021 更多发现

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It was late evening, but I didn't want to waste a moment

天色已晚，但我不想耽搁片刻。

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I saddled Swift and prepared to go to the aid of the boys

我给斯威夫特备好鞍，准备去帮助孩子们。

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" Ernest, you and Mother should follow me tomorrow in the little cart," I said

“欧内斯特，你明天和妈妈坐小篷车跟上来，”我说道。

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" Bring everything we'll need for camping out."

“带上我们露营需要的一切。”

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The bright moonlight made my journey easy

皎洁的月光让我的路途很轻松。

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When I arrived, the boys were delighted because they had not expected me until the next day

我到达时，孩子们高兴极了，他们本以为我第二天才会到。

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The following morning we went out to inspect the damage

第二天一早，我们出去查看损坏情况。

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Thick posts in the Gap fence had been snapped like twigs

山谷口围栏上粗大的木桩像细枝一样被折断了。

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Nearby trees were stripped of leaves and branches

附近的树木被剥光了叶子和枝干。

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But the worst mischief had taken place in the sugarcane field

但最严重的破坏发生在甘蔗田里。

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The young plants had all either been devoured, or trampled and destroyed

幼苗不是被啃食殆尽，就是被践踏毁坏了。

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" Only one animal could have done this," I said

“只有一种动物能造成这样的破坏，”我说道。

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" The elephant. And judging by the number of footprints, a whole troop of elephants has invaded our territory."

“大象。而且从脚印数量来看，整整一群大象入侵了我们的地盘。”

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But as we examined the footprints, I noticed that they also went back through the Gap

然而，当我们仔细检查脚印时，我发现它们也穿过隘口回去了。

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" I don't think any of them are hiding in our woods," I concluded

“我想它们并没有藏在我们林子里的，”我判断道。

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" Then if we build an even stronger fence, we can keep them out," said Fritz

“那么，我们只要建一道更坚固的栅栏，不就能把它们挡在外面了。”弗里茨说。

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Mother and Ernest arrived later in the day

妈妈和欧内斯特是那天晚些时候到的。

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My wife made light of the damage done by the elephants

我妻子对大象造成的破坏轻描淡写。

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She was just happy to find everyone safe

看到大家都平安无事，她就放心了。

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But building a stronger fence was a big project. It took us a month

但建造更坚固的栅栏是个大工程，花去了我们一个月的时间。

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During that time we replaced our tent with a sturdy tree house

在那段时间里，我们用一座坚固的树屋取代了帐篷。

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We chose four trees that grew in a square

我们选了四棵呈正方形生长的树。

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About twenty feet from the ground, we built a platform

离地面大约二十英尺处，我们搭建了一个平台。

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We covered the sides with bamboo and the roof with bark

我们用竹子覆盖侧面，树皮覆盖屋顶。

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Below the house, we made space for our birds and animals

在树屋下面，我们为鸟儿和动物们腾出空间。

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The black swans were soon tame and friendly

黑天鹅很快就变得温顺又友善了。

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Constantly roaming through the woods, the boys often made new discoveries

男孩们经常在树林里漫游，时常有新发现。

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One day Fritz brought back some bananas and some cocoa beans

一天，弗里茨带回了一些香蕉和可可豆。

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" How do you eat a banana?" asked little Franz

“香蕉怎么吃呀？”小弗兰茨问。

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I peeled one and handed it to him." Try it," I said

我剥了一个递给他。“尝尝看，”我说。

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He took a bite and spit it out." Oh, it tastes like rotten pear!"

他咬了一口就吐了出来。"哦，味道像烂梨！"

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Jack tried the cocoa beans with no more success

杰克尝了尝可可豆，同样不太成功。

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" Too bitter!" he exclaimed

"太苦了！"他叫道。

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" Are you sure this is the plant that produces chocolate?"

"你确定这就是产巧克力的植物吗？"

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" I understand that you have to properly prepare it," said Ernest

"我知道你得先好好加工才行，"欧内斯特说。

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" It would be lovely to have hot chocolate for breakfast," my wife said to me

"早餐能喝上热巧克力就太好了，"我妻子对我说。

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" Could you bring back some seedlings and grow some cocoa for me at Rockburg?"

