3 An Important Paper

3 AN IMPORTANT PAPER "Stop," said Annie. "We turn here, onto Fifth Street, then onto Chestnut Street." Jack and Annie trudged through the heat until they came to Chestnut Street. It was much quieter and calmer than Market. "Look, that's it," said Jack. He pointed to a brick building with paned windows and a tall bell tower. A sign in front said PENNSYLVANIA STATE HOUSE. "Great," said Annie. "So this is the plan. We say we're delivering Doctor Ben's midday meal. Then, to get his attention, we say we're from the press. That's what the rhyme tells us to do." "Got it," said Jack. "Let's go."

“停，”安妮说。 “我们在这里转弯，上第五街，然后上栗子街。” 杰克和安妮在炎热中艰难地走着，来到了栗树街。 这里比市场安静得多，也平静得多。 “看，就是它。”杰克说。 他指着一座砖房，里面有几扇玻璃窗和一座高高的钟楼。 门口的牌子上写着宾夕法尼亚州议会大厦。 “太好了，”安妮说。这就是我们的计划。 我们说我们要送本医生的午餐。 然后，为了引起他的注意，我们说我们来自媒体。 这就是押韵告诉我们要做的。” “明白了。”杰克说。“我们走吧。”

Jack and Annie walked up a pebbled path to the state house. When they reached the brick building, they knocked on the front door. No one came to let them in. Annie tried to turn the door's handle, but it was locked. Looking around, Jack noticed that all the windows were closed. Most of the blinds were drawn. "No one's here," he said. He felt sweaty and tired from the humid heat. "We came here for nothing." "Darn," said Annie. "Maybe we should go back to Doctor Ben's house and wait for him there." Suddenly the door swung open. A guard in a blue jacket and white pants stood before them. He looks like a soldier from the American Revolution, Jack thought. "No guests are allowed to enter," the guard said. "But, sir, we're not guests," Annie said

杰克和安妮沿着一条铺满石子的小路向州政府大厦走去。 当他们到达砖房时，敲了敲前门。 没有人让他们进来。 安妮想转动门把手，但门是锁着的。 杰克环顾四周，发现所有的窗户都关着。 大部分窗帘都拉上了。 “这里没人，”他说。由于湿热，他感到汗流浃背，疲惫不堪。 “我们到这里来一无所获。” “该死，”安妮说。“也许我们应该回到本医生的家，在那里等他。” 突然，门开了。 一个身穿蓝夹克和白裤子的警卫站在他们面前。 他看起来像美国独立战争时期的士兵，杰克想。 “客人不得入内，”卫兵说。 “可是，先生，我们不是客人，”安妮说

politely. "We're delivering a midday meal to Doctor Ben. It's from his daughter, Miss Sarah." "All right, come in," said the guard. He moved away from the door. "Thanks!" said Annie. She and Jack stepped into the building. "The doctor is in the Assembly Room," the guard said, pointing down the hall. "Wait outside the room until they take a break." "Yes, sir," said Jack. Jack and Annie tiptoed down the dark, shadowy hallway. "Listen," said Annie. Loud voices were coming from a room ahead. The door was half-open, so she and Jack peeked inside. "This must be the Assembly Room," whispered Jack. The large room had high ceilings and two fireplaces. The tall windows were framed by heavy drapes.

礼貌的。“我们正在给本医生送午餐。 是他女儿萨拉小姐寄来的。” “好吧，请进。”卫兵说。 他从门口走开了。 “谢谢！”安妮说。她和杰克走进大楼。 “医生在会议厅，”卫兵指着大厅说。 “在房间外面等他们休息。” “是的，先生。”杰克说。杰克和安妮蹑手蹑脚地走过阴暗的走廊。 “听着，”安妮说。前面的房间里传来了响亮的说话声。 门半开着，她和杰克偷偷往里看。 “这一定是会议厅。”杰克小声说。 这个大房间有高高的天花板和两个壁炉。 高高的窗户被厚厚的窗帘围了起来。

Men sat at tables with green tablecloths. They wore long jackets and shirts with white ruffled collars. They all had hair that came to their shoulders. At the front of the room, a white-haired man sat on a raised platform in a high- backed chair. He seemed to be in charge. Another man stood at a front table, hurriedly writing. Several men were talking: "Gentlemen, you are wrong!" "No! You want to give too much power to the national government." "He is correct!"

男人们坐在铺着绿色桌布的桌子旁。 他们穿着长夹克和有白色褶边领子的衬衫。 他们的头发都长到肩膀上。 在房间的前面，一个白发老人坐在高背椅上的高台上。 他似乎在负责。 另一个人站在前面的桌子旁，忙着写东西。 几个人在说：“先生们，你们错了！”“不!你想给国家政府太多的权力。” “他说得对！”

"But we have no Bill of Rights!" "Or freedom of speech!" "What about trial by jury?" The man in charge banged a gavel against his desk. "Order!" he said. "Raise your hands if you wish to speak." "What's going on?" Annie whispered to Jack. "I'm not sure," Jack whispered back. "I'll check our book." He reached into his bag and pulled out their Pennsylvania book. He opened to the chapter about Old Philadelphia. He turned the page. "Whoa!" Jack whispered. He showed Annie a painting in the book. "Look—it's the same!" Annie looked at the painting, then back at the men in the room. "It's this meeting!" Annie whispered. "What's going on?"

“可是我们没有《人权法案》啊！”“或者言论自由！”“陪审团审判怎么样？”负责人用小木槌猛敲桌子。 “肃静！”“想发言的请举手。” “发生什么事了？”安妮小声对杰克说。 “我不确定。”杰克小声回答。 “我来查一下我们的账簿。”他把手伸进书包，拿出了他们的宾夕法尼亚课本。 他翻开了关于老费城的那一章。 他翻了一页。“哇!”杰克小声说。 他给安妮看了书中的一幅画。 “看——是一样的！”安妮看了看那幅画，然后又看了看房间里的男人。 “就是这个会议！”安妮小声说。 “发生什么事了？”

They read silently: In 1787, after the Revolutionary War, America was made up of thirteen separate colonies. Each was like a different country. Would the colonies remain separate or become a nation of states? That summer, fifty-five delegates met in Philadelphia to answer this question. James Madison took daily notes on the meetings. In the end, he wrote America's most important document. Oh, man! thought Jack. He understood everything now. "Annie—" "I get it!" she whispered. She repeated a line from Morgan's message: "A paper must be signed." "I know," whispered Jack. "They're creating the United States Constitution!" "The Constitution? That's a big deal,"

他们默念着：1787年，独立战争结束后，美国由13个独立的殖民地组成。 每一个都像是一个不同的国家。 殖民地是保持独立还是成为一个国家的民族？ 那年夏天，55名代表在费城开会讨论这个问题。 詹姆斯·麦迪逊每天都做会议记录。 最后，他写下了美国最重要的文件。 哦,男人!杰克想。他现在明白了一切。 “安妮——”“我明白了！”她小声说。 她重复了摩根留言中的一句话：“必须签署一份文件。” “我知道，”杰克小声说。“他们正在制定美国宪法！”“宪法? 这是一件大事。”