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儿童英语读物 The Amusement Park Mystery CHAPTER 2 The Merry-go-round

时间:2017-07-12 05:53来源:互联网 提供网友:qing   字体: [ ]
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On Tuesday morning, in their cabin, the Alden children prepared a big breakfast of orange juice, pancakes, maple1 syrup2, sausage, and milk. Alice had stocked the refrigerator and cupboards with enough groceries to last two days.

“Are you ready to go to the amusement park, Benny?” Jessie asked.

“Yes!” he answered. “I want to eat cotton candy and ride on the tilt-a-whirl and the merry-go-round!”

Violet laughed. “Aren’t you afraid you’ll get dizzy?”

Benny grinned. “Nope! I could ride the tilt-a-whirl all day long!”

Jessie scraped her plate at the sink. She wore jeans and a white T-shirt. Her thick hair bounced up and down when she walked.

Henry stood up from the table and stacked the rest of the plates. “Isn’t this a nice house?” he asked.

“It’s like a doll house,” Violet replied, glancing around.

After the dishes were washed, Henry opened the door. “Let’s begin the day. Alice and Joe are at work already,” he said cheerfully.

They wheeled the bikes out of the garage and mounted them.

As they biked along the road with the sun streaming through the pine trees, Henry whistled a tune3 with Jessie joining in. Benny puckered4 up his lips, but no whistle came out. The harder he tried, the more his cheeks puffed5 out, the redder his face became, and the more air he blew out.

Violet laughed. “Don’t feel bad, Benny. I can’t whistle either.”

Arriving at the amusement park, they put their bikes in a bike rack and carefully padlocked them.

The park opened early on summer mornings. Rides were whirling and twirling around them, lights flashed, and customers on the rides shrieked6 with delight.

“Ooooh,” Benny gasped7, running toward a concession8 stand. “Cotton candy.”

The others followed and gathered around the stand. Benny gazed at the pink frothy candy oozing9 out of the machine. He looked up at Henry. “Could I have some?” he begged.

Henry smiled and shook his head. “It’s a little early. But you’ve been dreaming about cotton candy ever since we arrived.” He turned to a woman with dark hair and asked pleasantly, “We’ll all have one. How much?”

The woman pointed10 to the sign as her bracelets11 jingled12. She wore her hair pulled tightly back into a bun, showing gold earrings13. She handed each of them a cone14 of cotton candy.

“My, my,” a man with black curly hair said to Benny, “that cone is almost as big as you are.” He winked15 at Henry and took the money. Smoothing down his drooping16 moustache, he questioned, “Where are you kids from?”

“We’re staying just outside Pine Grove,”Violet answered shyly.

“Yes,” Jessie said in a friendly tone. “We’re visiting our cousins.”

“Welcome to Pine Grove,” he said, holding out his hand to Henry. “I’m Frank Arnold and this is my wife, Sheila.”

“I’m Benny Alden,” Benny piped up.

Henry laughed. “And I’m Henry Alden, and these are my sisters, Violet and Jessie.”

“We serve hamburgers and hot dogs, too,”Sheila Arnold interrupted in a husky voice. “Come back for lunch.”

“Oh, we will,” Benny said happily, licking the giant pink cone of candy.

They walked over to the Ferris wheel. “That’s the biggest Ferris wheel I’ve ever seen,” Violet exclaimed.

Jessie, turning to her left said, “Oh, look, there’s a House of Mirrors!”

A young woman with straight red hair who was standing17 there glanced at Jessie. “I knew people would love this!”

“Let’s go in,” Henry said.

“Sorry,” the unsmiling woman said abruptly18, turning away. “It’s new and won’t be open until tomorrow.”

“Look!” Benny yelled. “The merry-go-round!”

The children hurried away, forgetting all about the unpleasant woman. They stared at the graceful19 carved horses.

“They’re so lifelike,” Violet breathed, completely won over by the horses’ beauty.

The calliope music blared forth20 as the horses moved up and down to the musical beat.

“I’ve never seen such beautiful horses,”Henry said in an awed21 tone.

“And to think,” Violet added, “Alice said they are part of our history.”

Jessie marveled at a large brown and gray steed. The gallant22 horse had plates of armor painted on and armor over his head so that only his eyes and ears were visible.

“I want to ride that gray one with the dots!” Benny said eagerly. “It looks like he’s breathing fire.”

“That’s called a dapple gray, Benny,” Jessie explained.

