■ 简介 太阳是一个巨大的燃烧着的火球。没有来自太阳的光和热，我们就不能在地球这颗行星上生存。在这颗行星周围有臭氧层保护着我们免受太阳之火的伤害。但是如果臭氧层破裂，将会怎样呢？现在臭氧层上已经有了小洞，有人说那些小洞会变得越来越大——直到有一天再没有任何东西挡在我们和太阳的火焰之间。 事情发生在2222年。地球人制造了AOL——人工臭氧层。美丽的地球又有了1000年的生命。树又发芽了，下雨了，河里有了水…… 但现在是2522年，人工臭氧层已经破裂。幼嫩的树林开始枯萎，河流也逐渐干涸。凯和瑞拉从他们的宇宙飞船里看到了这危险的情景，可他们又能做些什么呢？月亮下面的部族里住着他们的朋友，可是路途遥远，而地球首领高格又不肯听从他们的指挥。 本书的作者罗维纳·阿金耶米是英国人。曾在非洲居住和工作了多年。现在她在剑桥工作和生活。
1 AOL 1 人工臭氧层
Five hundred kilometres over Europe, Ship OM-45 moved north.
在欧洲上空500公里的高度，OM-45号飞船向北飞行。
In a room at the back of the ship, Kiah watched the numbers on the computer in front of him.
在飞船尾部的一个房间里，凯注视着面前电脑上的数字。
‘Time for dinner,’ Rilla said.
“该吃晚饭了，”瑞拉说。
The numbers changed quickly and Kiah’s eyes didn’t move.
那些数字飞快地变换着，而凯的眼睛一动不动。
Rilla went across the room to his table.
瑞拉穿过房间走到他的桌旁。
She began to watch the numbers, too.
她也开始观察那些数字。
‘What’s wrong with the satellite?’ she asked.
“卫星出什么问题了吗？”她问道。
She was a beautiful girl, about twenty years old, with long black hair and big eyes.
她是一个美丽的女孩，大约二十岁，留着长长的黑发，长着一双大眼睛。
‘Nothing’s wrong with the satellite,’ Kiah answered quietly.
“卫星没问题，”凯平静地回答。
‘It’s the AOL.’
“是人工臭氧层（AOL）。”
He began to write the numbers in the book on his table.
他开始把桌上的数字记录在本子里。
Suddenly, the numbers stopped changing.
突然，那些数字停止了变换。
Kiah looked at Rilla.
凯看着瑞拉。
‘Over Europe,’ he said.
“在欧洲上空，”他说。
‘It’s happening. The AOL is breaking up. There are big holes in the AOL and they’re getting bigger.’
“开始了。人工臭氧层正在破裂。上面有大洞，而且洞还在变大。”
‘You’re right! Shall we see Captain Seru now, before dinner?’
“你说得对！我们去见见塞鲁船长吧，晚饭前去好吗？”
Kiah stood up. He was nearly two metres tall, with dark eyes and hair.
凯站起身来。他身高近两米，有着黑色的眼睛和头发。
‘Yes, come on,’ he said.
“好，走吧，”他说。
Quickly, they went to Captain Seru’s room. They waited at the door.
他们迅速走向塞鲁船长的房间。他们在门口等候。
‘Come in!’ Captain Seru called. She was a little woman with a fat face.
“进来！”塞鲁船长喊道。她是一个身材矮小、脸圆圆的女人。
‘Come in! Would you like a drink?’
“进来！想喝点什么吗？”
‘No, thank you,’ Kiah answered. ‘I’d like you to look at these numbers.’
“不了，谢谢，”凯回答说。“我想请您看看这些数字。”
Kiah gave Captain Seru his book.
凯把他的本子递给塞鲁船长。
Captain Seru looked at the numbers. Suddenly, her face changed.
塞鲁船长看着那些数字。突然，她的脸色变了。
‘No, no,’ she said. ‘I don’t want to talk. It’s late and I’m tired. Sit down and have a drink.’
“不，不，”她说。“我不想谈。太晚了，我累了。坐下喝点什么吧。”
Kiah and Rilla sat down. There was a big window in Captain Seru’s room.
凯和瑞拉坐了下来。塞鲁船长的房间里有一扇大窗户。
Kiah looked out of the window at the dark sky. He saw the Moon. It was cold and white in the dark sky.
