英语读物《神奇树屋》 第十六册 Hour of the Olympics 03 The Secret Poet

　　The bearded man smiled at Annie.

"My name is Plato," he said.

"Plato?" said Jack¹. That name is familiar.

"You may have heard of me," he said. "I am aphilosopher.""What's that mean?" said Annie.

A lover of wisdom," said Plato.

"Wow," said Annie.

Plato smiled at her.

"It's odd to see a girl walking so bravely throughOlympia," he said. "You must be from far away.""We're Jack and Annie," said Annie. "And we comefrom Frog Creek², Pennsylvania. It's very far away."Plato looked puzzled.

Annie turned to Jack.

"I think we should show him our cards," she said ina low voice. "He's a lover of wisdom."Jack nodded. He reached into his bag and took outthe secret library cards. He showed them to Plato.

The letters M and L that stood for Master Librarianglittered on the cards.

"Amazing!" said Plato. "I've never met such youngMaster Librarians. Why have you come to Olympia?"Jack pulled out the piece of paper with the title ofthe story.

"We're looking for this story," he said.

"Oh, yes," said Plato softly. "This was written by abrilliant poet-a friend of mine, in fact.""Do you know where the poet lives?" asked Jack.

"Very near here," said Plato.

"Will you take us there?" asked Annie.

"Yes, but I must warn you-never tell anyone whothe poet is," said Plato. "It's a secret.""We won't," whispered Annie.

Plato led them away from the outdoor theater.

They started down a dirt road. It was crowded withpeople heading to the games.

Plato stopped at the door of a sand-colored housewith a brick roof.

He opened the door and led Jack and Annie into anempty courtyard.

"Wait here," he said. He disappeared through adoorway.

Jack and Annie looked around.

Rooms opened onto the sunny courtyard.

Everything was quiet.

"The people who live here must have gone to thegames," said Annie.

"I bet you're right," said Jack.

He pulled out the -Greek book and found a pictureof a house. He read aloud:

Men and women lived in separate parts of a Greekhouse. Women spent most of their time spinning andweaving and taking care of the kitchen. Boys weresent away to school when they were seven. Girlswere not allowed to go to school.

"Girls can't go to school?" said Annie. "How do theylearn to read and write?"At that moment Plato returned. With him was ayoung woman dressed in a long tunic³ with a coloredborder. She was holding a scroll⁴.

Annie smiled a big smile.

"Finally," she said. "Another girl.""Jack and Annie, meet our secret poet," said Plato.

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 creek   

n.小溪，小河，小湾

参考例句：

• He sprang through the creek.他跳过小河。
• People sunbathe in the nude on the rocks above the creek.人们在露出小溪的岩石上裸体晒日光浴。

3 tunic   

n.束腰外衣

参考例句：

• The light loose mantle was thrown over his tunic.一件轻质宽大的斗蓬披在上衣外面。
• Your tunic and hose match ill with that jewel,young man.你的外套和裤子跟你那首饰可不相称呢，年轻人。

4 scroll   

n.卷轴，纸卷；(石刻上的)漩涡

参考例句：

• As I opened the scroll,a panorama of the Yellow River unfolded.我打开卷轴时，黄河的景象展现在眼前。
• He was presented with a scroll commemorating his achievements.他被授予一幅卷轴，以表彰其所做出的成就。