书名：Under the Moon 《在月亮下面》
作者：Romena Akinyemi 罗维纳·阿金耶米
简介：
太阳是一个巨大的燃烧着的火球。没有来自太阳的光和热，我们就不能在地球这颗行星上生存。在这颗行星周围有臭氧层保护着我们免受太阳之火的伤害。但是如果臭氧层破裂，将会怎样呢？现在臭氧层上已经有了小洞，有人说那些小洞会变得越来越大——直到有一天再没有任何东西挡在我们和太阳的火焰之间。
事情发生在2222年。地球人制造了AOL——人工臭氧层。美丽的地球又有了1000年的生命。树又发芽了，下雨了，河里有了水……
但现在是2522年，人工臭氧层已经破裂。幼嫩的树林开始枯萎，河流也逐渐干涸。凯和瑞拉从他们的宇宙飞船里看到了这危险的情景，可他们又能做些什么呢？月亮下面的部族里住着他们的朋友，可是路途遥远，而地球首领高格又不肯听从他们的指挥。
本书的作者罗维纳·阿金耶米是英国人。曾在非洲居住和工作了多年。现在她在剑桥工作和生活。
Chapter 2 Visit to Australia
On Friday, after three weeks in space, Kiah and Rilla finished work and left Ship OM-45 on a space plane to Kisangani. Kiah phoned Adai and Rilla phoned Commander Zadak in Australia. The next morning they took an aeroplane to Sydney. A taxi took them from the airport to Commander Zadak's office, some kilometres north of Sydney.
这是个星期五，凯和瑞拉已经在太空飞行了三周。他们结束了工作，离开OM-45号宇宙飞船，乘航天飞机飞往基桑加尼。凯和瑞拉分别跟阿岱和在澳大利亚的司令扎达克通了电话。第二天早晨他们乘飞机来到悉尼。一辆出租车把他们从机场带到了悉尼以北几公里以外扎达克司令的办公室。
“在这儿等我们。”凯吩咐出租车司机。
Kiah and Rilla walked to the gate. About ten guards stood in front of the gate. Across the road, a train waited.
凯和瑞拉朝大门走去。门口站着大约十几个卫兵。一辆火车正等在马路对面。
‘Rilla, OM-45,’ Rilla said. ‘To see Commander Zadak at four-thirty.’
“我叫瑞拉，OM-45号的，”瑞拉说，“扎达克司令4点半要接见我们。”
‘Let me call the Commander's office,’ the guard said.
“我给司令办公室打个电话。”卫兵说。
Kiah and Rilla waited. It was hot and Kiah began to feel thirsty.
凯和瑞拉站在那儿等着。天气很热，凯感到口干舌燥。
The guard came back. ‘I'm sorry,’ he said. ‘The Commander can't see you.’
那个卫兵回来了。“对不起，”他说，“司令不能见你们。”
‘But I talked to the Commander yesterday,’ Rilla said.
“可是我昨天跟司令说过，”
‘He wanted to see us at four-thirty.’
瑞拉说，“他答应今天4点半见我们。”
“再过三分钟司令就要坐火车出发了。”卫兵说。
‘Can we wait and see him here?’ Kiah asked.
“我们能不能在这儿等着见他一面？”凯问。
‘No!’ the guard shouted. ‘Get out of here!’
“不行！”卫兵喊了起来，“出去！”
Kiah and Rilla walked back to the taxi.
凯和瑞拉回到出租车那儿。
‘Where's the driver?’ Kiah asked.
“司机哪去了？”凯问。
‘Look! He's sitting under that tree,’ Rilla said.
“那不是嘛！在那棵树下坐着呢。”瑞拉说。
Just then, Commander Zadak came out of the gate. He was a very tall, big man with blue eyes and a lot of white hair. Two guards marched in front of him, and two guards marched behind him. They all carried guns.
正说着，扎达克司令出现在大门口。他高大魁梧，蓝眼睛，长着一头浓密的白发。四个卫兵两前两后阔步护卫着他。他们都带着枪。
“他在那儿！”瑞拉喊了起来，“扎达克司令！”她随即顺着马路朝他跑去。
‘Commander Zadak did not stop. A guard opened the door of the train and the Commander got in. Slowly, the train began to move.’
扎达克司令并没有停下脚步。一个卫兵打开火车门，扎达克跨了进去。火车缓缓地开动了。
Kiah ran to the taxi and jumped in. Then he drove the taxi fast down the road. The taxi driver saw him and ran after him. The train began to move faster. Suddenly, Kiah drove the taxi off the road. He drove in front of the train and stopped.
