見見老鼠凱薩琳和大象馬克。凱薩琳非常勇敢又喜歡冒險,但馬克的個性十分害羞,對許多事情都感到害怕。不過,朋友都喜歡黏在一塊兒,所以凱薩琳走到哪兒,馬克就會跟到哪兒。有時候,他們也會碰上非常棘手的情況...
A day at the circus 馬戲團一日遊
It was Mark and Kathleen’s favorite day of the year — the day the circus came to town. Every year they counted down the days on their calendar until it finally arrived.
When they got to the big top there was already a long line of people waiting to get into the main tent. Vendors sold hamburgers, hot dogs and other kinds of delicious food, and there were miles and miles of sideshows, packed with excited visitors. The first sideshow they saw was a test your strength game. “This should be easy,” said Mark. He held the hammer in his trunk and smashed it down onto the machine. The bell at the top rang loudly, as the vendor handed him his prize — an extra large bag of cotton candy.
Next they saw a pie-throwing contest. A man had his head sticking through a hole in a wall. It was only $5 to throw three pies. Once again, Mark was confident that he could do well at it. Using his trunk to propel the pies, he hit the man in the face three times, covering him with sticky strawberries. “This is so much fun. I love the circus!” squealed Kathleen.
Soon they came across a snake charmer, who had a python curled up in a basket. “Is anybody brave enough to hold this snake?” he shouted. “No problem! Mark will do it!” shouted Kathleen. As Kathleen looked on nervously, the snake charmer wrapped the snake around Mark’s neck. It slithered around, and sweat rolled down his forehead as it poked its forked tongue towards him. Finally the snake charmer removed the snake. “Phew, that was really scary. I’m ready to go home now,” Mark said.
Just then a man with a thick curly moustache and top hat appeared. “My name is Barney Balbogets and I am the ringmaster of this circus. Earlier today one of my circus elephants broke his leg on the high wire act. I have been watching you closely today, and I want you to be the replacement! Tomorrow the circus leaves for Russia. Will you join me?”
(JOHN PHILLIPS, STAFF WRITER)
這是馬克和凱薩琳一年中最喜歡的一天──馬戲團進城表演的日子。每年他們都會在月曆上倒數馬戲團到來的日子。
當他們來到大型主帳篷時,等候進場的人已經大排長龍。小販賣著漢堡、熱狗和其他美味的食物;餘興節目更是接連不斷,到處都被興奮的觀眾擠得水洩不通。他們第一個看到的餘興節目是測量力氣的遊戲。馬克說:「這應該很簡單。」他用他的象鼻子舉起鐵鎚後,猛力重擊那台機器。結果機器上方的響鈴大作,小販遞給他獎品:一袋巨無霸棉花糖。
接著,他們看到一個砸派比賽。一名男子從牆上的洞中探出頭來,只要付五元就可以砸三個派。這一次馬克還是深信自己會成功。他用鼻子把派丟出去,三次都正中男子的臉,讓他滿臉都是黏呼呼的草莓。凱薩琳尖叫著說:「這太好玩了!我愛死馬戲團了!」
不久後,他們來到一個弄蛇人的攤位前,弄蛇人的籃子裡有一條蜷曲的蟒蛇,他大聲問道:「有誰敢來握住這條蛇?」凱薩琳大聲地說:「沒問題!馬克可以!」凱薩琳緊張兮兮地在一旁看著弄蛇人把蛇纏繞在馬克的脖子上。牠在馬克身上爬行,並對他吐出分岔的舌信,汗珠從馬克的額頭上滴落。好不容易弄蛇人把蛇從他身上取下,馬克說:「呼,剛剛好恐怖喔,我準備要回家了。」
就在此時,一個頭戴大禮帽、留著濃密捲翹鬍子的男人出現了。他說:「我的名字叫做巴尼.巴爾波蓋茲,我是這個馬戲團的領班。今天稍早,我馬戲團裡的一隻大象在走高空鋼索時摔斷了腿。我今天一直在仔細觀察你,我希望你可以代替牠表演!明天馬戲團就要前往俄羅斯演出。你願意加入嗎?」(翻譯:袁星塵)
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