Chapter 1

The Zombie Zone

僵尸区

Chapter 1 Ruth Rose's grandmother set her paint box on the sidewalk in front of their hotel. They were in New Orleans, Louisiana. Ruth Rose's gram was visiting the city to take a painting course, and she had invited Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose to join her. "What are you going to paint today?" Ruth Rose asked her grandmother.

露丝·罗斯的祖母把她的油漆盒放在旅馆前的人行道上。 他们在路易斯安那州的新奥尔良。 露丝·罗斯的祖母来市里上绘画课，她邀请了丁克、乔希和露丝·罗斯一起去。 “你今天打算画什么?”露丝·罗斯问她的祖母。

Ruth Rose liked to dress in one color, and today's color was robin's egg blue. Everything matched perfectly, down to her blue socks and sneakers. "I don't know yet," her grandmother said. "Our art teacher will tell us. I'd love to paint one of these charming old buildings with the balconies and creeping ivy." "Thanks again for bringing us," Dink said. His real name was Donald David Duncan, but ever since he was little, his nickname had been Dink. "And thanks for hiring Jack to show us the bayous," Josh added. "You're very welcome," Ruth Rose's grandmother said. "Where is he taking you today?" "We're going on a hike," Josh said. "We're visiting a community in the woods," Ruth Rose said. "He said the people there live in huts with no electricity!" "That sounds fascinating!" Ruth Rose's grandmother said. "Oh, here's Jack's van. Have fun and I'll see you for lunch!" The kids watched Ruth Rose's grandmother stride away with her paint box under one arm.

露丝·罗斯喜欢穿一种颜色的衣服，今天的颜色是罗宾的蛋蓝色。 每样东西都很相配，连她的蓝袜子和运动鞋都很相配。 “我还不知道，”她的祖母说。 我们的美术老师会告诉我们。 我很想在这些迷人的老建筑里画一幅有阳台和爬满常春藤的画。” “再次感谢你带我们来，”丁克说。 他的真名是唐纳德·大卫·邓肯，但从他很小的时候起，他的昵称就叫丁克。 “谢谢你雇杰克带我们去看海湾，”乔希补充道。 “不用谢，”露丝·罗斯的祖母说。 “他今天要带你去哪儿?”“我们要去徒步旅行，”乔希说。 “我们要去树林里的一个社区，”露丝·罗斯说。 “他说那里的人住在没有电的小屋里!”“听起来太棒了!”露丝·罗斯的祖母说。 “哦，杰克的货车来了。玩得开心，我们一起吃午饭!”孩子们看着露丝·罗斯的祖母腋下夹着油漆盒大步走开。

A van pulled up to the curb. It was painted all over with trees and vines and flowers. On one side was an alligator with the words GATOR GUIDES spilling out of its mouth. A tall man in boots, shorts, and a T-shirt hopped out. He had light hair and a deep tan. "Hey, kids, ready for a nice hike?" he said. "Hi, Jack!" the kids said. Josh and Ruth Rose piled into the back of the van as Jack climbed into the driver's seat. Dink sat in the front passenger seat. "Buckle up!" Jack said. While the kids fastened their seat belts, Jack handed Dink a can of bug spray. "There will be a lot of flying critters where were going, he said. The kids sprayed their arms and legs while Jack guided the van through the busy city. Dink saw a

一辆货车停在路边。 到处都画满了树、藤和花。 一面是一只鳄鱼，嘴里喷着“鳄鱼指南”的字样。 一个穿着靴子、短裤和t恤的高个子男人跳了出来。 他头发浅色，皮肤晒得黝黑。 “嘿，孩子们，准备好去远足了吗?”他说。 “嗨，杰克!”孩子们说。 杰克爬上驾驶座，乔希和露丝挤进了车的后座。 丁克坐在副驾驶座位上。 “系好安全带!”杰克说。孩子们系好安全带时，杰克递给丁克一罐杀虫剂。 “我们要去的地方会有很多飞行动物，”他说。 当杰克驾驶着货车穿过繁忙的城市时，孩子们喷了喷他们的胳膊和腿。 丁克看到了

