103. The Monster in the Basement

Every night, strange noises echoed from the basement, but Emily’s parents dismissed them as old pipes.  
每晚，从地下室传来奇怪的声音，但艾米丽的父母把这些声音归咎于老旧的水管。  
One stormy evening, curiosity got the better of her.  
一个暴风雨的夜晚，艾米丽的好奇心战胜了她。  
Armed with a flashlight, she descended the creaky stairs.  
她拿着手电筒，走下了吱吱作响的楼梯。  
The basement was cluttered with old furniture and forgotten boxes.  
地下室里堆满了旧家具和被遗忘的箱子。  
As she explored, the light flickered, and a shadow moved.  
在她探索时，灯光闪烁，一个阴影移动了。  
Emily’s heart raced, but she steeled herself and followed the shadow to an old trunk.  
艾米丽的心跳加速，但她鼓起勇气，跟随阴影来到了一个旧箱子前。  
To her surprise, the "monster" was a large, gentle dog, lost and scared.  
令她惊讶的是，这个“怪物”是一只大型温顺的狗，迷路了并且害怕。  
Emily carefully freed the dog, who nuzzled her gratefully.  
艾米丽小心翼翼地解救了这只狗，狗对她感激地蹭了蹭她。  
From that night on, the basement was filled with a new, comforting presence, and Emily had made a lifelong friend.  
从那晚开始，地下室里充满了新的、令人安心的存在，艾米丽也结交了一个终生的朋友。