8 The Australian Boomerang Bonanza

Chapter 1 The Grand Prize Snow whipped through the air in thick blankets. Stanley Lambchop trudged on, trying not to flap in the wind. Up ahead, Stanley could just make out his younger brother, Arthur. "Keep going!" Arthur's voice called. "We're almost there!" Since the morning Stanley Lambchop had awakened to discover that he had been flattened by the bulletin board over his bed, he had traveled far and wide. He had trekked through the Mexican jungle. He had crossed the African savannah. He had braved the Canadian Arctic. But this just might be his most difficult journey of all. And it's only the walk home from school! thought Stanley.

第一章大奖雪像厚厚的毯子一样从空中呼啸而过。 斯坦利·兰切普艰难地前行，努力不让自己在风中飘动。 在前方，斯坦利只能辨认出他的弟弟亚瑟。 “继续!”阿瑟的声音叫道。 “快到了!”自从那天早上斯坦利·兰彻醒来发现自己被床头的布告板压扁后，他就四处旅行了。 他曾徒步穿过墨西哥丛林。 他穿越了非洲大草原。 他曾勇闯加拿大的北极。 但这可能是他最艰难的旅程。 而且从学校走回家也很方便!认为斯坦利。

He strained to take another step, but the wind blew him off his feet yet again. He flew backward into the side of a bus shelter with a slap. Stanley groaned. Since being flattened, Stanley could do all sorts of useful things. He could travel by mail, slide under doors, and fly like a kite. But being half an inch thick also had its disadvantages. It sure doesn't help one bit in a blizzard! Stanley thought. Arthur ran up. "Are you okay?" he cried over the howling wind. Stanley gritted his chattering teeth. "I hate this weather!" Arthur nodded and held out his hand. "Hold on to me!" Stanley couldn't grab his brother's outstretched mitten. So Arthur leaned into the wind and battled down the sidewalk, dragging Stanley's body flapping behind him like a cape.

他费力地想再走一步，但风又把他刮倒了。 他向后一飞，重重地撞在公共汽车候车亭的一侧。 斯坦利呻吟着。被压扁后，斯坦利可以做各种有用的事情。 他可以通过邮件旅行，从门缝里钻出来，像风筝一样飞翔。 但是半英寸厚也有它的缺点。 这在暴风雪中一点用都没有!斯坦利的想法。 阿瑟跑了上来。“你还好吗?”他在呼啸的狂风中喊道。 斯坦利咬紧牙关，龇牙咧嘴。 “我讨厌这种天气!”阿瑟点点头，伸出手来。 “抓住我!”斯坦利抓不到他哥哥伸出的手套。 于是阿瑟迎着风在人行道上挣扎着，拖着斯坦利像斗篷一样在身后扑腾的身体。

"I wish we lived somewhere hot!" Stanley grumbled. "Tell me about it!" Arthur called over his shoulder. "Can you believe that right now it's summer in Australia?!" "We could be on a beach!" said Stanley. "If only I'd won that Kanga Roos contest!" said Arthur. Kanga Roos was Arthur and Stanley's favorite breakfast cereal. Several months ago, Arthur had cut out a form from the back of their cereal box and entered a contest whose grand prize was a trip to Australia. Nothing ever happened, though. Arthur pulled Stanley up the front steps of their home. Pushing the door closed behind them, Stanley flattened himself against it and took a deep breath. A row of icicles fell from the side of his body.

“我希望我们住在一个热的地方!”斯坦利咕哝道。 “告诉我吧!”阿瑟扭头喊道。 “你能相信现在是澳大利亚的夏天吗?!”“我们可能在海滩上!”斯坦利说。 “要是我赢了那场袋鼠比赛就好了!”阿瑟说。 康加鲁斯麦片是亚瑟和斯坦利最喜欢的早餐麦片。 几个月前，阿瑟从他们的麦片盒背面剪下一张表格，参加了一个比赛，大奖是去澳大利亚旅行。 然而，什么也没发生。 阿瑟把斯坦利拉上家门口的台阶。 斯坦利推开身后的门，身子贴在门上，深吸了一口气。 一排冰柱从他的身体侧面落下。

"Thank you, Arthur," he said. "I don't know how I would have made it without you." Arthur shrugged. "I don't know how you make it anywhere without me." He pulled off his boots. "After all, who was it that saved you on Mount Rushmore? Who solved all your problems over the telephone when you were in China? Who got us down that river in Africa?" "You're the one who dropped the paddle!" cried Stanley, suddenly thawed under the collar. "I did not!" replied Arthur. "You dropped the paddle!" "I did not!" huffed Stanley. "Arthur, is that you?" their mother's voice called from the next room. Arthur held up his hands. "I'm just saying," he said in a low voice, "the next time you go somewhere, take me along, will you?" Then he added, "Especially if it's Hawaii or Florida." Stanley couldn't help it. He smiled. "You're here!" Mrs. Lambchop came bustling down the hall, her eyes fixed on Arthur. She seemed very excited. "Wait until you—" The

“谢谢你，亚瑟。”他说。 “如果没有你，我真不知道该怎么做。” 亚瑟耸耸肩。“没有我，我不知道你是怎么做到的。” 他脱下靴子。“毕竟，是谁在拉什莫尔山救了你?” 你在中国的时候，谁通过电话帮你解决了所有的问题? 是谁把我们带到非洲的那条河下游的?”“是你把桨掉在地上的!”斯坦利叫道，他的衣领下突然解冻了。 “我没有!”阿瑟回答。 “你把桨掉了!”“我没有!”斯坦利生气地说。 “亚瑟，是你吗?”母亲的声音从隔壁房间传来。 阿瑟举起双手。“我只是说，”他低声说，“下次你去什么地方，带我一起去，好吗?”然后他又说，“尤其是在夏威夷或佛罗里达。” 斯坦利没办法。他笑了。 “你在这里!”兰彻太太从大厅里走来，眼睛紧盯着阿瑟。 她看起来很兴奋。“等到你——

smile fell from her face. "Why, you look like a wet dog!" Arthur scoffed. "I just walked through a blizzard!" Their father, George Lambchop, appeared with a comb and started dragging it roughly through Arthur's hair. "Dad!" protested Arthur. Mrs. Lambchop bit her lip. "And his socks are all wet!" Their parents didn't even seem to notice that Stanley's socks were wet, too. "What is going on?" Arthur and Stanley both cried.

笑容从她脸上消失了。“怎么，你看起来像个落汤鸡!”亚瑟嘲笑。 “我刚刚走过一场暴风雪!”他们的父亲乔治·兰姆切普拿着一把梳子出现了，开始粗暴地在阿瑟的头发上拨弄。 “爸爸!”阿瑟抗议道。兰勃切太太咬着嘴唇。 “他的袜子都湿了!”他们的父母似乎甚至没有注意到斯坦利的袜子也湿了。 “发生了什么事?”阿瑟和斯坦利都哭了。