lot of people jogging, walking dogs, or eating breakfast at little sidewalk tables. One woman strolled along with a parrot on her shoulder! "We'll be hiking through a beautiful forest today," Jack told the kids as he drove. "And we'll meet those people I told you about." "Why don't they live in the city like everyone else?" Ruth Rose asked. "Not everyone likes city life," Jack explained. "The folks you'll meet today would rather live the old-fashioned way. They grow most of their own food and hunt or fish for the rest." "But don't they miss TV and computers?" Josh asked. Jack laughed. "The kids go to school in town, so they probably know about that stuff," he said. "But without electricity, how do they cook?" Dink asked. "On open fires," Jack said. "Most of them have simple stoves made from clay and rocks." Dink pictured his parents cooking all their meals outside. He smiled. The road became narrower until the van was bumping along over gravel. Tall trees lined the road. Grayish green Spanish moss dripped from

很多人慢跑，遛狗，或者在路边的小桌子上吃早餐。 一个女人背着一只鹦鹉在散步!“今天我们要徒步穿越一片美丽的森林，”杰克一边开车一边告诉孩子们。 “我们会见到我跟你说过的那些人。” “为什么他们不像其他人一样住在城里?”露丝·罗斯问。 “不是每个人都喜欢城市生活，”杰克解释说。 “你今天要见到的那些人宁愿过老式的生活。 他们自己种植大部分食物，其余的则打猎或捕鱼。” “但是他们不想念电视和电脑吗?”杰克问。 杰克笑了。“孩子们在城里上学，所以他们可能知道这些东西，”他说。 “但是没有电，他们怎么做饭呢?”丁克问道。 “在明火上。”杰克说。 “他们中的大多数人都有由粘土和岩石制成的简单炉子。” 丁克想象着他的父母在外面做饭。 他笑了。道路越来越窄，直到货车在砾石上颠簸前行。 高大的树木排列在道路两旁。 灰绿色的西班牙苔藓从

the branches. Through the open windows Dink could hear birds and smell sweet dampness. Jack's cell phone started ringing. He pulled the van to the side of the road and stopped to chat for a minute. "That was my wife," he told the kids after he hung up. "We're expecting our first baby any day now!" "Cool!" Josh said as Jack continued driving. "Will you take him on hikes?" "The baby could just as easily be a girl, you know, Josh," Ruth Rose said. "Either way, he or she will definitely be a hiker," Jack said, grinning. Soon Jack parked the van in a small clearing off the road. Behind them was the sunny gravel road. In front was a dark wall of trees, moss, and thick shrubbery. The kids and Jack climbed out of the van. The air felt muggy, and tiny bugs flew around their faces. Jack slung his pack over one shoulder. Then he pointed to a brass plaque. The words OLD FOREST TRAIL had been stamped into the metal.

树枝。透过开着的窗户，丁克可以听到鸟儿的叫声，闻到潮湿的香味。 杰克的手机响了起来。 他把货车停在路边，停下来聊了一会儿。 “是我妻子打来的，”他挂了电话后对孩子们说。 “我们的第一个孩子随时都可能降生!”“酷!”杰克继续开车时，乔希说。 “你会带他去远足吗?”“你知道，乔希，孩子也很可能是个女孩，”露丝·罗斯说。 “不管怎样，他或她肯定会成为一名徒步旅行者，”杰克笑着说。 不久，杰克把货车停在路边的一小块空地上。 他们身后是一条阳光明媚的砾石路。 前面是一堵由树木、苔藓和茂密的灌木丛组成的黑暗墙。 孩子们和杰克从货车里爬了出来。 空气闷热，小虫子在他们脸上飞来飞去。 杰克把背包挎在肩上。 然后他指着一块黄铜牌匾。 金属上印着“老森林小径”几个字。