《神奇树屋》 第四十二册 A Good Night for Ghosts 03 Coat Cart Blues
时间:2018-12-10 作者:英语课 分类:汪培珽儿童英文分级书单《神奇树屋》
The streetcar turned onto a crowded, busy street.
Lively music blared from restaurants and dance halls.
"We're in the French Quarter now, and you're thenext stop," the conductor said to Jack 1 and Annie.
"Head down St. Peter Street toward the MississippiRiver. You'll run right into Jackson Square.""Thanks!" Jack put the research book back in hisbag. Annie tucked the trumpet 2 under her arm. Whenthe streetcar came to a stop, they hopped 3 off.
3536"Good luck playing that horn, missy!" said theconductor.
"Thanks, I'll need it!" said Annie.
As the streetcar pulled away, Jack and Annielooked around. "Hey, this is Bourbon Street," saidAnnie, pointing to a street sign. "Isn't that the streetwith the haunted blacksmith shop?""Don't think about that," said Jack. "Let's headdown St. Peter."Jack and Annie left Bourbon Street and starteddown St. Peter Street. They passed tall, narrow housespainted pale green, yellow, and pink. 'Vines grew upwalls and twined around iron balconies. Alleys 4 led tocourtyards with trickling 5 fountains.
"I like the buildings in New Orleans," said Annie.
"Yeah, and it smells good, too," said Jack.
Delicious food smells filled the air. From a mule 6-drawn cart, an old woman cried out, "Waffles! Getyour waffles here! Yes sir, fresh, hot waffles!"37Jack was getting hungry. Outside a restaurant wasa sign that read:
Special! Dinner 10 cents.
"Gosh, things are cheap in 1915," said Jack. "Toobad we don't even have a dime 7.""Yeah," said Annie. "Oh, look!" She pointed 8 to agrand cathedral with soaring spires 9. "A cathedral!
That must be the place with the ghost of the Spanishpriest.""Why do you like ghosts so much?" said Jack.
"I don't like ghosts so much," said Annie.
"Well, you keep talking about them," said Jack.
"I'm just pointing things out," said Annie. "You'rethe one who brought up ghosts in the first place.""Well, let's forget them," said Jack. He didn't likeghosts. He didn't even like thinking about them.
Soon Jack and Annie came to a huge green parkwith an iron fence around it. A sign at the entranceread: jackson square.
38"We found it!" said Jack.
Outside the iron fence, in the hot afternoonsunlight, small bands of barefoot kids were playingmusic. Some strummed banjos. Others playedharmonicas or long tin horns. Three boys sang inharmony. A couple of the smallest kids passed aroundhats, collecting money for the different bands.
"Where's Louis Armstrong?" Annie asked Jack. "Noone here looks like the picture in our book.""Of course not," said Jack. "The picture shows himas a grown-up. He wouldn't look the same when he'sfourteen.""I'll ask," said Annie. She went up to a small girlpassing a hat. "Excuse me, is there a musician herenamed Louis Armstrong?""Louis Armstrong? You mean Dipper?" asked thegirl.
"I guess ...," said Annie.
"Hey, Little Mack!" the girl shouted to the biggestkid in the singing trio. "Where's Dipper Armstrong?"39"Just saw him--he's at the River Café!" shoutedLittle Mack.
"Where's that?" Annie asked.
"Down by the river," said the small girl. She pointedbeyond the square. "Walk down Decatur Street andyou'll see it." The girl held up the hat, as if asking fora donation.
"Sorry, no money," said Jack.
"But thanks for your help," said Annie. She and Jackleft the square. They hurried along Decatur Street.
"So Dipper must be a nickname for LouisArmstrong," said Jack.
"Yeah," said Annie. "And Dipper must be playingmusic at the café.""There it is," said Jack. He pointed to a red sign on aslanted rooftop.
***RIVER CAFéCOFFEE AND DONOUGHTS40"Doughnuts, yum," said Annie.
Jack and Annie walked under a striped red awning 10.
Waiters in white jackets were running around withtrays of coffee and delicious-smelling doughnuts.
Jack's mouth watered.
"That's funny. There's no music here," said Annie.
"Excuse us," she called to one of the waiters. "Haveyou seen Louis Armstrong? Or Dip--""Did you come here to buy something, kids?" thewaiter interrupted rudely.
