The Monkey’s Paw
美音、自然拼读、分级阅读与词汇复习
The campfire crackles, and Miguel lazily digs his roasting stick into the glowing embers.
营火快克,而米格尔懒惰地将他的烤棒挖入了发光的火苗.
Kara and Damien stare transfixed at the flames as they all bask in the unadulterated languor that only comes at the beginning of summer vacation.
卡拉和达米安都盯着火焰, 他们都沉浸在未成熟的花花公子中,
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 reverie as Shelly shuffles out of the darkness, looking haggard and exhausted.
三人几乎从他们的荣耀中抬起头来,当雪莉从黑暗中洗来洗去,看着被辱而疲惫.
With a determined movement, she flings something into the flames that bounces off a burning log and lands between Miguel’s sneakers.
在Miguel运动鞋之间,
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
The scent of singed hair hits his nostrils.
唱出头发的气味打中了他的鼻孔.
“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll toss that back in the fire,” Shelly says, her voice shaking, almost frantic.
“如果你知道什么对你有好处,你会把那个扔回火里,”雪莉说,她的声音发抖,几乎是疯狂的。
“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 snatches the paw and clutches it behind her back.
她绕着大火飞去,但卡拉抓住了爪子,并紧紧抓住了后背.
Shelly steps away, her terrified expression melting into something icy and distant.
雪莉走开 她害怕的表情融化成冰冷而遥远的东西
She shakes her head.
她摇起头
“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 as if something were chasing her.
有了这个,她转身冲走 好像有东西在追她
“She’s so weird,” Miguel says.
Miguel说,
Kara holds the paw up to the flickering light and brushes away some soot.
卡拉把爪子伸到闪光下 擦去一些烟尘
It looks ancient— mummified, even.
它看起来像古老的 -- 木乃伊化的,甚至。
“Weird or not, this is pretty astonishing.”
“不管怎样,这是相当令人吃惊的。 “
“You don’t actually believe that story about wishes,” Damien challenges.
达米安质疑,
“Let me see it.”
“让我看看。 “
She hands the paw to Damien, who grasps 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住.
“Of course I don’t believe in a paw granting wishes, but it’s just cool to have.”
我当然不相信一副许愿的爪子, “
“It’s getting late, and I told my mom I’ d be home before ten,” Miguel says.
Miguel说:「现在很晚了,
“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 whines, 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?
It’s like an adult human male squats in our yard four times a day.
这就像一个成年的男性每天4次蹲在我们院子里。
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 paw twitches in Damien’s hand, and he chucks it on the ground with a shriek.
戴米安手中的爪子会颤抖,他用尖叫把爪子扔到地上。
Kara and Miguel start laughing as Damien screeches, “It moved!”
Kara和Miguel开始笑起,
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Kara says, picking up the paw.
“别傻了,”Kara说,
“It’s just a dried-up old husk of a hand.
“这只是一只被干枯的老花壳。
There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
也没什么好怕的。 “
Three days later, Bruiser is hit by a truck and killed.
三天后,布鲁泽被一卡车撞倒并被炸死.
When Miguel and Kara hear about it from other friends, they try texting, emailing, and calling Damien, but he doesn’t respond.
Miguel和Kara从其他朋友那里得知此事后,
Finally, after days of silence, they ride their bikes to his house, and as the evening shadows stretch toward a summer storm beginning to roil, they knock on the door.
最后,在沉默了好几天后,他们骑着自行车去他家,而当晚间影子向一阵夏季暴风来袭时,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 tight 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, man,” Damien replies and clears his throat.
达米安回答说,
“Bruiser used to sleep on the bed with me, and now I can’t sleep without him there.
Bruiser常和我睡在床上,
My parents don’t seem concerned; they went to some work party tonight and left me here.”
我父母似乎并不担心, 他们今晚去参加一个工作派对, “
“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, and he wipes his eyes.
达米安的嗓子被喉咙接住,
“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 right now,” Kara says, “but do you really think a shriveled knickknack could cause something like this?”
“我知道你现在很痛苦,”Kara说,“但你真的认为一个被打得团团转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, but what difference does that make?”
“在我的背包里, “
“You’re not thinking about—” Miguel starts.
" 你没有在想... " 米格尔开始。
“If it worked once, it could work again,” Damien snaps.
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 gently patter on the roof above.
雨开始轻轻地压在屋顶上
“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 and rummages through it.
达米安说:「我有机会带我的朋友回来,
Miguel makes a move to stop him, but Damien yanks out the paw in a flash and holds it up.
米格尔做了一个阻止他的行动, 但达米安扬克出出爪 在一闪一闪并把它举起。
One desiccated finger is curled down.
一个干燥的手指被卷起
“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。”
“When nothing happens, he’ll see he’s done everything he can, and maybe that’ll help him feel a little better.”
“当无事发生时,他就会看到自己已经尽力了, “
Miguel and Kara observe as Damien whispers something.
米格尔和卡拉观察 达米安低语的东西。
They wait and listen to the rain coming down, harder now, none of them sure exactly what they’re waiting for.
他们等待并聆听下起的雨,
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。
“Now, my friend, you need to take a shower.
“现在,我的朋友,你需要洗澡。
Miguel and I will find some food and a movie that won’t depress us any more than we already are.”
Miguel和我会找到食物和电影, “
Damien nods and reluctantly climbs the stairs.
达米安点头,不情愿地爬上楼梯.
