《神奇树屋》 第四十三册 Leprechaun In Late Winter 02 the big house

　　A cold wind blew rain into the tree house. Jack¹ shivered. He waswearing an old over coat, and rugged² trousers, Annie wore scarfand shawl and a long white wool dress. They both wore scarffedworn boots.

So where are we? Said Jack.

He and Annie looked out of the window, the tree house had landedin a tree, at the edge of the green meadow with wooly³ white sheep.

Next to the meadow was a narrow lane. It ran uphill between lowstone walls. Through the drizzle⁴ Jack could see mist coveredmountains in the distance. And a flash of silver sea,It looks like a sea in the fairy tale. Said Annie.

Yeah. The fairy tale with bad weather. Said Jack.

I wonder where the big house is. Said Annie.

I don’t know, but I’d like get inside now. said Jack.

Me too. Said AnnieshiveringLet’ go.

Jack scrambled⁵ his cold hands into the pockets of his torn coat. Inone pocket, he felt his notebook and pencil, in the other he felt theIrish whistle.

I’ve got the whistle. He said.

Good, said Annie.

She held her red skirt and started down the rope ladder, Jackclimbed down next her.

Annie pulled her shawl tightly around her shoulders, Jack turned upthe collar of his coat, as they tramped through the wet meadow, hefelt cold water slipping through his whole boots. Jack and Annieclimbed over a stone wall, unto the muddy lane. A horse strongwagon was resting toward them down the hill. The wagon⁶ was filledwith squealing⁷ pigs.

Excuse me! Annie called to the driver. Can you tell us where the bighouse is?

An old man with a tiredrugged face pointed⁸ back up the hill.

Thanks! Said Jack.

The large wooden wheels of the wagon rumpled⁹ past, splashingJack and Annie with mud.

Yek! Said Annie.

Now we’re cold, wet and dirty. Said Jack.

Yeah. We get a little grieve when we get to the big house. SaidAnnie.

So what do we do and get there? Asked Jack.

When we find Augusta maybe we’ll tell her Teddy and Catherinesent us. Said Annie.

Like we told Louis Armstrong in new Orleans.

Just thinking about their adventure with Louis Armstrong.

MadeJack smile.

I don’t know if it will work. He said.

This will seem be so different from this world. There were so noisyand busy, here feels lonely.

Well we won't know where we will find Augusta. Said Annie.

Let’s go.

Jack and Annie lowed their heads, they ploughed up the lane,slouching in and out of the giant paddles, when they reached thetop of the hill, they stopped. The muddy lane well come down, pastmore sheep meadows and some cottages past long stable, andseveral barns..

At the end of the lane, was a large open gate, that led onto theground of wide mansion¹¹. Grey smoke rose from the mansion’schimneys.

The big house. Said Annie.

Maybe the people who live there would advice us some site to getwarm and dry bya fire. Said Jack.

Jack and Annie started down the lane. As they passed sheepmeadows, black and white dogs barked at them. When they walkedby several boys hauling white hay, the workers looked up an eye atthem suspiciously.

Jack was relieved to get to the gate, and headed toward the bighouse, when they reached the front door, Annie lifted the heavyknocker and let it drop.

A moment later, the door opened, a pale teenager girl looked out.

Who are you? Why are you here?

Ah.. well, stunted¹² Jack,Areyou the ones the bugler¹³ sent for? the girl asked.

The bugler? Said Jack.

Yes we are. Said Annie.

Then you should go around to the back. the girl said.

Before Jack or Annie could ask for a gust¹⁰, the girl slammed thedoor in their faces.

Nice. Said Jack.

I hope she was Augusta. Said Annie.

Why did you tell her yes? Asked Jack.

It’s the way to get inside the big house. Said Annie. come on.

Jack and Annie tramped through the mud, to the back of themansion. They stopped at the door beneath the large smokingchimney.

Annie knocked again, This time a young red haired girl in the capand neborn opened the door.

Yes? She said.

Is your name...

Started Annie.

Who is it? Molly? Someone called from inside.

Molly? So she’s not Augusta. Thought Jack.

Who areyou? Molly asked them,We are the ones bugler sent for. Said Annie.

You? Said molly.

She looked down for...

Then come in and see him then...

Jack and Annie stepped inside,He’s in the kitchen. Said molly.

She started down the hall, Jack and Annie followed molly to thedoor way of the deem lit kitchen. The kitchen smelt¹⁴ fishing andonions, ports and pans hang from long red over big wooden table, astout old woman was bent¹⁵ over to table, rolling out a dew.

Cook! Here are the ones the bugler sent for. Said Molly.

The cook looked up from her dew and squinted¹⁶ at Jack and Annie.

You are the ones he sent for? She said.

Ah..yes, ma’am, that’s us. Said Annie.

The cook turned to fireplace, next to the fire, an ancient lookingman with white whiskers, sat slumping¹⁷ the chair, snoring.

Mr. old leary!

The old man jerked and opened his eyes. The ones you sent for arehere. The cook shouted, as if the man was hard for hearing.

The groggy¹⁸ bugler peered at Jack and Annie.

I sent for you? He growled¹⁹. Not possible. I sent for a coach driverand a blacksmith.

Really? Said Annie. I guess there was a mistake. But maybe thereare less jobs we can do around here.

Well, what are you good for? Asked bugler.

What do you mean? Said Jack.

