Spring Back
美音、自然拼读、分级阅读与词汇复习
At eight years old, Nola O’Connor had already been late so many times, she figured she’ d go on that way forever.
8岁时,诺拉·奥康纳已经迟到好多次,她觉得自己会永远这样下去。
She’ d be late for her first job, her college graduation, her wedding.
她的第一份工作、大学毕业、婚礼都迟到。
It didn’t seem to matter much—if the groom liked her enough, he’ d wait.
如果新郎足够喜欢她,
The summer after Nola finished second grade, her family moved from Arizona to Colorado.
诺拉二年级毕业后夏天,她的家人从亚利桑那州搬到了科罗拉多州.
The move brought new friends, a new school, and a new home, but one thing did not change: Nola was still late for everything.
此举带来了新朋友,新学校,新家,但有一件事没有改变: 诺拉还是迟到
The first Friday in November, Nola’s teacher sent the class home with a reminder that Daylight Saving Time ended that weekend.
11月的第一个星期五,诺拉的老师将班级送回家,提醒大家,"日光拯救时间"结束了那个周末.
“Before you go to bed Saturday night, remember to adjust your clocks an hour,” he said.
他说,“星期六晚上你睡觉之前,记得调整一小时的钟表。”
“Spring forward, fall back.
“一来一去,一去一回。
And if you like parades, don’t forget the Fall Festival on Sunday.”
如果你喜欢游行, “
Nola had never witnessed the parade.
诺拉从未目睹过游行.
Her friends said the Fall Festival parade had awe-inspiring floats, animals, live music, and dancers on stilts.
她的朋友说,秋季节游行有令人敬畏的活浮,动物,活活的音乐,和舞者在平地上.
She really wanted to see it.
她真的很想看这个
That night at dinner, Nola asked her mom if they could go to the parade.
当晚吃晚饭时,诺拉问她妈妈他们能否参加游行.
“I won’t be here,” Mom reminded her, “but I’ll bet Pablo could take you.”
“我不会在这里,”妈妈提醒她,“但我敢打赌,巴勃罗可以带你去。 “
Pablo was Nola’s big brother, sixteen and always sleepy.
巴勃罗是诺拉的哥哥,16岁,总是困住.
He would be in charge while their mom was away.
当他们的妈妈不在的时候,他会负责的
“Can you take me to the parade?”
“你能带我去游行吗? “
Nola asked Pablo.
诺拉问了巴勃罗.
“There’ll be floats.”
" 会有浮起. “
“Root beer floats?”
“轮椅啤酒漂浮? “
Pablo asked.
巴勃罗问道.
Nola laughed and so did Mom.
诺拉也笑了 妈妈也笑了
“The parade’s at ten o’clock,” Nola said.
诺拉说: " 游行在十点钟。
“We have to change our clocks so we don’t miss it.”
我们必须改变时钟, “
“That’s right!”
“没错!
Mom said.
妈妈说。
“You’ve never had to change your clocks before.”
“你以前从未改变过时钟。 “
Unlike most states, Arizona didn’t observe Daylight Saving Time, so Nola had never thought much about it.
与大多数州不同,亚利桑那州没有遵守"日光拯救时间",因此诺拉从未对此有过多少思考.
She thought about it now, though.
她现在想起来了
“I don’t really get it,” she confessed.
她承认,
“ Are we actually saving daylight?
“...... 我们真的要省日光吗?
Or just moving it around?”
或者只是移动它周围? “
“Moving it around,” Mom said.
妈妈说,
“In November, people in states that observe Daylight Saving Time set their clocks back an hour.
“11月,守日救时的各州人民把钟点放回了一小时。
So the Sun rises earlier in the morning—or seems to—and sets earlier in the evening.
太阳在早晨升起,或在傍晚升起。
In March, they do just the opposite and the Sun sets later.”
3月,他们做的正好相反,而后日落. “
“Crazy stuff,” Pablo yawned.
"疯狂的东西,"巴勃罗打哈欠。
Why “Save Daylight”?
为什么是"拯救日出"?
Many countries use a daylight saving program during their warmer months, when the days are longer.
许多国家在较温暖的月份里使用日光节能方案,
Why bother?
为什么这么麻烦?
In order to conserve energy.
为了节约能源。
By moving the clock ahead an hour during these months, sunlight lasts longer into the evening.
在这几个月里,把时钟提前一个小时, 阳光会持续到更长时间的夜晚。
On Saturday morning, their mom kissed them both goodbye, got in her car, and drove to the airport.
周六早上,他们的妈妈亲吻了他们俩,上了她的车,开车去机场.
That night as Nola got in bed, she thought back to her teacher’s instructions: “Spring forward, fall back.”
当晚诺拉入睡后,她回想起了老师的指示:"向前出春,向后倒地. “
Or was it, “Fall forward, spring back”?
还是说,“向前走,向后走?”
Nola hesitated.
诺拉犹豫了
“Fall forward” sounded better, so she set her clock forward an hour.
