儿童英语读物《神奇树屋》 第八册 Midnight on the Moon 05
时间：2019-01-28 作者：英语课 分类：汪培珽儿童英文分级书单《神奇树屋》
5 Hang On!
Annie drove the moon buggy over bumps and hollows. It bucked like a bronco.
“I’m going through there!” She pointed to an opening between two mountains.
Jack 1 held on to the dashboard.
The buggy bumped toward the opening and shot through.
On the other side，the ground was even rockier.
“Look for the fo-fourth M thing!”said Annie，bouncing up and down.
Jack groaned. Looking for anything on this wild ride was impossible.
“Sl-slow d-down!” he said.
“How?”
“Try pressing on the b-brake pedal. On the f-floor—slowly!”
Annie pressed on the brake.
The buggy slowed down. Jack sighed with relief. The ride was still bumpy. But now，at least，he could take a good look at the moon.
He had never been to such a colorless，barren place. There was no green，no blue，no red.
No water，no trees，no clouds.
Only giant gray rocks and craters—and an American flag.
“Oh，man，” said Jack. “That’s from the first astronauts who landed on the moon!”
“And look—a telescope!” said Annie.
She drove near the flag and telescope. Then she put her foot on the brake until the buggy stopped.
She pressed a button that said OFF. Then she and Jack hopped out.
They took slow giant steps to the site of the first moon landing.
Beside the flag was a sign. Annie read it aloud：
HERE MEN FROM THE PLANET EARTH
FIRST SET FOOT UPON THE MOON，
JULY 1969 A. D.
WE CAME IN PEACE
FOR ALL MANKIND.
“That’s a good message，” said Jack.
He handed the moon book to Annie. Then he took out his notebook and pencil to copy the sign.
“Let’s leave our own message，” said Annie.
“What should we say?” said Jack.
“The same thing，” said Annie. “But say we are the first kids. ”
Jack turned to a new page in his notebook. In big letters he wrote their message.
“Now we have to sign it，” Annie said.
Jack signed his name.
Then he passed the notebook and pencil to Annie. She signed her name and passed the notebook back.
Jack tore out the piece of paper. He put it by the flag.
Today the first kids from the planet Earth came to the Moon. We came in peace for all children.
Jack
Annie
No wind would ever blow the message away. No rain would ever fall on it.
It would be there forever，unless someone moved it.
Thinking of “forever” made Jack feel dizzy. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. Then he remembered the time. Had two hours passed yet?
“I wish I had a watch，”he said，standing up. “We might be running out of time. ”
“Oh，wow. A moon man!” said Annie.
“What?” Jack turned to look at her.
She was staring through the telescope.
Jack walked over to the telescope. Annie stepped aside so he could look，too.
Jack gasped. In the distance，something was flying above the ground.
It looked like a giant man in a spacesuit.
5抓好！
安妮驾着月球车在起伏不平、满是坑洞的月球表面穿行着，仿如一匹野马横冲直闯。
“我要开到那里去！”安妮指着两座山之间的一个缺口说。
杰克紧紧地抓住仪表板。
月球车一路颠簸着冲向两山之间的缺口，一下子穿了过去。
山外的地面愈发崎岖。
“注意找那第四个关于M的东西啊！”安妮说着，身子被颠得上下晃动。
杰克哼了一声，在这么颠簸的车上想找任何东西几乎都是不可能的。
“慢点！”他说。
“怎么慢？”
“你试着踩刹车踏板嘛。在你脚下！慢慢踩！”
安妮踩了踩刹车踏板。
月球车慢了下来。杰克也终于放松下来，长舒了一口气。路面依然颠簸，但他现在至少可以好好看看这个星球了。
他还从没有到过这样单调而荒凉的地方。没有绿色，没有蓝色，也没有红色。
没有水，没有树，也没有云。
有的只是一些巨大的灰色石块和环形山——还有一面美国国旗。
“哦，天啊。”杰克说，“那就是第一批登月的宇航员插的国旗。”
“看——还有一个望远镜。”安妮说。
她把车开到国旗和望远镜旁，使劲踩住了刹车，月球车彻底停了下来。
随后安妮按动了一个标有“关闭”的按钮，并和杰克一起跳出了车子。
他们迈着又大又慢的步子走向人类首次登月的地点。
在美国国旗旁边有一个牌子，安妮大声读着上面的文字：
公元1969年的7月，在这里，地球上的人类第一次踏上了月球。我们是为全人类的和平而来。
“写得真不错。”杰克说。
他把那本关于月球的书递给安妮。自己则拿出笔记本和铅笔开始抄录牌子上的文字。
“我们也留下我们的话吧。”安妮说。
“写点什么呢？”杰克问。
“就照那牌子写吧。”安妮说，“不过改成我们是第一批登月的孩子。”
杰克把笔记本翻到空白的一页，用大大的字写下了他们的留言。
“现在该咱们签名了。”安妮说。
杰克签下了他的名字。
然后他把笔记本和铅笔递给安妮，安妮也签了名，又把本子还给了杰克。
杰克把那一页撕了下来，摆在国旗旁边。纸上是这样写的：
今天第一次有来自地球的孩子登上了月球。我们是为所有孩子的和平而来的。
杰克 安妮
没有风会把这张留言纸吹走，也不会有雨把它浇湿。
它会永远留在那里，除非有人把它拿走。
一想到“永远”，杰克简直觉得有点晕眩。他摇了摇头，好让自己整理一下思绪。这时，他突然想起了时间的问题。两个小时过去了吗？
“要是有块表就好了。”他说着站了起来，“我们的时间可能不够了。”
“哦，天啊，一个月球人！”安妮说。
“什么？”杰克转过身来看着她。
安妮正用望远镜往远处看。
杰克走到望远镜旁，安妮往旁边挪了挪，好让杰克也能看到望远镜里的东西。
杰克惊呆了。在远处，有个东西正在地面上方飞行。
看起来像是一个穿着宇航服的巨人。