Jessie, and Violet claimed the other.

“I will leave you now,” said Mr. Osceola, once again at the controls of his airboat. “I must get back to the village for my tour.”

“When will you come back?” asked Grandfather.

“Probably late today,” said Mr. Osceola. “You’re in good hands. Irene knows as much as I do about the Glades. Good luck. I hope you find Andrew Beldon.”

So do we,thought Jessie, watching Mr. Osceola push his airboat back so he could take off without splashing their canoes.

When the airboat roar died and all they heard were birds calling, Irene said, “Well, let’s go. Daddy saw the man on the next hammock. We have a lot of daylight to look for whoever it was.”

They poled silently through the wilderness. Henry listened to the plop of a turtle sliding into the water, the flip-flop of fish jumping, the buzz of bugs. Even Benny was quiet, enjoying the closeness of nature.

Henry thought about the elusive32 Florida panther. From the pictures he’d seen of the beautiful cat, Henry understood why the ranger wanted to protect the last remaining animals. But Andrew’s love of the big cats could have brought him big trouble.

Irene poled the lead boat into a tight cove8. Getting out, she tugged33 the front end of the boat up onto a mangrove root. Henry and Jessie slipped over the side and waded34 through shallow water to secure their canoe next to Irene’s.

“Yuck,” said Jessie. “I’m all wet!”

“But at least you’re cool,” Violet said. “Look on the bright side!” She had never seen such wild beauty. She quickly finished a roll of film and reloaded her camera.

But as they walked farther, the scenery became dark and eerie35. The foliage36 was so thick, sunlight was blocked out. Violet couldn’t take any more pictures.

“It’s creepy in here,” Benny whispered.

Jessie couldn’t agree more. Instead of drying out in the heat, her jeans stayed wet because it was so humid. Lagging behind the others, she tried to find a ray of stray sunlight to walk in.

Then she heard it. A slithering sound.

She hurried to the front of the line, where Grandfather and Irene were walking.

“I heard something!” she whispered.

“What?” asked Grandfather.

“I don’t know,” Jessie said. It didn’t sound like a snake. But then things sounded different in the Glades.

Irene made a small motion with her hands. “It was probably a turtle.”

“It’s not a turtle,” Jessie insisted. She listened carefully. “I can still hear it!”

Everyone stopped. The soft slithering noise stopped, too, at least a beat behind them.

Forgetting her fear of snakes, Jessie ran back to the clearing.

“Here’s a footprint!” she cried. “It’s not an animal print! It belongs to a person!”

“It could be one of ours,” Irene said. “We’re all wearing shoes.”

Benny knelt close to the track. “Not like this one.” From his red pack, which he had brought along, he lifted out an object. It was the plaster cast of the footprint.

“I told you this would come in handy.” He set the cast next to the muddy print.

The prints were identical.

Everyone could see the distinctive37 V mark on the sole.

Just then Violet whirled. She saw a man half hidden behind a mangrove root. “There he is!” she cried.

With Henry in the lead this time, the children ran after the man. They quickly grabbed him. The man did not fight back.

“Good job,” said Grandfather when he caught up to them.

“It’s the bushy-haired man!” Violet exclaimed. “The one who’s been following us!”

“And me, too,” said a strange voice.


