兒童英語讀物《神奇樹屋》 第八冊 Midnight on the Moon 05

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 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!

安妮駕著月球車在起伏不平、滿是坑洞的月球表面穿行著，仿如一匹野馬橫沖直闖。

“我要開到那里去!”安妮指著兩座山之間的一個缺口說。

杰克緊緊地抓住儀表板。

月球車一路顛簸著沖向兩山之間的缺口，一下子穿了過去。

山外的地面愈發(fā)崎嶇。

“注意找那第四個關(guān)于M的東西啊!”安妮說著，身子被顛得上下晃動。

杰克哼了一聲，在這么顛簸的車上想找任何東西幾乎都是不可能的。

“慢點!”他說。

“怎么慢?”

“你試著踩剎車踏板嘛。在你腳下!慢慢踩!”

安妮踩了踩剎車踏板。

月球車慢了下來。杰克也終于放松下來，長舒了一口氣。路面依然顛簸，但他現(xiàn)在至少可以好好看看這個星球了。

他還從沒有到過這樣單調(diào)而荒涼的地方。沒有綠色，沒有藍色，也沒有紅色。

沒有水，沒有樹，也沒有云。

有的只是一些巨大的灰色石塊和環(huán)形山——還有一面美國國旗。

“哦，天啊。”杰克說，“那就是第一批登月的宇航員插的國旗。”

“看——還有一個望遠鏡。”安妮說。

她把車開到國旗和望遠鏡旁，使勁踩住了剎車，月球車徹底停了下來。

隨后安妮按動了一個標有“關(guān)閉”的按鈕，并和杰克一起跳出了車子。

他們邁著又大又慢的步子走向人類首次登月的地點。

在美國國旗旁邊有一個牌子，安妮大聲讀著上面的文字：

公元1969年的7月，在這里，地球上的人類第一次踏上了月球。我們是為全人類的和平而來。

“寫得真不錯。”杰克說。

他把那本關(guān)于月球的書遞給安妮。自己則拿出筆記本和鉛筆開始抄錄牌子上的文字。

“我們也留下我們的話吧。”安妮說。

“寫點什么呢?”杰克問。

“就照那牌子寫吧。”安妮說，“不過改成我們是第一批登月的孩子。”

杰克把筆記本翻到空白的一頁，用大大的字寫下了他們的留言。

“現(xiàn)在該咱們簽名了。”安妮說。

杰克簽下了他的名字。

然后他把筆記本和鉛筆遞給安妮，安妮也簽了名，又把本子還給了杰克。

杰克把那一頁撕了下來，擺在國旗旁邊。紙上是這樣寫的：

今天第一次有來自地球的孩子登上了月球。我們是為所有孩子的和平而來的。

杰克　　　　　　　　　　　　　　安妮

沒有風會把這張留言紙吹走，也不會有雨把它澆濕。

它會永遠留在那里，除非有人把它拿走。

一想到“永遠”，杰克簡直覺得有點暈眩。他搖了搖頭，好讓自己整理一下思緒。這時，他突然想起了時間的問題。兩個小時過去了嗎?

“要是有塊表就好了。”他說著站了起來，“我們的時間可能不夠了。”

“哦，天啊，一個月球人!”安妮說。

“什么?”杰克轉(zhuǎn)過身來看著她。

安妮正用望遠鏡往遠處看。

杰克走到望遠鏡旁，安妮往旁邊挪了挪，好讓杰克也能看到望遠鏡里的東西。

杰克驚呆了。在遠處，有個東西正在地面上方飛行。

看起來像是一個穿著宇航服的巨人。