《神奇树屋》 第四十三册 Leprechaun In Late Winter 06 a late winter daydream

　　Jack¹ sighedTheir mission really seemed hopeless now.

We’d better go to find her said Annie.

She wont² go far. Said Mary. My poor Augusta. She has a fine mindand a brave heart, but she is so unhappy,Why is she so unhappy? Asked Annie.

Yeah, what is her problem? Said JackMore than any of her brothers, and sisters, miss Augusta loved mystories, said Mary.

Remembered everyoneof them she did.

Really? Asked Jack.

Yes. She will repeat them back to me word for word. Said Mary.

That’s amazing. Said Annie.

She love the stories so much, but she grew desperate to see theShea for herself. Said Mary. LAt night she will carry a lantern and crossed the fields calling forthem, by day, she popped them in every part of the farm, and sheeven used a magnifying glass scaring the earth for tiny footprints.

But I am afraid she has never found themWhy said Annie.

Mary sighed.

Because she looked for them with her head, and not her heart.

She said.

Eventually she gave up and stopped searching. She didn’t evenwant to hear the stories anymore, she’s been a dutiful but asorrowful child ever since.

That’s terrible. Said Annie.

What can we do to help her?

There’s only one thing you can do. Said Mary.

What ? breathed Jack.

Mary leaned forward on from her chair , her blue eyes seemedstaring right through Jack and Annie, you must show her the magic.

She said.

What? Thought Jack.

Does Mary know about the magic tree house?

What do you mean? He asked.

I know you children are like me, you see things that others don’t.

said Mary.

Hope Augusta can see them too.

Hope her find the magic in the fields. And in the forest.

For a moment, Jack and Annie didn’t say anything, the wind blewthrough the open door, the fire crackled, then Annie took a deepbreath,Ok. She said.

We know exactly what to do.

We do? Said Jack.

Yeah. We will talk about it outside. Said Annie.

Thanks Mary.

We will find Augusta and take her to see everything.

Jack and Annie stood up to go,Want you 20 fairies on this wonderful winter day? Said Mary.

Want 20 of them to you too. Said Jack.

Then he and Annie left the cozy³ cottage. Scattering⁴ the wind birds,by the front door.

It had be a little warm outside, the rain had stopped. But folk hangheavily to the sheep fields. The ground was sulky with mud,Jack could barely make out Augusta’s red cape⁵ through the fog.

She was cross the lame⁶, sitting on a stone wall, at the edge of thesheep meadow.

Mary was right, she didn’t go far. Jack said.

So how do we show her magic Annie?

Easy. Said Annie.

We playour magic with her.

So?

No. we can't do that. Said Jack. We supposed to say the whistle formoment of great danger.

That moment is now. said Annie, come on.

Hold on. said Jack.

What great danger we facing right now?

Not us Augusta! Said Annie.

She faces the great danger of losing all hopes, and happiness andboring inside for the rest of her life. And will never been inspiredand never showing her gifts to the world.

It’s almost late already!

Ok, ok, said Jack.

But we just going to go up twins and blowing the whistle andsinging ?

That seems pretty weird⁷.

Hmm. Yeah. It does. Said Annie.

How about this? said Jack.

We will tell Augusta, that we want to put on a play for her.

A play? Said Annie.

Yeah. Said Jack.

We can tell her we want to prove that we won't lie. That we reallyworked in a play by Shakespeare.

Oh! Cool. Said Annie. then what?

We will play the magic whistle. Said Jack.

We will sing about the Shea,We make them appear like in Mary ‘s story,.

Galloping⁸ and thundering,Augusta sees them and she gets inspired.

Our mission’s down.

Perfect. Said Annie. let’s go.

Jack and Annie hurried across the lane, to the stone wall.

Excuse us, miss Augusta. Said Annie.

We just had a really great idea , want hear it?

Augusta didn’t answer. She kept staring at the ground,How do you like to see a play? Said Jack.

Augusta looked up. A play? She said.

We want to put on our own play for you. Said Annie.

Why: said Augusta.

Because it’s really good. Said Jack.

And maybeit will prove to you that we are really well at play byShakespeare .

Augusta looked dullful.

Come on, you’ll love it. Said Annie.

Do you know a quiet spot where no one can bother us?

Augusta bid her lips and looked around.

Then she stood up.

Alright. She said.

The river near the old forest. I used to go there with my brothers.

Great. Said Annie.

Annie and Jack followed Augusta through the rain soak mistymeadowThey walked pass greasing sheep, then down a slope toward awide Russian river. RushingThe river separated the sheep’s meadow from the old forest.

Jack could barely see the trees through the ghostly fog.

Augusta stopped at a low ridge⁹ above the river bank, near somelarge rocks,Here, she said.

Good! These rocks can be a stage. SaidJack.

Jack and Annie climbed a piles of small boaters, and stood at alarge flat rock.

Ok! Said Annie.

The name of this place is :

A late winter’s daydream¹⁰.

Not bad. Thought Jack.

And this is what’s going to happen. Said Annie.

Jack will be the narrator, and I will play the Irish whistle,And Jack will sing a song and tells the story.