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 cypress uyDx3     
n.柏树
参考例句:
  • The towering pine and cypress trees defy frost and snow.松柏参天傲霜雪。
  • The pine and the cypress remain green all the year round.苍松翠柏,常绿不凋。
2 carnival 4rezq     
n.嘉年华会,狂欢,狂欢节,巡回表演
参考例句:
  • I got some good shots of the carnival.我有几个狂欢节的精彩镜头。
  • Our street puts on a carnival every year.我们街的居民每年举行一次嘉年华会。
3 pointed Il8zB4     
adj.尖的,直截了当的
参考例句:
  • He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
  • She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
4 alligator XVgza     
n.短吻鳄(一种鳄鱼)
参考例句:
  • She wandered off to play with her toy alligator.她开始玩鳄鱼玩具。
  • Alligator skin is five times more costlier than leather.鳄鱼皮比通常的皮革要贵5倍。
5 propeller tRVxe     
n.螺旋桨,推进器
参考例句:
  • The propeller started to spin around.螺旋桨开始飞快地旋转起来。
  • A rope jammed the boat's propeller.一根绳子卡住了船的螺旋桨。
6 halfway Xrvzdq     
adj.中途的,不彻底的,部分的;adv.半路地,在中途,在半途
参考例句:
  • We had got only halfway when it began to get dark.走到半路,天就黑了。
  • In study the worst danger is give up halfway.在学习上,最忌讳的是有始无终。
7 creeks creeks     
n.小湾( creek的名词复数 );小港;小河;小溪
参考例句:
  • The prospect lies between two creeks. 矿区位于两条溪流之间。 来自辞典例句
  • There was the excitement of fishing in country creeks with my grandpa on cloudy days. 有在阴雨天和姥爷一起到乡村河湾钓鱼的喜悦。 来自辞典例句
8 cove 9Y8zA     
n.小海湾,小峡谷
参考例句:
  • The shore line is wooded,olive-green,a pristine cove.岸边一带林木蓊郁,嫩绿一片,好一个山外的小海湾。
  • I saw two children were playing in a cove.我看到两个小孩正在一个小海湾里玩耍。
9 coves 21569468fef665cf5f98b05ad4bc5301     
n.小海湾( cove的名词复数 );家伙
参考例句:
  • Grenada's unique layout includes many finger-like coves, making the island a popular destination. 格林纳达独特的地形布局包括许多手指状的洞穴,使得这个岛屿成为一个受人欢迎的航海地。 来自互联网
10 glades 7d2e2c7f386182f71c8d4c993b22846c     
n.林中空地( glade的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Maggie and Philip had been meeting secretly in the glades near the mill. 玛吉和菲利曾经常在磨坊附近的林中空地幽会。 来自辞典例句
  • Still the outlaw band throve in Sherwood, and hunted the deer in its glades. 当他在沉思中变老了,世界还是照样走它的路,亡命之徒仍然在修武德日渐壮大,在空地里猎鹿。 来自互联网
11 mangrove 4oFzc2     
n.(植物)红树,红树林
参考例句:
  • It is the world's largest tidal mangrove forest.它是世界上最大的红树林沼泽地。
  • Many consider this the most beautiful mangrove forest in all Thailand.许多人认为这里是全泰国最美丽的红树林了。
12 enchanted enchanted     
adj. 被施魔法的,陶醉的,入迷的 动词enchant的过去式和过去分词
参考例句:
  • She was enchanted by the flowers you sent her. 她非常喜欢你送给她的花。
  • He was enchanted by the idea. 他为这个主意而欣喜若狂。
13 orchids 8f804ec07c1f943ef9230929314bd063     
n.兰花( orchid的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Wild flowers such as orchids and primroses are becoming rare. 兰花和报春花这类野花越来越稀少了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • She breeds orchids in her greenhouse. 她在温室里培育兰花。 来自《简明英汉词典》
14 bugs e3255bae220613022d67e26d2e4fa689     
adj.疯狂的,发疯的n.窃听器( bug的名词复数 );病菌;虫子;[计算机](制作软件程序所产生的意料不到的)错误
参考例句:
  • All programs have bugs and need endless refinement. 所有的程序都有漏洞,都需要不断改进。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The sacks of rice were swarming with bugs. 一袋袋的米里长满了虫子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
15 alligators 0e8c11e4696c96583339d73b3f2d8a10     
n.短吻鳄( alligator的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Two alligators rest their snouts on the water's surface. 两只鳄鱼的大嘴栖息在水面上。 来自辞典例句
  • In the movement of logs by water the lumber industry was greatly helped by alligators. 木材工业过去在水上运输木料时所十分倚重的就是鳄鱼。 来自辞典例句
16 deafened 8c4a2d9d25b27f92f895a8294bb85b2f     
使聋( deafen的过去式和过去分词 ); 使隔音
参考例句:
  • A hard blow on the ear deafened him for life. 耳朵上挨的一记猛击使他耳聋了一辈子。
  • The noise deafened us. 嘈杂声把我们吵聋了。
17 instinctively 2qezD2     
adv.本能地
参考例句:
  • As he leaned towards her she instinctively recoiled. 他向她靠近,她本能地往后缩。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He knew instinctively where he would find her. 他本能地知道在哪儿能找到她。 来自《简明英汉词典》
18 maze F76ze     
n.迷宫,八阵图,混乱,迷惑
参考例句:
  • He found his way through the complex maze of corridors.他穿过了迷宮一样的走廊。
  • She was lost in the maze for several hours.一连几小时,她的头脑处于一片糊涂状态。
