1. Stars and Stripes

FLAT STANLEY'S WORLDWIDE ADVENTURES 9 The US Capital Commotion

FLAT STANLEY的全球冒险9美国资本动荡

1 Stars and Stripes Every Fourth of July, Stanley Lambchop dreamed of being in the local Independence Day parade— that is, until the year that his bulletin board fell on him in the middle of the night and flattened him. "Can't I be Abraham Lincoln?" Stanley pleaded. Moments before the parade was about to begin, he found himself sitting in the center of the Grammar Society float, with his legs folded tightly to his chest.

每年7月4日，斯坦利·兰姆切普都梦想着参加当地的独立日游行——直到有一年，他的公告牌在半夜掉在他身上，把他压扁了。 “我不能是亚伯拉罕·林肯吗?”斯坦利辩护。 在游行即将开始的前几分钟，他发现自己坐在语法学会花车的中央，双腿紧紧地交叉在胸前。

"I cannot tell a lie," intoned his father, George Lambchop. He towered over Stanley majestically in a white wig and ponytail. "I think you look patriotic." "Oh, George," blushed Stanley's mother, Harriet Lambchop, who was wearing an old-

“我不能说谎，”他的父亲乔治·兰博切吟诵道。 他戴着白色的假发，扎着马尾，威严地高出斯坦利。 “我觉得你看起来很爱国。” “哦，乔治，”斯坦利的母亲哈丽特·兰切普脸红了，她戴着一顶旧帽子

fashioned blue gown and a ribbon in her hair. "You are such a good father… of our country. George Washington!" Stanley's father winked. "No, Betsy Ross. It is you who deserves our gratitude for giving birth to such a fine flag." He gestured grandly down toward Stanley, and Mrs. Lambchop curtsied with a giggle. "How many times do I have to tell you," interrupted Stanley, "I don't want to be the—" His younger brother, Arthur, appeared from the other side of the float. Arthur had stretched a pale bathing cap over his head and had fringed it with strands from an old gray mop. "It's not too late to be my kite, Stanley!" He peered down at Stanley from over his tiny spectacles and patted his huge belly, which was actually a pillow stuffed under his shirt. "I beg your pardon, Mr. Benjamin Franklin," their father said, shaking his head gravely. "I cannot allow your brother to be struck by lightning." "Aw," said Arthur. "Even if it means discovering electricity?"

时髦的蓝色长袍，头发上系着丝带。 “你是我们国家的好父亲。 乔治·华盛顿!”斯坦利的父亲眨了眨眼。 “不，贝琪·罗斯。您生下了这么好的一面旗帜，值得我们感激。” 他庄严地朝斯坦利做了个手势，兰彻太太咯咯地笑着行了个屈膝礼。 “我要跟你说多少遍，”斯坦利打断他说，“我不想成为——”他的弟弟亚瑟从花车的另一边出现了。 阿瑟把一顶苍白的泳帽套在头上，用一把旧的灰色拖把上的几缕带子围了起来。 “现在做我的风筝还不晚，斯坦利!”他从小小的眼镜上方俯视着斯坦利，拍了拍他的大肚子，那其实是塞在他衬衫下面的一个枕头。 “请原谅，本杰明·富兰克林先生，”他们的父亲严肃地摇着头说。 “我不能让你哥哥被闪电击中。” “啊。”阿瑟说。“即使这意味着发现电?”

Suddenly, a nearby brass band launched into a bouncy rendition of "America the Beautiful." The float lurched forward. "The parade is starting!" squealed Stanley's mother. She picked up a wooden pole and poked it at Stanley. "Stanley, get up! You have to wave!" "Can't I just wave with my hands," Stanley said, "like everyone else?" "No!" his family shouted. Stanley let out a sigh, grabbed on to the top of the pole, and slowly unfurled his body. His mother had spent days sewing his costume. Thirteen red and white stripes ran down to his toes, while a square of blue with white stars covered half of his chest. He began swishing back and forth, as if he were fluttering in the breeze.

突然，附近的一支铜管乐队弹起了《美丽的美国》。 漂浮物颠簸着前进。 “游行开始了!”斯坦利的妈妈尖叫道。 她拿起一根木杆，朝斯坦利戳去。 “斯坦利，起来!”你必须挥手!”“我就不能像其他人一样挥挥手吗?”斯坦利说。“不!”他的家人喊道。 斯坦利叹了口气，抓住杆子的顶端，慢慢地伸开身子。 他的母亲花了几天时间为他缝制服装。 十三道红白相间的条纹一直延伸到他的脚趾头，而一块蓝色的正方形和白色的星星覆盖了他的半个胸部。 他开始前后摇摆，好像在微风中飘动。

"Check out the Stars and Stripes!" someone yelled. "Hey, flag boy!" someone called. "Smile!" A local television crew ran up and hopped alongside the float. Everywhere Stanley looked, people were pointing their fingers at him. Being flat had given Stanley the opportunity to do things most people never dreamed of. He had traveled around the world by airmail. He could slide under doors, slip between bars, and fold himself into an origami ninja throwing star. He had served as a cape used by the great matador Carmen del Junco in Mexico and performed with

“看看星条旗!”有人喊道。 “嘿，旗童!”有人喊道。 “笑!”一个当地电视台的工作人员跑过来，跳到了花车旁边。 斯坦利所到之处，人们都在指责他。 平坦的身体使斯坦利有机会做大多数人做梦也想不到的事情。 他曾乘航空邮件环游世界。 他能从门缝里钻过去，在栏杆间溜过去，还能把自己折成一个折纸忍者飞镖。 他曾是墨西哥斗牛士卡门·德尔·琼科(Carmen del Junco)表演时使用的斗篷