9. Never Give Up

Chapter 9 Never Give Up "No, they didn't!" Lucy said. "They have to be somewhere in Green Lawn. We can't give up, Bradley." Just then Brian and Nate came loping past the town hall. They were out of breath and out of pictures. "Well, we did all we could," Brian said. "Now I guess we just have to hope someone calls Officer Fallon." The four kids flopped on the grass under a tree.

第九章永不放弃“不，他们没有！”露西说。 “他们一定在绿草坪的某个地方。 我们不能放弃，布拉德利。” 就在这时，布莱恩和内特大步走过市政厅。 他们上气不接下气，也没有照片了。 “嗯，我们已经尽力了，”布莱恩说。 “现在我想我们只能希望有人给法伦警官打电话了。” 四个孩子扑通一声躺在树下的草地上。

"You're right, Lucy," Bradley said. "We can't give up on this." "But we've looked everywhere," Brian said. "My brain is tired." "What brain?" Bradley teased, tickling his brother under the arm. Brian threw a handful of grass at Bradley. "Ponies and dogs aren't stupid," Bradley said, wiping pieces of grass off his T-shirt. "Nobody said they were," Brian said. "So what?" "So they wouldn't just wander around," Bradley went on. "They'd have a plan." "Yeah, only they didn't bother to tell us what it was," Nate said. "What do they both like to do?" Bradley asked. "What do Polly and Pal like better than anything?" "Food!" the other three kids yelled, and they all laughed. "Right," Bradley said. "So who do we know who gives food to animals?" "We do," Brian said. "No, I mean other people," Bradley said. "Dr. Henry, the vet, does," Nate said.

“你说得对，露西，”布拉德利说。 “我们不能放弃。” “但我们到处都找过了，”布莱恩说。 “我的大脑累了。”“大脑什么?”布拉德利揶揄着，搔他弟弟的胳臂下。 布莱恩朝布拉德利扔了一把草。 “小马和狗都不傻，”布拉德利一边说，一边擦去t恤上的草屑。 “没人说他们是，”布莱恩说。 “所以什么?”“这样他们就不会到处闲逛了，”布拉德利接着说。 “他们会有一个计划。”“是的，只是他们懒得告诉我们那是什么，”内特说。 “他们俩都喜欢做什么？”布拉德利问。 “波莉和伙伴最喜欢什么？”“吃的！”其他三个孩子喊道，他们都笑了。 “好的，”布拉德利说。“那么我们知道是谁给动物提供食物呢？”“我们有，”布莱恩说。 “不，我是说其他人，”布拉德利说。 “兽医亨利医生知道，”内特说。

"And Mrs. Wong, at the pet shop," Brian said. "She even feeds squirrels and pigeons!" "Did anyone bring them a picture of Polly and Pal?" Nate asked. "Bradley and I tried at Dr. Henry's, but he wasn't there," Lucy said. "The place was closed." "We stopped at the Furry Feet Pet Shop, but Mrs. Wong's shop was closed, too," Brian said. "Well, I think we should try them again," Bradley said. "They both keep a lot of pet food around. Polly and Pal would smell it." "We've tried everything else," Brian said. "Let's go." The kids hiked back across Main Street and up East Green Street. They tried the front door of Dr. Henry's office, but it was locked. They walked all around the building. Bradley checked the ground for hoofprints. "Okay, let's go to Furry Feet," he said. The Furry Feet Pet Shop was on the corner of Main and Oak Streets. The kids stood in front of the shop, peering through the glass. They saw kittens, fish, and hamsters. No pony. No basset hound.

“还有宠物店的黄太太，”布莱恩说。 “她甚至喂松鼠和鸽子！”“有人给他们带了波莉和帕尔的照片吗？”内特问道。 “布拉德利和我试着去看医生。 亨利的，但他不在那儿。”露茜说。 “那个地方关门了。”“我们在毛茸茸的脚宠物店停了下来，但黄太太的店也关门了，”布莱恩说。 “嗯，我想我们应该再试一次，”布拉德利说。 “他们都在身边放了很多宠物食品。 波莉和伙伴会闻到的。” “我们已经尝试了所有的方法，”布莱恩说。 “我们走吧。”孩子们徒步穿过主街，走上东格林街。 他们试着从前门进去。 亨利的办公室，但是锁着的。 他们绕着大楼走了一圈。 布拉德利检查了地面上的蹄印。 “好吧，我们去找毛脚吧，”他说。 毛脚宠物店位于缅因街和橡树街的拐角处。 孩子们站在商店前面，透过玻璃往外看。 他们看到了小猫、鱼和仓鼠。 没有小马。没有猎犬。

"The note's still on the door," Nate said. He read it: "At the petting zoo." Bradley stared at the note. "Remember when we saw Dr. Henry this morning, on the way to the parade?" he asked the others. "He said he was going to help out at the petting zoo. And this note says Mrs. Wong is there, too."

