Ch8-The Hollow Hill

CHAPTER EIGHT The Hollow Hill The leprechaun scrambled down the steep bank of the river. Jack started to follow, but Annie grabbed him. "Jack, the whistle won't work for Willy!" she said. "I know," said Jack. "We'll worry about that later. Right now, we just have to save Augusta! Come on!"

小矮妖爬下陡峭的河岸。 杰克想跟上去，但是安妮抓住了他。 “杰克，哨子对威利没用！”她说。 “我知道，”杰克说。“我们以后再担心这个问题。 现在，我们只需要拯救奥古斯塔！来吧!”

Jack and Annie hurried after Willy to the wide, rushing river. "How do we get across?" Jack asked. "Follow me along the river," said Willy, "and I'll show you. Step lightly." Willy skipped ahead of them along the riverbank. Jack and Annie followed. Jack tried to step lightly, but it was impossible. Slopping through the mud, his boots filled with ooze and made squishing sounds with every step. The river grew narrower and narrower, twisting and turning like a snake. The mist grew thicker, until Jack could hardly see a thing. He bumped into Willy, almost knocking him over. "Careful, laddie!" said the leprechaun.

杰克和安妮急忙跟着威利来到宽阔湍急的河边。 “我们怎么过去？”杰克问。 “跟我沿河走，”威利说，“我带你去。 一步轻。”威利沿着河岸跳到他们前面。 杰克和安妮紧随其后。杰克想迈得轻一点，但那是不可能的。 他的靴子淌满了泥，每走一步都发出咯吱咯吱的声音。 河水越来越窄，像一条蛇一样蜿蜒曲折。 雾越来越浓，直到杰克几乎什么也看不见。 他撞到了威利，差点把他撞倒。 “小心点，小伙子！”小矮妖说。

"Sorry," said Jack. "All right," said Willy. "Here's where we cross. Hop from stone to stone after me." Willy disappeared into the mist, crossing the river. Annie followed him. Jack started across, too. He tried to hop carefully from stone to stone, but the stones were slippery. On his third hop, his boot slid off a mossy rock, and he splashed into the freezing water! "Jack, are you okay?" Annie called in a loud whisper. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine!" Jack said. He scrambled up. His clothes were soaked and heavy. He really

“对不起，”杰克说。“好吧，”威利说。 “我们就在这里过河。跟着我从一块石头跳到另一块石头。” 威利消失在雾中，过河去了。 安妮跟着他。杰克也开始过河。 他小心翼翼地从一块石头跳到另一块石头，但石头很滑。 在他第三次跳的时候，他的靴子从长满苔藓的岩石上滑了下来，溅到了冰冷的水中！“杰克，你还好吗？”安妮大声耳语道。 “是的，是的，我很好！”杰克说。 他爬了起来。他的衣服湿透了，很沉。 他真的

was miserable now. He waded to the other side of the river and joined Annie and Willy. "Ah, you fell in," said Willy. "That happens sometimes. Come with me now, into the forest." Jack, Annie, and Willy walked under the trees. They passed old oaks and maples that creaked in the wind. Jack shivered in his soaking wet clothes. A big black crow called from a high, bare branch. Willy jumped, then laughed. "Ah, 'tis probably Patrick Daly," he said. "Rumor is the Shee changed him into a crow for stealing a pair of the High Queen's shoes." "Changed him into a crow?" said Jack.

现在很痛苦。他涉水到河的另一边，加入了安妮和威利。 “啊，你掉进去了，”威利说。 “这种情况有时会发生。现在跟我到森林里去吧。” 杰克、安妮和威利在树下散步。 他们经过了在风中吱吱作响的老橡树和枫树。 杰克穿着湿透的衣服发抖。 一只大黑乌鸦从一根高高的光秃秃的树枝上叫道。 威利跳了起来，然后大笑起来。 “啊，可能是帕特里克·戴利，”他说。 “有传言说，母羊把他变成了一只乌鸦，因为他偷了皇后的一双鞋。” “把他变成一只乌鸦？”杰克说。

Willy nodded. "One of the Shee's favorite tricks," he said, "changing humans who displease them into animals." "Oh," said Jack. A white rabbit scampered through the forest. "That bunny over there is no doubt the former Mrs. Shan McCartie. She was rude to the High King," said Willy.

威利点了点头。“这是母羊最喜欢的把戏之一，”他说，“把不讨它们喜欢的人变成动物。” “哦，”杰克说。一只白兔蹦蹦跳跳地穿过森林。 “那边那只兔子毫无疑问是山·麦卡蒂的前任夫人。 她对至尊王很粗鲁。”威利说。

"Rude to the High King?" said Jack. He was starting to feel like he was trapped in a nightmare.

“对至尊王无礼？”杰克说。 他开始觉得自己被困在了噩梦中。