《神奇树屋》 第二十五册 Stage Fright On A Summer Night 04 A midsummer Night Dream

　　Annie and Jack¹ ran over to the cart. In the back of itwas a cage. In the cage was a big brown bear.

The bear was slumped² over, his head still down.

The sign on the cart said DAN THE DANCINGBEAR.

"Dan?" Annie asked. "Are you going to fight?"The lonely-looking bear raised his huge head andlooked at Annie. His dark eyes were sad. He let out alow moan³.

"I understand," Annie said. "You don't want tofight. You're asking me to take you away." Anniereached for the door of the bear's cage.

"Away with you!" someone angrily. "That's mybear!"Jack and Annie whirled⁴ around. The driver wascharging toward them.

"He's mine! I'm selling him!" the man shouted.

"Come on, Annie. Let's go," said Jack. He pulled herinto the crowd walking down the road.

"But I have to save Dan!" said Annie, looking overher shoulder. "That guy wants to sell him to the bearfights!""I know," said Jack. "But we can't just steal him.

That guy is his owner."Jack looked around. He needed to get Annie's mindoff the bear. He saw the group of older kids from thebridge. They were walking toward a round whitebuilding.

"Hey, look, the kids from the bridge!" he said. "Let'ssee where they're going.""What about Dan?" said Annie.

"We can figure that out later," said Jack. "Let'sfollow those kids now."He steered⁵ Annie toward the white building. Whenthey got closer, Jack read the sign out front:

A PLAY AT THE GLOBE THEATER!

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAMGreat! thought Jack. Annie loved plays. She lovedacting in them at school.

A man stood at the door of the theater. He washolding a box.

"A penny to stand! A penny to stand!" he shouted.

The older kids dropped coins into the box and wentinside.

"Wow, the play costs only a penny!" said Jack.

"That's cheap!""But we don't have any pennies," said Annie.

"Besides, I want to go back and free the bear."Jack sighed.

"What will you do with him if you free him,Annie?" he asked.

"I'll figure something out," she said.

"Well, figure it out when the owner's not standingthere," Jack said. "Right now, let's learn somethingabout this play."He quickly pulled out their research book. He founda picture of the Globe Theater. He wanted Annie toforget about the bear, so he read with lots of feeling:

The first theaters were built in old England.

Because there was no electricity, plays wereperformed during the day, when it was light. Almosteveryone could afford to go.

"Neat, huh?" said Jack.

Annie sighed.

Jack kept reading in a loud, dramatic voice:

Seating for the audience depended on how muchwas paid. The people who could afford the higherprices sat in galleries above the stage. Others stood inan area below the-- "Boy!" someone shouted. Jacklooked up.

A man hurried over to Jack and Annie. He waslong-legged, with a trim beard and twinkly eyes.

"I could hear you from across the way," the mansaid. "You read very well!"Jack smiled shyly.

"No, you are simply brilliant!" the man said. "And Iam in great need of a boy who is a brilliant reader!"

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 slumped   

大幅度下降，暴跌( slump的过去式和过去分词 )； 沉重或突然地落下[倒下]

参考例句：

• Sales have slumped this year. 今年销售量锐减。
• The driver was slumped exhausted over the wheel. 司机伏在方向盘上，疲惫得睡着了。

3 moan   

n.呻吟声，悲叹声，抱怨声；v.呻吟，抱怨

参考例句：

• From time to time there was a moan of pain from the sick man.病人不时发出一声声痛苦的呻吟。
• They moan on a lot about money.他们对钱的事情抱怨不已。

4 whirled   

v.（使）飞快移动，使旋转( whirl的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Leaves whirled in the wind. 落叶在风中旋转。
• A tornado whirled into the town last week. 龙卷风上周袭击了这座城市。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 steered   

v.驾驶( steer的过去式和过去分词 )；操纵；控制；引导

参考例句：

• He steered the boat into the harbour. 他把船开进港。
• The freighter steered out of Santiago Bay that evening. 那天晚上货轮驶出了圣地亚哥湾。 来自《简明英汉词典》