Late in the afternoon, the boys put up their tent in the middle of a field. As soon as this was done, they cooked a meal over an open fire. They were all hungry and the food smelled good. After a wonderful meal, they told stories and sang songs by the campfire. But some time later it began to rain. The boys felt tired so they put out the fire and crept1 into their tent. Their sleeping bags were warm and comfortable, so they all slept soundly. In the middle of the night, two boys woke up and began shouting. The tent was full of water! They all leapt3 out of their sleeping bags and hurried outside. It was raining heavily and they found that a stream had formed in the field. The stream wound4 its way across the field and then flowed right under their tent!
New words and expressions 生词和短语
tent n. 帐篷
field n. 田地，田野
smell v. 闻起来
wonderful adj. 极好的
campfire n. 营火，篝火
creep5 v. 爬行
sleeping bag 睡袋
comfortable adj. 舒适的，安逸的
soundly adv. 香甜地
leap2 v. 跳跃，跳起
heavily adv. 大量地
stream n. 小溪
form v. 形成
wind v. 蜿蜒
right adv. 正好
参考译文
傍晚时分，孩子们在田野中央搭起了帐篷。这件事刚刚做完，他们就在篝火上烧起了饭。他们全都饿了，饭菜散发出阵阵香味。他们美美地吃了一顿饭后，就围在营火旁讲起了故事，唱起了歌。但过了一阵子。天下起雨来，于是他们扑灭了篝火，钻进了帐篷。睡袋既暖和又舒服，所以，他们都睡得很香。午夜前后，有两个孩子醒了，大声叫了起来。原来帐篷里到处都是水！他们全都跳出睡袋，跑到外面。雨下得很大，他们发现地上已经形成了一条小溪。那小溪弯弯曲曲穿过田野，然后正好从他们的帐篷底下流过去。
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自学导读
1．…the boys put up their tent in the middle of a field.……孩子们在田野中央搭起了帐篷。
in the middle of表示“在……当中”、“在……中间”，既可以用于表示地理位置，又可以用于表示时间或在某个过程当中：
He heard someone shouting in the middle of the night.
午夜前后，他听到有人大声叫喊。
Mary was in the middle of reading when her aunt arrived.
玛丽的姑妈到达时，玛丽正在读书。
in the centre of（在……中部／中央）则一般用于表示地理位置：
Alice Spring is a small town in the centre of Australia.
艾利斯斯普林斯是澳大利亚中部的一个小镇。
2．…they cooked a meal over an open fire.……他们就在篝火上烧起了饭。
open fire指无遮盖的、没有围起来的火，如篝火、盆火等。
3．…they told stories and sang songs by the campfire.……（他们）就围在营火旁讲起了故事，唱起了歌。介词by表示“在……旁边”、“靠近”，通常指距离非常近：Come and sit by me.
过来靠我坐。
There are many trees by the river.
河边有许多树。
4．But some time later it began to rain.但过了一阵子，天下起雨来。
副词 later表示“后来”、“以后”、“过后”：
He told me he would come again later (on).
他告诉我他以后会再来的。
I met her again a few days later.
几天以后我又遇见了她。
5．The stream wound its way across the field and then flowed right under their tent! 那小溪弯弯曲曲穿过田野，然后正好从他们的帐篷底下流过去！
（1）wind表示“曲折而行”时，既可以是及物动词，又可以是不及物动词：
The car wound through the village.
汽车曲曲折折地穿过村子。
The river winds its way through this district.
这条河弯弯曲曲地流经这个地区。
（2）right在此处表示强调，意为“正好”、“恰恰”、“就”。这种用法多见于口语中：
I met him right here.
我就是在这里见到他的。
He hit the man right on the nose.
他正好打中那人的鼻子。
语法 Grammar in use
一般过去时（cf．第3课语法）
在并列句中，各分句在时态上通常要保持一致。在叙述过去发生的事件时，动词基本上都用一般过去时，但有时也会出现过去完成时和过去进行时，它们的同时使用并不违反动词的“一致原则”：
They all leapt out of their sleeping bags and hurried outside. It was raining heavily and they found that a stream had formed in the field.
他们全都跳出睡袋，跑到外面。雨下得很大，他们发现地上已经形成了一条小溪。
由于一般过去时常常表示过去某个特定的时间发生的事件，因此，它常与when，where等疑问词连用。除了时间状语可以表示特定的时间之外，地点状语也可以暗示或包括特定的时间：
Where did you last see her?
你最近在什么地方见过她？
一般过去时与一般现在时在上下文中同时使用可以表示对比：
