英语读物《神奇树屋》 第十五册 Viking Ships at Sunrise 05 Warships on the Waves

　　"We found our story!" said Jack¹.

"Yay!" said Annie.

"Indeed," said Brother Patrick. "But alas², BrotherMichael has not yet completed his work. You willhave to return for it.""Oh, shoot," said Annie.

Jack was disappointed, too.

"I don't know if we'll be able to come back," he said.

"I don't know if we can even leave without thestory," said Annie.

Brother Patrick looked puzzled.

The two kids looked at each other, then back atBrother Patrick. It was too hard to explain about thetree house and how the magic worked.

Jack shrugged³.

"We'll just have to try," he said.

Outside, the church bell began ringing.

"It is time now for our sunrise prayers," saidBrother Patrick. 'Will you join us?""Thanks, but we better try to go home now," saidJack.

Brother Patrick nodded and led them into thegarden. When he opened the gate, they stopped.

The horizon glowed pink and purple. The sun hadstarted to rise.

No one spoke⁴ as the great, fiery⁵ ball rose slowlyover the ocean.

Finally, Brother Patrick broke the silence. "Shine, Olight of the sun," he said softly, "on this day filledwith wonder.""That's beautiful ," said Annie.

Jack smiled. He agreed.

Brother Patrick turned to them. "It is such sights asthis that inspire our book-making," he said. "Now go,and may God be with you on your voyage home.""Thanks," said Jack and Annie.

"Do you need me to guide you to your boat?" heasked.

"I don't think so," said Jack.

"Follow the path to the top of the cliff," said BrotherPatrick. "Then use my rope to help you down thesteps.""Okay," said Annie. "Bye!" And she went throughthe gate.

Jack wanted to go home, but he hated leaving themonastery. It was filled with people doing his favoritethings: reading and learning.

"I really like it here," he said to Brother Patrick.

"I'm glad. But you must go now, while the weatheris with you," said the monk⁶. "Everything can changein an instant."Then Brother Patrick turned and went into thechurch.

Jack hurried out the gate. Before he went further,he stopped and pulled out his note-book.

He quickly made two lists:

To make a bookSheep skinGoose quillPaintsTo make paintEarthPlantsJack grabbed the rope and started down. The birds'

cries went on. They worried him. They sounded likewarnings.

Jack reached the rocky ledge⁷ and let go of the rope.

"Let's go!" Annie called from the tree"Come on!" Annie called the steps.

"Coming," Jack called.

He put away his notebook and ran along the dirtpath to the edge of the cliff.

Overhead, flocks of gulls⁸ circled in the purple sky.

Their cries sounded like screams.

"What's wrong with them?" Jack said.

"Maybe they always do this at sunrise," said Annie.

"Let me go first."Clutching the rope, she started down the steps.

Jack grabbed the rope and started down. The birds'

cries went on. They worried him. They sounded likewarnings.

Jack reached the rocky ledge and let go of the rope.

"Let's go!" Annie called from the tree house.

Jack looked at the horizon one last time.

His heart nearly stopped. A ship was out-linedagainst the sky! Behind it, he saw two smaller ships.

As the ships came into view, their bright sails werefilled with wind and their serpent prows⁹ blazed in thenew sunlight.

"Oh no," Jack whispered. "Vikings!"

1 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

2 alas   

int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等)

参考例句：

• Alas!The window is broken!哎呀！窗子破了！
• Alas,the truth is less romantic.然而，真理很少带有浪漫色彩。

3 shrugged   

vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀，什么也没说。
• She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩，装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 fiery   

adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的

参考例句：

• She has fiery red hair.她有一头火红的头发。
• His fiery speech agitated the crowd.他热情洋溢的讲话激动了群众。

6 monk   

n.和尚，僧侣，修道士

参考例句：

• The man was a monk from Emei Mountain.那人是峨眉山下来的和尚。
• Buddhist monk sat with folded palms.和尚合掌打坐。

7 ledge   

n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁

参考例句：

• They paid out the line to lower him to the ledge.他们放出绳子使他降到那块岩石的突出部分。
• Suddenly he struck his toe on a rocky ledge and fell.突然他的脚趾绊在一块突出的岩石上，摔倒了。

8 gulls   

n.鸥( gull的名词复数 )v.欺骗某人( gull的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• A flock of sea gulls are hovering over the deck. 一群海鸥在甲板上空飞翔。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The gulls which haunted the outlying rocks in a prodigious number. 数不清的海鸥在遥远的岩石上栖息。 来自辞典例句

9 prows   

n.船首( prow的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The prows of the UNSC ships flared as their magnetic accelerator cannons fired. UNSC战舰的舰首展开，磁力大炮开火了。 来自互联网