A few minutes later, they hear the shower running.
几分钟后 他们听到淋浴声
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 microwave 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毯子遮住,吃出微波爆米花,观看达米安最喜爱的喜剧,并笑得好像什么也不可能发生.
They see the flash of light out front a split second before the crack of thunder shakes the windows and the house plunges into blackness.
他们看到闪光闪出 前面一分秒鐘 在被雷劈出前 窗户被摇倒 房子陷入了黑暗
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。
“Hear what?”
“听到什么? “
Kara asks, shielding her eyes from the sudden brightness.
卡拉问起,遮住她的眼睛,防止她突然发亮.
Miguel puts his finger to his lips, and they listen.
米格尔用手指指着嘴唇,他们听了.
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.
They clamber off the couch, cautious, Miguel in the lead with the light, followed by Kara enveloped in her blanket, and then Damien.
他们从沙发上爬出,小心翼翼,米格尔以灯光领先,紧接着卡拉被封在被子上,然后是达米安.
The scraping sound grows louder as they approach the back door, but when they’re near enough to grasp the handle, the noise halts.
刮去的声音在接近后门时越发响亮,
They can hear their own anxious breathing as Miguel peers through the blinds covering the window in the upper part of the door.
他们能听到自己作为米格尔同龄人通过遮住门上部窗户的百叶窗而焦急地呼吸.
“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, trying to sound confident.
Kara建议“一定是个树枝或某种被雷暴所夹住的东西”,
The scraping sound starts again, clearly this time on the outside of the house: a rhythmic pulse that moves sluggishly, like something dragging itself along.
刮刮的声音又开始了,这一次显然在屋外:一种节奏性脉冲,动作迟缓,就像一些拖累自己的东西.
Miguel tracks the sound with his cell phone light as it haltingly works its way across one wall and then another.
Miguel用手机灯追踪声音, 它不停地穿过一面墙,然后是另一面墙。
It stops.
它停下来。
Miguel focuses the light on the point where the noise ceased.
米格尔把光聚焦在噪音停止的点上.
Lightning flashes, and Kara emits a squealing sound.
闪光闪发 卡拉发出一股叫声
“Let’s go back to the living room,” she pleads to Miguel and Damien, who both nod enthusiastically.
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！
It doesn’t sound like rapping with hard knuckles on wood—but more like tossing something sodden and heavy against it.
这听起来不像用硬指指着木头说唱,
Thump.
咚！
Miguel shines his light on the front door, Kara tries to bury herself in the corner of the couch, and Damien covers his mouth in alarm.
米格尔将灯光照到正门上,卡拉想将自己埋入沙发一角,而达米安则惊慌地遮住口.
Thump.
咚！
Slowly, Miguel and Damien cross the living room, inching toward the large curtained window next to the front door.
慢慢地,米格尔和达米安穿过客厅,向正门旁边的大窗帘走去.
“Stay away from—” Kara starts.
" 远离... " 卡拉开始。
Thump.
咚！
As they near the window, Miguel and Damien cautiously push the fabric aside and lean forward to peer through the rain-streaked glass, using the cell phone light to pierce the darkness beyond.
当他们靠近窗户时,米格尔和达米安谨慎地把织物推到一边,并靠向通过被雨水压倒的玻璃对等,用手机灯来穿透外边的黑暗.
“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 ghastly snorting noise and an unsettling, gurgling rumble that could be mistaken for a deep growl follow the impact.
令人毛骨悚然的叫声 和令人不快的叫声 可能会被误认为是强烈的咆哮
The thing outside scratches at the door, beginning at the top and raking down to the base.
外面的东西在门上刮去 从上到下到下到地底
Damien’s eyes widen, fixed on the door, as the scratching comes again, long and slow.
戴米安的眼睛会睁开,固定在门上,因为刮伤又来了,又长又慢.
Damien steps forward.
达米安向前走
“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’s shaking hands fumble with her backpack’s zipper.
卡拉在达米安背后握手,
Damien unlocks the dead bolt as a prolonged scratch finally trails off.
达米安解锁了死螺栓 作为长期的抓痕 终于消失了。
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 manages to open her backpack and plunges her hand inside.
卡拉设法打开了她的背包,并把她的手插入了里面.
She feels the leathery skin and coarse hair and pulls out the monkey’s paw.
她感觉皮革和粗糙的头发,
Two fingers are curled down.
两指相接而下.
With trembling hands, Damien anxiously unlocks the doorknob and whispers, “Bruiser.
戴米安用颤抖的手,急切地打开门把手并低声说出“布鲁泽”。
Kara squeezes her eyes shut and wishes.
卡拉紧紧地压住她的眼睛 并许愿。
The paw twitches almost imperceptibly in her hand.
爪子抽搐在她手上几乎是难以想象的。
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
Glossary anxious (adj.)
词汇焦虑(adj.)
worried or nervous (p.
担心或紧张(p.
12) desiccated (adj.)
12)干燥(adj.
dried up, preserved, or dehydrated (p.
干燥后保存或脱水(p.
9) disheveled (adj.)
9)被打倒(adj.
messy or disordered (p.
混乱或无序(p.
7) ghastly (adj.)
7) 骇人听闻(adj.
very frightening, horrible, or shocking (p.
非常可怕,可怕,或令人震惊(p.
14) imperceptibly (adv.)
14) 难以接受(adv.
(adj.)
(中文(简体) ).