What? Said Jack.

Excuse us a minute. Miss Augusta.

Jack turned to Annie,Why me sing? He whispered.

Why not I play and you sing?

No, I wantto play. Said Annie.

You took notes of Mary’s, right?

So just say if your words to describe the scene. Then use yournotes about the Shea to make up a song.

You can do that, can't you?

I guess. Said Jack.

Cool. Said Annie. give me the whistle.

Jackreached his pocket and pulled out his notebook and Irishwhistle. He gave the whistle to Annie,Sorry, miss Augusta. Said Annie.

We are almost ready. She whispered directions to Jack.

Ok! Say your introduction. I will start to play. Then you start to sing,then I’ve got it. Said Jack.

Let’s just start.

Jack and Annie turned to face Augusta, Jack cleared his throat,then he spoke¹¹ a loud voice,All lives still in the old forest, until music songs from my hiddenworld,Jack nodded to Annie. Annie raised the magic Irish whistle to herlips and began to play. Strange sweet music came from the whistle,the music was both sad and happy, it was full of beauty and hope,pain and sorrow, like the fog over the river, the music seemed tobring everything together.

For a moment, the whistle music was so powerful that Jack couldn’tsing, he felt like cry and laughing at the same time. Finally helooked down at her notes, and began to sing:

In the spinning of light,In the cloudlike a dream,A bridge appeared overa wide flowing steam.

Jack surprised himself. He thought his words for the song soundedpretty good.

A long flattering high note, first from Annie’s whistle, bright dancinglight floated across the river, the light arched through the fog towardJack, Annie and Augusta.

Augusta gasped¹².

Jack looked back down at his notes. And sang:

Some came on horsesSome came with wings,From enchanted¹³ worldLittle queens little kings,The wind began to blow, Jack looked up. The leaves and grass andtwigs were flying everywhere, the whistle music grew wilder,thundering and rumbling¹⁴ sounds came from the old forest.

A herd¹⁵ of very small horses galloped¹⁶ out of the mist, on their backswere proud and lovely riders. Many gold men and women with longhair floating on the wind,their knives and guns with colors of nature. The Pale rose of springdawn.. the green of summer humming birds, the blue of wintertwilight, and gold of autumn leaves.

The Shea!

Cried 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 wont   

adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯

参考例句：

• He was wont to say that children are lazy.他常常说小孩子们懒惰。
• It is his wont to get up early.早起是他的习惯。

3 cozy   

adj.亲如手足的，密切的，暖和舒服的

参考例句：

• I like blankets because they are cozy.我喜欢毛毯，因为他们是舒适的。
• We spent a cozy evening chatting by the fire.我们在炉火旁聊天度过了一个舒适的晚上。

4 scattering   

n.[物]散射；散乱，分散；在媒介质中的散播adj.散乱的；分散在不同范围的；广泛扩散的；（选票）数量分散的v.散射(scatter的ing形式)；散布；驱散

参考例句：

• The child felle into a rage and began scattering its toys about. 这孩子突发狂怒，把玩具扔得满地都是。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The farmers are scattering seed. 农夫们在播种。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

6 lame   

adj.跛的，(辩解、论据等)无说服力的

参考例句：

• The lame man needs a stick when he walks.那跛脚男子走路时需借助拐棍。
• I don't believe his story.It'sounds a bit lame.我不信他讲的那一套。他的话听起来有些靠不住。

7 weird   

adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的

参考例句：

• From his weird behaviour,he seems a bit of an oddity.从他不寻常的行为看来，他好像有点怪。
• His weird clothes really gas me.他的怪衣裳简直笑死人。

8 galloping   

adj. 飞驰的, 急性的 动词gallop的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The horse started galloping the moment I gave it a good dig. 我猛戳了马一下，它就奔驰起来了。
• Japan is galloping ahead in the race to develop new technology. 日本在发展新技术的竞争中进展迅速，日新月异。

9 ridge   

n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭

参考例句：

• We clambered up the hillside to the ridge above.我们沿着山坡费力地爬上了山脊。
• The infantry were advancing to attack the ridge.步兵部队正在向前挺进攻打山脊。

10 daydream   

v.做白日梦，幻想

参考例句：

• Boys and girls daydream about what they want to be.孩子们遐想着他们将来要干什么。
• He drifted off into another daydream.他飘飘然又做了一个白日梦。

11 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。

12 gasped   

v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要

参考例句：

• She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
• People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

13 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。

14 rumbling   

n. 隆隆声, 辘辘声 adj. 隆隆响的 动词rumble的现在分词

参考例句：

• The earthquake began with a deep [low] rumbling sound. 地震开始时发出低沉的隆隆声。
• The crane made rumbling sound. 吊车发出隆隆的响声。

15 herd   

n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• He had no opinions of his own but simply follow the herd.他从无主见，只是人云亦云。

16 galloped   

（使马）飞奔，奔驰( gallop的过去式和过去分词 )； 快速做[说]某事

参考例句：

• Jo galloped across the field towards him. 乔骑马穿过田野向他奔去。
• The children galloped home as soon as the class was over. 孩子们一下课便飞奔回家了。