02 The Cowherd

Chapter 2 The Cowherd Oh, wow! Annie said. These clothes feel so soft. And look, I have a pocket for my secret library card. Jack opened his eyes. Their clothes had magically changed. They no longer wore jeans, t -shirts, and sneakers. Instead, they had on baggy pants, loose shirts, straw shoes, and round hats. Annie's shirt had a pocket in it. Jack saw that his backpack had become

第二章 牛郎 哇哦！ 安妮说。 这些衣服摸起来好软呀。 你看，我有个口袋刚好能放我的秘密借书卡哦。 杰克睁开了眼睛。 他们的衣服居然神奇地变了样。 他们不再穿牛仔裤、T恤和运动鞋了。 取而代之的是宽松的裤子、肥大的上衣、草鞋和圆帽子。 安妮的上衣上刚好有个口袋。 杰克发现他的背包变成了

rough cloth sack. Inside were his research book, his notebook, his library card, and the bamboo strip. Cows! said Annie, looking out the window. Jack looked out, too. The treehouse had landed in a lone tree in a sunny field. Cows grazed, and a young man stood watching over them. At the edge of the field was a farmhouse. Beyond the house was a walled city. It looked so peaceful, said Annie. You can never be sure, said Jack. Remember Pompeii looked peaceful before the volcano went off. Oh, yeah, said Annie. Let's see what the book says, said Jack. He reached in the sack and pulled out the China book. He opened it and read aloud.

粗布袋子。里面装着他的研究手册、笔记本、借书卡，还有 那根竹条。 “有牛！”安妮望着窗外喊道。杰克也往外看。树屋落在了 一片向阳田野里的一棵孤树上。牛群在吃草，一个年轻男子站在一旁照看。 田野的边缘有一座农舍，农舍的另一边是一座带城墙的城市。 “这里看起来好祥和呀。”安妮说。“那可不一定哦。”杰克说，“还记得庞贝 火山爆发前看起来也很祥和呀。”“哦对哦。”安妮说。“我们来看看 书上怎么说的吧。”杰克说。他把手伸进袋子，拿出那本关于中国的书。他 翻开书大声读了起来。

Over 2 ,000 years ago, China was ruled by its first emperor. Because he chose the dragon to be his symbol, he was called the Dragon King. In China, dragons are seen as brave and powerful creatures. Dragon King? That sounds a little scary, said Jack. I like his outfit, said Annie. Next to the writing was a picture. It showed a man wearing a rich flowing robe with wide sleeves. He also wore a tall hat with beads hanging from it. Jack pulled out his notebook and wrote, First Emperor, called Dragon King. The book we need must be in the Dragon King's library, said Annie. I bet his palace is in that city.

两千多年前，中国由第一位皇帝统治。 因为他选龙作为自己的象征，所以被称作龙王。 在中国，龙被认为是勇敢又强大的神兽。 “龙王？听起来有点吓人呢。”杰克说。 “我喜欢他的衣服。”安妮说。 文字旁边配了一幅插画。 画里的男子穿着一件华贵飘逸的宽袖长袍。 他还戴着一顶垂着珠串的高帽子。 杰克掏出他的笔记本，写下： 第一位皇帝，人称龙王。 “我们要找的书肯定在龙王的藏书阁里。”安妮说。 “我敢打赌他的宫殿就在那座城里。”

Thank you.

谢谢你。

Jack looked up. Right, he said, and that's how to get there. He pointed across the field to a dirt road that led to the walled city. Good plan, said Annie. She climbed out of the treehouse and started down the rope ladder. Jack threw the china book and his notebook into a sack. He slung the sack over his shoulder and followed Annie. When they reached the ground, they started through the field. Look, that guy is waving at us, said Annie. The man tending the cows was shouting and waving. He started running toward them. Uh -oh, what's he want, said Jack.

杰克抬起头。 “对呀，”他说，“那条路就是去城里的。” 他指着田野对面那条通往有城墙的城市的土路。 “好主意。”安妮说。 她爬出树屋，顺着绳梯往下走。 杰克把那本中国相关的书和他的笔记本塞进袋子里。 他把袋子甩到肩膀上，跟在安妮后面。 他们落到地面后，就开始穿过田野。 “你看，那个人在朝我们挥手呢。”安妮说。 那个照看牛群的男子一边喊一边挥手。 他开始朝他们跑过来。 “哎哟，他想干嘛呀？”杰克说。

A moment later the man stood in their path. He was young and handsome with a kind face. Can you do me a great favor? He asked. I would be most grateful. Of course, said Annie. Give a message to the silk weaver. You will see her at the farmhouse, said the young man. Tell her to meet me here at twilight. Sure, no problem, said Annie. The young man smiled. Thank you, he said. Then he started to leave. Wait, excuse me, said Jack. Do you know where we can find the Imperial Library? A look of horror crossed the man's kind face.

不一会儿，那个男子就挡在了他们的路上。他年轻英俊，脸上神情很和善。 “你们能帮我个大忙吗？”他问道，“我会非常感激你们的。” “当然可以呀。”安妮说。 “帮我给织布姑娘带个口信，你们会在农舍见到她的。”年轻男子说。 告诉她黄昏时分在这里和我见面。 “好呀，没问题。”安妮说。年轻男子笑了。 “谢谢你们。”他说，然后就准备离开。 “等一下，打扰了。”杰克说，“你知道皇家藏书阁在哪里吗？” 男子和善的脸上掠过一丝惊恐的神色。