" 向前转 " 听起来更好,因此,她把时钟提前了一小时。
Just like that, she’ d shaved an hour off the day.
她每天刮了一小时毛。
Now it was past her bedtime.
现在她已经睡了
Late again.
又迟了
“Time,” Nola sighed, “is not my friend.”
“时间,”诺拉叹道,“不是我的朋友。 “
Nola overslept the next morning.
诺拉第二天早上睡过头了
When she woke, her clock said 10:15.
当她醒来时,她的时钟说10: 15.
She rustled her brother out of bed.
她把她哥哥从床上生锈了
They ran over to Grand Avenue.
他们跑去格兰德大道
When they reached it, though, no crowd greeted them, no floats, no marching bands.
当他们到达时,虽然没有群众迎接他们,没有浮起,没有游行乐队.
Were they so late they’ d missed the parade entirely?
他们这么晚才完全错过游行吗?
Nola hung her head in dismay.
诺拉惊慌地上吊了她的头.
They turned around and headed home, but back on their street, they spotted something.
他们转过身回家, 但是回到他们的街道, 他们发现了一些东西。
It was their neighbor Frank, climbing around next to a gigantic, bright orange something.
这是他们的邻居弗兰克, 爬来爬去旁边 一个巨大的,亮橙的东西。
Could this be a float?
这会不会是浮点?
They walked over for a closer inspection.
他们走过来更仔细的检查。
It was a float, an eight-foot pumpkin set up on a trailer.
那是个漂浮的八英尺长的南瓜 放在拖车上
Frank turned and saw them standing there.
弗兰克转身看见他们站在那里
He lit up like a jack-o’-lantern.
他点起的像一个大叔。
“The early bird gets the worm!”
“早起的鸟得到虫子!”
he cried.
他哭了起来。
Nola and Pablo looked at each other.
诺拉和巴勃罗相视.
Pablo had never been early for anything in his life, either.
巴勃罗一生中从未早到过
“Climb on up here, sonny, and give me a hand with this wrench!”
“快过来,小子,帮我一把这个扳手! “
shouted Frank.
大声叫着弗兰克
“You too, missy!”
“你也是,小姐!”
They climbed up beside the oversized pumpkin and Frank put them to work.
他们爬到超大的南瓜旁边 弗兰克让他们工作
For more than an hour, Pablo hammered.
超过一个小时,巴勃罗敲锤子。
Nola glued orange tissue paper in place.
诺拉粘上橙色组织纸到位.
They arranged giant fake leaves and vines around the giant fake pumpkin.
他们在巨型假南瓜周围安排了巨型假叶和花藤.
When they were done, the float looked fantastic.
当它们完成时,浮标看起来很棒。
“So,” Pablo said at last, “I guess you’re all ready for next year’s parade.”
“所以,”巴勃罗最后说,“我想你们都准备好了明年的游行。 “
Frank looked confused.
弗兰克看起来很困惑
“Next year?”
“明年? “
get to!”
快点!”
Just then, Nola and Pablo heard the first notes of a marching band.
刚刚,诺拉和巴勃罗听到了一支行军乐队的第一个音符.
They blinked in confusion.
他们一眨眼就感到困惑
“Wait a minute,” Nola said.
“等等,”诺拉说。
“Wasn’t the parade at ten o’clock today?”
" 今天10点的阅兵不是么? “
“Was at ten?”
“10岁吗? “
Frank cried.
弗兰克哭了。
“Will be at ten is more like it!”
“10岁更像! “
He thrust his wristwatch toward them.
他把他的手表推向他们。
Pablo yawned.
巴勃罗打哈欠了
“Your watch says 9:30,” he said.
“你的表说9:30,”他说。
Nola laughed for joy.
诺拉为欢喜而笑.
“I fell forward,” she said.
她说,“我向前倒了。”
“I needed to fall back.”
“我需要后退。 “
Nola had sprung forward an hour when everybody else had fallen back an hour.
诺拉向前冲了一小时 当其他人跌倒了一小时时
That meant she and Pablo were now two hours ahead of everybody else.
这意味着她和巴勃罗现在比其他人早两个小时
For once in their lives, they were early!
他们一生中只有一次很早!
“You woke me up two hours early?”
"你提前两个小时把我吵醒了? “
Pablo cried.
巴勃罗哭了。
“The early bird gets the worm!”
“早起的鸟得到虫子!”
Nola cried.
诺拉哭了。
Frank nodded.
弗兰克点头了
“You got it now, missy,” he said.
" 你现在明白了,小姐,"他说。
Pablo yawned.
巴勃罗打哈欠了
It was all a big mistake, but it turned out to be a great mistake.
这都是个大错误,但结果却是一个大错误.
It’s why they rode in the parade on Frank’s giant pumpkin float—and why they’ve ridden with Frank every year since.
这就是为什么他们骑在法兰克巨大的南瓜浮点上,
It’s also why, from that day to this, Nola O’Connor has made sure to be early for everything.
也正因为如此, 从那天开始,
Two minutes early, though— not two hours.
早两分钟,不过不是两小时