“It’s hard to choose a favorite,” Violet said, studying them. “They’re all so beautiful.”

They rode the merry-go-round twice, then dismounted and rode the swings and the Ferris wheel. The Ferris wheel frightened Benny a little. They ate hot dogs and chocolate shakes and trudged23 over every inch of the dusty grounds.

Several times they stopped to try their luck at different games. Henry threw a softball, knocked down five wooden milk bottles, and won a box of candy. Jessie put money in a machine full of prizes and maneuvered24 a huge claw to pick up a silver ring with a green stone. Violet tried her hand at the ringtoss and managed to circle three pegs25, winning a small but cute teddy bear. Benny had his weight guessed, but the man guessed wrong, so Benny won a softball.

By midafternoon the children were tired. “I’m ready to go home,” Jessie said, brushing a wisp of hair from her forehead.

“Me, too,” Benny said. “I was ready after that scary Ferris wheel ride.”

Henry led the way to the bikes, and even though the Aldens were weary, they pedaled along the road, filled with contentment. It had been a wonderful day.

When Joe and Alice got home the Aldens told them every detail about the rides, the food, and their prizes. The day had been filled with surprises, but Joe had a surprise, too.

“We’re having a barbecue tonight,” he said.

“Yes,” Alice said. “Joshua Eaton and his daughter, Karen, are joining us. They own the amusement park.”

“Oh, great,” Violet said, her eyes sparkling. “Maybe they’ll tell us something about the merry-go-round horses.”

“I hope so!” Jessie said. “Let’s go to our house and clean up.”

After Henry had given Joe and Alice the box of candy he’d won, the children left.

Once they’d washed and put on clean clothes, they came back to help with dinner.

Jessie was placing the silverware on the table when the doorbell rang.

A gray-haired man and a young woman of about twenty entered. Benny blurted26 out, “Why, you’re the girl we saw by the House of Mirrors.”

“Yes, I am,” she replied with a flicker27 of a smile.

“Hello! Hello!” the gray-haired man said. “I’m Joshua Eaton.”

“And these are our cousins,” Alice said, presenting Violet, Jessie, Henry, and Benny.

The children said hello. “Wow,” Benny said. “You own the amusement park! I won a softball!”

“Good for you,” Joshua Eaton said.

“Please, everyone, sit down and make yourselves comfortable,” Alice said. “Before dinner we’ll have a glass of tomato juice.”

“And,” Joe said, bringing in a plate, “crackers and cheese.”

Joshua Eaton leaned forward. “How did you kids like my amusement park?”

“It was great,” Jessie said, looking especially nice in a pink sweater and white shorts.

“The horses on the merry-go-round are beautiful,” Violet said.

“Ah,” Joshua said, settling into his chair. “I’m glad to hear you like my carousel28. You know, those horses were carved by the Dentzel Company a long time ago, and are extremely valuable.”

Karen gave a bitter little laugh. “Those horses!” she sneered29. “Who cares about some dumb wooden horses! I keep telling Dad that we have to modernize30. No one rides the merry-go-round except little kids, and it’s mostly teenagers who come to the park.”

Benny sat up straight and glared at Karen. “Little kids are important, too! And I loved the merry-go-round horses.”

“And I loved the merry-go-round,” Jessie said, a hint of defiance31 in her voice.

“An amusement park without a carousel wouldn’t be much fun,” Violet said.

“You see, dear,” Joshua said mildly, facing his daughter. “We must keep our valuable carousel.”

Karen sniffed32 and tossed back her long red hair. Her green sweater brought out the freckles33 on her oval face. Jessie thought Karen’s face could be pretty if she would smile once in a while.

“Well,” Karen said stiffly, “we’ll see which will get more use, the House of Mirrors or the merry-go-round.”

Joshua sighed as if he and his daughter had had this argument many times.

“The horses are very different from the horses I’ve seen on other carousels34,” Henry said.

Joshua chuckled35. “Yes, most horses are painted bright colors and trimmed with gold, but the Dentzel horses are usually gray or brown.”

“Tell us about Mr. Dentzel,” Jessie said.

Joshua smiled at the Aldens, pleased that they liked his horses as much as he did. He ran his fingers through his silver hair and began. “Gustav Dentzel was born in Germany. He came to America and settled in Philadelphia. He and his brother, son, and nephews started the Dentzel Company in 1867.”

“The horses are old!” Benny exclaimed.

