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18 The Earthquake
18 地震
Johnny lived with his mother and father in a restful mountainous town in Switzerland.
小約翰和爸爸媽媽一起住在瑞士一座寧靜的山城里。
One day there was an earthquake near the town. Many houses were injured. Everybody thought that there would soon be another earthquake. They were worried that the second earthquake would be worse than the first.
一天小城附近發生了一場地震，很多馬匹都受傷了。大家都認為不久就會有第二場地震。他們擔心第二場會比第一場更猛烈。
"We must send Johnny to a safe place," Johnny's mother said to her husband, "many of our friends are sending their children to relatives in other towns."
“我們必須把小約翰送到安全的地方，”小約翰的媽媽對她丈夫說，“很多朋友都把孩子送到住在別的城市的親戚家了。”
"We'll send him to my brother, Peter." "Johnny's mother said, "He lives a long way away. Johnny will be safe with him."
“我們把他送到我兄弟彼得那里吧，”約翰的爸爸說，“他住得離這里很遠，小約翰和他在一起會很安全。”
He telephoned Johnny's Uncle Peter, an expert in botany, and asked him if he would let Johnny live with him.
他給約翰的叔叔彼得，一個植物學專家，打電話問他是否可以讓小約翰和他住在一起。
"Your nephew is a good boy," he said, "He won't give you any trouble."
“你的侄子是個好孩子，”他說，“他不會給你帶來麻煩的。”
"All right," Johnny's Uncle Peter said, "But I'm not used to children. I live a very quiet and peaceful life."
“好的，”小約翰的叔叔彼得說，“但我不太習慣孩子，我的生活非常安靜平和。”
"You won't know Johnny's in the house," his father told him.
“你不會覺察到小約翰在屋里的。”約翰的爸爸對他說。
So Johnny, who was five, went to live with his uncle.
于是五歲的小約翰就去和叔叔住在一起了。
Two days later, his mother and father received a telegram from Peter. It said: "An returning child. Please send earthquake."
兩天后，爸爸和媽媽接到一封彼得發來的電報。上面寫著：“孩子已寄回，請把地震寄來。”