"你能带些幼苗回来，帮我在岩堡种些可可吗？"

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" We could try," I said

"我们可以试试，"我说。

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" Let's gather some banana seedlings too," she said

"我们也挖些香蕉苗吧，"她说。

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" Perhaps we'll acquire a taste for that fruit."

"也许我们会慢慢喜欢上那种水果。"

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The day before our return to Rockburg, Fritz went out to gather the plants

返回石堡的前一天，弗里茨外出采集植物。

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He took the kayak and a bundle of reeds to float behind it like a raft

他带上了独木舟，还有一捆芦苇，像筏子一样拖在舟后。

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That evening his brothers rushed to meet him on the riverbank

那天傍晚，他的兄弟们跑到河边迎接他。

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The raft was loaded down with cargo

筏子上堆满了货物。

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Ernest and Franz came running up the bank with their arms filled with plants

恩斯特和弗兰茨抱着满怀的植物跑上岸来。

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Fritz handed Jack a dripping wet bag

弗里茨递给杰克一个湿淋淋的袋子。

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Jack took it and ran behind a bush

杰克接过袋子，跑到灌木丛后面。

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" What monsters they are!" Fritz exclaimed

“它们可真是怪物！”弗里茨喊道。

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My wife and I looked at each other. We had no idea what he was talking about

我和妻子面面相觑，完全不知道他在说什么。

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After supper Fritz explained

晚饭后，弗里茨做了解释。

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" From the river I saw some huge, dark masses moving slowly among the trees

“从河上我看到一些巨大的黑色团块在树林间缓慢移动。

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What do you think they were?"

你觉得它们是什么？”

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" Black bears?" guessed Jack

“熊吗？”杰克猜道。

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" From your description, I'd say elephants," said Ernest

“听你的描述，我猜是大象。”欧内斯特说。

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" Right you are!" replied Fritz

“说得没错！”弗里茨答道。

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" About twenty elephants were tearing down branches with their trunks and shoving them into their mouths."

“大约二十头大象正用鼻子扯下树枝，往嘴里塞。”

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" Weren't you afraid?" asked little Franz

“你不害怕吗？”小弗兰茨问。

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" The river was very wide so I felt safe from wild animals

“河面很宽，所以我觉得不用担心野兽。

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More than once I saw some splendid jaguars sunbathing on the banks

我不止一次看到一些漂亮的美洲豹在岸上晒太阳。

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Then on my return home, the water suddenly started to bubble furiously in front of me

然后在我回家的路上，水面突然在我面前猛烈地冒泡。

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Up rose the hideous head of a hippopotamus!"

一头河马那丑陋的脑袋冒了出来！”

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" What did you do?" asked Mother

“你怎么办了？”妈妈问。

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" I didn't wait to see the rest of him. I paddled home as fast as I could."

“我没等着看它全身。我拼命划回了家。”

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The next morning we returned to Rockburg. Fritz made the trip by kayak

第二天早上我们返回了石堡。弗里茨划着皮艇也到了。

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Jack carried Fritz's mysterious wet bag, which he deposited in the swamp

杰克拎着弗里茨那个神秘的湿袋子，把它放到了沼泽里。

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Towards evening we sat on the porch talking

傍晚时分，我们坐在门廊上聊天。

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Suddenly an extraordinary sound came from the swamp!

突然，沼泽里传来一阵奇怪的声音！

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The dogs barked and the family jumped up in excitement

狗叫了起来，一家人激动地跳了起来。

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" That sounds like a bull bellowing!" I said

“听起来像公牛在叫！”我说。

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Jack rushed off toward the marsh

杰克朝沼泽冲了过去。

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" Come back!" cried Mother

“回来！”妈妈喊道。

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" Don't worry," said Fritz with a smile

“别担心。”弗里茨笑着说。

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Jack soon returned, lugging the wet bag

杰克很快就回来了，拖着那个湿袋子。

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" They were supposed to grow as big as rabbits before you saw them

“它们本该长到兔子那么大再给你们看的。

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But I guess I'll have to show them to you now

但我想现在不得不给你们看了。

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Everyone, meet Grace and Beauty."

各位，来认识一下淑女和美妞。”

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He opened the bag and out hopped two immense bullfrogs

他打开袋子，两只巨大的牛蛙跳了出来。