“Very old,” Joshua said, smiling at Benny. “In the Dentzel Company one man carved the bodies, another the legs, and Gustav’s brother assembled the horses.” He glanced at Henry. “Gustav’s brother’s name was Henry, too.”

“How many Dentzel merry-go-rounds are there?” Alice asked.

“Very few are in operation today,” Joshua answered. “The company only produced two carousels a year. The Dentzel horses,” he continued, “have a distinctive36 style. They were carved in what is called ‘The Philadelphia Style.’ ”

“The Dentzel animals are so lifelike,” Violet said.

Benny nodded. “I thought the horse I rode today could breathe fire.”

Joshua laughed. “It’s true, Benny. Sometimes it looks like the horses could gallop37 right off the carousel.”

“Is the company still in business?” Henry questioned.

Karen snorted disdainfully. “No, thank heaven, or we’d be buying more horses. After Gustav Dentzel died, his son, William ‘Hobbyhorse’ Dentzel took over. When he died in 1928, the company ended.”

“How sad,” Violet said thoughtfully. “I wish they’d kept on carving38 more beautiful horses.”

“With the money we’d earn from selling the horses,” Karen said, “we could install up-to-date rides. We could even add a roller coaster. Teenagers want more exciting rides than what we have.” She frowned at her father. “You have to get with the times, Dad. Who cares about Dentzel’s old horses?”

“I do!” Benny said in a very loud voice. “I love the horses.” He looked pleadingly at Joshua. “Please, Mr. Eaton, don’t ever sell them!”

Joshua reached over and squeezed Benny’s knee. “As long as I’m around,” he promised reassuringly39, “the horses will be around, too!”

Jessie glanced at Karen’s face. Joshua’s daughter’s green eyes flashed, and her mouth twisted downward. For a moment Jessie felt a twinge of sadness. Because of Karen’s determination to update the park, Jessie wondered if Karen would be able to talk Joshua Eaton into selling his wonderful horses.