凯望向窗外的黑暗天空。他看到了月亮。在黑暗的天空中，月亮显得冰冷而苍白。
‘Captain Seru,’ he began. ‘It’s important. Look at those numbers carefully. The AOL is beginning to—’
“塞鲁船长，”他开口了。“这很重要。仔细看看那些数字。人工臭氧层已经开始……”
‘Stop!’ Captain Seru stood up and put her hands in her pockets. She went to the window and looked at the sky.
“停下！”塞鲁船长站起身来，双手插进口袋。她走到窗前，望着天空。
‘Three hundred years ago, Earth nearly died,’ Rilla said.
“三百年前，地球差点毁灭，”瑞拉说。
‘Earth stopped dying because of the AOL. But now, over Europe, the AOL is breaking up. We would like you to talk to Earth Commander.’
“因为有了人工臭氧层，地球才停止了毁灭。但是现在，在欧洲上空，人工臭氧层正在破裂。我们希望您能和地球司令谈谈。”
Captain Seru did not move. ‘Do you remember Adai?’ she asked. She didn’t wait for an answer.
塞鲁船长没有动。“你还记得阿岱吗？”她问道。她没等回答。
‘I was on his ship, two years ago. One evening, the satellite gave us interesting numbers about the AOL. We went back to Earth and saw Earth Commander.’
“两年前，我在他的船上。一天晚上，卫星发回了关于人工臭氧层的奇怪数据。我们回到地球去见了地球司令。”
Captain Seru stopped speaking. Rilla looked at Kiah. ‘And then?’ she asked Captain Seru.
塞鲁船长停了下来。瑞拉看了看凯。“然后呢？”她问塞鲁船长。
‘Gog was angry, very angry,’ Captain Seru said. ‘In the end, he sent Adai to the Moon. Adai’s there now, Commander of the Moon colony, under the Moon.’
“高格很生气，非常生气，”塞鲁船长说。“最后，他把阿岱送到了月球。阿岱现在就在那里，是月球殖民地的司令。”
Kiah waited for a second or two. ‘I know about Adai. But we need to talk to Earth Commander again. These numbers are worse.’
凯等了一两秒钟。“我知道阿岱的事。但我们需要再次和地球司令谈谈。这些数字更糟。”
Captain Seru’s face went red. ‘You don’t understand. I’m not going to talk to Gog. Last time, he sent me to a weather ship in the Antarctic! This is my first ship for two years!’
塞鲁船长的脸涨红了。“你不明白。我不会去和高格谈的。上次，他把我发配到了南极的一艘气象飞船上！这是我两年来的第一艘船！”
And Captain Seru began drinking.
于是塞鲁船长开始喝水。
Kiah stood up. ‘Thank you, Captain Seru.’
凯站起身来。“谢谢您，塞鲁船长。”
Captain Seru said nothing. Kiah and Rilla left the room, and walked slowly downstairs.
塞鲁船长什么也没说。凯和瑞拉离开了房间，慢慢地走下楼去。
The Ship was dark and quiet. It was eight o’clock and everybody was at dinner.
飞船里又黑又安静。八点钟了，大家都在吃晚饭。
‘What are we going to do next?’ Rilla asked.
“我们下一步该怎么办？”瑞拉问道。
‘I need to talk to Adai,’ Kiah said.
“我需要和阿岱谈谈，”凯说。
‘OK, talk to Adai. But he’s far away on the Moon colony,’ Rilla said. ‘Let’s visit Commander Zadak.’
“好，和阿岱谈谈。但他远在月球殖民地，”瑞拉说。“我们还是去拜访扎达克司令吧。”
‘Zadak? Commander of Australia? He’s famous!’
“扎达克？澳大利亚司令？他很有名！”
‘Yes. He’s my father’s friend. He worked with my father in Brazil ten years ago. Perhaps he can help us.’
“是的。他是我父亲的朋友。十年前他和我父亲在巴西一起工作过。也许他能帮我们。”
Kiah smiled. ‘Good! We return to Earth next week. I can phone Adai from Kisangani and then we can go to Australia. But now, I’m hungry! Let’s get some dinner.’
凯笑了。“好！我们下周回地球。我可以在基桑加尼给阿岱打电话，然后我们就可以去澳大利亚。但现在，我饿了！我们去吃晚饭吧。”
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