The Monkey’s Paw
美音、自然拼读、分级阅读与词汇复习
Miguel digs his roasting stick into the glowing embers of the campfire.
米格尔将他的烤活棒挖入了营火中发光的火苗中.
Kara and Damien stare at the flames as they all bask in the pure laziness that only comes at the beginning of summer vacation.
卡拉和达米安都盯着火花 在夏假开始时才出现的纯净懒惰中
They survived their first year of middle school—they deserve a break.
他们从中学一年级起就活了下来,他们应该休息一段时间。
The trio barely look up from their daydreaming as Shelly shuffles out of the darkness, looking exhausted.
三人几乎无法从白日梦中仰视 当雪莉从黑暗中走来 看着疲惫不堪
She flings something into the flames that bounces off a log and lands between Miguel’s sneakers.
她把什么东西扔入火焰中,
He leans forward and sees that it’s a severed hand, the fingers curled into a clawlike fist.
他向前看,这是被割断了的手,手指卷成一个像爪子的拳头。
“What the—!”
" 这..."
Miguel squeaks as he bolts upright.
Miguel在直走时大叫
“You should toss that back in the fire,” Shelly says, her voice shaking.
“你应该把那个扔回火里。” Shelly说,她的声音在发抖。
“What.
“什么情况?
why do you have a hand?”
为什么你有一只手? “
Damien stutters.
达米安口吃
Kara pokes at it with a stick, and the three shudder as the fingers open on their own.
卡拉用棍子戳了它 三只颤抖得像手指自己打开一样
“It’s not a hand—it’s a monkey’s paw, and you need to torch it,” Shelly snaps.
" 这不是一只手 -- -- 它是猴子的爪子,你需要点燃它, " Shelly snaps.
“It’s supposed to grant wishes, but everything you ask for turns out horrible.”
但你们要求的一切都很糟糕。 “
She darts around the fire, but Kara grabs the paw and clutches it behind her back.
她绕着火飞翔,但卡拉抓住了爪子并紧紧地抓住了后背.
Shelly steps away, her fearful expression melting into something distant.
雪莉走开,她害怕的表情 融化成遥远的东西。
“I’m warning you: burn that thing before it ruins your life, too.”
“我警告你们:烧了它, “
With that, she turns and sprints away.
有了这个,她转身冲出跑道
Kara holds the paw up to the light.
卡拉把爪子伸到光线上
“This is pretty amazing.”
“这是相当惊人的。 “
“You don’t actually believe that story about wishes,” Damien protests.
达米安抗议。
“Let me see it.”
“让我看看。 “
She hands the paw to Damien, who grips it with a frown of distaste.
她把爪子交给了戴米恩,戴米恩用一副讨厌的皱眉来抓.
“Of course I don’t believe the story, but it’s just cool to have,” Kara says with a shrug.
「当然我不相信这个故事,
“I told my mom I’ d be home before ten,” Miguel says.
Miguel说,
“Help me with the fire.”
“帮助我救火。 “
“That means I have to go home and pooper- scoop the backyard before Dad comes home tomorrow,” Damien grumbles, fidgeting with the monkey’s paw.
“这意味着我必须回家,
“Do you guys have any idea how much a mastiff poops?
“你们知道一个桅杆拉多大便吗?
I wish I didn’t have to clean up after Bruiser anymore.”
我希望我不必再清理布鲁泽之后。 “
The monkey’s paw twitches in Damien’s hand.
这只猴子的爪子在达米安的手里抽搐了。
He chucks it on the ground and screeches, “It moved!”
他把它扔到地上,
Kara and Miguel start laughing.
卡拉和米格尔开始取笑.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Kara says, picking up the paw.
“别傻了,”Kara说,
“It’s just a dried-up old shell of a hand.
“这只是一只干枯的旧手壳。
There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
也没什么好怕的。 “
Three days later, Damien’s mastiff is hit by a truck and killed.
三天后,达米安的桅杆被卡车撞倒并被炸死.
When Miguel and Kara hear about it from other friends, they try texting and calling Damien, but he doesn’t respond.
Miguel和Kara从其他朋友那里得知后,
After days of silence, they ride their bikes to his house.
经过几天的沉默,他们骑着自行车去他家.
As the evening shadows stretch toward a storm beginning to brew on the horizon, they knock on the door.
当夜晚的阴影向着一场暴风雨延伸时 他们敲门
Damien answers, looking disheveled with red-rimmed eyes.
戴米恩回答, 看着被红发的眼睛打晕了。
“I’m so sorry,” Kara says and jerks him into a hug.