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 maple BBpxj     
n.槭树,枫树,槭木
参考例句:
  • Maple sugar is made from the sap of maple trees.枫糖是由枫树的树液制成的。
  • The maple leaves are tinge with autumn red.枫叶染上了秋天的红色。
2 syrup hguzup     
n.糖浆,糖水
参考例句:
  • I skimmed the foam from the boiling syrup.我撇去了煮沸糖浆上的泡沫。
  • Tinned fruit usually has a lot of syrup with it.罐头水果通常都有许多糖浆。
3 tune NmnwW     
n.调子;和谐,协调;v.调音,调节,调整
参考例句:
  • He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子,并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
  • The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。
4 puckered 919dc557997e8559eff50805cb11f46e     
v.(使某物)起褶子或皱纹( pucker的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • His face puckered , and he was ready to cry. 他的脸一皱,像要哭了。
  • His face puckered, the tears leapt from his eyes. 他皱着脸,眼泪夺眶而出。 来自《简明英汉词典》
5 puffed 72b91de7f5a5b3f6bdcac0d30e24f8ca     
adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 );喷着汽(或烟)移动;吹嘘;吹捧
参考例句:
  • He lit a cigarette and puffed at it furiously. 他点燃了一支香烟,狂吸了几口。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He felt grown-up, puffed up with self-importance. 他觉得长大了,便自以为了不起。 来自《简明英汉词典》
6 shrieked dc12d0d25b0f5d980f524cd70c1de8fe     
v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She shrieked in fright. 她吓得尖叫起来。
  • Li Mei-t'ing gave a shout, and Lu Tzu-hsiao shrieked, "Tell what? 李梅亭大声叫,陆子潇尖声叫:“告诉什么? 来自汉英文学 - 围城
7 gasped e6af294d8a7477229d6749fa9e8f5b80     
v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 );喘息;倒抽气;很想要
参考例句:
  • She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
  • People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
8 concession LXryY     
n.让步,妥协;特许(权)
参考例句:
  • We can not make heavy concession to the matter.我们在这个问题上不能过于让步。
  • That is a great concession.这是很大的让步。
9 oozing 6ce96f251112b92ca8ca9547a3476c06     
v.(浓液等)慢慢地冒出,渗出( ooze的现在分词 );使(液体)缓缓流出;(浓液)渗出,慢慢流出
参考例句:
  • Blood was oozing out of the wound on his leg. 血正从他腿上的伤口渗出来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The wound had not healed properly and was oozing pus. 伤口未真正痊瘉,还在流脓。 来自《简明英汉词典》
10 pointed Il8zB4     
adj.尖的,直截了当的
参考例句:
  • He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
  • She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
11 bracelets 58df124ddcdc646ef29c1c5054d8043d     
n.手镯,臂镯( bracelet的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The lamplight struck a gleam from her bracelets. 她的手镯在灯光的照射下闪闪发亮。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • On display are earrings, necklaces and bracelets made from jade, amber and amethyst. 展出的有用玉石、琥珀和紫水晶做的耳环、项链和手镯。 来自《简明英汉词典》
12 jingled 1ab15437500a7437cb07e32cfc02d932     
喝醉的
参考例句:
  • The bells jingled all the way. 一路上铃儿叮当响。
  • Coins in his pocket jingled as he walked. 走路时,他衣袋里的钱币丁当作响。
13 earrings 9ukzSs     
n.耳环( earring的名词复数 );耳坠子
参考例句:
  • a pair of earrings 一对耳环
  • These earrings snap on with special fastener. 这付耳环是用特制的按扣扣上去的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
14 cone lYJyi     
n.圆锥体,圆锥形东西,球果
参考例句:
  • Saw-dust piled up in a great cone.锯屑堆积如山。
  • The police have sectioned off part of the road with traffic cone.警察用锥形路标把部分路面分隔开来。
15 winked af6ada503978fa80fce7e5d109333278     
v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 );递眼色(表示友好或高兴等);(指光)闪烁;闪亮
参考例句:
  • He winked at her and she knew he was thinking the same thing that she was. 他冲她眨了眨眼,她便知道他的想法和她一样。
  • He winked his eyes at her and left the classroom. 他向她眨巴一下眼睛走出了教室。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
16 drooping drooping     
adj. 下垂的,无力的 动词droop的现在分词
参考例句:
  • The drooping willows are waving gently in the morning breeze. 晨风中垂柳袅袅。
  • The branches of the drooping willows were swaying lightly. 垂柳轻飘飘地摆动。
17 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
18 abruptly iINyJ     
adv.突然地,出其不意地
参考例句:
  • He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
  • I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。
19 graceful deHza     
adj.优美的,优雅的;得体的
参考例句:
  • His movements on the parallel bars were very graceful.他的双杠动作可帅了!
  • The ballet dancer is so graceful.芭蕾舞演员的姿态是如此的优美。
20 forth Hzdz2     
adv.向前;向外,往外
参考例句:
  • The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
  • He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。
21 awed a0ab9008d911a954b6ce264ddc63f5c8     
adj.充满敬畏的,表示敬畏的v.使敬畏,使惊惧( awe的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The audience was awed into silence by her stunning performance. 观众席上鸦雀无声,人们对他出色的表演感到惊叹。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • I was awed by the huge gorilla. 那只大猩猩使我惊惧。 来自《简明英汉词典》
