10 Halfway There

Chapter 10. Halfway there. Squeak! Jack opened his eyes. Peanut was on the treehouse windowsill. We're home! said Annie. Jack breathed a sigh of relief. Annie held a fruit up to the afternoon light. What exactly is this? she asked. Maybe it's in the book! Jack answered. He pulled out the rainforest book. He flipped through the pages. He came to a picture of the red fruit.

第十章 任务完成一半啦 吱吱！ 杰克睁开眼睛，花生正待在树屋的窗台上。 “我们到家啦！”安妮说。杰克松了一大口气。安妮举着一个果子，对着午后的阳光端详。 “这到底是什么呀？”她问。 “说不定书里有答案！”杰克回答。 他掏出那本雨林书，哗啦哗啦翻页，翻到了一张红色果子的图片。

Here it is, he said. He read out loud. The mango has a sweet taste like that of a peach. Mango! Mmm! said Annie. She brought the fruit close to her lips. Hey! said Jack, grabbing the mango from her. We have to put it with a moonstone. Jack placed the mango on the inn, carved into the next to the clear moonstone. Moonstone! Mango! whispered Annie. It sounded like a spell. We're halfway there, said Jack. Two more to go. Then we can free you, Morgan! Annie called as if Morgan were nearby. How do you know she can hear you? said Jack.

“找到了，”他说着大声念出来，“芒果味道清甜，和桃子的口感很像。” “芒果！哇！”安妮说。她把果子凑到嘴边。“嘿！”杰克喊着，一把从她手里 拿过芒果。“我们得把它和月光石放在一起。”杰克把芒果放到树屋里面刻的 透明月光石旁边。“月光石！芒果！”安妮小声念叨，听起来就像在念咒语。 “我们已经完成一半啦，”杰克说，“还差两个。然后我们就能救你出来啦，摩根！” 安妮喊得就好像摩根就在附近似的。“你怎么知道她能听见你呀？”杰克问。

I just feel it, Annie said. Oh, brother, said Jack. He needed more proof than that. Squeak! Peanut was looking at Jack and Annie. We have to leave you now, Jack said to the mouse. Squeak! Can't we take her with us, said Annie.

“我就是感觉得到呀，”安妮说。 “唉，真拿你没办法，”杰克说。 他可需要比“感觉”更实在的证据。 吱吱！ 花生正看着杰克和安妮。 “我们现在得走啦，”杰克对小老鼠说。 吱吱！ “我们不能带她一起走吗？”安妮问。

No, said Jack. Mom won't let us keep a mouse in the house. She doesn't like mice, remember?

“不行哦，”杰克说，“妈妈不会让我们在家里养老鼠的，她不喜欢老鼠，记得吗？”

How could anyone not like a mouse? said Annie. Jack smiled. How could anyone not like a spider? He said that's different. Annie patted Peanuts head. Bye. She said wait for us here. We'll be back tomorrow. Jack patted the mouse too. Bye peanut. Thanks for your help. He said squeak. Jack put the rainforest book on top of the book about ninjas. Then he pulled on his backpack and he and Annie left the treehouse. They climbed down the rope ladder. They stepped onto the ground. They started walking through the Frog Creek woods. Leaf shadows danced in the light.

“怎么会有人不喜欢老鼠呀？”安妮说。杰克笑了：“那怎么会有人不喜欢蜘蛛呀？” 他说那不一样。 安妮摸了摸花生的小脑袋：“再见啦。” 她说：“你在这里等我们哦，我们明天就回来。” 杰克也摸了摸小老鼠：“再见啦花生，谢谢你帮我们。”他听见吱的一声回应。 杰克把雨林书放到那本关于忍者的书上面。 然后他背上背包，和安妮一起离开了树屋。 他们爬下绳梯，踩到地面上，开始穿过青蛙溪树林。 树叶的影子在阳光下晃来晃去。

A bird called out. These woods are very different from the rainforest Jack thought. There are no jaguars or army ants here, he said. No little monkeys. You know, that monkey was never being mean, said Annie. He was just trying to give us the mango. I know. Actually nothing was being mean, said Jack. The army ants were just marching. That's what army ants do. The piranhas were just being piranhas, said Annie. The snake was just being a snake, said Jack. The crocodile was just being a crocodile, said Annie. The jaguar was just taking care of her baby, said Jack.

一只鸟儿叫了起来。 这片树林和雨林可太不一样啦，杰克心里想。 “这里没有美洲豹，也没有行军蚁，”他说，“也没有小猴子。” “你知道吗，那只猴子从来都没有恶意哦，”安妮说，“他只是想把芒果给我们呀。” “我知道呀，其实所有小动物都没有恶意，”杰克说，“行军蚁只是在赶路嘛，行军蚁本来就是这样的。” “食人鱼只是在做食人鱼该做的事呀，”安妮说。 “蛇只是在做蛇该做的事呀，”杰克说。“鳄鱼只是在做鳄鱼该做的事呀，”安妮说。 “美洲豹只是在照顾她的宝宝呀，”杰克说。