凯奔向那辆出租车，迅速坐进车里。随即他开着车飞快地顺路而下。出租车司机看见了他，在后面紧追不放。火车在加速。突然，凯把出租车开下了马路。直驶到火车前头停了下来。
The train came nearer. And then the train stopped, very near the taxi, and some guards jumped off. Kiah opened the door and got out of the taxi.
火车越来越近了。在就要撞到出租车的时候，它停了下来。几个卫兵从车厢里跳了下来。凯打开车门从出租车里出来。
‘Put up your hands! ' the guards shouted.
“举起手来！”卫兵们朝他喊。
Two of the guards began to hit Kiah.
两个卫兵对凯一阵拳打脚踢。
‘Stop that!’ someone shouted. ‘Bring him over here!’ It was Commander Zadak.
“住手！”有人喊了一声，“把他带到这儿来！”是扎达克司令。
Kiah stood in front of the Commander. Just then, Rilla arrived.
凯站到了司令面前。正在这时，瑞拉赶到了。
‘Oh, it's you!’ commander Zadak said. He did not smile. ‘Rilla, your father's going to be angry.’
“噢，是你。”扎达克司令说话了。他不带一丝笑容：“瑞拉，你父亲会生气的。”
‘We want to talk to you, Commander,’ Rilla said. ‘It's very important.’
“我们想和您谈谈，司令，”瑞拉说，“这事非常重要。”
‘Very well. I'm listening.’
“说吧，我听着呢。”
Kiah began to talk. ‘Two years ago, Adai told you about the holes in the AOL. Now they're worse. The AOL is breaking up over Europe. Please look at these numbers and this satellite picture.’
凯开口了：“两年前阿岱曾跟您谈过臭氧层上的洞。现在情况更糟了。欧洲上空的臭氧层已经开裂。请您看看这些数据和这张卫星照片。”
He gave his book to Commander Zadak and the Commander looked at the numbers.
他把笔记本递给扎达克司令，扎达克看了看本子上的数据。
‘It's important, Commander,’ Kiah said. ‘In ten years Earth is going to die.’
“这事非常重要，司令，”凯说，“10年后地球就要毁灭了。”
‘You stopped my train because of this?’ commander Zadak asked. ‘Two years ago Adai talked to me about the AOL. Then he talked to Earth Commander, and what happened? Where is Adai now? Is the Moon colony helping the AOL?’
“你们拦住我的火车就为这事？”扎达克司令问，“两年前阿岱跟我谈过臭氧层的事。然后他又跟地球司令谈了这件事。之后又怎么样了呢？阿岱现在在哪？月亮部族能帮助修复臭氧层吗？”
‘We know about Adai, Commander,’ Rilla said. ‘But someone needs to talk to Earth Commander again.’
“我们知道阿岱的事，司令。”瑞拉说，“但是得有人再去跟地球司令谈谈。”
‘I'm going to talk to Gog about rain, I can tell you that. Earth needs rain: there was no rain last winter. Half of Australia has no water and my trees here are dying. Without rain, many people are going to die. Is Gog going to understand that？I don't know!’
“我可以告诉你们，我正准备去跟高格谈谈雨水的事。地球需要雨水：去年冬天没下雨。澳大利亚有一半地区没有水，我们的树都要枯死了。假如没有水的话很多人都要活不下去了。高格会理解这一切吗？我不知道。”
Commander Zadak began to walk back to his train. ‘Move that taxi!’ he called to his guards.
扎达克司令朝他的火车走去。“把那辆出租车弄走！”他朝卫兵们喊。
Some guards moved the taxi back to the road and then they jumped on to the train again. The train began to move.
几个卫兵把出租车推到了公路上，然后跳上了火车。火车启动了。
‘OK,’ the taxi driver shouted. ‘What are you going to do next？Drive my taxi into the river?’
“好啊，”出租车司机喊道，“你们还想干什么？把我的出租车开到河里去？”
Kiah smiled. He took some money from his pocket and gave it to the taxi driver.
凯笑了。他从衣兜里拿出一些钱递给出租车司机。
The taxi driver looked at the money. ‘OK, OK,’ he said. ‘Where now? Back to the airport?’
出租车司机看了看那些钱。“好吧，好吧。”他说，“现在去哪？回机场？”
Kiah took Rilla's hand, ‘Yes,’ he said. ‘Let's get back to Kisangani. We can phone Adai again tomorrow.’
凯拉住瑞拉的手。“是的，”他说，“咱们回基桑加尼去。我们明天再给阿岱打个电话。”
【词组学习】
1.in front of
在…前面；当着…的面；面前
例：Don't be like that in front of people!
在人跟前别那样。
2.come out
出来；出现；出版；出狱
例：Can you please come out?
可以请你出来吗?
3.put up
提供；进行；举起；提出
例：The boy put his hand up to answer the question.
那男孩举手回答问题。