"No, we don't have any money--" started Jack.
"Then out, boy!" the waiter- shouted. "No beggingin here!""He's not begging!" said Annie. "We're looking for-""I know beggars when I see them! Out!" said thewaiter.
"Let's go. I don't think Dipper's in here, anyway,"said Jack.
"Wait a minute, I have to tell them that we're notbeggars!" Annie said.
41"It's not worth it, come on," said Jack.
Jack was mad, too, but he pulled Annie out fromunder the awning. "I think it's the way we look," hesaid. "Our clothes make us look poor. And we don'thave shoes on.""It's not fair," said Annie.
"Forget it. We'll ask someone else where to findDipper," said Jack.
On the street by the café was a mule cart filled withcoal. A young teenager was putting a bucket andshovel into the back of the cart. He was barefoot andwore clothes like Jack and Annie's.
"Excuse me!" Jack called. "Do you know LouisArmstrong? Or Dipper?"The boy turned. When he saw Jack and Annie, hegrinned. He had the friendliest smile Jack had everseen. "Louis Armstrong?" he said. "That's me. Howcan I help you, man?"Jack was at a loss for words. He hadn't thoughtabout what to say to Louis Armstrong when theyfound him.
42"Hi, Dipper!" said Annie, walking up to the boy.
"We're Jack and Annie from Frog Creek,Pennsylvania. Friends of ours told us to find youwhen we came to New Orleans.""What friends?" asked Dipper.
"Teddy and Kathleen," said Annie.
The boy looked puzzled. But then his gaze fell onAnnie's trumpet. "Hey, nice horn. Can you play thatthing?""Only when the time is right," said Annie.
"And when's that?" asked Dipper.
"I won't know till I feel it," said Annie.
Dipper smiled his radiant smile again. "Ha! I knowjust what you mean!" he said. He wiped his hand onhis pants and held it out to shake. "Any friends ofTeddy and Kathleen's are friends of mine."As Jack shook Dipper's hand, he sputtered 11, "You-youknow Teddy and Kathleen?""No, man, never heard of them," said Dipper. "But Iconsider everybody my friend."43"Oh. Oh!" said Annie. She and Jack laughed.
"Only problem is I can't hang out with y'all rightnow," said Dipper. He climbed onto the mule cart.
"Where--where you going, man?" asked Jack.
"I'm making my rounds with this coal cart," saidDipper. "And I have lots more work to do today. Butbe sure to look me up the next time you come totown. And say hi to my pals 12, Teddy and Kathleen."Dipper waved at them and then shook the reins 13. "Go'long, mule," he said.
The mule clopped over the brick street, pulling thecoal cart away from the River Café.
Louis Armstrong was gone.
- 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。
- He plays the violin, but I play the trumpet.他拉提琴,我吹喇叭。
- The trumpet sounded for battle.战斗的号角吹响了。
- He hopped onto a car and wanted to drive to town. 他跳上汽车想开向市区。
- He hopped into a car and drove to town. 他跳进汽车,向市区开去。
- I followed him through a maze of narrow alleys. 我紧随他穿过一条条迂迴曲折的窄巷。
- The children lead me through the maze of alleys to the edge of the city. 孩子们领我穿过迷宫一般的街巷,来到城边。
- Tears were trickling down her cheeks. 眼泪顺着她的面颊流了下来。
- The engine was trickling oil. 发动机在滴油。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- A mule is a cross between a mare and a donkey.骡子是母马和公驴的杂交后代。
- He is an old mule.他是个老顽固。
- A dime is a tenth of a dollar.一角银币是十分之一美元。
- The liberty torch is on the back of the dime.自由火炬在一角硬币的反面。
- 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。
- Her masts leveled with the spires of churches. 船的桅杆和教堂的塔尖一样高。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- White church spires lift above green valleys. 教堂的白色尖顶耸立在绿色山谷中。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- A large green awning is set over the glass window to shelter against the sun.在玻璃窗上装了个绿色的大遮棚以遮挡阳光。
- Several people herded under an awning to get out the shower.几个人聚集在门栅下避阵雨
- The candle sputtered out. 蜡烛噼啪爆响着熄灭了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
- The balky engine sputtered and stopped. 不听使唤的发动机劈啪作响地停了下来。 来自辞典例句