Do you know how to sweep inside the chimney? Said the old man.

Am..no. said Jack.

Pluck chicken? The cook asked.

No way. Said Annie.

What about rats? The bugler said, what about them? Asked Jack.

They are all over the seller. Said the cook.

Can you catch them/Ar..I I don’t think so. Said Jack.

Then you are not good to us here. Snarled²⁰ the bugler. Be on yourway!

At that moment, Jack heard the backdoor opened and shut, a girlabout Jack’s age stepped into the kitchen, she wore a red cape,and carried two long empty baskets. Her red hair was parted neardown to the middle,and pulling to a tight bund in the back.

Ah...said the cook.

Welcome back, Miss. Augusta,

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 rugged   

adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的

参考例句：

• Football players must be rugged.足球运动员必须健壮。
• The Rocky Mountains have rugged mountains and roads.落基山脉有崇山峻岭和崎岖不平的道路。

3 wooly   

adj.毛茸茸的；糊涂的

参考例句：

• I like the feel of this cloth and it has a warm wooly feel.我喜欢这块布的手感,它摸上去毛茸茸的很暖和。
• He wore a brown t-shirt with jeans and a pair of shoes,with a wooly hat covering his hair.小贝身穿一件棕色t恤，搭配牛仔裤和皮鞋，头戴一顶盖住头发的羊毛帽子。

4 drizzle   

v.下毛毛雨；n.毛毛雨，蒙蒙细雨

参考例句：

• The shower tailed off into a drizzle.阵雨越来越小，最后变成了毛毛雨。
• Yesterday the radio forecast drizzle,and today it is indeed raining.昨天预报有小雨，今天果然下起来了。

5 scrambled   

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

参考例句：

• Each scrambled for the football at the football ground. 足球场上你争我夺。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• He scrambled awkwardly to his feet. 他笨拙地爬起身来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 wagon   

n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车

参考例句：

• We have to fork the hay into the wagon.我们得把干草用叉子挑进马车里去。
• The muddy road bemired the wagon.马车陷入了泥泞的道路。

7 squealing   

v.长声尖叫，用长而尖锐的声音说( squeal的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Pigs were grunting and squealing in the yard. 猪在院子里哼哼地叫个不停。
• The pigs were squealing. 猪尖叫着。

8 pointed   

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。

9 rumpled   

v.弄皱，使凌乱( rumple的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She rumpled his hair playfully. 她顽皮地弄乱他的头发。
• The bed was rumpled and strewn with phonograph records. 那张床上凌乱不堪，散放着一些唱片。 来自辞典例句

10 gust   

n.阵风，突然一阵（雨、烟等），（感情的）迸发

参考例句：

• A gust of wind blew the front door shut.一阵大风吹来，把前门关上了。
• A gust of happiness swept through her.一股幸福的暖流流遍她的全身。

11 mansion   

n.大厦，大楼；宅第

参考例句：

• The old mansion was built in 1850.这座古宅建于1850年。
• The mansion has extensive grounds.这大厦四周的庭园广阔。

12 stunted   

adj.矮小的；发育迟缓的

参考例句：

• the stunted lives of children deprived of education 未受教育的孩子所过的局限生活
• But the landed oligarchy had stunted the country's democratic development for generations. 但是好几代以来土地寡头的统治阻碍了这个国家民主的发展。

13 bugler   

喇叭手； 号兵； 吹鼓手； 司号员

参考例句：

• The general ordered the bugler to sound the retreat. 将军命令号手吹号收兵。
• There was nothing faded about the bugler under the cap. 帽子下面那个号手可一点也不是褪色的。

14 smelt   

v.熔解，熔炼；n.银白鱼，胡瓜鱼

参考例句：

• Tin is a comparatively easy metal to smelt.锡是比较容易熔化的金属。
• Darby was looking for a way to improve iron when he hit upon the idea of smelting it with coke instead of charcoal.达比一直在寻找改善铁质的方法，他猛然想到可以不用木炭熔炼，而改用焦炭。

15 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

16 squinted   

斜视( squint的过去式和过去分词 )； 眯着眼睛； 瞟； 从小孔或缝隙里看

参考例句：

• Pulling his rifle to his shoulder he squinted along the barrel. 他把枪顶肩，眯起眼睛瞄准。
• I squinted through the keyhole. 我从锁眼窥看。

17 slumping   

大幅度下降，暴跌( slump的现在分词 )； 沉重或突然地落下[倒下]

参考例句：

• Hong Kong's slumping economy also caused a rise in bankruptcy applications. 香港经济低迷，破产申请个案随之上升。
• And as with slumping, over-arching can also be a simple postural habit. 就像弯腰驼背，过度挺直也可能只是一种习惯性姿势。

18 groggy   

adj.体弱的；不稳的

参考例句：

• The attack of flu left her feeling very groggy.她患流感后非常虚弱。
• She was groggy from surgery.她手术后的的情况依然很不稳定。

19 growled   

v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说

参考例句：

• \"They ought to be birched, \" growled the old man. 老人咆哮道：“他们应受到鞭打。” 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He growled out an answer. 他低声威胁着回答。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 snarled   

v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说

参考例句：

• The dog snarled at us. 狗朝我们低声吼叫。
• As I advanced towards the dog, It'snarled and struck at me. 我朝那条狗走去时，它狂吠着向我扑来。 来自《简明英汉词典》