“那张纸条还在门上，”内特说。 他念道：“在宠物动物园。” 布拉德利盯着那张纸条。 “还记得今天早上我们在去游行的路上看见亨利医生吗？”他问其他人。 “他说他要去宠物动物园帮忙。 这张纸条上说黄太太也在那儿。”

"The vet said there was a party there for the animals today," Lucy said. "Right, now I remember," Bradley said. He looked at the other kids. "If there's a party for animals, there'll be food for animals. We should check it out." The kids cut across Oak Street and passed People's Pond. They hurried past the police station, library, and senior center. "Wow, the place is crowded!" Nate said. Hundreds of people were at the Children's Petting Zoo and Aquarium. Almost everyone had a pet with them. Many of the kids had party hats on. There was a lot of noise from the animals and the people. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. "Look, there's Mr. Neater," Brian said. He waved at a tall man with white hair. Mr. Neater used to be the janitor at their school. Now he worked as a volunteer at the petting zoo. Mr. Neater was holding his rabbit, Douglas. "Hey, kids, welcome to the party!" Mr. Neater said. "It's our own Fourth of July celebration."

“兽医说今天那里有一个为动物们举办的派对，”露西说。 “对，现在我想起来了，”布拉德利说。 他看了看其他孩子。 “如果有动物的聚会，就会有动物的食物。 我们应该去看看。”孩子们抄近道穿过橡树街，经过人民池塘。 他们匆匆经过警察局、图书馆和老年中心。 “哇，这地方好挤啊！”内特说。 数百人聚集在儿童宠物动物园和水族馆。 几乎每个人都养了一只宠物。 许多孩子都戴着派对帽。 动物和人发出了很大的噪音。 每个人似乎都玩得很开心。 “看，那是尼特先生，”布莱恩说。 他向一个白发苍苍的高个男子挥了挥手。 尼特先生曾经是他们学校的看门人。 现在他在宠物动物园做志愿者。 尼特先生抱着他的兔子道格拉斯。 “嘿，孩子们，欢迎来到这个派对！”尼特说。 “这是我们自己的独立日庆祝活动。”

The kids looked around. They saw Mrs. Wong talking to some children while she fed baby ducks. Dr. Henry was there, too. He was showing some kids how to brush a lamb's wool. "Your pony and dog are here somewhere," Mr. Neater said. "They are?" Bradley asked. "Didn't you know?" Mr. Neater asked. "We've been looking for them for hours!" Bradley said. "They ran away from the parade!" "Goodness, they've been here all this time," Mr. Neater said. "My friends Ted and Sally have been watching them. We were wondering why you kids weren't here, too." Bradley laughed. "We've been running all over town!" he said. "Follow me," Mr. Neater said. Carrying Douglas in his arms, Mr. Neater led the kids over to a small barn. Lots of people were there, feeding a flock of goats and some chickens. Polly was being brushed by an elderly couple. A little girl was feeding her carrots and apples. Polly looked very happy.

孩子们环顾四周。他们看见黄太太一边喂小鸭子一边和一些孩子说话。 亨利医生也在那里。他正在教一些孩子如何刷小羊的毛。 “你的小马和狗就在这里的某个地方，”尼特说。 “他们是谁?”布拉德利问。 “你不知道吗？”尼特先生问。 “我们找了好几个小时了！”布拉德利说。 “他们从游行队伍中逃跑了！”“天哪，它们一直都在这里，”尼特说。 “我的朋友泰德和莎莉一直在看他们。 我们想知道为什么你们这些孩子也没来。” 布拉德利笑了。“我们跑遍了整个镇子！”他说。 “跟我来，”尼特说。 尼特先生把道格拉斯抱在怀里，领着孩子们来到一个小谷仓。 很多人在那里喂一群羊和几只鸡。 一对老夫妇正在给波莉梳头。 一个小女孩正在喂她的胡萝卜和苹果。 波莉看起来很高兴。