When they pulled into the Fair Grounds, they could hear music and see the Ferris wheel turning in the sky. They could smell the dust of the race track where the sprinkling cart had moistened it; and they could smell hamburgers frying and see balloons aloft. They could hear sheep blatting in their pens. An enormous voice over the loudspeaker said:"Attention, please! Will the owner of a Pontiac car, license¹ number H-2439, please move your car away from the fireworks shed!""Can I have some money?" asked Fern.

　　"Can I, too?" asked Avery.

　　"I'm going to win a doll by spinning a wheel and it will stop at the right number," said Fern.

　　"I'm going to steer² a jet plane and make it bump into another one.""Can I have a balloon?" asked Fern.

　　"Can I have a frozen custard and a cheeseburger and some raspberry soda³ pop?" asked Avery.

　　"You children be quiet till we get the pig unloaded," said Mrs. Arable⁴.

　　"Let's let the children go off by themselves," suggested Mr. Arable. "The Fair only comes once a year." Mr. Arable gave Fern two quarters and tow dimes⁵. He gave Avery five dimes and four nickels. "Now run along1" he said. "And remember, the money has to last all day. Don't spend it all the first few minutes. And be back here at the truck at noontime so we can all have lunch together. And don't eat a lot of stuff that's going to make you sick to your stomachs.""And if you go in those swings," said Mrs. Arable,"you hang on tight! You hang on very tight. Hear me?""And don't get lost!" said Mrs. Zuckerman.

　　"And don't get dirty!""Don't get overheated!" said their mother.

　　"Watch out for pickpockets⁶!" cautioned their father.

　　"And don't cross the race track when the horses are coming!" cried Mrs. Zuckerman.

　　The children grabbed each other by the hand and danced off in the direction of the merry-go-round, toward the wonderful music and the wonderful adventure and the wonderful excitement, into the wonderful midway where there would be no parents to guard them and guide them, and where they could be happy and free and do as they pleased. Mrs. arable stood quietly and watched them go. Then she sighed. Then she blew her nose.

点击收听单词发音  

1 license
n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许
参考例句：
The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。 The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

2 steer
vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶
参考例句：
If you push the car, I'll steer it.如果你来推车，我就来驾车。 It's no use trying to steer the boy into a course of action that suits you.想说服这孩子按你的方式行事是徒劳的。

3 soda
n.苏打水；汽水
参考例句：
She doesn't enjoy drinking chocolate soda.她不喜欢喝巧克力汽水。 I will freshen your drink with more soda and ice cubes.我给你的饮料重加一些苏打水和冰块。

4 arable
adj.可耕的，适合种植的
参考例句：
The terrain changed quickly from arable land to desert.那个地带很快就从耕地变成了沙漠。 Do you know how much arable land has been desolated?你知道什么每年有多少土地荒漠化吗？

5 dimes
n.（美国、加拿大的）10分铸币( dime的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Pennies, nickles, dimes and quarters are United States coins. 1分铜币、5分镍币、1角银币和2角5分银币是美国硬币。 来自《简明英汉词典》 In 1965 the mint stopped putting silver in dimes. 1965年，铸币厂停止向10分硬币中加入银的成分。 来自辞典例句

6 pickpockets
n.扒手( pickpocket的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Crowded markets are a happy hunting ground for pickpockets. 拥挤的市场是扒手大展身手的好地方。 He warned me against pickpockets. 他让我提防小偷。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 crate
vt.(up)把…装入箱中；n.板条箱，装货箱
参考例句：
We broke open the crate with a blow from the chopper.我们用斧头一敲就打开了板条箱。 The workers tightly packed the goods in the crate.工人们把货物严紧地包装在箱子里。

8 grassy
adj.盖满草的；长满草的
参考例句：
They sat and had their lunch on a grassy hillside.他们坐在长满草的山坡上吃午饭。 Cattle move freely across the grassy plain.牛群自由自在地走过草原。

9 scrambled
v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞
参考例句：
Each scrambled for the football at the football ground. 足球场上你争我夺。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 He scrambled awkwardly to his feet. 他笨拙地爬起身来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 spoke
n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说
参考例句：
They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。 The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

11 hearty
adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的
参考例句：
After work they made a hearty meal in the worker's canteen.工作完了，他们在工人食堂饱餐了一顿。 We accorded him a hearty welcome.我们给他热忱的欢迎。

12 ascended
v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
He has ascended into heaven. 他已经升入了天堂。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The climbers slowly ascended the mountain. 爬山运动员慢慢地登上了这座山。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 helping
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的
参考例句：
The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。 By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

14 swollen
adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀
参考例句：
Her legs had got swollen from standing up all day.因为整天站着，她的双腿已经肿了。 A mosquito had bitten her and her arm had swollen up.蚊子叮了她，她的手臂肿起来了。

15 awfully
adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地
参考例句：
Agriculture was awfully neglected in the past.过去农业遭到严重忽视。 I've been feeling awfully bad about it.对这我一直感到很难受。