Kara说:“对不起,
“Thanks,” Damien mumbles into Kara’s shoulder.
“谢谢”,达米安对Kara说:
Eventually, Kara releases him, and the three go inside to sit in the living room in uncomfortable silence.
最终,卡拉将他释放出狱,三人进去后在客厅静静地坐着.
Finally, Miguel breaks the tension by asking, “How are you doing?”
最后,米格尔打破了紧张局势,问道,“你好吗? “
“Not great,” Damien replies.
“不妙”,达米安回答。
“Bruiser used to sleep on my bed, and now I can’t sleep without him there.
Bruiser常睡在我的床上,
My parents don’t seem concerned.
我父母似乎并不关心。
They went to some work party tonight and left me here.”
他们今晚去参加一些工作派对 把我留在这 “
“That’s harsh,” Miguel says.
Miguel说,
“The worst part is that his death is my fault.”
“最糟糕的是,他的死亡是我的错。 “
Damien’s voice catches in his throat.
达米安的嗓子被喉咙咬住。
“Shelly warned us to burn the paw.”
“Shelly警告我们烧了爪子。 “
“I know you’re in a lot of pain,” Kara says, “but do you really think a shriveled knickknack could cause something like this?”
“我知道你很痛苦,”Kara说,“但你真的认为一个被打得屁滚尿流的短裤会造成这样的事情吗? “
“It’s the only logical explanation,” Damien retorts.
“这是唯一合乎逻辑的解释,”达米安反悔。
“It’s the most illogical explanation possible,” Kara says.
Kara说,
“Do you have it with you?”
“你带着它吗? “
Damien asks.
达米安问.
“It’s in my backpack.
“它在我的背包里。
Kara starts.
卡拉开始。
Before she can finish, Miguel says, “You’re not thinking about—” “If it worked once, it could work again,” Damien snaps.
Miguel说,“你没有在想...” 达米安·斯泰克(Damien snaps)说,
“Except for the ‘everything you ask for turns out horrible’ part, or have you forgotten that?”
" 除了`你所要求的一切'之外,你们究竟忘记了吗? “
Miguel asks.
米格尔问.
Rain begins to patter softly on the roof above.
雨开始轻轻地在屋顶上露出
“I have a chance to get my friend back, and I’m going to take it,” Damien states as he seizes Kara’s backpack off the couch.
达米安说,“我有机会把我的朋友带回来,我要拿回来。”
He yanks out the paw in a flash and holds it up.
他一闪一闪地拔出爪子 举起手来
One withered finger is curled down.
一根枯萎的指被卷倒.
“This is an awful idea,” Miguel says.
Miguel说,“这是一个可怕的想法,”
“Just let him try,” Kara says.
卡拉说,“让他试试吧。”
“Maybe it will help him feel better to do everything he can, even when it doesn’t work.”
“也许做他能做的事会更好, “
Damien whispers something.
达米安在低语
They wait and listen to the rain, which is coming down harder now.
他们等着听雨声 现在雨声越来越厉害了
After what seems like forever, Kara says, “See, it’s just a creepy old monkey’s paw—nothing more.”
Kara说:“看,这只是一只恐怖的老猴子的爪子, “
She grabs the hand and returns it to her backpack.
她抓住了手,还给她的背包。
Thunder rumbles in the distance, and night descends.
雷鸣相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相
Soon, the three friends are covered in blankets on the couch, eating popcorn, watching Damien’s favorite comedy, and laughing as if nothing terrible could ever happen.
很快,三个朋友被沙发上被被毯子遮住,吃爆米花,观看达米安最喜爱的喜剧,并取笑,仿佛什么也不可能发生.
They see the flash of light out front a split second before the crack of thunder shakes the windows.
他们看到闪出光线的光 在雷劈出窗外前一分秒
The house plunges into blackness.
房子陷入了黑暗中。
Kara throws the blanket over her head, Miguel nearly jumps off the couch, and Damien yelps in surprise.
卡拉把毯子扔到她头上,米格尔差点从沙发上跳下,而达米安却大吃一惊.
A moment later, they are all laughing at each other’s reactions—until Miguel shushes them.
他们都嘲笑对方的反应,
“Did you hear that?”
“你听到了吗? “
he asks and whips out his cell phone to turn on the flashlight.
他问和鞭出 他的手机打开手电筒。
They listen.
他们听。
From somewhere at the back of the house, they hear a faint scratching over the rain.
从房子后面的某个地方, 他们听到一个微弱的刮过雨来。
“What is that?”
“这是什么? “
Miguel asks.
米格尔问.
