“We found him lodged between the door and the screen during the big tornado of 1925.” said my brother.
“Yes, sir. It adds up,” said the hobo,“I was with a circus in Missouri in March of 1925. That was sure some blow. The big tent was ripped to shreds. Everything was demolished.”
“This poodle was the number-one top show dog. He’s so valuable he was insured for hundreds of dollars. Lucky dog, he is. Blowed all that distance and not getting hurt.”
Suddenly the hobo asked, “Do you have a barrel hoop, boys?”
“Sure, I’ll get you one,” said my brother. Running quickly to an old barrel, he lifted off one of the steel bands. He dashed back and handed it to the hobo.
From beneath his old battered hat the hobo’s blue eyes sparkled. A smile broke through his heavy gray beard.
“Watch this, ” he said. “Less you boys been to a circus you ain’t never seen anything like this.”
He walked out into the yard and held the loop a couple of feet above the ground.
“Get ready,” he said to Jacky, again using that strange sounding name. Jacky trembled with excitement. On command he sprang forward and leaped through the loop—forward, then backward. As commands continued, he hurled through the hoop, turning end over end. He danced on his hind legs, then on his front legs. My brothers and I stared in awe as the knowledgeable old hobo put Jacky through his circus tricks.
“He’s a little rusty on some of? but he sure ain’t forgetting any of it,” said the hobo. “Sure is great being together again. Brings back memories, don’t it little friend?” he said fondly as he patted Jack’s head.
Then with a forlorn look about him, he straightened up. “I guess I best be going,” he mumbled and headed slowly towards the gate.Without hesitation, Jacky followed at his heels.
“Jacky, come back! ” all three of us called. But it did no good.Tears trickled down our cheeks. We knew we had lost him.
Then the hobo paused. Looking down at Jacky, he said, “Our circus days is over, friend. Over and done. And the tramping life’s no life for you. You best stay here.” Jacky stood, watching the hobo walk away, still poised to follow.
Reaching the gate the man stood motionless for several seconds, then slowly turned around. “Boys, a circus dog never forgets the big top,” he said, “You’d better lock him in the house till morning. I’d hate to see you lose him.”
So we did. Jacky lived with us for many years, and although he was the smartest dog we ever had, we could never persuade him to perform circus tricks again. We figured he’d taken the hobo’s words to heart and put his circus days behind him once and for all.