22 gallant 66Myb     
adj.英勇的,豪侠的;(向女人)献殷勤的
参考例句:
  • Huang Jiguang's gallant deed is known by all men. 黄继光的英勇事迹尽人皆知。
  • These gallant soldiers will protect our country.这些勇敢的士兵会保卫我们的国家的。
23 trudged e830eb9ac9fd5a70bf67387e070a9616     
vt.& vi.跋涉,吃力地走(trudge的过去式与过去分词形式)
参考例句:
  • He trudged the last two miles to the town. 他步履艰难地走完最后两英里到了城里。
  • He trudged wearily along the path. 他沿着小路疲惫地走去。 来自《简明英汉词典》
24 maneuvered 7d19f91478ac481ffdfcbdf37b4eb25d     
v.移动,用策略( maneuver的过去式和过去分词 );操纵
参考例句:
  • I maneuvered my way among the tables to the back corner of the place. 我在那些桌子间穿行,来到那地方后面的角落。 来自辞典例句
  • The admiral maneuvered his ships in the battle plan. 舰队司令按作战计划进行舰队演习。 来自辞典例句
25 pegs 6e3949e2f13b27821b0b2a5124975625     
n.衣夹( peg的名词复数 );挂钉;系帐篷的桩;弦钮v.用夹子或钉子固定( peg的第三人称单数 );使固定在某水平
参考例句:
  • She hung up the shirt with two (clothes) pegs. 她用两只衣夹挂上衬衫。 来自辞典例句
  • The vice-presidents were all square pegs in round holes. 各位副总裁也都安排得不得其所。 来自辞典例句
26 blurted fa8352b3313c0b88e537aab1fcd30988     
v.突然说出,脱口而出( blurt的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She blurted it out before I could stop her. 我还没来得及制止,她已脱口而出。
  • He blurted out the truth, that he committed the crime. 他不慎说出了真相,说是他犯了那个罪。 来自《简明英汉词典》
27 flicker Gjxxb     
vi./n.闪烁,摇曳,闪现
参考例句:
  • There was a flicker of lights coming from the abandoned house.这所废弃的房屋中有灯光闪烁。
  • At first,the flame may be a small flicker,barely shining.开始时,光辉可能是微弱地忽隐忽现,几乎并不灿烂。
28 carousel 6wKzzp     
n.旋转式行李输送带
参考例句:
  • Riding on a carousel makes you feel dizzy.乘旋转木马使你头晕。
  • We looked like a bunch of awkward kids riding a slow-moving carousel.我们看起来就像一群骑在旋转木马上的笨拙的孩子。
29 sneered 0e3b5b35e54fb2ad006040792a867d9f     
讥笑,冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He sneered at people who liked pop music. 他嘲笑喜欢流行音乐的人。
  • It's very discouraging to be sneered at all the time. 成天受嘲讽是很令人泄气的。
30 modernize SEixp     
vt.使现代化,使适应现代的需要
参考例句:
  • It was their manifest failure to modernize the country's industries.他们使国家进行工业现代化,明显失败了。
  • There is a pressing need to modernise our electoral system.我们的选举制度迫切需要现代化。
31 defiance RmSzx     
n.挑战,挑衅,蔑视,违抗
参考例句:
  • He climbed the ladder in defiance of the warning.他无视警告爬上了那架梯子。
  • He slammed the door in a spirit of defiance.他以挑衅性的态度把门砰地一下关上。
32 sniffed ccb6bd83c4e9592715e6230a90f76b72     
v.以鼻吸气,嗅,闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 );抽鼻子(尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气);抱怨,不以为然地说
参考例句:
  • When Jenney had stopped crying she sniffed and dried her eyes. 珍妮停止了哭泣,吸了吸鼻子,擦干了眼泪。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The dog sniffed suspiciously at the stranger. 狗疑惑地嗅着那个陌生人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
33 freckles MsNzcN     
n.雀斑,斑点( freckle的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • She had a wonderful clear skin with an attractive sprinkling of freckles. 她光滑的皮肤上有几处可爱的小雀斑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • When she lies in the sun, her face gets covered in freckles. 她躺在阳光下时,脸上布满了斑点。 来自《简明英汉词典》
34 carousels b5d1f9c599d977c7adaa5329590ce9df     
n.喧闹的酒会;旋转木马( carousel的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Object carousel and data carousel are both carousels. 对象轮和数据轮都是轮播方式,但是两者存在区别。 来自互联网
  • Build dizzy carousels, unbelievable roller-coasters, Ferris wheels, fear halls and other thrilling andand thirsty. 建造眩目的回旋木马,难以置信的云霄飞车,摩天轮,恐怖木屋和其他令人毛骨悚然的设备。 来自互联网
35 chuckled 8ce1383c838073977a08258a1f3e30f8     
轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She chuckled at the memory. 想起这件事她就暗自发笑。
  • She chuckled softly to herself as she remembered his astonished look. 想起他那惊讶的表情,她就轻轻地暗自发笑。
36 distinctive Es5xr     
adj.特别的,有特色的,与众不同的
参考例句:
  • She has a very distinctive way of walking.她走路的样子与别人很不相同。
  • This bird has several distinctive features.这个鸟具有几种突出的特征。
37 gallop MQdzn     
v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔;飞速发展
参考例句:
  • They are coming at a gallop towards us.他们正朝着我们飞跑过来。
  • The horse slowed to a walk after its long gallop.那匹马跑了一大阵后慢下来缓步而行。
38 carving 5wezxw     
n.雕刻品,雕花
参考例句:
  • All the furniture in the room had much carving.房间里所有的家具上都有许多雕刻。
  • He acquired the craft of wood carving in his native town.他在老家学会了木雕手艺。
39 reassuringly YTqxW     
ad.安心,可靠
参考例句:
  • He patted her knee reassuringly. 他轻拍她的膝盖让她放心。
  • The doctor smiled reassuringly. 医生笑了笑,让人心里很踏实。
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