8

By now it was dark out, and Mom said we should turn in for the night. But Dad said the best part of camping was sitting round the campfire under the stars. That got Mom all EXCITED and she tried to get us to join in on a song that she said she learned at summer camp when she was a kid. But the rest of us aren't real big on sing-alongs, so we just waited for Mom to wrap it up. THERE'S A HOLE IN MY BUCKET, DEAR LIZA, DEAR LIZA After that, Dad brought out some marshmallows, and we found some long sticks.

天已经黑透了，妈妈说我们该睡觉过夜了。 可爸爸说露营最棒的环节，就是坐在篝火边看星星。 这话一下子把妈妈点燃了，她拉着我们一起唱一首歌，那是她小时候在夏令营学的。 可我们其他人都不爱大合唱，就静静等着妈妈唱完。 "我的水桶破了洞呀，亲爱的莱莎，亲爱的莱莎" 唱完之后，爸爸拿出了棉花糖，我们找来了好几根长树枝。

While we were roasting our marshmallows over the fire, Dad got all serious. He told us that a long time ago he went camping with his dad, and they'd met a crusty old ranger who told them a crazy story. The ranger said he used to have a beagle named Matilda, and she'd follow him wherever he'd go. But then this one night the ranger made a FIRE, and he saw a weird creature with glowing red eyes prowling around the edge of the camp.

我们在篝火上烤棉花糖的时候，爸爸突然严肃了起来。 他告诉我们，很久很久以前他和自己的爸爸来露营，遇到过一个脾气古怪的老护林员，老护林员给他讲了个离奇的故事。 护林员说他以前养过一只叫玛蒂尔达的比格犬，不管他去哪，狗狗都跟着。 可就在有一天晚上，护林员生起火后，看见营地边缘有只眼睛发红光的奇怪生物在四处游荡。

Matilda chased after the creature, and the ranger tracked her deep into the woods. But the only trace of the dog was her broken collar lying on the ground. Dad said that every night the ranger would sleep in his cabin alone, hoping Matilda would find her way back to him. And on nights just like tonight, when there was a crescent moon, he'd hear the howl of a beagle deep in the woods.

玛蒂尔达追着那个生物跑了，护林员跟着她一路走进森林深处。 可那只狗只留下了一点痕迹：断掉的项圈掉落在地上。 爸爸说，之后护林员每晚都一个人睡在小屋里，盼着玛蒂尔达能找回家。 每到像今晚这样挂着新月的夜晚，他就会听到森林深处传来比格犬的嚎叫声。

Mom wasn't happy with Dad for telling that story because Manny seemed really shook up. And, to be honest, I was a little spooked, too. Then I heard a sound coming from deep in the woods that made my heart STOP. For a split second I thought it was the ghost of Matilda. But then I realized Rodrick was missing, and the whole thing was one big joke Dad and Rodrick were playing on the rest of us.

妈妈很不高兴爸爸讲这个故事，因为曼尼看起来被吓坏了。 而且说实话，我也有点怕怕的。 这时我听到森林深处传来一阵声响，吓得我的心脏都停跳了。 有那么一瞬间我以为那是玛蒂尔达的鬼魂。 可我马上反应过来罗德里克不见了，整件事就是爸爸和罗德里克合伙捉弄我们的恶作剧。

But it kind of BACKFIRED. Because, when Rodrick howled, Manny JUMPED. And that's how Dad ended up with a flaming marshmallow stuck to his knee. I think Dad was about to dive in the stream to put out the fire, but luckily Rodrick remembered where we kept the fire extinguisher.

可这个玩笑玩脱了。 因为罗德里克嚎叫的时候，曼尼吓得跳了起来。 爸爸的膝盖就这样粘上了一块烧着的棉花糖。 爸爸本来都要跳进河里灭火了，还好罗德里克记得灭火器放在哪里。

Mom started giving Dad a lecture about why you should never scare people, but she got cut off by weird noises coming from the forest. At first I thought it might be another JOKE, but the look in Dad's and Rodrick's eyes told me it WASN'T. Whatever was out there sounded BIG and was coming our way. So we piled into the camper van and locked the door behind us.

妈妈开始教训爸爸说绝对不能随便吓人，可森林传来的奇怪声响打断了她。 一开始我以为这又是恶作剧，可爸爸和罗德里克的眼神告诉我，这次不是。 不管那东西是什么，它听起来个头很大，正朝我们过来。 所以我们全都挤进露营车，锁上了车门。