A Castle Around the Corner 拐角处的城堡

2020-08-15DannyResner李明娟

中学生英语·阅读与写作 2020年6期

Danny Resner 李明娟

Every day， my dad， my sister Jocelyn， and I walk our dog， Strawberry. We always go the same way， past the restaurant where my dad works. Across the street， where a big building would fit1， is nothing but tall grass. Sometimes Strawberry sees a cat there and barks2.

每天，我的父亲、我的妹妹乔斯林和我遛我们的狗，“草莓”。我们总是走同样的路，经过我父亲工作的餐厅。街对面足够建一栋大楼的地方，只有高高的草丛。有时，草莓在那儿看到猫会吠。

But today when we turn the corner， the grass and the cat are gone. A big bulldozer3 is pushing dirt around.

但是今天，当我们拐过那个弯时，草和猫都不见了，一台巨大的推土机正在推土。

Strawberry barks at it. “Its OK， Strawberry！” Jocelyn says.

草莓朝它吠叫。“没事了，草莓！”乔斯林说。

Our neighbor Luis stands in front of the restaurant， watching the bulldozer.

我们的邻居路易斯站在餐厅前，看着推土机。

“What are they doing？” I ask.

“他们在做什么？”我问。

“Theyre building a playground， Angel，” Luis says. “The bulldozer will make the ground flatter4， so everything will stand straight5 and rainwater will roll6 away from it.”

“他们正在建造一个游乐场，天使。” 路易斯说，“推土机会把地面铲平，因此一切都将保持平坦，雨水会从地面流走。”

Theres going to be a playground by our house！I hope it has a castle with secret tunnels7.

我们家旁边将要有一个游乐场！我希望它有一座带有秘密隧道的城堡。

Later that week， when we pass the field again， two workers stand in the middle. They hold a big， loud machine. It spins8 fast and chews9 holes down into the ground.

那周晚些时候，当我们再次经过工地时，两名工人站在工地中间，他们操纵一台嘈杂的大机器快速旋转，并在地面钻洞。

Strawberry wants to play with the drill10. “Thats not your toy， Strawberry！” I say.

草莓想玩那个钻。“那不是你的玩具，草莓！”我说。

The workers make another hole in the ground. When they pull the machine up， there is dirt everywhere.

工人們在地面上又挖了一个洞。当他们停下机器时，到处都是灰尘。

“Is that where the castle will go？”

“那会是建城堡的地方吗？”

“There will be a castle， Angel，” my dad tells me. “But it might not look like the one from your book. Well put it in those holes.”

“会有一座城堡，天使，”我父亲告诉我，“但它看起来可能不像书中的那个。我们会将其放入这些洞中。”

“Youre building it？”

“你们在建造它？”

“Yes， Mom and I volunteered11 to help. And you can， too！”

“是的，我妈妈和我自愿提供帮助。而且你也可以！”

When building day comes， it is hot. Strawberrys tongue is out of his mouth. A lot of people signed12 up to help build. They will need a lot of water. Thats my job.

当建造的日子到来时，天气很热，草莓的舌头吊在嘴外面。很多人报名参加帮助建造城堡。他们将需要大量的水，那是我的工作。

I stand at a table with my sister and Rosa from Dads restaurant. We have a big cooler of water. We pour it into cups and line them up. The construction13 boss takes one.

我和姐姐以及爸爸餐厅里的罗莎站在一张桌子旁。我们有一个很大的水冷却器。我们将其倒入杯子中并排成一行。建筑老板拿了一杯。

“Will the castle go over there？” I ask her.

“城堡会建过去吗？”我问她。

She laughs. “Take a look at the plan！” She unrolls14 a piece of paper covered with drawings of our playground. I dont see a castle， but I see a soccer goal15—and a tower！

她笑了，“来看计划！”她展开一张纸，上面画着我们的游乐场。我没有看到城堡，但是我看到了足球门和塔楼！

My dad and mom help put metal poles16 into the holes in the ground. The more poles the workers plant， the more the playground grows. Soon theyre grown a swing set and monkey bars. The castle tower is highest of all.

我父亲和妈妈帮忙将金属杆插入地面的孔中。工人插的杆子越多，游乐场越大。很快，他们安了一个秋千，建了猴子酒吧，城堡塔是游乐场所有建筑中最高的。

After lunch， my dad takes us to a wheelbarrow17 full of wood pieces.

午餐后，我父亲带我们去了装满木头碎片的独轮车。

“This mulch18 will make the ground soft，” he says. “When kids fall， they wont get hurt.” Jocelyn and I pick up as much mulch as we can and put it under the swing set.

“这覆盖物会让地面变软。”他说，“当孩子跌倒时，他们不会受伤。”乔斯林和我尽可能地捡起覆盖物，并在秋千下铺好。

The next day， the playground is blocked off19 with yellow tape. “The concrete20 is drying，” my dad says.

第二天，游乐场上用黄色胶带挡住了。我父亲说：“混凝土还没干透。”

Two days later， the tape is gone. Strawberry and I run to the tower. I climb up into the castle and Strawberry stays below. My neighbor Brandon is at the playground with his class. From the tower， I watch them paint pictures on a wall. The pictures show our neighborhood， happy and colorful.

两天后，胶带不见了。我和草莓跑到塔上，我爬上城堡，草莓留在下面。我的邻居布兰登和他的同学在游乐场上。从塔上我看着他们在墙上画画，画的是我们的街区，欢乐而多彩。

“Do you like our new playground， Strawberry？” I shout.

“你喜欢我们的新游乐场吗，草莓？”我大喊。

“Arf！ Arf！”

“汪！汪！”

【Notes】

1. fit [ ] vi. 符合，配合;适合;合身

2. bark [ ] vt. 狗叫;尖叫

3. bulldozer [ ] n. 推土機;欺凌者，威吓者

4. flat [ ] adj. 平的;平坦的（比较级flatter）

5. straight [ ] adj. 直的;连续的;笔直的;正直的;整齐的

6. roll [ ] v. 滚动;（眼睛）转动;推;（液体）滚落