19 hacked FrgzgZ     
生气
参考例句:
  • I hacked the dead branches off. 我把枯树枝砍掉了。
  • I'm really hacked off. 我真是很恼火。
20 wilderness SgrwS     
n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等,荒漠
参考例句:
  • She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
  • Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。
21 grunted f18a3a8ced1d857427f2252db2abbeaf     
(猪等)作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 ); (指人)发出类似的哼声; 咕哝着说
参考例句:
  • She just grunted, not deigning to look up from the page. 她只咕哝了一声,继续看书,不屑抬起头来看一眼。
  • She grunted some incomprehensible reply. 她咕噜着回答了些令人费解的话。
22 dangled 52e4f94459442522b9888158698b7623     
悬吊着( dangle的过去式和过去分词 ); 摆动不定; 用某事物诱惑…; 吊胃口
参考例句:
  • Gold charms dangled from her bracelet. 她的手镯上挂着许多金饰物。
  • It's the biggest financial incentive ever dangled before British footballers. 这是历来对英国足球运动员的最大经济诱惑。
23 zipper FevzVM     
n.拉链;v.拉上拉链
参考例句:
  • The zipper is red.这条拉链是红色的。
  • The zipper is a wonderful invention.拉链是个了不起的发明。
24 stranded thfz18     
a.搁浅的,进退两难的
参考例句:
  • He was stranded in a strange city without money. 他流落在一个陌生的城市里, 身无分文,一筹莫展。
  • I was stranded in the strange town without money or friends. 我困在那陌生的城市,既没有钱,又没有朋友。
25 scrambling cfea7454c3a8813b07de2178a1025138     
v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 );攀登;争夺;(军事飞机)紧急起飞
参考例句:
  • Scrambling up her hair, she darted out of the house. 她匆忙扎起头发,冲出房去。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • She is scrambling eggs. 她正在炒蛋。 来自《简明英汉词典》
26 kits e16d4ffa0f9467cd8d2db7d706f0a7a5     
衣物和装备( kit的名词复数 ); 成套用品; 配套元件
参考例句:
  • Keep your kits closed and locked when not in use. 不用的话把你的装备都锁好放好。
  • Gifts Articles, Toy and Games, Wooden Toys, Puzzles, Craft Kits. 采购产品礼品,玩具和游戏,木制的玩具,智力玩具,手艺装备。
27 fixed JsKzzj     
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的
参考例句:
  • Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗?
  • Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定,我们就不应该随意改变。
28 pumpkin NtKy8     
n.南瓜
参考例句:
  • They ate turkey and pumpkin pie.他们吃了火鸡和南瓜馅饼。
  • It looks like there is a person looking out of the pumpkin!看起来就像南瓜里有人在看着你!
29 thermos TqjyE     
n.保湿瓶,热水瓶
参考例句:
  • Can I borrow your thermos?我可以借用你的暖水瓶吗?
  • It's handy to have the thermos here.暖瓶放在这儿好拿。
30 ranger RTvxb     
n.国家公园管理员,护林员;骑兵巡逻队员
参考例句:
  • He was the head ranger of the national park.他曾是国家公园的首席看守员。
  • He loved working as a ranger.他喜欢做护林人。
31 wading 0fd83283f7380e84316a66c449c69658     
(从水、泥等)蹚,走过,跋( wade的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • The man tucked up his trousers for wading. 那人卷起裤子,准备涉水。
  • The children were wading in the sea. 孩子们在海水中走着。
32 elusive d8vyH     
adj.难以表达(捉摸)的;令人困惑的;逃避的
参考例句:
  • Try to catch the elusive charm of the original in translation.翻译时设法把握住原文中难以捉摸的风韵。
  • Interpol have searched all the corners of the earth for the elusive hijackers.国际刑警组织已在世界各地搜查在逃的飞机劫持者。
33 tugged 8a37eb349f3c6615c56706726966d38e     
v.用力拉,使劲拉,猛扯( tug的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She tugged at his sleeve to get his attention. 她拽了拽他的袖子引起他的注意。
  • A wry smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. 他的嘴角带一丝苦笑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
34 waded e8d8bc55cdc9612ad0bc65820a4ceac6     
(从水、泥等)蹚,走过,跋( wade的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She tucked up her skirt and waded into the river. 她撩起裙子蹚水走进河里。
  • He waded into the water to push the boat out. 他蹚进水里把船推出来。
35 eerie N8gy0     
adj.怪诞的;奇异的;可怕的;胆怯的
参考例句:
  • It's eerie to walk through a dark wood at night.夜晚在漆黑的森林中行走很是恐怖。
  • I walked down the eerie dark path.我走在那条漆黑恐怖的小路上。
36 foliage QgnzK     
n.叶子,树叶,簇叶
参考例句:
  • The path was completely covered by the dense foliage.小路被树叶厚厚地盖了一层。
  • Dark foliage clothes the hills.浓密的树叶覆盖着群山。
37 distinctive Es5xr     
adj.特别的,有特色的,与众不同的
参考例句:
  • She has a very distinctive way of walking.她走路的样子与别人很不相同。
  • This bird has several distinctive features.这个鸟具有几种突出的特征。
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