Kara shakes her head, but Damien’s eyes grow wide.
卡拉摇起头来,但达米安的眼睛会变宽.
Slowly, they climb off the couch.
慢慢地,他们爬出沙发。
The scraping sound grows louder as they near the back door, but when they’re close enough to touch the handle, it stops.
刮去的声音在后门附近越响越大,
They can hear their own nervous breathing as Miguel peeks through the blinds covering the window in the upper part of the door.
他们能听到自己的紧张呼吸,因为米格尔从遮住门上部窗户的百叶窗中偷看.
“It’s completely black out there,” he says.
他说,“外面一片漆黑,”
“Must be a branch or something caught in the thunderstorm,” Kara suggests.
Kara指出,
The scraping sound starts again, this time on the outside of the house.
刮出的声音又开始了,这次是在房子外面.
It moves sluggishly, like something dragging itself along.
它移动缓慢, 像东西拖累自己。
Miguel tracks the sound with his cell phone light as it works its way across one wall and then another.
Miguel用手机灯跟踪声音,因为它穿过一面墙,然后是另一面墙。
It halts.
它会停止。
Lightning flashes, and Kara squeals.
闪电闪烁 卡拉也发出叫声
“Let’s go back to the living room,” she pleads to Miguel and Damien, who both nod eagerly.
她恳求米格尔和达米安,
They enter the living room, Kara diving onto the couch and covering herself with the boys’ blankets.
他们进入客厅,Kara跳上沙发,用男孩的被子遮住自己。
Miguel and Damien move toward the couch but freeze when something strikes the front door.
Miguel和Damien向沙发移动 但当有东西击中前门时会冻住
Thump.
咚的一声。
It sounds like something sodden and heavy being tossed against the door.
听起来像是被推倒在门上的东西
Thump.
咚的一声。
Miguel shines his light on the front door, and Kara tries to bury herself in the corner of the couch.
米格尔把灯光照到正门上,卡拉想把自己埋在沙发的角落.
Damien covers his mouth in alarm.
达米安在惊慌中遮住嘴
Thump.
咚的一声。
Miguel and Damien inch toward the large curtained window next to the front door.
Miguel和Damien在前门旁边的大窗外
“Stay away from—” Kara starts.
" 远离... " 卡拉开始。
Thump.
咚的一声。
As they near the window, Miguel and Damien carefully push the fabric aside and lean forward to peer through the rain-streaked glass.
当他们靠近窗户时,米格尔和达米安小心地把织物推到一边,并靠向通过被雨水压碎的玻璃对等.
“I can’t see anything,” Miguel says, his breath fogging the window.
Miguel说:「我什么都看不见,
THUMP!
汤!
Something smashes into the door, rattling the hinges, and the boys bound back.
有东西砸到门里 撞断了锁链 男孩们就回来了
A horrid snorting noise and a gurgling rumble that could be mistaken for a deep growl follow the thump.
令人发指的叫声 和一股叫声 可能会被误认为是大叫声
The thing outside scratches at the door.
外面的东西在门上划伤。
Damien’s eyes grow wide as the scratching comes again, long and slow.
达米安的眼睛会变宽,
He steps forward.
他向前迈去。
“No, don’t,” Miguel begs, grabbing Damien’s arm, but Damien shakes him off.
Miguel乞求抓住达米安的手臂,
“Damien, don’t open the door!”
“Damien,不要开门!”
Kara screams as he reaches for the dead bolt.
卡拉在追上死栓时尖叫
Miguel is frozen in horror.
米格尔被吓坏了
The scratching and the gurgling growl persist.
挠痒和咆哮的叫声持续.
Behind Damien, Kara fumbles with her backpack’s zipper.
在达米安的背后,卡拉用她的背包拉链摔倒了.
Damien unlocks the dead bolt.
达米安打开了死栓
THUD!
轰!
The door shakes.
门摇.
The low growl turns into a horrific snarl.
低调的咆哮变成了恐怖的叫声。
Kara opens her backpack and plunges her hand inside, pulling out the monkey’s paw.
Kara打开了背包,
Two fingers are curled down.
两指相接而下.
With trembling hands, Damien unlocks the doorknob and whispers, “Bruiser.
Damien用颤抖的手解锁门把手并低声说出“Briser”。
Kara squeezes her eyes shut and wishes.
卡拉紧紧地压住她的眼睛 并许愿。
The paw twitches faintly in her hand.
爪子抽搐在她手上微弱地。
Damien swings the door open to see the rain falling gently in the deserted darkness beyond.
达米安打开了门 看着雨在黑暗中轻轻地倒下