兒童英語讀物《神奇樹屋》 第十冊 Ghost Town at Sundown 10

10 Echo from the Past

Jack and Annie looked outside.

The sun had slipped behind the trees of the Frog Creek woods.

Annie still held the ancient scroll.She put it in the corner， next to the scroll from their ocean trip.

“Just two more to go，” she whispered.

“Yup，” said Jack.He unzipped his pack.He pulled out Days of the Wild West.He put it on top of a stack of books.

“Ready?” he said.

Annie was staring at the books.Her mouth dropped open.

“What’s wrong?” asked Jack.

Annie just kept staring.

“Have you gone nuts?” said Jack.

Annie pointed at the Wild West book.

“Read the cover，” she said.

Jack picked the book up. He read the title aloud：“Days of the Wild West.” He looked at Annie.“So?”

“Keep reading，” said Annie.

The author’s name was below the title. It was in smaller letters. Jack read：“Slim Cooley.”

Jack gasped. His mouth dropped open. He and Annie stared at the words for a long moment.

“Oh， man，” whispered Jack. “We were using Slim’s book. The book he wrote after he left us!”

Jack and Annie shook their heads with wonder.

Jack opened Slim’s book. He looked at the title page. At the bottom of the page， he read：Texas Press， Dallas， 1895.

Jack turned the page. He read the dedication：

WITH THANKS TO SMILEY AND SHORTY，

TWO STRANGERS WHO CHANGED MY LIFE

Jack looked at Annie.“Slim dedicated his book to us，” he said.

“Yup，” said Annie. She smiled.

Jack placed Slim’s book back on the stack of books.

Then he and Annie left the tree house and climbed down the ladder.

As they started through the woods， the trees were alive with bird sounds.The air felt soft and moist.

“Frog Creek seems so peaceful，” said Jack.“No rattlers， no rustlers， no ghosts.”

“Yeah， but no Slim Cooley either，” said Annie sadly.

“I know，” said Jack.“But when we read his book， it’s like he’s still talking to us.”

“Oh， right，” said Annie. “You mean it’s like an echo from the past?”

“Yeah，” said Jack softly. “Wow.”

Just then， out of the blue， a voice called， “Jack!Annie!”

“It’s Dad!” said Annie.

“Coming!” she and Jack shouted.

Then they ran all the way home， through the long shadows of the setting sun.

Here are the words to

RED RIVER VALLEY， the traditional cowboy song that

Lonesome Luke played on the piano.

qFrom this valley they say you are going.

I shall miss your sweet face and bright smile.

For they say you are taking the sunshine

That has brightened my pathway awhile.

Refrain (after each verse)：

Come and sit by my side if you love me.

Do not hasten to bid me adieu.

For remember the Red River Valley

And the cowboy who loved you so true.

There never could be such a longing

In the heart of a poor cowboy’s breast.

As dwells in this heart you are breaking

While I wait in my home in the West.

Do you think of this valley you’re leaving，

Oh，how lonely and dreary it will be?

Do you think of the kind hearts you’re grieving，

And the pain you are causing to me?

From this valley they say you are going.

I will miss your bright eyes and sweet smile.

For they say you are weary and tired

And must find a new range for a while.

10來自過去的回聲

杰克和安妮向外張望著。

太陽已經(jīng)滑到了蛙溪樹林的大樹背后。

安妮還拿著那個卷軸。她把古卷軸放在角落里，就擺在他們的海洋之旅卷軸的旁邊。

“還有兩個。”她小聲說。

“是啊，”杰克說。他打開背包，拿出《狂野西部的日子》，把它擺在了一摞書的最上面。

“準(zhǔn)備好了嗎?”杰克問。

安妮眼睛盯著那一摞書，嘴張著。

“出了什么事了?”杰克問。

安妮仍然盯著那些書。

“你傻了嗎?”杰克說。

安妮指著那本狂野西部的書。

“你讀讀封面。”她說。

杰克拿起那本書，大聲地讀出了標(biāo)題：狂野西部的日子。他看著安妮說：“怎么了?”

“接著讀。”安妮說。

作者的名字就在標(biāo)題下面，字體要小一些。杰克讀道：瘦子庫里。

杰克大吃一驚，他的嘴驚訝得張開了。他和安妮長久地瞪著那些字。

“哦，天啊。”杰克小聲說，“我們用的是瘦子寫的書，他在我們離開之后寫的書。”

杰克和安妮驚訝地?fù)u著頭。

杰克打開瘦子的書。他打開標(biāo)題頁。在這一頁的底下，他讀道：得克薩斯出版社，達(dá)拉斯，1895年。

杰克翻著書頁，在致謝部分寫著：

感謝愛笑的丫頭和小矮子，這兩位陌生人改變了我的生活。

杰克看著安妮，說：“瘦子把這本書獻(xiàn)給了我們。”

“是啊。”安妮說，一面微笑著。

杰克把瘦子的書放回了那摞書的最上面。

然后他和安妮離開樹屋，爬下了繩梯。

他們穿過樹林，樹木生氣勃勃，小鳥也在樹間鳴叫著?？諝廨p柔而潮濕。

“蛙溪樹林看起來真是寧靜啊。”杰克說，“沒有響尾蛇，沒有盜馬賊，也沒有幽靈。”

“是啊，不過也沒有瘦子庫里。”安妮憂傷地說。

“我知道。”杰克說。“不過我們讀他的書的時候，就仿佛他還在和我們說話呢。”

“哦，是啊。”安妮說，“你的意思是那就像來自過去的回聲，是吧?”

“是啊。”杰克輕聲說，“哇!”

就在這時，從藍(lán)色中傳來一個聲音：“杰克!安妮!”

“是爸爸!”安妮說。

“來了!”她和杰克喊道。

隨后，他們一路穿過落日撒下的長長的影子跑回家去了。

下面是《紅河谷》的歌詞。就是孤獨盧克在鋼琴上彈奏的那首傳統(tǒng)的牛仔歌曲。[注]

人們說你就要離開村莊，　　我們將懷念你的微笑;

你的眼睛比太陽更明亮，　　照耀在我們的心上。

走過來坐在我的身旁，　　不要離別得這樣匆忙;

要記住紅河谷你的故鄉(xiāng)，　　還有那熱愛你的姑娘。

人們說你就要離開村莊，　　我們將懷念你的微笑;

你的眼睛比太陽更明亮，　　照耀在我們的心上。

你可會想到你的故鄉(xiāng)，　　多么寂寞多么凄涼。

想一想你走后我的痛苦，　　想一想留給我的悲傷。

走過來坐在我的身旁，　　不要離別得這樣匆忙;

要記住紅河谷你的故鄉(xiāng)，　　還有那熱愛你的姑娘。