美國語文第三冊 第42期：放風(fēng)箏（01）
Ray was thought to be an odd boy.
芮被公認(rèn)為是一個奇怪的小男孩。
You will think him so,too, when you have read this story.
當(dāng)你看到這個故事時，也會這么認(rèn)為的。
Ray liked well enough to play with the boys at school;
芮很喜歡和其他的男孩子在學(xué)校里玩耍；
yet he liked better to be alone under the shade of some tree, reading a fairy tale or dreaming daydreams.
但是，他更喜歡獨自坐在樹下的陰涼處，看神話故事或者做白日夢。
But there was one sport that he liked as well as his companions; that was kite flying.
不過，有一項體育活動讓他和其他的小伙伴一樣著迷，那就是放風(fēng)箏。
One day when he was flying his kite, he said to himself, "I wonder if anybody ever tried to fly a kite at night.
有一天，當(dāng)他正在放風(fēng)箏時，自言自語地說：“我很奇怪，有人在晚上放風(fēng)箏嗎。”
It seems to me it would be nice.
在我看來，這樣做可能很有趣。
But then, if it were very dark, the kite could not be seen.
但是，如果天特別黑的話，又怎么能看到風(fēng)箏呢。
What if I should fasten a light to it, though?
如果我在風(fēng)箏上加一盞燈，又會怎樣呢？
That would make it show.
這樣就能讓人看到它了。
I'll try it this very night.
我想在今天晚上試一試。
As soon as it was dark, without saying a word to anybody,
等天黑下來后，他對誰也沒有說，
he took his kite and lantern, and went to a large, open lot, about a quarter of a mile from his home.
徑自拿著風(fēng)箏和燈籠來到了一片開闊、空曠的地里，那里離他家只有四分之一英里遠(yuǎn)。
"Well," thought he,"this is queer.
他心里想：“好吧，這樣做的確有點奇怪。
How lonely and still it seems without any other boys around!
周圍沒有其他小朋友，看上去是很孤獨和寂寞！
But I am going to fly my kite, anyway.
但是，無論如何，我要開始放飛自己的風(fēng)箏了。
So he tied the lantern, which was made of tin punched full of small holes, to the tail of his kite.
于是，他把一個滿是小孔的錫制燈籠系在風(fēng)箏的尾巴上。
Then he pitched the kite,and, after several attempts, succeeded in making it rise.
接著，他擲出了風(fēng)箏，經(jīng)過幾次努力，他才成功地使風(fēng)箏升起來。
Up it went, higher and higher, as Ray let out the string.
芮松開了線繩，風(fēng)箏不斷地上升，越來越高。
When the string was all unwound, he tied it to a fence; and then he stood and gazed at his kite as it floated high up in the air.
當(dāng)所有的線繩都被松開后，他將風(fēng)箏線綁在一個柵欄上，然后站在那里盯著自己的風(fēng)箏看，而那風(fēng)箏就在空中飄浮著。
While Ray was enjoying his sport, some people who were out on the street in the village, saw a strange light in the sky.
就在芮正享受著自己的游戲時，村子里一些在街上行走的人看見了空中奇怪的燈光。
They gathered in groups to watch it.
他們聚集到一起，抬頭望著天空。
Now it was still for a few seconds, then it seemed to be jumping up and down; then it made long sweeps back and forth through the air.
這才剛剛放飛了幾秒鐘，它好像還在上下亂竄，一會兒又開始前前后后地飄忽不定。
