It was the second night of school camp. The teacher gave each group a map. It was a simple map of the woods. A red cross marked a hill.
这是学校露营的第二个晚上。老师给每个小组发了一张地图，是一张简单的树林地图，上面有一个红叉，标着一座小山。
"A flag waits on that hill," the teacher said. "Your group must find it. No phones. You can use the map, a light, and your eyes."
“那座山上有一面旗子。”老师说，“你们小组要把它找到。不许用手机。你们可以用地图、手电筒和自己的眼睛。”
Bruno, Chiara, and Dmitri made one group. Bruno held the map. Chiara held the light. Dmitri carried the water bottle. He said he was good at carrying.
布鲁诺、基娅拉和德米特里组成一组。布鲁诺拿地图，基娅拉拿手电筒，德米特里背水壶。他说自己最擅长背东西。
It was eight o'clock. The sky was dark blue. The first stars came out.
现在是八点钟，天空是深蓝色的，第一批星星出来了。
"We start at the big oak tree," Bruno said. "Then we follow the white stones."
“我们从那棵大橡树出发。”布鲁诺说，“然后顺着白石头走。”
They walked into the woods. The path was narrow. White stones sat on the ground, one every few steps. In the light, they looked like little moons.
他们走进了树林。小路很窄，白石头一块块摆在地上，每隔几步就有一块。在灯光下，它们像一个个小月亮。
For ten minutes, everything went well. Then the path split in two. One way went left, up a small hill. The other way went right, down to the water.
十分钟里，一切都很顺利。然后小路分成了两条。一条往左，通向一座小山坡；另一条往右，通向水边。
Bruno looked at the map. "The map has no split here," he said. "I do not understand."
布鲁诺看着地图。“地图上这里没有岔路，”他说，“我不明白。”
"Look at the stones," said Chiara. She moved the light. "The left path has no white stones."
“看石头。”基娅拉说着，移动了手电筒，“左边的路上没有白石头。”
"The right path has stones," said Dmitri.
“右边的路有石头。”德米特里说。
"The map shows the hill on the left," Bruno said.
“地图上山在左边。”布鲁诺说。
They stood still. A bird called in the dark. It was a long, low sound. Dmitri jumped.
他们站着不动。黑暗中传来一声鸟叫，又长又低。德米特里吓了一跳。
"It is only an owl," said Chiara.
“那只是猫头鹰。”基娅拉说。
"I know," said Dmitri. But he stood a little closer to the others.
“我知道。”德米特里说。可是他往大家身边靠近了一点。
Bruno looked up. "The Pole Star," he said. "Our teacher showed us. It tells us where north is. The hill is in the north, I think."
布鲁诺抬起头。“北极星，”他说，“老师教过我们。它能告诉我们北在哪里。我想山在北边。”
He found the star over the trees. It was small, but it was bright. The stars around it turned slowly, like a big wheel.
他在树梢上找到了那颗星。它很小，但是很亮。四周的星星慢慢地转动，像一个大轮子。
"The right path goes north too," said Chiara. "It curves. Look. The stones follow it."
“右边的路也是往北的。”基娅拉说，“它是弯的。你看，石头顺着它一直排下去。”
"Then the stones lead us," Bruno said. "The map is not complete."
“那就让石头带我们走吧。”布鲁诺说，“地图不完整。”
They took the right path. After five minutes, they came to a stream. The water was black and cold. A line of flat rocks lay across it.
他们走上了右边的路。五分钟后，他们来到一条小溪边。溪水又黑又冷，一排平平的石头横在水面上。
Chiara went first. She stepped from rock to rock. She held out the light. Bruno followed. Dmitri came last, with the bottle in his hand.
基娅拉先过。她从一块石头踩到另一块，伸出手电筒照亮。布鲁诺跟在后面。德米特里最后，手里拿着水壶。
On the third rock, his foot slipped. Splash! One shoe went into the water.
踩到第三块石头时，他的脚滑了一下。扑通！一只鞋掉进了水里。
"Cold! Cold!" Dmitri shouted. He jumped to the bank on one foot.
“冷！冷！”德米特里大叫。他单脚跳到了岸上。
Chiara laughed so hard that she dropped the light. Bruno caught it just in time.
基娅拉笑得太厉害，手电筒都掉了。布鲁诺及时把它接住。
"Sorry," said Chiara. She tried to stop laughing. She could not.
“对不起。”基娅拉说。她想停住笑，却停不下来。
Dmitri shook his wet shoe. Then he started to laugh too. "I carry water," he said. "I did not plan to carry it in my shoe."
德米特里甩了甩湿鞋，然后也笑了起来。“我是背水的，”他说，“可我没打算把水背在鞋里。”
They climbed the last hill. At the top, the trees opened. The sky was full of stars. A white flag stood in the grass. It moved in the soft wind.
他们爬上了最后一座山。到了山顶，树林散开了，满天都是星星。一面白旗立在草地上，在轻柔的风中飘动。
Bruno touched the pole. "We did it," he said.
布鲁诺摸了摸旗杆。“我们成功了。”他说。
Chiara turned off the light. For a moment, nobody spoke. The stars were bright. They did not need the light.
基娅拉关掉了手电筒。有一会儿，谁也没有说话。星星那么亮，他们不需要灯光。
Then they heard voices. The teacher and two other groups walked up the hill. Someone gave each student a cup of hot chocolate.
接着他们听到了说话声。老师和另外两组同学走上了山。有人给每个学生递了一杯热巧克力。
Dmitri held the cup with both hands. His wet foot shook in the cold.
德米特里用双手捧着杯子。他的湿脚在寒风中发抖。
"Again tomorrow?" he asked.
“明天再来一次好吗？”他问。