1925年3月18日。虽然我那时只有5岁，但仍清晰地记得那天席卷伊利诺伊州南端的被称做“小埃及”的巨大龙卷风。龙卷风正路经我们居住的小煤城。狂风肆虐，听起来好像十几辆火车呼啸而过。我们蜷缩在厨房，震耳欲聋的声响，似乎要把我们的骨架摇散。
风突然停了，出奇的寂静令人毛骨悚然。不安和恐惧侵袭着我们。妈妈把门打开，望着外边可怕的景象，顿时呆住了。到处都是瓦砾，街道根本不能通行。人们都还惊魂未定，像牛一样漫无目的地闲逛，不知该做些什么。突然，一声令人同情的哀叫从妈妈的脚旁发出，将这奇怪的沉寂打破。
在门和纱门之间躺着一只小卷毛狗，它浑身湿淋淋的，满脸恐慌，还不停地剧烈颤抖着。
“哎呀，”妈妈惊讶地蹲下身说，“你从哪里来的？”
那只湿淋淋的小狗胆怯地摇着尾巴，开始舔妈妈的手。
我们给它取名叫杰基。它毫无保留地接受了我们这个大家庭，而我们也慷慨地将无私的爱倾注给这只失去了家，却十分幸运的小卷毛狗。
我们很快就发现了杰基的非同寻常——它是一只极其伶俐的狗。它那周围布满浓密卷毛的、深色而好奇的眼睛闪烁着生机和活力。
在小狗成为我们的一个家庭成员约两年后的一天，一个流浪汉敲响我们家的后门，问我们要点吃的。这样的要求已经司空见惯。因为那段时间，有许多流浪汉逗留在我们那个地区。这个流浪汉在门廊等着，妈妈把一盘食物端给他。在他坐下吃东西时，我们这些男孩子围在他身旁。他便开始给我们讲他的见闻。我们都听得入了神。
突然，他停了下来，我们沿着他的目光望去，看到了杰基正站在那里。他们俩对视了一阵子后，那个老流浪汉便朗朗地笑起来。
“你这个小淘气，”他说，并用一个听起来很奇怪的名字叫他。“你在这里干什么呢？”
小狗欣喜若狂地围着流浪汉又叫又跳，似乎永远也不想停下来。很显然，它认识这个流浪汉，并且很熟悉。与杰基一番亲热与交谈后，老流浪汉发出一个简短的命令。杰基立即控制住自己的热情，温顺地趴在老人的脚下。
“孩子们，这条狗是你们从哪里弄来的？”流浪汉问。
“1925年那次大龙卷风后，我们在门和纱门之间发现了它。”哥哥回答说。
“没错。这就对了，”流浪汉说，“1925年3月，我随一个马戏团在密苏里州表演。那场大风的威力很大，把马戏团的大篷都撕成了碎片，所有的东西都毁于一旦。”
“这只小狗是一流的表演狗。它很有价值，光保险金就要好几百美元。它真幸运，被风卷走那么远却没伤着。”
那流浪汉突然问道：“孩子们，你们有没有桶箍？”
“当然有，我给你找一个。”我哥哥说道。他快步跑到一个旧桶旁，摘下一个钢圈，急匆匆地跑回来，递给了流浪汉。
流浪汉那顶破旧帽子下的蓝眼睛闪着光芒，微笑绽放在布满浓密灰色大胡子的脸上。
“注意看，”他说，“除非你们去过马戏团，否则你们不会看到的。”
他走进院子，把匝圈拿在手中，距离地面两英尺远。
“准备。”他对杰基说，还是叫着那个奇怪的名字。杰基激动地颤抖着。一听到命令，它就向前蹦跳着跃起，穿过匝圈，先是前跳，再回跳。随着接下来的命令，它又窜跳过圈，两头来回跑。它先是用后腿跳着舞步，而后用前腿。见多识广的老流浪汉让杰基表演着马戏团里的绝技，我和兄弟们都看呆了。
“它有些动作不太熟练了，不过我肯定它什么也没忘，”流浪汉说，“又一起合作了，实在太棒了。想起了往事，是吧，小朋友？”他爱怜地拍着杰基的头说。
然后他直起身来，心事重重的样子。“我想我最好还是走吧。”他嘟囔着，慢慢朝大门走去。杰基毫不犹豫地尾随在他身后。
“杰基，回来！”我们兄弟三个异口同声地叫道，但没有用。泪水滑过我们的面颊。我们知道我们失去了杰基。
流浪汉停下脚步，低头看了看杰基说：“马戏团的日子已经一去不复返了，朋友。你不该过我这种流浪的生活。你最好还是留在这里。”看着流浪汉离去，杰基站住了，犹豫不决，不知道是否该继续跟随。
到了门口，流浪汉静静地站了几秒钟后，慢慢转过身来。“孩子们，马戏班的狗永远忘不了马戏团的大顶篷，”他说道，“你们最好把它关在屋里直到明天早上。我可不想看到你们失去它。”
我们按照他说的做了。杰基和我们共同生活了很多年，虽说它是我们曾养过的最伶俐机警的狗，但我们没能说服它再表演马戏团绝技；我们想，或许那流浪汉的话它已经牢记于心，想永远忘记那段马戏团的日子吧。
心灵小语
那场被称做“小埃及”的龙卷风把杰基送到了我家，它毫无保留地接受了我们这个大家庭，而我们也将无私的爱倾注给这只失去了家的小卷毛狗。它不再为我们表演马戏团绝技了，可那有什么关系呢？过去的一切已经被龙卷风走了，不是吗？
记忆填空
1. The request wasn’t at all . In those days, many hobos stopped at our . Mother brought a plate of food to the porch where he waited. As he sat to eat, we boys gathered around him.
2. Then the hobo . Looking down at Jacky, he said, “ Our circus days is over, friend. Over and . And the tramping life’s no life for you. You stay here. ”
3. Jacky with us for many years, and although he was the smartest dog we ever , we could never him to perform circus tricks again.
佳句翻译
1. 狂风肆虐，听起来好像十几辆火车呼啸而过。
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2. 那只湿淋淋的小狗胆怯地摇着尾巴，开始舔妈妈的手。
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3. 小狗欣喜若狂地围着流浪汉又叫又跳，似乎永远也不想停下来。
译
短语应用