《神奇树屋》 第二十一册 Civil War on Sunday 08 Brothers

　　Clara Barton had turned the wagon¹ around. She helped Jackand Annie lift the drummer boy into the back.

"The soldiers said he has heat stroke," Annie told Clara. "Hisname is John."The boy lay down next to the sleeping Confederate soldier.

"He does have heat stroke," Clara said. "The other boy alsohas a high fever. We must get them to the hospital at once. Canyou two stay in the back of the wagon and do as I tell you?""Sure," said Jack² and Annie.

Clara dampened two clean cloths with water from Jack'scanteen.

"Gently press these cloths against their faces to help cool themoff," she said.

She gave the cloths to Jack and Annie.

Then she went to the front of the wagon and climbed in. Thewagon started forward.

Jack and Annie gently patted³ the soldiers' faces with the dampcloths. Jack looked at the young men lying side by side. The twoseemed far more alike⁴ than different.

In another time and place, they might have been friends, Jackthought.

Finally, the wagon arrived at the field hospital. TheConfederate soldier was put on a stretcher and carried to a tent.

Two soldiers wearing bandages put the drummer boy on astretcher.

"Could you stay with John awhile?" Clara Barton asked Jackand Annie.

"Sure," said Jack.

"Try to bring down his fever," Clara said. "A nurse will giveyou ice packs to press against his skin. Find me when his fever is lower."The drummer boy was carried into an empty tent. Jack andAnnie followed.

John was put on a cot. Then a nurse brought some rags and abucket filled with ice. Jack and Annie were left alone with theboy.

Jack wrapped some ice in a rag. lie pressed the ice packagainst the boy's head and neck and arms. Annie fanned the airto cool John off and to keep away the flies.

Jack felt so hot he pressed an ice pack against his own face fora moment. Then he looked up drummer boys in his Civil Warbook. He read:

The Civil War was the last war to use drummer boys. Thedrumbeat was used to give orders to soldiers. Different beats toldthem when to eat, how to march, and even how to fight. Onsmoky battlefields, the boy's drumming helped soldiers find oneanother and keep together.

"Wow," said Jack. He closed the book, pulled out his notebook,and wrote:

drummer boy do a very important jobSuddenly, John shouted. Jack looked up from his notebook.

The drummer boy was still asleep, but he was waving his armsas if he were having a nightmare⁵.

Annie shook the boy's arm.

"Wake up, John," she said. "You're okay. Wake up."The drummer boy opened his eyes.

"You were having a bad dream," said Annie. "You're safe now.

You'll see your family again soon.""No! No!" the boy said. He sounded frantic⁶. "I have to go backto the battlefield.""No, you don't have to fight anymore," said Annie. "You cango home and be safe.""No!" the boy said. "They need me! They need my drum!" Hesounded more and more upset.

Jack thought about their list.

Put aside your own feelings, he remembered.

"Okay, John," said Jack. "You can go back as soon as you feelbetter." "Jack!" said Annie. "He'll get hurt or killed! I'm afraid for him!""Me too," Jack said softly⁷. "But we have to put our ownfeelings aside. That's one of the things on our list."Annie sighed.

"Okay," she said sadly. She looked at John. "If you want tofight again in the Civil War, you can. If that's what you reallywant.""Thank you," the boy whispered.

"You know, you're the bravest kid I've ever met," Jack said.

The drummer boy smiled at Jack.

"You look just like my little brother," he said hoarsely⁸.

"You look just like my big brother," said Jack, "except I don'thave a big brother. I don't have any brothers."The three of them laughed. The drummer boy's laugh wasvery soft.

The boy laid his head back on his pillow and closed his eyesagain.

In a moment, he was sleeping peacefully. A smile was on hislips.

Annie felt his forehead.

"His fever's gone down," she said. "We should go tell Clara."Annie left the tent.

Jack got up and slowly followed her.

When he reached the entrance of the tent, he turned andlooked back. The shadows of twilight⁹ fell across the boy's calm,sleeping face.

It was strange. Jack hardly knew the drummer boy. But he feltthey could be brothers.

Listening to the cannon¹⁰ fire in the distance, Jack was afraidfor the boy.

Will he live to see his family again? Jack wondered.

"Good luck, John," Jack said softly.

With a heavy heart, Jack stepped out into the warm eveningair.

1 wagon   

n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车

参考例句：

• We have to fork the hay into the wagon.我们得把干草用叉子挑进马车里去。
• The muddy road bemired the wagon.马车陷入了泥泞的道路。

2 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

3 patted   

v.轻拍( pat的过去式和过去分词 )；拍成，拍至；表扬，称赞（某人/自己）

参考例句：

• She patted the dog on the head. 她轻轻地拍着狗的头。
• He leaned forward and patted me on the shoulder. 他向前倾着身子并拍我的肩膀。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 alike   

adj.同样的，相像的；adv.一样地；同程度地　

参考例句：

• The twins are so alike that I can't tell which is which.这对双胞胎一模一样，我分辨不出谁是谁。
• All stories seemed dreadfully alike,no matter who told them.看来，不管谁讲，故事都是千篇一律的。

5 nightmare   

n.恶梦，可怕的事物，无法摆脱的恐惧

参考例句：

• I was glad to awake from such a nightmare.我庆幸终于从噩梦中醒来了。
• I had a nightmare last nightand,lost sleep.昨夜我作了个恶梦，失眠了。

6 frantic   

adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的

参考例句：

• I've had a frantic rush to get my work done.我急急忙忙地赶完工作。
• He made frantic dash for the departing train.他发疯似地冲向正开出的火车。

7 softly   

adv.柔和地，静静地，温柔地

参考例句：

• He speaks too softly for her to hear.他讲话声音太轻，她听不见。
• She breathed her advice softly.她低声劝告。

8 hoarsely   

adv.嘶哑地

参考例句：

• "Excuse me," he said hoarsely. “对不起。”他用嘶哑的嗓子说。
• Jerry hoarsely professed himself at Miss Pross's service. 杰瑞嘶声嘶气地表示愿为普洛丝小姐效劳。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

9 twilight   

n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期

参考例句：

• Twilight merged into darkness.夕阳的光辉融于黑暗中。
• Twilight was sweet with the smell of lilac and freshly turned earth.薄暮充满紫丁香和新翻耕的泥土的香味。

10 cannon   

n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮

参考例句：

• The soldiers fired the cannon.士兵们开炮。
• The cannon thundered in the hills.大炮在山间轰鸣。